dimanche 10 juillet 2016

Homemade Garden Veggie Patties And Chicken Alternatives

By Peter Turner


Whether due to dietary restrictions or political reasons, some people love good meat alternatives. In some cases, a doctor has placed an individual on a diet, others prefer to eat vegan or vegetarian due to political beliefs. Whatever the case, there are both store bought and homemade versions of garden veggie patties and other items.

As with traditional foods, some recipes are better than others. In all cases, there is a base mixture and a binder. Once this mixture has been made, individuals can add a variety of sauce and spice for more flavor. By using a binder such as an egg or egg alternative in the mix, these burgers and steaks often fry up beautifully without falling apart.

The main ingredients for these homemade burgers include equal parts of lentils, oats and rice and a binder such as eggs or egg based alternatives. Individuals can then add other vegetables such as bell peppers, onions and greens as desired. If desiring a veggie chicken fried steak, simply leave out the vegetables, freeze the patties for 24 hours, then dredge in flour and fry in a shallow non-stick skillet with a small amount of cooking oil. As with traditional versions, the left over oil can then be used to make a brown or country style gravy.

Most grocery stores and markets sell a variety of meat alternatives. Whereas, most health food stores now offer several vegetable seafood alternatives. As these seafood alternatives are far more difficult to recreate than veggie burgers or chicken alternatives, most prefer to purchase rather than recreate these items.

For those who can purchase these store bought versions, there are a number of options. Shoppers can now find everything from veggie burgers to seafood alternatives at local grocery stores and markets. As these items are often higher in price than traditional items, many prefer to re-create these items at home. When it comes to seafood alternatives, there are a number of recipes which can be found online. Some of these include vegetable crab, lobster and tuna alternatives.

To make a chicken alternative for burgers, salads or a main course, simply replace the lentils with chickpeas and eliminate the vegetables. Then, dredge the patty in flour and fry. Once the patties are golden brown, freeze the patties for at least 24-48 hours to assure each holds its shape, taste, texture and size. One of the best meals on some restaurant menus is that of fried chicken salad. To create this dish, simply cut one to two veggie chicken patties in cubes, then add to a bed of lettuce, tomato and cucumbers and top with honey mustard or other dressing as desired.

A number of individuals prefer to use different spices when making these alternative foods. In addition, spices should be based on the type of food being recreated. For example, when creating veggie sausage, it is often good to use spices such as sage, thyme and coriander. Whereas, when making veggie steaks, it can be good to use liquid smoke, steak sauce or maple spice.

Storage and freezing are an important part of the process. For, while the patties can be cooked right away, it is less likely each will fall apart if fried while frozen. Many home chefs now use store-bought containers left over from other items to store these meat alternatives. One of the most important aspects of a container is that it is air tight once sealed to avoid freezer burn.




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