South of the Border Spaghetti with Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers

It’s been a good food week. Donnie’s parents and grandma are here so we’ve been finding excuses to live it up. I had a killer vegetarian BBQ “chicken” sandwich at a really good restaurant in Fresno (New Star Vegetarian, check it if you’re ever here!), an almost perfect pesto and sundried tomato pizza at Pizza Factory, a delicious white hot chocolate at a really cute coffee shop, fresh and from scratch strawberry shortcake a lá Paulette, a trip to the farmer’s market which resulted in fresh croissants, organic honey, obsidian black berries (and every other sort of berry you can think of), along with some fresh, organic basil and garlic that resulted in a really good batch of pesto tonight. I even found some morel mushrooms growing next to our house today! They were as good as I remembered them after I sautéed them in butter with some of that fresh garlic I mentioned. How lucky have I been? This series of delectable meals started about a week ago with a really great batch of pasta.

Several of us found ourselves very hungry at the same time last week. I took matters into my own hands and reverted to my college pasta formula which I perfected during my very hectic last year of college: pasta + veggies + cheese (optional) + veggie meat + seasoning = perfection. Since we happened to have some jalapenos in the fridge, I decided to go south of the border with some left over spaghetti. Some Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers I found in the freezer affirmed this decision.

Morningstar sells several burger variations including the Tomato and Basil Pizza burger, the Chipotle Black Bean burger and even the Asian Veggie Pattie. These are obviously great for sandwiches, but are really good in other dishes as well. Chopped up, they’re delish in a fajita, with rice, on nachos or with pasta, of course.

However, these should be used sparingly. Although they’re low in fat and calories and are a pretty good source of protein, they have lots of sodium (350 mg in the spicy black bean burgers) and more carbohydrates than other veggie burgers since they have some special ingredients like rice, beans, etc. However, they’re really flavorful, so a patty or two will go a long way in a dish. This spaghetti is proof of that.

South of the Border Spaghetti with Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Serves 8

13 oz package of dried spaghetti

2 Tbls olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper, chopped

2 Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

Half a package of Sazon Goya

salt

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until almost done.

In frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Add red pepper, jalapeno, burger pieces, seasonings and salt to taste. Mix together and cook until peppers are soft. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over top and serve.

Tips: This recipe is so easy, but you can make it even easier if you have some leftover spaghetti in your fridge. Also, the jalapeño gives this dish serious kick. If you can’t handle spicy food, don’t use the whole thing. If you’re in the mood for queso, this dish would be great sprinkled with some sharp cheddar, monteray jack, or even some goat cheese. If you don’t have any Sazon Goya, don’t sweat it, but it gives some extra Latin flavor and color.

Beef Stroganoff with Cedar Lake Beef Strips

A couple of months ago, I made a post on facebook about my blog, asking for ideas on veggie meats that I should profile. I got tons of suggestions, but only one challenge. My friend Tiffany (a total hoot of a human) said that if I could make something out of Numeat that tasted good, she would be seriously impressed. I don’t know that I’ve ever had Numeat. To be quite honest, I don’t think it even goes by that name anymore. Anyway, Tiffany actually offered to send some all the way from Chicago! And then she actually DID it! I told you, she’s an awesome human. She even threw in a bonus meat: a can of Cedar Lake Beef Strips. Truth be told, I’m a bit scared of the Numeat, now called Nutolene, so when I finally work up the courage, you’ll hear about it. But the beef strips were so inviting.

I have actually been inside the Cedar Lake factory. No, it was not a veggie meat pilgrimage; it was just a walk across the street. I am a proud alumnus of Great Lakes Adventist Academy, located in, you guessed it, Cedar Lake, Michigan. And the Cedar Lake factory was right next store.

To be honest, Cedar Lake products seem a bit eccentric. The aforementioned beef strips are symmetrical. As in, they have corners and angles. But at least they don’t have a weird name. Other Cedar Lake canned items aren’t so fortunate: Nuti-Loaf, Hostess Cuts (seem a bit gender specific…) and 3 Grain Pecan Patty (not plural, just one patty I guess) are a few examples. But a weird shape and name are the least of my worries. I mean seriously, I’ve been eating veggie meat my whole life. You CANNOT scare me with that stuff. If it tastes good, no worries, so what is my verdict on the beef strips? Not bad.

