Vegetarianism for a meat lover.

Pastaidentification?

I live in a vegan household. Not veggie or vegan myself, but like tasty food and that can be done by the more creative members of my family well.

Aside from the odd bacon and egg roll from the roll van it’s been ok. Some nice vegan take out food about in Glasgow too, when we can’t be bothered.

The things I initially struggled with are eggs, milk and cheese.
Eggs I still love, and have when we were out in cafes, but in the house it’s scrambled tofu using black salt for egginess.
Milk took an age to find something that isn’t horrible tasting in coffee like soya, or oat. Minor figures oat milk is nice. Not too oaty and great in coffee.
I still have cheddar in the fridge. Vegan cheese is ok, but a bit feet-ey. Good for toasties or natchos tho.

We are blessed with Richmond vegan sausages, they’re tasty, and This isn’t bacon, looks like small kippers, but has a good, not too Frazzles like flavour and good texture. It’s not bacon, but it ticks a lot of boxes in a sarnie.

I draw the line at alternative Worcester sauce.

🙂

I draw the line at alternative Worcester sauce.

As a Worcestershire lad and recent recipient of a bottle of Hendo’s, I draw the line at such partisan nonsense. Both delicious 😎.

‘This Isn’t Bacon’ does well if you cook it for a little longer until it gets drier and almost crispy but not burning.

Not as nice as king oyster mushroom rashers though, not by a long shot, IME

Vegan cheese is ok, but a bit feet-ey

Depends entirely on type and ingredients. Not a big vegan cheese fan myself (at the minute) but there are so many, from coconut to cashew, from agar-agar to potato. Home-made is best, as with most food. Of the branded ones – was pleasantly surprised by the Violife Greek white block, tastes somewhere between a feta and a mild blue cheese. Applewood brand is also good, nearer a smoked Bavarian cheese. A friend made some homemade white cheese from cashews and garlic and it was delicious.

One thing I want to try and make is a non-dairy version of those yellow processed cheese squares that they put on cheeseburgers. I like all dairy cheese, even these. Total philistine.

Second I have quite a sensitive digestive system and lentils and beans do me in, as in can’t sleep and need to be kept outdoors, too many veg has a similar impact too and I’m already in the bog frequently enough!

Medical condition? May be worth getting checked out.

I do find that rapid-changes of diet (ie from meat/animal fat/wheat to beans and veg, or vice-versa ) upset my stomach initially. A lot. I sometimes ‘fall off the wagon’ and grab pie and chips, greasy pizza or a doner kebab, or a bag of sweets, milk chocolate etc and my guts usually let me know about it by getting rid fast.

Likewise, if in the past I’ve eaten bread, sausage rolls, bacon, eggs, toast, cereal and chips all week and then decided ‘Im going to eat healthy today!’ and necked two bowls of homemade veg soup. Not pretty. When I’m ‘settled in’ to a varied diet (with or without meat) I find that these problems go away. Bread/wheat and potatoes are the worst culprits for squits these days. Will eat a whole bowl or two of lentil stew and nothing untoward at all. Yet if I eat (dairy) cheese nowadays it’s like lighting touchpaper. If I ate it regularly I’m sure it would go back to ‘normal‘ after a week or so. As long as I limit my portions*

Though, as with lactose or wheat etc, some people are still sensitive to legumes even if they have given time to acclimatise to diet changes/wider variety.

Have a read (*especially the bit about portion sizes)

https://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2013/06/how-to-include-beans-into-your-vegan-diet-without-causing-a-stink/

Same as everyone else has said, homemade, lots of veggies, just omit the meat element and some good ‘substitutes’ – let’s face it nothing pretending to be meat is anything like meat!

This! bacon

Iceland’s – not meat range is great, If using the chicken, do oven it first then bung it in whatever you’re cooking

Heck – any of their sausages, I particularly like their breakfast ones. The plain ones are like cheap catering sausages if that’s what you’re in to

Its now……(watches countdown carefully…..)

