How to make veggie mince nice

Since I mentioned veggie mince in the last post, I thought I'd put up a few quick tips on using fake mince. Veggie meat substitutes are actually pretty good these days, it's just a case of knowing how to use them and how not to use them.

Where veggie mince is concerned, my top tips would be:

1. For some reason, I find it makes much better chilli than it does bolognese. It is quite hard to get veggie mince bolognese anywhere approximating the richness of proper bolognese, whereas I actually find fake mince chilli just as nice as beef chilli.

2. It's a good idea to add a teaspoon or two of Marmite and some tomato puree when you add the mince, or maybe even some red wine - just something to give it a bit of body or it can seem bland and wimpy.

3. It takes remarkably little time to cook, so you can just add it to your sauce right at the end - but I find it's nicer if you add it at a slightly earlier stage to let it cook in and absorb the flavours. It doesn't seem to like being cooked for *ages*, though.

4. My favourite brand used to be one called just "Vege Mince", but I can never find it these days so I use Quorn Mince, which is definitely better than it used to be.


Part of the reason this occurs to me is because I made veggie mince chilli at the weekend with jacket potatoes and it was good veggie comfort food. Anyway, my chilli recipe is:

1. Chop an onion and some garlic; fry it for a few minutes in some oil.
2. Add a tin of tomatoes and a tin of kidney beans, together with around 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander, 2 tsp paprika, chilli powder to taste, salt and pepper, and maybe a shake of mixed herbs and a shake of cinnamon.
3. Leave it to simmer for 20 minutes or so, then tip in a bag of veggie mince. You might need to add a bit of water for the mince to cook in, but I didn't find this necessary last time I did it.
4. Add a good teaspoon of Marmite and a great big squeeze of tomato puree - taste it and add more seasonings if it seems at all bland.
5. Cook it for a further 10 minutes or so and serve. Like most chillis it often improves the next day.

I'd normally opt for this veggie chilli with rice or jacket potatoes (mmm). Mark also makes a mean bean chilli with no fake meat content at all, which personally I think is yummier if you're doing wraps/burritos. Maybe I'll prod him into posting the recipe some time.