Over the last two years we have been eating a lot less meat, in fact about 99% less.

This has been driven by disconnected things – we were loitering with intent on a Greek Island in May 2015, and I managed to drop at least a belt size in trousers just by eating a plant-based diet.

A diet where you eat whatever you want?  RESULT.

There was no conscious decision to go down the vegetable route; it is just that real Greek cooking is all about the vegetables so it was really easy to do.

In Greece, traditionally meat was only for high days, holidays, and Holy Days.

A second reason was we have become utterly appalled at the damage that the meat sector is doing to the environment.

A third reason is the lunatic price of meat and …

… fourthly – for us – the morally dubious way in which it is produced – but that is a personal thing, and do not expect anyone else to take any particular interest in it, but for completeness I thought I would add it, as Hey! It’s s my blog and I’ll preach if I want to.

So ….. we are now enjoying more than ever a plant-based diet, feeling healthier by far, losing weight, spending way, way less, and helping the planet.

Oh yeah, and burnishing our Smug Git credentials until they gleam.

However, I still have a hankering to munch on meatballs in thick, garlicky tomato sauce,  or scoff a sticky spaghetti bolognese, or consume a cashew-laden curry or, chew on a Chilli con Carne that beats the cold from the inside out – it is a texture thing rather than a meat thing.

And all that is doable using Magic Meat in its various forms.

At its simplest, it is a combination of Soya Mince, also known as Textured Vegetable Protein; (or pounded Soya Chunks), Vital Wheat Gluten, porridge oats, stock (usually organic mushroom as it has a stunning depth of flavour) and vegetables in all their glorious variety.

I buy the first three items from Buy Whole Foods Online but obviously other outlets are available, like good old Amazon.

Fortunately the family seem to love Magic Meat in all its various guises, so I have decided to add a Vegetable section to this blog.  It will cover not only recipes using Magic Meat, but simply fabulous vegetable recipes

Enjoy!