Meat Substitutes

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Meat Substitutes

Postby Jfrosty » Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:14 pm

We have used caned veggie burger in the past for tacos. Is this a suitable meat substitute for a whole-foods / plant based diet? Can you recommend a recipe for veggie burger.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby sjsilver » Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:20 pm

I don't know about canned veggie burgers. I didn't know that they made such a thing. I guess it would depend on what is in it. We have tried a few recipes for veggie burgers and have liked them all. Here is the latest recipe:

http://engine2diet.com/wp/wp-content/up ... urgers.pdf
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby nayasmom » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:48 pm

It depends on what the ingredients are, and how processed they are. Soy products are not a good choice. There are hundreds of McDougall friendly burger recipes on the 'net, all varying in degrees of complexity of ingredients or preparation. Do yourself a huge health favor and find one that appeals to you. You'll have hits and misses, but no one can tell you which recipe is best for your tastes.

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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby f1jim » Mon Mar 30, 2015 9:11 pm

I second the recommendation to evaluate your possible product starting with the ingredient list. If it's made with isolated soy proteins I'd pass. As noted there are lot's of healthy burger recipes floating around this website. If you want a more detailed instructive look get one of Jeff Novicks videos in which he prepared the burgers in just a few short minutes, along with tasty baked fries to go with them.
Jeff's burgers are a mainstay at our house because kids love 'em, carnivores love 'em, and most importantly we love 'em. They are fast and easy to make.
Try it.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby skane9041 » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:32 am

Dr. McDougall has an article about soy and meat substitutes that is very informative.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl ... 0pusoy.htm

Also, here is a highlight from that article that might be helpful to you:


The Whole Is Healthier Than the Parts

Over the past two decades there has been an explosion on the supermarket shelves of soy products that resemble our favorite meat and dairy products. I often refer to these as “fake foods.” Manufacturing processes remove the dietary fibers, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and hundreds of other helpful plant chemicals – leaving behind almost pure soy protein.

These protein concentrates are mixed with extracts of wheat protein, vegetable oils, and sometimes, starch, sugar, salt, artificial sweeteners, and dairy and egg proteins – then the magic of modern technology turns these mixtures into products that look and taste like real cheese, hot dogs, sausages, burgers, luncheon meats, chicken, and turkey. Soy protein is used to replace dairy protein in candy bars, yogurt, ice cream, breads, pastries and cookies. You can identify the synthesized concentrated proteins on the ingredient list of your foods by these words: defatted soy flour, organic textured soy flour, textured vegetable protein, isolated soy protein, soy protein concentrates, and soy concentrates. These new “foods” in no way resemble nature’s creations and the effects on your health make that clear.


Read the whole article though, if you get a chance. There is lots of info in it.

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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby Katydid » Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:15 am

I second the use of Jeff's bean burgers. No funky ingredients, just four whole foods: beans, oats, brown rice and tomatoes. The Burgers and Fries video is well worth the money, but here is a starter recipe from one of our board members:

http://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/je ... n-burgers/

You can use this recipe for burgers, bean loaf, taco meat or Italian or Swedish bean balls just by varying the spices and maybe adding a few breadcrumbs. :D

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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby Dougalling » Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:11 am

This is my fave burger recipe.
I always top with a bbq sauce and then my fave toppings lettuce tomato red-onion mustard relish.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby indy107 » Tue Mar 31, 2015 12:48 pm

Thanks for the mention Kate! I might add the potato/carrot cheese sauce goes with these burgers like…..well like Burgers and Fries! :D
For tons of healthy Plant-Based, McDougall Friendly Recipes, check out my blog at :

https://www.brandnewvegan.com.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby dinska » Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:58 am

I am a big fan of using a combo of quinoa. pintos and corn as a replacement for ground beef in tex-mex cooking.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby dteresa » Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:04 am

I can do the burgers but does anyone have any luck with making "meat" balls that stay round and don't fall apart?

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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby VeggieSue » Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:19 am

dteresa wrote:I can do the burgers but does anyone have any luck with making "meat" balls that stay round and don't fall apart?



These stay firm:

(Video at http://www.everydaydish.tv/videos/mediterranean-lentil-meatballs/ )

Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs
Author: Sarah Matheny
Serves: 12 Meatballs

Sarah Matheny makes us some Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs right out of her cookbook Peas and Thank You!
Ingredients
8 oz. precooked lentils or 8 oz. of canned black beans, drained and rinsed
⅓ c. old-fashioned oats
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
¼ c. fresh basil
3-4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
¼ c. onion, chopped
1 t. Dijon mustard
¼ c. Kalamata olives, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine lentils, oats, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, basil, tomatoes, onion and mustard in a high speed blender or food processor and pulse until mixture forms a thick, chunky batter. Stir in olives and season to taste.
Form batter into 12 golf ball-sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping once during cooking time.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby StarchHEFP » Thu Apr 02, 2015 3:02 am

Jfrosty wrote:We have used caned veggie burger in the past for tacos. Is this a suitable meat substitute for a whole-foods / plant based diet? Can you recommend a recipe for veggie burger.


If you're looking for a really flavorful, spicy burger recipe check out this video which is Indian-style chickpea burgers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z8W35FEzg - just omit the oil from the recipe and use a little water spritz prior to putting it on the grill.

For taco meat, try Bulgur wheat! This is parboiled cracked wheat which can be found at ethnic stores or from Bob's Red Mill. After boiling according to instructions, you can then spice it up with some onion, garlic, and chipotle taco seasoning or add your own spices. It has a nice texture to it for tacos, and you can mix with lentils for some extra flavor.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby Faith in DC » Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:20 pm

You mentioned tacos in your original post. I have used lentils.
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby Demosthenes » Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:01 pm

Call me crazy but I like to put mushrooms in my tacos. Mushrooms in everything, truth be told. Dry frying mushrooms gets the water out of them and gets their texture to be meatier. That reminds me that I have some 'shrooms in my refrigerator just begging to be eaten. Yum!
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Re: Meat Substitutes

Postby StarchHEFP » Thu Apr 02, 2015 5:37 pm

Demosthenes wrote:Call me crazy but I like to put mushrooms in my tacos. Mushrooms in everything, truth be told. Dry frying mushrooms gets the water out of them and gets their texture to be meatier. That reminds me that I have some 'shrooms in my refrigerator just begging to be eaten. Yum!


Me gustan los hongos tambien en los tacos! Que sabrosos son! Tambien en los tamales se pueden usarlos.
(I like mushrooms too! They are so delicious; I've had them in vegan tamales also)
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