4.22.2008

un-chicken salad

1 package of fake chicken
(i used trader joe's "chickenless strips", but there are morningstar "starters", your fave TVP recipe, whatever...adjust for allergy considerations)
1-2 red bell peppers (you're going to roast them, so keep 'em whole)
1 lg. green pepper, finely chopped
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1-2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped OR sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for about 20-30 min
olive oil
(sea) salt / pepper to taste
basil
dill
mayo or nayonaise
celery seed
parsley
sage
pinch of thyme
braggs liquid aminos (optional...but great flavor enhancer)
*poultry seasoning also works well in place of the sage and/or thyme
  • season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, sage/thyme or poultry seasoning. set aside.
  • chop your green pepper, garlic, and scallions. season w/ salt, pepper, basil, dill and bragg's aminos to taste. set aside.
  • roast your red peppers. you do NOT need any fancy equipment for this. cut the top off the pepper & remove the seeds. if you have a gas range, turn one of the metal things (what are those called??? lol) upside down and put the pepper directly on the burner. use a medium flame. let it blacken, then rotate. once it's blackened all around, take it off the heat.
    • let cool until you can handle it. scrape off as much of the blackened skin as possible, then chop the peppers.
  • chop your tomato(es) and add them to a bowl with the roasted red pepper. sprinkle liberally w/ celery seed. set aside.
  • in a nice sized skillet, heat up just enough olive oil to coat the pan. when it's hot, toss in the scallions/green pepper/garlic. saute until softened, then add the chicken strips. cook until strips are heated through. adjust seasonings as necessary.
  • remove the chicken & veggies from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • add the roasted peppers and tomatoes to the cooled chicken/veggies. fold in mayo or nayo and taste/adjust again, if needed. chill before serving.
enjoy!!


2 comments:

jb said...

tj's fake chicken has no flavor unlike lightlife's. sadly i didn't realize this when i made an unchicken pot pie a while back.

omi said...

i should also say that this can be dressed up/down according to your needs/tastes.

e.g., today i'm going to make some of this for a potluck, but i'm only doing the chicken, roasted peppers, raw celery & red onion, and garlic.

season/sautee the chicken/garlic, chop up everything else, and voila. might even throw some pine nuts up in there...