Hello Hives! Vegan Honey Mustard Chicken (Sans The Bees) with Horseradish Mashers & Red Onion Gravy

I craved honey-mustard last night. So, out came the agave. This was yet another vegan comfort food classic re-made! It came together in a jif and I used, what else: Match Meats Chicken. You could use tempeh or seitan for your protein. What made this even better was my little mixture of agave-mustard I drizzled over the chicken patty after frying them--giving it an extra dose of that yummy flavor combo! Plus the mashers with the red onion gravy: yum!

Your main ingredients for this entree. Pretty simple.

I am covered in hives! Covered! Initially, I thought I'd maybe brushed against a poison ivy vine taking the dogs for a walk yesterday--just a spot on my arm was all that bothered me. Then, I started to itch on my chest, neck, back and stomach. Then I looked in the mirror, showed Mr. Thyme and began to sink into a bit of a "state" because this was not what I needed right now. So, I took some benedryl--hoping to relieve whatever it was causing me to look like a measles case. Not much help. Really, not much help at all--last night I woke up some four times to "scratch" and try to relax back into sleep. Then after five this morning, I just stayed up and waited to place a call to my doctor, I knew it had to be the new oral antibiotics. I really wished it weren't, but the rash wasn't getting better. I waited to call the exchange to not appear like I was in dire straights, though, I really was. The measles had spread. He phoned me back promptly and I explained it all to him. He said what Mr. Thyme and I had already sort of figured out: I am now allergic to penicillin. I was like, How? I've had an IV of penicillin in me for two weeks now--how could this happen? He said, Your body has just decided it's had enough. (Oh, has it now?) So, I am off the orals until Friday, when he hopes this rash will have calmed down--then we'll probably begin a new antibiotic course of treatment--penicillin-free. Meantime, there is another prescription waiting for me to deal with another problem as a result of my new "allergy" which I will pick up today.

This is becoming a comedy. I have to laugh--if I don't, I think I'll cry, well I do cry. I know I will look back at all of this and tell this story without as much emotion and hysteria as I feel today. But if you could see my skin right now--along with my new dimple in my face--well, you'd hopefully find this amusing, I'd encourage you to laugh, in fact, I'd laugh with you!

So, as for another aside: I was a beekeeper. I loved honey. I once had three hives. I still love honey--I've turned to agave, take it easy there. But my last hive of bees flew the coop this past summer and you know what, I think they secretly knew I had become vegan. What else could have caused them to leave? (I don't really need any PETA commentary on the matter either. In fact, more of my bees died in thunderstorms than ever died during my honey harvesting, pre-vegan.) Anyhow, I am almost fifty and make my own decisions on the matter. Thanks to the hobbyist beekeepers, we have not lost the bees. As many of you know, if the bees go, our fruits and veggies and flowers go, too. For now, my bees are probably hanging out in my neighbor's hives. They may come back as I did not extract any honey at all last year. I'll keep the light on for them.


Another aside: my Idol-ing musings. A new VT label category. You may want to skip this part--I need to rant a bit on one judge's critique. What the heck was up with Kara D. last night taking shots at the blonde with the red lipstick? (Who looked amazing and sounded wonderful!) And. . . don't be a hater. The blonde/brunette thing goes back a long time--to the dawn of ages, but to see it played out in front of you on national TV like that--her rude comment against the "look, the red lipstick, hair. . . "--please, Kara, get a grip, sister. You really lost some cred last night after that comment. Every blonde woman in the country was probably thinking exactly the same thing, and it begins with a "B"--(but Kara said it for us and why that wasn't bleeped out, I have no idea)! Thank god someone finally sang Chris Isaak--I love him! Plus, I thought that was a really good performance of Wicked Game. Plus, I was a lampwork artist--being around propane and gas all day does wear on one's psyche--but not the way Simon said it might.

So now that I've shocked most of you or turned you away in disbelief--here's my recipe in case you're interested. I cannot eat mashed potatoes without gravy, so lest you think it's overkill with the sauces, I don't think that is possible--the sauces matter!

Vegan Honey Mustard Chicken with Horseradish Mashers and Red Onion Gravy

1 package Match Meats Chicken or Tempeh or Seitan
3 chopped scallions
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Spike seasoning or S&P to taste
1/2 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Amino Acids
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons canola oil
(1/4 cup Dijon mustard plus 1/4 cup agave whisked together for drizzling over patties for serving)

First, if you are going to have mashers--just slice up your red potatoes into quarters, skins on and boil them until tender--about 15 minutes--check for tenderness. Drain. Mix with some Earth Balance margerine and a tablespoon of horseradish. Season to taste. Very simple. Set out the veggies you'd like--green beans always win me over.

Next, thaw out the Match--place in a plastic container of warm water for about fifteen minutes. (Or boil your tempeh for ten minutes, then remove and slice down the middle into two thin pieces--proceed in same way for cooking--dredge in mustard mixture, then bread crumbs as you won't need to pre-shape or anything. If using seitan, slice it into thin steak-like strips, and proceed in the same fashion). If you are using the Match, place this still-cool-to-the- touch, but thawed out into a large mixing bowl. Add the scallions and seasonings, mix well. Take a bit of oil spray and mist your hands. Form the Match into about four, thin patties. Set aside. Prep a shallow bowl with the Dijon and agave--whisk well. Place the bread crumbs in another shallow bowl next to this. Heat the canola oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Take one patty and place in the Dijon/agave mixture, covering both sides. Then, carefully dredge in the bread crumbs and place it in the saute pan. I was able to only cook three at a time. Let them cook on each side for about 8-10 minutes--don't bring the pan up to a super high heat. The agave is going to almost caramelize the coating, vs. it being super crunchy--but you want that. Carefully turn over the patties. Place on a cookie tray to keep warm until ready to serve. Meanwhile, whisk together the side of Dijon and agave for a bit of extra drizzled over the patties when you serve them.

Red Onion Gravy--really simple

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion sliced thin
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 cups veggie stock
1 teaspoon Spike seasoning or S&P to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons arrowroot mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons Earth Balance Butter

In the same pan you cooked the patties in (go ahead and remove the thick chunks left over if you want)--add a few more tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil. Add the sliced red onion. Allow to caramelize--cooking over medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes--keep and eye on them--you don't want them browned all over, but a nice color to them. Add the garlic. Cook another 5 minutes, giving it a few good stirs. Now, add the white cooking wine. Allow this to reduce by half. (Mine nearly evaporated--but it still turned out fine). Add the veggie stock and seasonings and turn heat to medium. Now, whisk your arrowroot and water together, add this to the pan--it should begin to thicken. Next add the Earth Balance one tablespoon at a time--and whisk. This may make the gravy a bit thin, but don't panic--just keep the heat on medium low--allow to just cook about 5 more minutes. Turn the heat to low, allow to sit and it will thicken more. Whisk in more veggie stock depending upon your gravy needs--for thicker, use less stock, for thinner, add more stock. You can always shake in some arrowroot, too--just whisk it well after doing so.