It was my turn to pick FNF this time. I cannot describe the mind numbing fear this induces in me and I understand why Tami tends to delegate the task to others! I spent hours combing the website, rejecting recipe after recipe as too easy, too hard, too similar to something we’ve already done, too reliant on out of season ingredients etc. This time I drew up a shortlist of 5 and asked Matthew to pick one. Emerils’s Bayou Chicken Pasta was the result.
I’ve chosen Emeril dishes before. I’ve never seen his programme but his recipes appeal to me so I was glad to see that Food Network UK have started to show one of them, so I’ve been recording them. I had an extra challenge this FNF – my omni brother was staying with me for a week so it needed to appeal to him too.
I was pleased to find a small pot of Emeril’s essence already mixed in my cupboard which must have been left over from something else. Chicken flavoured seitan would have been the obvious choice but we’d been eating a lot of it so I went for tofu. I could have baked it or dry fried it keep it firm but I actually pressed it and tore it up so some bits were bigger than others. There was nothing scientific about it!
Otherwise, everything was very easy. I toyed with using a home made cashew cream but time was against me so I used a bought soya cream – though less than the recipe calls for. Everything else was vaguely similar but I used more chilli and more essence.
For myself, I could have done without the tomatoes in the dish. I don’t think they added anything and jarred with the other flavours. My brother and Matthew almost fought over the leftovers though, so it went down well there! I enjoyed it a lot and would make it again but I’ll make my own cream next time!
Cooking the Vegan Books 
You weren’t the only one to think it was this Friday, Vegan Aide did, too! I’m wondering if I mistakenly posted it for this day at one point. If so, sorry!
You’re right, I hate picking the recipes for all the reasons you stated. This one was one of the best, so I’ll continue to have others pick. We loved this dish and I’ll post mine next Friday.
I agree with Tami, this was one of the best – your hours of searching was well worth it (for us, anyway) – everyone loved it! And I know how you feel when it is your turn to pick.
Nice job! Bam! as Emeril would say 🙂