The Blenditarian Challenge Series
I have taken the Blenditarian pledge and for some time now have been experimenting in the Urb’n’Spice kitchen on how to develop a money-saving recipe that incorporates a Blenditarian approach to everyday cooking. As a bonus, the blended base that I have developed is gluten free, preservative free, and dairy free. Just to clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat with finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. I have taken this meat blend process one step further by adding aromatic vegetables to the mushrooms and ground meat to create a nutrient dense Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. 
This blend (or base) can be used in a number of different recipes. In this post, you will learn how to prepare this base and how to utilize it. This Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable base can be used to make dishes such as: Spaghetti Sauce; Sloppy Joes; Chili; Taco Salad; Hamburger Soup; Beef, Cheese and Macaroni Casserole; or Australian Meat Pies, and much more. (Refer to “What Can I Do With This Recipe?” section below to learn more). I will be constantly adding to this Blenditarian Challenge Series. Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge for anyone to incorporate their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun themed dishes. The theme in January was “Healthy Classics”. This month’s Blenditarian Challenge is “Date Night Done Right!” For this post, I have chosen to make a Date Night Spaghetti Sauce using Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. Look for more Urb’n’Spice recipes in this Blenditarian Challenge Series.
Skip to Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend
Skip to Date Night Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Date Night Spaghetti Sauce ready to enjoy with a salad and a glass of red wine
SAVOURY MEAT, MUSHROOM AND VEGETABLE BLEND
CHEF TALK: During the slow cook process, the finely chopped vegetables break down into the same sized morsels as the ground meat. The aromatic vegetables provide a savoury flavour to the base that cannot be duplicated using just meat alone. I chose to use Cremini or Portobello Mushrooms because of their “meaty” taste and darker colour. Chopping the vegetables finely is much easier if you have a food processor. The cooked meat and vegetable base is cooled, portioned and frozen in 1 lb. portions (about 3 cups). This base is nutrient dense and delicious. Feel free to tweak it according to your taste. Build your freezer reserve then use the frozen packages to make any of the meals listed below. Enjoy!
Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend
Yield: 1575 g cooked product (approximately 3.5 lbs.)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb. (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 lb. (454 g) ground pork
- ¼ cup dried vegetable flakes, optional but recommended
- 1 lb. (454 g) Cremini or Portobello mushrooms, chopped finely
- 1 large onion (250 g), chopped finely (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (15 g), minced finely
- 2 stalks celery (175 – 200 g), chopped finely (about 1 cup chopped)
- ½ small rutabaga (300 g), chopped finely (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots (175 g), chopped finely (about 2 cups chopped)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 – 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
METHOD:
- Place the ground meat into a 6 to 7-quart crockpot. Season with of the half of the salt and pepper.
- Using a food processor, chop the vegetables finely and add them to the slow cooker/crockpot.
- Add the remaining salt and pepper, in addition to the remaining ingredients.
- Stir the mixture very well.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or 6 – 8 hours on low.
- Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. It should be seasoned well, savoury and flavourful. Remember that this is a base and other ingredients will be added to it to make other dishes (i.e.: diced tomatoes, chilli powder, etc.).
- Drain the mixture, if necessary. CHEF TIP: Refrigerate any drained liquid in a separate small bowl. The next day, de-fat the liquid by lifting off and discarding the hardened fat. The remaining liquid will be gel-like. Add some or all of the liquid back into the mixture for extra moisture.
- Portion the seasoned meat blend into 1 lb. (454 g) portions and place in a zipper bag or vacuum sealer bags. Close tightly or vacuum seal, date, label, and freeze on a flat baking tray.
What Can I Do With This Recipe?
DATE NIGHT SPAGHETTI SAUCE
CHEF TALK: Start with 1 lb. package (3 cups) of Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. Make this quick and easy Date Night Spaghetti Sauce with just a few additional ingredients. This is the first recipe in the Blenditarian Challenge Series. There are more ways to use this meat, mushroom and vegetable blend coming soon, as listed below.
