There are a few reasons why it's a good idea to reduce the amount of meat we eat - it's a more environmentally friendly choice, it's cheaper and some would say it's healthier, although I am not convinced that it is for everyone. I certainly don't think we have to eat meat every day and over the next month, I'm going to halve the amount of meat we eat, for no other reason than I want to. I challenge you to join me, for whatever your own reasons may be.
I think one of the problems when we do something like this is that the family might complain, but with a few carefully chosen recipes, or modifying old ones, it can be done fairly easily. Hanno and I were vegetarians for about eight years but when I read the Nourishing Traditions book we started eating meat again. I won't go back to being meatless again but our menu needs a shake up. I want to cut down on the amount of meat in a meal containing meat and to eat meatless a few times a week. I am hoping some of you will join me and share your favourite recipes, so those of us who do this, can build up a good selection of new, but satisfying, home cooked meals.
And that is the challenge - can you reduce the amount of meat you eat by 50 percent? The challenge will go for a month but for us, this will be a permanent change. For clarity, I classify beef, lamb, pork and chicken as meat.
I think one of the problems when we do something like this is that the family might complain, but with a few carefully chosen recipes, or modifying old ones, it can be done fairly easily. Hanno and I were vegetarians for about eight years but when I read the Nourishing Traditions book we started eating meat again. I won't go back to being meatless again but our menu needs a shake up. I want to cut down on the amount of meat in a meal containing meat and to eat meatless a few times a week. I am hoping some of you will join me and share your favourite recipes, so those of us who do this, can build up a good selection of new, but satisfying, home cooked meals.
And that is the challenge - can you reduce the amount of meat you eat by 50 percent? The challenge will go for a month but for us, this will be a permanent change. For clarity, I classify beef, lamb, pork and chicken as meat.
So how do we do this?
Now that the chooks are laying well again and we have the garden up and running, it will be easy to make up my favourite silverbeet/spinach pie. Click here to see how to make it. I'll have to make the pastry or buy some filo but I have cream and cheese in the fridge and the rest of it in the backyard. That's tonight's dinner. I have celery in the fridge too so towards the weekend, I'll make up some potato and celery soup and serve that with a small wholemeal damper - easy, quick, economical and very filling.
Of course, over the course of the day we all need to be eating complete proteins and when you take meat out of the meal, that is more difficult to achieve. Meat is a complete protein, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, eggs, cheese etc, are not, but by combining certain foods you can get complete proteins. For instance, beans alone are not complete protein but beans on wholemeal toast are. If you don't know about complete proteins, I encourage you to read this or to research it further.
Now that the chooks are laying well again and we have the garden up and running, it will be easy to make up my favourite silverbeet/spinach pie. Click here to see how to make it. I'll have to make the pastry or buy some filo but I have cream and cheese in the fridge and the rest of it in the backyard. That's tonight's dinner. I have celery in the fridge too so towards the weekend, I'll make up some potato and celery soup and serve that with a small wholemeal damper - easy, quick, economical and very filling.
Of course, over the course of the day we all need to be eating complete proteins and when you take meat out of the meal, that is more difficult to achieve. Meat is a complete protein, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, eggs, cheese etc, are not, but by combining certain foods you can get complete proteins. For instance, beans alone are not complete protein but beans on wholemeal toast are. If you don't know about complete proteins, I encourage you to read this or to research it further.
I have some chicken in the freezer that we'll have on Friday night and possibly leftovers on Saturday, and by then I'll have sorted out some other meatless ideas. That is part of the challenge for me - to be more organised in my meal selection. We already eat meatless meals but I want to have a better selection of them. Generally I don't menu plan but over this coming month, I will, so I can get into the habit cooking with less meat. I hope to some great ideas from you.
Would you like to join me in this challenge? Please let me know here and also join in the discussion about it on the forum. I'll make a new thread for it later today. Remember, these need to be tried and true recipes that your family or friends love to eat. It will do us good to cut down on meat, doing it together makes it fun, and hopefully, sharing our recipes will give all of us plenty of great ideas for our own meal plans.
Would you like to join me in this challenge? Please let me know here and also join in the discussion about it on the forum. I'll make a new thread for it later today. Remember, these need to be tried and true recipes that your family or friends love to eat. It will do us good to cut down on meat, doing it together makes it fun, and hopefully, sharing our recipes will give all of us plenty of great ideas for our own meal plans.
I like to include a couple of non meat meals each week, I buy fresh local fish once a week and cook it and I will often to a quiche or tart of some sort, coming into winter I will add in soup one night, but since we went gluten free and have also cut back on grains it is more of a challenge to come up with recipes to feed 8 of us!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea for all the reasons you mention! I have already 'taken' the challenge myself - over the last year or two I have reduced our meat consumption so that we only have meat every second dinner and only about twice a week for breakfast or lunch. You do have to step outside your comfort zone at first and look for new recipes but that is part of the fun!!!
ReplyDeletePlease put me down for this challenge! We already eat less meat than we did a year ago, but we can still cut back more. I'll be making more quiches, vegetable lazagna, roasted veggies, salads, and cottage cheese with fruit, just to name a few things. We do eat turkey bacon and chicken a fair amount, so I'll continue with them, although when I plan our menu, I usually think of turkey and chicken as meats. It will be interesting to hear what others will be preparing instead of meat. I think we'll all like this challenge! Thanks for suggesting it.
ReplyDeleteDiane in North Carolina
We've sort of done this already...I'm in the first trimester of pregnancy and until this week the thought of handling raw meat made me sick, so if we had any meat it was on the weekends when my husband could cook it. :) Now that we're in the habit of eating less of it, I think we'll keep it up, even though I'm feeling better.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Rhonda. Our last children have just departed into the big wide world of flatting so we have been able to reduce the meat component without any argument luckily. Check out Linda Woodrow's Witches Kitchen blog for some amazing vegetarian recipes. Lots of ideas and inspiration!!
ReplyDeleteWe are already meatless so can't join in the challenge, but would love to share some of our recipes if any one would like them.
ReplyDeleteKate, I'm sure you have some great recipes, so I'd love you to share them.
ReplyDeleteI am going to "try"being in on this challenge,hoping for some really great recipes i have 8 of us to feed and 5 of them are male
ReplyDeleteLast year I fell in love with a butcher, or rather all the amazing meat products he supplied. I relished my visit each week and built meals around what I discovered in his shop.
ReplyDeleteSix months later, I was heavier, my cholestoral was through the roof and I was spending way too much money...
I cut the butcher out of my life, but I'm much, much healthier now.
We eat meat free about three nights a week. For the other nights I cook more fish and egg dishes, and indulge in gourmet sausages.
We save big meat meals for when we have guests, and make it a real treat - fancy lamb shanks, BBQ pork ribs etc. And truly appreciate it!
Our main meal system is very simple. We mostly have one beef, one chicken, one fish , one egg based and one of either pork or lamb each week. The other 2 meals are either left overs or made using the other main meals as a base like using the chicken carcass from a roast chicken as a base for chicken soup.
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year soup is a favourite around here and vegetable soups such as cauliflower and pot and leek. What ever vegies are cropping in the garden or is in season and so economical to buy - that is our soup base. We have our own chooks so any egg based meals are made from the best of eggs and priced just right.
i'm with you! since reducing my meat consumption over 3 years ago i've felt great! you can go to my animal-friendly blog for meat-free meal ideas.=)
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI got the River Cottage veg Everyday cookbook for Christmas. The author - a committed carnivore - went for a summer without meat and the TV series and book ensued. It is one of the best cookbook I have ever used. I think I consult it everyday at the moment as I try to cut down on our meat intake.
My tip here is Chickpeas (or as we call them for the sake of our 2 year old "Hommous Balls"). I can use them in place of meat in curries and casseroles and with rice they are a complete protein. Or sometimes I use less meat in a dish and pack it out with chickpeas.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes - I've found cooking this way gratifyingly creative!
