I love meat. I can't lie, and I don't think anything will ever beat a bacon sandwich in fluffy white bread, drowned in brown sauce on a Sunday morning. Saying this, I've been trying to make a concerted effort to eat less meat and try and find meat-free alternatives. This isn't really for animal cruelty reasons but more about my health and trying to eat better/more sustainable.
I've already started by swapping my extra lean mince for the Quorn alternative, which works out much cheaper for me and I notice no difference to the quality or taste of my chilli and bolognese. I've also used Quorn 'chicken' bits for my fajitas as when they are covered in seasoning you really can't tell the difference.
This 'conversion' of sorts (I will never call myself vegetarian and surrender the chorizo or bacon) has made me take particular interest in recipes that don't include meat but still pack plenty of flavour and taste. I'm not really a confident cook and have no idea where to start as meat has always been the main part of my meals growing up. I'm also pretty lazy, which is an issue. I prefer to dedicate an hour to batch cooking and then no more than half an hour when I get in chucking it all together. This is pretty hard to do when I'm trying to include more fresh vegetables into my diet.
Luckily, I happened to stumble across Amuse Your Bouche and she is a little bit of a genius and my recipe book is now full of recipes to try. She also seems to have a strong love for Mexican food, which makes me love her even more. All of the below recipes are taken from her fantastic site and I highly recommend you visiting her website if you are trying to include more veggie dishes in your diet.
I've already started by swapping my extra lean mince for the Quorn alternative, which works out much cheaper for me and I notice no difference to the quality or taste of my chilli and bolognese. I've also used Quorn 'chicken' bits for my fajitas as when they are covered in seasoning you really can't tell the difference.
This 'conversion' of sorts (I will never call myself vegetarian and surrender the chorizo or bacon) has made me take particular interest in recipes that don't include meat but still pack plenty of flavour and taste. I'm not really a confident cook and have no idea where to start as meat has always been the main part of my meals growing up. I'm also pretty lazy, which is an issue. I prefer to dedicate an hour to batch cooking and then no more than half an hour when I get in chucking it all together. This is pretty hard to do when I'm trying to include more fresh vegetables into my diet.
Luckily, I happened to stumble across Amuse Your Bouche and she is a little bit of a genius and my recipe book is now full of recipes to try. She also seems to have a strong love for Mexican food, which makes me love her even more. All of the below recipes are taken from her fantastic site and I highly recommend you visiting her website if you are trying to include more veggie dishes in your diet.
Veggie Burrito Bowl
As previously stated, I love Mexican food and I will always eat meat if I'm heading to Cielo Blanco is Leeds but for weekday meals this is a much healthier and better option. This recipe is 'clean' meaning there are no preservatives or nasty things, which is always a bonus. I'm hoping once I've made this a couple of times I'll be more confident with how to make Mexican-flavoured food. It's basically, rice, beans and a lot of spices and garlic so should be simple enough so that even I can't mess it up. Also might jazz up brown rice a bit.
As previously stated, I love Mexican food and I will always eat meat if I'm heading to Cielo Blanco is Leeds but for weekday meals this is a much healthier and better option. This recipe is 'clean' meaning there are no preservatives or nasty things, which is always a bonus. I'm hoping once I've made this a couple of times I'll be more confident with how to make Mexican-flavoured food. It's basically, rice, beans and a lot of spices and garlic so should be simple enough so that even I can't mess it up. Also might jazz up brown rice a bit.
Aubergine Salad
I am a bit boring when it comes to salads and struggle as I can't have nuts, don't like lettuce or cucumber, and don't want to spend an hour preparing it. This aubergine salad is everything good about salads. I know there is plenty of cheese but apart from that it's all vegetables so works out a lot better than a big bowl of pasta that I would normally be eating. I think when I make it I will swap the aubergine for courgette as they are my new favourite thing to cook and take literally a couple of minutes in the pan. I love the combination of tomatoes and cheese so this is going to become a week night favourite I think.
I am a bit boring when it comes to salads and struggle as I can't have nuts, don't like lettuce or cucumber, and don't want to spend an hour preparing it. This aubergine salad is everything good about salads. I know there is plenty of cheese but apart from that it's all vegetables so works out a lot better than a big bowl of pasta that I would normally be eating. I think when I make it I will swap the aubergine for courgette as they are my new favourite thing to cook and take literally a couple of minutes in the pan. I love the combination of tomatoes and cheese so this is going to become a week night favourite I think.
Fiery Spaghetti
Becca gave this dish a lovely Italian name, but as I will be leaving the capers and olives out, the version I make will mostly be fiery spaghetti. I've been trying to limit the amount of wheat produce I eat and it leaves me really bloated and feeling uncomfortable but it means that when I do have pasta as a weekly treat I want it to be delicious. This recipe combines chilli, tomatoes and garlic to make what looks like a spectacular dish.
What are your favourite veggie dishes?
Becca gave this dish a lovely Italian name, but as I will be leaving the capers and olives out, the version I make will mostly be fiery spaghetti. I've been trying to limit the amount of wheat produce I eat and it leaves me really bloated and feeling uncomfortable but it means that when I do have pasta as a weekly treat I want it to be delicious. This recipe combines chilli, tomatoes and garlic to make what looks like a spectacular dish.
What are your favourite veggie dishes?