In the interest of research?!
In the interest of research?
I would be grateful if a few of you could offer up some vegetarian recipes for me to try out at home.
As some of you will have noticed by my past questions and answers that I am a staunch meat eater. Im not saying Im gonna turn veggie but as every single vegetarian meal I have ever tried has been bland, tasteless and left me feeling unsatisfied. I am willing to have my eyes open to the wonders of vegetarian cuisine. So people, show me what I am missing.
1 week ago
Fair enough kitkat not so many in comparison to a full time veggie. I do remember making Quorn fajitas (one of my favourite dishes when made with chicken or beef) but with quorn it was pretty un memorable (and Im a decent cook). There have been others but I have never felt the urge to say ' That was fantastic, we will have that again'
1 week ago
I have tried Tofu from a take away but found the texture a bit wierd and again, it didnt taste of much
1 week ago
So Burgers (had a bean burger once, never again), chilli (tried it, didnt like it) and lasagne. Come on what do you cook when you are REALLY trying to impress. Looking for a little imagination. Any veggie chefs on tonight?
Answers:
1 week ago
Fair enough kitkat not so many in comparison to a full time veggie. I do remember making Quorn fajitas (one of my favourite dishes when made with chicken or beef) but with quorn it was pretty un memorable (and Im a decent cook). There have been others but I have never felt the urge to say ' That was fantastic, we will have that again'
1 week ago
I have tried Tofu from a take away but found the texture a bit wierd and again, it didnt taste of much
1 week ago
So Burgers (had a bean burger once, never again), chilli (tried it, didnt like it) and lasagne. Come on what do you cook when you are REALLY trying to impress. Looking for a little imagination. Any veggie chefs on tonight?
ok so i post this every time someone asks for food but try it. It is one of my favorite of all times!!!!!
~~~~vegetarian Manicotti~~~~
8 ounces manicotti noodles, uncooked (u can find them at wal amrt)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (vegetarian)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Rinse in cool water.
Take Sauce and HALF of the basil and oregano.
Cook 3 minutes.
Makes 6-8 servings
Spread 1/2 cup of sauce mixture into 13x9 baking dish.
In bowl, stir together 1 CUP of the mozzarella, ricotta, egg, Parmesan, nutmeg and remaining basil and oregano.
Fill pasta tubes with ricotta mixture; place in dish.
Pour remaining sauce over pasta.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350o for 25-30 minutes
or try these
~~~~~Patatas Bravas~~~~~
3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I didn't peel mine)
olive oil spray
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water
4 -6 green olives, halved
chopped parsley, for garnish
Start a large pot of water on to boil while you preheat the oven to 375 F. When the water comes to a boil, add the diced potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes―no longer or they will start to fall apart. Pour them gently into a colander and allow all the water to drain off.
Place the potatoes into a large, shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil. Spritz the tops of the potatoes lightly with olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir with a spatula, making sure they aren't sticking to the pan. Bake for about 30 more minutes, stirring again halfway through. The potatoes should become crispy but not hard and overdone.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce. Sauté the onion in a non-stick pot for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook one minute more. Add the remaining ingredients (except parsley) and simmer for about 20 minutes, until thickened. Remove the bay leaf and puree the sauce in a blender or food processor. Return it to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve.
Once the potatoes are cooked, place them in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve as a side dish or appetizer
~~~~~~Rotini (or Penne) All'Arrabbiata~~~~~~
2 tsp. olive oil
3 tsp. garlic, finely minced (use fresh, not the jarred; trust me)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp dried red pepper (use less if you don't like spicy)
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
salt
8 oz pasta (penne or ziti preferred)
2 Tbs parsley, chopped
Sauté the garlic and red pepper in the olive oil for about 3 minutes; do not brown the garlic!
