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

The #1 Best Vege-Meat Dish Ever

I figure if I'm going to start a vegetarian cooking weblog, I should start off with one of the best dishes you will ever put in your mouth. If you ask any member of my family what their favorite meal is (including meat dishes) they'll say Barbecue Tender-Bits.

Eating vegetarian meat substitutes is a great way to reduce the cholesterol in your diet dramatically and many of the products produced by such companies as Worthington Foods, Loma Linda Foods, Morningstar and Boca offer vegetarian alternatives for a variety of meat products.  But when I get really hungry I crave this really unique vegetarian meal that is my wife's specialty.

Miss Sheila trained under two of the finest cooks I ever knew of - my grandmother and hers. She can hold her own with either of them and, although I would never have told either of them, she outdoes them on many things. Her original idea for barbecue Tender-bits(TM) is everybody's favorite for celebratory meals in the King household. Since Sheila has made me promise to outlive her, I made her teach me how to make her signature dish. I buy Tender-Bits by the case. It is my go-to showoff dish.

Barbecue Tender-Bits

Original Recipe by Sheila King

- Ingredients -

1. 2 Cans Loma Linda Tender-bits
2. Flour
3. Seasoned Salt
4. Oil
5. Bulls-Eye or KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce

- Instructions -

1. Remove the top and bottom from both Tender-bit cans and press from the can. Drain the Tender-bits and halve or quarter each "bit" as you prefer.  I like mine larger, Sheila likes 'em quartered.
2. Put a quarter to half cup of flour in a large mixing bowl and toss in the Tender-bits.  Dust them thoroughly and lightly season with seasoned salt.
3. Just cover the bottom of a large frying pan or electric skillet in canola oil and heat..
4. Place floured "bits" into the oil and cook stirring twice till the outsides are crisp and turn golden brown.
5. Pour a bottle of barbecue sauce over the Tender-Bits and remaining oil.  With the flour that got into the oil along with the Tender-bits, the barbecue sauce will make a delicious gravy that will cover the vege-meat.  When the gravy begins to bubble, turn the heat down to keep the dish warm while you cook the rest of the meal.  This allows the Tender-bits to marinate in the barbecue gravy.

Setting:  These are our favorite side dishes to go along with Barbecue Tender-Bits

1. Mama's Southern Mashed Potatoes with a little garlic, butter and cream cheese
2. Broccoli with a bit of melted Velveeta Cheese
3. Salad finely chopped with Ranch Dressing
4. Honeymama's Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls (so good they don't even need butter)
5. Peach Cobbler with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Where to Buy:

Barbecued Tender-Bits as God intended

This meal illustrates why all vegetarians are not emaciated skeletons. Many of us are quite substantial individuals. This is not a low-cal/low-fat dinner. Tender-Bits are a vegan meat substitute, though for what meat I am not exactly sure. They most resemble seitan, a Chinese wheat gluten product from which they are derived. They work really well in Chinese dishes. One thing, however, if you're expecting chicken, you'll be surprised. Not in a bad way I think but Tender-Bits aren't much like chicken.  They make a nice neutral meat-like garnish for spicy dishes and with tangy sauces.  You can order them by the case on Amazon.com, from Loma Linda or from any regional Seventh Day Adventist book store or vegetarian food store (found in most Adventist college towns) and online.

Tender-Bits are labeled "Vegan" and we don't put any cowish or chickenish ingredients in them, so you need not be cowed by any militant vegans when you serve them up at potluck. A word of caution, however. Be toward the front of the line or they will be gone before you get there.

As you can see from the picture, even just half a can makes up a nice sized batch for two.  When we have the kids and their families over, Sheila makes two or three cans and when it's all done, there are never any leftovers.

© 2015 by Tom & Sheila King