The flavor is mild, dare I say earthy? Oh so subtly reminiscent of mushrooms or… something. A peak at the label revealed why; they have less sodium then most fake meats. Three hundred mg per serving isn’t exactly low sodium, but it’s less then most. Plus, they’re super low fat, low in carbohydrates and are a good source of protein. They even finagled 20 percent of your Thiamin and B6 in there. Good job.

While the can says they’re “Ideal for stir-fry or great in casseroles,” and “Perfect for fajitas,” I decided to try stroganoff. I’d been craving that lately for some reason (no, I’m not pregnant), so the newly acquired strips seemed like a good excuse. Stroganoff can be really good, or really gross. They key is finding the proper balance between the richness of the sour cream and the general presence of the other components. Just don’t let it get too heavy. And quick disclaimer, that stroganoff photo up there is not mine. We were so hungry, we scarffed the stuff I made before I remembered to get a photo…


Beef Stroganoff with Cedar Lake Beef Strips
Serves 4

1 Tbls olive oil
½ a medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 c. thinly sliced mushrooms
20 oz can Cedar Lake Beef Strips, chopped into smaller pieces
1 c sour cream
½ c milk
2 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper

In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and beef strips and sauté until onions are tender and beef strips begin to brown.

Add remaining ingredients (salt and pepper to your liking) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve over egg noodles, rice, toast, etc.


Tips: A lot of stroganoff recipes call for flour to thicken the mixture and tomato paste… because they're dumb. The sour cream starts getting thick again like two minutes after you take it off the heat, so don’t even worry about it. If anything, you want to make sure it’s viscous enough. Also, for a vegan version, I did a combination of vegan sour cream and dairy free cream cheese, along with some almond milk and a little bit of Veganaise. It sounds sort of complicated, but I just threw things in until I liked it. Isn’t that what cooking’s all about?

Ragù con Sausage with Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

I have not been cooking enough lately. This is dangerous because when I do get a chance to cook, I go nuts. This became clear a couple of weeks ago when Donnie and I had the weekend off. We decided to spend it at home, which meant we could do a nice, quiet Sabbath dinner alone. Since Donnie and I have been doing a low-carb diet for the last couple of months (13 lbs and counting!), we hadn’t eaten pasta for weeks. We LOVE pasta. Being that it was our weekend off, we decided to break the rules and fudge on our diet for one meal. But if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. I was not opening up a jar of tomato sauce. No, this meal would be in house, start to finish. Caprice salad, garlic bread, stuffed zucchini, pesto, whole wheat pasta and home made meat sauce. It ended up sounding as good as the grocery bill was expensive.

I’ve only made pasta sauce one other time and that was years ago so I had to start with a source I know and trust. Foodnetwork.com is a great place to get ideas for recipes. I’m a particular fan of Alton Brown. His recipes are usually fresh and different while still being simple to execute. I already knew I wanted to use Morningstar Farms version of sausage in the sauce, but the meat sauces I found called for at least 3 different types of meat and a lot of unnecessary steps so I decided to adapt a tomato sauce recipe instead.

Donnie isn’t a huge fan of Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles (could they possibly come up with a longer name?). My theory is that it’s because they actually sort of taste like meat, which Donnie did not grow up eating. They have a pretty bold flavor and they’re spicy as well. The soft but chewy texture along with the peppery bite make them a great substitute for sausage in both Italian and breakfast dishes. Donnie loved the sauce and used the crumbles the other day in an egg and hash brown scramble (I’ll have to blog that later on), so I think he’s been converted.

The nutritional info is similar to most other veggie meats. Let’s just start with the fact that each 2/3 cups serving has 420 mg of sodium. That’s a lot of sodium. On the other hand, since the sausage crumbles have such a strong flavor, you can get away with using less. You definitely won’t get a whole serving of crumbles in each serving of sauce. Now that we have the sodium out of the way, we can breath a sigh of relief since these contain no saturated or trans fats, are low in carbohydrates and have 11 grams of protein per serving. Not only that, but they even threw in some healthy portions of Thiamin, Niacin and Vitamin B12. Thanks guys. Don’t feel bad about throwing these crumbles into a recipe; just don’t use the whole bag (which replaces 1 lb of real uncooked sausage, by the way).

But back to the sauce, it’s easy as can be and will make your house smell like Heaven, if there’s Italian food in Heaven, that is.

Ragù Grosso con Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

Serves 3-4

12 roma tomates, halved

8 baby portabella mushrooms, halved

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

2 scallions, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 Tbls fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 Tbls fresh thyme, finely chopped

salt and pepper

¾ c white wine

1 c Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a baking dish, place tomato and mushroom halves cut side up. Sprinkle with oil, scallions, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 2 hours. Check the tomatoes after 1 hour and turn down the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly. Then turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a saucepan. Mash ingredients together with a potato masher. Add white wine and sausage crumbles, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Tips: This sauce is really think and chunky. If you prefer something more… saucy, I guess, try adding some vegetable broth or a bit of tomato juice. You can also whiz the ingredients up in a blender after they come out of the oven (before you add the wine and sausage). If you don’t have fresh herbs and you don’t want to buy them, you can substitute a tsp of the dried versions. If the tomato skins bother you, just pull them off with your fingers after they come out of the oven before mashing. Although I paired this with linguini, a chunky sauce really goes best with a short, stout pasta like penne, ziti or radiatore. That said, it will taste good with anything. Especially a caprese salad.

Trudy's BBQ Meatballs with McKay's Beef Style Seasoning

I don’t know if you realized this or not, but… I love veggie meat. It’s so convenient and (can be) so delicious. That said, I HATE that it’s so darn expensive! Sure, there are a few exceptions and the occasional sale, but overall, veggie meat can seem like a downright sacrifice sometimes. This is why many vegetarians have been making their own version of veggie meat for years.

Take for example my mom’s meatballs. Like many homemade meat replacers, the main ingredients found inside these delectable little posers are nuts and breadcrumbs. When you combine these two staples with eggs, a few other flavorful components and the power of an oven, you get a soft, but hearty entree that any athlete would enjoy. They’re packed full of carbs and protein, so as long as you’re not on a low carb diet (which I am), they’ll hit the spot. Well, they’ll actually hit the spot anyway…

But how could these ever come close to tasting like meat? I’ll be honest, these meatballs won’t fool anyone, but they do have a secret ingredient that makes them delicious regardless. Before I spill the beans on what it is, let me just say that these faux meatballs were requested by all of my mother’s meat-eating relatives every Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. Even if they don’t taste like real meat, they taste dang good, and I swear you’ll like them. But on to the secret ingredient.

McKay’s Beef Style Instant Broth and Seasoning is an unbelievably salty powder that they’ve somehow managed to make taste a bit beefy. This is a true mystery to me since it’s made from salt, yeast, potato flour, vegetable oil, cornstarch, celery, onion powder, garlic and a bunch of other ingredients that aren’t meat.

When I say this stuff is salty, I mean it. One little teaspoon packs 590 mg of sodium! Yeesh. However, it was totally nice of them to let me know that there is exactly .0021 grams of trans fat in each serving. There are a few versions of the stuff but I always buy the one that’s MSG free and believe me when I say that this stuff can totally save a soup or bolster a brown gravy. This along with the chicken version are musts in every vegetarian kitchen (in my humble opinion...).

It actually has a pretty interesting history too. During World War II, the government asked a guy named John Donofrio to make a soup mix that would dissolve faster than bullion cubes. I’m not sure how the government knew Donofrio could do this, but he did along with the help of a chemist named, you guessed it, McKay. Sixty years later, the company is still family owned an operated. Hence the sweet vintage label, I’m sure. But back to the meatballs. They’re really easy to make AND to adapt.

Trudy’s BBQ Meatballs with McKay’s Beef Style Instant Broth

Serves 8

2 c ground pecans or walnuts

1 c cottage cheese

1 c cheddar

1 medium onion finely diced

2 cups cracker or bread crumbs, plain

1 Tbls McKay’s Beef Style Instant Broth

8 beaten eggs

oil

BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients, except for oil and BBQ sauce in a large bowl.

Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with oil. Vegetable, canola or light olive oil all work fine.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place scoops of mix into pan. Meatballs should be approximately an inch and a half in diameter (If they’re bigger or smaller, you may need to adjust baking time).

Cover with BBQ Sauce and bake for 45 minutes.

Tips: The amount of BBQ sauce is really up to you. I would use no less than 16 oz. I usually buy two bottles and use all of one, and some of the other, but I like mine drenched. If you’re not into BBQ sauce, you can turn these into Italian meatballs by using mozzarella instead of cheddar, Italian breadcrumbs instead of plain and tomato sauce instead of BBQ. Although I’ve never tried it, I bet you could work something out with sweet and sour sauce too. Also, these are just a hop, skip and a jump away from being vegan. Just use some mashed silken tofu instead of cottage cheese, a vegan shredded cheese and an egg replacer. If there’s a milk allergy involved, keep in mind that the MSG free McKay’s seasoning with the blue label has a bit of whey in it. You’ll want to get the vegan version with the dark red and yellow label.

Vegetable Chicken Bake with Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik'n Veggie Patties

It’s been too long. And I’ve been too busy! Tonight was the first night in a while that I’ve had time to cook. One would think I had several ideas stored up in my head. But I didn’t… All I had was a package of Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik’n Veggie Patties. Long name, simple concept.

I’m a huge fan of the original Grillers. They’re a great replacement for hamburgers, but they’re also really good in more than just a bun. I’ve fried and sliced them for salads, quesadillas and pasta. I’ve even ground them up and made a meatloaf (this was before the Grillers Crumbles came out). They’re just downright tasty. Which is why I was intrigued by the new chicken version. Could they possibly be as good?

Well, not quite. Obviously, they taste nothing like the originals, which are based on beef. On the other hand, they don’t taste anything like the Morningstar Farms Chik Patties either and by don’t taste anything like, I mean they aren’t as good. However the Chik Patties have a shameful amount of sodium and twice as many grams of carbs, so the new Chik’n Veggie Patties are at the very least a healthier offering. They’re meaty texture as well as their neutral (dare I say bland?) flavor, would work well as a replacement in a lot of chicken dishes.

As far as nutrition goes, these patties are ok. They sport only 3 grams of fat, none of which are saturated, 80 calories, no cholesterol, are fairly low in carbs and actually have 5 grams of fiber. Not bad. But it’s the same old tune with sodium (350 mg) and like most Morningstar Farms products, have a really long list of ingredients.

I bought the package at the ABC about two months ago and have been pondering over how to use them. I’d been thinking I’d turn them into a vegan chicken Caesar salad, but I had a huge salad for supper LAST night, so I just wasn’t feeling it. Since Donnie and I are doing the whole low carb thing right now, turning them into a pasta dish was not really an option (although it sounded so good!), so I decided to keep it simple.

Vegetables + Chik’n Veggie Patties + my oven = supper. To be totally honest though, I think it could have been a lot better. I would have tried again if I had more patties. I’ll give you the recipe I should have made the first time.

Chicken Vegetable Bake with Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik’n Veggie Patties
Serves 4

4 cups vegetables of your choice*
½ chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 package Chik’n Veggie Patties
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine vegetables, onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl and mix until all vegetables are evenly coated.


Place half of the vegetables in a round casserole dish. Layer all four chik’n patties on top and cover with the rest of the vegetables.

Cover with lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.

*Feel free to use whatever vegetables you love or have on hand, but keep in mind that if they take longer to cook, they’ll need to be in smaller pieces. I used a combo of red potatoes, green beans, zucchini, broccoli and celery. The potatoes and green beans definitely were still a bit firm while the other veggies were very soft.

Tips: Although my oregano and basil balsamic vinegar was very delish, it isn’t a must. You could use a marinade or just a combo of your favorite herbs with some olive oil. You could even experiment with some fruit juices or infused oils. I wouldn’t say the options are ENDLESS, but there’s definitely room for experimentation.

