Delicious TV » meat substitutes

Easy Vacation Lunches

Toni Fiore — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:57:43 +0000

Although I forgot to pack my camera, phone charger and God forbid, my hairspray I did manage to remember to pack some of my favorite and most necessary spices. That tells me something about my priorities. In the past few years I’ve really changed my way of thinking about eating while traveling . As I said in my earlier post ( the one I wrote when I had an internet connection that didn’t require me to run up and down the sidewalk with my laptop hoping to catch three or more bars) I’m away on vacation in Florida and I’m renting a space with a kitchen. This has become imperative since finding suitable food and eating out is such a chore. Without plodding down that path of conversation again I will say that I am thankful that my style of cooking over the past few years, especially since filming the VegEZ Podcast, has become very abbreviated and simple. This makes cooking on the go easy and inexpensive. My staples of a few spices, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, Tamari soy sauce matched with some basic pantry items like olive oil, onions, carrots, potatoes, pasta, tempeh, canned tomatoes along with a variety of beans give me a number of meal and leftover options. I have to say (and this really is the truth) that I do frequently resort to using the VegEZ app. First of all I’m hardly ever able to connect to the web on my computer and I don’t often remember as many recipes as I’d like to think I do! Today was Tamari Tempeh (with fresh tomato, crispy lettuce, avocado and Veganaise) sandwich day. I love my marinated tempeh recipes, but the Tamari Tempeh is so fast and easy that I can make great bunches of it in about 15 minutes. This truly was stress free lunching at it’s best and all while watching the amazing birds and dolphins here on Sanibel Island.

Curried Unchicken Salad

Toni Fiore — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:35:09 +0000

Savory and sweet are my favorite combination and this curried sandwich filling made with Quorn roast and sweet green grapes is a surefire crowd pleaser!

This is just right served on lettuce boats or tucked into pita bread or a lovely wholegrain French baguette. For a Delicious twist, substitute your favorite fruit for the grapes.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/4 of a Quorn Roast, torn into bite sized pieces
1/4 – 1/2 of a chopped white or yellow onion
1 t. vegetable oil
1/2 t. curry powder
2-3 T. dairy or soy yogurt
12-15 seedless green grapes
Fresh black pepper

To prepare:
Cook roast according to package directions. Cool and section off about a quarter of the loaf. Tear into bite sized pieces and place in a medium sized bowl. Add grapes. Mix remaining ingredients together into a dressing and pour over Quorn and grapes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: Don’t overcook the Quorn roast. It is best when still moist. I generally start with the roast defrosted for the best results.

Meatless Beef and Hot Dog Substitutes

Toni Fiore — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:09:12 +0000

I get lots of letters from viewers asking great questions about how to best transition away from meat and into vegetarian meat replacers. This is such a common question that I’ve decided to post viewer queries from time to time, followed by my suggestions. Please feel free to write in and share your ideas and solutions.

“I have to say I love the show! Here in Albuquerque Alan & I watch you on our Apple TV, but I need help w/ my mixed relationship. I’m more vegetarian than my other half. I’ve been wearing him down, but he has a need for chili dogs. I know you’ve said many times on your show that there’s many dishes that can be converted to vegetarian versions.

Keep in mind that he’s going to cover it w/chili sauce and tomato sauce, w/ ground beef (we need to replace this too), cheese & onions. It’s gotten to the point that he makes this because he likes the flavor, but he doesn’t eat enough meat to not get himself sick from this every time he eats it. I was thinking if we could find some kinda veggie hotdog, ground beef replacement then we could totally flip him over to our side. I’m sure you can help. Waiting patiently.” –Alan & Chris

How To Re-Hydrate Dry TVP

Toni Fiore — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:50:30 +0000

I just received a question about rehydrating dry TVP (textured vegetable protein). Many stores carry ready to cook TVP in the form of faux “meats” (whether frozen, refrigerated, or canned), but in some areas, these types of products can be difficult to find. In that case, dry TVP may be your only alternative.

For people in those areas here’s my advice. The general rule of thumb for rehydrating TVP is 1 cup of TVP to ¾-1 cup of boiling water. I always start at the lower measure first, you can always add more water. After pouring the water over it, give the TVP about 10 minutes to rehydrate. Once it has plumped up and is softened, squeeze out the excess water and use.

If you feel the TVP is still too wet, simply spread it out on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes and the texture will become drier and chewier. If you are going to bake off excess water, make sure to check the TVP at 10 minutes, since all ovens bake differently. If the TVP does become too dry – I prefer it on the drier side – I would still use it, unless it’s totally blackened. Once you add it to your recipe, it will plump back up. If at first you’re not satisfied with the results you get, give it a few tries, you’ll get the knack of it!

Use fine-textured TVP in sauces, or for tacos and chili. Use the larger crumbles to replace beef in stews, stir-fries, soups, and pot pies. Dry TVP can be stored in a cool dry location for up to 6 months. Rehydrated TVP needs to be refrigerated and should be used up within 3-5 days.