I would not bother following the package directions for this Deal of the Day.
Veggie Steak Strips by Morning Star Farmsneeds slow braising like a cheap, tough cut of beef, not the suggested 4 minutes of microwaving with a bit of water unless you want a chewy, rubbery, and tough piece of fake meat.
Now you don't need to braise this Deal of the Day in a sauce for hours - these Veggie Steak Strips tenderize in about half an hour - about the time it takes to make a pasta sauce, or a pot of quick-cooking legumes like split green peas or lentils.
frozen -- defrosted
The back of the package suggests microwaving the Veggie Steak Strips and making a Mongolian Stir Fry or a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. Sounds good, but only if you like chewing on strips of shoe leather or rubber bands. I tried microwaving a few strips with cooked rice. The result was not pretty. While there is a slight beef flavor, the texture was way off the mark for beef steak slices. The strips stayed solid and did not shred; they were like waterlogged popsicle sticks.
The ingredient list is short for a meat substitute, made mainly from soy. Most of the beef flavor comes from spices, and the overriding taste is powdered garlic and onion, and that's fine with me.
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I was puzzled why the makers recommend microwaving this product. I took a different path and went the slow braising path. This is the way to go for a palatable experience.
I added some Veggie Steak Strips to my pot of dried split green peas (to see my video recipe click here.) Since dried green peas cook in about an hour, I thought this may tenderize the strips. They did, and the result was successful. The Veggie Steak Strips were a decent substitution for a ham hock or ham bone - just what a vegetarian would like.
Split Green Peas with Veggie Beef Strips.
The Veggie Beef Strips became tender just like I imagined they should be, but I was worried they would break down to mush. Well, they still stayed slightly firm and even shredded like a tough piece of meat that had been braising for a couple of hours.
It seems strange that Morning Star Farmswould not make theirVeggie Steak Stripstender, to begin with. I guess they think steak should be over-firm? Maybe it's all about the speed of delivery via microwaves. And that's probably why the Veggie Streak Strips ended up in 99c only Stores.
Anyway, it's best to use this Deal of the Day after it has been tenderized as I suggested earlier. I would add them to slow cooking sauces for at least twenty minutes to an hour. You can also add the strips to a steaming a pot of your favorite rice dish.
So on The 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best,Morning Star Farms Veggie Steak Strips gets a double rating. When microwaved theVeggie Steak Stripsrate a 2, but when braised until tender, the Veggie Steak Strips rate a 6. This Deal of the Day is decent when reheated properly.
Morning Star Farms should try for veggie ham slices, but next time please make sure the veggie protein is tenderized, before freezing.
You are in for a movable feast during this Cajun holiday calledMardi Gras. The real partying starts this weekend and culminates on Fat Tuesday,February 25th, where everyone lines streets for the parades and floats with masked bead throwers. This is the time of year when New Orleans lets it's freak flag fly -- all week long!
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Mardi Gras is more than plastic beads and Kings Cake. So read on and watch my videos to see some delish Cajun recipes, plus I'll even give you a personal Po' Boy Sandwich Tour of New Orleans. So scroll on down.
Alright, let's get this party started! Walking the French Quarter in New Orleans, revelers carry drinks spiked with knee-buckling Everclear spirits. And I always make a stop at the local drive-thru for a boozy slushy Daiquiri.
Yep, you heard right, that's the way we roll in Cajun country. Now don't worry, you don't drink and drive, just take it home and chill. If you think I'm pulling your leg, then check us out in the video below doing a Daiquiri drive-thru!
If buzzy spirits are too much for you, then settle down within view of the Mississippi River in New Orleans for a chickory-flavored cup of Joe and sugar-powdered beignets at world-famous Cafe du Monde. After the caffeine and sugar rush you will be ready to take in New Orleans and the outrageous French Quarter, just a few steps away.,
I lived in Gonzales, Louisiana during my high school daze. I didn't know what to expect when our family moved there from Texas. I did some wild stuff over the next four years and ate a lot of down-home Cajun cooking. The video below takes place in a local flea market, so check it out to get the flavor of the place.
