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!

The spice!

Now, I admit I have never seen Dune, so I am not sure I am using that correctly. But I am here today to talk to you about spice blends, specifically a blend I made the other day.

As the cliche goes, necessity is the mother of invention. I was making enchiladas the other night (sorry no photos, they were snarfed too fast for that) and I love to sprinkle a little chili powder and other spices on top of the cheese before I roll up the tortilla. Unfortunately, there was nary a grain of this beloved spice to be found.

I decided that the enchiladas would just be boring without the spices, so I came up with this:

Regular paprika
Hot paprika (Try this if you can find it! OMG!)
White pepper
Cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin

Of course, all the spices are measured to taste

This was fantastic! I just bought some chili powder today, but the next time I need a spice blend, I am using this, plus chili powder.

On a related cooking note, last night I threw together one of my famous refrigerator meals. I am sure you have made your share of refrigerator meals, the ones where you clean out the fridge and end up making one of the tastiest things you have ever eaten.

I made a casserole thingy with a crust. It has portobello mushrooms, broccoli, onions, garlic, various cheeses, and Quorn pieces with a croissant crust on top and bottom. We are having leftovers tonight, so I will snap a photo and post the recipe tomorrow if I have time.

Remember, have a great day and keep cooking!