Yeah I know, two Dune references coming from me in such a short time. But the line: “He who controls the spice 
controls the universe!” comes to mind when I hear people talk about vegetarian, and especially vegan, foods as…missing something. I think some of the mistakes people make in trying a vegetarian diet is eliminating the meat, versus replacing it, and not spicing it up a bit with spices that may have previously been used on the meat they just cut out. Same thing with a vegan diet, where there is no milk products such as cheese and not even egg allowed. (I actually found cheese harder to give up than meat.)
The spices used in vegetarian meals have always been something I found important. One brand of soy burger may taste very different than another for example. Tofu added to a meal can come out pretty plain, not taking in any flavor of what it has been cooked in. The spices make things much more interesting
One example I heard, and tend to agree with, is that what many people may be missing when they give up meat isn’t as much the meat itself as it is the spices and flavors of the meaty meal. Many meats are seasoned and/or marinated before being cooked. Take soy burgers/hot dogs for example. Since I am the kind of person who piles on tons of toppings I tasted little if any difference between my meat patty and my soy patty due to the myriad of toppings I piled it high with. Or chili, so many spices that even before I gave up meat I used to make it with ground turkey as a healthier option.
We even had a chili cook-off here at work where I brought in my veg chili. I used Boca Ground Crumbles and no one knew the difference due to the spices the recipe called for, which was unchanged except for the meat replacement. Some other meals and types of food where I have literally never missed the meat, not even in my first few weeks giving the whole go veg thing a try two years ago are:
- Thai Food – Wow, so savory and such interesting flavors. I usually would just go “no meat, extra veggies” but these days I get tofu instead.
- Indian Food – Vegetarianism is very popular in India and it is reflected in their cuisine. Most restaurants have a wide selection of vegetarian dishes.
- Pasta – Occasionally I will add the Boca Ground Crumbles but not often. I put in lots of peppers, onions, etcetera. Becomes very savory.
- Breakfast – Been doing the oatmeal and blueberries thing as a healthier option for years so I don’t even miss the sausage/bacon…okay, maybe I miss bacon a little.
- Pizza – Amy’s has two really good meatless, and even cheeseless, pizzas, Kashi just got one, and I have sampled the delights of Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Caesar’s, and Carabba’s meatless/cheeseless pizzas and was never let down. It is surprising how good a no meat or cheese/all veggies pizza can be.
There are others as well, both vegetarian and vegan, that are so amazing that I have actually gained weight when I gave up meat because of all the new foods I was trying as well as alterations to foods I was previously familier with. But this isn’t to say that just about any meal out there can have a vegetarian/vegan option that is tasty. I mean, I had a great chik-un dish at The Grass Root in Tampa Florida that was amazing and seemed like real chicken both in taste and texture, but i don’t know if I would go for some sort of fake steak sitting there on a plate all by it’s lonesome.
I guess the important thing is to go in with an open mind. Getting a veg option from an average run of the mill restaurant may not always work, but one that specializes in veg options, or by it’s nature already has much to offer (such as Indian), should be a safer bet. Also, instead of just trying to wing it and modify an existnig recipe, look for specific veg recipes from various veg related sites. Learning to cook veg meals will give you a better chance at modifying meals you already know how to cook.
But I do admit that certain meals will probably never been the same without the meat. I mean, bell peppers and beef would just become…bell peppers. But perhaps if properly spiced soy (tofu or crumbles) are added as a replacement even that dish could be saved.
I’m no vegetarian by any means, but I’ve been making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of meat my husband and I eat on a daily basis. Sometimes, this just means cutting meat out entirely; however, I’ve also tried to incorporate soy sausage crumbles into various dishes and slip a few Boca burgers into the rotation. The biggest stumbling block, in my opinion, is the texture of the tofu. It’s like the uncanny valley of food. Do you have any brand/preparation suggestions to avoid the slightly…squeaky texture of tofu?
Additionally, I tend to find that a lot of soy/meat products contain a lot of mushroom products (of which I cannot and/or dislike eating). I’d love to hear some educated (or at least, more experienced) suggestions.
Thanks!
A trick I learned a while back when it comes to preparing tofu is to buy it very firm, remove/drain it/pat it dry with a paper towel, wrap it in saran wrap and freeze it. It will turn a weird brown color when frozen but will keep for months (good for buying on sale).
When you are planning on cooking it, put it in the fridge, unwrapped, on some paper towels on a plate to let it defrost. It will turn white again and but will come out much more firm when you cook it.
Also, when cooking it is sometimes best to cook it separate from the meal initially and a bit longer. When it is added into the meal and cooked additionally it will be much more firm and take on more of the flavors of the meal.
I have used this method to make a “General Tso’s Tofu” before by using Shake N Bake after the defrost process. When it is done baking, I would toss it in a pan with the Gen Tso Sauce to cook it a little more while tossing it. The consistency is very close to chicken at that point.
I once became addicted to the Boca “Chicken” Patties. I would have a sandwich with a slice of that along with a slice of grilled eggplant on top and some marinara sauce and a little spinach.
Unfortunately, I don’t do the shopping at my house, but the Substantially Better Half has discovered a soy-based meat substitute that leaps over the uncanny valley by actually having a consistency fairly close to that of sliced chicken breast meat.
However, our pet name for it (“Faux Chicken”) is probably not going to be terribly helpful at your local grocery store; I’ll see about hunting that info down and will post the actual brand name here this evening.
The Boca chicken patties taste just like the Tyson “real” chicken patties…I think because neither contains actual chicken :0
If you get a chance Rafe, check out The Grass Root and get their “faux chicken” thing. It’s crazy good stuff. They are on N Florida.
The Boca Chick’n stuff is GREAT. They really are just like ‘real’ patties except you never hit that weird rubbery bit.
I’m curious about the Tofu freezing trick, that’s the second time I’ve heard about it in a week. One of my big problems is that I’m very much a ‘hunk of meat and starch for dinner’ kind of guy, so it’s taking me some time to learn new trick and healthier meals.
Boca Chik patties are straight up awesome. I like them better than most chicken patties I’ve come across.
I don’t think there will ever be a veg replacement for the hunk-o-meat meal. But replacement for the mixes, like the chicken and rice meals or noodle related stuff, is pretty accessible these days.
A thai food place not too far from me has some pretty good tofu, I think they use that freezing method to store it longer which makes it more firm. Getting any curry dish with either tofu or extra veggies is my weakness, it really puts the pounds on because even though, cholesterol/fat content wise, it is healthier a calorie is still a calorie.
I wonder if I am the only one who PUT ON weight after going veg. :0
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