6:51 pm, 2019. Exactly a year since I last ate meat! Lentils ftw!!!

let’s face it nothing pretending to be meat is anything like meat!

Agree. In general. Although those Richmond’s meat-free sausages are spookily offally similar to their pork ones.

Anyway, you should deffo get a job with Impossible Foods

(NSFW)

OK you get a thumbs up for that. 🙂

It was genuinely my mum’s gag.

Now inter is beckoning I’m getting into soup mode.

We’re probably overdue a Soup thread.

As a Worcestershire lad and recent recipient of a bottle of Hendo’s, I draw the line at such partisan nonsense. Both delicious 😎.

Also as a worcestershire lad, nothing beats Lea and Perrins ;-). My sister used to be on the taste trials and get sent cases of all sorts of L&P experimental varieties of sauces and other Worcester sauce based goods.

The vegan cheese thing, we generally have violife, applewood and scheese. Nut based and chickpea based stuff tends to upset my stomach, so I try to avoid. Any old cheddar will do me though, I’ll eat any dairy cheese!

🙂

Or tarka daal

is that like tikka dhal but a little ‘otter?

Coincidentally had a very nice veggie curry for lunch – I cheated a bit by using a couple of tablespoons of Sharwood’s Hot Curry Powder rather than grinding my own spices, but I was a bit short of time.

Recipe:
* An onion
* Lots of garlic + ginger + three tomatoes, blitzed in a food processor
* Two big potatoes, cut into chunks
* 200g peas
* Pack of halloumi, diced
* Can of coconut milk
* Salt + two tbsp hot curry powder

Soften the onion in a bit of oil, when it’s starting to go golden chuck in the garlic/ginger/tomato mix + curry powder + salt. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the potatoes and the coconut milk. Simmer for 10min or so until the potatoes are just starting to go soft. Add the peas and simmer for another 5min. Finally add the cheese and simmer for a couple more minutes until it’s warmed through. Serve with rice.

And after making this lasagna recipe for the first time a month or so back it’s a definite favourite in Casa Mogrim:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pesto-lasagne

This doesn’t help with your wife’s challenge so much, but certainly helped me transition to a more veg based diet. I started phasing out everyday meat for meet free alternatives, such as no chicken in stirfrys but adding things like cashews and chunky veg to give it a bite, switching to mushrooms and Puy lentils in a spagbol instead of mince, stopping adding bacon to things like pasta dishes for the sake of it etc. As a ‘reward’, with the money I saved during the week, I’d treat myself to a piece of luxury meat at the weekend, such as a nice steak, or something a bit more pricey that I wouldn’t normally buy. It’s amazing how much you save on your weekly shopping if you only buy meat for 1-2 meals rather than 7.

I also used to get a veg box from Riverford delivered. Having a box of fresh, appetising and different veg arrive on your doorstep kind of encourages you to try new things rather than sticking to the normal weekly staples. It’s also far more inspiring than walking around the veg section of the supermarket while hangry where you just give up and go and buy a pack of mince and tinned tomatoes!

At no point did I ‘forbid’ myself from eating meat, which I find makes it much easier. But after a while of doing things like that, you get out of the habit of eating meat which often is the main reason (IMHO) for people having a heavily meat based diet. I can now happily go weeks without touching meat.

Clearly not being veg orientated 😆 not sure what it is you want really. But I will say I was offered out camping a veggie ‘chicken’ substitute that was OK, and did taste of chicken, though why exactly a veggie fan would want the taste to remain the same is beyond me, but hey ho, each to their own.

I think that was a quorn type product, and I admit to being hungry at the time and welcome of any hot food.

though why exactly a veggie fan would want the taste to remain the same is beyond me, but hey ho, each to their own.

This one always confuses me! As if everyone chose to go vegetarian because they didn’t like the taste and/or texture of meat, and not for entirely other reasons,

Back on topic…today was my ‘dirty brunch’ day.

