Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Is there such thing as "vegetarian" meatloaf? Can you help provide a recipe?

Q. By meatloaf, I mean something that sort of resembles a meatloaf made from ground beef (except using soy flour or some other vegetarian ingredient). It can contain eggs and/or milk-- no need to be vegan. Thanks.

A. Here's the meatloaf recipe I use...I found it on vegcooking.com. The ironic thing about this is that I HATED meatloaf when I was a meat-eater, but I like this version (go figure!). Enjoy!

~Mama's Mock Meatloaf~
Better than what mom used to make. Serve it with ketchup, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 packages beef–flavor Gimme Lean Beef
1/4 cup oatmeal, dry
2 slices white bread, crumbled
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper

Coating ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• Sauté the onion and green pepper in the oil over medium heat until soft. Combine in a bowl with the ground beef alternative, oatmeal, bread, ketchup, garlic salt, and pepper. Thoroughly mix with a spoon or your hands.
• Press the mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the coating and set aside.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a baking sheet. Spread the coating over the entire loaf. Cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings


How do I tell my mom, I want to become a...?
Q. Vegetarian.
I love animals, and I don't want to see them get hurt, and know that I'm eating it.
I have eaten meat all of my life, and I just don't want to anymore.
Please help me because, all we eat in my house is meat.
And I know this will be a healthier lifestyle.
Thanks!

A. First, you must do some research.

Your mother's primary concern will likely be your health, so be sure you can answer her questions. Have sources that demonstrate that it is perfectly possible for you to grow up strong and healthy without eating meat (or having a gallon of milk and 6 eggs a day to "make up for it").

Know the nutritional requirements for a fe/male your age and size (taking into account level of physical activity) and come up with examples of good vegetarian sources of the various nutrients. She will probably be mostly concerned about protein and iron. She might ask about B vitamins. Look it up, know how much you need and where you'll get it from.

Do some additional research so you can point out the health benefits of vegetarianism. (Not only do you want to demonstrate that it isn't dangerous to be a vegetarian, you want to show that it's actually beneficial.)

Get some recipes and cookbooks and learn how to make some stuff. You will be cooking for yourself a lot more these days. It is unfair and immature to expect your mom to start making a separate meal for you every night, so get ready for some Emeril action. (Note: yelling BAM! randomly might make your parents think you've gone off the deep end, so keep it down to a dull roar.)

If you are old enough to work, get a part-time job so you can purchase cookbooks and any special ingredients you may want (tofu, seitan, nut milk, etc). If you get an allowance or have money from birthday or holiday gifts, use some of it to invest in literature and/or exotic food. Heck, see if Mom and Dad will pay you to wash the car or mow the lawn. Use that money to buy stuff. (Being willing to invest your own time and money in a venture shows people that you're serious.)

Offer to help cook dinner once in awhile. Say everyone is having meatloaf for dinner. Say that you'll do the mashed potatoes and veggie. Make the salad as well. Make a rich mushroom gravy for everyone to use (if you make your own stock for it, it'll be extra-good). Heat yourself up a Boca burger (or whatever "central protein piece" you want) and help Mom serve. If everyone is having spaghetti with meatballs, ask Mom to buy the chunky extra-veggie sauce and set some aside for you before she adds the meatballs. Make the garlic bread and chop the onions, garlic, mushrooms, etc for her. In other words, you need to demonstrate that this is not going to create a lot of extra work for her.

Best of luck to you.


What are some good food alternatives? (lower fat/healthier alternatives)?
Q. anyone have a list of good healthy foods that are alternatives to some of the most common popular foods?
some of the foods i like are
pizza
burgers
meatloaf
baked potato (loaded)
pastas
burritos
chili
etc.

A. PIZZA:
Buy small frozen "individual" pizza's by health brand's such as: Kashi, Amy's, Weight Watcher's Smart One's, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.
Or ..
Order a pizza (consume 1/2 small pizza, 2-3 slices medium and 2 slices large/ extra large). Order thin crust or wholewheat crust with basic tomato sauce and "light ammount of cheese". Order with a variaty of vegetables/ fruits (pineapple/ tomato/ peppers/ onion/ spinach/ zuchinni/ broccoli/ etc) with optional lean meat on pizza (ham/ sliced chicken breast/ anchovies- fish or extra lean ground beef- lean ground turkey).
Dip crust/ pizza in a marinara sauce or light creamy salad dressing (light ranch salad dressing)

BURGERS:
- Try ordering "veggie" burger's at fast- food joints or a kid's single patty burger (no cheese).
Also try turkey burger's/ grilled chicken burgers (no mayonaise).
Or .. Make you're own with extra lean ground meat/ lean ground turkey or purchase a Boca Burger and consume on a wholewheat bun/ pocket with ketchup/ mustard/ relish and vegetable toppings with optional slice of light cheese- light shredded cheese and optional avacado/ guacamolie/ light creamy salad dressing- vinagrette (eg: light ranch salad dressing)
Consume with crunchy vegetables and hummus- cottage cheese, cooked vegetables in olive oil or side salad with light dressing/ vinagrete with optional baked potato wedges/ baked yam wedges.

MEATLOAF (Make with extra lean ground beef- lean ground turkey, basic tomato soup, diced vegetables, ground bran cereal and a egg. Check "google" for hearty meatloaf recipes).
Use tomato sauce as a gravy or onion soup.

Baked potato with a small ammount of either; 1% cottage cheese or light sour cream with chives and herbs/ spice's. Add TBSP ketchup/ tomato sauce/ chili sauce for added flavour.

Pastas (use a wholewheat pasta and with a tomato sauce or drizzeled with olive oil, diced vegetables and herbs. Add optional light laughing cow wedge in pasta or 1-2TBSP grated cheese. Add optional lean protein- turkey meatballs/ meatless meatballs, sliced chicken breast, lean ground beef- lean ground turkey- ground soy crumbs, diced tofu, shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna, prawns, etc)

Burrito (use a wholewheat flour tortilla, ~ two 6' tortillas), use salsa instead of sour cream, lightly shredded cheese, variaty of cubed vegetables (peppers/ onion/ tomato/ lettuce/ etc) with spices/ herbs and either baked beans in tomato sauce- spices, lowfat refried beans, fajita steak sliced, fajita chicken sliced or salmon/ trout sliced or sliced tofu)
Consume with side salad and light dressing/ vinagrette or cooked vegetables in olive oil with optional brown- long grain rice.

Chili (buy canned vegetarian/ turkey chili).





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