Vegan Country Captain No-Chicken

Once again, I craved a comfort food. I was also in the mood for a bit of spice. There is a change taking place in my food cravings that can only be explained by this strange weather we are having here in Mid-November. After all, in Missouri, the official first freeze date is said to occur by October 10th. We’ve not experienced that yet—and my roses are re-blooming (very pretty, but a bit strange looking against the brown backdrop of autumn). So while my body is mindful of the lack of daylight, the cloudy days and the overall sluggishness owing to the pull of winter—my taste buds are jumping around so that it is difficult to really get a handle on how and what to turn to for meals. I find it frustrating if truth be told. However, if I could single out a positive from this warmer-than-usual weather—it is awesome for running!

Anyway, I was stumped for dinner. It was five o’clock. I thought about a few dishes with paprika. I also thought about a noodle dish. Then again, I also thought about rice. Then, I remembered a dish I once had with bold, colorful peppers, chunky onions and a nice tomato-based curry sauce all served over rice. I flipped through my cookbooks, I went to the internet. This is when having modern technology really pays off! I came across a recipe for Country Captain Chicken. Interesting and familiar and so easy to make vegan with the help of my Match Chicken. (You will find me using this often as it is something that I feel adds more substance to meals for heavier eating during the “comfort-food months”.) Country Captain Chicken surprises you with its curry, but also has some sweetness thanks to a very small amount of golden raisins tossed in. (You could even try diced Granny Smith apples.) It was said to have originated in Georgia (in the South) as this was a geographic spot for spice trade in the United States (around Savannah). I originally had this in the south at a meeting whereupon we scooped this up from a slow cooker. It was just amazing. Of course, at the time, it had chicken parts (thighs and breasts) marinated so long that the tender meat just fell from the bone. Not a problem to re-create as a vegan dish. This comes together quickly and this recipe quite honestly was delicious and fit the comfort food bill quite nicely. I had seconds—my husband took it to work the next day and loved it even more!

Vegan Country Captain No-Chicken
For the Rice:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup wild rice
2 ½ cups water and veggie broth mixed together
1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare the rice. Cook for about 30 minutes, then pull off heat, fluff with fork.

1 package Match Chicken (*thawed, shaped into 1” chunks and dredged in flour with paprika and fried for about 5 minutes per side)
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
5 garlic cloves chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon spike
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup veggie broth
¼ cup golden raisins or chopped apples
2 tablespoons toasted almonds
Chopped scallions for garnish

Prep the rice and set aside. Prep your vegan-chicken and place in a warm oven to serve with dish later. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add onions, peppers and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. You want to try to keep the peppers crisp—so try not to overcook them. Now add the seasonings, tomatoes and broth and raisins. Simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered. This will allow the seasonings to really meld. Meanwhile, toast some almonds—a really nice addition for texture—in my opinion! Chop up some scallions and set aside. The mixture will thicken a bit as it is simmering. If you find that you would like to add a bit more broth (which I did)—it is okay, just keep the heat on low. Serve over rice, top with a couple of vegan chicken pieces and top with scallions and almonds. Yum!