NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, I'm trying to broaden my range of vegetarian recipes.... so let's here your favourites.

Mine currently is Gorgonzola Pasta Bake:

500 g Spirelli or Penne pasta (something that'll carry a lot of sauce)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
250 g very small button mushrooms,
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 glas of dry white wine
250 ml cream
Gorgonzola to taste (between 50g and 100g for me, normally)
grated Mozarella

Chop the garlic very fine (do not press it, it's way better chopped), and fry it in a little olive oil. Don't let it go brown, though. Add the washed button mushrooms and fry them until they start to go soft. Add the wine and let it cook in a little, then add the cream. Reduce the heat until the sauce is still hot, but no longer boiling, then add the gorgonzola. Stir until the cheese has completely melted into the sauce, then add salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water until it's al dente, not too soft. Drain it and stir it into the sauce.
Put the pasta and sauce into a baking dish and put the grated Mozarella on top. Bake it in the oven (not too hot) until the Mozarella is nicely brown (about 20 mins)

Tastes very yummy.

Chocolate.




Yummers.

Ok, I'm trying to broaden my range of vegetarian recipes.... so let's here your favourites.

Mine currently is Gorgonzola Pasta Bake:

500 g Spirelli or Penne pasta (something that'll carry a lot of sauce)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
250 g very small button mushrooms,
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 glas of dry white wine
250 ml cream
Gorgonzola to taste (between 50g and 100g for me, normally)
grated Mozarella

Chop the garlic very fine (do not press it, it's way better chopped), and fry it in a little olive oil. Don't let it go brown, though. Add the washed button mushrooms and fry them until they start to go soft. Add the wine and let it cook in a little, then add the cream. Reduce the heat until the sauce is still hot, but no longer boiling, then add the gorgonzola. Stir until the cheese has completely melted into the sauce, then add salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water until it's al dente, not too soft. Drain it and stir it into the sauce.
Put the pasta and sauce into a baking dish and put the grated Mozarella on top. Bake it in the oven (not too hot) until the Mozarella is nicely brown (about 20 mins)

Tastes very yummy.


Roast vegetarian

Skin and gut your vegetarian. Rub all over with butter and season generously.
Roast in a pre-heated medium oven for 30 mins a pound.

Danny's Truckstop

2 Sausage Patties
4 Strips of Bacon
1 Slice of Ham
2 cups Hash Browns
2 eggs - Scrambled
3 slices of Cheddar Cheese

Cook everything, chop it up and mix all together. Enjoy.

Danny's Truckstop

2 Sausage Patties
4 Strips of Bacon
1 Slice of Ham
2 cups Hash Browns
2 eggs - Scrambled
3 slices of Cheddar Cheese

Cook everything, chop it up and mix all together. Enjoy.

Ugh... I'm not vegetarian, but if I was presented with something like that, I would instantly become one.

Chocolate.




Yummers.

*lol
For dinner??

Bacon n egg sarni....

it converted me back to eating meat

Ha, thank God for the advanced search function - this way, I only had to copy my posts from Smunkee's recipe thread back in August. Yay laziness. :p


This one just happens to be vegetarian:

Curried Rice Salad

Group 1:

2 c cooked rice
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 T chopped green onion
2 T raisins

Group 2:

2 T vegetable oil
1/4 c water
2 T white wine vinegar
2 t sugar
1 t curry powder
1/4 t garlic salt
1/8 t pepper

In a bowl combine Group 1 ingredients. In another, mix together Group 2 ingredients. Mix together, cover, and refrigerate over night. Done. :)

You can decorate it with toasted sliced almonds and wedges of hard-boiled egg, but I never bothered.


And this one is from an actual vegetarian cook book, translated from German (I'm never entirely sure with names of spices, hence I added the German in italics in two cases):

Chickpea Curry
(serves 4)

2 onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 T oil
1 t chili powder (i.e. any kind of "Chili con Carne" flavoured spice-mix)
1 t salt
1 t turmeric powder (Kurkuma)
1 t paprika powder
1 T cumin powder (Kreuzkümmel)
1 T cilantro/coriander powder (I leave that out because I hate it)
1 T Garam masala (Indian spice mix - never had that on hand, tastes yummy enough without it)
4 c canned chickpeas, drained
2 c canned diced tomatoes, not drained


1) Cut onions into fine rings and press (squeeze? mash?) garlic. Heat oil in a pot. Add onions and garlic and stir at medium heat until soft.

2) Add spices (except Garam masala) and stir for 1 minute.

