[thepiesleys]

Hi everyone

I am not a strict vegetarian, but i do prefer to use soya mince for myself and the kids for standard meals like chili's, bolognase, cottage pie etc, - I always used Quorn in the UK the same goes for veggie sausages - i know i am probably looking in the wrong places but i can not seem to find any here?

Can anyone point me in the right direction and/or recommend a brand

Sue

[anna_c]

Quorn isn't available here. You can get 'mince' in cans at most supermarkets - I personally hate it but I'm not a great fan of fake meat as a general rule, so don't take it from me.

As to sausages, I like the 'Bean Supreme' brand - they're available in several different flavours.

[Howie]

There are some frozen soy products at the Pac N Save near Botany. Limited choice and quite expensive I'm afraid.

[k-k]

Hi
I'm still bemoaning the absence of Quorn products even after a year of being here.
You can get TVP soya mince in Harveys health shop and it makes a tolerable spag. bol or chilli. It's made by Lotus $4.90 for 200g. (it's dried up brown stuff in the bag but you soak it with a bit of water and use it in recipes instead of mince).

Give it a try it's not too bad!

k-k

[lollypop]

Hi there,

You can get frozen Fry's veggie mince (We bought ours from Foodtown but I think others stock it too). Not quite as good as Quorn but OK.

Sharon

[Ana&Steve]

Hope this isn't too off-topic, but is Tofu available in NZ? Not a vegetarian, either, but it's a good way to stretch the meal and add protein...
Ana

[anna_c]

Tofu is very widely available (I've yet to come across it a supermarket without several kinds). I understand there's a whole shop devoted to it in auckland, but I'm not sure where.

[jess]

Ana - Tofu is available in most of the grocery stores around where I am (not a big city). :D

Sue - I have to second k-k -- my favorite mince is the Harvey's Store's Lotus dried tvp crumbles in a bag. I buy dried mushrooms too and put some in the water before I boil it; then it rehydrates the mince with more flavor. I actually use it to make a meatless meatloaf with cheese that comes out really well (I think, but hey I haven't had meat in years).

[thepiesleys]

Thanks it's off to Harvey's tomorrow then - by the way any chance of the receipe for your cheesey meatloaf Jess it sounds delish!

I am rather a new convert to vegetarian cooking and am avidly collecting recepies and ideas/tips - any would be gratefully received as i am boring my kids to death at the mo.with my efforts! I have a couple of good books but they are yet to arrive from the UK and i am afraid the library does not have much to choose from.

Regards

Sue

[Trigirl]

sue - this might help - lots of good recipes gathered from various websites

http://www.arts.dmoz.co.nz/index.php?c=/Home/Cooking/Vegetarian/

[StevieD]

Jess, I second that, the meatloaf recipe sounds good! Don't know how we are going to manage without Quorn products or for that matter, Linda McCartney sausages for Louisa - she loves them!

I will keep an eye on this thread for when we arrive :)

[jess]

Believe it or not this is a recipe from an old southern cookbook that is just altered a little...

Meatless Loaf

2 cups Lotus dried soya mince
2 cups water
1/4 cup dried shitake or other mushrooms
2 cloves garlic - chopped or minced
1 bell pepper (capsicum), red or green as you like - chopped
1 yellow onion - chopped
about 8 regular mushrooms - sliced
4 or 5 sundried tomatoes from a jar if availalble - sliced
3 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup or more sharp cheddar, or colby or edam (the usually sell a vegetarian edam at the stores around here) - shredded
1 egg

Seasonings: (I'm not good at measuring these, so use whatever you have in the amounts you like - test the soya before adding other ingredients)
soy sauce
few drops tobasco
about 2 TBS of tomato paste
barbeque sauce or steak sauce (I used A-1 in the states, but use Jok'n'Al barbeque sauce here)
a few sprigs fresh parsley if available - chopped
pepper
salt (if needed after soy sauce)
herbes de provence (or oregano or whatever you like/have on hand. I like Masterfoods Portuguese Chicken Seasoning, of all things)

--

Preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C

Put the dried mince in a large mixing bowl. In a pyrex cup or dish, add the dried mushrooms to the 2 cups of water and microwave for 4 minutes. Pour over the mince and stir. Add any liquid seasonings you want to use so that it also soaks into the mince. Cover with a tea towel and let stand.

Put 2 TBS of the oil over med high heat in a frying pan and add the garlic and onion. After about two minutes add the pepper. Once the mixture has begin to brown, add the sliced fresh mushrooms and cook about two or three minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Test the soya and add your dried seasonings. Add the sauteed veggies. Add the sundried tomato, the extra TBS olive oil and the 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Add the shredded cheese. Last chance to test it! Slighlty beat the egg and mix through.

Put into a greased loaf pan and cook for about 45 minutes or until quite brown on top. Cooking it a little longer will help it hold together better. Great with veg. brown gravy and mashed potatoes. :D

[Ana&Steve]

is Tofu available in NZ?
Ana
Thanks anna_c and jess!

[StevieD]

Thanks Jess, that looks like it could be a staple of ours .... :nice1

[thepiesleys]

thank you all for your helpful comments, especially Jess, thanks for your effort in giving a detailed receipe, we had a fab dinner tonight!

Sue