This Lemon Chick’n is not the Lemon Chicken that is so popular in American Chinese restaurants or mall food court Chinese stands. This recipe came to us by way of Ethan’s bubby. Ethan made it for me once when we were first dating. However, Ethan, not being a fan of eating chickens never made it again. Fast forward many years to the advent of Beyond Meat Chicken Free Strips. Shortly after we tried Beyond Meat for the first time, the Lemon Chicken recipe miraculously reappeared. I just needed to veganize it. I needed something to adhere the breading to the strips. I found using a mixture of flax seeds and water to be the best option.
This is a great recipe to make when preparing a meal for both adults and children. You can stop this recipe after frying the Beyond Meat strips, set some aside and have a great platter of chick’n fingers for the kids. Then, use the remaining strips for the lemon chick’n. WOW! 2 recipes in one!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6-7
2 Packages Beyond Meat Chicken Free Strips, lightly seasoned
2 TBL ground flax seeds combined with 6 TBL hot water and microwaved for 45 seconds
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ cups dried seasoned beadcrumbs (make sure they contain no eggs or dairy ingredients like whey)
1 TBL minced fresh parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 TBL dried minced onion
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup boiling water
1 no-chicken bullion cube (or vegetable broth cube)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil for frying
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Combine the flax-water mixture and water in a shallow dish.
3. In another shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic powder, pepper and minced onion flakes.
4. One at a time, take the Beyond Meat strips and roll in the flax/water mix to completely coat. Allow the excess to drip back into the pan. Then roll in the breadcrumb mixture to completely coat. Squeeze to help the breadcrumbs stick. Repeat until all the pieces are breaded.
5. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Carefully add the coated Beyond Meat strips to the oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all the strips are fried.
You could stop here and just enjoy a plate of chick’n fingers. Nothing wrong with that.
6. Place the fried strips in a single layer in the roasting pan. Cover with the sliced mushrooms.
7. Add the bullion cube to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the mushrooms.
8. Bake in preheated over for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Add some vegetable broth if needed for more liquid.
Fresh out of the oven. All hot and bubbly. But, you must let it cool down!
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
