Author Topic: Eating less meat  (Read 3696 times)

Hula Hoop

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Eating less meat
« on: August 28, 2019, 10:46:08 AM »
As a family, we're trying to cut back on meat consumption for environmental reasons.  We actually were never huge meat eaters but probably ate red meat once a week, chicken once or twice a week and fish once a week as well as cold cuts on the weekend in our sandwiches.  Now we're trying to eat red meat more like once a month, fish once or twice a week and cold cuts a lot less.

We eat lots of traditional pasta dishes which don't involve meat or only a very small amount of meat or fish but I've also started making vegetarian versions of things, for example, bean burritos or tacos rather than meat or chicken.  I've been eating big salads for lunch at work with maybe some beans, cheese, tuna or nuts for protein.  I'm also planning to try out a French lentil salad recipe this weekend.

Does anyone else have any tips for substituting other things for meat in your diet?  Any recipes or tips?

Raenia

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2019, 11:21:54 AM »
Good for you!  I've spent the last year or so reducing the amount of meat we eat as well, and it turned out to be easier than I expected.  We're down to about once per week of poultry or fish, no red meat.

My main piece of advice is, focus on meals that aren't intended to have meat in them, rather than trying to substitute out the meat for beans or something else.  Tacos/burritos and bean burgers is about the only exception, as far as I'm concerned.  Salads are great, but not always as filling as you might want.

Chili is great, we make ours with 3 kinds of beans for variety, served with rice, bread, or corn chips.  Indian food is a great resource - chana masala, dal, palak paneer, and rajma are all fantastic, full meals, served with either rice or flatbread, and so filling you'll never miss meat.  I do a great veggie lasagna, layered with carrots, onions, broccoli, or whatever else you like.  Veggie-based soups are also great - black bean soup, minestrone, etc.  I also use eggs a lot, in frittata, quiche, or just omelets.

What kinds of food do you enjoy?  If you take any culture's food and look at the basic staples, you're likely to find a lot of meals that have little or no meat, due to meat being more expensive in the 'olden days.'  If you're getting tired of pasta, look at cultures where rice or potato was the staple food, rather than wheat.

ETA: If I'm feeling like my menus are getting stale, I look online for a new vegetarian recipe to try.  I've been enjoying this woman's recipes: https://theprudenthomemaker.com/meatless-dishes/.  Her white bean alfredo sauce and rosemary white bean soup have entered my regular rotation with minor tweaks, and I'm trying out the zucchini potato pancakes tonight.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 11:27:48 AM by Raenia »

PoutineLover

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2019, 11:29:21 AM »
I'm interested in doing this too, so following for inspiration. I like to eat salads and I usually add some tuna or eggs or cheese to make it more filling. I like to make lasagna, pasta, chili, stir fry, all of which I can do with or without meat. My basic formula for a simple meal was often meat+vegetables+starch so I'll have to figure out what to use instead of meat to create balanced meals, fish is an easy replacement but likely only a couple days a week. I don't think I'll eliminate animal products entirely, but I'd like to gradually cut down starting with red meat, then other meats, then go from there.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2019, 12:38:15 PM »
Pasta is our go-to since we live in Italy and that's the local staple.  Risotto is good too but I find it hard not to make it gluggy.  My husband cooks either one of these 2 all the time.

It's pretty hard to find "foreign" foods here although I've found both an Indian and a Chinese grocery store in our town.  I might try cooking some Indian vegetarian food soon as I really love it.

A lot of Italian staple foods are vegetarian or use meat/fish sparingly.  For example some traditional dishes are, pasta with beans, pasta with chick peas, pasta with eggs and pancetta (carbonara), pasta with tomato sauce, risotto with saffron, risotto with various types of veggies etc, frittata and so on. 

SunnyDays

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2019, 12:46:42 PM »
Tofu comes in several consistencies and can be used as a meat substitute.  Because it's bland, it basically takes on the flavor of the other foods in the dish and can also be marinated first.