Pesto Burgers with Sanitarium Nutmeat

I grew up hating nuts for some reason even though the rest of my family loved them. I didn’t like them in my cookies, brownies, salads, or any other edible dish for that matter. I suppose it was peanuts and pistachios that really started warming me up to the nut family (and yes I know, peanuts are legumes and tomatoes are fruits and blueberries aren’t berries, who cares). Try as I might, I could not resist the deliciousness of honey roasted peanuts and let’s be honest, watching a movie with a bowl full of pistachios is just a plain ol’ good time. Over time, nuts in general just grew on me. And when I started trying to lose weight before the wedding last spring, they became a pretty key component to my diet.

Nuts are awesome. They should be a part of everyone’s diet, but especially vegetarians. They’re one of the best sources of plant protein, not to mention the fact that they’re full of fiber, unsaturated (read good) fat and even antioxidants. This is probably why someone somewhere got the idea to make veggie meat out of them.

Most of the meat substitutes I buy are made from soy, but the last time I was at the Adventist Book Center (my favorite veggie food emporium), I noticed a nut based veggie meat called Nutmeat, which I had never tried. Not only was the product new to me, the brand was as well.

Sanitarium is an Australian vegetarian and health food company that’s apparently been around for over 100 years. Their most popular items are the Aussie staples Weet-bix and Marmite. Sanitarium has several canned products, but Nutmeat appears to be one of the healthiest with almost 20 grams of protein per serving, as well as some iron, potassium and fiber. It’s also low in carbs and calories and has no cholesterol to speak of. On the other hand, it has more fat than I’m used to in a meat substitute (8.5 grams per serving), and plenty of sodium (310 mg). The serving size isn’t very big either. Eighty-five grams come out to about a ¾ inch slice. It’s worth noting though that there are only five ingredients: water, wheat gluten, peanuts, onions and salt. That’s considerably more natural than your average veggie meat.

Nutmeat pretty much tastes like nuts, but the flavor is sort of earthy as well. It definitely needs some assistance and luckily, it’s mild enough that the peanuttiness won’t really conflict with whatever you decide to add to it. I liked the idea of grinding it up and making burgers, but I really wanted to try something new as well. The jar of pesto languishing in my fridge gave me all the inspiration I needed.

Pesto Burgers with Sanitarium Nutmeat
Serves 6

1 can Sanitarium Nutmeat, ground
1 large tomato, diced
1 Tbls olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
1 c pesto
1 – 1½ c Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil


Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat in until tender.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.


Cover the bottom of a frying pan with additional oil and heat on medium. When oil is hot, use an ice cream scooper to place balls of burger mixture into hot pan. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Lightly press down on burgers with spatula to flatten bit, then flip and cook covered for an additional 5 minutes or until both sides are golden and burger is cooked through.

Tips: If the burgers seem to be falling apart, don’t panic. You could always mix in another egg or just turn the temperature down a bit and cook them longer. It will feel like they’re taking forever, but you must fight the urge to turn the heat up and cook them faster! This will make both sides dark, and will leave the middle uncooked and sloppy. Also, the only thing standing between you and a vegan version of this burger is an egg replacer and a vegan pesto. I used a regular store bought pesto (which has some parmesan) for half the batch, but in the other batch I used Paulette’s vegan pesto. She leaves out the cheese AND the pine nuts (just because she doesn’t like them). It’s super flavorful alternative. Pesto is very forgiving, so you can start with a basic recipe and tweak it anyway you like. Or just buy it…

New URL

Hey friends! Since I'm sure you've been telling everyone you've ever met about my blog, I thought it would be appropriate to let you know that I've changed my URL to match the new blog name. I had hesitated to do this due to an apparently unwarranted fear of losing all my followers (that sounds sacrilegious). I got over it tonight. Anyhow, the URL is now meatyish.blogspot.com. Quick, go tell your friends.

BBQ Chicken with Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips

I love getting meat eaters to try veggie meat for the first time. It’s always funny to see their reactions, but truth be told, I’d rather a veggie meat virgin try their first meat substitute in my home since I know how to cook it and I can mentally prepare them for what’s coming. Often, a big issue people have with veggie meat is the texture. It’s squishy or mushy, not at all what real chicken, beef, pork, etc tastes like. This was especially true in the early years of vegetarian meat products, but more recently many replacements have come a lot closer texturally to the real thing.

