Vegan Chick-Fil-GAY!

With all the recent controversy surrounding Chick-Fil-A and their proceeds going to anti-gay organizations we have seen a lot of recipes floating around replicating the classic chicken sandwich minus the hate. These recipes are helping former patrons of the fast-food chain who believe the rights of others are more important than their lunch continue to boycott the restaurant and enjoy the food they have grown to love.

Now, if you're a vegan or vegetarian, or just like to eat more on the healthy side, we know- you were boycotting Chick-Fil-A before it was cool.

Well aside from some the occasional waffle fry or maybe a salad sans cheese and croutons, right?

To be honest, we found out about where Chick-Fil-A sent a portion of its profits about a year ago and haven't eaten there since. Doing so just seemed a lot like masochism, however, we also weren't faced with any cravings for chicken sandwiches (for obvious reasons) so avoiding the drive-thru really didn't bother us.

So here we are, with all these gay-friendly chicken recipes floating around the web for our meat-eating friends of Dorothy... and yet the fact still stands... chickens must die in order to replicate these sandwiches.

It sort of seems a shame not to use this opportunity to share a recipe we have created as a response to all the recent coverage that is not only hate-free, but also creulty-free. In the end, isn't what we're after?

Equality for all? Including chickens?

We came up with this little recipe which can be fried like a classic Chick-Fil-A sandwich or grilled for a more healthful option. The choice is yours!

You will need:

Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten Mix (or seitan mix of your choice)
1 jar of sliced dill pickles
Buns

For breading you will need:

Flour
Dill Pickle Juice
Corn Starch
Salt
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Canola Oil
Earth Balance


So first, decide if you are going to fry or grill or seitan patties. If you plan on grilling you will only need the first 3 ingredients.

Now, prepare your seitan cutlets by using the directions on the box then molding your cutlets into a slightly assemtrical and thicker shape.

Then set them in a pan of veggie stock and let them simmer for 1 hour. (Or whatever you box directs) Our box of Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten made about 6 cutlets of seitan. 

Once finished, let them sit on a separate plate and cool for just a few minutes. Now, this is the choose your own adventure portion of our recipe. 

If you would like to grill them- then place your patties either on a skillet with light oil and salt and pepper the outside or use something like a George Foreman Grill to get those nice grill lines.

Once grilled, heat your bun by wrapping it in tin foil and placing in the preheated oven (probably 250-300 degrees F) for a few minutes.

Optional: coat both sides of bun with Earth Balance before putting in oven. It will make it extra savory.

The assembly is simple. Place sietan cutlet on bun with desired number of dill pickles and then other half of bun.

Enjoy with choice of sauce.

Tip: A pretty tasty mock honey mustard can be made with the right balance of deli mustard, yellow mustard, cider vinegar,Veganaise, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Give it a whirl sometime.

Now, if you've skipped ahead to page 21 and chosen to prepare your patty the southern-fried way- let's do it!

Heat a skillet with a good amount of canola oil to about medium-high.

While it is heating mix 1 1/2 cups of flour with half a teaspoon of each- salt, pepper, and paprika and place on a flat plate or shallow dish.

In a smaller bowl or dish combine 1/3 jar of dill pickle juice with 3 tbsp of cornstarch and blend well. This stuff will get sticky and thick. Just keep stirring it.

Dip your cutlets in the cornstarch and pickle juice and coat well- then put immediately into the dry flour mix until totally covered.

Place each coated cutlet/patty into your heated canola oil and let cook on both sides until browned. They may come out looking a little grayer than expected, but don't worry- they'll taste just fine. The flour may also start to look a little piecey... again, no worries, it's yummy.

Once cooked throughly, remove from oil and set on paper plates to drain excess greasy stuff.

The assembly is the same. Prepare your buns by spreading Earth Balance on inside and outside then wrapping in tin foil and heating in preheated oven (probably 250-300 degrees F) for a few minutes.

Place seitan patty on bottom bun, followed by desired number of pickles, and then top bun.

For the full experience serve with waffle fries.

We shared this recipe creation with a friend the night we prepared it and not one of us got off the couch for 3 hours after eating. So keep that in mind! It sure was yummy, but next time we're opting for the grilled version!

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

Since going meatless we have been exposed to a wide array of reactions. Some people applaud our choice and express their interest in the lifestyle, but every so often we are met with opposition, and really it is overwhelming how many people become immediately concerned with just one particular thing when we tell them we do not eat animal products. Bacon. We cannot count on fingers and toes how many people stare at us with wide eyes in total disbelief and say "You don't eat BACON???"

We've really never understood the big deal about bacon. Is it really that serious? We've both eaten bacon as children but neither of us have really ever had it on a pedestal. We wouldn't say we miss it. It probably doesn't hurt either that we cohabitate with an adorable pig who makes even the words "bacon", "pork", and "ham" seem strange and wrong.

This is our princess by the way, Peach. She is a rescue pig who is about to turn 3 years old! She loves the outdoors and playing with the pups and has quite the fan club.



Now, we do understand bacon has a fan club as well. There are quite a few people who will not even try a meat-free diet simply because of this one food item. To them, a bacon-less existence is a deal breaker when it comes to their otherwise loving relationship with vegan and vegetarianism.

We're here to tell you... IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! Together we can work this out.

We present to you Fakin' Bacon!

Neither of us had actually tried Fakin' Bacon until 6 months ago. Like we said, bacon just wasn't a priority. But veg and non-veg friends kept raving about it and one day we decided this was just something we had to give a whirl. So glad we did. This stuff is amazing! 

For us, there's nothing like a full day of yard-salin' and gardening with a little break for a good old fashioned BLT, or TLT, to be more accurate. Lightlife's Fakin' Bacon is made from organic tempeh, and man, is it scrumptious. Not to mention so easy to make!

How to make the perfect TLT:

Heat a skillet to medium-medium high with a thin layer of oil and add the desired amount of Fakin' Bacon strips. 

Let cook, turning occasionally for 5-10 minutes depending on how cripsy you would like it. (We like it in the middle.)

Once cooked, set on paper towel lined plate to soak off excess oil.

Slice your lettuce and tomato and grab a couple slices of fresh bread. (toasted or not toasted- however you prefer.)

Add some Veganaise to both sides of your bread/toast. 

Then just layer your T with you L and your other T and there you go! 

A delicious TLT sandwich!

(This is not a bagel by the way, but it sure does look like one. The bread we used that day was fresh from the local vegan market and for some reason there was a huge air pocket in the center which created a hole in the middle slices. Gotta love fresh local bread! It was so soft, fluffy, and delicious.)

So you see, bacon does not have to be the thing that keeps you from living a compassionate life. If you are having a difficult time we suggest slowly transitioning by giving Fakin' Bacon and other meatless but meatlike products a try.  


This stuff is so magnificent you'll crave it. When someone says the words "Fakin' Bacon" in your presence your eyes will widen and you'll be trying to calculate the distance to your nearest local vegan market or Whole Foods just so you can get some in your mouth as soon as possible. In a way I suppose it does exactly what bacon does to people... so there you go bacon lovers- make the switch- this TLT is for you!

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies