Peachy Chik'N

A friend of mine has a peach tree in her front yard that is so abundant she held a "Peach Party" to divest of its fruit.   It was the perfect Memorial Day backyard get-together.  The hostess requested everyone make or bring a peach dish.  Coincidentally I'd just noticed a recipe on the back of the malt vinegar I use on my french fries:  "Peachy Chicken."  I made some adaptations to the recipe to make it vegan and cooked it differently than specified on the bottle.  

The party was a great time, with a group of friends eating, visiting, and playing games.  I brought my five-pound Chihuahua mix, Caitie, along for some socialization.  She met the resident Rottweiler, and a guest pocket Pittie.  Small, medium, and large all got along nicely.  The noisy environment, animals, and people were all such great new experiences for Caitie, who tends to be a bit nervous.

all the pups at the Peachy party

I haven't cooked often with vegetarian meats, and this was the first time making this recipe, so to take it to a party was a risk.  Thankfully, it came out appetizing and flavorful.  I didn't have ground cloves, so I used whole cloves,  which made for a prettier presentation, and made sure diners knew not to bite into them.  In future, I may try to marinate the chik'n for several hours or overnight before cooking.  If making this as a main course, I might even try to pan fry the chik'n to make it browned and crispy.  However, this minimal-fuss prep method was easy, took little time, and it came out well for a summer side salad.  Below is the package I used as a vegan meat substitute. 

Peachy Chik'n

1 bag MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Chik'N Strips or other meat substitute
1 can peaches in juice (reserve liquid)
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves (ground or whole)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Add peach juice, lemon juice, vinegar, and spices to a bowl and whisk to combine.  Place chik'n strips and peaches into a crockpot.  Cover with marinade and stir.  Turn lidded crockpot on high for one to two hours.  Use ramekin or small bowl to make a slurry from the cornstarch and water.  Add slurry to the mixture and stir until well combined.  Put the lid back on crockpot and cook on high for another hour or until thickened into glaze.  Serve warm or cold, as a side salad, or over rice or quinoa as a main dish.   If you use whole cloves, be sure to let diners know they are there, so they don't bite into them.