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Plant-based options abound in the frozen aisle at Gelson ’ s market .
home , several products are available in local grocery stores .
“ Customers appreciate the way plant-based items have evolved to be more similar to the real products ,” says Richard Gillmore , vice president of center store for Gelson ’ s . “ Plant-based milks , meats and cheeses are much more similar to their conventional counterparts and are much more appealing to less ‘ committed ’ consumers . This evolution continues every year and will likely continue into the future .
“… Our top-selling items remain Impossible burger and Beyond meat , but there has been a lot of innovation in frozen items like Daring , Gardein and Quorn [ brand ] items . Chicken nuggets seem to have gained the strongest foothold .”
Gelson ’ s sells everything from Upton ’ s Naturals taco-style fava bean protein crumbles to Gardein vegan plant-based Chick ’ n Sliders , Impossible chicken nuggets and
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MorningStar Farms meatless bacon strips . There ’ s even a frozen Marie Callender ’ s plantbased Chick ’ n Pot Pie , showing that mainstream brands are getting into the category . Similar options can be found at Whole Foods Market , Ralphs and Pavilions , which carries Good Catch ’ s plant-based “ salmon ” burgers , Konscious brand ’ s plant-based “ tuna ” avocado sushi rolls , and Gardein ’ s plant-based frozen F ’ sh Filets and frozen vegan Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick ’ n .
“ One of the fun things about plant-based meats is that they are intended to be cooked in a similar way to traditional meat . The idea is to achieve the same feel ,” says Tony Phi Dang , Gelson ’ s corporate executive chef . “ Plant-based chicken nuggets can be baked or deep fried like the real thing . Plant-based hot dogs can be grilled on the barbecue . It ’ s really up to you .”
When cooking plant-based meat at home , there are a few things to keep in mind .
“ The cooking time for plant-based meat can vary depending on the recipe and type of meat ,” Dang says . “ Plant-based meat tends to cook faster than regular ground beef . Make sure to adjust cooking time when substituting for regular meat so you don ’ t overcook the product . In general , you can season the same way you would a traditional meat , but it all depends on your taste .”
Dang notes that plant-based “ meats ” aren ’ t always the healthier option . “ Make sure to read the labels on the packaging so you know exactly what you ’ re eating ,” he says . “ They can have high sodium or fat content depending on the brand .”
Of course , there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options that don ’ t require plantbased “ meats .”
“ Simplicity is best if you want to avoid processed food in your diet ,” Dang says . “ There is nothing wrong with sticking to fresh fruits and vegetables . You can also capture the feel of eating traditional meat by marinating fresh mushrooms like lion ’ s mane or portobello the same way you might with beef or poultry and then cooking them on your grill or gently in your home smoker .”
To his point , Redfearn makes a Bolognese sauce at home with mushrooms . “ If I didn ’ t tell you , you ’ d think there ’ s meat in it ,” he says . “… [ It ] probably takes 3 pounds of mushrooms for me to make the dish . And they ’ re all ground up and put in my sauce . And it ’ s absolutely delicious .” g
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Grilled Impossible Kofta
Serves : 6
Cooking spray 14 ounces Savory Impossible Ground Sausage ½ medium red onion , grated 6 garlic cloves , grated 1 ½ tablespoons fresh dill , chopped 1 ½ tablespoons fresh mint , chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground oregano ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Grapeseed oil , for brushing Special equipment : Six 8-inch wooden skewers
FOR SERVING : 6 pieces mini naan 1 cup prepared tzatziki 1 cup shredded lettuce 1 cup cherry tomatoes , chopped 2 Persian cucumbers , sliced Mint leaves , for garnish Lemon wedges
Fill a shallow pan with 1 inch cold water , add the wooden skewers and soak for 30 minutes . Preheat oven to 400 F . Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray . In a large bowl , combine the Impossible sausage , onion , garlic , dill , mint , cumin , oregano , cinnamon , kosher salt and black pepper . Mix until completely combined . Divide the kofta into 6 balls . Wrap one kofta ball around a skewer . Evenly press the ball up the skewer and into a cylinder . Place the skewer on the prepared baking sheet . Repeat with the remaining kofta balls . Bake the kofta for 11 to 13 minutes , or until firm and starting to brown . Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and brush with grapeseed oil . Grill the kofta for 1 to 2 minutes on each side , until browned . Serve the koftas hot over a piece of naan with the tzatziki sauce , lettuce , tomatoes and cucumbers . Garnish with mint and serve with a lemon wedge . — Recipe courtesy of Gelson ’ s
LEFT : COURTESY OF GELSON ’ S
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