Anna_Malia75
Literotica Guru
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You're right, honey. Obviously I misinterpreted the post at the start of the thread.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Calling all cooks...
- Thread starter Vermilion
- Start date
You're right, honey. Obviously I misinterpreted the post at the start of the thread.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Mark_Ilaan
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You're right, honey. Obviously I misinterpreted the post at the start of the thread.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Anything for you, beautiful. And I mean anything.
christabelll
Too...Gone Baby Gone
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mmm..... So good the recipes you have already been given....
A nice variant on the usual veggie is if you like squash
4 patty panns
4 yellow or crook neck squash
2-4 zukes (keep them small or they get mushy)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cous Cous - In a seperate pan bring salted water to boil per cous cous instructions ( I like using broth instead of plain water).
As the water comes to a boil Slice squash to relatively the same size.... heat oil in large pan and add squash, season with S & P, several grates of nutmeg and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook to desired tenderness.
Fluff Cous Cous and in a large serving bowl layer the cous cous with the veggies and serve as a main course or as side dish... a different but wonderfully savory dish (moroccan in origin).
If I think of any more I will let you know.... goodluck
A nice variant on the usual veggie is if you like squash
4 patty panns
4 yellow or crook neck squash
2-4 zukes (keep them small or they get mushy)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cous Cous - In a seperate pan bring salted water to boil per cous cous instructions ( I like using broth instead of plain water).
As the water comes to a boil Slice squash to relatively the same size.... heat oil in large pan and add squash, season with S & P, several grates of nutmeg and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook to desired tenderness.
Fluff Cous Cous and in a large serving bowl layer the cous cous with the veggies and serve as a main course or as side dish... a different but wonderfully savory dish (moroccan in origin).
If I think of any more I will let you know.... goodluck
Vermilion
Original Flavour
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Vermilion
Original Flavour
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Mark_Ilaan
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Well try the ratatouille recipe--It's the one with the eggplant, squash and tomotoes. It works well for vegetarians. At least the ones I've dated.
Mark_Ilaan
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matriarch
Rotund retiree
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Potato Cheese Cakes and corned beef hash
Potato Cheese Cakes
Boil up a large pan of potatoes and some onion.
When they're cooked, drain thoroughly, then grate some cheese into the pan - as much as you want, as little as you want - strong, mild, whatever, mash the whole thing together with maybe some herbs if you want.
Shape the potato/onion/cheese mix into burgers, and lightly fry both sides until crisp and golden brown. They are deeelicious, I usually eat them with baked beans and a side salad.
Corned Beef Hash
Again, boil up a pan full of potatoes, adding in carrot, swede, onion to taste. When cooked, drain thoroughly, then add in a can of diced corned beef, mix thoroughly, spoon into an ovenproof dish, press firmly, and score the top with a fork. Grate cheese on top if wanted. Put in a moderate oven for around 15 minutes until the top is crips and golden.
Serve either with baked beans (again), or with some healthy green veg and gravy.
Both are my favourite winter warmers.
Potato Cheese Cakes
Boil up a large pan of potatoes and some onion.
When they're cooked, drain thoroughly, then grate some cheese into the pan - as much as you want, as little as you want - strong, mild, whatever, mash the whole thing together with maybe some herbs if you want.
Shape the potato/onion/cheese mix into burgers, and lightly fry both sides until crisp and golden brown. They are deeelicious, I usually eat them with baked beans and a side salad.
Corned Beef Hash
Again, boil up a pan full of potatoes, adding in carrot, swede, onion to taste. When cooked, drain thoroughly, then add in a can of diced corned beef, mix thoroughly, spoon into an ovenproof dish, press firmly, and score the top with a fork. Grate cheese on top if wanted. Put in a moderate oven for around 15 minutes until the top is crips and golden.
Serve either with baked beans (again), or with some healthy green veg and gravy.
Both are my favourite winter warmers.
matriarch
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Liver is a very cheap meat, and makes the most delicious casserole. Another of my favourites. Tthe gravy from liver casserole is to die for. *drool*.
Pig's liver is the best for casseroling, and lamb's liver best for frying, with bacon and onions.
