Student wanting to accrue recipe suggestions using LIMITED resources (vegetarian)

[Katie H]

Hi, sean. I can understand your budget constraints. It's very frustrating to only have "x" dollars to spend on one's food supply. Kind of like feeling the bite of "champagne tastes" with "beer budget." It's crappy, but you can be creative.

Another difficulty is storage of foodstuffs, which can be problematic for a student. You only have so much space to keep your fresh and canned goods, so you are working at a disadvantage in that respect. Ideally, you'd love to have a nice big kitchen with a spacious pantry. That will come in time.

All you have to do is to pick and choose from the suggestions here and ignore those that would not be appropriate to your budget. You are the perfect example of the classic "starving student." Um, are you an artist, too?

At any rate, we're glad you've asked your questions and continue to converse with us. Best wishes on conquering the food beastie.

 

[kitchenelf]

Thanks for the sprout advice - do sprouts go with rice? I just bought a 'sweetheart cabbage' (called a 'spitskool' in Dutch) and will find a way to have that with rice.

I consider rice the "beige" in a room - it goes with everything! Well...almost anyway...

I LOVE roasted vegetables but since you can't do that I might lightly steam them then finish them in a hot skillet with a bit of mild-tasting oil to caramelize them. That REALLY brings out a lovely sweetness in all veggies (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, potatoes, mushrooms, shallots). Because of your no oven situation you just have to use a hot skillet and be patient while these veggies brown before you turn them. Also, don't use any salt while doing this as the salt will bring out the water in the veggies and they will have a tough time browning. For most of these veggies (except the mushrooms) I would be tempted to steam a bit first just to start the cooking process as some won't get done enough just in the skillet.

 

[seans_potato_business]

Can I also finish 'sweetheart cabbage' in a skillet in the same way?

 

[kitchenelf]

I've never heard of nor seen Sweetheart Cabbage - I just googled it and it appears to be like the round cabbage, which, you can most definitely saute in a pan. A bit of beef broth will give it a nice flavor since you really don't "do" meat - otherwise I would say use bacon with it .

You can also steam the cabbage.

Just be sure to keep it crisp tender i.e., do not overcook. I would not cook in water and then saute - I would do one or the other.

 

[seans_potato_business]

It's actually a pointed cabbage (I'd never seen one before either).

Anyway, I steamed sprouts and some of this cabbage for about eight minutes and then I sauted them. The rice (in chicken broth) is about finished. It is nearly 2300 here but I've been going to bed late so we can call this a late supper (almost a midnight snack )

 

[kitchenelf]

Thanks for the pic. Do you balance this out with some kind of protein versus all carbs?

 

[seans_potato_business]

In this case I did not, but I shall try to be more mindful of that in the future. Peanut butter is a cheap source of protein but I don't suppose that I've much chance of working that in there?

 

[kitchenelf]

A dish like this just might be able to handle a peanut sauce - that's not impossible!!!! I make a sauce for Vietnamese summer rolls out of fish sauce, lime, cilantro, dried chili pepper flakes and then I make another sauce the same way but add peanut butter to it. You could drizzle that on top for sure! Just heat in a little pot to melt the peanut butter. Toss on a few peanuts too!

 

[dragonflystars]

Golden Soup

Here is a recipe I found in one of my vegetarian cookbooks. It' simple and you could probably add your liverwurst.

2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups scrubbed and thinly sliced potatoes
2 stalks of celery sliced thinly
1 small onion sliced thinly
5 cups cold water
1 cup milk (or soy milk)
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 sprig parsley

Put carrots, onion, parsley and oil in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the cold water. Cover and cook slowly, over low heat, until dry. Stir once in a while to prevent burning. Add the rest of the water, potato, celery and salt, boil rapidly. Put through a strainer (sieve). Heat the milk and add to the soup.

Maybe this recipe will be something you can build on.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I know you mean well Dragonflystars, but I have to say that that recipe would, if I were a vegetarian, turn me back on to meat - lol!! And I know it's not your recipe - that you got it from a vegetarian cookbook - so don't take my critique personally.

I just can't imagine it as is. Maybe if some cheese or other seasoning were added.

 

[seans_potato_business]

A dish like this just might be able to handle a peanut sauce - that's not impossible!!!! I make a sauce for Vietnamese summer rolls out of fish sauce, lime, cilantro, dried chili pepper flakes and then I make another sauce the same way but add peanut butter to it. You could drizzle that on top for sure! Just heat in a little pot to melt the peanut butter. Toss on a few peanuts too!

Are you saying that peanut butter on its own can be used, or are other ingredients needed? There's lots of paprika in the cupboard (left there by previous students)

...

Put carrots, onion, parsley and oil in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the cold water. Cover and cook slowly, over low heat, until dry. Stir once in a while to prevent burning. Add the rest of the water, potato, celery and salt, boil rapidly. Put through a strainer (sieve). Heat the milk and add to the soup.

...

I'm not sure that I understand the recipe - how will the stuff dry in the first part, if it's covered during cooking? Also, when I put it through a strainer, am I supposed to be turning it into pulp? I wonder why a hand-held blender is not an option?

No-one has yet come up with any suggestions for my monosodium glutamate!

