To ask which vegetarian/meatless products are a hit/miss?

[MissContrary]

Especially at Tescos. Can you still cook things like the mince in the slow cooker?

My husband, the avid meat eater who regularly bemoans vegetarians (much to my annoyance) has been abducted by aliens and replaced with a husband who wants to eat less meat due to the environmental impact

I’m not a vegetarian but always use Quorn mince, it’s better than beef and yes you can pretty much cook it how you like (but there’s little point in using a slow cooker). Also beanburgers are not too bad.

Tofu on the other hand..... no, just no.

Tesco's own brand vegi hotdogs are really nice.

I'm not sure about soya but quorn would turn to pulp.Get your husband to meal plan and find recipes,cook even.
Always cook to much when you do and freeze.
Has he given up fish as well?
My DD has become a piscatarian and I now have lots of meals that take 1/2 to do.Pizzas are good because you can have whatever you like on yours.
Part if it depends on the sort of food you are before and what does most if the cooking.

If you can stomach quorn, the fishless fingers are great. Best of all the dupes. Lots of people have a problem with quorn though; either tummy trouble or the fact it's made in vats of mould.

Linda McCartney stuff is really good.

There's new jackfruit stuff out recently I haven't tried. A bit like pulled pork I'm told.

I like the old fashioned veggie burgers; lumps of veg and cheese.

We eat a LOT of lentils tho. Use them in chilli and make dhal etc rather than using substitutes.

I use quorn a lot, the cubedfake chicken works well in stir fry meals and I really like the taste of it. Tofu depends on the type and how you work with it. It can have a great texture and absorb the flavour of the dish or it can be like eating 1970s sofa foam.

Avoid Linda McCartney sausages, which, according to DH, are actually Satan's cock.

Personally I'd avoid most of the pretend meat products. There's a whole world of fantastic non-meat food out there. You can have a big box of vegetables delivered with the money you save on meat and set off on a meatless adventure.

You can use lentils and beans instead of mince and meaty vegetables like mushrooms and squash are filling. I'd just make the same things as usual but replacing the meat with veg. If you need something really quick, Tesco do Wicked ready meals which are vegetarian and they are lovely.

Not a fan of quorn - but do love their Bacon strips. I call it 'fakin bacin' looks as though a three year old has designed it but fried in a little butter.

Iceland 'No Bull' burgers are the best veggie burger I have ever had.

Cauldron range of marinated firm tofu.

Oh and I have to say I tried Quorn mince once and it made me heave

I really miss good tempeh. So hard to get in the UK, we are really behind in discovering it (yes I know the ones that you get here wrapped in plastic...can't remember its name, but it's nothing to write home about)

Tofu and all that soy products aren't really very good for you.

Strong roots burgers are amazing, especially kale and quinoa. Strong roots anything really, the sweet potato chips are nice too.

I recommend trying some recipes that don't rely on meat. To me a "meat replacement" is always a disappointment.

Here's one of my favourites:

Cauliflower Goulash

1 cauliflower
1 red pepper
1 red onion
100g Parmesan (or veggie alternative if you want to avoid aninal rennet)
2 tins of chopped tomato
Lots of garlic (My happy place is 5 cloves, but I like it garlicy)
1 red chilli optional
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Smoked Paprika, Oregano
A splash of red wine (optional)
Olive Oil

Sweat the onion and chilli for 5 mins. Add cauliflower floret and red peppers, fry for a minute, add finely chopped garlic.
When you can smell garlic pour the red wine into the pan and let it go slightly syrupy.
Add in the tinned tomato, season, and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower is soft (takes about 15-20min).
Take off the heat and stir in the cheese, drizzle with oil, let it rest for 2min.
Grwat with rice and potatoes. I serve it with new potatoes tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and thyme.

Taifun tofu wieners are a favourite in our house.
I also make a bean and quinoa chilli that my dc prefer to meat. The put it in stand and stuff tortilla boats and top with salad, cheese, salsa etc.

Can’t you just eat vegetarian foods ? I don’t understand food trying to be meat . What’s the point of it ?

Wind him up, show him the bosh YouTube channel and let him go! ( yummy, bang, easy)
What does he think about the environmental impact of soy production

Bang?! Was meant to say tasty!

On the whole I prefer to widen the range of veg I eat, and to be more adventurous preparing them, than to use fake meat, but there are some substitutes that are nice for a change.

Quorn mini scotch eggs, mini sausage rolls and cocktail sausages are the only Quorn products worth eating IMO.

