Sorry, I'm trying. Honestly. I'm looking for vegan and vegetarian recipes and while it usually tastes "fine", it's mostly just "meh".
I don't get the hype for things like lentils or quinoa either. Both are "meh" at best.
So far, I'm unable to find meat-free recipes that truly satisfy me.
And no, I'm not a bad cook.
Tell me your reasonably priced vegan and vegetarian recipes that little children will eat, too. Serious request.
Tofu is pretty versatile as a meat replacement or even just a general texture thing. I like to fry small tofu cubes and use them in place of the cheese in palak paneer, or instead of chicken in something like General Tso's. It takes a bit more work since you have to press the tofu and find a good way to cook it so it doesn't turn out soggy (and it's usually more expensive), but I'm a meat eater and it's satisfying to me.
Beyond/Impossible Meat is also pretty good imo. I actually tend to like it better than real beef, but that's definitely not a majority opinion. If you like the taste, you can crumble the patties for ground beef texture or break them into chunks for more of a meatball vibe. I've even done a sort of faux bulgogi with chunks and gochujang sauce that works surprisingly well.
One more thing I think can help is to not try to replicate meat for everything. There are ways to make vegetarian/vegan food that let it stand on its own and still be satisfying (beans and chickpeas can help a ton), without it feeling like it's trying too hard to be meat. Things like cauliflower stir fried or batter fried and coated in some sort of sauce can be good just as cauliflower in sauce.
Finally, mushrooms, if you like them. Soaking dried mushrooms will get you stock that can replace chicken or beef stock for most things, and frying even the cheap baby bella mushrooms that come pre washed and sliced can give you a meaty texture in something that needs it.
Try out Indian cuisine, we got a ton of great vegetarian food here but depending on where you are, getting all the good spices needed could be quite difficult and pricey.
Sticky tofu is hands down my favorite. Something like this: https://veganonboard.com/sticky-lemon-tofu/
Soy Curls is honestly my favorite 'meat replacement' (though, I'm not too hot on 'replacing meat'). They work for doing things like mongolian beef, or just lightly frying after marinading for 'chicken strips' to top salads or sandwiches. https://thevietvegan.com/vegan-mongolian-beef/
Soups are of course, pretty easy. I like Lentil Chilli, heavy on the seasonings and beans aside from lentils. Minestrone or lemon orzo are both also great. Thai curry or pho are both more work imo, but amazing (though, both broth bases can often have chicken or shrimp in them).
Burgers, and while impossible meat et. al. are fine I guess, they're a bit pricey. I honestly prefer a good chipotle black bean burger over them 9/10 times. They're pretty cheap to buy, but also not very hard to make, with most of the ingredients being cheap.
I personally like seitan, but I know quite a few other vegetarians don't, so it might be divisive. BUT, in terms of cheap protein, its damn near rock bottom in price. It is some work to make stuff out of it from scratch, but 'indian mock duck' is usually seitan, and can be bought from indian stores if you just want to try it. But seitan works to replace burgers, chicken tenders, steaks, sausage, etc. Tons of recipes out there.
To be fair, one of those three animals basically perfected it's flavor to the point where everything else tastes just like it.
Beef/lamb/pork/chicken/seafood eater 4 life.
I mean I think it's pretty telling that there are lots of plant based versions of meat based food, but not the other way around. Nobody is trying to replicate the taste of salads in meat form
If I wasn't meant to eat pigs, why is every single part of a pig so damn delicious?
I’ve eaten chicken, turkey, sheep, cow, pig, duck, rabbit, snail, deer and horse. It’s a bit more than 3, and that’s just the general category (for example, counting boars and pigs as only one type) and only land animals. If we list each fish species, crabs, squids, calamari…
ok vegan
Most people are going to say beef, chicken, and pork.
Yet goat is the most popular meat worldwide. And I'm good with that, those weird-eyed hellspawn need to die.
Goats are goated though.
They are our protection against the holy army who are coming to rapture (kidnap) us.
Hail the goat.
Question: For any aspiring vegetarians/vegans, what are the best foods to ease the transition?
For instance, I'd ideally be looking for something with complete protein and few to no additional carbs, to be accompanied by the vegetable dishes I already eat. Beyond meat tastes great but still manages to find exemplary ways to be unhealthy with things like saturated fats, and probably doesn't do much to resolve any exploitation issues, though it at least appears to be a step in the right direction.
For people looking to move to vegetarianism, possibly as a bridge to veganism, could it reasonably be said that animal products from animals raised in cruelty free and free range conditions are ethical? Can any organizations assure that?
Lentils and mushrooms are high in protein and have a mealy texture with a give. They've been my meat-substitute best friends during becoming vegetarian :) Legumes in general are a good bet if you're a fan of them.
It's hard to find animal products you can be sure are cruelty free, unless you get them from a farm where you're familiar with the owners, and you don't consider animal products to be inherently unethical.