Just a quick and easy throw together, but so tasty (and so pretty!) that I decided to post it. I used Trader Joe's CHICKEN-LESS strips, but you could use your favourite brand, or even your own homemade seitan strips, if you happen to have made seitan recently. You could probably use tofu, too, if you prefer.
Okay, here's what you need:
Corn Tortillas (you know how many your family will need)
Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa
1-2 tsps. olive oil
1 package vegetarian chicken strips
1/2-1 tsp taco seasoning
1/4-1/2 cup water
Refried beans (or whole beans, if you prefer. I think black beans would be good)
I cup brown rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-1 TBS olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered.
Optional ingredients: avocado (or guacamole), Greek-style yogurt (or sour cream), thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, shredded cheese
Rinse rice well, and place in a sauce pot. Add 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2-1 TBS olive oil and quartered garlic to the pot and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook for the amount of time designated on your brown rice package (this can vary, depending ont he type of rice you use).
While rice cooks, dice tomatoes. Wash, dry and break lettuce into small pieces. Heat beans.
In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes. While it is heating, slice "chicken" strips thinly (they are already strips, but I find it's better if they are thinner for this dish). Add strips to skillet and toss to coat with oil. Cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes, until strips are heated. Add taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring, until water evaporates (you can leave it a little juicy).
Heat your tortillas on a hot, lightly oiled skillet, flipping to heat both sides.
To serve, place a few pieces of lettuce on each tortilla. Top with a spoonful each of rice, beans, strips, tomatoes and salsa. If desired, add optional toppings.
I enjoyed mine with a glass of wine from a bottle I got for $2 at fresh & easy, The Big Kahuna Tempranilla, which was not the worst wine I have ever had.
NOTE: The package of "CHiCKEN-LESS" strips says it contains 3 servings, but last night 3 of us ate this (Kaia are only rice and beans, no strips, and Shane is skiing in Banff, so I have no idea what he ate last night) and we have enough left over to have it again for lunch, so I think it's enough to serve a fairly average-sized family (what's that? 4-5 people?), considering the fact that you use all those other ingredients, too. Stretching out servings of the more expensive ingredients with cheap stuff like rice and beans is one of my best Mama-fu moves.
You know, using the same general idea, you make make "chicken" fajitas, too. Just use fajita seasoning (I find a mixture of steak seasoning and taco or chili seasoning works well, too), add sliced onions and peppers to the strips, top with avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, and serve rice, beans and veggies on the side. In this case, I find a corn and black bean salsa (or mango salsa) is very good. If you don't know about mango salsa, try this the next time you see a ripe mango: Dice, toss with diced tomatoes, finely diced red onion, one finely chopped jalapeno, and a good bit of fresh cilantro. Best if you let it sit in the fridge for an hour of more before serving.
ReplyDelete