Pig's liver is the best for casseroling, and lamb's liver best for frying, with bacon and onions.
feeeriek
hiding
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vegetable jambalaya
rice, 1 cup
butter, 1/4 cup
mushrooms, sliced, 3/4 pound
onion, sliced, 1/2 cup
green pepper, chopped, 1/2 cup
celery, diced, 1/2 cup
broth, stock, consommé or water,
3 cups
tomatoes, stewed or canned,
2 cups
pimientos, chopped, 1/2 cup
bay leaf, 1
cayenne, few grains
chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon
thyme, 1/4 teaspoon
salt, 2 teaspoons
heat butter in a heavy skillet; add rice. cook, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
add mushrooms, onion, green pepper and celery. cook until vegetables are soft and lightly browned.
add remaining ingredients. simmer over low heat, with cover ajar, about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. (if a thicker mixture is preferred remove cover and continue cooking a few minutes longer, until some of the liquid had evaporated.)
ok i haven't tried this looked good...you may want to adjust the amount of salt...and other seasonings to your taste
rice, 1 cup
butter, 1/4 cup
mushrooms, sliced, 3/4 pound
onion, sliced, 1/2 cup
green pepper, chopped, 1/2 cup
celery, diced, 1/2 cup
broth, stock, consommé or water,
3 cups
tomatoes, stewed or canned,
2 cups
pimientos, chopped, 1/2 cup
bay leaf, 1
cayenne, few grains
chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon
thyme, 1/4 teaspoon
salt, 2 teaspoons
heat butter in a heavy skillet; add rice. cook, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
add mushrooms, onion, green pepper and celery. cook until vegetables are soft and lightly browned.
add remaining ingredients. simmer over low heat, with cover ajar, about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. (if a thicker mixture is preferred remove cover and continue cooking a few minutes longer, until some of the liquid had evaporated.)
ok i haven't tried this looked good...you may want to adjust the amount of salt...and other seasonings to your taste
Vermilion
Original Flavour
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Got a recipe for the casserole? I'll try anything once.
i'd like to eat more game, I;d even eat roadkill if I had even the faintest inkling of how to prepare a dead animal so it resembles a foodstuff.... anyone good at plucking and gutting?
<mutters> I'm not a pheasant plucker, i'm a pheasant plucker's mate... </mutter>
x
V
matriarch
Rotund retiree
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The quantities are completely arbitrary, it's a matter of how much you like all the bits and pieces.
Wash the pig's liver, dry it on kitchen paper, and then cut into generous chunks (making sure to remove any tubes), and lightly fry off in a little oil in the pan, until all pieces are sealed.
Remove the liver from the pan, and place in an oven proof dish. Chop and lightly fry a large onion (red is better, they are sweeter, not such a harsh flavour) until it;s translucent, then add than to the liver.
Peel and chop carrots, swede, parsnip, dice and add to the dish. If you feel like like you can add frozen peas, canned/frozen sweet corn kernels. I always add a small can of baked beans in tomato sauce, the sauce adds a real smooth thickness to the gravy. Lastly I add some peeled and roughly cut potatoes.
Add water to the dish, until the whole lot is covered. Season to taste, then put on a lid and shove in the oven for around an hour, at gas mk. 6 (whatever that is in C or F.). The Liver takes the longest to cook of all the contents, so that is what will dictate when it's done. Take it out, remove a piece of liver, to taste. If it's done, dig in.
It's yummy.
Enjoy.
Auntie.
xssve
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Liver and heart are both pretty inexpensive, heart makes good chili. Be aware that they are both very high in Iron if that's a problem.
The staple of any low meat diet is Brown rice: short grain tends to be sticky, long grain cooks up drier with seperate grains, I prefer Lundberg, but any long grain will do. I usually saute the rice after I rinse it adding a bit of olive oil after it dries out, and a few drops of Sesame oil, don't use too much or it will inhibit water absorbtion, half a teaspoon is more than enough for a cup of rice.
The best pan for this is a big stir fry pan or a Wok - get carbon steel, not nonstick, and season it like you would cast iron. You can sometimes find very nice Woks at thrift stores.
Sticky, short grained rice can be formed into patties, you can add an egg to make burgers, brown rice will keep about three days in the refirigerator.
Most of your meat alternatives are more expensive than meat except maybe Tofu, which is pretty versitile. You can make you own Gluten, and it's a common meat substitute. Quinoa is my favorite, but hard to find and it can get expensive, but it's very firm, you can barbeque it, etc.
I stick mainly to Brown rice and legumes when I'm on a budget, they form a complete protein, ala "Diet for a Small Planet". Vary the spices and vegetables to avoid monotony. Barley can be added to rice to give it a different, chewier texture, I usually do about one part barley to three or four parts rice.
