Chicken nuggets:
I’m not sure why these little items have made it to the meat analog list; I don’t remember having the same fondness for them that my children did when they were little. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a real chicken nugget, but I remember their strength was in their crunchy exterior, not their spongy interior, and their chicken fried taste.
And so it is with veggie chicken nuggets. We want a crispy exterior that reminds us of fried chicken and a texture we can sink our teeth into and the taste of….let’s go ahead and say it, chicken. So far, most veggie chicken nuggets fail the test. Most have serious flavor issues, and texture sometimes depends on the fine line between cooked and overcooked.
One idea is to re-bread it to add flavor. I tried this and reduced the cooking time and temperature:
Mix 1 Tbs. Mayo or Veganaise with ½ tsp curry powder and 1 tsp lemon. Add a drop or two ofTabasco.
Coat the frozen chicken nugget (I used Gardein) in the mayo mixture and then dredge lightly in dry bread crumbs.
In a 400 degree oven cook the nuggets for 9 minutes, turn them over and cook for another 9 minutes. The new layer of flavor, cooking time and temp adjustments make for a moist nugget that is more flavorful, and you can cut this nugget with a fork.
A tasty suggestion by Gardein on the package is to put a bit of marinara sauce on the cooked nugget, top with mozzarella and run under the broiler. Haven’t tried it, but it sounds great.
Sauce them: Kids eat them with ketchup, and if that’s not enough, try the other dipping sauces:
Barbeque sauce (your favorite bottled)
Honey mustard
1/3 C. mayo or veganaise
1 T honey,
2 tsp. dry mustard
lemon juice to taste and thin
Sweet and Sour
½ c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp canola oil
A Vegetarian in Houston 
Posted on July 23, 2011
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