A Old-Fashioned Scottish Recipe: Mince, Tatties and Neeps

Low-fat Vegetarian Recipe using vegetarian mince

Mince, Tatties and Neeps with Tumshie Lantern

What is mince and tatties? Traditionally, it is minced beef served with mashed potatoes and mashed turnip or swede. It's an old Scottish favourite and being a vegetarian doesn't mean I miss out on it. Vegetarian mince made with quorn has about 75% less fat than beef mince, is a good source of protein and cooks up into many tasty dishes. This page features traditional mince with vegetables, served with potatoes and mashed turnips - ah the childhood memories this evokes!

I grew up in 1950s Scotland, a time when the country was still recovering from the Second World War, when food had to be cheap as well as wholesome. Mincing the beef was a way to make it spread further but actually, since I have never liked the texture of meat in my mouth, was one of the only ways my mother could get me to eat beef. It is interesting to note how popular Second World War cookbooks are becoming as we realise how much healthier many of the dishes were.

tumshie lantern

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 30 min
• Ready in: 45 min
• Serves: 4
• 
  

• Ingredients

• 250 gram quorn mince
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 onion - peeled and diced
• 3 carrots - peeled and cut into rings
• 1 small turnip - cleaned and cut into cubes
• 1 small potato - peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 pint vegetable stock (broth)
• black pepper and salt to taste

How to Make Mince and Tatties

mince and tatties

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until it is soft and transparent.
2. Add carrots, turnip and potato and coat with the oil/onion mix.
3. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add mince and stock and seasoning.
5. Bring to the boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
7. Serve with mashed potatoes and mashed turnip.
8. For these simple boil potatoes and turnip until soft then mash with a little butter. 

Variations

I like my veggie mince packed full of vegetables.

This is a recipe that can be adapted in many ways -

change out which vegetables you use

add herbs and tomatoes for a completely different taste

add HP brown sauce or curry powder to give it some spice

What is Quorn 

vegetarian

The main ingredient in Quorn is what is called a mycoprotein, and is made from a fungus like mushrooms. It is high in protein, low in fat and it contains very few calories. It is also high in fibre which helps maintain a healthy bowel and digestive tract. It also contains amino acids and, as it has no saturated fats, is thought to help reduce bad cholesterol which is the leading cause of heart disease and strokes.

NB - Egg whites are used as binding agents so this is NOT A VEGAN product.