Kristin Bryan - Better Than Beef

THE PLANT-BASED MEAT
COMFORT FOOD COOKBOOK The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. For my husband, Kevin,
who inspires me to believe that
nothing is impossible, and our family,
Aubrey, Taylor, Alex, Brianna, Ben, Max, and Theo.
My everything.K.B. Theres not much that can make me happier than sitting around a table with the ones I love, enjoying a home-cooked meal like a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, Grandmas meatloaf, or a delicious burger. Whether youre a meat lover, vegetarian, or vegan, delicious food is a thing of joy.

I believe everyone should have this joy in life. For me, that means satisfying foods that are full of fresh, delicious ingredients that offer color, flavor, and comfort. These are the kinds of foods that bring family and friends together, building connections and launching new beginnings. I began cooking plant-based meals at home when one of my daughters switched to a vegetarian diet. Food is at the core of who I am, so its essential for me to learn and evolve, not only as a culinarian, but also as the person responsible for feeding my family. With mostly meat lovers and one new vegetarian at the dinner table, I began to explore plant-based meals that everyone would enjoy.

In my job as a chef, I had begun cooking with plant-based ground beef and noticed that it had become more available in local grocery stores. Plant-based meats changed everything for me as a chef and a mom. With access to these innovative and tasty new products, I began developing techniques and recipes that won over even my hard-core meat lovers. I can empathize with home chefs everywhere when it comes to cooking with plant-based meats: Its a challenge to make veggies taste as delicious as a big, juicy hamburger. I spent a lot of time experimenting with ingredients, layering flavors, and finding methods that make it easy to work with plant-based meats. Thats why I am so proud to share this collection: The recipes in Better Than Beef will offer you the ability to create delicious meals with plant-based and beef-substitute products without sacrificing any flavor.

Inside youll find a variety of breakfasts, lunches, appetizers, and dinners that are familiar, fresh, traditional and, most important, a little downhome. With these dishes, you can bring your family and friends to the table, enjoy spending time together, and make memories one meal at a time. So heres to exploring new products and flavors, enjoying delicious comfort food, and savoring the moments we create in the process.

Youll notice I specify flake salt in some of the recipes. You can use regular salt instead, but flake salt (also called Maldon salt) has a less bitter flavor than regular salt. Its also a great finishing salt because it adds a dash of texture.

Using it is a simple, non-fussy way to elevate food.

Coarse black pepper will give your dishes a stronger pepper flavor and aroma. Finely ground pepper stays in the background, for a more subtle flavor. In a few recipes I specify coarse black pepper, but you can substitute with regular ground pepper. I keep two kinds of oil in my pantry: organic cold pressed light olive oil and organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil has a health benefit that makes it my personal choice.

It also cooks well on high heat and I prefer the flavor. You can, however, substitute with your preferred oil.

Harissa is a combination of spices, with the star of the seasoning show being dried ancho chili peppers. This spicy, aromatic blend originated in the Middle East and has become quite accessible. I can find both powder and paste forms at my local grocery store. Regular chili powder is a blend of dried chilies, garlic, onion, and cumin.

Chipotle powder is made from smoked jalapeo peppers that have been dried and crushed into a powder form. If you cant find chipotle powder, you can substitute with chili powder, but it will lack the smoky flavor.

Not all of the ground beef substitutes available on the market today will cook the same way, and not all of them will taste the same in these recipes. I would encourage you to experiment with different brands and settle on the taste and texture you prefer. (I almost always use a brand that most resembles regular ground beef. There are fewer smoky flavors present, so Im able to layer and create custom flavors in each recipe.) SERVES 4 The Egg and Chorizo Morning Scramble is a feisty little breakfast dish with flavor that will get your morning off to a fabulous start.

There are several types of plant-based chorizo substitutes, and all of them are good options. For this recipe I used the plant-based chorizo in the casing, but you can use the crumbled chorizo. Chive crema adds a bright, crisp, and herbal flavor to complement the heat in the chorizo.

CHIVE CREMA cup sour cream 1 teaspoon dried chives (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives) SCRAMBLE 2 green onions 2 chorizo meat-substitute links (or 1 10-ounce bag crumbled chorizo) 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 large eggs 2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter TO MAKE THE CHIVE CREMA Mix the sour cream and the chives in a small bowl to make the chive crema. Season with salt. TO MAKE THE SCRAMBLE Chop the green onions. Set aside. Set aside.

Remove the chorizo casings and break the chorizo into small pieces with your hands. In a 9 saut pan, heat the olive oil and cook the chorizo over medium low heat, about 23 minutes. (If youre using crumbled chorizo, add cup of water while cooking.) Set aside. Add eggs and half-and-half to a 7 mixing bowl and gently beat the egg mixture with a fork until blended. In a 9 saut pan, heat the butter over low heat. Add the egg mixture and use a wooden spoon to gently stir in the butter, creating a creamy egg base.