I like some types of veggie burgers, and I do eat them on a regular basis. My favorite are the Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime - which are a type that is meant to actually taste like an actual burger. There are lots of veggie burgers out there, though, and many don't really try to mimic an actual meat burger taste... some just taste like veggies or beans or what have you, and are delicious in that way rather than in a meaty way. That is the type of veggie burger you tend to find in restaurants or if it's homemade. I've never actually made a homemade veggie burger; I've always stuck with the pre-made frozen ones. The closest thing I've come to making something like that would probably be the bean cakes - such as black bean cakes or bean and rice cakes that I've made. For some reason today I decided to try my hand at making my own real homemade veggie burger patties so I spent all afternoon fiddling around in the kitchen. I thought I would share my results with you.
I made my veggie burgers out of beans and bulgur wheat. I get bulgur wheat at the bulk section of my grocery store and it can be used for all kinds of things. It's a main ingredient in tabbouleh, and that's what I've mostly used it for. I happened to have some in the house, though, and I thought I might be able to use that in the burger. I cooked some beans (after soaking them for a while), and ran them through the food processor until smooth but still a little chunky (like refried beans).
To the beans and bulgur wheat, I also added a little bit of dried bread crumbs, and some minced onion and shredded zucchini (that I pre-cooked). I was going to serve the burgers with feta and tzatziki so I added marjoram and parsley for a Greek themed flavor. I was very worried about the burgers being dense and gummy so I tried to mix the mixture gently and keep some air in it. I had to decide whether to put in egg as a binder and decided against it and figured I would use it as is first. So I formed a couple of patties and sauteed them with oil on a hot skillet.
The verdict on the burgers was great! They got a nice brown crust on the outside and the flavor was good. However, they did start to crumble and fall apart. We ate the burgers like that, but then I went back and added egg to the rest of the mixture. I made six more patties out of the remaining mix and those are in the freezer right now for some future veggie burger meals. Lack of egg notwithsanding, I'm actually pretty proud of my first foray into veggie burgerdom! The bulgur wheat was actually a really good addition. And even though I wasn't really going for meat flavor, they actually were relatively meaty tasting.
I was worried the results would be somewhere between disaster and meh, but I'm relieved that my burgers turned out pretty good. The addition of the feta and tzatziki made them actually quite yummy. Of course it takes a lot to make something with feta not yummy!
Happy eating!
Showing posts with label Veggie Meats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veggie Meats. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
I really love Morningstar Farms' Italian Sausage. It is one of those vegetarian meats that I crave. They really did a great job with the flavor and texture of the sausage. I love to make Italian sausage sandwiches, but recently I wanted to try something new with the sausage. After browsing recipe sites online, I settled on the idea to make something baked with potatoes. I ended up making this dish, and I was very happy with the results.
Basically, it's a pile of potatoes, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and other veggies, topped with a simple tomato sauce and then baked. I melted cheese on top as well. I suppose the same dish could be made with raw veggies and sausage and just baked for much longer, but I found it quite easy to par-cook everything and only bake it for a short time. Finishing it all in the oven helped everything come together and allowed the potatoes to absorb all the great flavors.
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
4 Italian sausage links
2 medium russett potatoes, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
dash each: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried oregano
olive oil
16 oz diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (optional)
Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until just under al dente and drain well. In the meantime, sautee sausage in a little oil until fully cooked and golden brown. Add onions, peppers and celery to the sausage pan and cook just until soft. Slice the sausages on the diagonal, making four pieces from each link.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium baking dish. Layer the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Layer sausages on top of the potatoes. Layer onions, peppers, and celery on top of the sausage. Sprinkle on the minced garlic. Pour tomatoes and sauce over the veggies. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper. Top with fresh basil.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven just until melted. Serve in shallow bowls with bread.
I hope you enjoy this idea. Happy eating!
Basically, it's a pile of potatoes, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and other veggies, topped with a simple tomato sauce and then baked. I melted cheese on top as well. I suppose the same dish could be made with raw veggies and sausage and just baked for much longer, but I found it quite easy to par-cook everything and only bake it for a short time. Finishing it all in the oven helped everything come together and allowed the potatoes to absorb all the great flavors.
