Seitan is another name for wheat gluten and is also sometimes called "wheat meat". It's made by washing the starch out of wheat flour, which results in a high protein, chewy-textured food that is almost flavourless - but good for absorbing flavors of whatever it's cooked with. I didn't make my own, but the traditionally-seasoned White Wave Seitan in the blue box worked fine, plus it was on sale for $2.39.
Quinoa pronounced keen-wah, is not a true cereal grain, but rather the botanical fruit of a species of goosefoot. Quinoa is high in protein, gluten-free and can be cooked in 20 minutes or so. It's similar to cooking rice, but be sure and rinse it well to remove any of the soapy tasting - saponins that might still be present.
This article by Nicole Spiridakis on NPR says of Quinoa -
"What was a sacred crop to the Incas has been classified as a "super crop" by the United Nations because of its high protein content. It is a complete protein, which means it has all nine essential amino acids. It also contains the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous."I haven't had a chance to try Burmese Tofu yet. It's made from chickpea flour, and looks like something that would be pretty easy to concoct at home; although I'm a little worried when I see a recipe that says "add the chick-pea sludge".
I'll have to read more about it.
Happy eating - and by the way - I'm not one of those serious Vegans, with a capital V. I look at being a vegan as a phase I'm going through (3 years now and I feel great). Who knows - one of these days when I'm old enough I might decide to go on a - Whiskey Steak diet.