Jen
Everytime I mention the idea of becoming vegetarian to my husband he refuses. However, after realising we were spending over $50 per fortnight on meat alone I have been steadily cutting back on the amount of meat we eat. I have re-started the tradition of having Roast on Sundays but now I'm also making sure to throw in plenty of vegetarian meals too.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Rhonda. Perfect timing as since being off work for a month for 'burnout', I have done a detox which was meatless except for occasional fish. So I am now keen to get a menu plan to continue eating this way with only fish and occasional meat. I need to do this for health reasons -- high cholesterol, mild hypertension, overweight and osteoporosis in my mid 50's. I have recently also become aware of the environmental effects of producing meat compared to veg / fruit crops.
ReplyDeleteBring on the challenge!
Interestingly I have decided to have less meat as well. Also been watching Hugh at River Cottage on his veg summer. Read recently that if you have a meat portion it should be only the size of one cupped hand, and veges should fit into two, and as I need to lose 10 kgs weight after being on Prednisone, also going to try that as well.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vege meal is one boiled potato with fried onion,tomato, spoonful of chopped bacon all piled on the split potato and a dob of sour cream and grated cheese. Very filling.
Chris at Coffs Harbour
Hi Rhonda, our menu could do with a shake up too. I don't eat meat but the rest of the family seem to make up for that, time to cut them back so I'm up for the challenge.
ReplyDeleteMaking your meat stretch further can be a good way of reduce without having your husband go on strike. For us meat is no longer the main attraction, but something to flavour the meal. A little chuck steak in a curry, using leftover bits after a roast to make soup and stock, a little salami in a tomato sauce or a little bit of fried bacon in a quiche. We have halved our meat intake this way (and do meat free meals, just keep nudging his border...)
ReplyDeleteg'day
ReplyDeleteI would love to join in except i cook for my son who doesn't feel like he's eaten if he goes without meat, we eat mostly chicken. I on the other hand don't eat alot of meat preferring to have about 3-4 vege meals a week. I also don't know enough about cooking or foods yet to go totally without, i eat alot of eggs when i can (3-5 a day) always soft) have only just got back into a bit of 'real' cooking since discovering your blog. will look forward to getting some new recipes :))
I might still try this for myself though.
have a great day
selina from kilkivan qld
Count me in.
ReplyDeleteSoups, stirfries,Frittata's, Curried Cauliflower on Rice which is just yummy,Baked fish with a lemon crumb. Vegetable crumble. Corn fritters,Savoury French toast
We have cut back on the meat we eat also in how much is in each meal.
ReplyDeleteOver the years, what people consider to be one serve of meat has grown. My rule of thumb is 100-125g per person.
When you consider that these days one single chicken breast can easily be 300g, if you just say one breast per person, you are WAY over the top for how much you are eating.
There are only two of us and for the last month or so the only meat I have bought each week is one small fresh chicken from Aldi which begins it cycle as a roast and then appears as chicken salad sandwiches, with veggies in a stir fries, perhaps a risotto then in various soups. Nothing is wasted, even the picked over frame is reused to make stock. Last night's soup was chickenless but used stock made from the frame. I will call it garden soup, its what the garden provides - potatoes, chokos, herbs, onion, various ‘spinach’ leaves, cooked with the stock and wizzed, finally the addition of a little cream and lots of gently fried sliced mushrooms from my mushroom kit.
ReplyDeleteThe first stock from the chicken is made as I roast it, I have a couple of inches of water in a deep baking tray, add masses of herbs, celery leaves from the garden, frozen bits of various veggies I save in a zip lock bag for this purpose (onion ends, carrot tops, mushroom stalks, tomato ends, etc), garlic, salt and pepper and elevate the chicken above the water level with a racks, I use two racks – one of top of the other. The chicken juices drip into the stock as the chicken cooks – the easiest stock you will ever make. Just keep an eye on the water level and keep it topped up if needed. I even carve the chicken on the racks so any juices run into the stock.
I am already vegetarian, but the other three are not, so yes, I will join in.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteWe found a great recipe for vegetarian chilli in the fabulous Australian cookbook "The Thrifty Kitchen" by Suzanne and Kate Gibbs. It is a wonderful book with lots of great ideas. I dont think I should put the actual recipe here (copyright and all that) but it is very tasty, economial and a great way to use up whatever vegetables are in the garden, or looking a bit sad in the fridge. We add extra beans/lentils and serve it with organic corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese and salad. The children LOVE it too!
Karen
I am not a big meat eater anyway but this challenges me to leave more off. I also wanted to let you know that I received your book and LOVE it!!! I ordered it through fish pond and the shipping to the US wasn't bad at all. I treasure this book. Thanks for being such an inspiration. I am going to blog about it soon.
ReplyDeleteI've been vegetarian for a decade now so I eat meatless every day, but I think this is a great challenge, and it's really inspiring to see people want to take part. I know not everyone wants to be 100% vego, but I can honestly recommend it as a lifestyle change. It has so many benefits and I couldn't imagine eating a piece of meat ever again.
ReplyDeleteAs for all those people who have partners and/or children who will complain: If they don't want to cook for themselves then they'll just have to eat what they're given! As my other half has discovered, there are many very tasty and satifying vegetarian meals out there, you just have to be patient and keep trying until you discover what works best with the people you are feeding.
Best of luck to the participants!
~S.
I do what my mother did and always add some brown rice whenever using mince meat. I use chickpeas in curries either with some form of meat or on their own. Chickpeas are great in salads & stews too. And I reduce the amount of meat in things like stews and stirfries by adding mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteA meatless family favourite here is Butternut Pumpkin Pilaf. It's simple and delicious and with a leafy garden salad, some beetroot dip and crusty bread on the side it makes a delicious and gorgeously colourful meal. :-)
Sue.
We are not making a plan yet to do only a percentage...but we do go some days without meat. And actually I find I feel somewhat better on those days. I cannot eat fish anymore (well, might be able to get away with trout from a high alpine lake, which was the last fish I ate some years ago and without ill effect). But I am finding that I need to leave red meats alone and turkey can only be a treat now and again. Organic Chicken being my only really ok anytime meat. Hubby and I were talking the other day that we might not eat meat at all, if we had to butcher it. We like animals awfully much. I do not think it wrong to eat meat, but the animals should be treated well, even in the killing process. And we are now 60s so do not need quite as much to eat at all!!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth in NC
Great idea Rhonda!
ReplyDeleteHave just bought 6 mouthwatering lamb neck chops which I make up into a Aussie type Lancashire hotpot( flavoured with Worcestershire sauce and good old tomato sauce). That makes 3 meals for me so that will be my meat dishes for the next 2 weeks.Would love to discover a few new veg recipes. Have a couple myself that I can contribute.
Best regards Patricia Eve
We eat meat, but prefer free range, which means it's not cheap, so we don't eat it every meal. A small amount of good meat in a largely vegetarian diet feels healthy and ethical and gives me lots of room for creativity. The challenge is vego meals for midweek working nights, when we get home tired and hungry. I've been doing the Tuesday Night Vego Challenge this year, trying for a fast, easy, in season, from scratch midweek vego recipe each week, and I'm enjoying it so far - pushing my creativity in thinking what's for dinner just that little bit.
ReplyDeleteHello Rhonda and all
ReplyDeleteWe were vegetarians way back in the seventies and still eat little meat by normal standards. Everything is padded out with vegetables and nuts, cheese and eggs.
I still have the book Recipes for a Small Planet that I used back then. It gives a marvellous guide as to what goes with what and how complete protein is achieved. (I always remember the fresh wholemeal bread that had to be eaten with peanut butter and a glass/cup of milky beverage. The milk and the nuts were a complete protein.) Probably would not do that now!!
