Let’s be honest — most vegan synthetic meat is unappetizing. I’ve been following a vegan diet for a year now, and I’ve tried more vegan meats than I can count. Out of all of the vegan ground beef products on the market, Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef takes the cake. Its texture is perfectly crumbly, it’s well seasoned and it cooks in just a few minutes. Here are three ways to transform this plant-based protein!
Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus
Tasty Lettuce Cups
One day, I was really craving some lettuce cups from my favorite restaurant in my
hometown. After some experimentation, I created a vegan version!
Ingredients (makes 3 lettuce cups):
- ⅓ of a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms
- ¼ cup sliced white onion
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of a shredded carrot
- 3 romaine lettuce leaves
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
- Furikake seasoning to taste
- Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
Directions:
- Finely chop the mushrooms and white onion.
- In a large pan, combine the mushrooms, onion and minced garlic.
- Sauté the mushrooms and onions over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion pieces become translucent.
- Add in the Beef-less Ground Beef and cook the mixture for 5 minutes before adding in the soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
- To serve, place the Beef-less Ground Beef mixture into a lettuce cup and top it with shredded carrot, furikake seasoning and spicy peanut vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus
Beefless Tacos
Everyone loves a good taco. Here’s a plant-based swap!
Ingredients (makes 5 tacos):
- ½ a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
- 5 corn tortillas
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ of an onion, thinly sliced
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Lettuce for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a nonstick skillet lightly coated with coconut oil, cook the bell pepper and onion slices on medium heat.
- Add paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to the skillet. I usually aim for 1 teaspoon of each spice.
- After 10 minutes, add in the Beef-less Ground Beef and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Fill a corn tortilla with the taco “meat” and garnish with lettuce, avocado and a hot sauce of your choosing, like Cholula. If you want to be extra fancy, you can make your own guacamole!
Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus
Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
I must confess, I make this dish at least twice a week. It’s definitely my comfort meal of choice.
Ingredients (makes 3 servings):
- ½ a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
- 1 cup of brown-rice pasta
- ⅔ cup of sliced mushrooms
- 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- ⅓ cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup of marinara sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook the brown rice pasta according to the package instructions.
- In a separate small pan, combine the onion, mushrooms, garlic and spices. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and add in the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, water and Beef-less Ground Beef. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- In a bowl, pour the bolognese sauce over the base of pasta and serve!
If you’re looking to eat more meatless meals during the week, give these recipes a try! While it may not taste exactly like beef, this plant-based substitute eliminates the hassle of cooking meat and cuts down on the environmental impact of the cattle industry. Head to Trader Joe’s before this fan favorite sells out!
