Favorite Vegetarian Recipes

[Yakuta]

I would not know where to start the list of my favorite vegetarian dishes. There are certain cuisines in the world that have such fabulous vegetarian food that you would never miss meat. Example Indian cuisine. In addition, italian, mexican and south asian recipes (thai, chinese etc.) also can be tweaked so that you have a great vegetarian entree.

Some of my favorites ( I am unable to post recipes here but you can PT me if you'd like recipes for any of these) are:

- Dal and Rice (Beans and Rice)
- Palak Paneer (Spinach made with homemade cheese)
- Cauliflower Manchurian (similar to orange chicken but cauliflower is the main ingredient)
- Vegetarian Chow Mein
- Vegetarian Samosas
- Vegetarian Eggrolls, Rice paper rolls, lettuce wraps
- Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and potatoes)
- Spicy Okra (my hard core non-veg kids cannot get enough of these)
- Pakoras (fried fritters)
- Vegetarian Pulao with Raita (Basmati rice chock full of vegetables) and a cool yogurt sauce
- Eggplants - I love Moussaka, Bharta (indian style eggplant preparation), Eggplant Parmesean, Baby Eggplants cooked in a delicious tamarind, peanut sauce
- Thai style vegetarian coconut curry
- Burritos with black beans, corn and spicy salsa
- Vegetarian kofta curry - Delicious creamy curry made with vegetarian dumplings
- Spicy Aloo - Simple potatoes cooked with onions and spices. In India we used to make this in the summer. Normally we would have this with some mango puree on the side. So one bowl with a sweet mango puree and some with the potatoes and fresh poori's (fried puffy bread), you dip the warm poori into the cold mango and take a bite, then you take another bite with the poori and spicy potatoes. This is what I miss the most about my childhood, the food.

The list would probably go on and on into things that you would have never heard of. These are just some top of mind things that I have made many many times.

This weekend I have atleast 40 people over and I am preparing an all vegetarian dinner menu. Wish me luck

 

[Scotch]

I posted a few good vegetarian recipes in this thread:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f12/vegetarian-dish-challenge-54249.html

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I would not know where to start the list of my favorite vegetarian dishes. There are certain cuisines in the world that have such fabulous vegetarian food that you would never miss meat. Example Indian cuisine. In addition, italian, mexican and south asian recipes (thai, chinese etc.) also can be tweaked so that you have a great vegetarian entree.

Some of my favorites ( I am unable to post recipes here but you can PT me if you'd like recipes for any of these) are:

- Dal and Rice (Beans and Rice)
- Palak Paneer (Spinach made with homemade cheese)
- Cauliflower Manchurian (similar to orange chicken but cauliflower is the main ingredient)
- Vegetarian Chow Mein
- Vegetarian Samosas
- Vegetarian Eggrolls, Rice paper rolls, lettuce wraps
- Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and potatoes)
- Spicy Okra (my hard core non-veg kids cannot get enough of these)
- Pakoras (fried fritters)
- Vegetarian Pulao with Raita (Basmati rice chock full of vegetables) and a cool yogurt sauce
- Eggplants - I love Moussaka, Bharta (indian style eggplant preparation), Eggplant Parmesean, Baby Eggplants cooked in a delicious tamarind, peanut sauce
- Thai style vegetarian coconut curry
- Burritos with black beans, corn and spicy salsa
- Vegetarian kofta curry - Delicious creamy curry made with vegetarian dumplings
- Spicy Aloo - Simple potatoes cooked with onions and spices. In India we used to make this in the summer. Normally we would have this with some mango puree on the side. So one bowl with a sweet mango puree and some with the potatoes and fresh poori's (fried puffy bread), you dip the warm poori into the cold mango and take a bite, then you take another bite with the poori and spicy potatoes. This is what I miss the most about my childhood, the food.

The list would probably go on and on into things that you would have never heard of. These are just some top of mind things that I have made many many times.

This weekend I have atleast 40 people over and I am preparing an all vegetarian dinner menu. Wish me luck

Ok did anyone else find this detailed description to be pure torture? Yakuta you are mean and I'll be over for dinner at 6:30.

 

[jade]

Ok did anyone else find this detailed description to be pure torture? Yakuta you are mean and I'll be over for dinner at 6:30.

Yes it made me hungry! All of those recipes sound absolutely delicious!

