Vegetarian

[shilgia]

Apr 1, 2022 7:00:51 GMT -5 Queen said:

I'm not super keen on meat substitutes, but there are loads available so maybe I should try more of them???

Worth a try. There are so many different ones, and some are really good (IMO); others less so. (I always try each new one that hits the shelves.) Some are also good for specific uses; e.g., the basic Morningstar burgers are pretty good in pasta sauce (decent texture; not much flavor, but sauce sticks to them pretty well. Quorn has great texture (more like chicken than beef) and tends to be more juicy. Good for fake shoarma, e.g., or in an Indian dish instead of paneer, or in any application where you’d otherwise fry meat in dry or oily spices. (I also like their breaded burgers, but they do taste a bit mushroomy, which one might either like - I do - or dislike.) Beyond Meat burgers and Impossible burgers are the most red-meat like. No real reason to go for them if you’re also willing to eat regular burgers, but if you’re not, they’re the closest thing I know of to a real burger without actually eating meat.

[Queen]

In the before times the chefs at work would regularly use the meat substitutes in the vegetarian dish of the day so I’ve tried a few that way. I know quorn is one I’ve tried….not sure what else.

Never cooked it though.

[sprite]

We tried the quorn chicken fillets, and our verdict was they would be great in a pasta bake/casserole thing, or as a chicken salad sandwich, but eating them like chicken on their own was not great--too flaky.

I remember TVP being virtuous but awful unless disguised to the hilt. It may have improved or disappeared.

[Queen]

I've had the quorn in a curry thing, it was OK, but I didn't enjoy it more than a regular lentil curry.

[Liiisa]

I bought some teriyaki baked tofu this weekend and had it on a salad for lunch today with oil and vinegar and a little soy sauce drizzled on it. It was good.

[Queen]

I like tofu! I marinate aubergine fry that down, add bok choy, stir fry for a minute… then add tofu (silken tofu)

Yum yum yum.

[tucano]

All the meat substitutes available today are much better than when I stopped eating meat in the mid 90s.

The only place to get these in my suburban town was a health food shop. This was by far the worst.

vegetarianforlife.org.uk/blog/post/bring-back-powdered-meat-substitutes-says-vegan-of-three-decades

[tzarine]

i love tofu
cold w soy mirin scallions shaved bonito, sometimes seaweed & if im feelin fancy, some ikura

fried in sesame oil w soy, scallions & if i have them black sesame seeds

in nabe, a fav winter dish
simmered in broth w napa, scallions, daikon, mushrooms, carrots, whatever i find in the frig

[wombatrois]

Yes, I love tofu too and eat it mostly cold in summer with soy, lime, mirin, sesame oil and a bit of chilli with cucumber and some plain rice or fried and added to stir fries. I have made a seriously yummy tofu "cheese" cake with berries.

I remember eating at a vegetarian restaurant in Saigon where they used soy based meat substitutes - I was convinced it was serving me meat!

I eat mostly vegetarian although would also describe myself as vegetarian-ish. I usually just use pulses or grains with no other proteins, but often have a range of dishes which keeps it interesting.

Tonight I'm having a spiced up cauliflower pasta bake (has chilli in it).

[sprite]

properly good firm tofu, lightly fried in perilla oil and a touch of salt. I miss this.

I've been making a silken tofu sauce for our 500 calorie days. Puree a roast onion, silken tofu, spices, a small amout of liquid (stock, or water and stock cube), nutritional yeast, possibly cooked greens (last night it was sorrel). Warm a little, pour over grilled fish or fish and veggies.

[Liiisa]

We just finished a container of tofu seasoned with Sichuan pepper and it was great. I just ate it out of the container as a snack or put it on salad. I think it was deep-fried, which wouldn't be helpful on 500-kcal days, but tasty.

[sprite]

I like good tofu. Struggle to find it, but like it.

[tucano]

I love aubergine parmigiana but only ever eat it in restaurants as I just can't cook aubergines without them tasting bitter.

[sprite]

I pretty much only use eggplants to make melitzanosalata dip, because partner won't eat them otherwise. But I love them--I buy those jars of grilled slices and just eat them smeared on toast.

There's a good burnt eggplant curry recipe, but it can be messy.

Sanjana Feast Eggplant and spinach curry

[Liiisa]

The only time I make eggplant/aubergine is when they have those long skinny ones at the market; then I slice them very thinly, toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper, and put them in the oven. They never turn out bitter like the big fat ones.

[Queen]

I love making grilled aubergine slices... might do that tomorrow.

They're never bitter - unless you went cheap in your olive oil purchase

[sprite]

Yeah, I just cut the thing in half, then leave it in a 180 over for 30-45 minutes? When it's all wrinkly, I assume it's done. I often leave them in the bbq when it's nice enough to eat outside.