Tag: plant-based protein

Recipes

No-meat meat ball ragout!

Dr Nancy P

This is another quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe – it can be served with pasta, rice, cauliflower rice or just on its own! There are lots of veggie meat balls out there – I’ve used the Birdseye ones for this but I’ve also used the Quorn ones in the past. Even if you’re not vegetarian they’re a great way to cut calories without feeling like you are!

I cook up a batch for the week and then it’s nice and easy to quickly heat it up for dinner (or lunch!).

Use fresh or frozen veg (or any leftover veg you have will work well) – I happened to have peppers and mushrooms so they went in, but courgettes, aubergines etc would also work well.

Also it’s worth noting that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so if you’re vegetarian then double check – Biona and other companies make one without the use of animal products and it’s widely available.

This serves at least 6 at about 227 cals per portion.

You will need:

2 packs of no-meat meat balls

2 cans chopped tomatoes (400g each)

2 small onions (or 1 large)

2 peppers

Handful of mushrooms (or any veg you like)

1 tbsp concentrated tomato purée

1/4 tsp smoked Paprika

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 vegetable stock cubes

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 tbsp marmite (optional)

A dash of Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Chop the veg. Heat a little oil in a pan, add onions first and allow to soften, then the peppers, mix and allow to soften.

Add the no-meat meat balls to the pan allow to brown. Then add the mushrooms and any other veg you’re using. Be gentle with the mixture as otherwise the meatballs will break up.

Cook for a couple of mins until the veg start to soften and then add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée . Stir well and bring to a slow simmer. Add the stock cubes, all the spices, balsamic vinegar, marmite and Worcestershire sauce and stir well.

Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through for about 10-15 mins.

Serve on its own, with green veg and grains, pasta etc.

Enjoy 🙂

Xx

Recipes

Mushroom and Tomato Tofu Scramble

Dr Nancy P

This is a great easy lunch, light dinner or brekkie option. It’s filling, high protein and low fat and so easy and quick to make. You can use any veg you like – I often put pepper and courgette in if I have it.

This makes a large serving at approx 245 cals or a smaller (enough for lunch) serving at only 123 cals! You can keep leftovers in the fridge to be re heated the following day. Best served on toast – either a nice bit of sourdough or if want to save on cals go for one of the sandwich ‘thins’ at only 100 cals per thin.

Tofu only tastes as good as the herbs and spices it’s cooked in so adjust these to your taste.

You will need:

1 packet of Silken tofu (approx 350g)

100g Mushrooms

100g tomatoes

Spices and herbs to taste. I used :

Worcestershire sauce

Paprika

Mixed herbs

Cayenne pepper

Salt

Pepper

Chop the mushrooms and tomatoes. Add a little oil to a frying pan and cook the mushrooms until starting to brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook them down.

Open the tofu and drain off any obvious liquid, then add to the pan and break it up with a spatula.

Add all the spices and herbs and cook through.

Continue to cook for a couple of minutes and then serve on a piece of toast!

Enjoy 🙂

XX

Recipes

Veggie ‘steak’ casserole

Dr Nancy P

I spotted these quorn veggie steak strips in the supermarket so thought I’d whip up a quick casserole. This is a another easy weekday dinner option, perfect for the cooler evenings. I cook up a batch for the week and then it’s nice and easy to quickly heat it up for dinner (or lunch!).

I’ve used frozen veg for this one as I was running short on time. Never be afraid to use these sorts of frozen veg – they actually have more vitamins and minerals in than the fresh variety so you’re not doing yourself any harm and they’re brilliant if you’re busy and short of time. Obviously use fresh veg if you prefer. Also it’s worth noting that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so if you’re vegetarian then double check – Biona and other companies make one without the use of animal products and it’s widely available.

This serves at least 8 at about 223 cals per portion.

You will need:

2 pack of quorn steak strips (or any alternative vegetarian product you fancy)

1320g passata (2 bottles at 680g each, but just get approx the same amount)

1 kg mixed vegetables (either 2 packs (500g each) or 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery, 2 peppers, 2 courgettes, 1 small aubergine)

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional – adjust for taste)

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

A dash of Balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp of sugar

Salt and pepper

If using fresh veg then prepare it and chop it up. Heat a little oil in a pan, add onions first and allow to soften, then the carrot and celery. Otherwise add the frozen soffito (onion, carrot and celery) mix and allow to soften.

Add the steak strips to the pan and allow to brown. Then add the pepper, courgette and aubergine (if using a pack then just throw it all in at once once the steak strips have browned).

Cook for a couple of mins until the veg start to soften and then add the passata. Stir well and bring to a slow simmer. Add the stock cube, all the spices, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the sugar (this brings out a richer tomato flavour).

Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through for about 10-15 mins.

Serve on its own, with green veg and grains, or with a jacket potato etc.

enjoy 🙂

Xx

Recipes

Chilli con veggie!

Dr Nancy P

This is another great option for weekday dinners as the weather gets colder. I make a big batch and it’s fab for a lovely quick meal. It is super versatile too – you can use it for spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, shepherd’s pie, or as a chilli with rice or jacket potato, or just on its own! It will keep in the fridge for at least a week (I’ve kept it for 2 but usually I’ve eaten it all by then!) or you can freeze portions too.

This is really easy to make and if you’re busy you can speed it up even more by using bags of frozen veg. Waitrose/Ocado do a bag of mixed onion, celery and carrots (‘soffritto mix’) and a great bag of frozen mixed grilled veg (onion, aubergine, courgette and pepper) which work brilliantly. Don’t be afraid of using the frozen veg – often they’re actually higher in nutrients than fresh as they’re frozen immediately rather than sitting in warehouses for months. I’m very much a believer in making eating healthy as easy as possible so this is a really easy option.

Even if you’re not vegetarian I’d definitely suggest you try this – it’s a lot lighter in calories and just as tasty. And if you’re worried the family may not want a meat substitute i’d suggest trying it and not telling them – I bet they don’t notice! Loads of my clients have found that their other halves and children haven’t even realised it’s not meat (though obviously you could use turkey or beef mince if you wanted to).

This makes approx 8 generous servings at 245 cals per serving!

You will need:

1000g of Quorn mince (or ‘meet the alternative’ or any other meat substitute)

1500g Pasatta

Either – 1 bag of soffritto mix OR 1 onion, 2 sticks of celery and 1 large carrot all finely chopped

Other mixed veg – pepper, courgette, aubergine (your choice, or 1 bag of the frozen veg)

3 vegetable stock cubes

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp of chilli (to taste)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp Mixed herbs

Dash of Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian brand if necessary)

Spoonful of marmite (optional)

Salt and pepper

Heat a little oil in a large pan. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for a few mins.

Add the mincemeat and mix well and let it heat through (if using turkey, beef etc then ensure the meat browns at this point). Add the stock cubes and mix well.

Add the other vegetables and stir well. Heat for a few mins.

Stir in the passata and then add all the spices, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and marmite. Mix well and allow to simmer.

Taste it during this phase and adjust seasoning to taste.

Once it’s cooked for at least 20 mins, if you can let it cook a bit longer do as it helps to give a better flavour. Then it’s done!

Serve with spaghetti, jacket potato, rice, or as a chilli with a dollop of yoghurt and spinach!

Enjoy 🙂

Xx

Recipes

Veggie Sausage Casserole

Dr Nancy P

This is a another easy weekday dinner option, perfect for the colder autumn and winter evenings. I like to cook up a batch of this up on a Sunday and then it’s a nice easy, warming dinner to heat up quickly during the week. You can obviously use any sausages you like but not only do the quorn ones taste fab, they’re also far lower in calories than ‘normal’ sausages! If you want to save time use a bag of frozen grilled veg, or use any veg you have in the fridge! Also it’s worth noting that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so if you’re vegetarian then double check – Biona and other companies make one without the use of animal products and it’s widely available.

This serves 4 at about 226 cals per portion.

You will need:

6 quorn sausages

500g passata

300g mixed vegetables (either a pack or 1 onion, 1 pepper, 1 courgette, 1 small aubergine)

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp chilli powder (adjust for taste)

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp of sugar

Salt and pepper

If using fresh veg then prepare it and chop it up. Heat a little oil in a pan, add onions first and allow to soften. Chop the sausages in to slices and add to the pan and allow to brown. Then add the pepper, courgette and aubergine (if using a pack then just throw it all in at once once the sausages have browned).

Cook for a couple of mins until the veg start to soften and then add the passata. Stir well and bring to a slow simmer. Add the stock cube, all the spices, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the sugar (this brings out a richer tomato flavour).

Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through for about 10-15 mins.

Serve with green veg and grains, with a jacket potato or just on its own!

enjoy 🙂

Xx