[Shanna]

My husband is completely vegetarian. I have been looking for some meat alternatives for him. So far I have found:

Mushroom
Tofu
Beans

I have also heard that nutritional yeast is also a great way to spice up meat alternatives...

Does anyone else have any meat alternatives?

 

[Jasminedesi16]

Tempeh and Seitan are awesome alternatives. Also the comanies Tofurky, boca and morning star sell some mock meats.

 

[Naturebound]

Cooked bulgur wheat combined with cooked red lentils are a great base for the following:

taco "meat" (just add tomato paste, taco seasonings and salsa); this mixture is very much like ground beef
Sloppy joes: add stuff like organic catsup, onion, green peppers, tomato sauce
spaghetti sauce: add to tomato sauce along with some zucchini, green pepper, mushrooms, fresh tomato, fresh basil leaves, etc


Wild rice works as a "meat" topping over pizza

Field Roast vegan sausages are awesome!
Beyond Meat chick*n strips are really good too

I haven't tried it, but TVP (textured vegetable protein) is supposed to work for stuff like ground beef or tacos

Cashews, sunflower seeds, or almonds work well in stir fries in place of meats

 

[silva]

Literally everything I eat is an alternative to meat!
ButI know you mean things that replicate meat. I've loved Boca chik'n patties since they've come out. Gardein makes good stuff, and Field Roast is the one I go to for sausage-the only one actually. Trader Joes has very good veg offering. The Soy Chorizo has a perfect spicyness and texture, and I love the frozen meatless meatballs-more so for a sub than spaghetti.
I consider those things like I used to consider fast food. As treats not staples. And all I've mentioned are vegan

I use a lot of beans, tofu, tempeh, homemade seitan, lentils, nuts and seeds. I make my own bean/veggie burgers

 

[Gwar]

I second Silva, if your husband will need a transition the best tasting option are all the gardein products. There chicken tenders and fish fillets are out of this world. I actually felt bad eating them cause I swore it was real meat. They are a once and a while thing though as they are heavily processed to get so delicious.

 

[Dave in MPLS]

I've loved Boca chik'n patties

Oh man. The Spicy Chik'n patties rock.

nutritional yeast

Yep, I use it, but the Bragg's brand is pretty expensive. Last time I ordered from Amazon I picked up a 32oz bag by Milliard - it's buying bulk, so it's pricey because you're getting a lot, but per ounce it's only 91 cents (while the Braggs is $1.87/ounce!)

 

[silva]

Better than Boullion NO chicken, and/or NO beef soup base.
Braggs amino acids
Huy Fong (the real sriracha makers) garlic chili paste
Balsamic vinegar
Vegan flavors I always have

I've added truffle oil since I found cheap stuff at Aldi that adds tremendous flavor

 

[zorgster]

Mock Meats

Hi

Chinese supermarkets have many mock meats... since many people are Buddhist in China and Taiwan - there has been a long history of making mock meats from seitan / tofu / tofu skin (yuba in Japan) / and vegetables...

You can find cheap tins of mock meat which can be added to a stir fry... like these (i like the abalone...) - buy online or find a local Chinese supermarket:

https://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=mock

On top of these there are some very tasty snacks... I try to get the ones made from yuba / tofu skin - since yuba is 50% protein / 50% fat... one of the best sources of protein available... and low on carbs... Here's a nice post about Yuba from Nikko city in Japan - where there are shops filled with products made from fresh and dried tofu skin... my bag wasn't big enough when I went and i didn't stay long enough to try everything ! next time... (not my blog post):

https://xmininjapan.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/nikko-revisited-part-2-yuba/

In China they sculpt yuba into all sorts of shapes.. and add flavourings to mimic the taste of meats... of course adding flavourings and sauces reduces the percentage of protein.. which is ok... in the UK you can buy 'Marigold Braised Tofu' which is really tightly folded up yuba in a tasty sauce - i take this walking or add it to pasta as a kind of tuna texture...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Braised-Tofu-Can-225g-Pack/dp/B00JNUGGII/

Recently I have discovered some mock meat skewered kebabs and strips of mock meat jerky... ok.. think of them as spicy, flavoursome strips of tofu... and convenient little morsels of dense proteins (and flavour) ... i am eating them cold - but they could be microwaved for 30 seconds to heat them up.. These are manufactured by Hui Ji Food:

http://shop.waiyeehong.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=485

(of course the flavouring in these commercial products is going to include MSG... science has failed to find anything wrong with MSG to date.. but I still like to minimise it in my diet.. (MSG was developed from an extract of kombu seaweed...)