One of the best, in my opinion, is the Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips. They’re quite a bit firmer than other chicken imitations, and they actually have that sinewy consistency. Although I think they’re a bit bland to serve plain, they’re great fried and thrown into a salad or smothered in a tasty sauce, like BBQ sauce for example.

If you’ve never tried Chik’n Strips, it won’t take long to figure out why I love them. Morningstar Farms introduced this chicken analog at the 2006 Natural Foods Expo Anaheim, California (thank you Frozen Food Age). It was chosen as the Best New Veggie Food. Now you’ll just have to try them, won’t you?

Nutritionally, I give Chik’n Strips a B. The serving size of “12 Average Strips” is pretty generous, plenty to top a salad or balance out a baked potato. They’re low in fat (3.5 grams, zero trans) and have only 130 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates. They’re also packed with protein (23 grams) and have almost a third of your daily value of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Iron and Zinc. The one and only problem I have with them is the sodium. 510 milligrams! It’s enough to keep me from eating an entire serving. It would help if the strips didn’t come pre-seasoned, which they do, especially since I usually like to add some additional seasoning.

Chik’n Strips also work great with a marinade or sauce. I used them with my favorite BBQ sauce recipe last week. The strips soaked up a lot of flavor and really hit the spot paired with some boiled red potatoes and a fresh salad. If you try this and happen to have some left over (I sure didn’t, but you never know), they’d be great in a sandwich the next day. If you’re feeling lazy, you could always just slather the strips in your favorite store bought BBQ sauce and throw it all in the oven, but I promise, this recipe is worth the extra work. I adapted it from a Bobby Flay grill recipe in Sunset Magazine.


BBQ Chicken
Serves 6

Brine
2 tbsp kosher salt
¼ c firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp thyme
24 oz Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips (3 bags)

Barbecue Sauce
1 imitation bacon strip, finely chopped
1Tbls thyme
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c ketchup
¼ c light brown sugar
¼ c molasses
2 Tbls red or white wine vinegar
1 Tbls dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix brine ingredients with 2 quarts of hot water in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag. Add Chik’n Strips, seal and chill for 15 minutes to 2 hours.

To make sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add imitation bacon, thyme, onion and garlic and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, covered for 20 minutes.

Remove Chik’n Strips from brine and combine with sauce in large bowl and until all strips are evenly coated. Place in a large casserole dish, cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Tips: Brining is really more effective with real meat, but it does a fair job of adding some extra flavor to certain veggie meats as well. I’d say it’s worth the extra three minutes it will take. This sauce is actually designed for grilling, so definitely try it this summer with some veggie burgers on the grill.

Shepherds Pie with Swiss Stake

I’ve been told that the words “vegetarian” and “meat free” can be unappealing to some people. That they’ll be more likely to try a veggie meat if you don’t call it vegetarian even if they know it’s not real meat. Maybe that’s why a lot of veggie meat companies choose to misspell meat names as opposed preceding them with the “V” word. I’m fairly certain that Worthington and Loma Linda (pioneers in the mass production of veggie meat and now merged as one company) were the forerunners of this trend. Swiss Stake is a prime example.

I grew up eating Swiss Stake on weeknights when Mom only had time to cook some carrots and maybe throw a salad together, but according to Soyinfocenter.com (yup, someone cared enough) Swiss Stakes were introduced by Loma Linda Foods way back in 1978. It actually was sold in both a canned and frozen version, but the frozen stuff must have been a dud.

For a long time, I thought that these “stakes” were a complete invention. I had never seen a swiss steak on a menu or heard of a meat-eating friend consuming it. Swiss stake is definitely not a popular beef dish, but it has probably seen it’s day in more resourceful times. The “swiss” in swiss steak actually has nothing to do with Switzerland (even though my spell check doesn’t realize this). It actually refers to the process of swissing, which is a method of tenderizing tough or cheap pieces of meat. Who knows, maybe your grandma swissed a steak or two in her day.

I have no idea what the real thing tastes like, but the meatless version is pretty palatable. It’s super tender, salty and savory and comes packed in an ugly yet delicious gravy.