McSween vegetarian haggis is really nice.

Tofu and other fermented soya products (typically Japanese) are perfectly healthy. It's the non-fermented (typically Western) products that are less healthy, and can give susceptible people wind.

Wild mushrooms slow-cooked on low, with soured cream, garlic, veg stock, bay leaf and black pepper. Tarragon and chives added toward the end. Lush.

Mix red wine, mushroom ketchup and dark chocolate/cocoa powder to give a rich, almost meaty taste in stews. Sorry, can't tell you quantities, as I do it by eye and taste. Maybe 1 glass red wine, 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup, half a square chocolate or quarter tsp cocoa?

I've been veggie for years so cook a lot of beans, curries, middle eastern stuff. A lot of pasta dishes are veggie so easy for newbies. But there is a place for veggie fast food, varying food sources/textures.

Don't know about Tesco's but Sainsbury's and Waitrose both do good ranges, Higgidy Pies are pretty tasty, but overpriced; Tivall do a good range of soy 'meat' balls - great simmered in a tomato sauce and served with pasta and grated cheese - also good burgers, great hot dogs and their mince doesn't clump like Quorn. All cook from frozen very fast.

Tofu comes in a wide range now, the basic stuff good for stir-fries, but hard to store, the smoked kind easier to work with and tastes better. There's a variety that's flavoured with basil and firm so slices well, good in sandwiches and in salads. Halloumi cheese, slice it and then cook on a griddle or lightly-oiled pan, great in salads and in wraps just use the tortilla wraps; also good in wraps are falafels, particularly with hummus, salad and a dash of sweet chili sauce.

Holland and Barratt are good for veggie sandwich fillings like veggie bacon, veggie slices and so on...

Agree with other posters avoid Linda McCartney all taste vile or bland. But standard veggie sausages have improved and work well in all normal sausage-related meals, the spicy ones tend to be nicest, but do need to coat with oil before cooking, or very dry. M an S also has good posher veggie ranges, especially towards Christmas. Also a lot of Indian and Chinese food ranges are okay, just check the label, will have a suitable for veggies label somewhere or the V sign!

Nut cutlets work for my dd, who will eat tofu (Bleurgh!) but doesn’t do Quora or fake meat. Cashew not stir fry is the dogs foodshs though

Maybe I should try again without dropping my phone?

Dd doesn’t do Quorn or fake meat - but cashew nut stir fry is the dogs doodahs xxx

I have to admit find nut cutlets too dry and a bit dull, but like the Quorn escalopes if done with a sauce, also sweetcorn fritters are great and easy to make - loads of recipes online.

Can’t you just eat vegetarian foods ? I don’t understand food trying to be meat . What’s the point of it ?
Because some vegetarians enjoy the taste of meat but choose not to consume it for ethical / environmental reasons. These 'foods trying to be meat' fill that gap.

The quorn frozen vegetarian bacon was a surprise. Looks like a shoe insole but tastes of smokey bacon crisps. I very much enjoy the quorn picnic eggs as a snack food.

I feel like veggie mince is pointless usually and it goes mushy and invisibile. Easily substituted for lentils / beans and cheaper.

I really enjoy the Quorn cheese and broccoli escalopes (sp?) with new potatoes and veg.

Tesco do a Mozarella, Veg and Pesto melt which is divine.

Aunt Bessie's toad in the hole is pretty decent (I can never made yorkshires, they turn out shit!)

There's a good Nigel Slater stir fry recipe, will be online at Guardian site, original calls for prawns but substitute tofu, has loads of garlic, chili and nut oils so tofu soaks up the flavour. Also tofu good substitute for paneer cheese in curries, stir fry beforehand so crispy. Again takes on flavour from the curry. The tofu that comes packed in water is the one I hate but the smoked ones I've found are good in spicy dishes.

I love Aunt Bessie's toad but local shops don't seem to stock the veggie one anymore. I've not had problems with Soya mince only with Quorn, the Tivall one is great in Bolognese sauce.

But if using the Soy mince as a substitute in meat recipes have to add olive oil, a tablespoon stirred through - if recipe is for meat and calls for olive oil still add the extra. It's also good in lasagne.

Veggie haggis is the only meat substitute worth a damn, imho. Either steamed with neeps and mash, or I sauté it with fried potatoes and onions, stick in the oven to get crispy, then serve with a fried egg and brown sauce.

Actually haven't had this for ages and want it now!