Taste Life Blog

All my clients talk about the “hour of heck” — the time you come home from work until the time you eat dinner. It is easy to serve up health if you plan ahead and use soy crumbles instead of ground meat in your favorite recipes. You will save time, and calories. Time — imagine having your ground meat already browned…soy crumbles are ready to go. You just add them to whatever dish you are preparing.

You save calories and saturated fat and add a bit of fiber!

Brett loves anything spicy. We prepared this dish for an evening meal during his spring break. He didn’t know it was soy and never guessed it was “different” than ground beef. Give this quick healthy recipe a try. Adapt the seasonings to what you like. Basil and oregano would also taste great in this recipe and give it an Italian flavor.

Food 3 ounce portion     calories     fat     saturated fat      fiber

Soy crumbles                    120              4 gm        0 gm               .75 gm

80% lean ground beef    228             15 gm       5.9 gm              0

90% lean ground beef     169             9 gm         3.5 gm              0

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces textured vegetable protein (soy crumbles)* or 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 peppers 1 green and 1 red, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp each of ginger, cumin, and cinnamon
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

In medium heat Sauté carrots, peppers and onions and garlic in the olive oil
Add soy crumbles, seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 additional minutes.

*Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers™ Recipe Crumbles™ was used in this recipe. (www.seeveggiesdifferently.com) which is found in 12 ounce bags in the freezer case by the frozen vegetarian foods. You can use in your favorite ground beef recipes like tacos, sloppy joes or spaghetti. Soy takes on the flavor of whatever spices you combine it with. Your family taste buds will never know but their hearts will know the difference!

Serves 6. Serve with couscous or rice, fresh green beans (1/2 your plate) and warm conversation.