Hirondelle

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2019, 12:48:42 PM »
One of my favorite vegetarian dishes is dal. It's impossible to not find the ingredients as it's just lentils (split peas works too) + onion + garlic + spices + broth. I eat it with rice or Indian flatbreads (paratha, naan, can be made from just flour + water). I usually make a batch of 3-4 portions and add extra veggies like spinach or peas to vary the flavor.

Another one that I love is spring rolls, especially as a snack or as a food to bring to potlucks. It only requires raw veggies (I mostly do cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, lettuce and spring onion), mint and/or coriander, thin rice noodles and rice/tapioca paper. I guess if you don't have an Asian grocer the rice/tapioca paper may be an issue, but all other ingredients should be easy to find :).

I cook fully vegetarian (will eat meat if offered elsewhere) but because I eat tons of lentils/beans I barely ever feel the need to use any actual 'substitute' for meat and I probably eat tofu 1-2x a month. 

FIRE@50

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2019, 02:07:28 PM »
Lentils can be used any place that you would use ground beef. I also eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches.

Cutting out dairy is easy too. Meaning, just don't eat it. No need to replace it with anything.

Wrenchturner

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2019, 04:07:46 PM »
Time to brush up on your east Indian cooking!  Chana masala, dal, etc.  I find it's the richness and savoryness of meat dishes that I crave, and Indian foods can hit that spot without containing meat.

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2019, 04:15:10 PM »
Good for you! Unless you're trying to go fully plant-based, eggs are a good, easy protein option as well - hard-boiled eggs are good as a snack or to add some protein as a salad. Breakfast burritos (with eggs, beans, salsa, and whatever else you want to include) are delicious any time of day.

OtherJen

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2019, 06:08:43 PM »
Tofu comes in several consistencies and can be used as a meat substitute.  Because it's bland, it basically takes on the flavor of the other foods in the dish and can also be marinated first.

Tofu is great. It can be pressed to remove some water and make it a bit denser before cooking, or it can be cubed, tossed in oil and seasonings, and roasted (I think 375 F for 30 min) to make it chewier and more likely to stick together. Either way, it's tasty when marinated and tossed in a stir-fry.

Tempeh (fermented soybean cake) is also great crumbled or chopped and cooked in a stir-fry. I really need to get more adventurous with it and take inspiration from good local vegetarian restaurants.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2019, 07:00:21 AM »
@OtherJen how do your press the tofu? Whenever I try to fry tofu it breaks into lots of pieces and is kind of 'spongy' = any tips?

Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2019, 07:40:28 AM »
I switched gradually to nearly 100% vegetarian 3 years ago. I will make fish a few times a year and occasionally cook meat for guests, but otherwise it's all vegetarian from recipes that I mostly find on Pinterest.

I second what PP said about not just trying to replace meat, it's a lot more interesting when you make dishes that are meant to be vegetarian, like Shakshuka.

I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/

There are also countless rice and beans variations that you can make, one of my favourites is a vegan paella
https://www.budgetbytes.com/spanish-chickpeas-and-rice/

You are already making a lot of pasta, but you can always do pasta in non-italian style flavours, this one is amazing
https://veganheaven.org/recipe/creamy-vegan-one-pot-pasta-asian-style/

Another totally different flavour profile is Persian celery stew
https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/persian-celery-stew-khoreshte-karafs-vegetarian-version/

All of the above recipes have explosive flavour where meat isn't "missing" or replaced. They also all are made with pretty basic ingredients, or easily substituted ingredients, like fresh lime vs dried limes.

Other favourites are hearty potato stews and chowders, fried cabbage dishes, frittatas and quiches, fancy avocado toast topped with roast veggies, spiralized "noodle" dishes, etc

A lot of the world's cultures have a strong vegetarian culinary history, so there's a whole international palate out there to choose from. I cycle through over 100 really amazing recipes, and I'm always adding more.

OtherJen

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2019, 07:43:00 AM »
@OtherJen how do your press the tofu? Whenever I try to fry tofu it breaks into lots of pieces and is kind of 'spongy' = any tips?

We always buy extra-firm tofu and then press it using a plate on top and several layers of something absorbent (paper towel, kitchen towel) before cutting and cooking it. It still does crumble a bit, though, when we fry it.

