Crispy Tender Wrap

Welcome to another addition of faux meat.  As I have said before, I don't cook a lot of processed "meat."  I focus mostly on whole foods. But, for convenience sake, I will eat it about twice a month.  A girl's gotta have her fast food.  Luckily, Gardein makes some pretty decent faux chicken.  Morning Star makes "chicken" nuggets, but I prefer the Gardein Crispy Tenders.  For a quick lunch, I cooked 4 tenders and made 2 wraps for myself.  I cannot take credit for the bomb Thousand Island Dressing in my wrap.  See below for recipe. 

Love chicken tenders in a wrap!

In my wrap:
2 whole wheat flour tortillas, small size
4 Gardein Crispy Tenders
steamed asparagus
avocado slices
grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 T Thousand Island Dressing

Warm tortillas on the stove or in the microwave.  Stuff with cooked chicken and other goodies.  Spoon on some dressing, fold and chow!

Skinny BitchThousand Island Dressing:

Yes, you can eat it with a spoon, it's that good!

1 cup vegan mayo, I like Follow Your Heart (you can find it at Sprouts)
1/4  cup organic ketchup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 T tomato paste
3 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt (I used 1/4)
dash of Cayenne

Whisk all ingredients together and store in fridge.

"Chicken" Salad

Okay, so, Morning Star makes these packages of Meal Starters "meat."  They have steak and chicken strips (made from soy protein), and are located in the frozen aisle of most supermarkets.  Check near the veggie burgers and frozen pizzas.  Not all Morning Star frozen products are vegan, though.  Some items may contain dairy.  If you use bread, this recipe makes 3 or 4 sandwiches; or try it on a bed of salad.  *You don't have to eat meat ALL the time.  Take a break from it and try out some new foods.  Your body will love you.

Simple and Delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups of Morning Star Chik'n Strips, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup vegan mayo (Vegenaise)
1/4 cup red or white onion, diced fine
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries (Oh boy, does this make the dish!)
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 T Agave nectar
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve on whole grain bread or on a bed of lettuce.  Yum yum.

This recipe shared on Amee's Savory Dish:

Tempeh Salad Sandwich

I know what you're thinking, "What weird thing is she eating now?"  Believe me, it's less weird than hot dogs or chicken nuggets...  Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger.  Many commercially prepared brands add other grains, such as barley, and also add spices and extra flavors.  Although tempeh is made from soy, it has a unique taste and is mildly flavorful on its own.  If you aren’t fond of tofu, tempeh is a great nutritional choice because it is very high in protein, calcium and iron and has zero cholesterol (unlike meat), as well as beneficial fiber and isoflavones.  Tempeh tastes nothing like tofu.  It has a textured and nutty flavor.  If you are cutting back on meat and trying to lower your cholesterol, give this a try.  You can make anything with it.  Let your creative juices flow.

Make a sandwich!

*Most tempeh you buy in the store is pre-cooked, pasteurized and ready to go; however, I highly recommend you steam it for 10-15 minutes anyway because the tempeh will swell and soften a bit which helps it to accept more flavors; and it helps to remove some of tempeh's bitter flavor.  I serve up this salad on toast like a "tuna" sandwich, but it is delicious plain too!

You Need:
You will need an 8 oz. package of Tempeh, found in most grocery stores and natural food stores.  Break up tempeh in big chunks and place in a steamer basket (or use a sauce pan filled one inch with water) and steam for 10-15 minutes.  Cool completely.  You will also need 1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed; and 1/2 cup of frozen peas, thawed.  While tempeh is steaming, you can get the dressing ready:

Tempeh right out of the package

Ingredients:
(8oz. pkg tempeh, peas, corn)
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
2 T sweet pickle relish
1 T Vegenaise vegan mayo
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp. stone ground mustard
1/2 tsp. dried dill seasoning
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 salt
pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix dressing, add peas and corn, add cooled tempeh (break it up a bit with your hands), mix thoroughly.  Serve on toast, a bed of lettuce, or eat plain.  You can also add other veggies to your taste such as, chopped red onion, celery, cucumber, or carrots.  Make it the way you like it, but don't be silly, just TRY it!  Makes 4 servings.

Recipe inspired by The Kind Life.

Katy's Chicken and Cheese Pitas

I have to give credit to my daughter, Katy, for coming up with this recipe all by herself.  She likes to try new foods and quite often helps me cook vegetarian meals for the family.  Before I get to this delightful chicken recipe, I'd like to let you in on something I've learned about chicken.  Americans think they are being 'good' because they eat more chicken and less red meat.  I used to eat loads of chicken too, but I can tell you I will never eat it again, and I'm not to keen on serving it to my family.  Why so radical you ask?  Before you put me on your list of friends who are 'total freaks' consider these facts:

*Chicken (while lower in saturated fat) has almost the same amount of cholesterol per serving as red meat.  

