Basic Wheat Stir-Fry with Lao Gan Ma Sauce

Here's an easy dish you can make in a very short time.

BASIC WHEAT STIR-FRY

1 8 oz. box of Wheat Gluten such as West Soy Seitan Strips.

1/2 medium onion

1 bell pepper, preferably red (or green, yellow, orange)

coconut oil for cooking

1 teaspoon of Lao Gan Ma Sauce

a splash of soy sauce

a splash of sesame oil

Makes 2 servings.

Pre-heat pan on medium heat. Remove wheat from packaging and squeeze out the excess water and place in a bowl. I have chosen to use the strips. Don't expect them to look like perfect strips. I guess it would be better to call them chunks. If you want perfect strips, get the cubes and cut them yourself. Don't be afraid to squeeze hard. Gluten is pretty strong and will usually snap back into place. Chop the onion into desired size. Turn the bell pepper on its side and cut off the top and the bottom. Slice in half and remove the seeds and connective membranes. Cut the top and bottom into usable pieces and remove the stem from the top. If you choose to cook over high-heat, you must work quickly and move the food around very quickly to avoid burning and to distribute the seasoning. I choose to leave it on medium heat.

Scoop in some coconut oil and coat the pan. Toss in the onions and bell pepper pieces. Let it cook for about three minutes or until the onions are cooked to desired state. Put in your Lao Gan Ma (老干媽) Sauce. You may be asking, what the heck is Lao Gan Ma Sauce? Well, it's a sauce invented in Guizhou and used by spice enthusiasts. It consists of soybeans, chilis, Sichuan pepper. You also find it in Hunan or Sichuan cooking and now, more or less, everywhere. There is MSG in it, so if you are completely against the idea of using MSG, you can make your own by mixing chilis with fermented black soybeans and Sichuan pepper in some oil. I don't add MSG into my food, but if it's there already, I'm not too obsessive about it. I eat it occasionally even though I would love to abuse the sauce. No, this is not a cry for help. The Sichuan pepper in the sauce is labelled as prickly ash, which is the same thing. It's the stuff that makes your tongue tingle in a good way.

If you find a picture of a surly woman on the bottle, then you have the right brand. There are three kinds and I get the crispy one. I got mine at the ABC Supermarket in Beacon Hill. You can get it at Viet Wah or 99 Ranch Market.

Throw in your wheat, then splash in some soy sauce and coat the pieces evenly. If you have too much liquid, allow it to reduce. At the end put in a little sesame oil and mix evenly. Serve immediately with brown rice. Each serving has 30 grams of protein.

I personally prefer red bell peppers because they are sweeter and use green bell peppers if I want a bitter vegetable for taste balance, but I was drawn to orange bell peppers today.

Variations: if you're not into bell peppers or onions, try snow peas and Chinese black mushrooms (also known as shiitake mushrooms) with the same sauce or with black bean sauce.

The wheat has the mouth feel of chicken or beef, but it's vegetarian, I swear!