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
4 Italian sausage links
2 medium russett potatoes, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
dash each: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried oregano
olive oil
16 oz diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (optional)
Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until just under al dente and drain well. In the meantime, sautee sausage in a little oil until fully cooked and golden brown. Add onions, peppers and celery to the sausage pan and cook just until soft. Slice the sausages on the diagonal, making four pieces from each link.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium baking dish. Layer the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Layer sausages on top of the potatoes. Layer onions, peppers, and celery on top of the sausage. Sprinkle on the minced garlic. Pour tomatoes and sauce over the veggies. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper. Top with fresh basil.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven just until melted. Serve in shallow bowls with bread.
I hope you enjoy this idea. Happy eating!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Veggie Meats
When I first became a vegetarian, a whopping 18+ years ago, there weren't a lot of good veggie-meat options. There were a few things out there, like veggie dogs, and veggie burgers that at the time still were obvious veggie patties... meaning, there weren't any veggie burgers that looked and tasted like regular burgers.
Since that time, though, the veggie meat possibilities have exploded. There are all kinds of options for a multitude of uses, and many of them are quite tasty. It could be debated whether they taste exactly like the original, but I don't think that's the point. I use veggie meat substitutes in the same way I would use it's real counterpart, but it doesn't have to taste the exact same as the counterpart - it just has to taste good (and they do). Many options, however, are close enough to the original that they actually fool meat-eaters. For your consideration: I made tacos with burger crumbles once, and at the dinner my carnivorous friend, chowing down on her "meat-" filled taco and noticing that I had "meat" in mine too, asked me if I wasn't a vegetarian anymore. I happily informed her that the taco meat was not, in fact, meat, and she was truly surprised. Then she talked all night about how yummy it was.
Now, none of these items are necessary to be able to create vegetarian meals. You can forgo the meat part entirely and live just fine on veggies, carbs, dairy, all the millions of food options that need no meat or meat substitute. Some would even say that using veggie meats defeats the point of being a vegetarian. But I am not really using veggie meat products simply because I have to make meat-based meals. I make a lot of meat-free and fake-meat-free meals. It's just that there happen to be lots of delicious, protein-packed, healthy foods out there that are tasty, and that vegetarians can use, and I'm gonna use 'em. If I am able to make classic meat dishes with veggie meats that still taste great, then that is a bonus. But, I'm not trying to keep the 'meat and potatoes' formula in our food at all times. I just eat what I like, and sometimes that's meat-free, and other times it is fake meat.
We are so lucky that we have so many good, healthy, tasty meat-free options, and I do use them often. I figured I'd give a little sampling of some of my favorites out of the hundreds I've tried over the years, in case anybody needs info on adding these healthier options to your meals. Even for non-vegetarians, they are tasty enough that it's justifyable to bring these to your kitchen to save a few calories and fat grams. As a bonus, they are way easier to cook than meat, making for much faster meal prep time. This is just a tiny sampling and review of some veggie meats I have tried, with some info to get you started:
Morningstar Farms
Morningstar Farms makes lots of products that are easy to use and readily available in most supermarkets. Many of their products are vegetarian, but they also have vegan versions of some of their products.
Burger Crumbles: MF's Burger Crumbles are frozen and will substitute for ground beef or other ground meats in chilis, tomato sauce, sloppy joes, taco meat, and lots of other things. They are cooked, so they just have to be brought to temp to be ready to eat. This is the veggie meat we eat the most of. I use Burger Crumbles for many, many things.
Chik'n Strips: MF's frozen chick'n strips are great to use in sauce-free dishes, like a simple stir-fry. They soak up sauce, so you don't want to let them cook in a sauce or they will get soggy. If you want a sauce on them, you have to sauce them when serving. They are great just to sautee quickly and serve with mashed potatoes. Their texture and flavor, in comparison to real chicken, is one of the best. Good stuff.
Veggie Bacon: MF's version of bacon strips is also frozen, and the most like the 'real thing' out of the various veggie bacons I've had. They can be sauteed on the stove, but an easier way is just to lay them on a plate and nuke them in the microwave until they are the texture you want - less time for softer, more time for crispier. Veggie bacon is great on BLT's or for a breakfast sandwich.
