| Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 401 | 9g | 1g | 80g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 60g | 5g | 11g | 1.2g |
Why I Love Chinese Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks
To me, there’s nothing quite like the melding of east and west, as seen in today’s recipe: the delightful Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks. Though my heart is often drawn to hearty bison burgers and venison steaks, every so often it yearns for the intoxicating flavors that originate far from my Montana roots. Tracker’s stew and prairie pies may be my specialties, but there’s nothing quite like the departure of tastes found in the vegetarian approach to traditional Chinese dishes.
The Ingredients
The dish is a symphony of tastes and textures. Start with a foundation of dried Shiitake mushrooms and Vegetarian Chicken Drumsticks, found easily in health food stores or online. The ‘meat’ is hearty and satisfying, offering a wonderful foundation for the bold flavors to come.
Pineapple offers a punch of vibrant sweetness that dances on the tongue, a tropical take that deviates brilliantly from rancher’s go-to Granny Smiths. Simultaneously, bell peppers – both red and green – and a large onion form a solid Western trifecta, a nod to my exquisite meals back in Montana.
Sweetening the pot is an impressive one cup of cane sugar, which gives the dish its hallmark sweetness. It’s not unlike the base for a huckleberry pie, but then it’s given an Asian twist with rice vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. The unique flavoring is then thickened up with a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed in water; smooth as Montana’s Powder River.
Flavors Inspired By The East
While I may have carved my culinary craft amidst Montana’s wild beauty, this recipe owes more to the likes of Chef Sarah A Cheng, a gourmet genius whose passion for Chinese vegetarian foods has opened a new world of pallet expanding opportunities for me. Her teachings stress the importance of a balance of flavors and the use of fresh, authentic ingredients to do just that.
Using a nice, hot wok or large skillet, heat your vegetable oil and then sauté your minced garlic, add your vegetarian chicken and cook till golden brown.
The Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks beg you to step outside your cooking comfort zone, to take a leap of faith in developing a vegetarian recipe that contains all the taste sensations of the seminal Chinese dish but with a twist.
After all, what is life without a little adventure – be it exploring the limitless horizons of my native Montana or experimenting with cherished recipes from the East. Even for a Chef like me, who has bison running through his veins, trying new flavors is what makes life exciting!
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- 2 cups Vegetarian Chicken Drumsticks (available in health food stores or online)
- 1 large Pineapple, cut into chunks
- 2 Green Bell Peppers, chopped
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 1 cup Cane Sugar
- 3/4 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
Method
Step One
First, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until they are rehydrated fully. Once they are rehydrated, cut them into slices. Set them aside for later use.
Step Two
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the vegetarian chicken drumsticks and cook them until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Step Three
In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then put in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers. Sauté them until they are crisp-tender. After that, add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and pineapple chunks to the pan. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
Step Four
To make the sweet and sour sauce, in a separate bowl combine the cane sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the ingredients are well combined. Then, stir in the cornstarch-water mixture. This will help to thicken the sauce once it is added to the pan.
Step Five
Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the sautéed vegetables and pineapple in the pan. Stir well to make sure every piece is coated with the sauce, then bring the mix to a simmer.
Step Six
Add the cooked vegetarian chicken drumsticks back into the pan, ensuring they are evenly covered with the sauce. Simmer everything for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the flavors are well combined. Serve hot and enjoy!
