Cajun blackened fake chicken

In previous posts, I have mentioned my undying love for both Quorn and Badia’s Louisiana Cajun seasoning blend. Now I am about to bring them together for the first time!

It might be hard for you to find the Badia spices in your supermarket, so I would imagine any kind of blackening seasoning would work. However, if you can find this blend, use it! I know they don’t have Badia spices around here, so I grab them when I am visiting my in-laws in Long Island.

Also, a note about Quorn: it is not vegan. As a vegan substitute, I think that firmly pressed tofu slices or tempeh would work, but I am not sure of how well it will turn out, because I haven’t tried it yet.

Now, on to the frying!

First, I heated up some olive oil in my cast iron skillet. I don’t know how much I used, honestly, but it was a little deep and just enough to coat the pan. I really need to start measuring.

While that was heating up, I took about three tablespoons of olive oil and about three tablespoons of seasoning and mixed them up in a bowl. Next, I dipped the Quorn cutlets in the seasoning, making sure each cutlet was coated on all sides.

When all the cutlets are sufficiently coated, I dropped them into the frying pan and covered the pan with a lid. This makes the cutlets more juicy and helps the blackening of the spice. It also keeps grease from exploding all over my stove. I lifted the lid and flipped the cutlets a few times. When the cutlets begin to blacken, they are done. If you want melted cheese on your cutlets, now is the time to do so. The cheese melts nicely once you put the lid back on the frying pan.

I made the cutlets into sandwiches, served on a sesame seed bun and topped with extra sharp cheddar, homegrown tomatoes from a co-worker’s garden (so good!), spinach, and a garlic horseradish creamy spread.

Garlic horseradish creamy spread

2 tablespoons sour cream or vegan mayo
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
A few shakes of garlic powder

Mix and let chill for 1/2 hour.

A note on the creamy spread: I used sour cream because we had a little bit left that was languishing in the fridge. If I were to make this again, I would most definitely be using vegan mayo. I would also like to try this with fresh roasted garlic instead of the garlic powder. I think it would give the flavor more zing!

Wow! Two posts in one week! I am on a roll. The next we meet, my friends, I will be telling you how to prepare a vegan Jamaican jerk eggplant wrap that is stuffed with beans and rice, carrots, and spinach. I still have leftovers from this meal and I am bringing it to work today. Very tasty.

Until we meet again, have a great day and keep cooking!

Basil, tomato, and mozzarella salad.

It has been a very long time since I had time to post. But, I am hanging out today to tell you all about the grape tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad that I made a while back. It is pretty easy to make.

1 package grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped

1 container of fresh mozzarella balls (I used the small ones), drained

Pepperoncini peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

First, wash your basil and tomatoes well. Veggie wash is what I use. Next, halve the tomatoes and cut up the basil. I find that using kitchen shears to be the easiest way to chop herbs. If you have some pepperoncini peppers lingering in the fridge, you can also seed them and chop them up to throw in the mix. Finally, add the mozzarella balls, giving everything a good stir.

I generously sprinkled the mix with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I drizzled the oil and vinegar over everything. After stirring the salad well, I covered it with plastic wrap and let it marinate for at least two hours.

This was good on the first night, but it was even better the next day as all of the flavors melded together.

I hope you enjoy the salad and again, I am sorry it took me so long to post anything. I have been very busy as of late. But, I promise, the next time we meet I will be talking about Cajun blackened “chicken” that is made using Quorn.

Until then, have a great day and keep cooking!

The Moistest Coffee Cake in the World.

It is a rainy day in good old Plattsburgh, the kind of day I just love. It is the sort of day where you curl up with a good book, a cup of tea, and a slice of coffee cake. I have to work today, so there will be no books for me, but I did enjoy a slice of my delicious coffee cake with a cup of my favorite tea, Irish Breakfast.

The Moistest Coffee Cake on the Planet

(Easily veganized by replacing margarine and oil.)

Cake:

1 ½ cup unbleached flour
¾ cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon,
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
Dash of sea salt
¼ cup butter or margarine (this is about 4 and ½ tablespoons)
¼ cup applesauce
½ cup vanilla rice milk

Crumbly topping:

Mix the following together in a small bowl and set aside-
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
½ cup broken nuts (optional)

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix melted butter or margarine, applesauce, rice milk, and vanilla together in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a well-greased pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven size. Check the center with a toothpick after 25 minutes to see how well done the center is. If it comes out clean, you are all set.

I have made this cake dozens of times since the original recipe was passed down to me. However, I have tweaked this cake so many times, it hardly looks like the recipe I was given so long ago.

Here are some adjustments you can make for this cake:

-Use organic oatmeal in place of the chopped nuts in the crumbly topping.
-Use the same measure oil instead of butter or margarine while making the cake. Vegetable oil works well and a light olive oil also works. However, you have to use melted margarine while making the crumbly topping.
-Mix a ½ cup of chopped nuts in the batter.
-Halve the batter and sprinkle some of the crumbly topping between the two layers.

Have a great day and keep cooking! The next time we meet, I will show you how to make a quick salad that uses up the massive basil crop from your garden!