Use a blender to puree the tomatoes. (I use a hand blender right in the can and leave them slightly on the chunky side.) Stir the tomatoes into the garlic mixture. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes; drain. Toss with the sauce and cook for a couple minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a good crusty bread. Serves 4
~~~~~~~Black-eyed Pea Gumbo~~~~~~~
2 medium onions, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth, water, or a combination
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 pound okra, tops removed and sliced
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1-2 tsp. chopped chipotle peppers (canned in adobo)
1/4 tsp. Liquid Smoke (optional)
2 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, plus cooking liquid (1 cup dried black-eyed peas cooked in 3 cups water)*
salt to taste (optional)
*You can use canned black-eyed peas--use 2 16-ounce cans, rinse them first and add some extra water or broth to the gumbo.
Heat a large, non-stick stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the bell pepper and celery, and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until okra is done and mixture has thickened, about 45-55 minutes. Add more water as needed--this will be thicker than a soup but still have a good amount of broth. Serve over freshly cooked brown rice and add hot sauce at the table.
All of these are really good!!!
I think they're on the PETA leaflets and the website. They have loads of things you can make. My friend showed me a leaflet with a cake made with lemonade instead of eggs, because she went to a vegan fair and got some recipe leaflets.
I like to do a baked rice dish. It can be either meat or vegetarian. I put the uncooked rice in first then add shallots, carrots and any other vegetables you want stir in salt and fresh rosemary and add vegetable stock so it completely covers it. Cook for about 40 mins. For my husband I do a separate one with chicken legs in it and use chicken stock. I use stock cubes
Exactly what vegetarian dishes have you tried being a staunch meat eater and how many out of the millions of vegetarian recipes have you tried?
There are lots of tasty vegetarian meals you can enjoy. Have you ever tried tofu? Tofu in garlic sauce with eggplant can be found at places like Panda Express, and I'm sure you can enjoy it at home as well. =]
Perhaps try something simple, like eating Boco or Morningstar 'meats'. They're fake meats make of soy, tofu, flavorings, and other tasty ingredients. Throw one of their burgers or chicken patties on the grill, slap it between two buns, use your favorite condiments, and enjoy!
Allrecipes.com has some good ones, as well as Vegweb.com and Vegkitchen.com. Personally, I don't try out these meals often, so I don't have much of an opinion.
My favorite vegetarian meal would be vegetable lasagna.
Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 (19 oz.) pkg. frozen spinach or broccoli cuts, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 (32 oz.) carton Ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little to grate on top)
1 (32 oz.) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (with mushrooms is good and keeps the recipe vegetarian)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning/herbs
Directions:
Combine the spinach or broccoli (and any veggies leftover in the refrigerator), Ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and herbs. In a 9 x 13 inch pan, layer ingredients in the following order: 1/2 cheese mixture 1/3 sauce
Repeat and top with 3 noodles, sauce, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Easy and delicious!
what have you tried? there is a gigantic variety of vegetarian food out there. a good way to start is to take meals you are already familiar with and make them vegetarian.
one easy dish is simply order a pizza and top it with non-meat items like tomatoes or peppers. another is to order a veggie burger instead of a meat burger. keep all the toppings you usually get (but hold the bacon).
my mother makes vegetarian chili by merely using tofu instead of meat. don't fear tofu--it takes on the taste of whatever it's sitting next to. try it in stir-fry instead of beef. toss it in a pan with a few spices and use it in a burrito.
have you had a good vegetarian lasagna? often laden with cheese and tomatoes, i don't know how it can NOT be filling. there are tons of different ways to make it; look some recipes up on the internet. find one with lots of cheese. i particularly like when it is made with eggplant.
I don't understand why your veggie meals would be more bland than your non veggie meals. Spices are all vegetarian. So, cook whatever turns you on and add spices, garlic, onion, etc and the food will not be bland. You usually have to flavor meat when you cook it to get it to taste good...do the same for your veggies.
Go out in your back yard and pick some young (not old) dandelion leaves and some young dandelion flower buds, rinse them well (no pesticides) and add some Italian dressing...YUM!! and lots of vitamins...Don't let all those good dandelions go to waste!!!
Pasta/tomato sause with Grape nuts. simmer for 10 minutes.
Try eating 5 bananas(ripe/spotted) for breakfast. Now that's tasty and filling. I eat that about every morning.
I think meat is kind of bland. That's why people need to cook it and put condoments on it.
Meg - Ya can't get someone into non-meat dishes with Tofo.