Want to enjoy some Euro classic dishes but with a vegan flair? The Lightlife® faux chicken breast is for you. Lightlife® plant-based products have been around for a while – we actually started testing their Smart Ground 10 years ago as a transition product for Tex-Mex cooking. Somehow, over the decade, we moved away from Smart Grounds, (I really don’t know why unless it was access), but hey, we are gravitating back and enjoying another one of their products, the Lightlife®chicken breast, and chicken fillets.
I was super happy to find a breast-shaped product. Nuggets and fingers are OK, but I was in the mood to start creating some of my favorite meat dishes to vegan. My favorite? Chicken Piccata. Piccata Sauce is super easy and a beautiful way to take a chicken breast, regular or vegan, to a new level.
Enjoy!
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Lightlife® Chicken Fillet and Review
Visual – Wow. Both the classic (non-breaded) and breaded versions look like chicken breasts. The classic looks cooked or grilled! You can find pre-cooked chicken all the time in grocery stores, so no visual surprises there. Perhaps the non-breaded breast version looks a little pre-cut or formed, but honestly, I have seen some regular chicken breasts, frozen in bags, that look pretty unnatural and too formed. Almost too perfect. So why not have perfectly-shaped plant-based faux meat?
Tactile – The product feels like a breaded chicken breast or fully cooked chicken breast.
Cooking – how did they hold up? Wow. The product held up great in pan-sauteing. For this particular recipe, I used the pre-breaded chicken fillets, as they were already breaded and I just needed to make a nice sauce.
Per the packaging for pan-frying: Thaw in the refrigerator before preparing. Bring the nonstick pan to medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and fry fillets for 12 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes. Brown evenly and cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
Result: Performed as expected from the instructions. My breading and cooking process for the dish was done in 10 minutes. The breading stayed on and nicely absorbed the piccata sauce.
Taste and Texture: The taste and mouthfeel were very close to chicken – one of the best products on the market. Chewy, a little stringy or fibery-like chicken. Cuts well. Did not fall apart or have to be sawed. Honestly, a little juicy like chicken. Did not have an “off” or “chemical” as another recent product I have tried. Meaty without being weird.
Nutritional expectations:
Ideally, I’d like a meat replacement product to have at least:
12 grams of Protein
< 9 grams of Fat with minimal saturated fat
< 500 milligrams of Sodium
fiber – bonus points!!!
Ingredients from the website:
Fillet: Water, Coconut Oil, Wheat Gluten, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, Methylcellulose, Tapioca Starch, Sodium Alginate, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Vinegar, Yeast Extract, Garlic, Torula Yeast, Spice, Natural Flavor, Dried Onions. In A Breading Of: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Flour, Spice, Garlic, Cane Sugar, Salt, Vinegar, Flavor, Yeast, Onion Powder, Paprika (Color), Turmeric (Color), Guar Gum. Partially Fried In Canola Oil. Contains: Wheat
Nutritional content from the product:
Both the breaded and non-breaded products are a bit high in fat and sodium (for my review process), so be aware of that and adjust any additional sodium if you are watching sodium intake. But, as with non-vegan dishes, it is the fat and sodium that can make things extra yummy!
CHICKEN PICCATA
Ingredients:
2 Lightlife chicken fillets
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/8 cup white wine
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup not-chicken broth ( I use Better Than Bouillon)
1 TBSP lemon juice
½ TBSP capers, drained
½ TBSP vegan butter
Fresh lemon slices
METHOD:
Saute the breaded fillets per package instructions and transfer to a warm plate.
Add the oil to the pan and add garlic.
Cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce heat and cook the liquid until it is almost gone.
You should be able to run a spoon across the bottom of the pan and leave a streak in the bottom of the pan.
Add broth, lemon juice, and capers.
Return the fillets to the pan and cook the fillets until the broth is nearly gone.
Remove the fillets.
Remove the pan from the stovetop. Add the vegan butter and stir slowly to create a creamy finish. Add the lemons slice and let warm on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes.
Pour over the prepared fillets and serve.
Final Recommendation:
For an occasional option to create a very company-worthy, plant-based dish, I do recommend these two Lightlife® products. They are awesome! Just remember to adjust your added salt and fat if you are watching those two nutritional factors. Otherwise, DELISH!
Want more cooking ideas for eating less meat? Want to eat more plants? Let’s do it!
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