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Meat Alternatives Explained: Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:46:16 PDT

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, so tofu, tempeh, and seitan are always stocked in my fridge. If you're new to the meat-free world, preparing and eating these new foods can be really intimidating. I'm here to break down the basics so you know how to choose the right one for your nutritional needs and what to expect from your first bite.

	Firm Tofu (1/2 cup)	Tempeh (1/2 cup)	Seitan (1/2 cup)
Calories	88	160	240
Fat (g)	5	9	3
Sodium (mg)	15	7.5	705
Carbs (g)	2	8	12
Fiber (g)	1	3.8	1.5
Protein (g)	10	15.5	36

Now that you know the nutritional stats, learn how these meat alternatives are made, what they taste like, and discover yummy recipes for preparing them after the break.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Polenta Lasagne With Seitan

partysugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:08:33 PST

I love recipes like this lasagna that are fresh new takes on comforting classics. Traditionally lasagna is made with noodles and meat sauce, but this modern variation uses polenta and a mushroom seitan sauce. The update saves time because you don't have to fuss with boiling pasta. It also is meat-free and vegetarian-friendly. Don't be intimidated by the cheese sauce; it's a straightforward béchamel that's simple to put together.

For the recipe to this hearty casserole, please

Polenta Lasagne With Seitan
From Gourmet

Ingredients

For cheese sauce:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 pound Italian fontina, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
3 ounces gruyère, coarsely grated (about 1 cup), divided
Scant 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
For mushroom-seitan filling:
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 ounces seitan (patted dry and thinly sliced)
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
3 tablespoons water
2 (16-to 18-ounce) logs ready-made plain polenta

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third. Lightly butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
Make cheese sauce: Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth, then cook roux, whisking frequently, until pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat milk in a separate small saucepan until just about to boil. Add milk to roux in 2 batches, whisking constantly until very smooth.
Bring to a boil, whisking, then cook, whisking, 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in fontina, half of gruyère, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and set aside, whisking occasionally.
Make mushroom-seitan filling: Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until beginning to turn pale golden. Stir in mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Add seitan and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and seitan are slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add water and cook briefly, scraping up any brown bits.
Assemble and bake lasagne: Spread 1/2 cup cheese sauce in bottom of baking dish.
Slice 1 log of polenta into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and arrange enough rounds to cover bottom of dish, overlapping slightly. Spoon half of filling evenly over polenta, then spread with half of remaining cheese sauce (about 1 cup). Slice enough rounds from second log to form a second layer. Cover with remaining filling, then cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining gruyère and bake until top is just bubbling and slightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:00:26 PST

Seitan makes an excellent filling for fajitas and I think it would be equally delicious in the Mexican dish that's pictured below. Do you know what it's called?

Seitan Fajitas

Yum Community — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:45:04 PST

This story was written by member girlA and comes from The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange group in the YumSugar Community.I love that there is a tasty alternative to meat! Even my husband went so far as to say that he liked these better than chicken. This...coming from a man who absolutely loves chicken! Maybe it's because seitan really, truly has the same texture and similar flavor to meat, particularly chicken, but none of the saturated fat, hormones, and antibiotics. These were super easy to make and I served them with a scoop of refries with rice cheddar melted on top. Talk about a yummy, protein-packed meal!

To get her recipe, keep reading.

Definition: Seitan

YumSugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:30:26 PST

Seitan (pronounced "say-tahn") is a protein source made from the gluten of wheat that is often found in vegan, macrobiotic, and East and Southeast Asian food. Also known as wheat gluten, wheat meat, or gluten, this wheat-based meat substitute is an alternative to soy-based products such as tofu and tempeh.
Like meat, seitan, which is often sold in Western health markets in strips and cubes, can be braised, deep-fried, grilled, or simmered in soups.

Source: Flickr User jakub_hla

3 Words to Know When You're Ordering Vegetarian

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 PST

Vegetarians pay particular attention to ensuring they're consuming enough protein because there's no meat centerpiece to take care of that important nutritional component. There are often choices like tempeh and seitan for building a veggie-friendly salad that goes beyond tofu, and quinoa is a go-to grain because it contains high levels of protein. When you're choosing a meatless meal out, don't skim over these selections because you're not sure how to pronounce them. Expand your vegetarian vocab by learning how to say these three words.

Tempeh: Pronounced tem-pay, 4 ounces of this soy-based meatless alternative contains 22 grams of protein.
Seitan: Made from wheat gluten, this veggie option is pronounced say-tan or see-tan. Just 3 ounces of it contains 19 grams of protein.
Quinoa: Often referred to as the mother grain, the options with this protein-rich grain are endless. Ask for keen-wa, and you'll get 6 grams of protein in just 1/4 cup.

Source

What's the Deal With Seitan?

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:00:00 PST

There are so many meat alternatives out there, which is wonderful for vegetarians. There are tofu turkey, tempeh bacon, and seitan chicken nuggets. Tofu and tempeh are both made from soybeans, but seitan is actually made out of wheat gluten. It's sometimes referred to as the vegetarian wheat meat.

When cooked, seitan has more of a chewy texture than tofu or tempeh, making it a popular meat substitute. Many vegetarian restaurants use it to make mock steak strips, mock chicken in stir-frys, and I've even had mock eel made out of seitan.

