Vegetarian?

[the_kuntess]

I'm going through another 'I don't really like meat so much' period.

I enjoy vegetarian food, but, yummy veg meals always seem to involve so much more work in the kitchen than a carnivorous one.

Any tips? Any fave sites/books/recipes for vegetarian cooking? It's just the meat thing that turns me off, eggs, cheese etc...are all ok.

 

[HoHoBomb]

popcorn

 

[the_kuntess]

popcorn

Tried it. But it makes me want to go.... to the movies.

 

[Elixxxher]

Food.com

 

[HoHoBomb]

Tried it. But it makes me want to go.... to the movies.

raisinets

 

[Killswitch]

raisinets

lol...

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Vegetarian lasagnas and pasta dishes. Can't lose with anything that has lots n' lots of tomato-sauce goodness. And they're simple to make.

I am a loyal card-carrying carnivore, but I like to flip it up for a week or so sometimes and go straight veg and fruit for meals in order to lessen some of the heavy load work your insides have to do in order to break it down.

 

[yossi]

For tacos instead of ground beef I grate sweet potato, zucchini, and squash. Throw in taco seasoning and I also fry onions and peppers as the base.

I also have a recipe somewhere for a butternut squash lasagna with a white sauce. I'll look it up when I get on my laptop. It's so fucking delicious.

And quiche! Veggies quiches are so good.

 

[Sinny]

Invest in a few Crescent Dragonwagon tomes. Her recipes always work. She does magical things with beans and basics. I love her cilantro jalapeno dressing. It works on everything. I keep a jar of it on hand always. http://dragonwagon.com

Mollie Katzen of the Moosewood series is solid, too. http://www.molliekatzen.com. However, she has a bit too much of the woo about vegetarianism. Use caution.

My partner eats very little meat and I am a big time lover of all things veggie (plus bacon! Fuck yeah!). I don't really do much with tofu, but occasionally I will cube it and put it in a curry. I think soy is overrated and I rely a lot more heavily on grains, beans and pasta to add substance to my cooking. Get to know quinoa, couscous, acini de pepe, barley and the wide world of grains and semolina.

 

[subdued_passion]

Tarla Dalal is like the Martha Stewart of India (sans jail trips and drama). Try her Gujarati recipes for starters because thats only vegetarian and that cuisine has less heat.
South Indian veg food is also great and quick but be warned that rice is a staple; so if you cannot handle the carbs stay away.

Enjoy

http://www.tarladalal.com/

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Kimchi tacos! Thee best. Can't get more veggy fun eats than this!

Usually the kimchi compliments the beef (pictured), BUT you can easily omit the meat and put in tofu or chopped up vegetables that stuff well, like portobello mushrooms and baked potatoes scooped and semi-mashed.

Only thing is that fresh kimchi is pungent with the heavy spice it's fermented in and may be too strong on the nose for some. And transporting it from store to kitchen might get a little fragrant, too. It needs absolute refrigeration to keep it in check.

 

[richard_daily]

I'm going through another 'I don't really like meat so much' period.

I enjoy vegetarian food, but, yummy veg meals always seem to involve so much more work in the kitchen than a carnivorous one.

Any tips? Any fave sites/books/recipes for vegetarian cooking? It's just the meat thing that turns me off, eggs, cheese etc...are all ok.

The key is not to just try to replace meat dishes with meat-substitute dishes.

One of the things that you'll be excited about if you start taking it seriously, is the amount of awesome "ethic" food out there. It's amazing how small the american palate is, and once you start branching out, you'll probably never go back.

most meat-based meals are meals of convenience. Instead, look at food as something that you should enjoy, and it will all be a lot easier.

 

[warrior queen]

I make (and freeze) a Tomato, Capsicum and Kidney Bean braise for those days when I don't want meat.
Simple and quick to make, and can be used as the base for several different meals.

