Tofu is pretty versatile as a meat replacement or even just a general texture thing. I like to fry small tofu cubes and use them in place of the cheese in palak paneer, or instead of chicken in something like General Tso’s. It takes a bit more work since you have to press the tofu and find a good way to cook it so it doesn’t turn out soggy (and it’s usually more expensive), but I’m a meat eater and it’s satisfying to me.
Beyond/Impossible Meat is also pretty good imo. I actually tend to like it better than real beef, but that’s definitely not a majority opinion. If you like the taste, you can crumble the patties for ground beef texture or break them into chunks for more of a meatball vibe. I’ve even done a sort of faux bulgogi with chunks and gochujang sauce that works surprisingly well.
One more thing I think can help is to not try to replicate meat for everything. There are ways to make vegetarian/vegan food that let it stand on its own and still be satisfying (beans and chickpeas can help a ton), without it feeling like it’s trying too hard to be meat. Things like cauliflower stir fried or batter fried and coated in some sort of sauce can be good just as cauliflower in sauce.
Finally, mushrooms, if you like them. Soaking dried mushrooms will get you stock that can replace chicken or beef stock for most things, and frying even the cheap baby bella mushrooms that come pre washed and sliced can give you a meaty texture in something that needs it.
We eat tofu every now and then and like it a lot and I did already try out some meat “substitutes” and some of them are actually pretty good, but not cost-effective. I’m not saying I have to look at every cent I spend, but things have gotten harder in recent years, not gonna lie.
I don’t need or want to replicate meat everywhere. I’m totally fine with non-meat dishes, but my complaint is that many of them don’t taste as good as people (especially vegans) claim, even in restaurants. It’s been quite disappointing multiple times to try that “really, really delicious curry”, that in the end didn’t really taste that great and it’s been a recurring thing for me / us when trying to eat more plant-based foods. This is also true with cauliflower, for instance. I like it in “traditional” meals as side-dish, but no, to me, batter frying cauliflower doesn’t make it good.
Mushrooms are a staple in our cooking, because I really like my umami flavor (I also use MSG a lot), but unfortunately, my daughter doesn’t like any type of mushroom. I guess, it’s the texture. Tried several different things and she always puts them away.
Anyway, thank you for your comment. Beyond meat has been on our “try out list” for quite some time.
Honestly I think the important thing is to just try alternatives. You don’t have to end up liking them or completely replacing meat if it’s not practical, just try to find ways to add more vegetables.
That’s what I’m doing. I like to eat “traditional” salads and stuff like that, but I grew up with them being side dishes most of the time and I think, it’s hard to break habits.
From a moral standpoint, I’d like to go vegetarian or even vegan at some point, but this requires me to find things that I’ll actually like to eat on a regular basis. Often times, when I search for vegan recipes, something often throws me off. Be it the flavor, the texture, the strength of the flavor or lack thereof, etc. Maybe it’s just that I’m not used to it or that animal fats are carrying so much flavor that I’m now kinda addicted to it? I know, it sounds really stupid, but when I go to the grocery store, I often gravitate towards animal products automatically.
My first goal will be to reduce meat intake to one, maybe two times a week.
