Sweet and Sour Chinese Veggies and Tender-Bits

 

Back in the early 20th century, an SDA missionary doctor named Harry Miller and his long-suffering wife went to China to work among the poor people of that nation. His work came to the attention of Chinese authorities and Miller became the physician of choice to luminaries such as Chang Kai Shek and his wife. An immensely creative man, Millar traveled all over China improving hygiene and the diet of the Chinese. He once fought off river pirates on the Yantze with an oar and a pistol he carried with him on his missionary journies.

Another thing Dr. Miller is noted for is his discovery of how to mass produce meat substitutes from wheat gluten and soybeans. The Chinese made a wheat gluten meat-like substance called seitan as well as tofu from soybeans.  Dr. Miller developed a form of soymilk as an alternative to hard to obtain cow's milk for children and tinkered with ways to produce meat substitutes from gluten and soy. When the Japanese forced missionaries to flee Japan, Dr. Miller returned home, bringing his meat substitute idea with him. Worthington and Loma Linda foods were established based on Dr. Miller's patents for meat substitutes.

Loma Linda's lovely Tender-Bits are perfect to go with a nice pile of rice and Chinese vegetables. It fixes up nicely, especially if you have a wok to cook in. Here's how it works:

Ingredients:

1. Olive oil
2. Stir fry veggies
3. Loma Linda Tender-Bits
4. Flour
5. Seasoned salt
6. Rice/Rice a Roni

Directions:

• Start the rice following package directions. Rice-a-Roni makes a nice fride rice that is quick and easy to make up and makes a lovely base for your veggies.

• In a bowl, cut Tender-Bits in half in a bowl.

• Sprinkle flour and seasoned salt over the Tender-Bits and stir them up till they are covered with flour/seasoning mixture.

 

•  Fry the Tender-Bits in olive oil till crisp and slightly brown on the outside, then set the Tender-Bits aside in a bowl.

 

• Stir fry the frozen Chinese vegetables until they are ready.

• Lay down a bed of rice on your plate.

• Cover the rice with a generous portion of Chinese vegetables.

• Add Tender-Bits

• Add homemade Sweet & Sour Sauce, Soy Sauce or other Chinese sauce.

This is really good with Sweet and Sour Sauce and by making it yourself, you can fiddle with the ingredients to suit your own tastes. You might want to increase or decrease ingredients to taste. I tend to go lighter on the vinegar.

The Tender-Bits make this a really delicious dish. It will most surely become a favorite dish and if you make your own sauce, it will give you something to tell everyone at potluck that you made yourself. Not many people make their own sweet and sour sauce.

Have fun.

Tom King © 2015