Tag Archives: Beyond meat

Turkish Flatbread (Lahmajoun)

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I love it when you can put salad on top of your dinner and call it a complete meal. This flatbread originated in Turkey. It is traditionally topped with ground lamb or beef, but I went for a plant based meat. I had never heard of this dish until I saw Christopher Kimble make it on Milk Street. I was intrigued and decided to make it.

The dough for the flatbread comes together in the food processor in one minute. This is a yeast raised dough, but don’t let that scare you. It uses instant yeast, which means you just dump it in with the rest of the dry ingredients.

The wet ingredients for this dough are a bit unusual. In addition to water, yogurt is also added. Yogurt, because of its acidity, will relax the gluten, making the bread more tender. It also adds a subtle tang to the crust. Let the food processor do all the work, no hand kneading required. It takes between 1-2 minutes, and you will notice that the dough will get quite warm in the food processor. This is totally normal. Once the dough is smooth and satiny, remove, divide it in half, form two balls of dough and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the filling. Roasted red pepper and onion get chopped in the food processor until fine. Add tomato paste. I love buying tomato paste in a tube. It keeps forever in the fridge and there is no messing around with half a leftover can.

The spices include cumin, for an earthy note, paprika and red pepper flakes for some kick.

While the arugula and yogurt topping are not traditional, I really love how the peppery arugula cuts through the richness of the meat topping, The yogurt drizzle helps to tame the kick from the red pepper flakes. Plus, your entire dinner is right there on a flatbread. No side dishes are required.

Click here to print recipe for Lahmajoun-TurkishArmenian-FlatbreadDownload

“Meaty” Vegetarian Lasagna

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I’m very excited to share this lasagna recipe with you guys! I have been working on it for a while now. I wanted to create a “meat” lasagna using plant based meats. After some trial and error, I settled on a combination of Beyond Meat ground beef and Beyond Meat spicy Italian sausage. This is not a sponsored post. I just really love their products. They really replicate the taste and texture of meat, unlike some soy based alternatives I have tried. If you’re curious to know more, you can read abut it here.

The sauce is quick to make, it only needs to simmer for about 15 minutes. Rich and satisfying, it was really difficult to believe it was not real beef and sausage.

For the cheese filling, I went traditional here, using a mix of mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan, with a bit of cream to smooth the whole thing out.

I know that making a lasagna is a big time commitment. This one is worth it. A 9×13 inch baking dish will make about 8 servings. Any leftovers freeze perfectly. I just love pulling dinner out of the freezer on nights when I don’t feel like cooking.

Watch how it all comes together. Pro tip – see how I use a potato masher to break up the ground “beef” and “sausage”.

Please don’t be tempted to use the “no boil” lasagna noodles. They just don’t have the same texture as the regular noodles. It’s an extra step that I urge you to take.

Click here to print recipe for “Meaty”-Vegetarian-LasagnaDownload

Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes

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It’s only mid-October, and already I’m missing those sweet local farmer’s market tomatoes. It’s going to be a long winter!

When I’m craving that sweet summer tomato taste, roasting little grape or cherry tomatoes is the next best thing. Roasting caramelized the tomatoes and brings out their inherent sweetness and can mask any bitterness.

This pasta dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. Start with tossing halved little tomatoes with honey, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and get them into a hot oven for about 15 minutes. While they’re roasting, remove the meat from the sausage casing and start browning it up in a skillet. To keep things vegetarian, I used Beyond Meat Spicy Italian Sausage. It is plant based, but so closely resembles the real thing, in both taste and texture, it’s amazing.

Put on a big pot of water to boil. Add a bit of tomato paste to the browned sausage and a few cups of jarred tomato sauce. I love Rao’s marinara sauce. They sell it at Loblaws now! Just be sure to pick a sauce with no added sugar. Simmer the sauce while the noodles cook. Save about 1/2 a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Add drained pasta and roasted tomatoes to the sauce. Mix well and stir in some of the reserved pasta water to bring the sauce together. Transfer to a platter and add a few spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil. Close your eyes and imagine it’s still summer. You’re welcome.

Click here to print recipe for Rigatoni-with-Spicy-Sausage-Roasted-TomatoesDownload

Breakfast Burritos

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I’m a big fan of breakfast for dinner. We have eggs for supper at least once a week at our house. A burrito is the perfect way to wrap up your dinner in one neat little package. These burritos check all the boxes for a satisfying meal. Here’s how it all comes together.

I have recently discovered “Beyond Meat Spicy Italian Sausage”. It’s a plant based protein, that so closely resembles the real thing, it’s amazing. I’m always on the lookout to reduce my consumption of meat, and I have tried many “meat alternatives.” Most of them are sorely lacking in texture and flavour. This one did not disappoint. This is not a sponsored post, I just really love the product. I removed the “meat” from the casing and sautéed it in a pan, breaking it up into little pieces, until browned and crispy. I have used it as a pizza topping, mixed into frittatas, and tossed it with pasta and tomato sauce.

You can assemble and wrap the burritos ahead of time and stick them in the fridge for a few hours. Heat them in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes to heat them through and melt the cheese.

There is no end to the fillings you can use. Sautéed onions, black beans, salsa, hash browns, mushrooms, or spinach. Get creative.

Click here to print recipe for Breakfast -Burrito-SandwichesDownload