So… someone sent me a link to this recipe today:
VEGAN TURKEY THAT LOOKS LIKE TURKEY (or Flounder)
It looks pretty good! For a vegan Turkey.
I wrestle with that – only because as I get further into my Vegan-o-licious life… I find I want meat substitutes less frequently. And I think that’s a good thing. Because generally, when you’re eating MOST of the sub’s, you’re eating processed stuff. Sure, it’s Vegan, so it’s better than a box-o-brownies with a shelf life longer than military MREs… but still.
Whole foods… has kind of a nice ring to it (and I mean the food, not necessarily the store, though I do like the store… when I’m flush with cash).
One of the recipes on this site… the Rustic Cabbage Soup… is all veggies, and beans, and, well, soup. AND – you can make it in like 40 minutes or less – and it tastes like you’ve been cooking it all day.
But then there’s the Chick’n and Dumplings. It’s amazing, and a family favorite, but I wonder. Does it HELP things by using the fake chick’n? Or would chick PEAS be just as yummy? And more whole-food-y.
BY the WAY… on the Chick’n and Dumplings… I totally cut the prep time (and, more importantly, the CLEAN UP time by … like… a lot.
How? I’m sure you’re begging to know?
Well.. the recipe calls for rolling out the dough on a floured surface (not a weeknight joy)… and then cutting and dumping in the soup.
So… I kneaded in the bowl… and pinched off… and put it in the soup. Fantastic! Brilliant! I am SO impressed!!
I can assure you we’ll make more of THAT meal now that I’ve taken the EASE level up a lot.
But I digress.
I’m curious… what are your feelings about eating meat substitutes? Do you have any? Feelings, that is? About it, I mean?
Me? I’m not going to cut them out entirely… but I definitely don’t have them at every meal, either. Well, not at most meals. Okay, at quite a few… but I watch it.
I do eat a lot of whole foods… but still do opt for the ease, the convenience, and – dare I say – the comfort… of a good substitue meat.
But Morningstar Farms still sucks for putting eggs and milk BACK in their previously Vegan stuff.
I’ve been wrestling with the same question. I have a meat eater in my house and I’ve found that he’s much more likely to eat vegan foods if there is a meat substitue involved. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 17 years so I don’t “need” the meat substitues, but there is something about the convience and I would prefer my family eat vegan food, even if it is processed. OK – that was a long comment and I’m sure there are plent of misspellings, so I appologize. 🙂