FUN WITH FOOD

I mixed some Chik'n strips and some real chicken into a stir fry I made on Sunday. Aside from not liking how baby corn tastes from the can, it turned out tolerably. The chicken strips were too thick and should've been cut more thinly, but otherwise there were no problems. It's still too messy to prepare...I think I need a wok...or at least a larger pan than the one I'm using. :-)

I found the chicken substitute tolerable. The makers are definitely counting on the eater having not had plain chicken before. The spices used definitely reminded me of a recipe I've had before. They were a bit rubbery for chicken but softer than a beef rib steak...kinda like an over-microwaved chicken nugget in strip form. Aside from cost (about 4x as much as chicken), I had no concerns taste-wise consuming them.

For curious vegans out there, my Best Friend was an unwitting blind taste taster. I asked her of the meal this morning and she told me that she liked the thinner strips (the chik'n) better.

The meal itself, aside from the inclusion of precautionary chicken stir-fry strips, was not vegan. I was annoyed to discover the stir-fry sauce contained both whey and oyster extract (whatever that is). However, there is a brand sold at work which is vegan so that'll be my stir-fry brand henceforth after the final serving of the one I have is gone.

I can use these chik'n strips in future stir-frys and even add them to marinara sauce. So I guess I can assume that a beach-head has been established in what was once 100% Omni territory. Over the meals I tend to make over a two-week period, that would make me -- and Best Friend whether she likes it or not (price you pay for not cooking I suppose :-p) -- about 14% Herbi dinner-wise [and 50% breakfast-wise (up from less than 10%), 95+% lunch-wise (pretty much unchanged), and 75+% snack-wise (up from probably less than 50%) for those of you keeping track].

I don't know how much more I can do, but the successful test run of seasoned soy strips (Chik'n) serves as a go-ahead to attempt the fake beef in the future. Beef will be more difficult to substitute as I do tend to eat it unseasoned as beef is a naturally flavorful meat, but I'll try it once...at least. :-)

One of these days I'll tell Best Friend. But for now, she will remain my vegan guinea pig.

(originally posted to That Other Journal on March 3, 2009 at 7:10 a.m.)