Interesting comment about the "upsizing" of our portion sizes. At Easter my daughter made Hot Cross Buns from an old Women's Weekly Cookbook of mine from the seventies. The buns were delicious and beautifully risen but as the recipe said the mixture was to be divided into 16 pieces they turned out about half the size of today's buns!! How we have upsized and oversized ourselves in 40 years!! The size of recommended servings in the other recipes was interesting too. About half the chicken and meat we now eat per serving.
I think books like Recipes for a Small Planet were based on a movement to be kinder to our small planet by eating less meat and eating more sustainably. Where did that go??? We had better get back to that way of life. Quickly!!!
All the best in your challenge.
I think this is a great challenge Rhonda!
ReplyDeleteComing into winter, for our family means lots of stews & casseroles. I use a lot of dried lentils, peas (split & chick), pearl barley and various dried or tinned beans in these meals to cut down the amount of meat.
My family loves my beef stew that is made in a huge pot using 2kg of beef, lots of vegies & lentils/ pearl barley. It gets divided up and frozen into at least 6 to 8 meals that feed a family of 4 very well.
I also mash up tinned red kidney beans to bulk up mince meals; and often bulk up chicken meals with mashed up tinned butter beans. The kids dont notice the beans, and we eat less meat, save money and get additional nutrients from the beans.
I'm looking forward to seeing everyones recipes.
Cheers,
Sarah from Jimboomba
Being diabetic I try to incorporate lots of lentils and beans, although my hubby is not so keen on them. I am definitely up to the challenge mainly because meat is so calorie dense and you can eat so much more if you just eat veggies. I look forward to lots of great recipes to try.
ReplyDeleteI've cut back on meat and chicken, too. I usually buy a pound a month of ground beef, and one whole chicken every six weeks. I do tend to use bacon, sometimes, though. It's so good on homemade bread in sandwiches! I recently found a farmer who sells pastured beef, and I really can taste the difference in quality. They sell the most incredible beef jerky! I try to use meat more as a flavoring, like the Chinese do in their cooking. Today I made stuffed peppers with extra rice, tomatoes, and cheese. I could probably have gotten by with 1/2 lb. of ground beef instead of a lb. I'm doing the same thing with milk. I buy raw milk now, but use less.
ReplyDeleteawakened soul
Hello Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteFirstly let me say that I'm really enjoying your book. Just going through it slowly is so inspiring. I won't allow myself to skim though it to check out some of my favourite topics, just enjoying each chapter as I come to it.
As far as the challenge is concerned I have been cutting back on our meat over the last 18months but will do my best to use a bit less. I'll be very interested in the recipes though.
My goal is to make more of my own soaps and cleaners as this will help with our budget as well as having a home free of nasty chemicals.
I'm enjoying being thrifty and find it almost exciting when I find I've saved money on something because I've made it myself.
Blessings Gail
I've been working on reducing the amount of meat we eat; I'm fine with little meat, but my boyfriend is a meat-lover, so it's more of a challenge for him. I try to use a little meat to add flavor and nutrition, then fill out the rest with veg. Last night I made us a big cottage pie with some ground beef, but also onion, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, and peas. He loved it and had some for lunch AND dinner today. My other secret weapon is Indian food (he's a Brit and loves his curries!); I use a lot of beans, lentils, and veg to make Indian dishes and he doesn't miss the meat.
ReplyDeleteWe generally eat 3 out of 7 meals a week vegetarian. We have also reduced the quantity of meat we use considerably. For example if we do a stir fry we use only 300g of meat instead of 500g (normal quantity) and pad it out with extra vegetables.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! :)
I try and do a meatless meal once a week purposely and then add to it if need be. With 3 small children I do prefer that they eat meat but have an appreciation for pulses which they do like! I do foods like curried chickpeas, lentil and rice curry, mexican tomato and lentil soup, chilli, brown lentil shepherds pie. Another thing I do is when making spag bol I use red lentils in with the mince and not use so much of the mince which bulks it out :)
ReplyDeleteWill join in too :) I try so hard to cut back but my darling hubby loves his meat! He reckons he needs it every day, which off course he doesn't! The weather is turning colder so it's the perfect time to try again :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Great idea - I would love to get more ideas for meatfree meals , i have already stretched my meat meals with extra veg and pulses - grated carrot added to mince works well .
