Vegetarian, Vegan, and Meatless Recipes that you use

Do you have any good ones?

Please post them here, if for no other reason than it is Lent.



I just tried a good new recipe, and I wanted to share it, but it is a little long for the Vegetarian/Skating thread in The Edge.

This takes only 20 or 30 minutes to prepare.

Fresh Spinach and Ricotta over Fettuccine

"Michaelangelo's favorite way to eat spinach," according to Food Network

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 pound fettuccine
3/4 to 1 pound baby spinach, washed, and dried well
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 small scallions, chopped
1 cup half and half
1 cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
pinch nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmigiano -Reggiano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
salt
If your pine nuts are not already toasted, heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the pine nuts and cook and stir until they are golden brown, above 2 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the fettuccine in. Add salt to the water to taste. Do not add oil to the water, as it will prevent the sauce from sticking to the fettuccine. When the water is boiling, add the fettuccine. Cook uncovered according to the package directions, and drain the pasta when done but do not rinse it.

While the water/fettuccine are cooking, In a very large pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped scallions, and cook, stirring, until they are soft (about 5 minutes)

Add the spinach, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper, to the scallions. Stir the spinach to coat with the oil in the pan. Cover the pan and let the spinach steam for about 5 minutes until it is wilted but still bright green, stirring occasionally to be sure the spinach cooks evenly.

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, the half and half, and the nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Add the mixture to the spinach pan, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Stir the spinach. If the sauce looks to be binding properly, all is well. If not, stir in 1 Tbsp. of butter to bind it. (I didn't need the butter).

Stir in the pine nuts and the grated cheese. Adjust the salt and pepper if you feel more is needed. Stir in the fettuccine & serve.

Both Mr. Ski & I really liked this dish, and we will be making it again as a treat.

Not really sure if this is a recipe, it's just what I do, but here goes: Veggie Wrap

Wrap ups or Tortilla
Cream Cheese or-Guacamole/Mashed avocado
Small handful of spinach
Sliced Cucumber or diced
Egg(ova vegetarian)-optional
Tofu in small cubes-amount depends on how big wrap is
Romaine Lettuce-sliced into bits 1/2 a handful

Take wrap and if using cream cheese, heat in microwave until easily spreadable *Caution: keep an eye on it, don't want it to boil

Slice and prepare fillings if not done so already

Spread cream cheese or guacamole(heating guacamole is not necessary) all over the wrap

Place Spinach flat on the wrap like a bed

Place lettuce on top, try to keep it smooth.

Place tofu and cucumber and opt. egg towards the middle of the wrap in a row.

How to cook the egg: scrambled

oil the pan

break egg into a bowl, whip with milk so it is even

pour into pan and let stay, until a little cooked and scramble

keep scrambling until cooked, I like mine really fluffy and soft

place on wrap, wrap it up and use seranwrap to save for later or eat then.

Not a recipe, but a fun tip. You can use beer in place of stock in most recipes. I do it as a low sodium alternative, but really enjoy using it in cook. I typically just used cheap light American beer, but you can of course use something that will bring more flavor. Beer is pretty much my standard liquid in cooking.

Thanks guys.

dorispulaski said:

Rather than bouillion cubes, I think I would buy a pack of screw top jars and make your own veggie bouillion, and store in the frige for use in cooking for the week rather than using veggie bouillion or broth from the store.

As a non vegetarian, I make my own chicken and beef broth to avoid excess salt, phosohorus and potassium that manufacturers add, primarily as preservatives and flavor enhancers, and which are not well documented on labels. There is very little protein in the broth I make, but it is not vegetaian. If anything, I find commercial vegetarian broths have more rather than less of this crap than meat broths in the attempt to make veggie broth taste like meat broth The reason I mention this in a vegetarian thread is that I can't vouch for the following recipe. but is rated five stars:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/basic-vegetable-stock-recipe.html

I am not fond of rosemary. I would add fresh parsley instead. And I like browned, chopped portabello mushrooms in broth.

I like that the recipe has variation, based on what fresh vegetables are available.

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I agree fully about avoiding store-bought bouillion for the exact reasons you gave, but to be honest I think that making broth or bouillion or stock is one of those areas where the straight-up veggie adaptation of the meat-centered item often results in a more time-consuming and less satisfying result. Making meat broth makes sense: the meat comes out tasty, and you get good use (and nutrients) out of the otherwise useless bones. I personally have never been a huge fan of making veggie broth the same way, mainly because I feel like you're just wasting the vegetables. If I'm going to roast a pan full of veggies in olive oil (delicious), I want to eat them right when they come out of the oven rather than boil them until they're dead.

So here are some things I like to do for veggie soups:

1) If the broth is the star of the show (like in matzo ball soup), I like to sautee some combination of garlic, ginger, mushrooms (reconstituted dried shiitakes are convenient, but fresh are great), and chiles (either fresh or dried) in olive oil in the bottom of a stockpot, along with some combination of carrots, celery, and onions (or whatever's in the fridge), and then add water and salt and pepper and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The short cooking time means the other veggies are still tasty, but the broth itself is flavorful because the shiitake, ginger, and chile flavors are so strong. (For matzo ball soup, I remove the veggies before adding the matzo balls so they don't get overcooked, then add them back in at the end.)