Veggie Dogs: I like Morningstar Farm's Veggie Dogs better than most other brands I've had, but they are harder and harder to find these days. They taste exactly like regular hot dogs, and should be used accordingly.
Boca Brand
I don't enjoy most Boca products as much as I do Morningstar Farms', but Boca does have a huge selection of items and a few that I really like.
Boca Burgers: Boca brand veggie hamburgers are not my fave, but they seem to be really popular in general, so somebody obviously likes them. The reason I don't love them is that, for me, they tend to have a bit of an aftertaste (the same for Boca breakfast sausages), so I don't usually buy Boca burgers - I stick with Morningstar. They have a huge variety of flavors, and some of my friends love Boca's burgers, so it's worth it to give them a try.
Boca chick'n patties - this veggie version of the classic round, breaded, ready-for-a-bun chicken patty is a good substitute for the original. The breading is nice and crisp. The spicy version of chick'n patties have a nice kick to them. Great with mayo, ketchup, and cheese on a hamburger bun - old school.
Sausages - I really love Boca's selection of main-meal sausages. They have Italian, Bratwurst, and Smoked Sausages. Well, I don't know if they even make the smoked sausage anymore, because I haven't been able to find them. Which is a bummer, because I LOVED them. The Italian Sausages and Bratwurst by either Boca or Morningstar are great. They are super easy to heat and eat, and are perfect on a roll with your favorite toppings or served as-is next to a plate of noodles, sauerkraut, grilled veggies, whatever normally would go. I like to pair veggie Italian Sausage with my eggplant parmesan.
Worthington
Worthington is a company that has been around making veggie substitute products for a very long time. Almost all of their offerings are canned, instead of frozen. There is one product in particular that I love.
FriChik - I talked about using FriChik in my blog about Chicken Paprikash. Unlike MF's frozen chik'n strips, FriChik won't soak up all the sauce it's cooked in, making it great for dishes like Paprikash, or other stews, soups, and saucy dishes. FriChik is really moist and flavorful. It doesn't taste as much like chicken as some other chicken substitutes, but it's similar, and it doesn't matter anyway, because frichick istself is a very tasty item. I can eat it, sliced, straight out of the can. FriChik is super easy to use as it is already fully cooked and it's not frozen, so just heat and eat. However, FriChik can be much harder to find than Boca or MF products. I have had to order it online, but that's not difficult to do.
Weiners - Worthington makes cocktail weiners as well as full-size dogs that I have never had, but have heard are very good.
SmartDeli -
SmartDeli's vegetarian foods are usually refrigerated instead of frozen. Many supermarkets are carrying their products now, so they are easier to find.
Veggie Dogs - if I can't find MF's veggie dogs, my second choice is SmartDeli. Theirs are also a stealthy substitute for real dogs - Serve them and I bet no one would know the difference.
Lunch Meat - SmartDeli has a line of veggie lunch meats, most of which are quite tasty. The bologna is the closest match to the original, because bologna is so processed anyway, it's not hard to mimic. The turkey is also good. As a bonus, they are way less fatty than regular lunch meats, and have lots of healthy soy protein.
Chick'n strips - another type of veggie chicken in strip form, smartdeli's version is good for a few specific uses. They can handle sauces in the way that frichik can (unlike MF's chik'n strips), and they hold up well with frying. I make a breaded version of smartdeli's chick'n strips that tastes just like real fried chicken. I kid you not. When I want something homey, greasy and fried, I make smartdeli chick'n strip fried chicken. Ask my husband, and he'll tell you - it's good stuff.
Yves
This company makes several refrigerated items similar to what SmartDeli produces: lunchmeats, etc. These brands are often found right next to each other at the grocery store.
Pepperoni - when I need pepperoni, I use Yves brand. They can be used striaght from the package (no cooking needed, like most veggie meats) and put on pizzas, sandwiches, or just eaten straight up. The big difference between this and real pepperoni is that it doesn't ooze fat everywhere when you cook it. The taste is mildly spicy and very flavorful; it's not an exact match, but it fulfills the craving just fine.
Quorn
I'm not a huge fan of Quorn products. Unlike some other veggie meats which are soy-based, quorn's structure is based (if I remember correctly) on a fungus - a mushroom, I think- to get their protein structure. In any case, it is noticeably different with the texture than other brands, and I think they are very successful with the texture and overall look of the products. But, I haven't had a quorn product yet that was very tasty to me, or that I would replace with any of my other standbys. That's not to say that you shouldn't try quorn products, because they obviously do an ok busisness, so somebody is enjoying them. And, they have several unique items that other companies don't have: things like stuffed chick'n breasts, and other fully-prepared items.
Veat
Veat products have been around for quite a while, and they have several types of veggie meats that are, once again, frozen. I haven't tried all the veat products, but there is one that I use from time to time.
Veat Chick'n: The taste of veat chicken is not exactly like chicken; but it is a good taste. One handy thing is that they have various cuts of veat that are easy to use; you can buy veat chicken in little cubes for a stir fry or to skewer and grill, or buy long strips for chicken fingers or whatever. I don't buy veat often, but when I do, it's because they have the exact shape and style I need for a specific use.
Hopefully this helps explain a little about veggie meats and demystifies the idea of using them once in a while. Even if you are a meat-eater, there are plenty of veggie meats that anybody would love, meat-eater or not, and it's a great way to add some good soy protein into your diet and reduce some of the fat and cholesterol. Give them a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. And if you have a veggie burger that sucks, rest assured there are many out there that don't.
Happy eating!
Since that time, though, the veggie meat possibilities have exploded. There are all kinds of options for a multitude of uses, and many of them are quite tasty. It could be debated whether they taste exactly like the original, but I don't think that's the point. I use veggie meat substitutes in the same way I would use it's real counterpart, but it doesn't have to taste the exact same as the counterpart - it just has to taste good (and they do). Many options, however, are close enough to the original that they actually fool meat-eaters. For your consideration: I made tacos with burger crumbles once, and at the dinner my carnivorous friend, chowing down on her "meat-" filled taco and noticing that I had "meat" in mine too, asked me if I wasn't a vegetarian anymore. I happily informed her that the taco meat was not, in fact, meat, and she was truly surprised. Then she talked all night about how yummy it was.
Now, none of these items are necessary to be able to create vegetarian meals. You can forgo the meat part entirely and live just fine on veggies, carbs, dairy, all the millions of food options that need no meat or meat substitute. Some would even say that using veggie meats defeats the point of being a vegetarian. But I am not really using veggie meat products simply because I have to make meat-based meals. I make a lot of meat-free and fake-meat-free meals. It's just that there happen to be lots of delicious, protein-packed, healthy foods out there that are tasty, and that vegetarians can use, and I'm gonna use 'em. If I am able to make classic meat dishes with veggie meats that still taste great, then that is a bonus. But, I'm not trying to keep the 'meat and potatoes' formula in our food at all times. I just eat what I like, and sometimes that's meat-free, and other times it is fake meat.
We are so lucky that we have so many good, healthy, tasty meat-free options, and I do use them often. I figured I'd give a little sampling of some of my favorites out of the hundreds I've tried over the years, in case anybody needs info on adding these healthier options to your meals. Even for non-vegetarians, they are tasty enough that it's justifyable to bring these to your kitchen to save a few calories and fat grams. As a bonus, they are way easier to cook than meat, making for much faster meal prep time. This is just a tiny sampling and review of some veggie meats I have tried, with some info to get you started:
Morningstar Farms
Morningstar Farms makes lots of products that are easy to use and readily available in most supermarkets. Many of their products are vegetarian, but they also have vegan versions of some of their products.
Burger Crumbles: MF's Burger Crumbles are frozen and will substitute for ground beef or other ground meats in chilis, tomato sauce, sloppy joes, taco meat, and lots of other things. They are cooked, so they just have to be brought to temp to be ready to eat. This is the veggie meat we eat the most of. I use Burger Crumbles for many, many things.
Chik'n Strips: MF's frozen chick'n strips are great to use in sauce-free dishes, like a simple stir-fry. They soak up sauce, so you don't want to let them cook in a sauce or they will get soggy. If you want a sauce on them, you have to sauce them when serving. They are great just to sautee quickly and serve with mashed potatoes. Their texture and flavor, in comparison to real chicken, is one of the best. Good stuff.