Other tricks include adding nuts to it after it's been cooked, you can do this when you saute leftovers, sunflower kernals will add taste and texture.
Other crunchy things you can add to get different textures include chow mein noodles, fried or baked pastas, french fried onions, soy nuts, etc.
Tamari costs more than soy sauce, but it has a better flavor. A cannister of Wondra flour is indispensible for making sauces, and you can use your imagination - most Asian sauces are essentially made by deglazing with water, soy sauce and a bit of sugar, thickened with cornstarch, but again, I use Wondra which gives it a less geletinous texture.
Most grocery stores carry the other variations, black bean paste, oyster sauce, etc. that add a bit of variety, and I use a lot of dried Red Chilies of various stripe. Start an herb garden.
Various lentils add protein, I use mainly Pinto's and Lentils, I do use bacon or ham hocks, leftover ham bones, etc., for flavor, and a bowl of lentil soup with a big slice of sharp chedder on top is de-luxe.
Pasta is also inexpensive, and there are all different kinds of sauces and dressings. I do favor Barilla high protein pasta, which has lentils in it - a bit more expensive, but very tasty.
Then there's Mexican food, you can make some very nice vegetarian enchiladas by layering corn tortillas with green chile sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions and cheese - stack 'em high.
Burritos are usually made with pinto beans, but any bean will do, you can stretch hamburger with beans, or go with straight pintos.
If you boil them once or twice, changing he water in between, it'll remove a lot of the starch so you wan't get as much gas, a small caveat. they'll cook a lot faster in a pressure cooker, but a crock pot will work if you start them inthe morning.
The trick to cooking pintos, or Red or Black Beans, is not to put any salt in them until after they're cooked, it inhibits water absorbtion - a little soy sauce or cured ham hocks, bacon, etc., won't slow them down too much, just don't add any other salt.
Speaking of Red beans, Red beans and rice is soul food of the gods, and gumbo can be made with any kind of leftovers.
The staple of any low meat diet is Brown rice: short grain tends to be sticky, long grain cooks up drier with seperate grains, I prefer Lundberg, but any long grain will do. I usually saute the rice after I rinse it adding a bit of olive oil after it dries out, and a few drops of Sesame oil, don't use too much or it will inhibit water absorbtion, half a teaspoon is more than enough for a cup of rice.
The best pan for this is a big stir fry pan or a Wok - get carbon steel, not nonstick, and season it like you would cast iron. You can sometimes find very nice Woks at thrift stores.
Sticky, short grained rice can be formed into patties, you can add an egg to make burgers, brown rice will keep about three days in the refirigerator.
Most of your meat alternatives are more expensive than meat except maybe Tofu, which is pretty versitile. You can make you own Gluten, and it's a common meat substitute. Quinoa is my favorite, but hard to find and it can get expensive, but it's very firm, you can barbeque it, etc.
I stick mainly to Brown rice and legumes when I'm on a budget, they form a complete protein, ala "Diet for a Small Planet". Vary the spices and vegetables to avoid monotony. Barley can be added to rice to give it a different, chewier texture, I usually do about one part barley to three or four parts rice.
Other tricks include adding nuts to it after it's been cooked, you can do this when you saute leftovers, sunflower kernals will add taste and texture.
Other crunchy things you can add to get different textures include chow mein noodles, fried or baked pastas, french fried onions, soy nuts, etc.
Tamari costs more than soy sauce, but it has a better flavor. A cannister of Wondra flour is indispensible for making sauces, and you can use your imagination - most Asian sauces are essentially made by deglazing with water, soy sauce and a bit of sugar, thickened with cornstarch, but again, I use Wondra which gives it a less geletinous texture.
Most grocery stores carry the other variations, black bean paste, oyster sauce, etc. that add a bit of variety, and I use a lot of dried Red Chilies of various stripe. Start an herb garden.
Various lentils add protein, I use mainly Pinto's and Lentils, I do use bacon or ham hocks, leftover ham bones, etc., for flavor, and a bowl of lentil soup with a big slice of sharp chedder on top is de-luxe.
Pasta is also inexpensive, and there are all different kinds of sauces and dressings. I do favor Barilla high protein pasta, which has lentils in it - a bit more expensive, but very tasty.
