A question for Veggies?

Mr_Proctalgia

I was looking at some quorn today, it all seems to contain egg white, and the Linda McCartneys stuff seems to me to be high fat too, so I'll continue with my home made known content mixed meals. Also I read that it is now all but impossible to get GM free soya products as the growth of GM soya is inciduous, also a lot of additives to some products do not have to be declared as GM or not.

I actually like the "mouth feel" of quorn and stock up when it is on bogof, I use TVP to stretch mince (especially cheap fatty mince) it soaks up the fat and with a bit of gravy browning just disappears in the real mince, its the same with soya chunks and stews or curry, a little goes along way. Not I hasten to add to replicate meat but just because it is cheap. What I really miss is Kesp - Now who remembers that stuff, it was lovely!

bluemoon_3

>>>I buy egg-free mayo for my egg-allergic dd,I'd love a recipe for it bluemoon.I'd really appreciate it if you'd post it here or PM me.

I found both online here. Scroll down the page and both recipes are there. The first (using silken tofu) is super quick but doesn't present any real monetary savings, since a box of silken tofu costs about the same as a jar of egg-free mayo! The second takes a little more effort and you need to leave it to cool, but it's very low-fat, cheap and I really love the taste.

Since I've posted that link, give the 'eggless egg salad' a go at some point - it's one of DH and my favourites. I leave out the pepper and celery, but always add the minced gherkins (dill pickles). It's yummy in wraps, rolls, pittas . . .

>>>Blue Moon I would love the recipe for 'Melty Pizza Cheese' if you can post it or tell me where to find it.

Found it online here. I use a clove of garlic instead of garlic powder, and I find the basic recipe works as a nice, thick sauce without any of the other adaptations. In the recipe book I have, it also has the option of whisking in 1 Tbsp oil (something with a nice or light taste) at the same time as the 2 Tbsp water, which I always do.

The really important thing for all of these recipes is to make sure you use nutritional yeast and NOT brewers yeast (or any other kind of yeast!). The only brand I know of that you can get in the UK is Engevita. A tub of this lasts quite a number of uses and has a long shelf-life. Also remember that US cornstarch is UK cornflour.

If you have any probs with the links, let me know and I'll type the recipes up on the boards. All of these recipes are by Bryanna Clark Grogan. I have two of her cookbooks (Nonna's Italian Kitchen and 20 Minutes to Dinner) and even though they use American terminology and measures, I use them at least weekly and would *highly* recommend them. Check out the recipe archives on her website.

This post feels a little long-winded, but hopefully it's helpful.

Trow

Mr_Proctalgia wrote:

Also I read that it is now all but impossible to get GM free soya products as the growth of GM soya is inciduous, also a lot of additives to some products do not have to be declared as GM or not.

I haven't had any trouble - I get mine from SUMA and it is labelled 'gm-free tvp mince' - you should be able to source it from any semi-decent health food shop, I would have thought.

Mr_Proctalgia

There is unfortunately no such thing as GM free, GM free soya is allowed to have 1% gm before it is declared to be
GM.

This is a good read http://www.food.gov.uk/gmdebate/aboutgm/108374?view=GM%20Microsite

From http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/whatisge.htm
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Q: Which foods are not GM?[/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A: [/font]Presently certified organic foods are the best bet for the anti-GM consumer. However, even with the best intentions, companies attempting to exclude GM ingredients from their products have found contamination from GM crops. De Rit recently had to recall a batch of organic tortilla chips after tests showed that they contained GM maize. The company believes that cross-pollination of crops was to blame. Iceland, the only supermarket chain to try to ban GM ingredients from its own-brand products, recently wrote to its suppliers acknowledging that some GM contamination is unavoidable, because of cross-pollination of crops. The Linda McCartney range of vegetarian meals has also been discovered to be contaminated with GM soya.

Meanwhile, organic farming is under threat from the biotech companies. In the U.S., lawyers from the biotech companies are trying to force the government to require that GM crops can be declared organic. Some U.S. states have succumbed to Monsanto’s pressure and banned GM-free labels on food. Monsanto has successfully sued dairy farmers who labelled dairy products as free or Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone.

