[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Pasta with MSF 'Chiken'-Strips, Brocolli and Olives<br><br>
Category: Main Dishes - Pasta<br><br><br><br>
Suitable for a: vegan diet<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Ingredients:<br><br>
------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br><br>
***Most kid friendly pasta dish ever, I SWEAR!!<br><br><br><br>
1 pound pasta (I use rotini or penne)<br><br>
1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets, stems peeled and sliced, OR 1 package frozen brocolli rinsed well in a colander<br><br>
1 package Morningstar or Lightlife fake chicken strips<br><br>
1 tsp. to 2 tbsp. good olive oil (to taste)<br><br>
4-6 cloves garlic, put thru garlic press<br><br>
1/8 cup pine nuts<br><br>
2 Tb. finely minced fresh basil OR 1 tsp dried<br><br>
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes<br><br>
1 can or 2/3 cup small black olives (regular kind OR kalamata, your choice on how 'fancy' you want it)<br><br>
black pepper to taste<br><br>
salt to taste<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Instructions:<br><br>
------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br><br>
OK, in a large pot, cook the pasta is almost done (with about 2 minutes of cooking time left).<br><br>
Add the broccoli to the pasta and cover. Cook for 2 minutes, until broccoli and pasta are just barely tender (al dente) and broccoli is bright green. (This will be a bit longer if using frozen brocolli).<br><br><br><br>
Remove 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve it; drain the pasta and put it into a large serving bowl. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, if desired.<br><br><br><br>
While the pasta is cooking, sauté the chick'n strips in a non-stick skillet sprayed with olive oil until brown. Remove them to the serving bowl. Add as much olive oil to the skillet as you want to use, heat it and add pine nuts. Stir and cook until the pine nuts just start to brown. Add garlic, cook one minute more (CAREFULLY!)<br><br><br><br>
Remove from the heat and add the reserved cup of pasta cooking water--carefully to avoid spattering. Return to the heat, add the basil, red pepper, black pepper, and salt, and stir and cook until heated (it may thicken a bit - sometimes it doesn't though).<br><br><br><br>
Pour it over the pasta and chick'n strips, add the black olives, toss well, and serve.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Additional comments:<br><br>
------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br><br>
My daughters found this in an old "non-veg" cookbook and we modified it easily with the MorningStar farms Chicken Strips.

 

[kpickell]

That sounds really good! I wish I wasn't recipe-illiterate, one of these days I need to start learning what all these words mean and figure out how to cook some of this stuff. They sound delicious!

 

[Lilith]

wow, this sounds great, I will try this this week as I can't seem to get over my addiction to the Morningstar Farms Chikn and Steak strips (but all I've been making with the chikn ones is chickn salad, time for a change!) <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
(Although I don't have pine nuts, maybe some pecans or cashews can be substituted..)

 

[Bonoluvr]

i have made this before, just a little different in the recipe, but everyone here LOVES this, even omni hubby,<br><br>
it is delicous

 

[LissyVonZip]

Is there a way to get over the texture of fake meat??? IE. Morningstar Chick'n strips?? Because I find that the sausages/hot dogs/chick'n strips, etc. are sooooo chewy that I can't eat it!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> Although, I love the chick'n nugget type... Hmm<br><br>
I would love to try this recipe though, I might just throw the chick'n nuggets in or without the 'meat'...<br><br>
Thanks.

 

[Tempeh-Tantrums]

Oh yeah, didn't know this recipe was posted here. I've had this - not made it for myself exactly, but been treated to it by someone else who knows how to cook.<br><br><br><br>
I don't know, if you have texture issues with "fake meat" go find another recipe, it seems like the "Chick Strips" are a pretty integral part of this one. Otherwise it'd be, what... noodles and brocolli? yum.<br><br>
And it's not my recipe but IMO you wouldn't want peanuts instead of pine nuts. Not the same at ALL. Maybe cashews.<br><br><br><br>
Maybe, but it seems if you're going to change most of the ingredients in something you might as well find a recipe that uses those ingredients instead - because the end result isn't going to be the same. It might be good, but if it's not, just remember you can't blame the recipe.