Cheater Seitan

I guess I'm on this seitan kick lately - it's so healthy! I call this Cheater Seitan because it's simply too easy. It's still time consuming, because of the boiling time, but it primarily consists of inactive prep time when you can be doing laundry or chillin' with a good book or whatever else it is you do. The seitan can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator or freezer. It's more expensive than regular Homemade Seitan, only because vital wheat gluten costs more per pound than wheat flour, but it's great if you don't have time for the "long" method.

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 t. powdered ginger
1 t. garlic powder
3/4 cup warm water
2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

8 cups broth or stock
1/4 small yellow onion
1 scant t. liquid smoke

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients all at once, and stir to combine. It will be necessary to use your hands to completely mix the ingredients together. The dough will be rubbery.

Knead several times and let stand for five minutes. Meanwhile, bring broth or stock, onion and liquid smoke to a boil in a very large pot. Cut seitan dough into four pieces and stretch out until very thin (dough will expand A LOT when cooked).

Place dough directly into boiling water. Cover pot and cook for one hour, or longer if necessary, until seitan is firm and no longer doughey. It may take as long as 90 minutes depending on the size of your seitan pieces.

Drain and allow to cool. Slice thinly and use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for several weeks.