Thursday, October 22, 2009

October 20, 2009: Kentucky fried tofu

One of my guiltiest pleasures before going vegetarian was KFC. I still get cravings for chicken fillet burgers that are completely out of proportion to the actual enjoyment I would derive from eating said burger. So naturally, when I saw this 'Kentucky style fried chicken' crumbing mix in an Asian supermarket, I had to give it a go... on tofu. Even if this did taste like KFC (it doesn't), Colonel Sanders' secret combination of eleven herbs and spices would hardly have been exposed - the ingredients list in its entirety reads "wheat flour, salt, spices, herbs, flavour enhancer".

And if this crumbing doesn't taste like KFC, it does at least taste good. It's spicier than the Colonel's original recipe, and I think the dominant flavour is cumin. At only a couple of dollars for a box (this will coat enough tofu to make us two or three meals) it's a fun alternative to our usual tofu preparations. However, with a large collection of dried herbs and spices already on hand, I'd like to start developing my own secret seasoned flour recipe rather than buying more.

To get into the pseudo-KFC groove, we accompanied the tofu with mashed potato and gravy, and popcorn cauliflower.

8 comments:

  1. I can easily say I don't miss ken-chucky (as it was known in my household) - my siblings worked there and I had too much reheated leftovers to be fond of it! But I would be interested to hear about a 'secret' herbs and spices seasoning if you develop one.

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  2. apparently KFC in canada have fake chicken burgers now... SO horrible of me.. but I totally want one.

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  3. this stuff is amazing! tim and i coated eggplant wedges with it, i still dream of that meal. i must do it again...
    http://fairestfeed.blogspot.com/2008/11/eggplant-wedges-and-penne-with-red-wine.html

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  4. ooh, I used that to crumbed tempe :) the ingredients list doesn't seem to give a lot of information. Looking forward to your 'secret' recipe

    [amanda]

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  5. Johanna, it's not difficult to imagine a past KFC overdose putting you off for life! Exposure was tightly regulated throughout my childhood. :-)

    Carla, I'd be curious to try one too.

    I remember, Pip! It's ridiculous that it still took me almost a year to try it.

    Amanda, if I manage to work out a recipe I like more, you'll see it here first. :-)

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  6. Mmmm I too occasionally miss KFC. My kids miss it too. I make this recipe using simmered chicken seitan and they think it tastes almost as good (they call it KFC). Maybe I've just forgotten, but I think it's pretty close (not exactly, but close enough it satisfy's the craving!): http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=478

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  7. Oh, I miss KFC seasoning too. Funnily, it was a KFC binge that pushed me to think about what I was eating and become vegan.

    If anyone markets a close vegan crumbing I would buy it by the tonne!

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  8. Thanks for recommending that recipe, Vegetation! I'm bookmarking it to try next time. :-)

    Looks like there's a few of us who'd buy it, BrisVegan. I think it'd be even better if we worked out a DIY recipe!

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