VEGAN 'CHICKEN' GOUGONS WITH OPTIONAL BOOZY PEACH DIP,

Crispy crunchy low-fat 'chicken' gougons are an easy-peasy lunch for Dad to make for a vegan/veggie mum

first posted 20/8/16

Crispy, spicy vegan 'chicken fingers' without the fat: a vegan treat for Mum

Here's a triple-duty Mothers' Day recipe for 'chicken' gougons that'll please a vegan/vegetarian Mum, small fussy eaters AND carnivores. 

In the current vegetarian/vegan climate, eco-friendly tofu is becoming more mainstream.  Plenty of innovative savoury tofu recipes are being developed, focusing on its role as a low-fat meat substitute which easily absorbs other  flavours.   

The gougons are usually eaten with low-sugar ketchup and/or yoghurt-mayo but if you're pulling out all the stops for Mum, add the boozy peach dipping sauce below.  

Preparation is easy and starts the night before.  Serve with baked potatoes or un-fried garlic wedges/sweet potato fries, going easy on the garlic mix for the kids, and Fantastic Frugal Salad.

Cost: £4'ish (but recipe halves nicely)
Serves: 2 adults, 2 kids 

Ingred:
    1.5 x280 gms firm organic tofu, in fingers (4 horizontal slices for each packet, each cut into 5-6 fingers; try not to make the fingers too fat - their 'chickenness' is easily lost)

    3/4 cup unstrained 0-fat yoghurt
    3 tbsp Dijon mustard
    2 small cloves garlic grated
    2.5-3.5 tbsp finely minced onion
    3/4 tsp salt  
    rounded 1/4 tsp pepper
    1.5 tsp celery salt (opt)

    3/4  tsp smoked paprika
    1/3 tsp thyme
    3/4 tsp oregano
    3/4 tsp cumin
    1/3 tsp dried coriander 
    OR INSTEAD of the 5  spices, 3  tsp Cajun seasoning

    1 generous  mug breadcrumbs (67 used home-made- stale bread whizzed in blender; Japanese panko crumbs are also good)  

Method:

1. Prepare the night before
2. Mix yoghurt and spices; pour half into a large glass tray
3. Carefully place fingers in the mix; cover with the rest of the yoghurt 
4. Cling film & refrigerate overnight
5. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450F, 220fan, 250C
6. Cover a large tray with breadcrumbs
7. Using a fish slice/spatula, carefully remove tofu fingers from yoghurt & place them on the crumbs; cover with the rest of the breadcrumbs, patting them on to the sides if necessary
8. Generously spray the baking tray/s with olive or veg oil; use the spatula to transfer breadcrumbed fingers to the baking tray 
9. Lightly spray top of fingers with oil
10. Bake 35 mins, turning the fingers once
11. Serve with ketchup (homemade if possible) and yoghurt-mayonnaise 

 Boozy peach (or nectarine), chilli & mint dipping sauce  
    1 large ripe peach/nectarine, stoned, coarsely chopped (or equiv tinned in juice, not syrup)
    1/3 raw yellow pepper, slightly less in weight than the peach
    2-3 tablespoons red onion
    1 tsp fresh mint or 1/3 tsp dried
    zest and juice of half a lime 
    brandy to taste, at least 1/4 cup
    1/2 tsp maple syrup (opt)

1.  Blitz until smooth with stick or bowl blender
2.  Refrigerate a few hours, pref overnight for flavours to blend
3.  Taste; add pepper and a bit of salt

Tips:

• Care is required getting the gougons onto the baking tray without breaking them
• Leftover firm tofu can be used in stir-fries or can be sliced, breaded & baked (as for gougons) and used as sandwich fillings
• a more extravagant salad requiring little cooking is 3-minute Asparagus, Pea & Corn

For more vegan/vegetarian radishes  go to NavBar/RecipesII:Vegetarian...

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission