can be done with quorn fillets too, i spose....
that whole substitute/fake meat thing is the main problem facing public perception of veggie food. it allows you to be very lazy with what you cook...
also, the main problem that non-aware meat-eaters face is that when they think of a veggie meal they think of something that they would normally eat, just with the meat taken out.
so if you have a meal that is some meat, two veg (usally boiled!
) and some potatoes, and then you remove the meat you are basically left with some mash and two over-cooked tasteless veg.
now i will give you that, it probably
is going to be pretty tasteless. (i'd argue that it was more to do with how you cook it than what you cook - eg: steam the veg & add some black pepper, add a little english mustard to the mash, etc etc)
to do veggie food properly you need to go back to basics. start again. rethink what the meal is goign to be.
the reason i took exception to SG's remark about it being tasteless is that since going vegan i have discovered some of the most wonderful, tasty dishes i've ever eaten in my life. fact.
in your average meat-oriented dish the meat is the centre-piece, the only bit that you really pay attention to is the flavour of the meat. you tenderise it, baste it, coat it in herbs and breadcrumbs etc etc etc
everything else on the plate is essentially just decoration, or to bulk out the dish.
but when you make veggie stuff you pay attention to ALL of it. every single fresh vegetable, every different type of bean you use, etc etc
the majority of stuff i eat has so many different things in it, each with their own subtle flavour that each mouthful has a slightly different flavour "composition" - it makes eating very exciting and very stimulating.
in short, i thought SG's comment about tastless veggie food was bullsh
it, betraying a lack of understanding of the fundamental nature of food, taste, and what/how we eat
ahem