ReplyDeleteReally love you blog Rhonda , thanks for all the great inspirational tips !
Rhonda, you should try pizza with home-made crust and tomato sauce. You could add different toppings from your garden, i like mushroom and cheese pizza :)
ReplyDeletechristina from wv
What meat we eat is grown at home, butchered here on the farm and part of a plant based, varied diet. We are privileged to be able to do this. Our property is mostly pasture and we raise animals on land that is not suitable for either grains or vegetables (other than the veg patch in the garden). Since starting to eat meat raised the way it was meant to be (pasture fed beef pork and chicken, eggs and small quantities of full fat dairy), we've all lost weight and dropped our blood cholesterol, and my pre-diabetes has disappeared. This is as environmentally responsible and humane as we can be. Clearly our health appreciates the change as well
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I remember the BF being rather upset in the beginning when I cut back on meat - he'd be a happy camper with half a cow and a bag of potatoes for dinner. Right now, we are having meat maybe twice a week, fish once or twice, and the other meals are vegetarian. And there are even a few things the BF actually likes. ^^
ReplyDelete(I don't think I will further reduce the amount of meat we are eating, but I like the idea of going meat-free at least some of the time.)
As a vegetarian I don't eat any meat at all but my Lovely Hubby loves the stuff.
ReplyDeleteHowever, recently I've been cutting back on his meat consumption more and more by making very tasty veggie dishes most nights and then making sure he enjoys a big juicy steak just when I think he's on th verge of noticing....it's working well up to now!! :-)
Sue xx
I'm one of the already vegos but I'm so overwhelmed with the positive responses! Considering less than 40% of Australians get their 2 and 5 each day, this is a great challenge. You can increase fibre, lower your cholesterol and increase a wide variety of nutrients by eating more veg.
ReplyDeleteI find that the absolute cheapest meal I cook is Dahl made from an onion, stock and spices and red lentils that have been bought dried and soaked. I never ever buy curry pastes- it's so easy from scratch. Dahl also accommodates older veg that need to be used up and goes nicely with brown rice. I prefer it when I get sick of soup. I'll have to go leave lots of recipes on the forum because I LOVE veg cooking and feed the two of us for well under $80 per week. Great idea, Rhonda.
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI would love to join, only my husband and daughter are real meat eaters and they don't want to stop eating meat. I have tried before.
I try to eat less meat, but if I'm the only one in the family it doesn't help that much. I wish I could change their minds about this.
Have you got any ideas ?
This is something I have actually been thinking about this week for my family. My 13 year old daughter has asked if she can become a vegetarian when school goes back. I have set her a task of researching what makes a complete protein. She has been busy :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Rhonda. I am taking up your challenge, I am going to eek out meat with chick peas,red kidney beans,and lots of veg added to pies eg carrots peas sweetcorn swiss chard.
ReplyDeleteJust over a year ago our teenager (the only one left at home) announced he was becoming a vegetarian for ethical reasons -I didn't think it would last as he was the one that used to complain on the odd occasion that we had a meatless dinner. At first we were cooking 2 different meals but as our vegetarian repertoire improved we found ourselves having meat less than once/ week and it has made me much more conscious of how meat is produced. We have eaten free range chicken and eggs for years but now i just refuse to buy pork roast etc and have only bought ham a couple of times which is labelled free range. Some of our best ideas have come from
ReplyDeletehttp://witcheskitchen.com.au/ - thank you Linda and http://www.theveggiemama.com/ and a few other blogs. I also took a punt and bought The Women's Weekly Great Vegetarian Food from Book Depository (currently $18.27 with free post) and it is really good. The best thing about veggo food is you can just have a pile of tinned chickpeas, couscous, flour (for bread and naan etc) tomatoes, beans and veggies and you can make so many different things quickly and economically and yes our food bill has gone down considerably and we don't even notice the absence of meat anymore - more of a treat if we go out now. Two of my favourite recipes in the book are spiced chickpeas and veg spaghetti carbonara. The other thing I have noticed if we buy food out I feel quite ripped off as our home made food tastes so much better!
