Going veggie - Don't like Quorn - How to replace minced beef

[MitchT]

Gradually cutting meat out of my diet but can't stand Quorn so struggling to find something to make bolognese and lasagne with. Any suggestions?

[calibrax]

Bolognese and lasagne are meat dishes. If you really want to be a vegetarian, you shouldn't eat meat dishes. Have a salad instead

Seriously though, try something like Beanfeast... it's made from soya, whereas Quorn is made from a fungus.

[Mastodon2]

"A Delicious Alternative to Meat"- I thought there were laws against flagrant lies on product packaging?

[davepoth]

What's the problem with Quorn? I found it quite easy to "fix" it. The texture was pretty OK, and it takes flavour in quite readily.

[williredale]

Mastodon2 said:

"A Delicious Alternative to Meat"- I thought there were laws against flagrant lies on product packaging?

It is an alternative...

I'm a veggie but haven't touched bean feast in years. TBH I didn't know they still made it as it wasn't very nice.

I rarely use quorn mince. If I'm doing lasagne then it will be with vegetables. Mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots etc. Try doing something different rather than trying to recreate a meat dish without the meat.

[Silver]

If you're making things like lasagne or bolognaise, you could try just doing them with lots of veg and beans instead of Quorn. Also check out Holland & Barratt as they have a lot of different meat substitutes.

Quorn is good but a lot of new veggies become over-reliant on it rather than experimenting. I've got quite a few good recipe books and links, feel free to drop me a line via email if you want me to send them over.

[bingybongy]

When cooking with Quorn I find the judicious use of OXO cubes helps.

[anonymous-user]

Try seitan, recently had a seitan burger at a vegan restaurant, it was pretty nice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)

[MitchT]

Thanks folks. As has been suggested, a lot of what I'm eating is proper vegetarian stuff rather than trying to substitute meat within a meat dish. But, as part of the ongoing transition I am doing a few things where meat is being swapped out for something else. I'll get there in the end though!

[otolith]

When I cooked for veggies, I sometimes did a lasagne with lentils in the tomato sauce instead of meat.

[yardman]

Puy lentils - cook them correctly they're a good replacement for minced beef, especially in cottage pie.

[bobbo89]

Good mushrooms are what you need, dried ones, they add a depth and texture that IMO, even though not comparable to meat, makes it so you dont miss the meat. Always worth adding a small amount of anchovies for that good old umami taste.

[AJS-]

Not that I endorse vegetarianism for a minute, but you can make nice lasagne style dishes with aubergines or mushroom.

[madbadger]

bobbo89 said:

Good mushrooms are what you need, dried ones, they add a depth and texture that IMO, even though not comparable to meat, makes it so you dont miss the meat. Always worth adding a small amount of anchovies for that good old umami taste.

Anchovies are not vegetables.



When I make vegetable dishes I normally involve either lentils or mushrooms. Both give a bulk to the dish.

[Gaffer]

Cant stand Quorn.

Been a veggie for 30+ years and I can't stand Quorn. Never have and never will. The only "meat substitute" I can eat is the Linda McCartney stuff but only in small quantities.

Veggie food has come a long way but I still cannot eat a vegetable lasagne. That seemed to be the first dish that was offered in restaurants and now I can't face it.

Delia does some good recipes but as I can't cook - I just stick to cheese butties and salads.

Having said that - Quinoa is AWESOME and a piece of piss to make. Proper good for you an all.

Claire

[grumbledoak]

Delusional. You'll want veggie bacon next!


You can make a decent veggie chilli with lentils as the spices cover the flavour loss. Otherwise, you'll just have to eat something else.

[prand]

I have used soya mince in the past for veggie friends, it comes in packs in the dried food section. I've made passable chillies and bolognese with it, and almost gives a mince-like texture. Best to reconstitute it in a bowl with water and a nice veg stock cube before adding to your sauce or it will soak all the liquid up.

It's cheap too, half the price per dry weight compared to real meat.

[Jobbo]

I'm a big fan of quorn. Particularly with the mince, you need to use a lot more liquid when cooking because it really seems to soak it up. There's no real basic flavour either, so you need to season well. But whenever I've made quorn chilli 'con' carne or lasagne, my friends say they've preferred it to the meat version.

[jep]

bingybongy said:

When cooking with Quorn I find the judicious use of OXO cubes helps.

Beef ones perchance?

[bingybongy]

jep said:

bingybongy said:

When cooking with Quorn I find the judicious use of OXO cubes helps.

Beef ones perchance?

Of course.