Stretching Your Grocery Dollar - Meat Replacements

From Hunting and Gathering In the New Millennium:  Not Having to Live Without

The Little Things… are two recipes for mock meat.  These can be used to replace meat entirely, or used to add to meat to stretch your dollar.  Both are excellent, healthy alternatives that can be made from vegetables you grow in your own backyard garden.  Enjoy!

Mock Ground Beef

In order to stretch ground beef for hamburgers, or to replace it altogether, try adding or combining the following ingredients:  4 cups cooked, black beans, 1 extra large egg, 1 large minced green onion, 2 minced clove of garlic, 1 small minced bell pepper, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoon of oil.  Either mix the ingredients with the ground beef, or use it as a replacement for ground beef instead.  It is best if used by molding it into meatballs or patties rather than using it crumbled.     

Mock Chicken

To make Seitan (or wheat gluten), mix 8-½ ounces of flour with 5 ounces of water and a dash of salt, and knead it into dough. Cover the dough completely and allow it to rest for 30 minutes, then place it in a large bowl and “knead” it under slowly running water until the water turns white.  Repeat the washing process two additional times.  Put the dough into an airtight plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour to set. Once ready, it will be very elastic, at which point you can pinch off pieces or cut it into strips and cook it as you would chicken in sauces, or fried with seasoned vegetables.