A Few Words About QUORN

We are not a vegetarian household but we do eat meatless quite a bit. There is a high gross factor in meat, especially after reading extensively on the subject of factory farming. My "go-to" for many evenings is to make a simple hotdish using Quorn crumbles, a ground beef substitute. I also use their fake chicken tenders quite a bit, in stir fries or BBQ chicken pizza. (I use wholewheat Boboli for pizza crust a lot!)

This is not a paid endorsement. I just happen to love Quorn products as a meat substitute that actually tastes decent. Now if you are brand new to eating meat-alternative products -- and you are hoping that food will taste just like meat -- you might not be so wowed by Quorn. It took me years to accept eating meat substitutes because I viewed it as cardboard. And if you are expecting the taste of cooked hamburger and all you get are flavorless lumps, it is pretty disappointing.

My sons tell me that Quorn used to make a hot dog product that was superior in every way. Sadly, they appear to not make them anymore but I hope they bring them back. They make a "naked" cutlet that you can dip in bread crumbs and fry in olive oil that makes a wonderful chicken-less cutlet too. On Thanksgiving, I always cook the little Quorn roast so my Vegetarian son will have something too. The uniform roundness of it is a little off-putting but it "tastes just like chicken".

So what are Quorn products made from? According to their website, the main ingredient is produced from some type of fungi containing mycoprotein. So this is a vegan alternative (although I am saying that without checking the secondary ingredients). Interestingly, the website also says Quorn products "tend to be less in calories and saturated fat" which is a rather vague statement. As always, read labels for calories and fat.

A caveat about using meatless crumbles in recipes. I always prepare them by heating good oil (usually evoo) in a skillet first. Using a quality oil is important because you will taste the oil to some extent. Then I saute either garlic, onions, or both in the oil until soft. Last of all, I add in the crumbles which immediately absorb all the oil. There is never a lot to taste in meatless crumbles so onions or garlic are a must, imo. And that's it. I find a 12 oz pkg works as a substitute for 1 pound uncooked ground beef. You can make sloppy joes or tacos or put it in a baking dish with whatever hot dish ingredients.

I should add that Quorn products are not cheap. In fact, they are pretty damn pricey. Perhaps if they become more popular, the price will come down!