Then there's Mexican food, you can make some very nice vegetarian enchiladas by layering corn tortillas with green chile sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions and cheese - stack 'em high.
Burritos are usually made with pinto beans, but any bean will do, you can stretch hamburger with beans, or go with straight pintos.
If you boil them once or twice, changing he water in between, it'll remove a lot of the starch so you wan't get as much gas, a small caveat. they'll cook a lot faster in a pressure cooker, but a crock pot will work if you start them inthe morning.
The trick to cooking pintos, or Red or Black Beans, is not to put any salt in them until after they're cooked, it inhibits water absorbtion - a little soy sauce or cured ham hocks, bacon, etc., won't slow them down too much, just don't add any other salt.
Speaking of Red beans, Red beans and rice is soul food of the gods, and gumbo can be made with any kind of leftovers.
Last edited:
matriarch
Rotund retiree
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Beef heart or ox heart, diced and casseroled, is almost indistinguishable from a decent braising steak, and has a lot more flavour.
Made mesen hungry with all this talk of food, so cooked the wife and I the savoury potato cheese cakes, with crispy dry oak-smoked streaky bacon and baked beans.
Wonderful stuff.
Made mesen hungry with all this talk of food, so cooked the wife and I the savoury potato cheese cakes, with crispy dry oak-smoked streaky bacon and baked beans.
Wonderful stuff.
starrkers
Down two, then left
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- Nov 30, 2006
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No actual recipes as such, but harking back to student days, I pretty much lived on vegetables.
We did a lot of stir fries - whatever veggies were cheap and in season (my flatmate had the job of shopping, she had a way of wangling stuff for nothing!).
Our one extravagance was dried herbs and spices, and sauces. And we'd experiment with them to get different flavours. Great way to learn what goes well with what. We'd be standing around the frypan (didn't have a wok back then) sniffing different pots of herbs trying to figure out what would go well.
You can also do some great Italian style pasta sauces with just a can of tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs to taste.
We did a lot of stir fries - whatever veggies were cheap and in season (my flatmate had the job of shopping, she had a way of wangling stuff for nothing!).
Our one extravagance was dried herbs and spices, and sauces. And we'd experiment with them to get different flavours. Great way to learn what goes well with what. We'd be standing around the frypan (didn't have a wok back then) sniffing different pots of herbs trying to figure out what would go well.
You can also do some great Italian style pasta sauces with just a can of tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs to taste.
Mark_Ilaan
Literotica Guru
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- Dec 6, 2007
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Starrkers, you're looking beautiful as ever.
Here's an easy one and it only takes about 20 - 30 minutes (depending on how much fooling around is going on in the kitchen)
Saute a little garlic in some light olive oil, add onion and cubed zucchini. Saute until tender. Next add a few ounces of beef or chicken breast, sliced thin. You only need a small amount, equivalent to a single chicken breast for two people. Cook just until done. Don't over cook.
Next, pour in a can of petite diced tomatoes. Add basil or your favorite herb. Allow this to cook down a little.
Just before you take off the heat, add pasta. The pasta should have been cooked until very firm al dente. Cook in the sauce for a minute or two to absorb the excess liquid. Serve with peccorino cheese.
Goes great with a fine Cabernet Sauvignon.
By the way, this is a recipe of Molly's. She shared it with me last year.
Here's an easy one and it only takes about 20 - 30 minutes (depending on how much fooling around is going on in the kitchen)
Saute a little garlic in some light olive oil, add onion and cubed zucchini. Saute until tender. Next add a few ounces of beef or chicken breast, sliced thin. You only need a small amount, equivalent to a single chicken breast for two people. Cook just until done. Don't over cook.
Next, pour in a can of petite diced tomatoes. Add basil or your favorite herb. Allow this to cook down a little.
Just before you take off the heat, add pasta. The pasta should have been cooked until very firm al dente. Cook in the sauce for a minute or two to absorb the excess liquid. Serve with peccorino cheese.
Goes great with a fine Cabernet Sauvignon.
By the way, this is a recipe of Molly's. She shared it with me last year.
CrimsonMaiden
Pretty in Pink
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*sigh* I totally read the thread title differently.
So did I. That's why I read through the thread first to see if anyone else did before I replied, lol.
xssve
Literotica Guru
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Lately, Sams Club has been carrying Beef roasts, Top and Bottom round and Sirloin for between Two and Three dollars a pound - not much more than good hamburger. It's ultra lean, not prime, so a little on the dry side, but I cook it medium rare, deglaze the pan and make a thin gravy of the au jus that I can reheat it in after I've sliced it to moisten it up.