Naked Glory sausages fried
Portabellos fried
Tinned plum tomatoes fried
Local egg fried
HP sauce
Ground black peoper
Massive cheap white bap

Ommmmmmg.

(Even remembered to take pics for the thread. Dedicated)

is that like tikka dhal but a little ‘otter?

(Applause)

I’m still plugging away at the slow cooker recipes with one of these,

https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/zebra-stainless-steel-16cm-billy-can-tin—auto-lock-lid-689-p.asp

Id recommend upgrading to the metal clips. They’re hard to find anywhere else…

And some household salt works wonders when cleaning steel cookware (less so for your finest bone china).

Anyway, I found that along with tomato paste/ puree, the Quorn was cooked to perfection by adding homous to the pot before it went into the oven.

You could get the same result by adding double cream or coconut milk before serving.

And I’ve noticed a possible gap in the market.

You can buy frozen veggie hot dogs at your supermarket, but not canned ones.
There’s umpteen different kinds of canned hotdogs (cheaper than dog-food😱), but no veggie ones.

Also, no veggie pate, other than the premium stuff.

You may as well argue that beer isnt vegan as the spec for grain contains an acceptable level of rodent droppings and hair!

Similarly for flour, there’s an acceptable level of insect fragments allowed. (In-line disrupters ensure the insects are never whole).

Trying to get vegetarian pesto?
Not so easy.

I’m aware that I should probably just make my own, but I appreciate the convenience of buying it in a wee jar.

It should be vegetarian as standard.
I’ve seen the ‘sacla’ brand offering a green pesto, but I’d like the red one too.

About 99% of the cheese in the supermarkets is made without animal parts, so why on earth is pesto being made in some antiquated manner?

I don’t think that those specific animal parts add anything to the flavour.

You’d think that the chic and sophistication of Italian food would be reflected in the ingredients.

And a lack of vegetarian options is prejudiced towards other religions.
If your religion allows you to at meat, and the pesto is clearly labelled vegetarian, then it saves you having to worry about whether it is kosher or halal.

Likewise, Aldi and Lidl still have a long way to go in terms of labelling their foods. So much for European chic, sophistication and civilisation!

Do Starbucks still refuse to label their coffee as being vegetarian or not?

The sheer quantity of lost sales, when people fail to see any vegetarian labelling on their products must be staggering.

You can buy frozen veggie hot dogs at your supermarket, but not canned ones.

If you can still find them, the Tivall hot dogs are amazing. Check your local Holland & Barratt.

Trying to get vegetarian pesto?
Not so easy.

Confused here. Most pesto has cheese in it, it’s vegetarian but not vegan? Have I missed something?

Confused here. Most pesto has cheese in it, it’s vegetarian but not vegan? Have I missed something?

Some cheeses, such as parmesan contain rennet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet

Talking of parmesan – just about to top a gourmet cheatburger with some of this:

It tastes very good IMO. I’d previously give up on plant-based parmesan alternatives but this is ace

*edit:

BOoM! BacK of thE nET!

Have to say it. It’s bloody delicious (the whole burger). Taken a while to tweak but this summer we even got a high five approval from BBQ-mad beefy gym boy neighbour. He was gagging for more. Now I just need to find a way to get paid for this …

*Double-edit: ^ unintentionally homo-erotic-sounding signoff error there. Haha 🤣

Just done this for dinner;

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/ottolenghis-portobello-steaks-and-butter-bean-mash

Bloody delicious. Have to start early as not used to doing a meal which takes 90 plus minutes to get ready but the butter bean mash is especially good. I love meat, don’t get me wrong (went out for dinner last night and had steak with peppercorn sauce for a 70’s throwback), but this was as good.

Naked Glory sausages.

oooof ! now they really are Glorious.

Some cheeses, such as parmesan contain rennet.

Ah yes, of course.

