Vegan Baked "Fried Chicken"

I had planned on making completely fat free 'fried chicken', and I did, for a moment. Then temptation got the better of me and I fried them in the skillet. However, I really think they would have been better if I'd left them just baked-- they were crispy, perfectly seasoned, and the oil really just added a gross feeling afterwards. So now I know!

I made my 'chicken' from scratch and I'll list the recipe, but you can use premade seitan if you want. This seitan came out a little spongier than I'd meant-- I'm still new to the seitan thing. Could that be from overcooking? Next time I think I will marinate tempeh and use that instead.

Seitan Chicken
Ingredients:

• 2 c. vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 c. water
• 1/4 soymilk
• 6 c. vegetable broth

1. Mix the dry ingredients well, then add the wet ingredients and use a fork to cut the wet and dry together.
2. When the fork no longer does it, knead with your hands for about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead 5-10 more times.
3. Put your broth onto heat, and while it's warming, cut the dough into 8-12 pieces and shape each into a drumstick (is that the right word? I don't remember) shape, if you want.
4. Drop the pieces into the broth, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Now, onto the crispy part.

Vegan Baked "Fried Chicken"
serves 2-3 (2 in our house)
Ingredients:

• 6 drumsticks from above, or whatever you want to use
• 1/4 c. dijon mustard
• 1/3 c. instant oats OR regular oats, pulsed a few times in the food processor
• 1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs
  
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp. ground rosemary
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. paprika
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a shallow dish or on a plate.
3. Slather the mustard onto your mock-chicken, making sure each is well coated.
4. Dredge the mock chicken through the dry coating, and do your best to get it as covered as possible.
5. Spread the coated pieces of seitan on a baking sheet. I didn't oil mine, but you can if you want (lightly), as it will help to crisp the outside.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove, flip each piece over, and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

And voila! It smells good, don't it? Here's where I got bad. I coated them in cornstarch and pan fried them in oil. But since I coupled them with Happy Herbivore's Fat-Free Mashed Potatoes I figure I could have been more bad. I recommend not frying them, though, if you can stand it.