Cooking with Plant Based Meat – Healthy and Easy!

Cooking with Plant Based Meat

After I did all of my research on plant based meats and even tried them out, I asked myself if there were other ways that I could incorporate these “meats” into my meal plan and diet.

Beyond Meat made that very easy. They offer some tasty sounding and looking recipes.

I headed over to Beyond Meat’s website and searched through some of the recipes.  I jotted a few down. Last night I decided to try one of them out –

Tuscan Style Beyond Sausage Pasta

Why did I choose this one? Well, it looked appetizing and light. The first thing I did was get my grocery list together.

Here is what I listed that I needed to get:

• Linguine
• Beyond Sausage Hot Italian
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Cannellini Beans
• Baby Spinach
• Parmesean Cheese

I thought this would be a very expensive recipe to make but actually it was not that bad.

Some of these items will last more than one serving, and feeding a family of four for $35 for a full meal is great when you consider if I were to buy this at a restaurant I would pay at least $15 for one serving.

Now to prepare it

Here is the recipe from Beyond Meat’s website

I got everything prepared and started the stove and oven.

I filled a large pot with water and placed it over high heat to bring it to a boil. Once it started to boil, I added the pasta and cooked it according to the package directions (I boiled it for about 10 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander and drizzled it with olive oil so it would not get sticky.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.

(This is where I changed the base recipe a bit as I baked the sausages in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes and then sliced them).

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil. Sauté the tomatoes until the skins burst and the tomatoes begin to release their juices.

After the tomatoes begin to break down, I added the spinach and stirred it into the tomatoes until it was about halfway wilted. Then I took the can of cannellini beans and drained them. I didn’t rinse them since I did not add much salt initially. I added the beans to the skillet and stirred until they were heated through. I tasted the mixture and added a bit more salt since it was a little bland.

Now I added the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet.  I tossed it until the pasta was coated in the sauce and everything was combined.

I took the cooked sausage out of the oven and sliced it. I put that into the mixture and then toss all of that with some shredded parmesan.

The final touch was to add the spinach and stir it into the tomatoes until it is about halfway wilted. It looked like this in the pan for the final step in the cooking process.

How was it?

I am sure you are wondering how was it? I thought it was very tasty. I think one thing I would do differently would be to add more “meat” to the dish. I like my food to be hearty but light. Especially when it is the last meal of my day. I don’t want to wake up hungry in the middle of the night. The flavor was excellent. Anyone who knows me, though, knows that I like to have a spicier flavor. What did I do? I added red pepper flakes of course! This gave the recipe the “zing” that it needed in order to satisfy me.

Would I recommend it?

I am not vegan nor am I vegetarian, but I do like to change up my meals and try new things. This filled both of the boxes on this list. Would I recommend this for a meal? You bet I would. I really did not notice a change in the flavor of the meat. The texture was only slightly different. However, I bet if you made this and served it to someone who did not know you had been cooking with plant based meat, they would not notice the difference at all.

Looking for more great recipes?

Beyond Meat Sausage and Peppers Skillet:

Ingredients:

• 4 Beyond Meat sausages (any flavor), sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced Beyond Meat sausages to the skillet and cook until they are browned and heated through. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed, and sauté the sliced onion and minced garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the sliced bell peppers to the skillet and cook until they are tender-crisp.
5. Season the vegetables with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Optional: Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the vegetables for added flavor.
7. Return the cooked Beyond Meat sausages to the skillet and toss everything together.
8. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve the Beyond Meat Sausage and Peppers Skillet over rice, pasta, or as a filling for sandwiches.

Beyond Meat Sausage Breakfast Burrito:

Ingredients:

• 4 Beyond Meat sausages (any flavor), crumbled
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 large eggs (or scrambled tofu for a vegan option)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 large flour tortillas (or gluten-free tortillas if preferred)
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheese
• Salsa or hot sauce (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. Add the crumbled Beyond Meat sausages to the skillet and cook until they are browned and heated through. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the diced bell pepper and onion until they are softened.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (or scrambled tofu) and season with salt and pepper.
5. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and pour the beaten eggs into the other side. Scramble the eggs until cooked to your desired consistency.
6. Warm the flour tortillas in a separate pan or microwave.
7. To assemble the breakfast burritos, place a spoonful of the cooked Beyond Meat sausages, scrambled eggs, and shredded vegan cheese onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas tightly to form burritos.
8. Serve the Beyond Meat Sausage Breakfast Burritos with salsa or hot sauce for an extra kick.

Beyond Meat Sausage Pasta:

Ingredients:

• 4 Beyond Meat sausages (any flavor), sliced
• 8 ounces pasta of your choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped (for garnish)
• Vegan parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the sliced Beyond Meat sausages to the skillet and cook until they are browned and heated through. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.
5. Add the diced tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
6. Return the cooked Beyond Meat sausages to the skillet and toss them in the tomato sauce.
7. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
8. Garnish the Beyond Meat Sausage Pasta with chopped fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese (if using).
9. Serve the delicious Beyond Meat Sausage Pasta hot and enjoy!

Note: You can customize these recipes by adding your favorite vegetables, herbs, or sauces to suit your taste preferences. Beyond Meat sausages are versatile and can be used in various dishes, making them an excellent addition to your plant-based meal options.

Final Thoughts

Cooking with plant based meats is not much different than cooking with animal meats. I think the biggest difference to me is it takes much less time cooking with plant based meats than it does with it’s animal counterpart. You can bake, grill, fry, and broil when cooking with plant based meats. I don’t think nor would I recommend boiling them unless it is a hot dog. As with animal based meats, cooking with plant based meats requires you cooking them thoroughly and to a safe temperature. I think 165 F is a good rule of thumb to apply when cooking “meats”.

Have you tried cooking with plant based meats? If you have, and you have a recipe to share, please place it in the comments. I would love to try it and then write up a review to feature on my blog. As I said before, I love to try new things and this would be right up my ally! I don’t hold punches and am honest in what I think of things. If I like something, I let you know. If it isn’t the best thing I have ever eaten, I will let you know that too!

Bon Apetite!

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