Date Night Spaghetti Sauce ready to enjoy with a salad and a glass of red wine
Makes 10 – 12 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Add to 1 lb. (3 cups) savoury meat blend:
- 1 – 28 oz/796 ml can of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 2 cans (398 ml) of tomato sauce
- ½ – 1 full can (158 ml) tomato paste.
METHOD:
- Combine the ingredients together and simmer until heated through.
- Pour over your favourite cooked pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
COMING SOON! The possibilities are endless using this Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend:
- Lasagne
- Sloppy Joes
- Pizza Topping
- Taco Salad
- Chilli
- Blenditarian Hamburger Soup
- Beef, Cheese and Macaroni Casserole
Here is your visual step-by-step procedure to make your own Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend:
Ingredients for Meat, Mushroom & Vegetable base
The vegetables for the Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend are finely chopped
The ground beef and pork are combined in the slow cooker. The seasonings and dried vegetables flakes are sprinkled on top before adding the fresh vegetables
The Meat, Mushrooms and Vegetables are combined and ready for the 4-hour slow cooking process
The recipe fills a 7-quart slow cooker approximately half full. It is easy to double the recipe to fill the crockpot.
Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend
The meat, mushroom and vegetable blend is portioned into 1 lb. bags ready for the freezer reserve
With a few additional ingredients, Date Night Spaghetti Sauce is created using the Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. It is ready in just a few minutes.
Date Night Spaghetti Sauce ready to enjoy with a glass of red wine
Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 1575 g Cooked Meat Blend
I have taken the Blenditarian approach to the meat blend process one step further by adding aromatic vegetables to the mushrooms and ground meat to create a nutrient dense Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. This blend (or base) can be used in a number of different recipes. In this post, you will learn how to prepare this base and how to utilize it to make Date Night Spaghetti Sauce. There are more recipes to come in this Blenditarian Challenge Series! For more tips and techniques, including a visual step-by-step procedure, please refer to the blog post.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 lb. (454 g) ground pork
- ¼ cup dried vegetable flakes, optional but recommended
- 1 lb. (454 g) Cremini or Portobello mushrooms, chopped finely
- 1 large onion (250 g), chopped finely (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (15 g), minced finely
- 2 stalks celery (175 – 200 g), chopped finely (about 1 cup chopped)
- ½ small rutabaga (300 g), chopped finely (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots (175 g), chopped finely (about 2 cups chopped)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 – 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Place the ground meat into a 6 to 7-quart crockpot. Season with of the half of the salt and pepper.
- Using a food processor, chop the vegetables finely and add them to the crockpot.
- Add the remaining salt and pepper, in addition to the remaining ingredients.
- Stir the mixture very well.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or 6 – 8 hours on low.
- Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. It should be seasoned well, savoury and flavourful. Remember that this is a base and other ingredients will be added to it to make other dishes (i.e.: diced tomatoes, chilli powder, etc.).
- Drain the mixture, if necessary. CHEF TIP: Refrigerate any drained liquid in a separate small bowl. The next day, de-fat the liquid by lifting off and discarding the hardened fat. The remaining liquid will be gel-like. Add some or all of the liquid back into the mixture for extra moisture.
- Portion the seasoned meat blend into 1 lb. (454 g) portions and place in a zipper bag or vacuum sealer bags. Close tightly or vacuum seal, date, label, and freeze on a flat baking tray.
Notes
CHEF TALK: During the slow cook process, the finely chopped vegetables break down into the same sized morsels as the ground meat. The aromatic vegetables provide a savoury flavour to the base that cannot be duplicated using just meat alone. I chose to use Cremini or Portobello Mushrooms because of their “meaty” taste and darker colour. Chopping the vegetables finely is much easier if you have a food processor. The cooked meat and vegetable base is cooled, portioned and frozen in 1 lb. portions (about 3 cups). This base is nutrient dense and delicious. Feel free to tweak it according to your taste. Build your freezer reserve then use the frozen packages to make many different meals, including Date Night Spaghetti Sauce. Enjoy with a salad and glass of red wine.
