[Vegetarian] Buffalo Wings

First and foremost, I wish I would have posted this yesterday because then I'd have a better title like, Buffalo Wing Wednesday, which has a little more pizazz! Now it's Thursday, so you're stuck with this boring title.  My apologies.

I promising it's more appetizing than it may look

I made these buffalo wings for the Superbowl this past Sunday because nothing says you're a tough football watcher like eating a meat substitute covered in hot sauce.  I actually don't miss chicken or other meats, but whenever Shaun gets buffalo wings my mouth waters over the smell of the delicious, mouth-burning sauce.  Wings and football go together like sriracha and most all food.

Source

Moving on.   My lovely [vegan] cousin made these last year for the Superbowl and I've adapted her recipe from The Compassionate Kitchen.  Her recipe is vegan and she even made her own blue cheese dip!  I adapted the recipe to include butter in the sauce and I bought my own blue cheese dressing because I'm not as fancy as her.

Vegetarian Buffalo Wings

8-10oz Seitan or 2 packages (The one I bought was pre-cut into chunks/strips)
1 cup flour
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
vegetable oil (for frying)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce

Directions:

• Mix together flour, garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika in a large bowl
• Dip the strips of seitan into the flour mixture, coating the seitan (I used the biggest and best pieces I had before using some of the smaller pieces)
  * Once all the pieces are coated you should put them into the fridge for an hour, but I didn't have that long and almost immediately went to frying...they turned out great still!
• Heat oil in a frying pan and cook seitan for 15-20 minutes, turning to makes sure all sides are cooked well
• In a separate pan, melt together butter and hot sauce
• Once both seitan and hot sauce are done, place seitan in a bowl, pour sauce over wings, and shake!
  * Breath deep only if you need your sinuses cleared because this stuff is potent!
• Serve with blue cheese dressing/dip
  
  
  Success! Buffalo wings, vegetarian style!

My carnivorous boyfriend and friends enjoyed them as well.  I'm telling you, the sauce is what makes the wings, not the "meat", and this sauce is spot-on!  The wings overall have a great crunchy texture and chewy insides, perfect combo.

The Superbowl watching party was a success.  Thanks to Bob for hosting and being grill-master, Katie for making amazing jalapeno poppers, and Shaun for making (his first) homemade salsa.  

And for dessert I made dark chocolate dipped chips.  Yes, it's as easy as it sounds.  Step 1: melt chocolate. Step 2: dip chip in chocolate.  Step 3:  Let cool in fridge if you can. Step 4: Shove in mouth. Step 5: Repeat.

Beer + food + football + friends = the perfect day

(especially after a 9 mile run in the morning, then I didn't feel so guilty!)