Meatless Spreads Recipes?

[GinaH]

My family has been using the meatless meat products, such as Morningstar Farms brand. Does anyone have any recipes for spreads that I can make with those products? I can make a tasty taco salad, and we spread it on no carb/no fat wraps and eat it that way. I suppose I can make chicken salad with the chicken products, too. I just need more variety than that. We're dieting, watching calories, carbs and cholesterol, and the spreads are great to have on hand!
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks so much! 

[cicero]

i don't use the fake "meat" at all, i don't like it, we used to have it around cause DS ate it, but i banned it from the house a few months ago - i really don't think its healthy being sooooo processed.

here are a few ideas for meatless spreads that are healthy - just some "real" ingredients. some of them are high in fat, but it's natural (plant source) fat, and if you stay away from margerine and all the other kind of fake fat you will be better off. i managed to finally lower my cholestral by staying away from packaged stuff.

Hummous spread:
you can use a can or boil your own garbanzo beans. (i soak 1 pound packs at a time of different beans and keep them in the freezer, then boil till soft, i use about 2 cups of cooked beans).
after they are a little cool, put in the food processor with a few heaping tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste), garlic, salt, juice from half a lemon. process till smooth, you may have to add a little of the cooking water. can use as a spread or dip. doesn't keep long - maybe 2-3 days (the store bought kind lasts longer).

vegetarian spread:
this was popular in the 70s....
heat 1 tsp of oil, and fry 1-2 onions, chopped finely. let them sautee till they are golden and just starting to brown. you can let a few of them get brown but not too many. let cool, then process with 1/2 cup of nuts (any kind, i've used almonds, walnuts and cashews), add one can of peas and carrots or one cup of frozen thawed peas and carrots. you can use green beans and peas instaed. add salt and pepper to taste. most recipes call for a few hard boiled eggs but I don't use them - too much cholestral.

mushroom vegetarian spread
heat 1 tsp of oil, and fry 1-2 onions, chopped finely. let them sautee till they are golden and just starting to brown. add one box of chopped mushrooms to the onions after they have cooked for about 10 minutes, and let them cooke for another 10-20 minutes. process. add salt and pepper to taste.

[GinaH]

Mmmm, those sound yummy, cicero! Thank you!
I'll be sure to try them all!

[kkl123]

I'll add to Cicero's post:

Baba ganouj  (aka "baba ganoush")

 (don't turn up your nose before you try it! -- I don't tell folks what's in
it before they've tasted it)


2 large eggplants
juice of half a lemon (adjust to taste... to balance the richness of the tahini, but
     you shouldn't be tasting lemon)
1/2 c tahini (sesame butter)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed (to taste)
1/4 c mint, crushed like you would basil for pesto
(1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika (aka pimenton) if you use the oven method
salt and pepper to taste (I usually use salt only)

Prepare the eggplants by pricking them with a fork in lots of places.  If you've got a gas or charcoal grill, put the whole eggplants on the grill and let the skin char,  turning so everything is evenly charred and sort of collapsed and wrinkly.  Pull off the grill and allow to cool.

OR

place pricked eggplant in 400 oF oven and roast about 45 minutes, to collapsed, wrinkly mess.  Allow to cool.

Scoop the inside of the eggplant out and mash well.  Discard skin, stem, etc. If the flesh is pretty watery, let it drain for a few minutes in a colander. Stir in rest of ingredients.  Chill.  Drizzle a little (<1 Tbsp) olive oil over the top if you like.

Serve slightly chilled with pita bread as a dip.

Or make my favorite, sliced fresh tomatoes, a bit of cheese and parsley and some baba ganouj in a pita half as a sandwich).

Grilling the eggplant gives baba ganouj a nice smoky flavor that I miss in the winter... so I've been adding a little sweet pimenton then -- it's a paprika pepper smoked  over an oak fire for about 10 days and then ground.  It's certainly not traditional, but I  use it when grilling is out of the question.

Usual reaction to this is "oh, this is good! what's in it?" followed by "but I don't like eggplant, are you sure this is eggplant?"

You might also enjoy exploring Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine -- much better eating than those fake meat products, imo.  Cheaper, too.  For starters, try Indian recipes with dal in the title (dal = lentils) and Middle Eastern recipes with ful or fool
(fava beans).

[Lynda_34]

What about cream cheese and olives.  I buy the cheap Spanish olives in a jar that are already in pieces, chop them up and mix with 8 oz cream cheese.  Add as much or as little as you'd like, I loved that as a kid and I still make it once in a while. Can go in a sandwich or just spread on crackers.