If Iron Chef Were Vegan

Ok, so I'm totally dreaming here and I know it. So what? What if there really could be a Vegan Iron Chef show? Last time we watched the secret ingredient was swordfish. I use the word 'watched' very loosely. How much can you actually watch without feeling like you're going to hurl. It's too bad because sometimes those Food Channel techniques are totally adaptable.

Would they battle it out in a luxuriously equipped kitchen with every gadget imaginable (and some that look like weapons) or in a closet sized kitchen that doubles as a changing room? The kind where you can wash your hands, reach in the fridge and turn off the stove timer all at once? Who would the chefs be for the first episode?

If only the show really could be vegan.

It got me thinking.. about the chefs that could be on it..and the secret ingredients. Tomatillos? Persimmons? Yuba? Fennel root? How about some love/hate foods like cilantro? Olives? It could get really interesting. What would you pick for a secret ingredient?

Our dinner includes two of those potential secret ingredients which is obviously why they are on my mind. And probably still on my hands, too. It was my first time using fresh tomatillos, and I had no idea that they would be sticky under the paper. I've never cooked with pumpkin seeds either. Those went into the sauce for the Chile Cornmeal Crusted Tofu from V'con. It was crazy yummy!

Lunch was a bowl of leftover chili cin carne mole from VwaV. Breakfast up top (also from VwaV) is Fronch Toast with a side of Yves Canadian Bacon. I'm not big on meat analogs so this was a real risk. Well, not that big a risk, it's not like I'm jumping out of a plane or anything, but still a risk. It was actually ok. I've got an idea how to use it in something tomorrow with the chicken seitan from Don't Eat off the Sidewalk.

I'll keep you posted.

Maybe if I got to pick the secret ingredient I'd pick asparagus. That would kick asparagus, right?