Since people eat meat alternatives as a source of protein, I was curious to see how seitan compared to tofu and ground beef? To find out

	3 oz. Nasoya Chinese Spice Seasoned Firm Tofu	3 oz. LightLife Teriyaki Seitan	3 oz. 85 percent Fat-Free Ground Beef
Calories	90	110	181
Total Fat	5g	0g	12.6g
Saturated Fat	1g	0g	4.9g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	57mg
Sodium	220mg	380mg	55mg
Carbs	3g	6g	0g
Fiber	1g	1g	0g
Sugar	less than 1g	4g	0g
Protein	8g	19g	15.6g

Check out the difference in protein! I'm totally amazed that seitan has 19g and is only 110 calories. It even has more protein than ground beef. Very impressive. If you're looking for new ways to get your daily protein, give seitan a try. Since wheat gluten doesn't have a very strong flavor, you can flavor it any way you want. It'll give your dishes the chewy consistency you get from meat, but without all the cholesterol and saturated fat.

Mock Meat

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:30:00 PDT

Beef is loved by many a person, maybe a little too much perhaps. Diets high in red meat have been linked to heart disease due to its high fat content.

A recent study found a link between eating high amounts of red meat and developing colon cancer. It can also increase the risk of heart disease in diabetics.

Anyway you slice it, eating a ton of beef just doesn't do a body good. Instead of simply switching to the other "white meat," why not try a meat alternative instead? Take a walk on the healthy side of life and check out some mock meats. Now don't get me wrong - they don't taste exactly like real beef, but they can be pretty tasty just the same.

Tofu, made from soaked and ground up soybeans, can be cubed and baked or stir-fried. It is also used to make Tofurky and Tofu Pups.

Tempeh is made with whole, fermented soybeans. It's great to marinate and bake. Fakin Bacon is made out of tempeh. Some people find it easier to digest than tofu.

The chewy consistency of Seitan (the vegetarian wheat meat), made from wheat gluten, is great in mock chicken nuggets, or mock steak strips for fajitas. You can make it yourself, or buy the pre-made ones at the store.

TVP (textured vegetable protein) can be used to make veggie burgers, or added to chili or other soups to replicate a meaty texture.

These meat alternatives taste fairly bland, making them perfect for marinades. Plus they're great alternative sources of protein.

Fits Tips: Many Asian restaurants offer dishes with these mock meats. If you're nervous about making them yourself, order them the next time you go out to eat. Their delicious taste and texture is not only satisfying but healthier for you than red meat.

3 Ways Going Vegan Helps You Lose Weight, 3 Ways It Makes You Gain

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:24:16 PDT

Celebs like Alicia Silverstone, Alanis Morissette, and Olivia Wilde all benefit from a vegan diet - now add actress Mischa Barton to the list. The 26-year-old actress showed off her slim and healthy figure on the set of Oasis singer Noel Gallagher's new music video. Mischa told Us Weekly, "I've been running like three miles a day," and added she also loves juice cleanses and vegan food.

Vegan diets are becoming more associated with weight loss these days, and while omitting animal-derived products like meat, dairy, and eggs can help achieve weight loss, going vegan doesn't instantly drop pounds from the scale. Check out how ditching animal products from your diet can help you lose weight, but how it can also cause you to gain.

How a Vegan Diet Encourages Weight Loss

Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, sausages, barbecue chicken, ribs - meat tends to be high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and waist-expanding calories. In comparison, meat-free alternatives like tofu, veggie burgers, tempeh, and seitan are much lower in calories, but still high in protein, making them diet-friendly foods.
Butter, whole milk, and cheese are also high on the caloric scale, and if you're ditching them, that means skipping out on a slice at the pizzeria down the street and saying no to a cone at the local ice cream parlor. Of course there are still plenty of vegan alternatives to dairy products, but as long as you're not overindulging in them, you'll most likely still lose weight.
Going vegan encourages eating a primarily plant-based diet, which includes tons of veggies like kale, carrots, broccoli, and spinach. They're low in calories and high in fiber, so they make you feel full without busting the calorie bank. And since your hunger is satiated, you'll end up consuming less calories throughout the day.

Keep reading to find out how a vegan diet can lead to weight gain.

3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Cooking Tofu

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:49:06 PST

If you haven't had properly cooked tofu, I can understand why you wouldn't be a fan of the sometimes squishy, flavorless, white chunks. Even if you're not a vegetarian, it's time for you to fall in love with this meat alternative, since it's an inexpensive, low-fat, and low-calorie way to get protein into your diet without adding cholesterol.

1. Tofu Doesn't Have to Be Soft, Squishy, and Flavorless
Tofu comes in many varieties: silken, soft, firm, extra firm, and super extra firm. If you're turned off by the gelatinous texture, choose super firm or super extra firm. Another plus to buying a denser consistency is that it's higher in protein per serving (10 grams compared to six grams for soft tofu). Make sure to press out the excess water in tofu before using it to reduce the mushy texture. Pressing out excess water also makes it easier for tofu to absorb sauces or marinades, making for a tastier dish.

2. Tofu Isn't Like Other Meat Alternatives
If you've tried tempeh or seitan before and were not a fan of the grainy, chewy texture and the slightly earthy flavor, know that tofu is completely different. Made from soy milk, tofu has a smooth, spongy texture, and virtually no taste whatsoever. What you might like better about tofu is that it'll take on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

3. Tofu Doesn't Have to Be Cooked
What makes tofu such an easy source of protein is the fact that it can be eaten raw. Keep marinated tofu stored in the fridge to add to fresh salads or sandwiches, or add diced tofu to soups, quiches, tomato sauce, or pasta. Use a salad dressing as an easy marinade, or soak in soy sauce, ginger, and cumin. If you want a drier, chewier consistency, bake or panfry the marinated tofu (here's one of my favorite tofu recipes: cucumber tofu rolls).