Our Veggie Kitchen

I grew up in a small agricultural town in Eastern Washington. It's the same town where, during my summer vacation, I couldn't find soy yogurt and had to beg the Thai restaurant for some Kaffir lime leaves. But what the town lacks in variety it makes up in quality. And the available Mexican cuisine was a definite strength. There were at least half a dozen distinctly different, and amazingly delicious restaurants scattered throughout town.

My favorite dish was a particular arroz con pollo that was so good, that, to this day, I can close my eyes, lean back, and still taste the sauce. It was chicken and mushrooms, simmered in a sofrito and poured over Spanish rice. It was heaven.

This was close. I posted the Chicken Seitan and the Sofrito last week and the Spanish Rice, a couple weeks prior. And I brought them together for this dish. I dusted the seitan with flour and pan fried it and when I added the sauce it turned into more of a gravy. Next time, I'll nix the flour. But still, this was a delicious and nostalgic treat.



Arroz con Pollo
1/2 recipe Spanish Rice
1 recipe sofrito
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 chicken flavored seitan cutlets
1 lb small mushrooms, halved
15 small corn tortillas

Make the soffrito and set aside. Make the Spanish Rice.

While the rice is cooking, Heat oil in a large saute pan set to medium-high. Pat the seitan cutlets dry and slice them into strips. Add them to the saute pan and fry, stirring occasionally until the strips begin to crisp in places. Remove and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and sofrito. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the mushrooms have softened. Add back the seitan strips and continue to simmer until the rice is finished cooking. Add a little water if necessary to thin the sauce.

To assemble, add a little rice and seitan/mushroom/sauce to each tortilla. Top with sour cream or guacamole if you wish. Eat over a plate with plenty of napkins. You'll need them.

5 Servings: 650 cal (17g fat, 90g carbs, 32g protein)