This is a better way to ensure that the pieces won’t fall apart in the frying pan/wok:
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-tofu/


Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2019, 07:47:47 AM »
Oh, I wanted to add that I hate tofu and DH hates mushrooms, so an enormous range of vegetarian dishes are off limits for us, and we still manage to find a ton of delicious options.

Moonwaves

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2019, 08:09:56 AM »
Lentils instead of mince in shepherds pie/cottage pie is great - I don't really ever make it with meat anymore.

If you're reducing meat for environmental reasons then you might want to consider being more strict about fish consumption. Unless you can source fish directly (more or less) from the people who went out with a fishing rod, it is a minefield of mostly bad news.* I gave up trying to figure out what compromises I was prepared to make and declared this year would be the year I stopped eating fish. I mostly remember not to buy it but do find myself drifting towards the fish fingers on occasion before I remember and I do find it difficult in restaurants sometimes. Good thing I don't go out much. :)  I have one tin of sardines and a couple of tuna that I've been hanging on to but once they're gone, that's it. 


Moonwaves

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #15 on: August 29, 2019, 08:17:59 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #16 on: August 29, 2019, 08:50:41 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Why would you need cool weather for it? Unless you don't use your oven in warm weather.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #17 on: August 29, 2019, 08:51:47 AM »
Black beans => farts => global warming.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2019, 08:58:39 AM »
This weekend I'm planning to make caponata, a Sicilian eggplant stew, as I noticed that the eggplants are really good and cheap t the markets right now.  Only problem is that my kids hate eggplant but I'll find an alternative for them.  I also think I'll try a lentil salad to take for work lunches next week.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #19 on: August 29, 2019, 09:14:50 AM »
Some days ago, I made lentils with vegetables, taco spices and tomatoes, served in wraps. It tasted very good and I didn't miss the meat.

Since this year we have been eating veggie twice a week, and also fish weekly. I don't buy much red meat anymore, but rather chicken, which has a much smaller footprint. We have also started to buy veggieburgers occasionally and some are starting to taste a bit like normal burger.

I like pasta dishes with blue cheese, instead of meat. But I live all sorts of cheese. In a couple of weeks, we will visit Crete for a week and I am looking foreward to the Greek food. Some of their veggie dishes are so good. There is a potato oven dish with zuccini and a white, soft cheese. Or just a whole bunch of grilled eggplants. Yummie.

Moonwaves

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2019, 09:28:47 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Why would you need cool weather for it? Unless you don't use your oven in warm weather.
Mostly that (although this recipe would probably work in the slow cooker as well, I think) but also because that kind of warm, hearty dish is very, well, warming. To me anyway. I already struggle with the heat in the summer, as it's a good bit warmer here than where I'm from. I don't eat a whole lot of hot food if the temperatures are above say, 25C. At the moment we're having a not-quite-a-heatwave with very heavy weather and temps around 33C and I feel a bit like I'm melting. There is definitely a big difference between what I eat in summer and in winter.

Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #21 on: August 29, 2019, 09:39:19 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Why would you need cool weather for it? Unless you don't use your oven in warm weather.
Mostly that (although this recipe would probably work in the slow cooker as well, I think) but also because that kind of warm, hearty dish is very, well, warming. To me anyway. I already struggle with the heat in the summer, as it's a good bit warmer here than where I'm from. I don't eat a whole lot of hot food if the temperatures are above say, 25C. At the moment we're having a not-quite-a-heatwave with very heavy weather and temps around 33C and I feel a bit like I'm melting. There is definitely a big difference between what I eat in summer and in winter.

That dish can be served cold.
Cold it's essentially a bean salad.

Moonwaves

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #22 on: August 29, 2019, 09:42:04 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Why would you need cool weather for it? Unless you don't use your oven in warm weather.
Mostly that (although this recipe would probably work in the slow cooker as well, I think) but also because that kind of warm, hearty dish is very, well, warming. To me anyway. I already struggle with the heat in the summer, as it's a good bit warmer here than where I'm from. I don't eat a whole lot of hot food if the temperatures are above say, 25C. At the moment we're having a not-quite-a-heatwave with very heavy weather and temps around 33C and I feel a bit like I'm melting. There is definitely a big difference between what I eat in summer and in winter.