2) If the broth is not the star in and of itself, but I'd still like some more body to the soup, I'll use either leftover chickpea cooking water (hey, I was making chickpeas anyway so why not save the liquid) or kombu dashi. Kombu is a dried seaweed you can find in Japanese grocery stores, and making dashi (broth) is as simple as either letting it sit in cold water for a day, or near-boiling water for about 10-15 minutes. The dashi doesn't taste like much in and of itself, but it enhances the flavor of other ingredients (and also helps beans break down and cook faster). I like using dashi for Asian noodle soups and chickpea cooking liquid for one-vegetable soups like cauliflower soup or cabbage soup.

3) If I'm making a full-bodied, full-flavored stew like chili or pumpkin stew, I really don't need to start with broth or stock; I just use water (and maybe some wine, depending on the soup). A lot of recipes that call for stock or broth taste just fine when made with water.

4) The world's easiest broth is miso soup. You can now buy little tubs of miso at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, not just Japanese groceries. They keep in the fridge for months. Just scoop out a tablespoon or so, add it to a cup of hot water, and stir. If you like, you can cook it on the stove and add other ingredients to make it more of a meal (tofu, noodles, veggies, seaweed), but you can also just drink it in a mug like tea.

I should also add that I'm allergic to soy, which is why I don't eat miso the way I used to (it's made from fermented soybeans) and also don't use soy sauce in Chinese cooking (yeah, I know, what kind of a Chinese am I), but a bit of soy sauce goes well in all of the above options. And you can put ginger in the kombu dashi, or kombu in any of the stocks - the mix and match is completely up to you. Anyway, just thought I'd throw these suggestions out there, in case the long cooking time of the Food Network recipe scared anyone off. It can be made to work in a busy schedule if that's what you crave (make a lot at once on a weekend, reduce it, and freeze it), but I just wanted to share some quicker weekday options that don't need to be made in advance.

I really think the secret is starting with cooked dried chickpeas rather than canned. I always cook an entire 1 pound bag of chickpeas all at once, and then use the chickpeas and chickpea cooking liquid throughout the next week or two in various recipes (hummus, chickpea salad, roasted chickpeas, soups).

Soak the chickpeas in cold water in the morning (they'll absorb a lot of water, so make sure you add enough). When you come back in the evening about 8 hours later, change the water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30-45 minutes until they taste done, adding salt towards the end. (I'm not sure whether the timing of the salt matters, but that's what my first cookbook taught so that's now my habit.) Hint: Older chickpeas that have been sitting in your pantry for a year will take longer to cook and might not taste as good. Try different brands and different grocery stores to find the beans that you feel are the freshest.

When you have the fully cooked chickpeas, throw some in a blender or food processor along with freshly juiced lemon juice, olive oil, salt to taste, and enough chickpea cooking liquid to get the consistency you want. Optional add-ins are tahini, a clove of raw garlic, roasted garlic, lemon zest if you actually remembered to zest before squeezing the lemon juice, fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro, and spices such as cumin or paprika. Whatever suits your mood and happens to be in the fridge or pantry.

I use Mark Bittman's recipe as a starting point, but I always halve the tahini, usually end up increasing the lemon and olive oil, and sometimes omit the garlic. So I almost always go through cycles of blending the ingredients, then tasting, then throwing in more of this or that until I'm happy.
http://markbittman.com/recipe/hummus/

We tried this a few nights ago and it was wonderful! We didn't have scallions so used a little onion and used milk instead of half and half. Thanks, Doris! We have a similar recipe using zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and goat cheese on pasta; a fave for years.

I have 2 recipes which I will share sometime this weekend.

Looking forward to seeing them.

I am trying to perfect a recipe for Lebanese moussaka, a vegetarian dish that has nothing in common with the Greek moussaka, being a kind of chickpea, eggplant, tomato dish with different spicing choices. I have had it at Lebanese restaurants and just it.

Potato/Tomato Curry
We like to do this with basmati rice.

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
garlic cloves , 1 - ?
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. curry
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper as needed
1 19.oz. can tomatoes tofu or chick peas

Combine oil, onion, garlic and ginger in microwavable casserole and nuke uncovered on High for 2-4 minutes.
Add potatoes and spices, stir and nuke, covered at high for 2 mins.
Add tomatoes and your choice of tofu or chick peas. Cover and nuke at high for 30 mins. Let stand for 10 mins., covered.
We tend to be enthusiastic with the spices so usually add more.