In the UK, Redwoods have a whole range of mock meats you can buy in Holland & Barrett... fish fingers / tuna pate / chorizo... or buy online:

http://www.vbitesfoods.com/

Fry's make a good vegan schnitzel that I had last weekend with some baked sweet potato wedges... they do some of the best burgers and hot dogs too... buy in Morrison or Sainsbury ... or H&B (?) ... or online

http://www.frysvegetarian.co.uk/

Taifun also do a good tofu-based hotdog... and several forms of flavoured tofu... You can buy these in Waitrose in the UK

https://taifun-tofu.de/en

And to finish off ... Ice cream:

http://boojabooja.com/
http://www.tastethedream.com/products/adfrozen_category.php

 

[RedTeaAddict]

Upton's Naturals Seitan, my personal recommendation is the chorizo flavor. Use it all the time when I make veggie nachos/tacos :smitten:

Also, Amy's California Veggie burger. Throw that on a ciabatta roll with mashed avocado, red onion, cilantro, and tomato and you'll forget your own name it's so good.

 

[AllVegan]

"ground Beef"

A great "ground Beef" for Chili's and pasta sauces can be had by Freezing extra firm tofu. This makes the tofu firmer. Thaw it and put it in a food processor pulse until the tofu is ground beef size chunks. Dry fry the tofu until it has dried out and is starting to brown breaking up any chunks that form, I use a bamboo spatula. Add a liberal amount of soy sauce, stir to mix and continue cooking until until well browned. When added to a spaghetti sauce or chili it tastes exactly like you added ground beef to the dish. Or as close to axactly as my memory of ground beef is. I have also used this to make Sloppy Joes, use tomato paste in the sauce to add the stickiness needed to hold everything together.

 

[B.Austin]

This free daily email circular has several recipes each day e.g.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/hefty-hearty-mushroom-burgers/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=bc35da296a-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-bc35da296a-106279761

 

[mmabacados]

I second Silva, if your husband will need a transition the best tasting option are all the gardein products. There chicken tenders and fish fillets are out of this world. I actually felt bad eating them cause I swore it was real meat. They are a once and a while thing though as they are heavily processed to get so delicious.

I love gardein! even if it isn't an everyday choice.. also, if you're so inclined and there is one in your neighborhood Yardhouse serves Gardein.

my kids eat the 'crispy chicken' without the sauce too. it essentially looks like mcd's chicken nuggets, but with less guilt for me

Costco generally has a decent variety of gardein products

 

[silva]

A great "ground Beef" for Chili's and pasta sauces can be had by Freezing extra firm tofu. This makes the tofu firmer. Thaw it and put it in a food processor pulse until the tofu is ground beef size chunks. Dry fry the tofu until it has dried out and is starting to brown breaking up any chunks that form, I use a bamboo spatula. Add a liberal amount of soy sauce, stir to mix and continue cooking until until well browned. When added to a spaghetti sauce or chili it tastes exactly like you added ground beef to the dish. Or as close to axactly as my memory of ground beef is. I have also used this to make Sloppy Joes, use tomato paste in the sauce to add the stickiness needed to hold everything together.

While many people do like pre-frozen tofus texture, I just feel a need to add that not all do! I LOVE tofu, in all ways other than prefrozen!

 

[mmabacados]

oh, I got so carried away on the gardein-train I forgot to add.. I really like the field roast chorizo. you can make some fiiiine chilaquiles using it and some blue tortilla chips.

 

[Dave in MPLS]

In China they sculpt yuba into all sorts of shapes.. and add flavourings to mimic the taste of meats

Years ago I came across a book in a bookstore of Chinese Buddhist dishes that mimic the tastes and textures of meat. It used yuba a lot, especially as a wrapper to mimic "crispy skin" textures. I think it was published in Taiwan for sale in foreign markets. It had text in Mandarin on the left with an English translation on the right. I didn't have the money at the time so I didn't buy it. a decision I regret.

 

[silva]

I've made those yuba knots before. Soaked in hot water with, then coated with cornstarch and fried. OMG. Those were really good with hot sauce! Too much trouble, but a restaurant should do those