Saw these in the yellow sticker section yesterday, so I grabbed them and served them with pasta tossed in sun-dried tomato and red wine sauce (with a little bacon mixed in), along with a lemony side salad.
Oh my god, they were amazing!
I’m trying to eat more plants and less meat. The family isn’t on board yet, but they don’t mind eating vegetarian meals.
Any other easy finds like this? Not really looking for ‘fake meat’ though, even though I do love the Quorn southern fried nuggets.
I like to expand my cooking by looking into everyday meals from different cultures. Recently, I tried Ethiopian, and it was great. Misr Wat (a lentil stew) has become a family favorite.
Where I live, there are so many people from different countries, and Indian food has tons of vegetarian or vegan options. Chinese food is also a great choice. Some dishes use mock meat made from soy or wheat protein, and they are incredibly delicious.
Most people around the world eat mostly vegetarian, and their dishes are always packed with flavor.
@Lior
I second this! There’s so much variety out there. I just had aloo palak for lunch. I also love looking for dishes where meat isn’t the main focus, just an ingredient. It’s easy to swap in lentils, mushrooms, nuts, or roasted veggies instead.
I often check menus from restaurants focused on vegetarian dishes for inspiration.
Quorn is really good overall. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Quorn product I didn’t like.
But if you’re not looking for ‘fake meat,’ you can’t go wrong with paneer, tofu (which is definitely not ‘fake meat,’ it’s its own thing), beans, lentils, or chickpeas. Jackfruit is also a great substitute for pulled pork.
Tonight we’re having Gardein Fishless Fish sandwiches on buns, cooked in the Instant Pot with the air fryer lid. I also got some jicama slaw from Trader Joe’s to top the filets and add some crunch.
Haha, we had something very similar. The escalopes with a cold pasta salad made of sun-dried tomatoes, feta, red onion, and raisins.
I also like Higgidy’s savory mini muffins. And I know you said no fake meat, but Aldi’s battered not-sausage is fantastic! I prefer it over real sausage!
Is cheese okay or are you looking for only plant-based options? I use Halloumi cheese in place of meat often. Butter Halloumi, Halloumi Carbonara, Halloumi Piccata, or Halloumi Caesar Salad. We’ve been switching from carnivores to pescatarians over the past two years, and finding this cheese has been a lifesaver. It holds its shape when you pan-fry it, so we slice or dice it, and it’s perfect.
@Stevie
I’m going to be ‘that person’ – air-fried Halloumi is a game-changer! It gets crispy on the outside and stays soft and light inside. It’s amazing!
Do you have Target? I get the Thai basil dumplings, and they are soooo good. The Korean ones are awesome too. I haven’t tried the tofu ones yet. But they’re so good that I have to buy double because my husband eats them up so fast.
One of our favorite easy meatless dishes is a bag of Trader Joe’s veggie meatballs with some spicy pasta sauce, or if we have a few extra minutes, fire-roasted tomatoes cooked down with smoked paprika, thyme, and cumin. We serve it with feta on top and veggies on the side.
Side note: the Impossible/Beyond meatballs are great, but the calories are a bit much. We usually love Gardein’s products, but I’m not a fan of their meatballs.