VEGAN GRILLED SEITAN-SANDWICH WITH BALSAMIC ONIONS

This is my first try to prepare seitan since a long time! Because i´m never sure, with what method i should prepare the seitan, i used this recipe to test 4 different ways of preparing seitan:

• baking in aluminium foil
• steaming in aluminium foil
• steaming without aluminium foil
• roasting in oil

I expected, that baking will be the best result, but my favourite was the seitan which was steamed, wether with or without foil, cause most of the flavour remained in the seitan.  This is really a matter of taste. Preparing the seitan with foil makes it a little bit harder than without. The recipe for the balsamic onions is from a bbq-book, called "fired up". And i really really love that sweet taste of the onions!!!  But... now i´ve talked enough. Just try it out =)


Ingredients for the seitan-dough:

• 1 cup gluten flour
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp harissa
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt (it could be one more)
• some drops of hot sauce
• 3/4 cup water

1.  In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients and in a second bowl the wet ingredients. 
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead the dough about 10 minutes until everything is well mixed. 
3. Now it´s time to decide how to prepare the seitan. For steaming just heat some water in a pot, put the steaming tower on top of the pot and steam (with lid on) until the seitan has a good consistensy. I can´t say how much time this will need, cause i cut it into small pieces. If you are steaming it in one piece i think it needs something about 50 - 60 minutes.

Ingredients for the marinade:

• oil
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• chili flakes to taste
• a handful of parsley (chopped)
• 2 cloves of pressed garlic
• some lemon-juice
• some salt 

1. Mix all ingredients together and marinade the seitan for at least 1 - 2 hours.
2. Now you can grill the seitan, but i think also frying in a pan should work.

Ingredients for the balsamic onions:

• 2 red onions
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp high-quality balsamic vinegar
• some chopped parsley
• sea-salt

1. Peel the onions and cut them into rings.
2. Heat a coated pan on medium heat and brush it with a little bit of the olive oil.
3. Put the onion rings side by side in the pan and let them gently fry for about 10 minutes. Only turn it when they have a nice golden colour. Then also fry the other side. 
4. Take the pan from the hotplate, mix together the rest of the olive oil the balsamic vinegar, the parsley and the salt and add it to the onions. Let it rest for about 30 minutes (on a warm place).

Further ingredients:

• bread (i had a sourdough bread, but you can also use a white bread)
• tomatoes (sliced)
• salad
• cucumber (sliced)
• ketchup or any other sauce you like

1. Roast the bread-slices on a grill, grill-pan or in the oven and face? the bread with all the  
    ingredients.