For the last in my long-overdue-to-be-finished series on the Gardein line of products (read my takes on Gardein Beefless Tips and Gardein Chick’n Good Stuff) I have saved the best and taken Chick’n Scallopini and made… Chicken Scallopini! Now, I am not the kind of Vegan who stopped eating meat because I thought it tasted bad. So an extra “you’re welcome,” animal friends. You are delicious and I abstain. Thus, my method of cooking (other than being really, really messy) is to find a “regular” recipe and veganize it. The goal is to get it as close to the real thing as possible. If a meat eater can’t tell the difference: Success!
A quick google search led me to this recipe. Obviously, I had to defrost my Chick’n first. The pieces were already pretty thin, so there was no need to get aggro on them and beat ‘em with a mallet or rolling pin or random blunt object within a 1/4 inch of it’s “life.” I substituted margarine and some faux stock but followed the rest as I was told. It’s not hard to follow directions, people. Don’t think you know better till you’ve tried it as-almost-is at least once.
To accompany my chicken, I mixed my ethnicities up and made these potatoes again, and some steamed green beans.
Wowsa this was tasty & delicious, even if I do say so m’self. I don’t actually know if it had anything to do with Gardein and their light seasoning or not, but man that sauce was gooooood. If you have a different favorite non-meat meat-like substitute, I see no reason why this wouldn’t work just as well as it did with Gardein (no offense, Gardein person who sent me free meats, please to continue, thanks). Thankfully these cutlets weren’t sauced like the rest of their line, cause that’s what saved this dish, methinks (lookin’ at you Buffalo Wings). And why haven’t I made these fancy French potatoes again (and again and again)? They are a lot of work but they taste like it, too. My dining companion, who is a life-long carnivore ate every bite and literally licked the plate clean, so I’d say: WIN!
PS- Anyone tasted the gardein blend at Chipotle? Howsit?
4 Comments
Amanda
on #Thanks for sharing your review and the recipes you used, I’ve tried the tuscan chick’n which is pretty good, so I’m anxious to try the other ones as well!
veganfuel
on #The gardein blend at Chipotle ROCKS. It’s awesome. I have no idea what they did to marinade it, but whatever. It is awesome.
sdelin
on #I live right near the Chipotle on 8th and 16th and was overjoyed to see the gardein! It’s really, really good. Guilt free fast food!
A word to the wise, when my husband went to order his tacos he asked for “the vegetarian chicken”, and they started to give him the real chicken — he wasn’t looking and I caught it! My husband was freaked. :) So be sure to ask for the Gardein!
fiercefemme
on #I think the texture of the gardein blend at Chipotle is great, but they make it insanely spicy! Which is kind of a bummer, since they don’t have tofutti sour cream to cool the heat. Maybe that’s the next vegan item we can get them to carry?