Cajun Flea Market Eats - Video
I hitchhiked with my high school buddy Marvin to New Orleans for Mardi Gras during school break. Back then it was all about grabbing a Po'boy Sandwich, listening to music, catching some beads thrown down by inebriated revelers perched behind French Quarter iron-wrought balconies and Mardi Gras parade floats, and getting a good buzz (we were underage, so no booze, but we found other natural ways.)
Chef, Marvin & Dennis - high school buddies
We knew no fear and locals were friendly enough - even picking us up, a couple of hitchhiking long-haired teenagers. One memorable ride was in a hand-painted hippie Volkswagon van where the college-aged, tie-dye wearing driver, and cool chicks in tight bell-bottom jeans, on the backbench seat, passing around a doobie, before dropping us off in the city.
Looks like Red State Louisiana has agreed with Blue State California in legalizing marijuana for medical use. I guess we can all get along if there's a peace pipe to share.
I've kept in touch with my high school buddy Marvin and like to look him up when I land in New Orleans. Check out the video below to see how I (dinner) roll these days, when I tour the Crescent City in search of a delicious Po' Boy Sandwich with my high school bud - all the tasty details are in my original blog post here.
You will get a street-level experience of the Big Easy and the eccentric locals from my documentary short below.
New Orleans Po' Boy Tour - Video
This year I met up with my long lost brother from another.....daddy, and he's known as the Swamp Chef! He showed up on Mom's doorstep one day and she welcomed him back into the family, and I must say he's a chip off the cypress tree block. He'd fit into a-rockin' CajunZZ Top lineup, but with a wooden stirring spoon instead of a guitar.
99 Cent Chef, Mom and Swamp Chef
When the Swamp Chef shows up there is always a delicious celebration -- and this time it's a BBQ Sausage Po'Boy Party!! Here in Gonzales, Louisiana, it's all about the bread when making a Po'Boy, or as it's also known, a Poor Boy. Just watch the video below to see how the Swamp Chef grills locally made sausages by Ivderstine Farms Butchersand stuff them into a loaf of Reisling's French bread.
The Swamp Chef knows the lay of the land around here and he recommends all you Mardi Gras tourists who need a pitstop, to park here in Gonzales, Lousiana for a big lunch plate of Jambalaya. Just check out the Swamp Chef giving you the lowdown in the video below. And it's dirt cheap of course!
I know you are here for the recipes, too, and boy do I have a pirogue boatful. Between Mom and my Cajun line-cooking nephews, Matt and Zakk, I got that covered.
If you hang out in Louisiana for any amount of time you will inevitably eat spicy steamed mudbugs, crayfish, or as the locals call them, Crawfish. They are milder in seafood flavor than shrimp and are about the size of a small bay shrimp. If you've never had them then watch my video below to learn how to eat one.
It quickly becomes a party when I visit Gonzales Louisiana to see my Cajun family. And this first recipe is made with a beer-flavored sauce. Warning, in the video we had to go through a Party Pack of Abita Beer to find just the right flavor!
My nephew Matt has been cooking for years now and has some major culinary skillz. I'll let him give you the low down on a Southern classic Shrimp and Grits video recipe (click here for recipe photos and text.)
Chef Matt's Shrimp & Grits - Video
The cheapest Cajun entree is Red Beans and Rice -- made by my Southern friend Miss Patti. She is a vegetarian with a menagerie of critters she keeps on her property just outside the city of New Orleans.
For real New Orleans-style Red Beans, you should use the brand of beans called Camellia. But if you can't find them, it's okay to use any cheap red kidney beans.
We always have a good time together and you will too watching us cook together. Recipe details are a click away, here.
Ms. Patti's Vegan Red Beans and Rice - Video
Mom knows Cajun cuisine best. And she is here to share a few with you right now.
It's best to start at the beginning and here's the first recipe we did together, Mom'sJambalaya.
I make this recipe the most. Nothing too it: just brown chicken pieces and sausage with a whole chopped onion. Finally, add rice and water to make the best comfort food ever. Well this is my Mom's version of Jambalaya (click here to read all about it.)
Mom's Jambalaya - Video
Mom also makes a killer Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. The trick is all in the deep chocolate-colored roux - actually just flour that's slowly browned in oil.
Lately, when Mom makes hot and spicy Gumbo she adds a scoop of cool Cajun Potato Salad. Last time she was here in Los Angeles I got her to make some, and my cute niece Maranda dropped by to help. This recipe is a family affair you can check out below.