 

[GB]

No-one has yet come up with any suggestions for my monosodium glutamate!

MSG is a flavor enhancer just as salt is. You do not need specific recipes for it. Just sprinkle it on anything you want.

 

[Claire]

Be careful when using MSG if you're having company over. Like peanuts and peanut oil, a lot of people are sensitive to it. When it is "just us" (meaning DH, people I'm related to or know well, or me) I don't think twice about it. But if it is "look who's coming to dinner" -- someone I don't know well -- I avoid it. One time I found a relative of a friend wandering in the kitchen. He wanted to know if I'd put anything peanut in my Thanksgiving dinner. You'd think someone would have let me know he was allergic. I opened my cupboards and really thought about it (seriously, you'd be surprised how much stuff has nut oil in it). Thank heaven the grease of choice for Thanksgiving is ..... BUTTER! No one went into anaphylactic shock so I guess I did OK. No MSG either (since you're talking vegetarian, it doesn't apply ... I use MSG on meat when I stir-fry. Really brings out the flavor).

 

[dragonflystars]

That vegetarian recipe

Yes, that is a rather bland and somewhat tasteless recipe. I am not a vegetarian. If you put some meat in it, maybe cayenne pepper. I was trying to find something that would use what is on the list. There isn't much other than salads. MSG, stay away from it. There is a legitimate reason why all better Chinese restaurants in our area advertise they do not use it. My mouth would go numb after I ate it.

Dragonflystars

 

[GB]

MSG, stay away from it. There is a legitimate reason why all better Chinese restaurants in our area advertise they do not use it. My mouth would go numb after I ate it.

Dragonflystars

There is nothing wrong with MSG for the majority of people. The reasons those restaurants do not use it is because of the mass hysteria the media created. Only a very very small percentage of people are actually allergic to it.

 

[seans_potato_business]

Yes, that is a rather bland and somewhat tasteless recipe. I am not a vegetarian. If you put some meat in it, maybe cayenne pepper. I was trying to find something that would use what is on the list. There isn't much other than salads. MSG, stay away from it. There is a legitimate reason why all better Chinese restaurants in our area advertise they do not use it. My mouth would go numb after I ate it.

Dragonflystars

I read that the health scares are just hype and that MSG can actually improve most people's health by reducing their overall sodium intake (since its more efficacious than regular table salt). I imagine the Chinese restaurants have to pander to the hype, since otherwise no-one would go there; i wouldn't say that it confirms the rumours. Anyway, I can follow your recipe (thanks) but will have to use celery salt instead of celery.

Edit: I'm pleased to announce the addition of macaroni made from durum wheat, to my pantry. It's higher in protein, slightly higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat, than brown rice!

 

[seans_potato_business]

I just made this sprout and rice "casserole"! I used regular cheese instead of parmesan, black pepper instead of white pepper (I tasted the sauce and it was good!) and cut out the ham. I made breadcrumbs using my cheese grater (not the sort of job for a hand-held blender). It's cooking now (the microwave has a temperature setting and I don't know how it works exactly but I think it's meant to be similar to a regular oven).
Brussels Sprouts And Rice Casserole Recipe | Brussels Sprouts Recipes @ CDKitchen.com :: it's what's cooking online!

Edit: Analysis:
Well, considering all the sprouts, it was quite nice! The sprouts were better than I expected and everything else was great, but the sprouts were still the worst part :/ What a cruel trick nature has played! They're cheap and nutritious, but taste akin to earwax...

Edit2:
In the same way that you can give generic instructions to make soup, is it possible to do the same for a casserole?

 

[seans_potato_business]

Can I turn tomato puree (strained tomatoes) into a sauce to have with pasta (in this case macaroni)? Do I just mix some herbs in there? Maybe a diced onion?

I'm also interested in different sauces I can make from milk, based on my list of ingredients in the first post. Thanks in advance

 

[kitchenelf]

Can I turn tomato puree (strained tomatoes) into a sauce to have with pasta (in this case macaroni)? Do I just mix some herbs in there? Maybe a diced onion?

I'm also interested in different sauces I can make from milk, based on my list of ingredients in the first post. Thanks in advance

You're killin' us sean!!!!

Yes, saute some onions, add puree, add the appropriate Italian herbs, even a bit of red wine, cook a bit to let flavors blend and serve with macaroni - that's just your basic sauce - no big deal - it's like HOW you make a red sauce, not IF you can make a red sauce with it

Now, for your milk question. Do you know how to make a roux - if you don't google it. Once you have your roux made you can slowly add the milk, whisking the whole time. From here you can add cheese and make homemade mac and cheese, or creamed peas (add some cooked potato cubes). This is a bechamel sauce.

If you google Bechamel you will be presented with a LOT of ideas if you wade through the links. Doing searches like this really gives you lots of ideas!

You could make an alfredo-type sauce also. Lots of recipes for Alfredo to search right here at DC.

 

[seans_potato_business]

Thanks for the great advice! It might not seem like it, but I've been cooking for myself for four and a half years already! One of my first "creations" was a rosti. The recipe said to use a "clove" of garlic. I figured "clove" was a fancy name for a bulb of garlic, so I used the whole thing! It turned out green and I managed to feed myself about half (I hate waste) before I felt too sick to continue... then I turned green!