Going meat free for a week

[Lullabelle]

I have been thinking for a while about going meat free for a week to try and see how we get on, we have briefly discussed this and both agreed it is do-able. We both like our meat but just want to try it so over the next few days or so we will both be scouring the interweb for recipes.

We like chicken fajitas, just replace the chicken with big meaty mushrooms and that sort of thing so we know it can be done. Don't want to go strictly vegetarian just not eat meat.

My main concern is that my husband is very active and can be on his feet for most of the day so we will need to make sure he is getting enough protein from other food sources, plus some days can be very long so a lot of chopping and preparing is not ideal at the end of the day so we are looking for relatively quick, easy and healthy meal ideas.

 

[Morning Glory]

Beans and pulses are an excellent source of protein. And if its only meat you are avoiding, you can have eggs, cheese and fish. So that aspect shouldn't be a problem at all. We eat vegetarian about 2 or 3 days out of 7 and I cook vegetarian for my daughter every day. What I very often do is make a big batch of basic tomato sauce (softened chopped onions, chopped garlic, tins of crushed tomatoes, big squish of tomato puree and a large glug of red wine and seasoning. Cook for ten minutes or more until reduced and thicker in texture. You then have a versatile base for lots of vegetarian dishes with not much need to chop. For example:

Chilli: Add chilli powder, cumin powder and a tin of beans of your choice (I like borlotti or black beans if I can get them). Serve with a baked potato or rice and salad.
Bolognaise: Add some mixed herbs, cooked lentils (buy them ready cooked in a tin or Merchant Gourmet do a good one in a sachet). You can cook your own, of course! Serve with pasta of your choice, basil leaves and grated parmesan on top with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tuna Pasta: Add a tin (or two) of tuna to the sauce, mix in cooked pasta and put in a baking dish. Top with grated cheese and bake for 25mins.

I'm sure @SatNavSaysStraightOn will have lots of ideas!

 

[Lullabelle]

Beans and pulses are an excellent source of protein. And if its only meat you are avoiding, you can have eggs, cheese and fish. So that aspect shouldn't be a problem at all. We eat vegetarian about 2 or 3 days out of 7 and I cook vegetarian for my daughter every day. What I very often do is make a big batch of basic tomato sauce (softened chopped onions, chopped garlic, tins of crushed tomatoes, big squish of tomato puree and a large glug of red wine and seasoning. Cook for ten minutes or more until reduced and thicker in texture. You then have a versatile base for lots of vegetarian dishes with not much need to chop. For example:

Chilli: Add chilli powder, cumin powder and a tin of beans of your choice (I like borlotti or black beans if I can get them). Serve with a baked potato or rice and salad.
Bolognaise: Add some mixed herbs, cooked lentils (buy them ready cooked in a tin or Merchant Gourmet do a good one in a sachet). You can cook your own, of course! Serve with pasta of your choice, basil leaves and grated parmesan on top with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tuna Pasta: Add a tin (or two) of tuna to the sauce, mix in cooked pasta and put in a baking dish. Top with grated cheese and bake for 25mins.

I'm sure @SatNavSaysStraightOn will have lots of ideas!

We are looking at beans and pulses, would like to try quinoa but the supermarket doesn't always have any on the shelves. We have quite a few cook books that contain meat free meals but I like input from 'non chefs' who know what it is like to do a days work then have to cook, their ideas can be very interesting. Didn't think about using lentils in a bolognaise..... funnily enough my husband is making a batch of bol later this evening, with mince, we bought it especially but it will be divided up and put into the freezer so may suggest the lentil idea

 

[Morning Glory]

Quinoa. I have to confess that I'm not the greatest fan of quinoa (to my shame ). But you may like it. Its slightly nutty in taste but to my mind rather muddy and dull. I probably have jaded tastebuds from too much chilli or perhaps I've never cooked it properly!

Another thing I use sometimes is Quorn products. Not all of them are good but the chicken-like pieces aren't at all bad.