It’s bloody delicious (the whole burger).

Not sure about the pink “burger sauce” gloop there, that’s a crime against condiments. Who ever decided that mixing ketchup with mayo was a good idea should be strung up, it’s Satan’s semen.

That burger needs salsa / sriracha / ketchup / peri peri instead IMHO. Ketchup, fried onions and copious amounts of black pepper is the holy trinity of toppings for ‘meat’ based products. Spinning up breakfast on camping trips I’ve made obligate carnivores weep with joy over a veggie sausage butty.

Naked Glory sausages.

There’s a sudden inrush of these “beyond meat / impossible burger” type things in my local supermarkets, they’ve built an extra shelf. Gotta say though, the one thing that puts me off is that they’re frickkin’ huge! Like, the sausages are easily an inch thick. Do they reduce, are they hard to cook?

Oh, having googled now, I’ve had the Naked Glory ones. They’re kinda hotdog-y, tasty though. Again, how are you cooking them?

Spinning up breakfast on camping trips I’ve made obligate carnivores weep with joy over a veggie sausage butty.

Really? What sausages are you using? I’ve spent over 3 years trying to find a premade vegan sausage or burger that I like and as yet not found one. (Can make burgers I like but sometimes just want something easier) All of the sausages I’ve tried are lacking in texture., I have a recipe for seitan chorizo which is nice but a bit of effort to make.

again how are you cooking them

I buy the frozen Naked Glory sausages and fry them slowly in oil until they look bapolicious. Not noticed a ‘hot dog flavour’ but taste is to a degree subjective. (That’s an interesting subject)

They are quite thick yet can be sliced in half (lengthways) easily once cooked through. That’s how I like them on a bap. They’re a little under-seasoned so again some good salt and black pepper does wonders. In fact next time I’ll split them in half and return to the pan (flat halves facing up) and add a sprinkle of sausage meat seasoning.

I’m researching traditional English ‘breakfast sausage’ recipes and it seems that a blend of mace (or nutmeg), sage, salt and pepper should do it. Maybe a little garlic powder. I’ll experiment and then make up a little shaker from an empty spice jar. Only really buy them once a month but it’d be cool to have an instant sausage-seasoner.

Not sure if these have been mentioned, but while sausages are in the agenda, Sainsbury’s Shroomdogs, the Cumberland ones are absolutely fupping amazing. Decent texture, loads of those Cumberland spices (black pepper, nutmeg etc..) mmmmmm delish, especially in a roll with friend onions, bit of cheese (dairy I’m afraid) maybe even some ketchup and American mustard… Oh yeah.

There’s a sudden inrush of these “beyond meat / impossible burger”

Haven’t seen Impossible burgers or Beyond burgers for sale yet in my neck of the woods. Think I’ve tried pretty much all of the different supermarket ‘fresh’ meatless burgers and have found them all to be lacking and ridiculously expensive (except for the Iceland No Bull ones, which are cheaper but still not to my tatse. In general though – soft as shite with weird flavours.

Did find some in Lidl that were actually good. And in ‘climate neutral packaging’. From Lidl!

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/product-recommendation/without-meat-plant-based-burger-patties/p32307

But for texture and a decent inoffensive flavour, the Linda Mac’s regular 1/4lb frozen ones are peerless IMO. Hence my ‘cheatburger’ recipe. It saves having to get busy with nuts, lentils, buckwheat, egg etc etc making my own. So if I want to cook up something super-quick for other half or guests then Linda Macs are cheap(ish) at a quid per pattie. And they’re really, really good. They just lack flavour. Luckily that’s easily and quickly solved.

Here’s the ‘marinade/seasoning’ for them

1 x teaspoon Heinz BBQ sauce
1 x teaspoon garlic powder/granules
1/2 x teaspoon good strong smoked paprika. Buy this bagged from wholefood shop or else a decent imported tin such as El Avion. Worth having in the house.
3 x teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
Ground salt and black pepper to taste.