Mom's Cajun Potato Salad - Video
Next to Gumbo, a rich and creamy Étouffée made with local crawfish is another decadent stew. Check out local Chef Tony's take on Crawfish Étouffée.
My other line cooking nephew, Zakk, knows how to blacken fish the Cajun way. And boy does he do a skillful job at it, as my video below will attest. He also throws in a mind-blowing side of Sweet Potato Hash, and yes, it's loaded with bacon.
Zakk's recipe gets everyone in on the action including his Mom and my Mom, whom make a noshing appearance. So do check out his delicious Cajun recipes below and click here for all the written details.
Zakk's Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash - Video
The South's favorite nut, next to peanut, is the pecan. And my chef nephew Matt has the best Pecan Crusted Fish recipe this side of the Mississippi River. And he throws in a vegan Spinach Salad with a creamy Strawberry Vinaigrette. Now that's a mouthful.
Pecan Crusted Fish and Spinach Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette
My most outrageous Cajun recipe is an Alligator Po' Boy sandwich made by my nephew Chef Matt. They say alligator tastes like chicken -- to me, it is close to the texture of a pork chop and tastes somewhere between chicken and shrimp. Just check out the recipe video and make sure to watch all the way to the end, where the relatives go hog wild over the Alligator Po' Boy.
Alligator Po' Boy - Video
How low can one recipe go? Well, check out the Swamp Chef and nephew Chef Matt's Deep Fried Frog Legs...not for the faint of palate! This recipe goes from a swamp frog hunt to the deep fryer.
Frog Legs Recipe - Video
If you are not in New Orleans attending the glittery and debauched Mardi Gras festivities, you can still have a tasty good time - if you remember to bookmark this page and come back to make any of my Cajun Mardi Gras meals. So Laissez les bons temps rouler!
New Orleans Po' Boy Dining: Short Stop Po-Boys - 119 Transcontinental Drive (near New Orleans Airport)
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
Phone: (504) 885-4572
Website: http://www.shortstoppoboys.com
Mother's Restaurant - 401 Poydras New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
For a tasty local Los Angeles Po' Boy try The Gumbo Pot in the Mid-City located Farmer's Market. $11.55 for Shrimp or Oyster, and $11.75 for Mixed. For menu click here. Warning, the seafood Po' Boys have a sour bite because of inserted sliced lemon -- I usually take the slices out.
Another local food find for Cajun Cuisine is a restaurant and deli store called Little Jewel, in downtown LA's Chinatown. It's the real deal too. Listen in as you get all the tasty details in my special Restaurant Nocturne arty video below. (BTW, the chef/owner drops an F-bomb at 1:53 minutes.)
Please sit down and have a glass of wine, and how about a tootsie massage? Kindly allow this Amorous Culinarian to hold your hand and guide you through a luscious menu of Valentine Day Recipes.
Well, you are in the right place for a romantic read. If the following recipes look enticing to you then click on any name and you will be directed to my food blog recipe pages filled with tempting, tender prose, and pulse-quickening GIFs, photos and video.
Let's set the mood with the most decadently sexy of confections, a Chocolate Covered Cherry. Here, I'll feed it to you, Mon'Amie....
Click on any photo or gif to see larger.
First up is a video of the Amorous Epicurean on the prowl for budget aphrodisiac ingredients to create a perfect romantic dinner date. Allow me to adjust your seat cushion -- there, lean back and watch the show.
Shopping for a Romantic Recipe - VIDEO
You will want to start your romantic evening meal with an appetizer - a plump and pleasing Steamed Artichoke is the perfect dish to share with each other. Just swipe a steamed artichoke leaf into my creamy Ginger Mayo Dip and feed the tender petal end to your amour. Your appetite will surely build as you get to the delicately delicious artichoke heart. My Steamed Artichoke appetizer is just a tease.
Cooking & Eating an Artichoke - VIDEO
A lovely Pear and Spinach Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing looks good on the plate and will impress your true love with its lightness and fresh flavors. And it's the perfect prelude to the main course.
I think Italian food is the sexiest of cuisines. Tender swirling ropes of pasta sliding through a rich creamy sauce will soften any hardened heart. Click on any recipe name below to see my luscious photos and read my tender prose.
