Vegetarian meals are hearty and flavorful. When cooking vegetarian dishes, you can use legumes and lentils, seitan--mock meat made from wheat protein, tofu, tempeh and eggplant to replace meat in recipes. Try adding a meat substitute to one of your favorite meals to mix up the flavor and texture of your meals. Explore the possibilities with meatless options for your meals and you find yourself not eating meat again.
Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils are quite versatile. You can slow-cook a pot of your favorite beans and use them to make patties for hamburgers, make soups, use in casseroles or mash with a fork to make hummus. Beans can be added to salads instead of chicken or beef. You can use them with soft and hardshell tortillas to make burritos and tacos. Red lentils are suitable for use in soups because of their tender texture. French lentils are firmer and hold their shape well after cooking, according to The Cook's Thesaurus. Lentils complement sauteed kale or cabbage dishes.
Tofu
Tofu is soybean curd that is pressed and formed into blocks. Tofu will take on the flavor of any spice or sauce you use with it, so you can use it anywhere you would eat meat. Add tofu to marinara sauce to mimic the texture of ground beef. You can slice tofu, season with barbecue sauce and lightly fry it to replace barbecue sliced beef. Add tofu to stir-fries to replace chicken.
Seitan
Seitan, also called chickwheat, can have the stringy texture of chicken breast. Seitan is made from wheat protein and, much like tofu, will take on the flavor of any seasoning you use. You can purchase fresh seitan packed in water and comes in chicken and beef styles to use for fajitas. You can also make your own seitan loaf and serve it meatloaf style, according to Vegan Peace.
Tempeh
Tempeh is fermented soybean curd prepared with Rhizopus mold, according to Tempeh Info. Tempeh is a protein staple in Indonesia and has a nutty, mushroom-like flavor. You can use tempeh slices in sandwiches and soups.
Falafel
You can purchase dried or canned chickpeas and make falafel balls. Falafel are balls of chickpeas or field beans deep fried in oil or baked. They're a traditional staple in the Middle East, India and Pakistan. Any type of bean can be used, but the most popular is chickpeas according to the Jewish Recipes website. Pair falafel with grilled vegetables to spice up your meals.
Eggplant
Firm, fresh eggplant can be breaded and seasoned to take on the texture of meat. Fried eggplant is a staple in Italian cuisine and making a meatless eggplant Parmesan offers variety over classic eggplant Parmesan recipes, according to Chef Patsy Jamieson with the Victory Garden.
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