*Chicken has more animal proteins than red meat, therefore, more carcinogenic

*Grilled chicken is the largest source of PhIP, a potent carcinogen, (the highest risk is for cancers of the prostate, colon/rectum, and breast).  Fast food places like KFC and others offering 'grilled' chicken, all found to be laced with PhIP!

*Even though high temperatures kill E.coli, people constantly get food poisoning from cross-contamination

*Raw chicken you bring home is covered in bacteria

*Researches from the UofA found more fecal bacteria in the kitchen (from sponges, dish towels, sink drains) than they found swabbing the toilet 

*Chicken 'juice' is pretty much E.coli-fecal soup, ewww, gross!

*Why are there such large chicken breasts at the grocery store?  Hormones and unnatural feed, Ugh.

There are chicken alternatives.  Morning Star makes "chicken" strips and "chicken" nuggets; and Gardein  makes "chicken breasts" made from soy and vital wheat gluten. Gardein "chicken" has 20 grams of protein per serving.  Because it's not animal protein, it has virtually no saturated fat and zero cholesterol. Gardein products are vegan and use non-GMO soy beans.  You season up this "chicken" the exact same way you would season animal chicken: rubs, spices, salt, sauces, bbq... it's all the same, yet very different.

Recipe below:

Open-faced Grilled Italian Sandwich

This open-faced sandwich is similar to your average meatball sub, only ten times better!  I couldn't believe how delicious this turned out; I just had to blog about it.  I didn't use a recipe, just what I had on hand.   I bought some tomato-basil bruschetta in a jar, but regular spaghetti sauce would work just fine.  Promise me you won't use meat or cheese in this meal.  I want you to know how amazing it is without animal protein!

click photo to enlarge

Here's what I used:

Earth Balance butter
2 pieces of whole grain, whole wheat bread
Bruschetta in a jar, or regular spaghetti sauce, whatever you have!
Extra firm tofu (I used teriyaki flavored baked tofu from Trader Joe's cuz it tastes like chicken)
Pesto sauce
Italian seasoning
Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast

Grill both sides of the buttered bread and 6 tofu slices
Instead of mayo, use pesto sauce to spread on the toast
Layer the grilled tofu slices and bruschetta on top
Sprinkled with Italian seasoning and nutritional yeast

This was so bomb, I had to pour myself a glass of wine to drink it with!  I didn't use a fork, either.  Trust me, you'll love it!

Lunchtime Quicky

Colon cancer isn't invited to my party, so I eat a lot of fiber, including beans.  Beans provide protein as well.  I like some faux meat, but I don't eat it very often.  Here is a quick and easy sandwich you can make for lunch that is so satisfying and healthy, it will blow your socks off.

Think of it this way:

*Take away processed meat and use beans for protein.  You also get fiber, calcium, and iron, for the hat-trick.

*Take away the highly processed cheese (which has saturated fat and major pesticides) and use avocado for that creaminess you crave.  You also get vitamins, minerals, and potassium for the triple-crown.

Add some veggies for crunch--you must have crunch or your mouth won't like it.  I rarely eat pickles, but to this I add bread & butter pickles because my brain tells me to add some sweet to my savory.  By the way, all pickles are swimming in a load of HFCS.    I buy sweet pickles at Sprouts because they use sugar.   Sugar and HFCS are pretty close the way they are processed and the way your body metabolizes them.  Neither are healthy.  Nevertheless, I try to avoid HFCS at much as possible.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of white Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 avocado
Squeeze of lemon
I use Mrs. Dash, but you could use salt and pepper to taste, or garlic powder

Mash bean mixture with a fork and spread on 2 slices of toasted, whole-grain bread. 
Top with sliced tomatoes, Romaine, red onion, pickles, whatever you like.

BBQ "Chicken" Sandwich

Calling all meat-eaters out there!  All my family members are meat and dairy eaters, but they are always willing to try new things.  I've done a lot of research in the last few years, and I'm always amazed and shocked at the things I discover about health and nutrition, particularly how your body reacts when certain foods are consumed (such as meat, dairy, sugar, caffeine).  I feel as though we are our own advocates for having a healthy body and a healthy life.  I am not a big fan of "faux" meat because it is so processed, but I do eat it once or twice a month.  Here is what I would call a "fast food" sandwich.  You don't have to be a vegetarian to eat soy.  Give soy burgers and soy chicken a try sometime.  What is the worst that can happen?  It tastes delicious and virtually no saturated fat. Your heart will love you.  Details below:

Morning Star makes vegan soy protein called "Meal Starters."  They have ground beef and chicken strips. You can find it in the frozen food aisle of most supermarkets.  The "meat" has no flavor so you have to make something of it.  I found a BBQ sauce that does not contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), but it does contain sugar.  Like I said, this is fast food, junk food.  I heated up some "chicken" and BBQ sauce and piled it on whole wheat buns.  Served it up with some corn-on-the-cob and it made a great dinner the family loved!  Give it a try; you'll feel satisfied, satiated, but not heavy and gassy.  No heartburn here!