There's nothing like a creamy warm egg yolk stoking the fires of desire, and theFlirty Chef'sSpaghetti alla Carbonarais the perfect mood-setter. With the first bite, your date will swoon with pleasure. Sprinkling crumbled bacon over the pasta is gilding the lily, but sometimes you need to go all the way!
In my Spaghetti alla Carbonara Video below I took a couple of cheap shortcuts. I used bacon bits, but you could substitute real bacon or kick it up a notch with sauteed pancetta. Also, freshly shaved parmesan cheese will be more pleasing than the dried brand I used.
And finally, I added a blended raw egg -- for a more romantic presentation, just gently place the egg yolk on a mound of steaming pasta.
Oh, is it time for another sweet confection? Of course, I have more, the apple of my eye...
Would you like another glass of wine before you watch my Spaghetti alla Carbonararecipe video below? Oh, don't worry about driving - I'll call Uber for you.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe - VIDEO
There, wasn't that edifying? Staying on the creamy theme, I can also recommend my Fettuccine Alfredo.
It's pasta with butter and cream -- simple and direct. You could mix in some fresh steamed veggies like broccoli for color and crunch -- just see how easy it is to do by clicking here on my Veggies in Cream with Pasta.
Of course, a Latin lover would challenge any Italian Casanova for Lotherio's scepter. And my MexicanChicken Tingaspicy stew will send chills down the spine and tingle any lady all the way to her toes.
Chicken Tinga - VIDEO
What? Another? You really do have a sweet tooth, well I do too, I think we are two peas in a pod. Let's share this one...
Your love will fall under a lusty voodoo spell after sipping a couple of my homemade rum and sugar cane Cuban Mojitos. And if you and your lover are nursing a hangover the next morning, I have a hangover cure: a bowl of Pozole. It's a rich red broth of hominy, chiles, and pork.
Cuban Mojito - VIDEO
Black and white, yin and yang -- all inhibitions will drop with the sweet and sour flavors of my vegan Cuban Black Beans served over White Rice.
If you want to channel your inner domestic goddess, then tie on the apron, get out the potholders, and bring in a hot casserole dish of my luscious Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese to the dining room table. Just check out the tempting short animated video below to see the yummy and gooey details.
Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese - VIDEO
I have a recipe that will get any Lady Godiva off her high horse. Let's get tough guy Stanley Kowalski, but with a mushy heart. My chef nephew's Shrimp and Grits will take your date on a one-way streetcar to desire. All aboard to check out the video below of two lunkheads hanging out and cooking.
Shrimp & Grits - VIDEO
A close second to the most sensuous of nibbling is a tender fish fillet on rice or Sushi. Raw seafood will quicken a lover's pulse, and if you chase the sushi down with a few warm cups of sake the temptation to stay the night may be overwhelming.
My Sushi recipes are quite easy to do when you follow my directions. I even have a recipe for those averse to raw fish, a California Roll (in the hay,) that's made with cooked fake krab, creamy avocado, and sliced cucumber. Seafood Rolls and Sushi are handheld bites meant to be shared with your true love.
California Roll -VIDEO
Hawaii is the destination for romancing the palate. Make your own romantic Hawaii-themed date night with my exotic Island classic: Lau Lau. It's a banana leaf-wrapped package of deliciousness.
Oh look honeybunch, I have one left.
The aroma of slow roasting pork, Hawaiian-style will fill the kitchen and dining room, stoking the appetite of desire. Slowly unwrap the package of tender Lau Lau for your beloved. You won't need a Lei of plumeria flowers to steal a kiss when you serve my savory dish. So click here to see the luscious photos and easy-to-follow recipe text. And aloha to love.
Hawaiian-style Lau Lau
Of course, you can't have a romantic dinner date without the sweets. And I have a simply delicious deconstructed dessert that I call Mini-Banana Puddings.
It's the perfect finger food to woo your loved one. All you need is to lay out some vanilla wafers and stack with a spoonful of pudding and banana slices, finally topped with Hersey Chocolate Kiss. You could also drizzle on any sweet topping like chocolate syrup, caramel, and other favorite candy pieces or sprinkles.
