Meatless Alternative

If you likeVeggie Burgers or have been thinking of trying them, you might go for the new Quorn Classic Burgers with or wirthout Cheese.  Quorn has been giving food lovers around the world great tasting non-meat, soy-free choices for more than 25 years. Their delicios varieties include Chik'n Nuggets, Meatless Meatballs, Cranberry and Goat Cheese Chik'n Cutlets, Southwestern Chik'n Wings, to name a few.

The copany started in England and each year about 200 million Quorn meals are enjoyed worldwide. They could be a way to ease out of the meat habit.

Dreaming in Vegan

  There's so much more to Thanksgiving than turkey. If you have been thinking about dipping your fork just a little into the vegetarian and even vegan lifestyle, you can't do much better than starting with The Conscious Cook  by Tal Ronnen. (William Morrow, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) The cookbook promises to bring you "Delicious meatless recipes that will change the way you eat," and it does. Chef Tal Ronnen admits to being a former meat-lover--steak, pastrami, veal scaloppini, spicy sausage. He became a vegetarian and then a vegan and was determined to create delicious and satisfying meat-free dishes that were as mouth-watering as those he had as a meat eater. His success is your reward. Here are a few ideas from the cookbook--perfect for Thanksgiving and any other time you want to cook consciously: Aritichoke Ricotta Tortellini with Saffron Cream Sauce,

Beet and Orange Autumn Salad, Green Beans with Fresh Cranberries,  Split Pea Soup with Tempeh Bacon and Chipotle Cream, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Oven-Roasted Banana Rum Cheesecake

Chef Ronnen also makes use of some pre-packaged vegetarian entree options, such as Gardein's  chicken-style strips and beef-style strips. (Gardein offers a limited edition Savory Stuffed Turk'y that would make a delicious entree for Thanksgiving or other feast. http://www.gardein.com/  Please see our Gardein review earlier). This allows for the cook to be creative but save some time, without sacrificing nutrition,or taste.

We aren't preaching vegetarianism or vegan choices. These are personal decisions. But when you can choose an alternative, even just once in a while, that tastes as delicious or better than meat, why not give it try? It might feel better to eat food you would be comfortable preparing from its very beginning to the table.
http://www.talronnen.com/ 

Protein from the Garden

Here is a product line you might have overlooked--Gardein. Sometimes these delicious alternatives to meat as a protein source are  on the higher shelves with the frozen vegetarian entrees or with the refrigerated fresh vegetarian selections.


 The varieties are really inventive—beefless tips, buffalo wings (these are really hot), bbq pulled shreds, Tuscan breasts, chick’n filets, Thai Trio—to name only a few. Gardein is a savory blend of nutritious vegetable and grain ingredients prepared and slow-cooked to have the authentic taste, texture and nutrition of premium lean meat.


Available in individual serving sizes or entrée portions. Definitely worth looking for and asking for.


http://www.gardein.com/

Trompez la palette

Thinking about cutting down your meat consumption but aren’t quite ready to go the straight tofu route yet? Have the best of both worlds with some new vegetarian entrees that  will fool your taste buds. New and very tasty Morningstar Farms® offerings include Veggie Sweet & Sour Chik’n—vegan so it can be enjoyed by almost anyone—that features tempura-style veggie chik’n, pineapple, and red and green bell peppers on a bed of whole-grain rice – a delicious, microwaveable, meatless meal with 35% less fat. 

Another satisfying delight is Lasagna with Veggie Sausage-- Layers of tender lasagna noodles, light ricotta cheese, savory marinara sauce and veggie sausage crumbles – a delicious, microwaveable, meatless meal with 42% less fat.  

Hot and Spicy Veggie Sausage patties are a tasty caliente twist on their versatile veggie sausages and will make a perfect addition to any meal time. These savory sausage patties have 78% less fat and a great blend of peppers and spices that gives them a bit of a bite.

The absolute star of the new offerings—and they are all very good, indeed—is the  Grillers® Turk’y Burger. These are Juicy, California-style veggie turk'y burger with 37% less fat, and a great blend of avocados and tomatoes.

Whether you are a confirmed vegetarian (for whatever reason) or just want to explore a bit of the veggie experience, try a few of these—you will not be disappointed.

http://www.morningstarfarms.com/

Perfect Pomegranate Glaze

MAPLE-POMEGRANATE GLAZE

A different glaze for any number of dishes--vegetarian, poultry, meat or shrimp

¼ cup Naturally Pomegranate ™                                     1 teaspoon finely minced ginger

5 tablespoons pure maple syrup                                      1/8 teaspoon cayenne

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar vinegar                    1 medium apple, peeled, cored, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari           1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard                                                               Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the Naturally Pomegranate ™, maple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, ginger, and cayenne in a small bowl to blend.  Transfer to a small saucepan, stir in the apple and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook until the apple is very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings