Yes, you heard right. It’s not a typo. A new meat-alternative has just launched in Oz and it goes by the name of Quorn. So what is it made from? What’s the nutrition low down? And where can you get it?
Quorn road-test
Described as a mycoprotein, Quorn is a high-quality protein grown, harvested and fermented from a member of the fungi family. Imagine morels and truffles, not mould and spores and you’ll be able to stomach it. For the full nutrition and product review jump on over to my guest post on Foodwatch by Catherine Saxelby APD.
We chose to road-test this super-easy, family meal with a recipe supplied by the manufacturer. With a couple of tweaks and additions as befitting any creative cook or dietitian.
Chill Con Quorn
Serves 4
Cooking time 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
300g packet frozen Quorn Mince
1 green capsicum, chopped
800g can chopped tomatoes
420g can red kidney beans (no added salt), drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste (no added salt)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup chopped coriander
Method
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes, add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon, cook for 1 minute.
Stir in frozen Quorn Mince, cook for 2 minutes, stirring well.
Add capsicum, tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste and oregano. Add a little water if necessary. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander and season to taste.
Printer friendly version: Chilli Con Quorn
Serving suggestions
Quorn recipe: Serve with rice or jacket potatoes and garnish with extra coriander. Top with a spoonful of low fat sour cream if desired.
Our twists: To boost dietary fibre intake we went for wholegrain tortillas and added grated carrot. A small spoon of blended chipotle peppers gave a beautiful smoky flavour to the sauce and a good squeeze of lime added the zing factor. We also switched sour cream for Greek style low fat yogurt swirled with cumin.
Does it have the “kwan”? (Think Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire).
Personally I love my red meat, but I certainly think you’ll enjoy trying the new Quorn range if you’re vegetarian. It makes a nice change from soy sausages and tofu. And if you’re not? This dish makes a speedy standby in your recipe repertoire. I’ll keep a package of Quorn Mince in the freezer for vego dinner guests, especially when our good family friends are over. Unlike frozen beef mince, Quorn Mince does not freeze in a ‘clump’, can be added straight to the cooking process without defrosting or browning and is easily worked into the sauce – so it really is a meal in minutes.
So how about it? Have you tried Quorn? Want some more nutrition tips from us on going Vegetarian? Got any great recipes or links to share? We’d love to hear your comments below.
