Garlicky Not-Fried Not-Chicken

I have a many, many more photos from my Texas trip I want to go through, but I’ve been unusually busy since I have been home. I agreed to travel to Louisville for work the day after I got back from Texas and had to leave at 6:30 a.m. (when I am usually still sleeping) and wear nice clothes (not usually a requirement). Complaints about getting up and the almost two-hour drive aside, the day went well.

I was outside all day yesterday, under a tent, in the parking lot behind an anonymous-looking corporateplex.

The weather cooperated, and a cold morning turned into a beautiful day, although the nice breeze insisted on blowing the papers from our tables. Lunch was provided, but I packed my own (again, not something I normally have to do as I am home for lunch):

I packed tempeh salad, mixed greens and Ezekiel bread. This was a perfect first opportunity to use my bamboo To-Go Ware. The night I got back from Texas, I whipped up a quick batch of tempeh not-chicken salad. This is only my second batch, but this is a favorite for me. I mixed in grapes, walnuts, dried cranberries, and celery.

Are you wondering what I was doing under the tent? This was a health and wellness fair. I sat next to a man from the American Heart Association who, although he didn’t ask why I was photographing my lunch, did express interest in my vegan lifestyle. He said he was trying to be more healthy, too.

One of the most popular things people were collecting, besides the free massages and glucose tests, was healthy recipes. The most popular recipe was the Garlic Oven-Fried Chicken. Everyone wanted to try it! So, I decided to try it myself, but veganize it. Plus, Alex has been asking for me to try out breading seitan.

Success! I served this in true American style, with skin-on mashed potatoes and oven roasted broccoli. This dish was really good. I made the seitan the day before, so that really sped things up. Alex was thrilled to have breaded seitan, and I found this to be especially delicious as well.

Garlicky Not-Fried Not-Chicken

Ingredients:

• One recipe seitan (I used the cutlets recipe from Veganomicon and had 6 pieces)
• 1 teaspoon Earth Balance
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 (or more) cup panko
• 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan (I used Alemsan from Veganomicon, I have a batch in my fridge)
• Italian Seasoning blend, or your favorite spices, to taste (I used a lot, probably 3 tablespoons. Actually, I just emptied the jar because it was getting old.)
• Salt and pepper, if desired

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400F, and prepare your baking dish or sheet. Use either a nonstick silicone sheet or spray your dish with cooking spray.

In a small skillet, melt the butter and oil and saute garlic until fragrant. (Note: The original healthy recipe called for 2 tablespoons of each; I found this excessive. I pulled the seitan from the broth so it was still slightly wet, and the garlic and breading stuck just find without six times as much oil.)

Mix the panko, parm, and seasonings in a shallow dish.

Press the seitan pieces into the garlic mixture, allowing it to pick up pieces of garlic. Then press the seitan into the breading mix, coating all sides. Place on your prepared baking sheet or dish.

Repeat with each seitan piece and then bake for 20-30 minutes or until browned, turning halfway.