In Digest #172, Pam <pamela.l.donner@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>I was very disapointed in the 'chicken chunks'. They really grossed me out.
>I've tried them twice (both times in soups) and I can't stress how much I do
not like them!
and In Digest #173, Leah Hockenbrouch <lvh@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>I haven't had a whole lot of luck using the fake chicken stuff. I'm not sure
>if it's that I don't know how to use it correctly, or if I just don't like the
>stuff.
I just got off the phone with Dixie's customer service, because my order
mistakeningly arrived with the chicken chunks. I told the supervisor that I
didn't want the chicken chunks as I had read negative reviews of them.
She suggested that you pre-hydrate/cook them with water and seasonings in the
microwave before adding to dishes. She says this extra flavoring and time for
rehydration make them tasty and very tender.
Another idea is to chop or grind the chunks into smaller pieces. That will
definitely help the texture complaint and maybe even the taste problem. When in
small pieces, they absorb flavors better.
I used the Chili Fixins last night (adding only water, tomato sauce, and canned
beans) and my husband and I really enjoyed it. We like very spicy foods, so we
added a dried pepper to the pot, but otherwise the flavors were plenty strong.
The notable thing is that we really liked the texture of the "ground Beef Not"!
I've tried the HFS TVP several times and didn't like it at all. The ground Beef
Not that Dixie sells separately is the exact same product as in their Chili Mix.
(And because the gound Beef Not texture was quite acceptable to us, I suspect
that the chicken chunks ground will be fine, too.)
I hope this helps,
--
Ellen C.
ellen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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