For further details, including step-by-step photos, please refer to the original post: https://urbnspice.com/my-recipes/savoury-meat-mushroom-and-vegetable-blend/
Did you Make my Recipe?
Tag me @urbnspice on Instagram and hashtag #urbnspice
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Canadian
Date Night Spaghetti Sauce
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 10 - 12 servings
This is just one recipe that you can make from the Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. It takes only a few minutes to combine and heat through once you have the blend done.
Ingredients
Add to 1 lb. (3 cups) savoury meat blend:
- 1 – 28 oz/796 ml can of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 2 cans (398 ml) of tomato sauce
- ½ – 1 full can (158 ml) tomato paste.
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients together and simmer until heated through.
- Pour over your favourite cooked pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
For further details, including photographs and chef tips, please refer to the original post: https://urbnspice.com/my-recipes/savoury-meat-mushroom-and-vegetable-blend/
Did you Make my Recipe?
Tag me @urbnspice on Instagram and hashtag #urbnspice
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Tweaking
__________
You Might Also Enjoy:
My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtiere
If you try my recipe for Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.
You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!
Denise Paré-Watson
The Urbnspice Chef
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I could definitely go for a big plate of this right now! Love all the veg and spices packed in there! Bit of crusty, garlicy bread and I’m set 😉
Oh, my gosh, yes! Garlicy bread – perfect! Thanks for your comments, Dawn 🙂
I find chopping mushrooms finely in the food processor a very useful trick in my kitchen at home. My husband says that he doesn’t like mushrooms, but when I incorporated them with ground beef in this way, he doesn’t know they’re in there! And, yes, he know I do it.
I totally agree with you, Cathy! I have a little grandson who ‘thinks’ he hates mushrooms and is surprised when I tell him that the spaghetti sauce he loves so much has a lot of mushrooms in it! “Seriously?”, he says. lol, he still loves the spaghetti sauce, so I guess we can call it a winner 🙂
I’ve never heard of this Blendatarian thing but it sounds brilliant!! I think the mixture would be great in cottage pie (or pâté chinois to us french-Canadians ;)). This sauce looks amazing too. Will definitely give it a try!
Thank you, Ann 🙂 You have given me another great idea for this mixture, Ann. Cottage Pie would be an excellent option as well. Thanks so much for your comments.
Love how versatile this is! Such a great base to work from. And all the recipes you listed off that would incorporate this meat, mushroom and veggie blend are all things my husband would eat! Bonus! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much, Leanne. I will be adding to this series at least once monthly. I am glad to hear that the dishes would appeal to your husband. I can already tell you that it appeals to little kids. Win-win! 🙂 Have a great weekend yourself and many thanks for your comments.
I’ve been using mushrooms to stretch meat for years. I’m excited to have found a new recipe to do it with!! This looks delicious Denise!
I am so glad to hear that, Kristy! This is a very versatile base. I have approximately ten recipes so far using this Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend base – they will gradually make their way to the website. Thanks so much for your comment.
Mushrooms kinda make everything wayyy better, don’t they? Your photos are making my mouth water! Wishing I had a plate of this in front of me right now 🙂
Thanks, Nicole! I appreciate your comments. Mushrooms are the best! I love making blends with them. I hope you get the chance to have a plate of this in front of you soon! 🙂
I love the blendetarian concept and since I am mushroom CRAZY I will definitely be trying this approach! This sounds so healthy and delicious!
Indeed, the blenditarian concept is starting to get more and more leverage as folks become more aware of it. I will be posting a series of recipes using this blend. I hope you enjoy the series. Thanks so much for your comment, Terri! 🙂