Vegetarian Chicken and Waffles

[Danae]

The rest of us are having chicken and waffles, by special request.  I need ideas for something the vegetarian guest can have on a waffle.  I thought about eggs, but that screams “breakfast” to me and this is for dinner.  

[busymama7]

I would probably do cut strawberries and whipped cream 

[Ailaena]

Get a veggie chicken patty like Chick’n or Quorn or something similar?

i have also done oven-fried cauliflower to do a chicken-y thing!

[KungFuPanda]

What if you made them a dinner crepe with lots of veggies? It’ll feel somewhat breakfasty because of the eggs, but you don’t want to go too beany-starchy because the waffle is starchy and they’ll need something with nutrients to go with it. 
 

I’ve done cornmeal waffles and put chili over it. Veggie chili is easy to make and tasty; especially with cheese and sour cream and chives on top. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by KungFuPanda

[Drama Llama]

Is this a meal you are having now, where you need to pull something out of the fridge?  Or are you planning a meal?

I think breakfast for dinner is fine, so if they eat eggs or tofu scramble and it's a sudden thing, I'd say that.  I also like peanut butter and . . . on waffles.  . . . would be anything you like with peanut butter -- honey, jam, bananas etc . . . 

We make delicious fried oyster mushrooms that taste like fried chicken that I'd do for a special occasion.  

[Danae]

4 minutes ago, Drama Llama said:

Is this a meal you are having now, where you need to pull something out of the fridge?  Or are you planning a meal?

I think breakfast for dinner is fine, so if they eat eggs or tofu scramble and it's a sudden thing, I'd say that.  I also like peanut butter and . . . on waffles.  . . . would be anything you like with peanut butter -- honey, jam, bananas etc . . . 

We make delicious fried oyster mushrooms that taste like fried chicken that I'd do for a special occasion.  

Planning for a special occasion.  Tell me about the oyster mushrooms.  Do you use the same breading that you would for the chicken?

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, Danae said:

Planning for a special occasion.  Tell me about the oyster mushrooms.  Do you use the same breading that you would for the chicken?

We had a vegan, so we made vegan buttermilk, and then the same seasoned flour mix we use for fried chicken. 

I wasn't actually involved in making them, just eating them, but Pop's (my GFIL) fried chicken is a beloved thing in our family, and these came out really similar.  My pescatarian niece was so happy to have "Pop's fried chicken" again!  

There are a few recipes online, but I know he didn't follow one exactly. 

[Drama Llama]

I will add that I think that baked beans make a lovely side for vegetarian (and regular) chicken and waffles to make up for the lack of protein in the mushrooms.  Also, I like adding some flax seed to the waffle mix.  

[Dmmetler]

My vegetarian likes Morningstar farms imitation chicken tenders/nuggets. 

[73349]

This is the not-chicken patty recipe we use: https://thishealthykitchen.com/vegan-chicken-burgers-gluten-free/#recipe

[wintermom]

Personally, I'd serve waffles with fruit and drop the chicken. 😉  I can't even imagine that combination of chicken and waffles.  I'm a traditionalist, and Belgian waffles are served with fruit and possibly whip cream.

[Pam in CT]

I also like to "match" omnivore and veg versions of a meal. For some deep psychic reason, it makes me feel like "we're eating together" where totally-different meals leave me feeling fragmented.  (I realize this is a Me Issue...)

Anyway, I think I'd try one of those "cauliflower steak" things, with a lot of umami and smoked paprika to get it more savory/ "dinner".

[Idalou]

If you're aiming for quick, I'd get the Gardein Ultimate Chick'n Filets. Not the regular version of this brand, the Ultimate ones taste, to me, just like chicken, while their other tastes like Morningstar Farm types. They're so much tastier than even Chik Fil A, which I've never understood the popularity about. There's only 3 in a package but they're extra large and one could easily be 2 servings, cut in strips or however it's usually served with a waffle. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Idalou

[Drama Llama]

42 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Personally, I'd serve waffles with fruit and drop the chicken. 😉  I can't even imagine that combination of chicken and waffles.  I'm a traditionalist, and Belgian waffles are served with fruit and possibly whip cream.

Chicken and waffles is a very traditional American combination.  They are delicious together. 

[wintermom]

45 minutes ago, Drama Llama said:

Chicken and waffles is a very traditional American combination.  They are delicious together. 

Must be an acquired taste - like vegemit. 😉 

[knitgrl]

1 hour ago, Drama Llama said:

Chicken and waffles is a very traditional American combination.  They are delicious together. 

I think it is probably more of a regional American thing. I'm in the northeast, and have never encountered chicken and waffles. I only know about it from the Internets. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think of it more as a southern thing, and would be inclined to believe any chicken and waffles north of the Mason Dixon line would be inauthentic.

[Corraleno]

9 minutes ago, Idalou said:

If you're aiming for quick, I'd get the Gardein Ultimate Chick'n Filets. Not the regular version of this brand, the Ultimate ones taste, to me, just like chicken, while their other tastes like Morningstar Farm types. They're so much tastier than even Chik Fil A, which I've never understood the popularity about. There's only 3 in a package but they're extra large and one could easily be 2 servings, cut in strips or however it's usually served with a waffle. 

Seconding the Gardein Ultimate Chick'n Filets. I don't normally eat meat substitutes, but I buy them when DS is home, and these are by far the best plant-based "chicken." (Be sure to get the Ultimate version, not the regular.)

If you don't want to go with a chicken substitute, tofu katsu has a very similar texture and crunch to a fried chicken filet without being an imitation of it. Freeze and then thaw a block of tofu (this will totally change the texture and make it more firm and "meaty"), and then press out as much water as you can. Slice the block into 1/2" slices and pat dry. Make a slurry of 50/50 flour and cornstarch with enough water to make a thick batter, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Dredge tofu slices in batter and then toss them in panko bread crumbs (must be panko!). Pan fry in a little oil until brown and crispy on one side, then flip and fry the other side. If you want something more like nuggets rather than a filet, you can roughly tear the frozen/thawed tofu into chunks and then dredge in batter & breadcrumbs and fry.

I can't find the recipe that recommended using 50/50 flour and cornstarch, but I tried several different recipes and this definitely gave a crispier crust than the ones that just used flour.  Some recipes dredge in flour first, then a cornstarch slurry, but it works just as well or better to mix them together. Also, many recipes say to add the seasoning to the bread crumbs but panko is quite different from regular breadcrumbs and I found that the seasoning just sifted to the bottom of the bowl instead of sticking to the panko, so the first few "filets" in the batch had almost no seasoning and then the last ones got all of it. So now I mix the seasoning into the batter so all the pieces are evenly seasoned.

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, knitgrl said:

I think it is probably more of a regional American thing. I'm in the northeast, and have never encountered chicken and waffles. I only know about it from the Internets. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think of it more as a southern thing, and would be inclined to believe any chicken and waffles north of the Mason Dixon line would be inauthentic.

Chicken and waffles is pretty strongly associated with Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance in my mind.  The best chicken and waffles I've had was at Amy Ruth's in Harlem.  

 

[Danae]

4 hours ago, knitgrl said:

I think it is probably more of a regional American thing. I'm in the northeast, and have never encountered chicken and waffles. I only know about it from the Internets. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think of it more as a southern thing, and would be inclined to believe any chicken and waffles north of the Mason Dixon line would be inauthentic.

I also think of it as a southern thing, and first ate it in southern restaurants, but I’m closer to the Canadian border than the Mason Dixon line and still think I do a decent job of it.  

 

5 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

I also like to "match" omnivore and veg versions of a meal. For some deep psychic reason, it makes me feel like "we're eating together" where totally-different meals leave me feeling fragmented.  (I realize this is a Me Issue...)

Me too.  Plus my guests are exchange students and I’m feeding them for two weeks and they expressed interest in “traditional American foods.”  So I’m doing some regional things and want to get the vegetarian as close as I can to what the rest are eating. 

[catz]

We see chicken and waffles on plenty of midwestern menus.  My husband had it in a restaurant here last week.  Often in hipster places with interesting flavor profiles, etc.  ETA - I'm definitely not saying we originiated it!  I just don't think of it as unusual or exotic at all. 

And on that note, if I were subbing out for a vegetarian, I might just offer a nice plate of fresh fruit, nuts, maybe whipped cream or yogurt if dairy is ok to make a fancy waffle.  

Edited September 25, 2023 by catz

[katilac]

43 minutes ago, catz said:

 And on that note, if I were subbing out for a vegetarian, I might just offer a nice plate of fresh fruit, nuts, maybe whipped cream or yogurt if dairy is ok to make a fancy waffle.  

If you do this, then I think you have to have a lot of those choices, because the chicken-n-waffle people are going to want it as well!

But I'd probably go with a chicken substitute and let it be chicken-n-waffles all around 

6 hours ago, knitgrl said:

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think of it more as a southern thing 

I'm in the deep south and never heard of chicken-n-waffles in my life, until I saw it on the internet a few years ago. I've never tried it and honestly thought it was a more recent trend via HGTV or a celebrity chef/restaurant. Like cronuts, lol. 

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, Danae said:

Plus my guests are exchange students and I’m feeding them for two weeks and they expressed interest in “traditional American foods.”  So I’m doing some regional things and want to get the vegetarian as close as I can to what the rest are eating. 

In that case I'd definitely go with Gardein Ultimate Chick'n Filets or Tenders, those would be closest to actual fried chicken.

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, Danae said:

Me too.  Plus my guests are exchange students and I’m feeding them for two weeks and they expressed interest in “traditional American foods.”  So I’m doing some regional things and want to get the vegetarian as close as I can to what the rest are eating. 

The exchange students are all vegetarians, or some of your family? 

When I google (and think of) traditional American foods, most of them involve meat. I guess you can go the Jamie Oliver route, and create plant-based versions of hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ, etc. Or you could look for specific non-meat American foods, like apple pie, pumpkin pie, peach cobler, grits, bagels, etc. Plant-based "meat" versions can be tasty, I'm sure, but they aren't "traditional American foods" then, really.

[Danae]

42 minutes ago, wintermom said:

The exchange students are all vegetarians, or some of your family? 

When I google (and think of) traditional American foods, most of them involve meat. I guess you can go the Jamie Oliver route, and create plant-based versions of hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ, etc. Or you could look for specific non-meat American foods, like apple pie, pumpkin pie, peach cobler, grits, bagels, etc. Plant-based "meat" versions can be tasty, I'm sure, but they aren't "traditional American foods" then, really.

One of the students is vegetarian.  

The school has the hamburger/hot dog thing covered at the welcome picnic; we won’t be having those at home.  (Except that one of my kids is pushing for a “state fair” foods day, so corn dogs.  But we always batter some smoked Gouda when we do corn dogs, so we’ve got that covered, if he manages to talk me into fried food on a stick day.)  

[katilac]

39 minutes ago, Danae said:

 one of my kids is pushing for a “state fair” foods day 

Mmm, corn dogs, hot pretzels, funnel cake . . .