 

[Berties]

We are using spelt at the moment a lot another carb similar to pearl barley in many ways
We get a large veg box every couple of weeks and could quite easy eat no meat ,just like the variety

 

[Morning Glory]

Pearl barley is good. Its very cheap (unlike quinoa and the like). I've made risottos with it quite successfully as it does produce that creamy texture required. I've also used it in bean burgers. But lets not forget the comfort of plump pearls of barley in a soup or stew.

 

[Morning Glory]

So have you started your meat-free week, @Lullabelle? Today I'm doing meat-free cauliflower and broccoli cheese with a few pickled walnuts studded through it, plus garlic baked potatoes (potatoes baked in jackets then scooped out and mashed with butter and minced garlic, piled back in the skin and browned on top).

 

[winterybella]

Yesterday I did not feel like cooking. My husband whipped up a lot of vegetables and a small amount of rice. I felt like the meal was so incomplete I ended up making a turkey stew before I could actually eat. Not good at all because I am always saying I want to try going meatless for a while. One day and I had to introduce meat.

 

[Lullabelle]

So have you started your meat-free week, @Lullabelle? Today I'm doing meat-free cauliflower and broccoli cheese with a few pickled walnuts studded through it, plus garlic baked potatoes (potatoes baked in jackets then scooped out and mashed with butter and minced garlic, piled back in the skin and browned on top).

We haven't started yet because we are still looking into meat free meals, we always plan our meals so research is important before we start

 

[Lullabelle]

So have you started your meat-free week, @Lullabelle? Today I'm doing meat-free cauliflower and broccoli cheese with a few pickled walnuts studded through it, plus garlic baked potatoes (potatoes baked in jackets then scooped out and mashed with butter and minced garlic, piled back in the skin and browned on top).

Potatoes and garlic yummy big fan of garlic

 

[Morning Glory]

We haven't started yet because we are still looking into meat free meals, we always plan our meals so research is important before we start

Well, you have got me inspired to eat meat-free for (at least) a week. I like to plan too but I also like an element of risk.So I've gone mad with my on-line Tesco delivery and ordered lots of veg without a specific plan. We will see what happens! Partner and I are on holiday for two days in Canterbury mid-week but we intend to eat fish (an excellent restaurant near the hotel) or otherwise vegetarian.

 

[Corzhens]

There is this religious season called Lent where we do not eat meat for 1 week. It is a good season for me since I am forced to avoid meat even for a week - 6 days actually, i.e. from Monday to Saturday only and Easter is a time for feasting already. During that period, the only thing we eat aside from fruits and vegetables are fish. Seafood like shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels are also not eaten for the purpose of sacrificing as a religious act of the devotee.

 

[Lullabelle]

Well, you have got me inspired to eat meat-free for (at least) a week. I like to plan too but I also like an element of risk.So I've gone mad with my on-line Tesco delivery and ordered lots of veg without a specific plan. We will see what happens! Partner and I are on holiday for two days in Canterbury mid-week but we intend to eat fish (an excellent restaurant near the hotel) or otherwise vegetarian.

We plan our meals to limit waste and at least 1 meal per week is made from left-overs. I suppose we are just so used to eating meat that we don't give much thought to meals without. It is something I want to try.

 

[Morning Glory]

We plan our meals to limit waste and at least 1 meal per week is made from left-overs. I suppose we are just so used to eating meat that we don't give much thought to meals without. It is something I want to try.

I did find that ordering so much veg was a lot cheaper than my normal shop. Four Tesco crates of stuff with no meat for under £40! But what to do with it all? So far, I have a plan for the aubergines involving mozzarella, lentils and pasta. Also, the inklings of a plan for the squash, parsnips and beetroot. I'm now worried I'm going to waste things...

 

[Lullabelle]

Over the next few weeks my husband will be working away from home off and on plus we have a couple of celebratory meals to look forward to. Once they are done then we can seriously think about doing this, it will be easy to be free maybe 1 day a week here and there.