Ottolenghi is wonderful on meat free cooking. He doesn't do meat-replacement - just wonderful veggie and vegan food. His cook books are a good place to start. You don't have to have all the ingredients - it can just be a base to work from. He writes for the Guardian, so loads of his recipes and ideas are free to read.
Definitely lentils. My younger daughter is very allergic to red meat - unfortunately, as she loves mince in all it's forms. We now use pork mince, but I'm going to try substituting some for lentils in the cottage pie we both like. I saw it on a programme a while ago - just replacing around a third of the meat with red or puy lentils. I always have red ones for soup, but the puy ones are usually tinned.
Coincidentally, I was looking at recipes yesterday.
Thanks so much for all the advice will definitely try that recipe @Fairygirl. I don’t want to cut out meat completely I don’t have the discipline I am afraid but if I can reduce my consumption I may then look into using more ethically farmed meats but less often if that makes sense.
No - I still eat meat too, mostly chicken, but I no longer eat red meat [don't eat lamb anyway] - which I don't particularly like if I'm honest, but I've found that, after using pork mince for our spaghettis and cottage pies, if I have beef mince, it takes revolting! Greasy and sickly. We tried all the usual substitutes for my daughter, and the pork mince works really well.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There are some Ottolenghi recipes on BBC Food. He does a very good lasagna using mushrooms blitzed in a food processor instead of minced meat. I'm planning to try it this winter when Possum's not looking cos she thinks she doesn't like mushrooms but I doubt she'll spot the difference. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spicy_mushroom_lasagne_12453
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I do a lot of vegetarian cooking but never try to replace meat with substitutes. Not going near quorn or any highly processed foods such as manufactured veggie burgers and have never met a tofu I liked. I cook vegetarian because we love veggies and pulses. If I need to think about protein content just combing cereal based food with pulse based foods will do it as will adding eggs or cheese.
Same here.
Actually, I think I've never done meaty lasagne. For lasagne, I would usually go for spinach and ricotta or something like that. I like Italian cuisine done in a simple way, the real things, not what you would see in supermarkets. My pasta sauces rarely have meat in them (sometimes pancetta, prosciutto or seafood). When I want something meaty in them, I go for mushrooms or aubergine.
I also like vegetable curries. And Middle-Eastern inspiration. Mexican cuisine - burrito with rice and beans is perfectly ok without meat. Baked meals - like potato gratin (basic - potatoes + onions + cheese but it's possible to add aubergines, courgettes, eggs...) or ratatouille.
And I like Ottolenghi too, although some of his recipes are complicated (too many ingredients, hard to shop for them). My favourite is lentils with roasted aubergine.
Lots of international cuisine here too @edhelka but not aubergines - texture - and not ricotta tho it is marginally better than mozarella - total lack of taste. I sued to love melanzani parmigiana but went off the veg. Sometimes do it with a courgette that's got a bit big but not quite zeppelin size.
Lots of different lentils, beans, rices, grains and veggies.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Lentils:
Brown is OK either way, cooked from dry slightly better because you can control the texture. Green - I tried "cheating" with tinned or pre-cooked but the texture is always wrong, always too soft. Red lentils cook much faster than brown and green, so no point to use tinned. 5 minutes is ok, 10 minutes is a maximum. They can be added to soups and curries directly without the need for additional cooking time.
Red lentils go to a mush when cooked because they're split. Whole lentils keep their shape but, if cooked soft, can be blitzed with aromatic ingredients and an egg to make burgers or meatball shapes or used in soups, stews and casseroles. Puy lentils need no pre-soaking but the others do.
I usually have a can of lentils in the store cupboard along with red kidney, black beans, flageolets and chickpeas. Cannelini beans are a favourite but round here the same bean is called Moguette and is a local Vendée staple available dried and in jars. Delish. I can't get butter beans unless I go to an Asian supermarket. The French don't seem to eat them, not here anyway.
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Coincidentally, I was looking at recipes yesterday.
I kept this one to have a look at it - might be worth a try for you @debs64
https://smartnutrition.ca/recipes/moroccan-beef-lentils/
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We tried all the usual substitutes for my daughter, and the pork mince works really well.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Actually, I think I've never done meaty lasagne. For lasagne, I would usually go for spinach and ricotta or something like that. I like Italian cuisine done in a simple way, the real things, not what you would see in supermarkets. My pasta sauces rarely have meat in them (sometimes pancetta, prosciutto or seafood). When I want something meaty in them, I go for mushrooms or aubergine.
I also like vegetable curries. And Middle-Eastern inspiration.
Mexican cuisine - burrito with rice and beans is perfectly ok without meat.
Baked meals - like potato gratin (basic - potatoes + onions + cheese but it's possible to add aubergines, courgettes, eggs...) or ratatouille.
And I like Ottolenghi too, although some of his recipes are complicated (too many ingredients, hard to shop for them). My favourite is lentils with roasted aubergine.
Lots of different lentils, beans, rices, grains and veggies.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Brown is OK either way, cooked from dry slightly better because you can control the texture.
Green - I tried "cheating" with tinned or pre-cooked but the texture is always wrong, always too soft.
Red lentils cook much faster than brown and green, so no point to use tinned. 5 minutes is ok, 10 minutes is a maximum. They can be added to soups and curries directly without the need for additional cooking time.
Chickpeas - ok either way. Tinned are easier.
I usually have a can of lentils in the store cupboard along with red kidney, black beans, flageolets and chickpeas. Cannelini beans are a favourite but round here the same bean is called Moguette and is a local Vendée staple available dried and in jars. Delish. I can't get butter beans unless I go to an Asian supermarket. The French don't seem to eat them, not here anyway.
Our tomatoes are finally starting to ripen so tomorrow's dinner will be chickpea burgers (no bun) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chickpea-coriander-burgers and a salted tomato salad https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/salted-tomato-salad and some green stuff depending on what's ready in the veg plot.