Easy Orange Glazed Mock Duck with Quinoa
When I first became a vegetarian, I heavily relied on imitation meats, especially packaged veggie burgers, bac’un, and chick’un. I also relied heavily on egg and cheese because I didn’t want to waste away to the point where the autumn wind would blow me away.
I know now that my understanding of what I needed for my body to be healthy sans animal products was super limited. Thankfully throughout the years I have learned so much more about how to fulfill my body’s nutritional needs with whole foods. More on this topic coming in future posts.
That isn’t to say I don’t love to cook with easy to use, packaged ingredients sometimes. Especially when I have two hooligans running around the house whose mission it is to make sure I do not let them die. So, on those weeknights when I just don’t have the energy to make something fancy, but still want to FEEL fancy (coz after a long day of teaching I often look like the image below and I need to feel a little better about myself before I go into a downward spiral of self loathing and depression), I make something like this.
My husband thinks it’s great (and hopefully it distracts from my disheveled appearance) and the kids love it too! Well, one kid loved ALL of it, the little one just doesn’t get quinoa yet. But he loved the mock duck! And he WILL love quinoa one day too!
In China, you can check out Taobao for Mock Smoked Duck or Goose and in the USA you can use the canned mock duck found at Asian supermarkets if you can’t find frozen.
Orange Glazed Mock Duck with Quinoa
Ingredients
Orange Glazed Mock Duck
- 4 mock duck/goose fillets or substitute with extra firm tofu (just be careful when cooking so it doesn't break apart too much), seitan or vegan protein of your choice
- zest of one orange
- fresh juice from two oranges, approximately 1 C
- 1/4 C low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Quinoa with Sautéed Kale and Almonds
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (preferably cooked in vegetable broth for added flavor)
- 1 cup finely shredded kale
- 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except mock duck and corn starch and mix well with a fork.
- Pour mixture into a medium pan and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- When mixture is well heated and slightly boiling, add corn starch. Heat and whisk until thickened.
- Add mock duck and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through. If the contents in the pan get too hot, turn down the heat. By the end of 5 minutes you should have a nice orange glaze coating your mock duck.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tbs. water or vegetable broth.
- Add shredded kale and cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly wilted and bright green.
- Add cooked quinoa and if quinoa is not already warm, heat through in the pan, otherwise turn off heat.
- Add toasted almond slivers and mix well until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Orange Glazed Mock Duck
Quinoa with Sautéed Kale and Almonds
Notes
To serve, add a heap of quinoa to the plate, and place glazed mock duck on top. I drizzled balsamic vinegar on top and sprinted some pomegranate on top for a lil' extra somethin'.