Due to so-called free trade agreements established by the World Trade Organisation, it may become illegal for individual countries to maintain higher organic standards than the U.S. So what happens in the U.S. has a direct knock-on effect on Europe.




Also google "GM Free Soya" and "GM Soya" Some frightening reading out there.

thanet

I have been veggie since age of 6 - my choice (parents farmers and big meat eaters). I would never consider buying a food item that looks, tastes, smells or in any way pretents to be a lump of meat. Those products are aimed at those who gave up meat for 'health' reasons but who basically enjoy eating the stuff. Anyone not eating meat for moral reasons generally are happy not trying to duplicate the stuff. There are thousands of recipes and meals out there that dont include meat so there really is no need to try to imitate it.

Trow

thanet wrote:

I have been veggie since age of 6 - my choice (parents farmers and big meat eaters). I would never consider buying a food item that looks, tastes, smells or in any way pretents to be a lump of meat. Those products are aimed at those who gave up meat for 'health' reasons but who basically enjoy eating the stuff. Anyone not eating meat for moral reasons generally are happy not trying to duplicate the stuff. There are thousands of recipes and meals out there that dont include meat so there really is no need to try to imitate it.

I disagree - I became veggie for moral reasons - not because of any moral issues regarding the eating of meat per se, but the (I believe) bigger moral issue of factory farming and the conditions that these animals are forced to endure. I eat meat subs (mainly tvp mince) - and to be honest I don't eat it because I enjoyed mince - mince always made me physically gag - but because I enjoy tvp mince - it has a different texture and one that to me is palatable (unlike meat mince). I know many veggies that have eaten meat subs. Usually they don't constitue a huge part of their diet, but they are a handy quick lunch for when time is short.

Trow

Mr_Proctalgia wrote:

There is unfortunately no such thing as GM free, GM free soya is allowed to have 1% gm before it is declared to be
GM. <snipped for brevity>

Thats interesting and scary info Mr Proc! As long as I continue to buy the goods that have 1% or less GM (hopefully) then at elaast I will be doing my bit to support the growing of non GM foods - if everyone was to follow suit then agriculture of GM crops would not be worth doing. Sadly I can't see it happening as people need to eat, and if thats whats available, thats what they'll buy...

bluemoon_3

thanet wrote:

Anyone not eating meat for moral reasons generally are happy not trying to duplicate the stuff.

I think this is too much of a blanket statement. I've met plenty of moral/ethical vegetarians and vegans who include meat (and dairy) subs in their diets, and also some who don't, and the reasonings behind those choices are as varied as the people who made them.

Gingham_Ribbon

I used to buy things like frozen veggie burgers, quorn etc. But to be honest, since finding this site I not only never buy them, but don't much like them, prefering fresh home cooked food instead.

We went overdrawn this Christmas and it wasn't the presents or booze that did it. I slipped into my old shopping ways quite badly and bought frozen food for convenience, knowing I was going to be bobbing back now and again but staying with relatives and didn't want food going off in the fridge. I wasn't organised enough to prepare in advance.

I was shocked when I got to the till, having forgotten how much I used to pay for my shopping. I'm eating the last of the burgers and curly fries now and will NOT miss them. Shopping later and hopefully back to fresh veg, pulses and plenty of flavour.

thanet

Trow wrote:

I disagree - I became veggie for moral reasons - not because of any moral issues regarding the eating of meat per se, but the (I believe) bigger moral issue of factory farming and the conditions that these animals are forced to endure. I eat meat subs (mainly tvp mince) - and to be honest I don't eat it because I enjoyed mince - mince always made me physically gag - but because I enjoy tvp mince - it has a different texture and one that to me is palatable (unlike meat mince). I know many veggies that have eaten meat subs. Usually they don't constitue a huge part of their diet, but they are a handy quick lunch for when time is short.

When time is short??? How long does it take to make a stirfry?