That dish can be served cold.
Cold it's essentially a bean salad.
I think at the moment the heat is making me crave autumnal weather and cosy dinners with lots of soups and stews so that's what made me immediately view this as a cool weather dish. :)


Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #23 on: August 29, 2019, 09:49:49 AM »
I think at the moment the heat is making me crave autumnal weather and cosy dinners with lots of soups and stews so that's what made me immediately view this as a cool weather dish. :)

It can go either way.

aetherie

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #24 on: August 29, 2019, 10:52:41 AM »
@Malkynn or anyone else, I would love to see more of your favorite vegetarian recipes! I've tried that Budget Bytes paella and really liked it. My main challenge is my husband's general aversion to beans. But he will eat lentils, chickpeas, and black eyed peas, so I can often make do with substitutions.

This is one of our staples, and it freezes well as a bonus: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/217109/make-ahead-vegetarian-moroccan-stew/


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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #25 on: August 29, 2019, 10:53:06 AM »
Great suggestions here... my wife and I have become "flexitarian". We only cook non-meat and non-dairy stuff for ourselves, but are open to the option of having meat, fish, and dairy when we are with friends and family.

I'd like to also recommend seitan. We started making our own, and it's incredibly cheap and a really good fake meat. Goes well in many dishes, and delicious fried up in bbq sauce on a bun as a bbq seitan sandwich.

Moving to Italy in two months -- we're excited to explore the vegan options over there!

OtherJen

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #26 on: August 29, 2019, 10:56:48 AM »
I just made a spicy black bean with turmeric roasted cauliflower dish for a friend's birthday
https://www.rebelrecipes.com/spiced-black-beans-turmeric-roast-cauliflower/
Oooh, thanks for this. Will definitely be giving this a try when the weather cools down enough for it.

Why would you need cool weather for it? Unless you don't use your oven in warm weather.

Probably this. When it's 85ºF/30ºC or hotter (several weeks this summer, plus high humidity), I don't use my oven at all and often avoid using my stove. I put off turning on the window AC units as long as I can, and the oven counteracts any efforts to keep the temp in my small house at 80ºF.

Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #27 on: August 29, 2019, 11:08:08 AM »
@Malkynn or anyone else, I would love to see more of your favorite vegetarian recipes! I've tried that Budget Bytes paella and really liked it. My main challenge is my husband's general aversion to beans. But he will eat lentils, chickpeas, and black eyed peas, so I can often make do with substitutions.

This is one of our staples, and it freezes well as a bonus: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/217109/make-ahead-vegetarian-moroccan-stew/

Unfortunately, all of my recipes are held in the Paprika app, so I can't easily link them. I just posted the ones whose names I could easily remember.

Honestly, Pinterest is your best bet, and you can literally never go wrong with Budget Bytes IMO, her recipes are generally incredibly flavourful and typically don't include a lot of difficult to find or specialized ingredients.

That said, I do almost always increase the spice amount in most recipes.

BrightFIRE

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #28 on: August 29, 2019, 11:50:40 AM »
My lunch today was rice topped with leftover roasted peppers and onions, homemade pickled cucumber slices, chickpeas with hot sauce and a fresh pear. I eat beans and rice + some veggie + some sauce very often. Speaking of rice, fried rice is best made with leftover rice and can be topped with anything you can imagine.

