January 7, 2008 at 2:36 am (cooking)
Tags: kitchen, lunch, meat substitute, vegetarian
I didn’t use all the Casserole Mince in last night’s pasta sauce. So the left over “mince” (made from soy protein) was mixed with some of Maggie Beer’s Cabernet Table Sauce and a squirt of tomato paste (no added salt variety) and popped into the fridge. I’ll use it today to make toasted sandwiches on the sandwich press. If I’m feeling lazy or just after comfort food, I’ll just make a sandwich using the mince and some grated, reduced-fat tasty cheese.
If I’m feeling slightly more inclined, I’ll add some lettuce leaves and/or fresh herbs. Or, if I feel the need for a big lunch, I’ll spread a layer of cold, mashed potato onto the bread before topping it with the mince, cheese and salad leaves.
I’ll use either Brumby’s Pumpkin Bread or Sour Dough bread, depending what I’ve got in my kitchen (today it’s sour dough).
Whichever way I go, it’s still a healthy, vegetarian lunch!
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January 6, 2008 at 4:41 am (cooking)
Tags: cooking, kitchen, meat substitute, pasta, vegetarian
How can you have a vegetarian version of pasta with bolognaise sauce? Easy. Fake meat. Yes, this will offend some vegetarians out there. But for me, I am happy to use a number of meat substitutes. This particular meal, which I’m making later today, can be served without the pretend mince. Sometimes I omit it, sometimes I don’t. It just depends on my mood and appetite at the time of cooking.
This is a very quick meal to prepare. If you omit the sautéeing of the onion and mushrooms, then it’s even quicker. You can also omit any added vegetables if you’re in a real hurry. But I like to include them. For the sake of nutrition. And they taste nice.
- 1 onion, diced
- some mushrooms, sliced (your choice on how many, I add enough to fill a breakfast bowl)
- 1 zucchini (courgette), green or yellow, chopped into chunks
- 440g tin crushed or chopped tomatoes, no added salt variety
- 440g tin lentils (Sanitarium brand, comes with gravy and onion)
- 440g tin Sanitarium Casserole Mince (sometimes I only use 1/2 tin)
- small handful of your favourite olives, pitted
- cumin, sweet paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano
- splash of either tomato paste, purée, or your favourite sauce
- maybe 1/2 cup water or stock or even red wine
Sautée the onions and mushrooms in a very small amount of oil, on low heat. I cook using grape seed oil or macadamia oil, that’s my personal preference. I find olive oil a bit strong for cooking. Add your spices (cumin, paprika) and cook till softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and lentils. Stir. Add the sauce and or tomato paste. Stir. Determine how much water or stock you need to add – it will boil down a bit during the simmering process but you don’t want it too watery. I add the Casserole Mince now and the herbs and the pepper. Stir. I add a few pinches of salt, it measures out to be just under 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 20 minutes if cooking on the stove top. If cooking in the microwave, heat on high for about 6 – 8 minutes. I add the olives at the very end, they don’t need to be cooked, just heated through.
Cook your favourite pasta. Drain. Serve with the sauce and some parmesan.
Eat! Enjoy!
(I have done this recipe whilst on holiday using just the lentils and the tomatoes and a handful of herbs, it turned out very nicely.)
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