I am desperately trying to go back to eating more plant-based meals – I’ve been pretty bad lately with a bunch of birthdays in the family. This has made me realize that I do like the taste of meat and meat products. Which isn’t a bad thing! I just need to learn how to cook plant-based dishes with that in mind.
Since more and more people are transitioning to a plant-based diet, there are more cookbooks that cover meat alternatives. Now that barbecue season is approaching, I don’t want to miss out on all the fun, but want to continue being plant-forward.
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These two new meat alternative cookbooks are a godsend. We can learn how to make meat alternatives with legumes, seitan, and other veggies, and we can figure out the best way to use “Impossible” meat!
Better Than Beef: The Plant-Based Meat Comfort Food Cookbook
As I peek through Better Than Beef: The Plant-Based Meat Comfort Food Cookbook, I can already tell I am going to fall in love with this cookbook.
This definitely covers almost everyone’s favorite comfort foods ranging from breakfast to dinners! I see recipes for sour cream biscuits and gravy, buffalo sliders with a blue cheese and buffalo aioli, and Italian meatballs with easy Sunday sauce. I’m so curious how a lot of these can be accomplished with just plants!
There are 70 incredibly easy recipes to conquer in this cookbook. Oddly, it reads and feels like you are actually cooking with meat. The ingredients mostly look the same and utilize impossible meat and other alternatives. So, there is no need to overhaul your whole pantry.
Aside from having a true steak and potatoes meal, you will find virtually all the delicious foods you will need. Granted – a lot of these are American classics. That is seemingly one of the harder cuisines to make entirely vegan, so I am grateful I can eat some favorites. Many of these can be used during barbecue season – now I won’t feel left out!
Cooking with Beyond and Impossible Meat: 60 Vegan Recipes Using Plant-Based Substitutions
If you’re trying to find a cookbook that utilizes meat alternatives for cuisines all around the world, you are in luck. The Cooking with Beyond and Impossible Meat: 60 Vegan Recipes Using Plant-Based Substitutions cookbook has sixty vegan dishes worldwide.
This cookbook isn’t just about eating plants, but acknowledging that us (the readers) probably enjoy meat. The only issue is finding substitutes for some of our favorite dishes. This cookbook has 60 recipes that are typically meat-oriented and made them entirely vegan. Some examples are: Indian kebabs, Meat Samosas, wonton soup, and more.
We learn the various ways to cook and prepare Impossible Meat that is more than just cooking a burger. It can be steamed, fried, grilled, boiled, and more. It never occurred to me that this would probably cook differently than actual meat. It is possible we may need some binders or alternatives to keep everything together. Plus, seasoning! We can’t forget that important step.
This cookbook also goes through the differences between each impossible meat product: (Impossible versus Beyond Meat.) Each one has specific textures and flavors that appeal to each person. I genuinely appreciate that Cooking with Beyond and Impossible Meat: 60 Vegan Recipes Using Plant-Based Substitutions cookbook does the heavy lifting with all the research.
Most importantly, one will ever know that these recipes are vegan. Surprise your favorite carnivore!
Have you tried cooking with Impossible Meat or Beyond Meat? I have yet to try, but have heard that both taste exactly like meat. This was actually a turn off for a vegetarian I know – that’s how authentic it is!
I can’t wait to try one of these two new meat alternative cookbooks!
~Kaiti