I find that lentils, chopped mushrooms, and chopped eggplant are all great subs for meat (alone or together), especially in sauces. I made this several times last winter, and you could easily leave out the meat altogether. https://www.halfyourplate.ca/recipe/stuffed-spaghetti-squash/

Since you're in Italy, I think you might be inspired by Smitten Kitchen's take on replacing pasta with white beans. (She generally has a ton of great veg-centered ideas.)
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/09/pizza-beans-cookbook-preview/
https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/07/grilled-zucchini-ribbons-with-pesto-and-white-beans/
https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/04/cannellini-aglio-e-olio/

For high brow, https://www.101cookbooks.com/ is great - even though she tends to use fancy ingredients, you can use her techniques and recipes for inspirations. Like this recent one https://www.101cookbooks.com/how-to-make-a-great-vegetarian-poke-bowl/

For how to make tofu edible (I mean, I love it in Asian restaurants, but my skill at cooking it is low) https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/02/vegan-experience-crispy-tofu-worth-eating-recipe.html. The author, Kenji Lopez-Alt, also does a vegan challenge each January - he makes things like vegan bacon from mushrooms and a vegan "parmesan" sprinkle. The recipes are here https://www.seriouseats.com/vegan-experience.

I also like https://food52.com/recipes/vegetarian It's like a fancier version of AllRecipes: fewer canned soups, more ethnic food.

jeninco

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #29 on: August 29, 2019, 12:38:21 PM »
bojongourmet.com has some great vegetarian recipes.

We made this (https://bojongourmet.com/quinoa-cucumber-salad-feta-dill-mint/) last night (Spoiler: it was GREAT), and we regularly make this (https://bojongourmet.com/tomato-baked-white-beans-with-feta-and-lemon-parsley-oil/) <-- don't skip the parsley oil!

I also suggest looking through 101cookbooks and smitten kitchen websites.

Blueberries

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #30 on: August 30, 2019, 08:18:59 AM »
I've had a hard time removing meat and seafood completely, but I've worked to switch to the meats that have less of an environmental impact.  I do at least three meatless nights (breakfast for dinner, pizza night, pasta) and sometimes a fourth (tofu in a curry).  I admire vegetarians who manage it healthfully and seamlessly. 

Last night I made this - https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/zucchini-pizza-casserole/.  Now, this is super cheese-heavy, but I needed to use up what I had in the kitchen and from the garden and this recipe was a hit.  I didn't add ground beef and everyone raved about it.

Aelias

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #31 on: August 30, 2019, 08:43:49 AM »
Tons of great advice here.  I'm trying to move away from meat as well, and it's . . . well, baby steps.  I do like meat and have always eaten it, but I strongly suspect it's waaaaaay easier than it used to be to eat a tasty, healthy variety of vegetarian and vegan foods. Almost every restaurant has a couple veggie options now, which I couldn't say 10 years ago.

One thing I'll add as a staple for quick vegetarian options -- hummus.  We do buy it prepared sometimes, but I also make big batches at home starting from dried chickpeas and freeze it in portions I might use up in a week.  It's obviously great as a dip for pita, chips, or veggies, but it's also:

--a great salad dressing base (just thin it out with water or oil)

--good for vegetarian sandwiches (personal fave: hummus, hot sauce, cheese, and lettuce / greens / herbs)

--flavor boost for other recipes (throw a couple spoonfuls into a veggie soup that needs oomph)

--starting point for flavored hummus (blend in roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, herbs, maybe even curry?  sky's the limit)

And, if you think of hummus as a technique, you can mix it up with different bean bases and flavor profiles:  black beans with cumin and oregano for a latin version, white beans with basil for Italian, edamame with ginger for Asian.

Dang it, now I'm hungry ;)

Aelias

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #32 on: August 30, 2019, 08:54:58 AM »
Andplusalso! 

This kale salad is freaking amazing and I could eat it almost every day.  If you've never tried nutritional yeast, and you're a salt / savory nut like me, you're going to freaking love it.  https://ohsheglows.com/2013/11/25/the-best-shredded-kale-salad/

And, when we're in peak zucchini season, we eat this for dinner at least once a week:  cut your zucchini into rounds and put your rounds on skewers; drizzle with oil season as you like (we do salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and dried orange zest); grill zucchini rounds 15 min or until well darkened with good grill marks; spread on on plates and top each with fresh mozerella or cheese of choice; top with chopped fresh herbs of you have them; serve with bread for mopping up the juicy goodness if desired.