I bought a little electric meat slicer at a thrift store, so I can deli slice the leftovers and a three of four pound roast give me one big dinner and sandwiches the rest of the week - works for Ham too.
I haunt the discount meat bin, and I have a Freezer full of Ribeyes, etc., that I've found on sale at deep discount - you either have to take it home and eat it within a day, or freeze it, and it makes a nce treat on a Friday or Saturday night to drop a couple of Sirloins on the Grill.
And, of course, Pork and Chicken usually cost a fraction of what Beef costs.
Ah, I forgot, MSG, Monosodium Glutimate, gets a bad rap, but it's just a crystalized seaweed that supplies what is called the "fourth flavor", i.e., "meatiness" - used sparingly, it can help satisfy the craving for meatiness.
I bought a little electric meat slicer at a thrift store, so I can deli slice the leftovers and a three of four pound roast give me one big dinner and sandwiches the rest of the week - works for Ham too.
I haunt the discount meat bin, and I have a Freezer full of Ribeyes, etc., that I've found on sale at deep discount - you either have to take it home and eat it within a day, or freeze it, and it makes a nce treat on a Friday or Saturday night to drop a couple of Sirloins on the Grill.
And, of course, Pork and Chicken usually cost a fraction of what Beef costs.
Ah, I forgot, MSG, Monosodium Glutimate, gets a bad rap, but it's just a crystalized seaweed that supplies what is called the "fourth flavor", i.e., "meatiness" - used sparingly, it can help satisfy the craving for meatiness.
kendo1
Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche
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Ken's Bean Casserole. ( I don't know what it was before)
You need a decent sized pot.
Saute an onion, add garlic - the more the merrier.
I like to add some red wine at this point(about a cup), solely for the noise it makes as it hits the pan. It stops the onions from burning and the garlic going bitter. No wine? Use stock, or water, or beer.
Add a can of chopped tomatoes- more sizzling ensues.
Open and drain four cans of proper beans. I normally use *goes to kitchen to fetch the empty cans- guess what we had for dinner tonight? * Adzuki, Berlotti, Caneloni, and Butter beans. Red kidney beans are good too, as are black eyed thingies.
Put the beans in the pot and stir..
I normally add dried mixed herbs, pepper, tomato sauce, brown sauce or Worcestershire sauce, and some hot chili or sweet chili sauce at this point.
Simmer for fifteen minutes.
Serve with some nice bread.
This serves the four of us, remembering that my son has three helpings.
Organic beans cost about 50 pence a can ($1 in colonial jubjubes), so the cost is about £3 for six to eight servings.
Not being a vegetable, I add sausages browned under the grill, or salami.
Ken
You need a decent sized pot.
Saute an onion, add garlic - the more the merrier.
I like to add some red wine at this point(about a cup), solely for the noise it makes as it hits the pan. It stops the onions from burning and the garlic going bitter. No wine? Use stock, or water, or beer.
Add a can of chopped tomatoes- more sizzling ensues.
Open and drain four cans of proper beans. I normally use *goes to kitchen to fetch the empty cans- guess what we had for dinner tonight? * Adzuki, Berlotti, Caneloni, and Butter beans. Red kidney beans are good too, as are black eyed thingies.
Put the beans in the pot and stir..
I normally add dried mixed herbs, pepper, tomato sauce, brown sauce or Worcestershire sauce, and some hot chili or sweet chili sauce at this point.
Simmer for fifteen minutes.
Serve with some nice bread.
This serves the four of us, remembering that my son has three helpings.
Organic beans cost about 50 pence a can ($1 in colonial jubjubes), so the cost is about £3 for six to eight servings.
Not being a vegetable, I add sausages browned under the grill, or salami.
Ken
lisa123414
Literotica Guru
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I'm a pretty good cook...
EGGPLANT! – but you must learn to cook it right. I make eggplant parmesan and eggplant mousakka and even my kids who hate everything like it. The trick is to force the water from the eggplant by salting it, then rather than fry it I put it on an oiled sheet in a moderate oven til done. If you would rather fry it, you must make certain the oil is hot and you drain the slices afterward, or you they will absorb lots of oil.* The Mollie Katzen reference is wonderful. I use her recipes from “The Moosewood Cookbook” to make both the parmesan and mousakka recipes. (I would repeat them here, but I suspect that would be a violation of her copyright.) If you cook it correctly, the texture is reminiscent of ground meat in both dishes. Way yummy!
