Let me start this post by saying, I am a vegetarian failure. I’ve tried throughout my life to avoid meat completely, but it just doesn’t happen. Because of my travel schedule, I often find myself in situations where there are not a lot of choices so I eat whatever is offered. And there’s also the late night drunk or high eating in which I find that I have little to no control over what I put in my mouth. How I admire those strict vegetarians and vegans who actually stick to it.
But I must say, this Beyond Beef stuff might just be a game changer. It’s damn good. And I have to laugh at the fact that the meat industry is running scared over the existence of this stuff. Oh, poor you. The profits you make from raising defenseless animals to be cruelly slaughtered and destroying the environment are about to go down.
I tried this stuff recently in my favorite ‘meat sauce’ loosely based on this recipe. Those who know me know that I use recipes for inspiration rather than follow precisely. Because precise is just not in my vocabulary.
And it was damn good. The husband was skeptical, but he liked it. Bottom line – Beyond Beef is not going to obliterate the meat industry, but it is a damn good ground beef substitute. It’s not going to replace a steak. For me, it’s not going to replace a nice grilled piece of fish (so in reality, my hopes are pescatarian, not vegetarian), and I am not sure if it is healthier than meat raised organically on a local family farm.
But think about it…
If we have tasty alternatives to meat, can we reduce our consumption? Can we all take a good look at ourselves to understand the environmental impact of meat and do our part to make the world a better place?
My simple approach, at least for the weeks when I can cook at home are two-fold. One night a week, I buy a nice piece of fish to cook. That is one thing I am not giving up. In the same week, I may have sushi. Because I like it. If I want meat, it comes from the farmers market or a local farm. Other than that, it’s meatless. And as gluttonous as I am, it’s really not hard.