The nutrition breakdown is surprising in some areas and typical in others. Like many veggie meats, Swiss Stakes are high in sodium. For a one serving patty (most dudes will eat at least two), you get a substantial 430 mg of sodium. You’ll also get a gram of saturated fat, but that’s not so bad when you see the other 5 grams of fat are composed of healthier mono and polyunsaturated fats. On the other hand, these stakes are pretty low in carbohydrates (9 grams, if you care about that sort of thing) and high in protein (9 grams as well). Worthington Loma Linda was also nice enough to throw in a good portion of a few of your daily vitamins (90% of your B12 among others). Although the ingredient list for the gravy is a little scary, the main ingredients for the patties are actually pretty simple: textured soy protein, rolled oats, corn oil, etc.

A Swiss Stake is not the healthiest of veggie meats, but it definitely won’t break the bank if you don’t go nuts and eat all four patties in the can. One way to use it moderately is to throw it into a recipe that calls for steak pieces, like the shepherds pie I made the other day. It was my first time cooking with this classic veggie meat, and I have to say, it worked really well.


Shepherds Pie
Serves 6

6 medium red potatoes, washed with eyes removed, cubed
2 Tbls light olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 shallots or one medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cans of Worthington Loma Linda Swiss Stake with Gravy, cubed
2 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and place on high heat to boil.

While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a pan. Sauté garlic with shallots for 2-3 minutes in oil.

Add carrots, celery, dill and Swiss Stake. Be sure to scrape gravy from cans into pan. Cover and cook until carrots begin to get tender. If needed, add a bit of water or vegetable broth to speed the process along.
When potatoes are tender, mash and prepare to your liking. For vegan mashed potatoes try some plain soymilk, olive oil, salt and garlic. For regular mashed potatoes add butter, milk, sour cream, salt and garlic.

When vegetable-meat mixture is done, spread in a casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until edges turn golden.

Tips: I know I’ve been vague with the mashed potatoes, but it really just depends on how you like them. I never use a recipe when I make them, I just keep adding and tasting. When I made this, I did the potatoes dairy free by using some cashew cream (courtesy of our healthy cook Paulette), some Smart Balance and some Veganaise along with some salt and garlic. They were really good! Add whatever you want to the potatoes; just make sure they’re smooth enough to spread over the mixture. When you cook the pie, put a cookie sheet on the rack below since the juices from the vegetables may bubble over. Also, this is basically a dump recipe. The veggies I used were the ones in my fridge. You can try all sorts of combinations.

The Blogover

So normally, I think makeovers are reserved for tired out, dull entities. Was my blog tired before I even started writing it? Maybe. Anyhow, my blog is getting an overhaul. If I wasn't sitting in a Starbucks right now because of a three day power outage (with no end in site) up on the mountain, I would reveal this new blog, but I AM sitting at Starbucks, so...

Chances are good, my blog will look very similar, but the recipes will be more directed. I have this odd obsession with veggie meat. It's been slightly obvious so far, but I'm about to full-on exploit it. Each post will feature a new meat substitute (or should I say "different" meat substitute) along with a recipe it's perfect for.

I'm about to become a meat replacement genius. Join me.

Saged Red Potatoes

What is it about potatoes that make them a perfect side dish (or less frequently, a main dish)? Is it their ease of preparation? Their neutral flavor that can be manipulated to one’s choosing? Their pleasing texture and filling nature? The fact that people are never allergic to them? I suppose it’s all of those things. Sometimes I feel bad for regions of the world that aren’t fortunate enough to enjoy the potato in their cuisine. However, I think we’ve all learned a good lesson from history about leaning on the potato too heavily (we still feel bad about the potato famine, Ireland. We’re sorry you had to learn the lesson for all of us). Although I think a potato famine could still be likely at a youth camp. My first summer here at Wawona, we counted the number of times we had potatoes at a meal. We were at seven by Tuesday night. That’s every meal in case you’re too lazy to do the math.