3) Add chickpeas and tomatoes and stir well. Close lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in Garam masala and cook for another 10 minutes.

Done. :)

Tastes absolutely divine when eaten with tortilla-stlye bread, like chapatti or naan. I use Turkish "tortillas" because I can get those easily, and in the US, real tortillas would be perfect.

Well, first you have to go down to the local co-op and catch a couple of vegetarians... :p


Oh, okay, nevermind. Potato Cabbage Soup then.

1 large cabbage cut into chunks
4 large potatoes peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
olive oil (gobs of it :D )
8 oz noodles
salt and pepper to taste
enough water to cover the ingredients completely when all is added to the pot

Cover bottom of pot with olive oil and fry ONIONS HERE until boiling for a while. Add the potatoes and cabbage...cover this with water and season with salt and pepper (lots of pepper, don't be shy). Bring to boil and then turn down heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are just tender (twenty minutes, sometimes thirty). Bring the pot to a hard boil again and add the pasta and cook until noodles are done. Serve with bread of course, and prime rib. ;)

Grilled aubergines with honey, mint and ginger glaze:

Catch your aubergines - one per person.

Halve them, then score across them to leave a pretty checked pattern. Salt.

Mix honey, mint, ginger (root is best) and some olive oil in a bowl.

Drizzle this over the aubergines.

Grill until done.

Serve with whatever you want, really. I usually do it with rice mixed with onions and cumin.

Well, first you have to go down to the local co-op and catch a couple of vegetarians... :p


Oh, okay, nevermind. Potato Cabbage Soup then.

1 large cabbage cut into chunks
4 large potatoes peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
olive oil (gobs of it :D )
8 oz noodles
salt and pepper to taste
enough water to cover the ingredients completely when all is added to the pot

Cover bottom of pot with olive oil and fry ONIONS HERE until boiling for a while. Add the potatoes and cabbage...cover this with water and season with salt and pepper (lots of pepper, don't be shy). Bring to boil and then turn down heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are just tender (twenty minutes, sometimes thirty). Bring the pot to a hard boil again and add the pasta and cook until noodles are done. Serve with bread of course, and prime rib. ;)

Yummy! *bookmarks*

herbivores. the more they are, the less our meat will cost.

won't it? i'm not good at economics...

*lol
For dinner??

And breakfast. And lunch. And in between meal snacks.

Grilled aubergines with honey, mint and ginger glaze:

Catch your aubergines - one per person.

Halve them, then score across them to leave a pretty checked pattern. Salt.

Mix honey, mint, ginger (root is best) and some olive oil in a bowl.

Drizzle this over the aubergines.

Grill until done.

Serve with whatever you want, really. I usually do it with rice mixed with onions and cumin.

That sounds nice... I think I'll give that one a try.

And WYTYG's chickpea curry :)

herbivores. the more they are, the less our meat will cost.

won't it? i'm not good at economics...

Actually, the more herbivores there are, the less all food will cost. In fact, if everyone ate a vegan diet, we'd have about 10 times as much food.


That's not even counting the change in the cost of gasoline and other producs used to raise cattle, chickens, and pigs.

Grilled cheese and vegemite on toast. *nods*

Flitch.

Flitch.

Who's he then?

Who's he then?

http://www.coalregion.com/Recipes/flitch.htm

And WYTYG's chickpea curry :)In that case, since you're probably not working with American "cups", it's 880 grams drained canned chickpeas and 440 grams canned diced tomatoes (not drained).
It's from this book (http://www.amazon.de/Das-gro%C3%9Fe-Buch-Vegetarischen-K%C3%BCche/dp/3895085510/sr=8-1/qid=1165414162/ref=pd_ka_1/303-4102181-8105800?ie=UTF8&s=books), which has lots of really yummy-looking recipes, hardly any of which I have yet tried. :(

Grilled cheese and vegemite on toast. *nods*
No, no, no. Grilled cheese and worcester sauce on toast.

Vegemite. Huh. :p

http://www.coalregion.com/Recipes/flitch.htm

Mmm! Pure Energy! :D

Mmm! Pure Energy! :D

Yessir!

No, no, no. Grilled cheese and worcester sauce on toast.

Vegemite. Huh. :p

Worcestershire sauce eh? I'll have to try that.

Um... potato chips? :p

No, no, no. Grilled cheese and worcester sauce on toast.

Vegemite. Huh. :p

Worcestershire sauce;)

Actually I tried this last week...and must say that it is a very nice combo!!!

Ok, I'm trying to broaden my range of vegetarian recipes.... so let's here your favourites.

Mine currently is Gorgonzola Pasta Bake:

500 g Spirelli or Penne pasta (something that'll carry a lot of sauce)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
250 g very small button mushrooms,
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 glas of dry white wine
250 ml cream
Gorgonzola to taste (between 50g and 100g for me, normally)
grated Mozarella

Chop the garlic very fine (do not press it, it's way better chopped), and fry it in a little olive oil. Don't let it go brown, though. Add the washed button mushrooms and fry them until they start to go soft. Add the wine and let it cook in a little, then add the cream. Reduce the heat until the sauce is still hot, but no longer boiling, then add the gorgonzola. Stir until the cheese has completely melted into the sauce, then add salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water until it's al dente, not too soft. Drain it and stir it into the sauce.
Put the pasta and sauce into a baking dish and put the grated Mozarella on top. Bake it in the oven (not too hot) until the Mozarella is nicely brown (about 20 mins)

Tastes very yummy.

Seeing how I like everything in there except, well, the gorgonzola - is it possible to substitute is with some other cheese? Or leave it out altogether?

Seeing how I like everything in there except, well, the gorgonzola - is it possible to substitute is with some other cheese? Or leave it out altogether?

Try Asiago.

I've been waiting for an excuse to share this recipe with NSG. I think you'll all appreciate the name (which I didn't make up!), and whilst it's not exactly a meal-in-itself (unless you're a lazy cheapskate like me) it is the best thing you can do with carrots (other than feed them to a horse or rabbit, obviously. I like horses and rabbits are tasty) :)

Apologies for the unpreciseness, it's a hand-me-down recipe. Experiment!

Conservative Carrots

Some Carrots
Butter (unsalted is best - about 50g/2oz for two decent sized carrots)
Sugar (I use normal, white, refined sugar, 2-3 tsp for two decent sized carrots)
A wee drop of water

Peel the carrots and cut them into roughly-uniform fingers (length and thickness of your choice - smaller cooks quicker ;) ).
Put the butter in a saucepan, and add water until there is just about barely enough to just cover the base of the pan (ie. not much at all).
Add the carrots.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Cook, covered tightly, over a medium heat, stirring/shaking occasionally, until the carrots are as cooked as you like them.

-

Kanabia: Worcestershire sauce is excellent :)
(It is made from anchovies, though, so fussy vegetarians are stuck.)

Kanabia: Worcestershire sauce is excellent :)
(It is made from anchovies, though, so fussy vegetarians are stuck.)

I know what it is, but I usually use it with roast meat and vegetables. Never tried it on grilled cheese.

If we are just talking veggie and not vegan then I submit

Bean and rice wraps.

Corn tortilla
Refried Beans (make sure they are veggie)
Cheese
Pico de Gallo*
Sour Cream

Pico de Gallo

Chop:
Tomatoes
Onions
Cilantro

put in a bowl, mix in 1TBS water and some Lime juice, leave covered in fridge over night.

very yummy.

Seeing how I like everything in there except, well, the gorgonzola - is it possible to substitute is with some other cheese? Or leave it out altogether?

Well, it's the blue cheese that gives it this distinctive flavour.... it'll be a completely different dish without it.

I know what it is, but I usually use it with roast meat and vegetables. Never tried it on grilled cheese.

try it...it sounds odd...but it does work well....

Well, it's the blue cheese that gives it this distinctive flavour.... it'll be a completely different dish without it.
Gah, I still get your and Cluichstan's posts confused even though you don't even have a sig anymore - but you used to have purple in your sig, too, and it always throws me for a loop.
I was all confused now why you would first tell me to try Asiago and then reply again with this. :rolleyes: *buys new glasses*

And yeah, I know it'll be missing the point of the dish to make it without blue cheese. But I hate blue cheese. And everything else sounded so delicious. And easy to make, too, which is important for little cooking impaired me. :(

If I can get off my duff, I'll post my recipe for rajma. I'm just feeling a bit too lazy right now. :p

Oh.. hmm..

*asks WYTYG to make him lunch*

I've been waiting for an excuse to share this recipe with NSG. I think you'll all appreciate the name (which I didn't make up!), and whilst it's not exactly a meal-in-itself (unless you're a lazy cheapskate like me) it is the best thing you can do with carrots (other than feed them to a horse or rabbit, obviously. I like horses and rabbits are tasty) :)

Apologies for the unpreciseness, it's a hand-me-down recipe. Experiment!

Conservative Carrots

Some Carrots
Butter (unsalted is best - about 50g/2oz for two decent sized carrots)
Sugar (I use normal, white, refined sugar, 2-3 tsp for two decent sized carrots)
A wee drop of water

Peel the carrots and cut them into roughly-uniform fingers (length and thickness of your choice - smaller cooks quicker ;) ).
Put the butter in a saucepan, and add water until there is just about barely enough to just cover the base of the pan (ie. not much at all).
Add the carrots.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Cook, covered tightly, over a medium heat, stirring/shaking occasionally, until the carrots are as cooked as you like them.
My favourite carrots:

Liberal Carrots (okay, I just made that up :p)

Peel carrots and cut them into thin slices - not paper thin but as thin as possible (which for me means as thin as impatience and clumsiness will allow).

Put the slices into boiling water and boil them for a short bit. They should be soft but not soggy.

Heat some sunflower oil in a pan, put the carrots in, and "fry" them for a few minutes. Use enough oil so the slices are nicely coated but not swimming in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Gah, I still get your and Cluichstan's posts confused even though you don't even have a sig anymore - but you used to have purple in your sig, too, and it always throws me for a loop.
I was all confused now why you would first tell me to try Asiago and then reply again with this. :rolleyes: *buys new glasses*

And yeah, I know it'll be missing the point of the dish to make it without blue cheese. But I hate blue cheese. And everything else sounded so delicious. And easy to make, too, which is important for little cooking impaired me. :(


I'm just going to post again to confuse you further. :p

Seriously, though, asiago, though not even close to the flavour of the gorgonzola, would work well with the other ingredients.

The best vegetarian recipies are the ones with meat in them.

Gah, I still get your and Cluichstan's posts confused even though you don't even have a sig anymore - but you used to have purple in your sig, too, and it always throws me for a loop.
I was all confused now why you would first tell me to try Asiago and then reply again with this. :rolleyes: *buys new glasses*

And yeah, I know it'll be missing the point of the dish to make it without blue cheese. But I hate blue cheese. And everything else sounded so delicious. And easy to make, too, which is important for little cooking impaired me. :(

I would say try it, but with just a little bit of blue cheese. The taste will not be strong, and actually not like blue cheese at all, but it just compliments the mushrooms and cream so well...

I would say try it, but with just a little bit of blue cheese. The taste will not be strong, and actually not like blue cheese at all, but it just compliments the mushrooms and cream so well...

Even a little bit can be overpowering to those who don't really care for it. It's got a very pungent flavour -- one the I myself like, mind you, but pungent nonetheless.

Even a little bit can be overpowering to those who don't really care for it. It's got a very pungent flavour -- one the I myself like, mind you, but pungent nonetheless.

I don't like it myself as such. But I find that in sauces it takes on a different flavour, and I really do like that. I'm very careful about how much I put into the sauce... the moment you can distinctly taste the cheese, it's too much for it. As long as it's in tune with the other flavours, it's delicious.

My favourite carrots:

Liberal Carrots
[snip recipe]


Mm, they do sound nice. I was going to have carrots tonight, I might give them a go...

Worcestershire sauce;)
It's the same thing.

You can get veggie worcester (*glares at Rubiconic Crossings* :p) sauce. Or, if you're in the north of England, get Henderson's Relish.

It's the same thing.

You can get veggie worcester (*glares at Rubiconic Crossings* :p) sauce. Or, if you're in the north of England, get Henderson's Relish.

LOL:)

I thought Lee & Perrins was veggie....??

Recipes can be difficult becuase I just have a plan of what I'm going to do in my mind and I don't measure amounts for 80% of the ingredients I use. Having said that; I apologize for the vague amounts mentioned.

Mozarella salad
1 Pound of mozarella cheese
1 Pound of fresh tomatoes
3 Leaves of fresh basil
3 Cloves of garlic; diced
3 tbsp of olive oil (some people prefer vegetable oil)
1 tbsp of vinegar
1 tsp fresh pepper

Chop up the cheese and tomatoes into small cubes and put in a bowl. Dice or mince (depending upon preference) basil and garlic and add to the mix. Pour on oil and vinegar and add pepper and a pinch of salt. Some find they need more oil or vinegar. Mix it all together and cover and refrigerate or keep in a cool place several hours. This last step is a must for superior flavor. You can just eat this stuff or serve it atop crusty bread.


Stuffed Mushrooms
This one is going to be very vague.

Some mushrooms
1-2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter
2.5 cups of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of grated peccorino romano cheese (or parmesean)
1tsp oregano
1tsp paprika

Wash mushrooms (don't leave them wet too long) and remove stems. Chop the stems and onions into small bits and add minced garlic. Heat up a skillet and melt 1 stick of butter into it. When it's melted and hot throw the onion/mushroom mix in and cook until soft. At this point add the cheese, bread crumbs, and oregano. Cook over low heat in the skillet (adding more breadcrumbs if mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan/is too moist). Add paprika and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheight (sorry Europe). Take mushroom caps and pack them with overflowing amounts of your stuffing using a spoon. Additional stuffing can be packed atop the mushrooms. Bake for 40 minutes or until desired doneness.


Vegetarian 'Rice Dish'
2 cups long grain rice
1 can v8 beverage
1.5 tbsp corn oil
1 onion; chopped
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 bell pepper;chopped


Optional:
Tomato (use very slightly less cooking liquid)
1/2 tsp cumin (add after onions)
1 tsp oregano
Cayenne/Red 'pepper'


Heat corn oil in a medium-large pot. Add chopped bell pepper, cooking for a minute before adding onion and garlic (tomato here too). Cook ingredients until carmelized and add spices (recomended) and rice. Stir the rice around, coating it with the oil. When the rice has a slight sheen to it add the liquid. Use the can of v8 for as much of it as you can and then use water for the rest. No salt is needed since v8 is salty. Stir mixture and heat until at boiling point.
Turn down heat to the lowest setting and stir one more time before putting a lid on the pot. Wait 35 minutes (depending on what type of rice you use) and when the rice is done, turn off the heat, open the pot, and stir around. After letting rice cool for a few moments so it is sufficiently fluffy serve it up.


I'm also a big fan of onigiri and sushi which I think are really easy to make.

LOL:)

I thought Lee & Perrins was veggie....??
No, it's got anchovies in it, as do most worcester/shire sauces.

Recipes can be difficult becuase I just have a plan of what I'm going to do in my mind and I don't measure amounts for 80% of the ingredients I use. Having said that; I apologize for the vague amounts mentioned.

Mozarella salad
1 Pound of mozarella cheese
1 Pound of fresh tomatoes
3 Leaves of fresh basil
3 Cloves of garlic; diced
3 tbsp of olive oil (some people prefer vegetable oil)
1 tbsp of vinegar
1 tsp fresh pepper

Chop up the cheese and tomatoes into small cubes and put in a bowl. Dice or mince (depending upon preference) basil and garlic and add to the mix. Pour on oil and vinegar and add pepper and a pinch of salt. Some find they need more oil or vinegar. Mix it all together and cover and refrigerate or keep in a cool place several hours. This last step is a must for superior flavor. You can just eat this stuff or serve it atop crusty bread.


Thats nearly a classic...I'd suggest balsamic vinegar though...its such a great combination and one of my favorite salads!

The mozzarella has got to be good as well...(and of course the toms....but thats a no brainer:) )

No, it's got anchovies in it, as do most worcester/shire sauces.

Well you learn something every day! Thanks!

Chickpea Curry

1 T Garam masala (Indian spice mix - never had that on hand, tastes yummy enough without it)
.

Use Channa masala next time. Preferably MTR channa masala.

Use Channa masala next time. Preferably MTR channa masala.

Preferrable, defintely, but difficult to find, unless you have and Indian market nearby. Hell, even garam masala's hard to find around here.

Use Channa masala next time. Preferably MTR channa masala.
Why, does it taste better? What's the "MTR" - a brand name?

German isn't all that big on Indian food, no comparison at all to the UK, for example. Then again, I live in a big city and should definitely be able to get it somewhere, so that's not really an excuse.

Why, does it taste better? What's the "MTR" - a brand name?

German isn't all that big on Indian food, no comparison at all to the UK, for example. Then again, I live in a big city and should definitely be able to get it somewhere, so that's not really an excuse.

Yet the recipes you posted were curries. I find that rather curry-ous... ;)

Red Beans and Rice, or Dirty Rice! Both amazing.

Yet the recipes you posted were curries. I find that rather curry-ous... ;)
*beats round head* :p

Red Beans and Rice, or Dirty Rice! Both amazing.

Proper dirty rice has ground beef in it. :p

*beats round head* :p

Yeah, sorry. I know that was terrible. *blush*

Proper dirty rice has ground beef in it. :p



But cheap dirty rice doesn't, and I'm cheap.

Wild mushroom risotto

3 14 oz. cans vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound wild mushrooms, sliced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Simmer broth in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep hot.

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.

A woman who knows how to make a proper risotto. Ah...warms my heart. :D

Preferrable, defintely, but difficult to find, unless you have and Indian market nearby. Hell, even garam masala's hard to find around here.

Poor you. :p Here in Bay area, there are plenty of Indian stores and restaurants. :D

Why, does it taste better? What's the "MTR" - a brand name?

German isn't all that big on Indian food, no comparison at all to the UK, for example. Then again, I live in a big city and should definitely be able to get it somewhere, so that's not really an excuse.

Well, the Channa masala is specifically used for Channa - the Chickpeas as it is called in Hindi. And MTR is a good masala brand. You should be able to find it in any Indian store.

Wild mushroom risotto

3 14 oz. cans vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound wild mushrooms, sliced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Simmer broth in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep hot.

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.

That sounds extremely delicious. I'll have to try that one.


I have to say, does anyone else get annoyed that most 'vegetarian food' is trying to just imitate meat? I'm not personally a vegetarian but I hate the stuff, bleh. I really love vegetarian food, just not fake meat. It tastes awful and is so artificial.

I have to say, does anyone else get annoyed that most 'vegetarian food' is trying to just imitate meat?

I am annoyed with people who thing vegan/tofu/american vegetarian is all there is to vegetarian cuisine. ;) You need to try other vegetarian cuisines...there are many many varieties...

That sounds extremely delicious. I'll have to try that one.


I have to say, does anyone else get annoyed that most 'vegetarian food' is trying to just imitate meat? I'm not personally a vegetarian but I hate the stuff, bleh. I really love vegetarian food, just not fake meat. It tastes awful and is so artificial.

Depends... if you're talking about industrially produced fake-meat products, I agree to some extend. Although I have to admit that I got to try Linda McCartneys vegetarian sausages on the weekend, and they were just yummy. Not very much like real sausages, but still very tasty. The Quorn sausages on the other hand were just awful.

I've got two recipes for a vegetarian mince meat substitute, and both are very tasty. So, yes, some meat substitutes can be very nice indeed.

"texas trash"

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can red beans
1 can corn
several (3-ish) green onions, chopped
1 can rotel (or whatever chunky salsa you prefer/is available)
cumin

mix it together and let it sit for a little bit. who says vegetarians don't get enough protein now???

spaghetti squash marinara is also excellent...though I'm at work and don't have the recipe on me. once you get the damn thing open it's pretty easy. very tastey, healthy, and cheap. vegan too.

I don't know how to make it myself, but Malai Kafka Kashmiri is superb. anybody who says vegetarian food is boring or all just imitates meat has obviously never had indian or thai cuisine. americans seem to have confused grease with flavour.

Actually, the more herbivores there are, the less all food will cost. In fact, if everyone ate a vegan diet, we'd have about 10 times as much food.


A small note to add to this is that developed nations already have the ability produce enough food to make every person on earth obese, however the cost of exporting it and the logistics of transporting it mean that there is starvation or mal-nutrition in much of the world.

If we all switched to a vegan diet then all that would happen is we would just have a bigger excess and the same economic and logistical problem of getting the excess to areas without.


Anyway (assuming vegetarian not vegan):

Baked Potato
- Take 1 Potato suitable for baking.
- Pierce several times with a fork.
- Rub with oil of choice (I use olive).
- Bake for 45-60minutes at about 180C/350F.
- Grate some cheese of your choice.
- About 5mins before the potato is ready heat up some baked beans.
- When potato is ready take out, take a piece of butter and use a fork to mash the insides of the potato with the butter.
- Add cheese.
- Add beans.
- Enjoy.

A small note to add to this is that developed nations already have the ability produce enough food to make every person on earth obese, however the cost of exporting it and the logistics of transporting it mean that there is starvation or mal-nutrition in much of the world.

If we all switched to a vegan diet then all that would happen is we would just have a bigger excess and the same economic and logistical problem of getting the excess to areas without.

what are you talking about? of course the emperor has clothes! what are you, some kind of pervert?

I don't know if its been mentioned earlier in the thread .. but if you can get your hands on The Moosewood Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Classic-Cooking-Paperback/dp/1580081304) Its the bomb.

I have a very similar recipe to Rameria's Mushroom rissoto but I use Dry Vermouth instead of the sherry and just stick to a good olive oil rather than use butter.. but still pretty close. The trick is like any rissoto, to just be patient when you are stirring and adding the stock.

Felafals are great too...
This one is kinna adapted from the Moosewood cookbook

4 cups cooked chickpeas (I prefer 2 tins of chickpeas drained)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup finely minced scallions
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 beaten eggs
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons flour or fine breadcrumbs
1 dash black pepper
flour (for coating)

1. Mash the chickpeas not too much though you want to leave them a bit lumpy
2. Combine with other ingredients.
3. Chill well.
4. With floured hands make the batter into one-inch-diameter balls.
5. Dust each one lightly with flour.
6. Heat a 2-in.
7. pool of oil in a heavy skillet to 365 F.
8. Deep-fry the felafel until golden, and serve immediately.
Serve them with some tabhouli and pita bread and maybe some humus if you are going all out on the chickpeas... just awesome.

what are you talking about? of course the emperor has clothes! what are you, some kind of pervert?

:D

Thanks - I just think that particular arguement is a bit of a red herring about why people should be vegetarian/vegan.

As I see there are four general arguements for vegetarianism and veganism.

1. More efficient use of land -> More food production -> Feed the World.
2. More healthy.
3. Cheaper.
4. Morality.

In response:
1. As mentioned - developed nations already have the capeability to produce enough food to feed something like twice the earths population. If we had perfect transport infastructure the population would end up limited by crowding and energy use rather than food shortage - and that's before you increase output by going all vegetarian. With the world as it is, many areas with food shortages tend to produce largely vegetarian diets anyway as they do not have the resources to produce a more omniverous diet.

2. Vegans and Vegetarians tend to be more healthy than your average non-vegetarian. I will not deny that for a second. However - most vegetarians (including vegans in here from no to save typing) have a very good awareness of the food they eat and the importance of a balanced diet - while many omnivores do not have this awareness. In essence you are weighing the omnivores who eat balanced diets down by grouping them with omnivores who eat McDonalds 5 times a week. A balanced vegetarian diet is healthy. A balanced omniverous diet is healthy. An unbalanced diet of either is unhealthy, but more omnivores have unbalanced diets. In some cases due to medical conditions this is not the case.

3. Now this is a good point. Vegetarianism is much cheaper than being an omnivore. Particulary if the omnivore wants to eat decent quality meat and not 'mystery meat burgers'. Hoever like many things, if you are not in a position that you need to be overley concerned with the difference then the expense issue falls by the wayside of personal choice.

4. And - the only real reason to be a vegtarian (IMO). If your personal morality tells you that it is wrong for you to eat meat then that is something you should follow. However I would view such an attitude as a religious/cultural one - and that it should not be pushed onto people who don't believe it. This is also why people often get tetchy about vegetarians, because in many cases they seem to be trying to 'convert the heathen sinners' as it were.

I would just like to say that WYTYG's carrot recipe is very tasty.

This has been a Public Service Announcement. Your normal thread shall be resumed momentarily.

Vegetable Surprise

Ingredients:

Carrots
Onions
Peas
Corn
Garlic
Lettuce
Terri Schaivo

Mix all ingredients in a large bow-

I'm sorry, I've been ordered to stop this post due to extreme tastelessness.

Stuffed Mushrooms
This one is going to be very vague.

Some mushrooms
1-2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter
2.5 cups of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of grated peccorino romano cheese (or parmesean)
1tsp oregano
1tsp paprika

Wash mushrooms (don't leave them wet too long) and remove stems. Chop the stems and onions into small bits and add minced garlic. Heat up a skillet and melt 1 stick of butter into it. When it's melted and hot throw the onion/mushroom mix in and cook until soft. At this point add the cheese, bread crumbs, and oregano. Cook over low heat in the skillet (adding more breadcrumbs if mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan/is too moist). Add paprika and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheight (sorry Europe). Take mushroom caps and pack them with overflowing amounts of your stuffing using a spoon. Additional stuffing can be packed atop the mushrooms. Bake for 40 minutes or until desired doneness.
Mmmmhhhh, this sounds delicious! I shall try making it over the holidays. :)

350° Fahrenheit are 180° Celsius. There are tons of online converters, but the best ones for all-around cooking purposes are the ones on GourmetSleuth (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/index.asp).

Even there, however, I didn't find how much a "stick of butter" is. :p I know US butter sometimes comes in sticks (and I hate the recipes using that measure!), but I can't remember how many ounces/grams there are to a stick. Does anyone know?


Wild mushroom risotto

3 14 oz. cans vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound wild mushrooms, sliced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Simmer broth in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep hot.

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.
Another one to bookmark... Mmmhhhh...

Now I'm hungry. :(

Well, the Channa masala is specifically used for Channa - the Chickpeas as it is called in Hindi. And MTR is a good masala brand. You should be able to find it in any Indian store.
Ah, I see. Thanks!


I would just like to say that WYTYG's carrot recipe is very tasty.