PS Happy birthday Rhonda - i was in amad rush on Monday and didn't comment - love your blog
Hi - we have been trying to eat as little meat and fish as possible on compassionate grounds. I really love lentils and so I am trying to develop a repertoire of meat free meals, especially those I can cook in bulk and freeze. Mnay veggie recipes seem to involve pastry and I am not that keen on it so I have been trying to find some other alternatives. I am gradually testing and adapting recipes and writing them up on my blog if you would care to pop over and look (so far I have only put three on there but I am adding to it as quickly as possible) Good Luck with the challenge. Lily. xxx
ReplyDeleteGood Idea, Rhonda:) We have eliminated meat, except for fish. I'd love to share and see other recipes! I make the same spinach pie(delicious) as you, but I now use thinly slice potatoes(browned before adding the filling) for the crust instead of pie dough. I've never tried filo.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteA month ago I would have been ready to jump into this with you. However, my husband and one child have to be put onto a no carb eating plan for a while for blood sugar issues. I am joining them to make life more simple. We are also not big bean eaters, but I know that I will be using many egg meals and we get fresh fish from our neighbour often. We also only eat free range beef, pork and lamb all reared by small family farms and they animals live and die with dignity. All the best with your challenge. Wendy in SA
Just Us, I love your idea about stretching ground meat with lentils! And I just happen to have a huge bag on lentils here--I'll definitely try this.
ReplyDeleteAnother trick that I like is to use finely chopped mushrooms in meatballs; I can replace half the ground beef in meatballs with mushrooms and you can't tell the difference. It also enables me to use extra lean beef, as the mushrooms add moisture to the mix.
Great idea. Looking forward to learning some more recipes.
ReplyDeleteI add soy chunks to my mince beef to stretch it (the first time I did it no-one noticed anything). I have tried just the soy but haven't had luck with getting just the right taste as yet.
You can also bulk up with mushrooms, veggies or beans.
I like to incorporate the meat into another dish this way the amount of it you actually eat is less than if served on the side. For example shepherd's pie.
You can also strip the meat and use it in rice dishes.
Indian food is a great way to use less meat and get more veggies in.
Vicki
Trinidad & Tobago
Great idea! Although I may be biased because I've been a vegetarian for many years, however, my SO is not vegetarian. I would love to get some vegetarian recipes that people that normally eat meat think are a satisfying meal. My veggie and tofu dishes don't seem to make the cut for a meat and potato kind of guy!
ReplyDeleteI love this. My husband and I were inspired by this TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html
ReplyDeleteI too was vegetarian for 9 years but it didn't suit my health to be fully vego.
My favourite veggo cookbook is the Rebar Cookbook available on Fishpond. It is amazing. I have given it to every vegetarian I know with rave reviews coming back.
I would love to join the challenge.. unfortunately for us in Algeria meat is probably slightly cheaper than veg and pulses right now...I used to be vegetarian so I know it's a much healthier lifestyle...if the price of legumes and veggies drops anytime soon I'll be with you :)
ReplyDeleteWe, too, already do this. I plan a couple of meatless or vegetarian or just half-meat meals per week. It is usually roasted veggies or an egg dish, but I think it is healthier and also a bit more economical.
ReplyDeleteBefore my mom came to live with us, we rarely ate meat more than 3 or 4 nights a week. I am working on getting back to that. (If I had been as fussy as a child as she is now, I'd have had a hard time sitting!) I have several meatless recipes here. (http://airynothing.net/Blogs/recipes/) I will be adding more as I learn/create more.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda-
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I are recent vegetarians and we have found a lot of great items that we love and would not have eaten before. There are a lot of great cookbooks and websites to help you on your challenge. A book we use a lot is The Meatlover's Meatless Cookbook. I recommend it for anyone getting their family to eat less meat. Great recipes without using a lot of meat analogs. Happy Meatless Cooking!!!
Jo