Somehow we never get tired of potatoes. Tots for breakfast, french fries for lunch and mashed potatoes for dinner. Yup, that’s fine with me. I’m actually surprised that I haven’t done a potato recipe yet. I’ve made them countless times since I started this blog. One of these days, I’ll share my moms mashed potato recipe and I’ll probably follow that up with Paulette’s crock pot potatoes. But the one I’m sharing with you now is what I whipped up to go with some veggie BBQ chicken I made the other night (that recipe is coming too). Instead of making the dairy filled mashed potatoes I usually do, I decided to cater to the vegan crowd here at camp and try something different by making some simple, but delicious boiled potatoes. Although they came out a little softer than I planned, they were still yummy.

Saged Red Potatoes
Serves 8

10-12 red potatoes, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. granulated garlic
1 Tbs. dried sage

Place potatoes in large pot and cover with water. Add a little salt and olive oil to water and boil over medium high heat until tender.

Drain potatoes and place in large bowl.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little of the salt, pepper, garlic and sage. Stir and repeat until you’ve used up each ingredient.

Tips: Like I said before, I wish I had stopped boiling the potatoes sooner so they would have been firmer. This made it harder to stir in the ingredients and evenly disperse them. Don’t wait until they’re soft enough to mash. Remove them from the heat a few minutes earlier than that. Feel free to use more or less of the oil and seasonings. Taste the potatoes after each time you stir. Also, they’ll taste good with any herb or seasoning, but the sage was so good. Try that first.

Cheese Ball Perfection

Well, this is long overdue. When Donnie and I flew back east to spend Christmas with our parents in Georgia, I assumed that I would squeeze some time in to our relaxed schedule and write about this awesome holiday party food I had just made for a Christmas party. I really thought I’d get it done before New Years Eve. But I didn’t. Life goes on. Maybe you can whip this recipe out for Valentines, or just tuck it away in the back of your mind for Christmas 2010. In all honesty though, you should probably just make it tonight, cause it’s good. Real good.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but as a child, my favorite food was cheese. Didn’t matter what kind. My mom used to catch me cutting off chunks of feta from the block she’d bought or just grabbing handfuls of shredded cheddar out of the bag. Not the healthiest habit and luckily, I’ve since calmed down with the cheese obsession. That said, I will ALWAYS be in the mood for a good cheese ball.

Cheese ball sounds like a nerdy food, but if you make one right, it’s downright impressive. Bring a homemade cheese ball to a party and you will be a hit. However, not all cheese balls are created equal. Donnie and I were at a wedding a few years back that had a giant cheese ball at the reception. Donnie thought it was awesome, I thought it was ok. My mom’s was much better and I proved it to him not long after. She uses a “secret” ingredient that I’m ready to go public with in an effort to better the world’s cheese balls. Paired with some stout crackers, this cheese ball just might change your life.


Cheese Ball Perfection
Serves 10

16 oz cream cheese 2 packages, softened
½ c. sharp cheddar, shredded
2 Tbls. green onions, finely chopped
2 Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips, heated and finely chopped (optional)
1-2 tsp. liquid smoke (the secret ingredient!)
1 tsp. granulated garlic
salt to taste
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans or half c. dried parsley

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, green onions and the optional veggie bacon and mix with spatula until well blended.

Add one to two tsp of the liquid smoke depending on your tastes along with the garlic and salt (if needed).

Use spatula to scrape mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Cover in plastic and refrigerate until mixture is firm.

Spread nuts or parsley onto a plate. Drop cheese ball onto plate and place excess nuts or parsley on top and sides of ball. Roll ball in whatever is left on the plate, then fill in any spots if necessary.

Tips: When adding the liquid smoke, mix and taste mixture after the first teaspoon. The flavor is pretty strong. I like mine quite smoky, but some people prefer a subtler smoke flavor. To cover the cheese ball, I actually like nuts the best, but parsley is a good holiday option since it looks more festive. Don’t be timid when rolling the ball in the cover ingredient. It’s ok to get it all over your hands. To do a vegan option of this recipe, use Better Than Cream Cheese or any cream cheese alternative and leave out the shredded cheese. I usually don’t like the vegan-shredded options much. You may also need to add a little extra garlic and salt. Also, make sure you by crackers that can handle a thick cheese spread. Wheat Thins work well.