Seitan Satay

When my vegan friend Jennifer Scope suggested that I serve seitan, I wasn't sure what it was. Say what? Seitan (say-TAHN) is a vegetarian "wheat meat," derived from the protein portion of wheat, she explained. It comes packaged like tofu, and is sold at Whole Foods and other grocery stores. Seitan's chewy, "meaty" texture makes it such a convincing meat substitute that some vegetarians refuse to eat it. Its neutral flavor works well in stews and with marinades

I decided to put the "wheat meat" to the test by using it as a chicken substitute for a satay recipe adapted, ironically enough, from James McNair's "Chicken" cookbook. Of the two brands I tried, White Wave seitan was less inclined to break into pieces and thus easier to "skewer" than the Vegetarian Cuisine brand.

Seitan Satay

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lime juice

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed, or to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Three 8-ounce packages seitan

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except the seitan. Cut the seitan into 1- to 1 1/2 -inch chunks, and add to the marinade. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour. When done marinating, thread the seitan pieces onto bamboo skewers.