* This reminds me of an old middle eastern proverb about the new bride and the wedding gift of several barrels - think ali baba and the barrels in which the men hid –of oil. I cannot remember it word for word, but the jist of it is the bride fried eggplant for her new husband for maybe a week or so, and then he came home one night to find no dinner. When asked why she replied that she ran out of oil, at which he fainted.
EGGPLANT! – but you must learn to cook it right. I make eggplant parmesan and eggplant mousakka and even my kids who hate everything like it. The trick is to force the water from the eggplant by salting it, then rather than fry it I put it on an oiled sheet in a moderate oven til done. If you would rather fry it, you must make certain the oil is hot and you drain the slices afterward, or you they will absorb lots of oil.* The Mollie Katzen reference is wonderful. I use her recipes from “The Moosewood Cookbook” to make both the parmesan and mousakka recipes. (I would repeat them here, but I suspect that would be a violation of her copyright.) If you cook it correctly, the texture is reminiscent of ground meat in both dishes. Way yummy!
* This reminds me of an old middle eastern proverb about the new bride and the wedding gift of several barrels - think ali baba and the barrels in which the men hid –of oil. I cannot remember it word for word, but the jist of it is the bride fried eggplant for her new husband for maybe a week or so, and then he came home one night to find no dinner. When asked why she replied that she ran out of oil, at which he fainted.
cantdog
Waybac machine
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- Apr 24, 2004
- Posts
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Vegetarian. The best resources, long term, are going to be Mediterranean and Indian cuisine.
Mediterranean has a rep, anyway, for the healthiest diet in the Western world. Low cancer incidence, good heart disease figures, the whole thing. Do not listen to the proponents of soy curds and such crap.
Get a cookbook by Nick Stellino or Mahdur Jaffrey, respectively, about Mediterranean and Indian cuisine. Hundreds of very soul satisfying meals just simply happen to have no meat in 'em (though they do have protein!).
An example is Palak Paneer or sometimes Saag Paneer, which is spinach and homemade cheese. Fabulous! Filling! Gorgeous! There's a little cookbok called The Best of India: a cookbook, put out by Collins in small format, but beyond that, anything whatsoever by Madhur Jaffrey will meet the case.
For Mediterranean, the field is wider. Greek, Levantine, Marseillaise, Italian, and so on. Nick Stellino has oen called Cucina Amore and another called Mediterranean Flavors, both superb.
The trick is NOT to substitute, say, portabellos for beef, although that does work, sometimes. The trick is, making a dish intended from the very beginning to be a good meal, but which has no meat, and both cuisines are very good at that, while remaining heart-healthy and inexpensive.
I have Mollie Katzen and Deborah Madison. Nothing wrong with either of them, almost, anyway.
But really, go with real honest peasant food. There's enough variety in the cuisines that you cannot become stale, and plenty of protein and flavor.
Mediterranean has a rep, anyway, for the healthiest diet in the Western world. Low cancer incidence, good heart disease figures, the whole thing. Do not listen to the proponents of soy curds and such crap.
Get a cookbook by Nick Stellino or Mahdur Jaffrey, respectively, about Mediterranean and Indian cuisine. Hundreds of very soul satisfying meals just simply happen to have no meat in 'em (though they do have protein!).
An example is Palak Paneer or sometimes Saag Paneer, which is spinach and homemade cheese. Fabulous! Filling! Gorgeous! There's a little cookbok called The Best of India: a cookbook, put out by Collins in small format, but beyond that, anything whatsoever by Madhur Jaffrey will meet the case.
For Mediterranean, the field is wider. Greek, Levantine, Marseillaise, Italian, and so on. Nick Stellino has oen called Cucina Amore and another called Mediterranean Flavors, both superb.
The trick is NOT to substitute, say, portabellos for beef, although that does work, sometimes. The trick is, making a dish intended from the very beginning to be a good meal, but which has no meat, and both cuisines are very good at that, while remaining heart-healthy and inexpensive.
I have Mollie Katzen and Deborah Madison. Nothing wrong with either of them, almost, anyway.
But really, go with real honest peasant food. There's enough variety in the cuisines that you cannot become stale, and plenty of protein and flavor.
