**SEITAN MY FIRST TIME COOKING IT & BENACHIN ONE POT** ENTRY FOR VEGAN WEDNESDAY BY THE LOVELY HEART-TO-HEART

My fellow Steemians as I have not been as active as I would love to be, in real life I am so busy. There just isn’t enough time in the day for all the activities I am involved in at the moment. So I thought I would join you today for a quick culinary trip to West Africa and have a smooch with my Steemit friends. This is my entry for vegan Wednesday I hope I'm not to late the lovely @heart-to-heart

Steemit massive come follow me to Gambia and Senegal for a meal of Benachin our National dish. Benachin is normally eaten with meat, fish or chicken I will be adding a vegan London twist to a traditional Senegambia meal. African women look at cooking as a gathering of women and it’s around the fire and cooking pots where they will discuss day to day living and how to manage the family. All the women get involved in the cooking even if one member of the family is cooking the meal. Team work makes the dream work and all that enough of my chitter chatter and down to the cooking lol. By the way it's my first time cooking vegan meat substitute SEITAN vital wheat gluten so not great for those who are gluten intolerant, but I don't personally use soya product as they are not good for female organs and I will only use Seitan occasionally

INGREDIENTS
• 1 Packet of Seitan or Vital Wheat Gluten (make your own)
• 1 Organic Onions
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Medium size piece of root Ginger
• 1Scotch Bonnet Pepper (chilli of your choice)
• 1 Packet of Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Bulgur Wheat
• 1 Bunch Spring Onions
• 1 Sweet Pepper
• 1 cup of Olive oil
• 5 Carrots
• 1 Tablespoons of dried Mixed Herbs
• 1 Small nob of Root Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon of Pink Himalayan Salt (enough to taste)
• 4 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos
• 3 Bay leaves

• Open the Packet of Seitan

• Cut into cubes and season with salt, 1 tablespoon mixed herbs and 2 tablespoons Coconut aminos.

• Fry the Seitan until it is slightly brown and crisp just like you would fry meat.
  

• Wash all the vegetables and chop them up and put them in the food processor..
  

• Add the vegetables from the food processor to the hot oil that you used to fry the Seitan and fry gently until all the vegetables are cooked and the oil has turned a red colour from the tomatoes this could take approx. 20mins on a medium heat.

• When your tomato sauce is cooked and the oil is a red color add water to your cooking pot and stir.
  At this point add salt to taste and taste this afterward to make sure the sauce has enough salt before you add the rice to the water.

• Added your washed and cut carrots to the cooking pot with the lid on and boil the carrots for 15 mins or until soft.

• Get your grains and wash them to remove dirt and starch from the Bulgur wheat.

• Get a clean spoon put some of the water in the spoon to check that there is enough salt in the water if not add salt to taste also add the 3 bay leaves to the boiling vegetable broth.

• Make sure that the water in the cooking pot is boiling and then add your washed grain to the boiling water and cover with a lid. Let the grains boil for about 15 mins and then check.

• Leave the pot on the lower setting for 10mins and then check that the grains are cooked add your Carrots and fryed Seitan to the pot and put the lid back on the pot. Turn off the heat

• Let the rice stand, for a further 15mins and then check and serve.

Content and images authors own, sorry for the poor image quality and lack of images but some of the images became corrupt I don't know why sadly. Comment ask me any questions about the recipe, follow to see more delicious African, Caribbean favorites, upvote because we can and resteem so it gets to other vegan Steemians and Non vegans my food is full of rich exotic flavors, let thy food be thy medicine