Slow Cooker Seitan Carnitas.

I found this recipe I just had to try on one of my favorite websites, Peas and Thank You. I love her website, but have taken a couple misses to find a true hit from her site. This is one of them.

I loved the crockpot aspect of it, and figured I'd give seitan a try. Pretty darn good and made me feel a little more "normal" eating something with a meaty texture. Next time I'll omit the salt, since I thought my seitan had enough it it already.

2 8oz. packages ground seitan

1 cup vegetable broth, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omit)
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2/3 cup organic salsa
8 corn tortillas
toppings: sliced olives, guacamole, tomatoes, non-dairy (i.e. Daiya Pepper Jack) or organic cheese

•Drain seitan of as much liquid as possible.

•Add it to a skillet that has been lightly misted with oil and placed over medium high heat.

•While it isn’t necessary to sauté the seitan before adding it to the slow cooker, I like the flavor it develops. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until starting to brown.

•Add about 1/4 c. of vegetable broth to the pan to deglaze the little bits of seitan from the pan.

•Transfer the mixture to your crockpot and add remaining broth, garlic, salt, lime juice, maple syrup, cumin, cilantro and salsa.

•Stir mixture, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

•(If you don’t want to use a slow cooker you could just add all the ingredients to the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until liquid has reduced.)

•Toast up the corn tortillas in a dry skillet and top with carnitas and other desired toppings.