Mushroom-Stuffed Seitan Roast

Method:

To prepare the filling, preheat a large pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat.

Sauté the mushrooms and leeks in oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring often.

Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Cook the mixture, stirring very often, until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the mixture is relatively dry. This should take about 5 minutes.

Drizzle in the broth and lemon juice and toss to coat until moist. If it still seems dry drizzle in a little extra olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.

To prepare the roast, preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. In a food processor, pulse the garlic until well chopped. Add the beans, broth, olive oil and soy sauce and puree until mostly smooth. A few pieces of bean are okay, but they should be no bigger than a pea. For best results, use a salty homemade vegetable broth. Salt is integral to the flavor of the seitan, so if the broth isn’t seasoned then add a tsp or so of salt to it.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, herbs and spices. Make a well in the center and add the bean mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts coming together to form a ball of dough. Knead until everything is well incorporated.

Roll out the seitan and form the roast. Place two pieces of tin foil about 45 cm long horizontally in front of you. The sheet further from you should overlap the closer sheet by about 15 cm.

On a separate surface, use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the seitan into a roughly 30 x 25 cm rectangle. If any pieces rip, just use a pinch of dough from the ends to repair any holes.

Place the filling in the lower third of the seitan rectangle, leaving about 5 cm of space at both ends. Make sure the filling is compact, forming a nice, tight bundle.

Roll the bottom part of the seitan up and over the filling. Keep rolling until in it’s in a log shape. Now pinch together the seam and pinch together the sides to seal.

Place the roll in the center of the tinfoil and roll up, making sure the ends are tightly wrapped. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour to 1 ½ hour until very firm. Rotate the roll every 20 minutes for even cooking.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Unwrap and slice.

Spoon broth over the roast before serving.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 170g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into thin half moons
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• 1/4 C breadcrumbs
• 1/4 C vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Roast:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 3/4 C cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 C vegetable broth
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 C vital wheat gluten
• 1/3 C nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed between your fingers
• 1 tsp dried sage, crushed between your fingers
• Fresh black pepper