I used to be huge meat eater. Medium-rare steaks were quite a common order if I ever went out to eat. Also, who can resist chicken nuggets smothered in sauce? I couldn’t. However, I recently decided to try out cutting meat from my diet, slowly incorporating one or two cheat days a month where I’d indulge in a little bit of meat. Despite knowing those cheat days awaited me, I had to find out what to cook for myself on a daily basis. Here are the meat free recipes that helped me get by!
Starting out on a meat-free diet is something that I needed to get used to. The one thing that I missed was burgers. My solution was to use mushrooms as a substitute for meat. It has quite a hearty texture and in a burger, gives you the juiciness that a normal meat patty would have. It also absorbs flavours well and you get a very satisfying bite out of it.
I’ve heard of ham and cheese toasties, or the bacon and cheese combination. I don’t eat either ham or bacon, so guacamole is quite a different substitute. It’s not a meaty substitute like the mushroom, but avocados keep you full and the creaminess of the cheese and the guacamole will keep your cravings in check.
As an Asian, sometimes I crave for a wholesome bowl of curry. I could still go for fish curry despite not eating meat, but it doesn’t have the same rich, homely effect that chicken curry provides. Chickpeas are a great option because the starch it produces thickens the curry broth and gives it their gorgeous richness. In addition, it’s a cheaper and healthier option!
With this recipe, you won’t even notice that the meat’s missing! It’s a completely new dish on its own – somewhat similar to your pasta in mushroom cream sauce. This recipe is very adaptable and works with both meat and no-meat options.
Tacos are one of my (many) guilty pleasures, but of course most tacos are made with slow-braised meat to garner the in-depth flavours that we all know and love. Here is yet another adaptable recipe to satisfy a quick craving that not only provides you with good fat, but it’s lighter as an overall meal.
Another common food craving is pizza. Of course, a simple solution is to order a meat-free pizza, but the temptation is always there when you see the meat-lovers supreme on a Pizza Hut menu! Buying your own ingredients and making your own pizza would ensure that you know what’s going into your dinner, and it’ll make your meal all the more worthwhile because you made it.
A tip I have for a quicker solution to pizza is to use tortilla wraps as a pizza base to save you from having to make pizza dough from scratch. Tortilla wraps can also be kept frozen and de-frosted when you want a late-night snack!
Most meatless recipes could be time-consuming, require you to prep for hours or even buy a whole new pantry of ingredients to make one thing. That’s why I think you can never go wrong with a quick aglio-olio. It’s one of the easiest meat free recipes and if done right, will be a satisfying pasta dinner that’s also quick to make.
Chicken nuggets are something I can easily devour on my own. No, I’m not talking about a regular box of six. I can snack non-stop on a box of 20-piece chicken nuggets without sharing, and I bet you can too. To make you (and I) feel less guilty, here’s one of the best meat free recipes for tofu nuggets.
Tofu’s quite an overlooked ingredient. When deep fried, it’s soft flesh is a wonderful contrast to its crispy breaded skin.
With regards to any savoury bakes, we tend to want to put bacon bits or ham or some sort of meat in the dish to make it more wholesome. Spinach and cheese is a classic combination and will definitely keep you full and satisfied. Meat free recipes like this are catered for a large quantity of people, but if you’re hungry at night, cut them up into squares and store them individually in the fridge for easy microwaving.
A craving list would not be completed without a pot pie. Think of the smells floating out of Pieminster as you walk pass. Here’s another option to help fulfil your pie cravings, one slice (in this case, one spoonful) at a time! These mini vegetable pot pies still stay true to the creamy nature of the chicken pot pie and because they’re mini, you’ll feel less guilty eating them.
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