^ Add all these flavourings into a cup and stir well until a uniform paste

To cook:
Put oil and then the frozen patties in warm non-stick frying pan or skillet on LOW/med heat

– Spoon half of the marinade and divide between each burger (leave the other half for the other sides). Spread this evenly over entire burger with spatula or butter knife as the pattie cooks. As it warms through this gets easier.

– Cook gently for 4-5 mins as the marinade/seasoning soaks into the top, then flip them over. Repeat process, adding/spreading the rest of the marinade again to the top of the burgers. Flip once more and cook for a few minutes, flipping them until browned/slight crust and evenly cooked through. Don’t burn the marinade/seasoning.

Note: You can do this in the oven, and they do plump up more that way. Just put on foil/tray, spatula on the marinade/seasoning the same way and cook about 10-15 mins either side on 180 until firm and juicy

About 99% of the cheese in the supermarkets is made without animal parts, so why on earth is pesto being made in some antiquated manner?

Excellent! cows have been redefined as vegetables for the purposes of vegetarianism and veganism 🙂

Trying to get vegetarian pesto?
Not so easy.
…
It should be vegetarian as standard.

It should be made with the traditional ingredients, as permitted by food sales laws, as standard.
On the shelf where I find pesto in my supermarket, there’s a whole array of different types. Some have Pecorino cheese in, and others have no cheese in. Some are labeled as “Vegan”, but that’s presumably as a way to get some people to pay more for the same thing but with the cheese bit missing.

Ah well. It was a good run for a veggie/vegan recipe thread. No politics, strawman arguments/derailments or ‘offended by plants’ bingo for, what, three nearly four whole pages? 😉

Can you have wafer thin ham?

I’ve tried beyond burger and they don’t have the texture of meat and actually tasted odd and just fell to bits.

Really? What sausages are you using?

I really like the Cauldron ones. It’s not just that though, there’s something different when campsite cooking, I don’t know if it’s the pan or the stove or simply the fact that you’re out in the fresh air relaxing in the countryside. But they’re so good.

On the shelf where I find pesto in my supermarket… others have no cheese in.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen supermarket pesto that doesn’t have cheese of some form in it.

^
Sacla vegan, Providence dairy-free (Waitrose, Sainsburys) and Tesco Free From come to mind. Though I find that not all branches stock products in store or via online delivery even though advertised online.

I have a recipe for seitan chorizo which is nice but a bit of effort to make.

bought a load of stuff from buywholefoodsonline.com and just made my first seitan, its still wrapped and in the fridge til tomorrow. its the one from matt pritchards ‘dirty vegan’ book.

read a few recipes, some say steam it in foil, some say simmer in the water, so i did one of each, ill see if theres any difference.

i need to go over all the recipes above now, find one where ive actually got all of the ingredients for a decent chilli or curry with a load of lentils and beans.

^

Just google ‘Chef John’s best damn vegan chili’ (if you like traditional authentic ‘bowl of red’ type Texan-Mex chilli)

Am a big chilli fan and spent years/decades being proud of my many creations but in the end I had to throw the towel in to this. It’s quick to make, balanced, flavourful, nutritious, authentic and very satisfying. I’d say close to perfect.

Dial back on the chilli powder in the recipe unless you’re Texan/Mexican/Masochistican.

Use what you have/mix and match?

I use Gran Luchito refried beans as the pinto bean element/ to thicken it. But you could use any soft bean mash I suppose? I also add extra red kidney beans and couple of handfuls of buckwheat grits (during cooking) for texture.

IIRC it (at minimum) requires veg stock, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin powder, oregano, beans,tomatoes and smoked paprika and the rest is versatile/easily substituted

Serious eats have a really good recipe. Depends just how into it you want to get but they explain the science/reasoning behind the ingredients and cooking method here too: https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/best-vegetarian-bean-chili.html

Found a video