Meat-free protein

[mogs0]

I look after two children who don't eat meat and am trying to think of some new meal ideas.

My cooking skills are basic and most of my usual, tried and tested recipes contain meat.

Google suggested quinoa but I have no idea what to do with it, any ideas?

Also, both children are fairly fussy eaters just to make it that bit easier .

Replace minced beef with TVP, Quorn mince or puy lentils in stuff like Shepherd's Pie, chilli, lasagna, spag bol.
Use Quorn sausages for sausage and mash, toad in the hole, sausage stew
Ditto Quorn "Chicken breasts" in chicken casserole, roast dinner etc

Or, more pulsey and less fake-meaty
Lentil bake - fry and onion and garlic, add a tin of toms, teaspoon of marmite/veg stock cube, cup of red lentils, cup of water. Cook up until lentils are soft (about half an hour), add more water as needed, layer with sliced potato/sweet potato, sprinkle with grated cheese, bake for about 45 mins, gas 6ish.

Chickpea stew - stew up courgettes, onion, aubergine, mushrooms, peppers and a can of chickpeas. I flavour with cummin and cinnamon.

Veg chilli - with chunks of sweet potato and kidney beans

Veg burgers - cheating method - stuffing mix (chestnut is good), bag of chopped nuts, other veg and herbs/spices of choice. Cover in beaten egg then dip in flour/breadcrumbs/polenta/semolina and fry

Eggs - tortilla is a big hit with my 3 yo

Stir fry - with cashews or tofu or Quorn instead of meat

You can use quinoa as you would rice- it cooks in the same way (I cook quinoa in the rice cooker- you can add a bit of stock instead of plain water for a bit of extra flavour).

We often have quinoa as a base for a big salad- left-over roast veg chopped up, some corriander/spinach/peas/something green that is likely to be eaten and some feta crumbled through it with some toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds- looks colourful and the kids eat it.

Would they go for a veg and chickpea curry with quinoa (or brown rice which has loads more protein than white rice)?The chickpeas are high protein as well.

Do they eat fish? A tuna pasta sauce with quinoa instead of pasta might also work?

Mexican style beans with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream with quinoa instead of rice?

Hope some of these ideas are useful and good luck! :)

Wow, thanks! That's a great list.

I tried tofu the other day and wasn't keen. Also, tried quorn mince a while ago and not in a rush to try it again (maybe it's me who's the fussy one ).

I like the sound of lentil bake and I wonder if I could get the children to try chickpea stew without telling them what's in it first.

Any idea what to do with quinoa?

X-post...I'm so slow at typing!

My DS is veggie and fussy. Suggestions:

Omlet
Tortilla filled with whatever they like - including cheese, beans, etc - v flexible with fussy eaters and they can assemble their own
Quiche
Quorn and mushroom pies
toad in the hole with veggie sausages
Baked beans, cheese and jacket potatoes
pizza - again keep simple and let them choose toppings
Veggie sausmix or lentils with tomato puree and spagetti, or lasagne
Cheese and spinach pasties.

Twolittlebundles - thanks! Another great list of ideas. One child will eat tuna, the other will only eat Birds Eye fish fingers (but doesn't realise that she gets fed Aldi's own brand fish fingers at my house!).

Is quinoa similar to rice then? Texture/taste?

quinoa is a bit like cous cous.

Purpleroses - omelette would be good - they both like eggs. Jacket potatoes are on the menu tomorrow night and feature quite regularly, aswell as pasta and pesto! I'm just a bit concerned about them getting a balanced meal and trying to get my ds and I into a better routine of eating a balanced meal and picking 'better' foods as we currently eat a fair amount of rubbish.

Yes, hopefully my cooking is better than my spelling OMELETTE, OMELETTE, OMELETTE.....

quinoa has a nutty taste, and is small and round like cous cous. As it cooks, some of it seems to unfurl a little. Overcooked it is mush, but cooked well it is very tasty and has the benefit of working well as warming comfort food too :)

what about samosas? easy to make a bunch and freeze them too.
vege lasagne?

I sometimes use cooked quinoa as the stuffing for mushrooms or peppers. Mix cooked qunoa with things like sweetcorn, cheese and finely chopped spring onions, stuff the mushrooms/peppers and bake until everything is tender.

Frozen soy beans are good.
Stiry fry with noodles, julienne(d?)carrots and courgettes, mushrooms, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.

Veg risotto? I make one with mushrooms and leeks and a bit of cheese. It also freezes well.

Falafel is easy to make and a good snack or served in pitta with salad

cheese straws for snacks

I'm not a big fan of quorn at all. Or any imitation meat.

For veggie meals I usually use cheese, egg, tofu or beans as protein.

Cheese - mac & cheese, pasta bakes with lots of cheddar, all variations of cheese on toast (you can grate apples, carrots, tomatoes), cream cheese based pasta sauce

Egg - omelettes, frittata

Tofu - you need quite strong flavoured food with this. Thai red and green curries. Ramen noodles (ie wagamama), sichuan tofu (a hot chilli sauce), pad thai, any stir fried rice and noodles (add nuts if for older children)

Beans - chillies, refried beans (in nachos, quesadilla, anything mexican), chickpea stews

I'm not a veggie myself, but I've recently discovered falafels and am addicted to them! My nearly 1yr old DS wolfs them down, and even my avid meat eating DH loves them, so I would definitely suggest giving them a go. So far, the best ones I have found are Sainsbury's own, but I understand they are pretty easy to make.

Hope this helps!

I have quinoa with stir fried vegetables. Quinoa is a complete protein, so there is no need to add additional protein [though you can if you wish, eg chopped nuts or tofu]. Just cook quinoa as per packet instructions, then stir fry veg. I flavour mine with pureed ginger, chilli and garlic then add soy sauce and lemon juice.