Another idea: cook up some beets and toss in goat cheese and spinach.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

1 1/2 c. sliced onion
2 T. olive oil
3 cups sliced cabbage
1 green pepper, cut in strips
2 tsp. coriander, ground
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 cups tomatoes
1 1/2 cups drained cooked chick peas
1/3 cup currants or raisins (optional)
1 T. lemon juice

grated feta cheese
toasted slivered almonds

In large skillet, saute onions in oil until softened. Add cabbage, salt it and saute for a few minutes. Add pepper and next 4 spices. Stir in tomatoes, chick peas and currants and simmer, covered for 15 mins. Add lemon and salt.
Top with feta and almonds. Yum!

dorispulaski said:

Looking forward to seeing them.

I am trying to perfect a recipe for Lebanese moussaka, a vegetarian dish that has nothing in common with the Greek moussaka, being a kind of chickpea, eggplant, tomato dish with different spicing choices. I have had it at Lebanese restaurants and just it.

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I hadn't heard of Lebanese moussaka but just did a search and there are quite a few recipes. The MessyVegetarian has some interesting suggestions for changes after the recipe. I'm not big on eggplant but I do love veggie moussaka with portobello mushrooms.
Going to have to leave this thread as I am getting hungry!

Turkish spinach and rice. Google it and you will get all sorts of recipes...use water instead of broth and precook the quality rice. Use real spinach. If there is someone in the family who is an omnivore, like moi, you can add cooked chicken breast to their portion. Here is one link but my quick way is to sautee a teaspoon of crushed garlic out of a jar with a cup of chopped onions and olive oil, add a whole lot of spinich which cooks down to nothing, add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste or real tomatos, some water and rice which you have cooked for a half hour...simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add dead bird if you wish....quick and easy and tasty with parsley and yogart with a bit of jarred garlic in it on top...

http://www.culinate.com/recipes/col.../turkish-style_spinach_with_tomatoes_and_rice

Tuğba Karademir please come home.....we miss you

I love to make green smoothies with a good blender. No need to cook. Just blend lettuce, kale, sprouts (like pean sprouts) etc with fruits like banana, apple, plums and some water with a high quality blender. If you live in cold climate it would be good to warm the water you add a little but not over 40 celsius. You will find recipes if you google green smoothie. I eat also cooked food but I really found a new life with green smoothies, more energy and they are easy, fun and fast to make and very nutritious. You can even grow your greens yourself.

CoyoteChris said:

Turkish spinach and rice. Google it and you will get all sorts of recipes...use water instead of broth and precook the quality rice. Use real spinach. If there is someone in the family who is an omnivore, like moi, you can add cooked chicken breast to their portion. Here is one link but my quick way is to sautee a teaspoon of crushed garlic out of a jar with a cup of chopped onions and olive oil, add a whole lot of spinich which cooks down to nothing, add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste or real tomatos, some water and rice which you have cooked for a half hour...simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add dead bird if you wish....quick and easy and tasty with parsley and yogart with a bit of jarred garlic in it on top...


http://www.culinate.com/recipes/col.../turkish-style_spinach_with_tomatoes_and_rice

Tuğba Karademir please come home.....we miss you

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Thanks, Chris. Have just changed my dinner plans.

Sini said:

I love to make green smoothies with a good blender. No need to cook. Just blend lettuce, kale, sprouts (like pean sprouts) etc with fruits like banana, apple, plums and some water with a high quality blender. If you live in cold climate it would be good to warm the water you add a little but not over 40 celsius. You will find recipes if you google green smoothie. I eat also cooked food but I really found a new life with green smoothies, more energy and they are easy, fun and fast to make and very nutritious. You can even grow your greens yourself.

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I never would have thought of this! Must try. Thanks!

Lunch today:
rice
fresh asparagus (on sale this week; it must be spring somewhere )


And

chickpea salad

1 1/2 cups soaked, cooked and cooled dry chickpeas
3 stalks celery, cut small
1/2 medium ripe tomato, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced small
1/3 cup cut up fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

vinaigrette dressing
1 spoon cider vinegar
3 spoons extra virgin olive oil

Marinate in the fridge about one hour


Much better than it has any right to be

I tend not to make elaborate recipes since I'm usually just cooking for myself.

I'll offer a sandwich that I like:

Whole grain bread or English muffin, or pumpernickel bagel

Spread peanut butter or almond butter

sprinkle with ground pepper, oregano, rosemary, etc., to taste

layer with grilled mushrooms, fresh basil leaves, and baby spinach and/or arugula

Small snack: guacamole on Zingerman's bread(bread available to order or in Michigan) or hummus with Zingerman's bread dipped in.

Let me know how you like it! My wife really likes it and unless its winter and I have time to cook, its quick and easy and can be hot-rodded all sorts of ways.....
Spinach rocks. Before college, I thought it was a green slime that came out of a can, like canned peas......:no:

Scrufflet said:

Thanks, Chris. Have just changed my dinner plans.

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We are lucky enough to get guacamole that is 95% avocado. Even though I am a carnivore, backsliding omnivore, I love flavored hummas but there are some unpleasant side effects......

mnm464 said:

Small snack: guacamole on Zingerman's bread(bread available to order or in Michigan) or hummus with Zingerman's bread dipped in.

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