South of the Border Seitan

I'm a sucker for Mexican food. Whether it's just some chips with store bought salsa, some great homemade guac or an all out Mexican feast, I'm always in the mood for Mexican. This dish is a little more work than chips and store bought salsa, but you won't break a sweat preparing it. It's not a full blown Mexican feast, but it's incredibly tasty and hits the spot. This dinner falls somewhere in between and can be whipped up in no time.

South of the Border Seitan

1 Tbsp oil
8 oz seitan, cut in strips
3/4 cup onions, sliced in half moons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup pepper, slivered
1/2 a jalapeno, diced
1/2 a chipotle in adobo
1/2 cup canned tomatoes*
1/2 cup corn
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp cumin
juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
optional garnishes: avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

*You can get away with any kind of canned tomato product. I usually use "crushed" but they seem more like diced to me.

Mix/crush/mash the adobo in with the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in frying pan over medium heat. Brown the seitan strips, then remove them. Set aside. Add the onions and cook until softened. Stir in the peppers, jalapenos and the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add the marjoram, cumin and salt. Cook for about a minute then add the tomatoes/adobo mixture, the corn and the juice from 1/2 a lime. Stir. Add the seitan back to the dish and heat throughout. Check the seasonings. Serve over rice, garnishing as desired.

This is one of those adaptable dishes that can be varied with whatever you have on hand. As written, it's mildly hot, but you can up the seasonings.

Sidenote: I've noticed that sometimes when I write recipes I make them too involved. I'll add ingredients almost just because I have them. Sure, they sound like they'd be good, but sometimes I think I have a tendency to clutter up a dish. I'm trying to learn that if a little is good, a lot isn't always better. This dish is an example of my new cooking attitude. More to come!

And, for all of you who are tofu-challenged like I was, here's a bonus picture of Tofu Marsala. The recipe is from Tofu 666 (What the Hell does a Vegan Eat Anyway) with my minor changes. I add 1/2 a pepper and 2 Tbsp of sundried tomatoes and sometimes capers. I leave out the extra Tbsp of soy margarine at the end. His recipe is worth a try! We really like it.

Tofu Marsala from What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway?

Tonight's dinner: Something simple. We're have a date night and going to a play!