How to prepare lunch meat.

We don't eat a lot of lunch meat in my family either. Our favorit though is turkey. I like to buy tortillas & put a little mayonnaise on them with turkey, lettuce, cheese & tomato & then put it in the george foreman grill for a few minutes until it's warm. It's SO delicious.

This is a follow-up recipe to my veggie lunch meat. When I made the original recipe I did not try to make it taste like any specific meat since I have found that texture is often more important in a sandwich. This time, though, I attempted a smoked turkey/chicken type meat and the end result was met with great acclaim by the whole family. A few caveats though: 1. All I had on hand was Mori-Nu tofu; I'm not sure if this makes a big difference. 2. Not all liquid smoke is equal. I have gone with the cheap stuff before and it is pretty nasty. INGREDIENTS - 12oz firm tofu - 2 cups water - 1/4 cup oil - 2 tsp soy sauce - 1 tsp Bragg's - 1/4 cup nutritional yeast - 1 tsp paprika - 2 tsp onion powder - 1 tsp garlic powder - 1/4 tsp tumeric - 2 tsp poultry seasoning - 1/4 tsp hickory liquid smoke - 3 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten METHOD Get water steaming in your steamer. You will need a large steamer. 1. Place all ingredients except the gluten flour in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour into a bowl. Add gluten flour and work into a dough. Knead for a few mins to let gluten develop. 2. Shape dough into a log and wrap in heavy duty foil like a tootsie roll. Try to make the roll as thick as possible. Steam for 1 hour. 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees in the last 15 mins of steaming. Remove seitan from steamer and bake for 40-50 mins. Seitan should swell and press against the foil. 4. Cool and slice as needed for sandwiches. This seitan holds up very well and can be shaved very thin. Store in the fridge or freezer. This recipe makes a lot, so you can cut it into 3 or four chunks and store them away for later.

I've never microwaved lunch meat before. I prefer a sandwich on nice fresh bread from the bakery, a little mayonnaise slathered on the bread and sometime mustard, depending on the meat I choose. I also add sliced tomato, lettuce, a little salt and pepper, and enjoy. A nice kosher dill pickle, a handful of potato chips, and a nice cold glass of milk make any sandwich a little better. Sometimes I will add sliced pickle onto the sandwich. Some people add things like sliced onions or cucumbers, shredded carrots, sliced olives or even sprouts. Still, some people prefer different types of bread, rolls, or even bagel sandwiches. Another way to enjoy lunch meats are to add them to salads. A Chef Salad, for example, usually has turkey, ham, and some sort of cheese added to a regular salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots or whatever else you might like. My mother used to buy thinly sliced turkey or roast beef and serve it with gravy and mashed potatoes. Ham is nice if you dice it up and add it to scrambled eggs. Lunch meats are an easy and convenient way to make a quick meal. Just add it to other things you like. Experiment with sandwiches, salads, or adding ot to other meals you enjoy. One thing to watch is the fat content. Some lunch meats can be very high in fat, but low fat turkey, chicken or ham are good choices. Enjoy your new culinary experience!