I know that this totally looks like chicken, but its not. It is a very hard to find product called Gardein. I got it at my local Whole Foods prepared foods counter. I had seen them selling some prepared vegan chicken there before so I asked them and learned that they have frozen Gardein chicken breasts in the back. So, I asked them to give me 4 of them. They had no problem with that but they didn't have a skew (?) because they aren't set up to sell them, so they rang them up as rosemary chicken. I made sure to tell the cashier that I didn't really have chicken in my cart!
This is a Chicken Scallopini recipe in The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen. He calls for it to be served over crispy udon noodle cakes with pea shoot salad. I didn't feel like driving to Salt Lake to go to the Chinese store for fresh udon noodles and have never seen pea shoots at the grocery so I just made the parts that I wanted. I decided that I'd rather have it over spaghetti anyway. I also subbed white wine for the sake. I already had a bottle of cooking wine in the fridge.
The chicken was scarily real and really tasty. The entire dinner discussion was about whether we could fool a meat-eater with this dish. I think yes, Mike was not so sure.
The pic above is of my husband Mike's plate. Here is my plate - I am the mushroom hater in the family. I don't mind cooking with them but I don't want to eat them. The texture of mushrooms is just gross.
I have a whole case of Gardein chicken in my freezer. It is delicious.
ReplyDeleteAt the WF in Milwaukee, you can buy Gardein right by the soy cheese / meat section, by the tofu and whatnot. The last time I went there, though, they only had the BBQ chicken stuff. They had spots on the shelf for a bunch of different kinds, though. I think it'll be something they carry everywhere pretty soon. Seems like Gardein is really trying to get out there. It certainly was delicious, the one time I had it!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know where I can buy Gardien in Scottsdale, AZ
ReplyDeleteCan Vegan's eat gardien although it has yeast in it. I am not a vegan, just wanted to know
ReplyDeleteThank you. I saw the article on about.com, but wanted to hear from actual vegans. I am on Daniel fast with my church, we are eating mostly a vegan diet and wanted to give this as an option to the group, however, one stipulation is we are not to eat yeast. On another note, it sounds like a really good option, I will try it once the fast is over. Thanks for your reply.
ReplyDeleteThank you. We are on the Daniel Fast. It is a biblical fast. Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast
ReplyDeleteAll meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.
All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.
All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.
All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.
All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.
All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.
All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.
Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.
Does yeast extract come from yeast??? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to be informed.
ReplyDeleteI went to Whole Foods and Safeway here in AZ., and I still cannot find the product.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try Fresh and Easy today. Also is Its all good the same as Gardien?
ReplyDelete@Kristin
ReplyDelete@Kristen, in your pervious note you indicated that yeast was not in Gardien. But it is. In your post, it is the 2nd to last item. Once again, thanks for your comments, much appreciated. I will try Gardien once the fast I am on is over. It looks like a really good product.
Please someone help me to figure out where in Charlotte North Carolina I can get Gardein. Google says there are 20 stores in NC & SC and I can't find any.
ReplyDeleteI saw it being used by a chef on the Food Network on Ellen this week and the beef stew looked delicious.
Can anyone give me any info if it is protein? I am trying to loose weight and thought it might be less calories or carbs. Also, the older I get the more the idea of eating animals sickens me. Thanks, in advance, for help on this
FYI your "skew" is SKU, the shorthand for a UPC used in stores and stockrooms. Not having your SKU just means that they aren't set up to sell the item in that store, which is why it was rung under rosemary chicken. =)
ReplyDelete