As someone who has been vegetarian for the vast majority of my adult life, and someone who did not enjoy meat as a child, it is no surprise that Quorn alternatives are included in my daily diet.

With recent studies suggesting that the protein found in Quorn meat-free products being just as good for muscles as animal proteins anyone living a vegetarian diet can easily get the levels of protein they need. Not only are Quorn products high in protein but they are high in fibre, low in saturated fat and contain no cholesterol – so including these products into your diet, even if you are a meat eater, provides a way to cook healthier versions of every day recipes.

When Quorn offered me some vouchers to spend on the products in order to share my recipes on my blog I was, to begin with, tempted to hunt out the new products to test.

However, with the weather rapidly changing I thought It would be a perfect opportunity to cook a batch of some of my favourite comfort foods. The dishes that can easily be adapted from a meat version to a Quorn veggie delight.

The Quorn product I use most in my cooking is the mince – fresh or frozen is good. I am not too adventurous with the mince. There are two staple dishes that I throw together, mainly because they are the ultimate comfort food and secondly, they are dishes that I have made so many times I need no recipe. Bolognase is one, a dish that is one of my favourites – especially when I want to indulge with some pasta!

The second dish, and one of the first dishes I am going to share is the Quorn chilli. It is another favourite of mine and can be eaten in so many ways; with rice and a dollop of sour cream, with tortilla chips, on a jacket potato or even in a wrap. I love it all ways, and as I can smell it cooking away in the slow cooker I will provide my version (without exact measurements as I rarely measure anything):

Quorn Chilli

Packet of Quorn Mince
Can of Chopped Tomatoes
Can of Red Kidney Beans
Tomato Puree
500ml Vegetable Stock
Fresh Chilli
Red Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Cumin
Chilli Powder
Smoked Paprika

Now I am a complete cheat these days, I literally throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker, on a low setting and cook for around six hours. Not only can you just leave the everything to cook without constant checking, but also I find that it tastes so much nicer cooking at a lower heat for hours. All those flavours fuse together and it is divine!

If you prefer sticking to cooking in a pan or need a more structured recipe Quorn have their own version here. 

As well has throwing together a recipe I am used to, today I wanted to also try something new. I found a recipe from Slimming World for “Chicken and Ham Hock Pies,” which all meat aside sounded rather delicious.

So I used one of my vouchers to purchase the Quorn Chicken Pieces. I have tried dishes using this product on a number of occasions. Sometimes they work, sometimes I have thrown the whole lot away. This time I was determined to make the dish work so I followed the recipe as much as possible.

Quorn “Chicken” Pot Pies

2 Large Parsnips
2 Large Potatoes (I actually used 4)
1 Large Carrot
100g Fat-Free Natural Fromage Frais (I actually used low fat cream cheese flavoured with herbs and garlic).
1 Large Leek
300ml Vegetable Stock
1 Packet Quorn Chicken Pieces
1 level tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
2 level tbsp Freshly Grated Parmesan

Method

1. Cook the parsnips and potatoes in a saucepan of slightly salted boiling water over a high heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and mash until smooth. Stir in the carrot and half the fromage frais (or cream cheese) and season to taste (I added some mustard to the mix).
2. Meanwhile, put the leek, stock and Quorn into another saucepan and bring to boil over a heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender.
3. Reheat the grill to hot.
4. Remove the Quorn mixture from the heat and stir in the mustard, parmesan and remaining fromage frais. Season to taste and divide into 4 individual pie dishes. Spoon the mash on top, smooth over with a fork and grill for 5 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve with veggies.

This dish is so tasty. I often get bored with the dishes I put together, cooking the same over and over again. This provided a lovely change and found it also allowed me to discover another way to enjoy the Quorn chicken pieces.

These are just two of the many products that are available from the Quorn range. I prefer the raw products – like the mince and chicken pieces. However I also love some of the other products too. The “Quorn Ham” is a regular in my lunch box, replacing the cheese for the ham most days. The cocktail sausages are amazing for a quick snack – I often take these with me to races as a quick way to get protein post race – and they are extremely tasty too.

Recent purchases also include the Sweedish Style Meat Balls, Peppered Steaks and Fajita Strips in an attempt to not only provide a little more variation and excitement to my meals, but additionally to ensure that I don’t become bored of eating the same food. As, although the mince dishes are extremely tasty, no body wants to repeatidly eat the same food over and over again.

For those who don’t have the time or do not enjoy cooking, then Quorn have a range of “ready meals” for you to choose from; I have been known to pick up the Cottage Pie or Lasagne from time to time. And I love the sound of the Lentil Dhansak (my favourite dish at the Indian). If you are the kind of person who loves to cook up a storm in the kitchen Quorn have a whole page of recipes with dishes that are bound to tease your taste buds.

Does anyone else use Quorn products on a regular basis? What’s your favourite Quorn dish?