Dreamy Chicken

I love to cook.  When I'm left to cook for myself I eat a lot of vegetarian food, but when I feed others they are usually meat eaters.  Meat is easy to cook and make it taste good, but vegetarian food I have found is a bit harder.  You can't just add pork fat and gravy and KNOW it will be yummy.  So one of the challenges for me is to add some of those delicious vegetarian redipes into the diet without anyone knowing.  I found quickly that the meat 'n 'taters type of people turned up their noses in distaste when they heard the words tofu.

I decided to keep the ingredients a secret.  Taste and then maybe I would divulge the ingredients.  If that didn't suit they could cook supper themselves!  To do this I name the dishes.  Last night's supper was dubbed Dreamy Chicken.

How can anyone question Dreamy Chicken?  They can't.  The  title in itself promises a creamy smooth sauce with a hint of romance.  No one can resist such temptation.  Whilst the Other One was plugged into the TV I frolicked in the kitchen mixing traditional southern soul food with exotic vegetarian ideas.

First I sliced green tomatoes, okra, and yellow squash and tossed them in corn meal, Tony's, and garlic powder.  When they sweat the corn meal sticks to them and then I added them to a very hot oiled pan and popped them in the oven at 450 degrees F.  Yup, they were all picked right out of my front yard.

While they baked I started the Dream Sauce.  Into the food processor or blender goes sliced garlic, Dijon mustard, vinegar, sugar, 2 T Basil (or more) and around 5 oz of silken tofu.  If you want a dash of cream will make it creamier, but I would leave out the vinegar if you do that.  I wanted a semi tart sauce.  This recipe was adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home.  They use juice to sweeten and I didn't have any on hand.

I chopped chicken breasts in chunks and seasoned them up with Tony's and some garlic and onion powder and a bit of olive oil.

Into the pan they go with butter and about a cup of thinly sliced kale.

While that cooks I take the oven fried veggies out.

When the chicken was done I tossed in some pimento that needed to be used and tossed it with the Dreamy Sauce, cheese and pasta.  I wasn't asked what the little green things were.  No one even suspected they were eating tofu.  It is my little secret.  I also have enough tofu left to make some macaroni and cheese.  It freezes very well and is quite popular for lunches with that frozen Meatloaf a la Marilyn!