Pssst...don't let your date see this next video. Slip in a Chocolate-Covered Cherry in your date's hand and a heart may melt. I got the confections at my local 99c only Store. Go ahead and watch my cheap$kate video review and see how a five-count box for 99.99 cents rate on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best.
Chocolate Covered Cherries - VIDEO
After a ravenous night, you will need a replenishing morning meal. And the Don Juan Gourmand's palate-pleasing Fried Egg on Breadcrumbs with Asparagus will satiate any food lover.
It looks good on the plate, but be sure to make plenty, as your sweetheart will ask for seconds!
Another morning after meal is my French-style Omelet. It's a labor of love that you may want to practice making a couple of times to get right. Like lovemaking, the more you do it the better you get! And I have all the right moves a click away.
I like a recipe with just two ingredients and my Mushrooms Sauteed in Coconut Oil fits the bill.
I guess you could call this an anti-recipe video and it's a pretty recipe too, just check out the bright yellow mushrooms I picked up. And while there's nothing to it, you will still like the simple flavors of my latest Cheap$kate Recipe video.
I chose these mushrooms because they showed up at my local 99c only Store. Called Champignon Mushrooms, they have a mild flavor similar to white or brown button mushrooms. I was expecting a more pungent taste like shitake or oyster mushrooms. But that's okay, the more flavorful Coconut Oil shines strongly through.
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Normally, I would saute mushrooms in a little butter, but I know my vegan visitors like a budget recipe too. It's fun to mix it up with flavorful cooking oils.
The mushrooms I got came in a sealed package and as a large root segment. I split the mushrooms into smaller segments for easier sauteing. I used a tablespoon of oil. You only need to cook them until soft and tender - just a couple of minutes on each side.
If you like mushrooms caramelized, then saute on one side without moving them for about 3 minutes, and flip mushrooms once to finish for another minute.
For the last couple of years, Coconut Oil has been showing up at my local 99c only Store and even the Dollar Tree. Like the name says, Coconut Oil has a distinct flavor, so if you don't care for coconut then you can substitute any oil like Olive, Peanut, Walnut or even Avocado Oil. I've noticed Coconut Oil can be semi-solid like butter or it is liquid, I think it depends on the temperature.
I like sauteed mushrooms plain. I could have added them to a hot soup of 25 cents per package ramen with veggies and topped with a boiled egg; or add them to a medley of button mushrooms for an earthy Mushroom Soup (like I did in this recipe, here.) But they don't show up cheaply very often so I just wanted to enjoy them sauteed in Coconut Oil.
My Mushrooms Sauteed in Coconut Oil can be served right out of the frying pan, or add them warm on a fresh green salad or a fave protein. They can also go into your favorite pasta dish.
When you find mushrooms on sale then give them a quick saute in Coconut Oil for a tasty snack or add to a fave entree.
Mushrooms Sauteed in Coconut Oil - VIDEO
Play it here, video runs 3 minutes 10 seconds
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (1 to 2 servings)
Fresh mushrooms - about 4 to 5 ounces. I cooked with mushrooms I found on sale, called Champignon, but okay to use regular white and brown button mushrooms or any favorite you like.
1 tablespoon coconut oil - Okay to use any tasty veggie oil you like.
Salt and pepper - optional. I did not season this recipe, but you can.
Directions
Prepare mushrooms. If there is dirt then brush or scrape off. Discard dried or old stems from any mushroom cap.
Slice or break apart mushrooms into bite sizes. You can leave whole for smaller button mushrooms. You can also break apart mushrooms after sauteing.
Over a medium-hot pan coconut oil, then add mushrooms.
Depending on the size of mushrooms you can saute each side for a couple minutes each, until soft and slightly browned. Saute about 3-5 minutes total. Time will depend on the temperature of the frying pan and the thickness of mushrooms.
A quick saute is what you want - best not to overcook mushrooms.
The back of the package suggests microwaving the Veggie Steak Strips and making a Mongolian Stir Fry or a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. Sounds good, but only if you like chewing on strips of shoe leather or rubber bands. I tried microwaving a few strips with cooked rice. The result was not pretty. While there is a slight beef flavor, the texture was way off the mark for beef steak slices. The strips stayed solid and did not shred; they were like waterlogged popsicle sticks.