Veggie Bacon: MF's version of bacon strips is also frozen, and the most like the 'real thing' out of the various veggie bacons I've had. They can be sauteed on the stove, but an easier way is just to lay them on a plate and nuke them in the microwave until they are the texture you want - less time for softer, more time for crispier. Veggie bacon is great on BLT's or for a breakfast sandwich.
Veggie Dogs: I like Morningstar Farm's Veggie Dogs better than most other brands I've had, but they are harder and harder to find these days. They taste exactly like regular hot dogs, and should be used accordingly.
Boca Brand
I don't enjoy most Boca products as much as I do Morningstar Farms', but Boca does have a huge selection of items and a few that I really like.
Boca Burgers: Boca brand veggie hamburgers are not my fave, but they seem to be really popular in general, so somebody obviously likes them. The reason I don't love them is that, for me, they tend to have a bit of an aftertaste (the same for Boca breakfast sausages), so I don't usually buy Boca burgers - I stick with Morningstar. They have a huge variety of flavors, and some of my friends love Boca's burgers, so it's worth it to give them a try.
Boca chick'n patties - this veggie version of the classic round, breaded, ready-for-a-bun chicken patty is a good substitute for the original. The breading is nice and crisp. The spicy version of chick'n patties have a nice kick to them. Great with mayo, ketchup, and cheese on a hamburger bun - old school.
Sausages - I really love Boca's selection of main-meal sausages. They have Italian, Bratwurst, and Smoked Sausages. Well, I don't know if they even make the smoked sausage anymore, because I haven't been able to find them. Which is a bummer, because I LOVED them. The Italian Sausages and Bratwurst by either Boca or Morningstar are great. They are super easy to heat and eat, and are perfect on a roll with your favorite toppings or served as-is next to a plate of noodles, sauerkraut, grilled veggies, whatever normally would go. I like to pair veggie Italian Sausage with my eggplant parmesan.
Worthington
Worthington is a company that has been around making veggie substitute products for a very long time. Almost all of their offerings are canned, instead of frozen. There is one product in particular that I love.
FriChik - I talked about using FriChik in my blog about Chicken Paprikash. Unlike MF's frozen chik'n strips, FriChik won't soak up all the sauce it's cooked in, making it great for dishes like Paprikash, or other stews, soups, and saucy dishes. FriChik is really moist and flavorful. It doesn't taste as much like chicken as some other chicken substitutes, but it's similar, and it doesn't matter anyway, because frichick istself is a very tasty item. I can eat it, sliced, straight out of the can. FriChik is super easy to use as it is already fully cooked and it's not frozen, so just heat and eat. However, FriChik can be much harder to find than Boca or MF products. I have had to order it online, but that's not difficult to do.
Weiners - Worthington makes cocktail weiners as well as full-size dogs that I have never had, but have heard are very good.
SmartDeli -
SmartDeli's vegetarian foods are usually refrigerated instead of frozen. Many supermarkets are carrying their products now, so they are easier to find.
Veggie Dogs - if I can't find MF's veggie dogs, my second choice is SmartDeli. Theirs are also a stealthy substitute for real dogs - Serve them and I bet no one would know the difference.
Lunch Meat - SmartDeli has a line of veggie lunch meats, most of which are quite tasty. The bologna is the closest match to the original, because bologna is so processed anyway, it's not hard to mimic. The turkey is also good. As a bonus, they are way less fatty than regular lunch meats, and have lots of healthy soy protein.
Chick'n strips - another type of veggie chicken in strip form, smartdeli's version is good for a few specific uses. They can handle sauces in the way that frichik can (unlike MF's chik'n strips), and they hold up well with frying. I make a breaded version of smartdeli's chick'n strips that tastes just like real fried chicken. I kid you not. When I want something homey, greasy and fried, I make smartdeli chick'n strip fried chicken. Ask my husband, and he'll tell you - it's good stuff.
Yves
This company makes several refrigerated items similar to what SmartDeli produces: lunchmeats, etc. These brands are often found right next to each other at the grocery store.