1 t olive oil
1 chopped brown onion
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 med red.capsicums, diced
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
1 T ground cummin
1 T ground coriander
2 t paprika
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes (or 800ml home-made passata)
1 x 400g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil and fry onion for 5 mins. Add garlic, chilli, capsicum and spices and cook, stirring, for 3 mins.
Add tomato and bring to high simmer for 15 mins.
Remove from heat, add kidney beans and stir to combine.
Cover and allow to sit for 5 mins.
Can be frozen for 3 months, or refridgerate and use within 3 days.

I use this as a base for vege tacos, vege chilli, pasta sauce.
I also use it as a base for baked eggs (in ramekins, with mushroom, spinach, cheese and a cracked egg).

And as someone else has already suggested.... get into upper-African cuisines. They use a lot of grains and pulses, and their spice combinations are absolutely delicious!

 

[the_kuntess]

Invest in a few Crescent Dragonwagon tomes. Her recipes always work. She does magical things with beans and basics. I love her cilantro jalapeno dressing. It works on everything. I keep a jar of it on hand always. http://dragonwagon.com


Mollie Katzen of the Moosewood series is solid, too. http://www.molliekatzen.com. However, she has a bit too much of the woo about vegetarianism. Use caution.

My partner eats very little meat and I am a big time lover of all things veggie (plus bacon! Fuck yeah!). I don't really do much with tofu, but occasionally I will cube it and put it in a curry. I think soy is overrated and I rely a lot more heavily on grains, beans and pasta to add substance to my cooking. Get to know quinoa, couscous, acini de pepe, barley and the wide world of grains and semolina.

Yum, thanks, will check this out.

Tarla Dalal is like the Martha Stewart of India (sans jail trips and drama). Try her Gujarati recipes for starters because thats only vegetarian and that cuisine has less heat.
South Indian veg food is also great and quick but be warned that rice is a staple; so if you cannot handle the carbs stay away.

Enjoy

http://www.tarladalal.com/

More yum!

Kimchi tacos! Thee best. Can't get more veggy fun eats than this!

Usually the kimchi compliments the beef (pictured), BUT you can easily omit the meat and put in tofu or chopped up vegetables that stuff well, like portobello mushrooms and baked potatoes scooped and semi-mashed.

Only thing is that fresh kimchi is pungent with the heavy spice it's fermented in and may be too strong on the nose for some. And transporting it from store to kitchen might get a little fragrant, too. It needs absolute refrigeration to keep it in check.

I LOVE kimchi. I'm a convert to Korean from way back. Thanks

The key is not to just try to replace meat dishes with meat-substitute dishes.

One of the things that you'll be excited about if you start taking it seriously, is the amount of awesome "ethic" food out there. It's amazing how small the american palate is, and once you start branching out, you'll probably never go back.

most meat-based meals are meals of convenience. Instead, look at food as something that you should enjoy, and it will all be a lot easier.

I agree about not trying to replace meat, that just doesn't work. Like vegetarian sausages - fuck no! But bacon....hmmmmm bacon (in my best Homer voice )

I make (and freeze) a Tomato, Capsicum and Kidney Bean braise for those days when I don't want meat.
Simple and quick to make, and can be used as the base for several different meals.

1 t olive oil
1 chopped brown onion
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 med red.capsicums, diced
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
1 T ground cummin
1 T ground coriander
2 t paprika
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes (or 800ml home-made passata)
1 x 400g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil and fry onion for 5 mins. Add garlic, chilli, capsicum and spices and cook, stirring, for 3 mins.
Add tomato and bring to high simmer for 15 mins.
Remove from heat, add kidney beans and stir to combine.
Cover and allow to sit for 5 mins.
Can be frozen for 3 months, or refridgerate and use within 3 days.

I use this as a base for vege tacos, vege chilli, pasta sauce.
I also use it as a base for baked eggs (in ramekins, with mushroom, spinach, cheese and a cracked egg).

And as someone else has already suggested.... get into upper-African cuisines. They use a lot of grains and pulses, and their spice combinations are absolutely delicious!

Thanks, beans are good. Good carbs, low GI, full o' fibre keeps the motor running...yeah !

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I employ vegetables in a garnish-only manner.

 

[Scotsman69]

'The Cranks Recipe Book' is by far the best veggie cookbook I've found. My veggie daughters and son were nourished by the meals I produced from it. It's still in print, thirty years after first publication. I'm sure Amazon will have it.

 

[richard_daily]

I employ vegetables in a garnish-only manner.

Nobody believes that you're a job creator, even at the dinner table.

 

[Recidiva]

Amy's Kitchen makes some good frozen stuff. If you're not inspired, grab her cheese enchiladas. I grieve that they're not always there.

There are loads of excellent vegetarian recipes.

Instead of a huge batch of something, you can make potato or pasta or rice dishes individually in the microwave.

So frozen broccoli + pasta + cheese + black pepper = yum (this is my lunch today, the pasta is in the microwave)

Corn chips always good with a decent guacamole or salsa

You can nuke potatoes for about 12 minutes and just add butter, and my favorite on top of that is Berbere, a cayenne spice blend.

There's a lot you can do if you grab some fresh herbs and carrots and favorite veggies every week, and keep some stuff that freezes well available in the freezer.

Make batches of rice each week or just make it in smaller instant batches.

Just have a bunch of mix and match available and put them together the way you like them.

 

[islandman]

I've never met a veg dish that couldn't be improved with meat.

 

[Recidiva]

Good rice:

(swap out chicken stock with vegetable stock, throw in a handful of your favorite chopped herbs, I add cilantro)

SAFFRON RICE

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 cup long-grain, white rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Pinch saffron threads
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions while stirring in the rice to coat with the butter. Pour in the chicken stock, saffron, salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork before serving.

 

[Recidiva]

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. chili powder, use cayenne if you like it hot
• salt to taste
• chopped cilantro
Glaze:
• 1/2 honey
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.
In a bowl toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil. Using your fingers, sprinkle the chili powder over the potatoes. Stir and repeat the process. Pour onto a baking sheet and spread them out. Salt to taste.
Bake for 20 minutes. Check the sweet potatoes after 10 minutes and turn them over.
If they start to stick, you can pour a drizzle of olive oil over them.
While you are roasting sweet potatoes, mix the glaze ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
When the potatoes are done, brush on the glaze mixture and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Place in a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the roasted potatoes and serve.

 

[Recidiva]

Joan's Broccoli Madness

(take out the bacon)

JOAN'S BROCCOLI MADNESS



6 to 8 servings

1 bunch uncooked broccoli florets
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup cashews
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix Broccoli, bacon, cashews, and Raisins in a large bowl and set aside.
in a second bowl beat dressing ingredients together gently until smooth.
Combine and refrigerate for 2-24 hours to allow flavors to mingle, serve chilled.

 

[Recidiva]

CARROT GINGER BISQUE

(replace chicken stock with vegetable stock)

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced – 4-1/2 cups
1 -1/2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp ground ginger
Lemon or lime juice
Crème fraiche or sour cream
Chopped chives or cilantro

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the carrots and continue to sauté for 10 minutes. Deglaze the pot with a little of the wine. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining wine and increase the heat. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes until the carrots are very soft. Puree the soup until very smooth. Add the salt, pepper and ground ginger. Adjust seasonings and add lemon juice to taste. Top each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream, sprinkle with green onions and/or fresh cilantro.

 

[islandman]

Good rice:

(swap out chicken stock with vegetable stock, throw in a handful of your favorite chopped herbs, I add cilantro)

SAFFRON RICE

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 cup long-grain, white rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Pinch saffron threads
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions while stirring in the rice to coat with the butter. Pour in the chicken stock, saffron, salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork before serving.

Saffron ain't cheap, yo. Got a substitute for that?

 

[Recidiva]

Saffron ain't cheap, yo. Got a substitute for that?

Nope. Orange string doesn't give the same flavor or fragrance.

But as you're probably not buying meat, and you use a tiny bit, $10 of saffron will last a good long while and not strain your budget.