Metalcat

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #33 on: August 30, 2019, 11:46:02 AM »
Tons of great advice here.  I'm trying to move away from meat as well, and it's . . . well, baby steps.  I do like meat and have always eaten it, but I strongly suspect it's waaaaaay easier than it used to be to eat a tasty, healthy variety of vegetarian and vegan foods. Almost every restaurant has a couple veggie options now, which I couldn't say 10 years ago.

I'm very specifically NOT a vegetarian despite the fact that I cook only vegetarian food.

I don't bother eating vegetarian dishes at restaurants unless it's a vegetarian restaurant specifically, mostly because they tend to be crap. I just use my rare restaurant outings as an excuse to eat meat. That way, if I really want it, I can have it, just not at home.
It also means that friends and family don't have to make any kind of special meal for me. I'll eat whatever is offered.

I LOVE meat, in happy to have it as a treat, just like cheesecake, martinis, and deep fried foods, and potato chips, none of which I eat at home.

As for it being easier to make vegetarian food...maybe?
It's a lot easier to find a better range of spices, which I find are the cornerstone of great vegetarian cooking, even in regions with poor spice selection, they can always be ordered online.

I switched us over to vegetarian pretty rapidly and DH literally didn't even notice that we hadn't had meat for months. Just start adding tons of new recipes to your regular routine and voila, you're largely vegetarian.

It's not so much about taking meat away as adding new and more interesting recipes to the mix.

rockeTree

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #34 on: August 30, 2019, 11:58:11 AM »
We have switched to (mostly- there's a tendency to have chicken stock and not veggie stock on hand, but for an environment-driven process we are just using the waste from the odd rotisserie chicken dinner) vegan lunches in the last year for our packed lunches, and a couple nights a week of vegan dinner. (Some members of the family get antsy if it's too many days in a row). When these have cheese I have just left it out and still had good results.

Smitten kitchen is good - some faves:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/ of course
https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/08/cold-noodles-with-miso-lime-and-ginger/
https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/

Sign up for the washington post plant powered newsletter (or just go to https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/search/?column=Plant-Powered%20Newsletter ) - my faves are:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/pasta-romesco-spinach/17100/?wpisrc=nl_vplantpowered_w10&wpmm=1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/polenta-white-beans-and-italian-salsa-verde/17091/

The Kitchn has some good ones too, first one that springs to mind is:
https://www.thekitchn.com/lentil-salad-153889

Yup it's vegan!
https://yupitsvegan.com/garlic-sesame-noodles/  (skip the promoted weird noodles and get some buckwheat noodles if you have a decent asian grocery)
https://yupitsvegan.com/chickpea-vindaloo/

Milder chickpea tofu curry (we skip the cauliflower)
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-chickpea-curry

I tend to make red lentil chili with jarred roasted red peppers and canned chopped tomato when I'm out of ideas - an onion, some stock, some garlic, some pepper, maybe paprika if you're feeling feisty. No particular recipe as such but google has dozens.




Davnasty

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #35 on: August 30, 2019, 12:07:40 PM »
Has anyone tried soy noodles? They're high protein, high fiber, and low starch.

We've used them in several different recipes now and they are quite different than wheat noodles but still good. If you make your normal spaghetti sauce and swap out wheat noodles for soy, you might be disappointed, but in some of the Asian dishes we've tried I'd almost say I prefer them. A 50/50 mix of soy and wheat is probably the way to go for most recipes.

Our favorite is Asian noodle salad:

50/50 mix of wheat/soy noodles, raw vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, carrots, zucchini, green onions chopped small or julienned, and a dressing of soy sauce, oil, vinegar, and sesame. I've eaten this for lunch 5 days in a row and still looked forward to it on Friday. I wouldn't say the noodles imitate meat but they do provide protein and seem to make the meal more satisfying.

Unfortunately the soy noodles can be pricey and hard to find. Costco is the best option we've found, 2.2lbs for $7. Everywhere else seems to only sell 8oz boxes for $4-5.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Eating less meat
« Reply #36 on: August 30, 2019, 08:22:01 PM »
I've found it much easier to eat more vegetables since I grew a garden. The difference in taste between garden veggies and store-bought veggies is incredible. And there are so many ways to prepare them.