Pepperoni - when I need pepperoni, I use Yves brand. They can be used striaght from the package (no cooking needed, like most veggie meats) and put on pizzas, sandwiches, or just eaten straight up. The big difference between this and real pepperoni is that it doesn't ooze fat everywhere when you cook it. The taste is mildly spicy and very flavorful; it's not an exact match, but it fulfills the craving just fine.
Quorn
I'm not a huge fan of Quorn products. Unlike some other veggie meats which are soy-based, quorn's structure is based (if I remember correctly) on a fungus - a mushroom, I think- to get their protein structure. In any case, it is noticeably different with the texture than other brands, and I think they are very successful with the texture and overall look of the products. But, I haven't had a quorn product yet that was very tasty to me, or that I would replace with any of my other standbys. That's not to say that you shouldn't try quorn products, because they obviously do an ok busisness, so somebody is enjoying them. And, they have several unique items that other companies don't have: things like stuffed chick'n breasts, and other fully-prepared items.
Veat
Veat products have been around for quite a while, and they have several types of veggie meats that are, once again, frozen. I haven't tried all the veat products, but there is one that I use from time to time.
Veat Chick'n: The taste of veat chicken is not exactly like chicken; but it is a good taste. One handy thing is that they have various cuts of veat that are easy to use; you can buy veat chicken in little cubes for a stir fry or to skewer and grill, or buy long strips for chicken fingers or whatever. I don't buy veat often, but when I do, it's because they have the exact shape and style I need for a specific use.
Hopefully this helps explain a little about veggie meats and demystifies the idea of using them once in a while. Even if you are a meat-eater, there are plenty of veggie meats that anybody would love, meat-eater or not, and it's a great way to add some good soy protein into your diet and reduce some of the fat and cholesterol. Give them a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. And if you have a veggie burger that sucks, rest assured there are many out there that don't.
Happy eating!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Soup's On, Part II: Chili
Chili is always so good in the fall. I like mine piled high with shredded chedar cheese and saltine or oyster crackers. As a vegetarian, I make a meatless chili, but Morningstar Farms' Burger Crumbles are such a good substitution that my chili is a very similar product to the original, although obviously healthier and less greasy, which I think is a good thing.
Some people will say that traditional chili doesn't include all the modern add-ins, like beans, and shouldn't be made with chili powder, but I don't mind the additions. I think chili is great with lots of beans and veggies, and if you don't have fresh chile peppers around, a good chili powder is just fine.
I often use canned beans, but if I am using dried beans the first step is to soak them for several hours and then cook them with aromatics in lots of water. Recently I made a chili with Vaquero and Ojo de Cabra (Goat's Eye) beans from Rancho Gordo. That was a fun change, and the patterns on the beans made for a colorful pot of chili. When cooking dried beans for chili I like to throw in chile peppers with the other aromatics. I start the pot of chili by sauteeing diced onions until translucent. If using fresh chiles, they go in for a few minutes to flavor the oil. Occassionally I'll use other veggies as well, such as bell peppers, and I sautee those for a few minutes also. Then I add in the rest of the ingredients: diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), burger crumbles, tomato paste, beans, and seasonings. If using canned beans, I add in most of the juice they are canned in. If using dried beans, I add in some of the reserved (strained) pot liquor.
For seasonings, I like to use ground garlic, a little smoked paprika, and a mixture of dried ground chiles, even if I also use fresh. Ancho chiles are a classic in chili, and I use a lot of that. I supplement the ancho with whatever I'm feeling that day; urfa, aji amarillo, cayenne, or mild green chilis. Salt and pepper to taste as always.
I like a very thick chili, so I use tomato paste with the bean pot liquor to make a very thick, tomatoey broth. Once I have the consistency where I like it, I let the pot simmer for at least a few minutes, up to an hour or so. There's obviously no meat that needs to tenderize, and the beans should be cooked through, so there's no need to boil the pot away all day, but a little time simmering can help meld and develop the flavors.
Like I said, I eat my chili with a whole lot of shredded sharp cheddar and crackers. Even vegetarian, chili is a hearty, warming (and cheap) meal. Happy eating!
