Hello Everyone!
It's time for me to add my two cents to the discussion on Dixie Diner
Club's Chicken-Not Strips. I bought a bag last year and up until a few
weeks ago, most of that bag was still sitting in my cupboard. I had tried
them in a couple of dishes and couldn't get past this fake taste that bore
no resemblance to chicken, in my opinion. I was choking them down and
saying "I'm having fun, I'm having fun" when I was having no such thing.
Then I read a post by Mike Rosenblatt, our resident tough guy, who said
(and I paraphrase), "look everybody. We're used to ready-to-eat meals in a
box, and this (the chicken-not) is raw material we need to prepare before
it's going to be ready to eat. He suggested soaking the strips overnight,
in broth or with spices, before using it one's recipe.
Well, here's what I did. I was determined to use AND enjoy my chicken-not.
I simmered a cup of the "chunks" in some chicken bouillon for 20 minutes,
and then I let them sit in the fridge overnight. The next day I squeezed
the excess water out, shredded (cut up in tiny pieces - 1/4") the product,
and mixed it with chopped purple onion, green pepper, lots of crunchy
celery, and chopped pickle. Added Kraft Fatfree Mayo and some mustard, and
mixed it all together. Let it sit in the fridge for a while so the flavors
could blend.
Omigod. HEAVENLY!!!!!!
I have enjoyed this chicken salad concoction by itself, on toast, over a
baked potato, even covered with bean salad, and loved every minute of it!
It now bears no resemblance to what some folks have called "dog food" in
taste and texture.
So the moral of the story is: don't treat this stuff like it's ready to eat
right out of the bag. Spend a little preparation time, and let me tell you,
it'll be worth it. I have made a couple batches of chix salad and I'll use
the rest of it this way too. No problem using up my Chicken-Not stuff these
days.
Thanks, Mike!!
Love,
Jennie in Arkansas
jblake@xxxxxxxx
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