Sunday, March 11, 2012

Vegetarian cutlet



Food Diary (March 11, 2012)
Breakfast: Toast
Lunch: Pasta with spinach
Dinner: Beans and cabbage with pasta

This is a really quick and easy version of the cinnamon bun or cinnamon roll. Using puff pastry instead of the bread dough saves a lot of time and effort. And it produces a different result. The rolls are crispy and buttery. And probably more tasty, but that’s debatable.

I also added chopped almonds and raisins to one batch. Nuts added crunch to the already crunchy puff pastry. The recipe is available here.




Today's Favourite Photo
Mozart Cupcakes




Today’s Favourite Blog
A vegetarian cutlet that looks like a cutlet, is juicy and fibrous like a cutlet, and even chews with the consistency of a real cutlet. Sounds too good to be true, but it is true. Researchers are using a new method to prepare a meat substitute that not only tastes good, but is also environmentally sustainable.

A different process is used. The previously conventional methods involved mixing plant proteins with a little water, and heating them under high pressure. At the moment when it pushes through the die, the temperature drops dramatically, steam is released and the mass foams up. The new process involves boiling and slowly cooling down. Since no sudden release of pressure takes place, no steam blows out of the paste. As the temperature sinks, the protein molecules start to form chains. This gives rise to a fibrous structure that is quite similar to that of meat.

The prototype of the new vegetarian cutlet factory can produce one endless piece of meat approximately 1-cm thick that can be shaped as desired. The research team is currently able to produce 60 to 70 kilos of the meat substitute per hour. According to Florian Wild, the head researcher, "consistency and texture are already superb, "there is still a little work to do on the flavor”.

The new product will be presented at the Anuga FoodTec trade fair from March 27 through March 30 in Cologne.

This product sounds more appealing than the meat being produced in the laboratory.

22 comments:

  1. I like your puff pastry cinnamon rolls!

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  2. Great use of the puff pastry ... I do that too sometimes when I don't feel like making from scratch and need a cinnamon bun fix :)
    The Chinese vegetarians (Buddhists) have been making fake meat from gluten for a long time. They even make fake fish, fake beef, fake pork, etc ... and the textures and flavors are seriously close to the real thing. I mean, of course, it doesn't sound too correct that they should actually be doing this, but hey, there's great talent there! I'm not a fan tho.

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    1. Damn, I thought I was innovative and the first to think of this idea!
      I haven't heard of the buddist fake meat. I guess its different from the fake meat/fish etc sold in Chinese restaurants. If its that close to the real think, maybe when the chefs are lazy they could use the real thing, no one would notice:)

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  3. Oh my gosh, I don't think I want a vegetarian food that chews like meat! Ew! :P

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    1. That sounds less appealing, when you put it that way

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  4. I think I'll just stick to regular cutlets. Why do vegetarians who don't like the look of meat want to buy products that aren't meat but look like meat? That pasta looks delicious - now there's a sensible vegetarian meal.

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    1. I have similar views. Also when non meat dishes are called meat names such as bacon...

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  5. Interesting cutlet huh? I wonder how popular it would be?

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    1. If its an improvement to soya meat it could be popular

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  6. I'm definitely intrigued by that cutlet making technique. I wonder if it'll make it to the US...

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  7. The easy version of cinammon rolls sound great! A very creative step! I must test your recipe soon (I always have at least one puff pastry sheet at home). I thought your pasta was with pesto! Well maybe spinach pesto would be a good idea?
    I have always thought imitating meat for vegetarians was weird. If people are vegetarians (most of them by choice at least in Western rich countries), then why they want to eat imitations of the meat they disapprove of for different reasons? I understand non-vegetarians (for example I love smoked tofu which reminds me of bacon, but is healthier).

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    1. Thank you.
      Spinach pesto sounds good, I think I need to try making it.
      I agree about imitating meat, it makes no sense to me. Also calling certain vege dishes with meat names. I guess there are people who want to become vegetarians but cannot find something that suits them. This kind of product could be interesting for such persons I suppose.

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  8. those puff pastry cinnamon rolls are calling my name! Its the best of both worlds! Love it

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  9. I find it funny how some vegetarians want to imitate meat products. I have a a friend who insists on serving my tofu chicken breasts and tells me it tastes just like chicken...ah no!

    Love easy home treats with puff pastry.

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    1. There are some who want to avoid it and imitate it at the same time!

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  10. Oh those Mozart cupcakes really won me over.
    As for the vegetarian cutlet, after much experimenting with the a vegetarian diet I am fully convinced I am a carnivore!
    Mary x

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    1. Wait for the lab meat, maybe it will win you over:)

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  11. Those puff pastry cinnamon rolls are mini size? They are really cute and if it's mini size, they are great for kids snack. The new "meat" sounds like all fake and sounds processed to me. Why do they even want to eat non-natural food...who would even want to eat those, vegetarian or not. Looks like everyone has the same view on this. :-)

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    1. Yap, they look large in the photo but were actually quite small. Bite size.
      The new meat is actually not that processed, similar to soy meat but processed in a different way. I suppose there is a market for people wanting to eat these kinds of foods

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