Some people will say that traditional chili doesn't include all the modern add-ins, like beans, and shouldn't be made with chili powder, but I don't mind the additions. I think chili is great with lots of beans and veggies, and if you don't have fresh chile peppers around, a good chili powder is just fine.
I often use canned beans, but if I am using dried beans the first step is to soak them for several hours and then cook them with aromatics in lots of water. Recently I made a chili with Vaquero and Ojo de Cabra (Goat's Eye) beans from Rancho Gordo. That was a fun change, and the patterns on the beans made for a colorful pot of chili. When cooking dried beans for chili I like to throw in chile peppers with the other aromatics. I start the pot of chili by sauteeing diced onions until translucent. If using fresh chiles, they go in for a few minutes to flavor the oil. Occassionally I'll use other veggies as well, such as bell peppers, and I sautee those for a few minutes also. Then I add in the rest of the ingredients: diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), burger crumbles, tomato paste, beans, and seasonings. If using canned beans, I add in most of the juice they are canned in. If using dried beans, I add in some of the reserved (strained) pot liquor.
For seasonings, I like to use ground garlic, a little smoked paprika, and a mixture of dried ground chiles, even if I also use fresh. Ancho chiles are a classic in chili, and I use a lot of that. I supplement the ancho with whatever I'm feeling that day; urfa, aji amarillo, cayenne, or mild green chilis. Salt and pepper to taste as always.
I like a very thick chili, so I use tomato paste with the bean pot liquor to make a very thick, tomatoey broth. Once I have the consistency where I like it, I let the pot simmer for at least a few minutes, up to an hour or so. There's obviously no meat that needs to tenderize, and the beans should be cooked through, so there's no need to boil the pot away all day, but a little time simmering can help meld and develop the flavors.
Like I said, I eat my chili with a whole lot of shredded sharp cheddar and crackers. Even vegetarian, chili is a hearty, warming (and cheap) meal. Happy eating!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Paprikash
When I moved to Colorado, I had to rebuild my list of go-to stores for my standard vegetarian items. I used to buy a chicken substitute called FriChik at my local health food store in Kalamazoo, but I couldn't find it anywhere near my new home. And by "anywhere near," I mean within a two-hour radius. Luckily, I was finally able to find an online retailer that could ship some to me. I just got my delivery last week, and one thing I wanted to do with my FriChik was make paprikash.
Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian chicken dish. The chicken is stewed in a sauce made with lots of Hungarian paprika. There are many variations of the dish, but the versions that Americans are most familiar with are usually made with tomatoes and sour cream.
There are numerous vegetarian chicken substitutes, and I have a few that I use regularly. Each has its own pros and cons, and is good for some things and not others. For instance, Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips are great for stir-frying, but not for very saucy dishes, as they soak up liquids and can become soggy. I like using FriChik for saucy dishes because it holds up really well to liquids, but also because the taste works quite well with the paprikash sauce.
I make my paprikash with chopped onions and bell peppers sauteed in oil and butter, lots of paprika, a little bit of some type of chile pepper (crushed red pepper, ground ancho, or something else), garlic, salt and pepper, some type of tomatoes, and veggie stock or water. I use canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato paste depending on what I have in the house. After the sauce has simmered a little I add several pieces of FriChik and simmer some more. Then at the very end I mix together sour cream, milk, flour and a little of the paprikash sauce, stir it into the pot, and let it come back up to a gentle simmer briefly just to thicken the sauce a bit. One bonus of using vegetarian meat substitutes is that I can make a dish like this, which usually will have to cook on the stove for an hour or more, in only about 20 minutes, since the veggie meat is already cooked. Paprikash is traditionally served with spaetlze-style dumplings, but I serve mine over egg noodles, which is also very good.
Dan had never had paprikash or FriChik before, and he gave both two thumbs up. If you like paprika, paprikash is a very simple-to-make and satisfying dish. And, luckily for me and other veggies out there, we do have some good chicken-substitute options, so that we can enjoy this type of dish, too.
Happy eating!
Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian chicken dish. The chicken is stewed in a sauce made with lots of Hungarian paprika. There are many variations of the dish, but the versions that Americans are most familiar with are usually made with tomatoes and sour cream.
