We love Ratatouille – that traditional stewed vegetable dish from Provenance. In re-reading Julia Child’s recipe tonight, I noted that she suggested serving it with beef or lamb.
Since none of my favorite meatless meat companies have yet to figure out how to replicate lamb (hint, hint), I turned to Gardein Home Style Beefless Tips – one of my go-to meat analogues for easy weeknight meals.
I completely agree with Julia that each vegetable in Ratatouille should have its own distinct flavor and texture. But my preparation isn’t about cooking each of them separately – it’s about timing – I’ll show you when to add the onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes that meld together to make up a well-made ratatouille.
Adding the Gardein Beefless Tips during the last five minutes of cooking was perfect. My husband adored the meaty flavor and said he loved their texture. He told me that it reminded him of well-stewed, tender beef – but said that meat eaters might miss the fat and grease that you would normally associated with stewed beef. To me, that is a minor caveat, given that the Gardein Beefless Tips deliver 20 grams of protein with only 170 calories, zero cholesterol, and only 6 grams of fat per serving. Try cutting calories and fat with real beef and see how much meat you can actually consume to equal those stats!
Julia believed in experimentation – and so do I. Stay tuned for my easy vegan Meaty Ratatouille recipe that will be included in my exclusive content for newsletter subscribers.
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