*This is a paid partnership with Sainsbury's*
Meat Alternatives and veganism has become quite mainstream in recent years which is fantastic to see as it makes it so much more accessible. I class myself as a meat eater but we do eat a lot of meat-free products and vegan food especially when we're out due to Joshua's allergy to dairy. I find myself much more reassured ordering vegan food than trying to whittle down something that's dairy-free so I order a vegan main meal and share with my little guy. It's opened me up to a whole different world of food over the last year and has given me the push to try those alternatives at home too.
Gone are the days of minimal choice with not a lot of flavour, admittedly some places do still need some work when catering for everyone but Sainsbury's have really nailed their meat alternative range this year and we're big fans.
The Sainsbury's Love Your Veg range brings to life a delicious and innovative plant-based range compromising of ready meals and meat-free options using jackfruit and mushrooms as well as a whole host of other yummy creations that are bound to set your taste buds alive. I wanted to show you just how easy it is to swap out meat with my top picks from the Love Your Veg range to create easy family favourites that you can whip up in no time at all.
The first dish is perfect as party food, a snack to serve up through a sports game or something for all the family to enjoy and it's one of our favourites. The Love Your Veg Shroompups are cocktail sausages made from peppery vegan mushrooms. I also really, really love the name and think it's such a fun way to market them towards children. Joshua loves them!
Soy & Honey Marinated Shroompups
Ingredients:
Love Your Veg Shroompups
Soy Sauce
Honey
Sesame seeds
Olive Oil
Method:
Mix the soy and honey into a ramekin
Add the shroompups to the marinade and let sit for a few hours
Heat 5ml of oil into a pan on a medium heat
Add the marinated shroompups to the pan and fry for 8 minutes
When cooked through take the shroompups out and place them into a bowl
Add sesame seeds to a fresh ramekin of soy and honey
Garnish a bowl if desired, I used a lettuce leaf
Add the shroompups to the bowl then drizzle with the contents of the ramekin
Add cocktail sticks
The second dish features the Love Your Veg Shroomdogs as a hot dog! I love the ease of hot dogs and paired with fried onions and mustard they're fail-safe. I used the chorizo style shroomdogs that taste so much like chorizo I had to double-check that they were! There are three variations in the shroomdog range so if chorizo isn't for you, you could try the Cumberland or caramelised onion shroomdogs.
American Style Hot Shroomdogs
Ingredients:
Love Your Veg Chorizo Style Shroomdogs
White Finger Rolls
Onion
American Style Mustard
Olive Oil
Method:
Heat a pan with 5ml of olive oil on medium heat
Take out your shroomdogs and add to the pan once hot, cook for 8 minutes
Add your chopped onion and heat alongside the shroomdogs
While they're both cooking, take out the finger rolls and slice down the middle
Take the cooked onions from the pan and place in the bun
Place a shroomdog on top of the onions
Grab your American style mustard and squeeze on top
Add a salad garnish if desired
The last dish I made using the Love Your Veg range was a much-loved burger. I love burgers, the juicer the better for me so the jackfruit burger hits all the right spots! I hadn't tried jackfruit before but have seen countless posts saying how scrumptious it is and it did not disappoint. As this isn't a vegan focused burger I still added cheese but there are plenty of vegan cheeses available from Sainsbury's to choose from.
The Smoky Jack Burger
Ingredients:
Love Your Veg Smoky Jack Quarter Pounder
White Rolls
Lettuce
Beef Tomato
Cheese Slices
Olive Oil
Method:
Heat a pan with 5ml of olive oil on a medium heat
Add the smoky jack burger and cook for 8 minutes, turning the burger every 2 minutes
Cut your rolls and butter if desired
Add crisp lettuce and a big slice of beef tomato
Once your burger is cooked and that to the bun and salad before topping with cheese
And your burger top and it's as good as ready to eat
Eating meat-free doesn't need to be difficult and with Sainsbury's wide range of choice, it's never been easier. We swap our one or two days a week to eat meat-free and we've created so many delicious meals by making a simple swap.
We love it and so does Joshua which is the main thing, it's also easy on the pocket too which is always great for families when doing your food shop.
The Love Your Veg range is available in-store and online and with so many recipes available, you'll be eating meat-free before you know it.
I'd love to know what your favourite dish is that you've swapped out meat for a yummy alternative.
This is a paid partnership with Sainsbury's - see disclaimer