There are numerous vegetarian chicken substitutes, and I have a few that I use regularly. Each has its own pros and cons, and is good for some things and not others. For instance, Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips are great for stir-frying, but not for very saucy dishes, as they soak up liquids and can become soggy. I like using FriChik for saucy dishes because it holds up really well to liquids, but also because the taste works quite well with the paprikash sauce.
I make my paprikash with chopped onions and bell peppers sauteed in oil and butter, lots of paprika, a little bit of some type of chile pepper (crushed red pepper, ground ancho, or something else), garlic, salt and pepper, some type of tomatoes, and veggie stock or water. I use canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato paste depending on what I have in the house. After the sauce has simmered a little I add several pieces of FriChik and simmer some more. Then at the very end I mix together sour cream, milk, flour and a little of the paprikash sauce, stir it into the pot, and let it come back up to a gentle simmer briefly just to thicken the sauce a bit. One bonus of using vegetarian meat substitutes is that I can make a dish like this, which usually will have to cook on the stove for an hour or more, in only about 20 minutes, since the veggie meat is already cooked. Paprikash is traditionally served with spaetlze-style dumplings, but I serve mine over egg noodles, which is also very good.
Dan had never had paprikash or FriChik before, and he gave both two thumbs up. If you like paprika, paprikash is a very simple-to-make and satisfying dish. And, luckily for me and other veggies out there, we do have some good chicken-substitute options, so that we can enjoy this type of dish, too.
Happy eating!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Return To My Blog, and August-Oktoberfest
It has been a rough several months, people, and I can't lie, I haven't been doing much cooking. I have been very ill, and have had more than a few hospital stays. I've eaten more hospital food and fast food than homemade food in the last 6 months, out of necessity, and also out of exhaustion. Even standing in the kitchen for one hour to cook can wipe me out for the rest of the day. Sometimes, I don't even have the energy to do the hour in the kitchen in the first place.
But, that does make the moments when I am able to eat good, homemade food a real treat. Also, I have learned some great tricks for cutting down on prep time, or making the food prep less physically intensive. (Food prep might not seem like physical work, but when you are a sickie like me, things become excercise that never seemed like it before!) Daniel has been a big help, too... I can sit and direct him to cut and peel and shred, and that helps me to be able to cook without getting nearly as wiped out. He's been a big help! Nearly every time I enter the kitchen, Dan comes with and asks what he can do. It's actually been a great way for us to hang out together, and he has been learning a lot about cooking.
Today is a great example of that. Dan peeled and grated several potatoes for me a little while ago, and I am going to make them into potato pancakes. See, for lunch, I had made my veggie reubens. Since I have so much sauerkraut left over from the reubens, I thought tonite would be a good night to try the new Smart Deli brand veggie smoked sausage we found the other day while grocery shopping. I have a lot of potatoes, so I called my sis to get our mom's recipe for potato pancakes, and voila!... It's a big ol' German Oktoberfest meal: smoked sausage, potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream, and lots of sauerkraut.
I'm so glad I am back in the kitchen after so many months away. Now, I am off to Deutschland!
But, that does make the moments when I am able to eat good, homemade food a real treat. Also, I have learned some great tricks for cutting down on prep time, or making the food prep less physically intensive. (Food prep might not seem like physical work, but when you are a sickie like me, things become excercise that never seemed like it before!) Daniel has been a big help, too... I can sit and direct him to cut and peel and shred, and that helps me to be able to cook without getting nearly as wiped out. He's been a big help! Nearly every time I enter the kitchen, Dan comes with and asks what he can do. It's actually been a great way for us to hang out together, and he has been learning a lot about cooking.
Today is a great example of that. Dan peeled and grated several potatoes for me a little while ago, and I am going to make them into potato pancakes. See, for lunch, I had made my veggie reubens. Since I have so much sauerkraut left over from the reubens, I thought tonite would be a good night to try the new Smart Deli brand veggie smoked sausage we found the other day while grocery shopping. I have a lot of potatoes, so I called my sis to get our mom's recipe for potato pancakes, and voila!... It's a big ol' German Oktoberfest meal: smoked sausage, potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream, and lots of sauerkraut.
I'm so glad I am back in the kitchen after so many months away. Now, I am off to Deutschland!
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