I am a Morningstar Farms Fan

I am not really into vegetarian ersatz food. Somehow, i find it degrading to vegetables that they have to pretend to be meat. When properly treated, i think veggies are pretty damn tasty and don’t need to play second string to a big old hunk of beast. With that being said, I have to admit i do like the Morningstar Farms brand of products. They have a wide range of faux meat products. I like them because they offer the same taste and flavor profile as meat, but they tend to feel lighter yet substantial. Tonight, i tried their chick’n nuggets for the first time.

Morningstar Farms chick’n nuggets were a lot better than i thought they would be. The texture is firm and with meaty fibers like real chicken. If i hadn’t have known that they were veggie based and had no meat, then i don’t think i would have been able to tell the difference. I am not sure if that speaks highly of these chick’n nuggets or more to the low quality of ‘real’ chicken nuggets. Cheap chicken nuggets use mechanically separated chicken which is pretty damn nasty stuff and is literally only one step away from dog food. seriously. Anyway, i would recommend these nuggets highly if you are into vegetarian food which pretends to be meat. They taste pretty darn good and surprisingly close to chicken.

I also really dig their veggie sausage patties. They deliver a good meaty consistency and some good sausage flavor. Plus, you can pop one in the microwave for a minute, and they are good to go.

I like to use them to make homemade sausage egg McMuffins for breakfast sometimes. They are super quick and easy, cheaper than McDonalds, and a little bit healthier too. They only take as much time to make as a piece of toast. Start by putting your english muffin in the toaster. Next, put one sausage patty on a plate and nuke for one minute. Set aside. Here is the secret to cooking the egg. Take a 4 oz small gladware container and spray with PAM or whatever non-stick spray you like (Yes, the container DOES make a difference). Make sure that you hold the container over the sink when you spray it with non-stick spray. What the hell is the matter with you? Crack an egg into the container and poke the yoke with a fork. Stir just a little bit to break up the yoke. This is the tricky part. Microwave the egg for about 35-45 seconds. If you nuke it too much, the water in the yolk near the bottom and around the edges turns to steam. The steam tries to escape by tossing the egg all over the inside of your microwave. If you nuke it not enough, then the white won’t get set. Usually, i like to nuke it for 35 seconds and then stop to allow some of the steam to subside, then nuke it for 10-15 more seconds until it is fully set. The non-stick spray will allow the egg to slip right out of the container with no problems. Once the english muffin pops, place it on a paper towel flip the egg over onto the english muffin, add the sausage patty and top with a Kraft single slice of cheese. If you’re going to eat on the run, here is a tip. Fold each corner of the cheese to the center of the slice (center of the sandwich) so that the tips of the cheese are touching. This essentially gives you a double layer of cheese, but it is smaller in surface area. This will prevent the cheese from melting and getting too messy. Use the paper towel to hold your sandwich and use it as a napkin later.

This is a great breakfast because it is a substantial meal and it is faster and cheaper than hitting a McDonalds. The only clean up is the plate you used to nuke the sausage patty, a fork, and the gladware container. All of that stuff you can pop right in the dishwasher. Sometimes egg can be hard to wash in the dishwasher so don’t forget to rinse your dishes.

August 28, 2010 Posted in: Uncategorized