This has been a Public Service Announcement. Your normal thread shall be resumed momentarily. :eek: :fluffle:
Which reminds me of what I forgot to ask you yesterday: those conservative carrots of yours - won't they burn? I mean, carrots, even cut into relatively small pieces, still take quite long to cook, and there's only butter and a tiny bit of water in the pan in your recipe, so how don't they burn? Or, in fact, wouldn't the butter burn to begin with? How long do you usually cook them?

Even there, however, I didn't find how much a "stick of butter" is. :p I know US butter sometimes comes in sticks (and I hate the recipes using that measure!), but I can't remember how many ounces/grams there are to a stick. Does anyone know?
1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons of butter = 1/2 cup of butter. :)

1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons of butter = 1/2 cup of butter. :)

:eek: :) Yay, thank you!

Which would be, hold on.... about 125 grams. I.e. half a package of butter based on the packing size it comes here.

I brought a measuring "cup" with me from the US, but I only use it for flour and milk and stuff, I'm wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too lazy to squish some butter into it only to scratch it back out and then having to wash the cup clean of all the fat. :p And I suck at the tablespoon thing, because my spoonfuls always end up way too generous...
Knowing grams now, all I have to do is cut a block of butter in half. Dirtied dishes: one knife that would have gotten dirty anyway from chopping the veggies. :cool:

Yes, I'm a thrifty housewife when it comes to cleaning. :p


Egads, smiley overkill >.<

Ohhh... halushki.

:eek: :) Yay, thank you!

Which would be, hold on.... about 125 grams. I.e. half a package of butter based on the packing size it comes here.

I brought a measuring "cup" with me from the US, but I only use it for flour and milk and stuff, I'm wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too lazy to squish some butter into it only to scratch it back out and then having to wash the cup clean of all the fat. :p And I suck at the tablespoon thing, because my spoonfuls always end up way too generous...
Knowing grams now, all I have to do is cut a block of butter in half. Dirtied dishes: one knife that would have gotten dirty anyway from chopping the veggies. :cool:

Butter comes in blocks, not sticks, there? :confused:

:Yes, I'm a thrifty housewife when it comes to cleaning. :p


Housewife? :eek:

:eek: :) Yay, thank you!

Which would be, hold on.... about 125 grams. I.e. half a package of butter based on the packing size it comes here.
Sounds about right, based on what I remember about butter in Europe. :p

Butter comes in blocks, not sticks, there? :confused:
Yep. (http://www.lurpak.com/C1256F170024DD5C/O/UWEN5ZSGAA)

:eek: :fluffle:
Which reminds me of what I forgot to ask you yesterday: those conservative carrots of yours - won't they burn? I mean, carrots, even cut into relatively small pieces, still take quite long to cook, and there's only butter and a tiny bit of water in the pan in your recipe, so how don't they burn? Or, in fact, wouldn't the butter burn to begin with? How long do you usually cook them?

They don't burn usually (unless you have them on too high for ages in a non-nonstick pan ;) ). Not sure why - maybe because you don't have them on that hot (setting 3-4 on my hob, which has settings 1-6), maybe because they're in a pan with a reasonably tight-fitting lid. Or maybe just magic :)

I usually cook them for about 10-15 minutes or so, but it depends on how you like your carrots really. It's a little quicker if you melt the butter whilst cutting up the carrots.

Yep. (http://www.lurpak.com/C1256F170024DD5C/O/UWEN5ZSGAA)

That's just...unwieldy.

That's just...unwieldy.

Nah, it's great. The packets usually have markings on them in 50g chunks so you can cut the required amount off easily without getting scales out, dirtying a plate, etc. :)

What are these butter-sticks, anyway? If they're long and thin don't they squash/bend/fall apart?
Edit: Googled it. They look a bit flimsy to me, I'll stick with our nice big lumps.

That's just...unwieldy.
When I came back to the US for college, I thought that sticks of butter were really weird. Now I love them, they're so much easier to cook with, especially when they have the measurements marked on the wrapping! :D

What are these butter-sticks, anyway? If they're long and thin don't they squash/bend/fall apart?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/NCI_butter.jpg/250px-NCI_butter.jpg

Nah, it's great. The packets usually have markings on them in 50g chunks so you can cut the required amount off easily without getting scales out, dirtying a plate, etc. :)

What are these butter-sticks, anyway? If they're long and thin don't they squash/bend/fall apart?
Edit: Googled it. They look a bit flimsy to me, I'll stick with our nice big lumps.
Our packets have markings on the wrapper as well. I like them because it's easy to measure off tablespoons at a time, as well as other measurements commonly used in recipes over here.