Quorn Mince

janemem
janemem Posts: 575 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have never eaten or cooked with Quorn before but I bought some today as it was half price in the supermarket and I was really surprised at how much less sat'fat it has compared to minced beef.

I love beef mince but very rarely cook it for myself because of the fat and calories so I am quite excited at the thought of being able to enjoy a nice hot chilli or enchiladas without having to limit myself to a minuscule portion.

Has anyone got any tips about cooking with Quorn? Do you find that you need to add oil to dishes or is it really just like cooking with meat mince?

Also has anyone tried (successfully) to make burgers with it?

Replies

  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    You don't need to add extra fat, just treat it like beef mince. I can't imagine it binding very well for burgers though, I just buy Quorn burgers!
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    I can't imagine it binding very well for burgers though, I just buy Quorn burgers!

    I'd prefer to make my own as I like my food highly spiced lol!

    I've seen a recipe online for burgers that used an egg and breadcrumbs for binding, the same as I use for kofte. I was just interested to hear if anyone has actually made them before I give it a go. :)
  • Zichu
    Zichu Posts: 542 Member
    I used to eat a lot of Quorn products, but I need the calories and the extra protein, so I go for meat lol.

    I've tried making a burger with the Quorn Mince, but it just doesn't work very well lol. I've used Egg Yolks and Breadcrumbs, but it just doesn't stick together at all...
  • Izzwoz
    Izzwoz Posts: 348 Member
    I really like the Chilli con Quorn http://www.quorn.co.uk/recipes/59/chilli-con-quorn/
    just think because it doesn't taste as strong as beef, I tend to let it properly stew in the juice with all the spices so it takes on the flavour, no extra oil needed, just as many chillies as you like! :happy:
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    I used to eat a lot of Quorn products, but I need the calories and the extra protein, so I go for meat lol.

    Per 100g Quorn has only 2g of protein less than beef mince so I'd rather have more Quorn and much less (10 times) saturated fat.

    I find it a real struggle to eat enough protein on my low limit of calories so I'm always looking for low cal/high protein foods.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    I think because I love beef mince so much I don't often get on with Quorn mince but I have had it made into a chilli with loads of types of beans and had to admit it was delicious. If you can find a good recipe then it's a winner of fat and calories in comparison to beef mince. x
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    I really like the Chilli con Quorn http://www.quorn.co.uk/recipes/59/chilli-con-quorn/
    just think because it doesn't taste as strong as beef, I tend to let it properly stew in the juice with all the spices so it takes on the flavour, no extra oil needed, just as many chillies as you like! :happy:

    Now you're talking my kind of language! I :heart: chilli's and have built up a high tolerance to the heat so the more the merrier for me, lol! :happy:
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    You might want to bind it with some fresh bread crumbs soaked in milk and egg white.
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    You might want to bind it with some fresh bread crumbs soaked in milk and egg white.

    I can see the sense in adding the milk, especially if I make the crumbs quite large so they'll hold it more.
    Thanks for that tip. :smile:
  • sleepyjean88
    sleepyjean88 Posts: 180 Member
    Oooh I've used it before, one thing I will say is it has to be added to something that has lots of flavour such as chilli because on its own its a bit bland :)
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    Oooh I've used it before, one thing I will say is it has to be added to something that has lots of flavour such as chilli because on its own its a bit bland :)

    That's what I would do because I need things with plenty of flavour anyway.

    It's a shame I've got all my dinners ready until the end of the week because I really want to get cracking on this mince now, lol! :smile:
  • LooptLou25
    LooptLou25 Posts: 193 Member
    It is so easy, it's all I cook with. Just slightly fry it (dry) in a pan (we generally use the wok) after a few minutes when it's looking thawed, add your favourite sauce (we love chilli & spag bol) simmer for 15 mins & you are done! The Quorn chicken is great for sweet & sour or curries, the beef strips are great with gravy, mash & veg or steak & mushroom pie. If we use the mince to make a cottage pie, we add a teaspoon of marmite & sometimes worcestershire sauce to give it some welly! The southern style quorn burgers they make are also delicious as are the lamb/mint kebabs & peppered steaks for the BBQ! Sorry, I'm a bit of a quorn fan lol!
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    I have heard it is ground up fungus from the UK. Is that true?
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I put it straight in the pan from frozen with the sauce and any extras and just let it cook through, sometimes add a bit of Levi Roots for an extra kick :heart:
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    I have heard it is ground up fungus from the UK. Is that true?

    It is a form of fungus yes.
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
    I can't get it to stay in burger form. It's great to mix in place of ground beef, but it won't hold a shape in my experience. I love using it in chili and spaghetti sauce.

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