 

[Robo410]

I am an omnivore, but I take my veg seriously. Often meat is no more than a flavoring. And with such cuisines as the American Southwest, Latino, Asian be it middle east, Indian, or Far Eastern, the variety of purely vegetable foods is inspiring. And we forget just how good Euro veg cooking can be from the simple saute of mushrooms and shallots in good oil on toast, to roasted root veg in winter or ratatouille in summer.

I am a supporter of the slow food movement, and agree totally with those of you who say don't mimic meat.

 

[vyapti]

I am a supporter of the slow food movement, and agree totally with those of you who say don't mimic meat.

I think, at least for me, processed meat substitutes aren't necessarily healthy and I try to avoid them. In the same way frozen pizzas, tv dinners, or beef & cheese burritos aren't healthy and should be avoided.

the home made meat analogs that I make have ingredients I can pronounce, they are generally low in fat, high in protein and have more fiber than any piece of meat. . . and I don't have to clog my arteries or kill a cow. The source of a piece of food is far more important in my opinion than what it looks like.

 

[Claire]

AND if you don't feel like cooking there are two lines of Indian foods that are pretty darned good, IMO. Kitchens of India I think is my favorite line, using Patak's condiments and some basmati rice. On my "working" days, nuking a meal from these sources satisfies us. Yes, even us omnivores can take a day or two off from eating meat and enjoy it.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I use both Patak & Trader Joe's sauces for quicky-but-good Indian fare - Tandoori, Vindaloo, Korma, etc. They work well with meat/poultry/seafood, tofu, & veggies just as well, & are easy to "tweak" to your personal taste.

 

[bethzaring]

I really like this recipe, an original, been thinking about making it soon cause I have onions out the wazoo, but need to score some corn tortillas first..
Cheese and Bean Enchiladas Serves 12


Enchilada Sauce

3 T. olive or vegetable oil Blend oil and butter in sauce
3 T. butter pan over low heat. Stir in
4 T. flour flour.
Add:
2 ½ cups tomato sauce (I use 1 quart tomato juice in place of sauce
1 ½ cups water and water)
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. chili powder
1 T. honey or syrup

Blend thoroughly and remove from heat.

To assemble a 9x13 pan of enchiladas, you will need:

1 16 oz. can refried beans
2 Cups chopped onions
One pound sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
Corn tortillas, approx. 12 depending on size of tortilla

Spread ½ cup sauce on bottom of greased baking dish.
Layer with corn tortillas to cover bottom. Add 1 Cup diced onions and half of the cubed cheddar cheese, dot with half the can of refried beans. Spread 1/3 sauce. Add more corn tortillas, the rest of the onions, cheddar cheese, refried beans and 1/3 sauce. Top with final layer of corn tortillas and rest of sauce. Bake in 350 oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly hot.

 

[Bev Stayart]

Thank you for all these wonderful vegetarian recipes!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Here's one more BIG favorite for good measure. I love to make this in the early spring when young tender kale is one of the first greens to harvest, & also in the fall & winter when frost-kissed kale is at its best. I've always used the blue curly varieties for this dish. (Obviously for vegetarian purposes you'd use water or vegetable broth for the liquid instead of chicken broth.)

BREEZY GREEK PENNE PASTA WITH KALE AND FETA

1 pound penne pasta (Barilla is my favorite brand), cooked according to package directions & drained
1 block/container of Feta cheese, chopped/crumbled
Approx. 24 Kalamata olives, pitted, & roughly chopped **
Approx. 1 pound Kale, rinsed, stems removed & discarded, & leaves roughly sliced/chopped
1 red onion, peeled & chopped
A few dollops of extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing
Dash or so of chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

While the cooked pasta is draining in a colander, heat the olive oil & saute the onion until soft but not brown in the pot the pasta was cooked in. Add the kale, stir a bit, & add a dash or 2 of chicken broth or water to prevent burning. Add chopped olives & stir until kale has wilted down. Add cooked pasta, feta cheese, & crushed red pepper & stir again until pasta is heated through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

** While jarred pitted Kalamata olives are now frequently available, pitting the olives is accomplished easily by simply placing your broad kitchen knife (sharp side away from you) over each olive & briskly hitting down on the knife with your hand. Olive will break open & pit will be easy to remove.

 

[Wyogal]

I did a mushroom/walnut pate in cooking school. Not sure where the recipe is now, I found it online. You could do a google and find one. It was served with a roasted red pepper coulis.

 

[LPBeier]

When I was the special diets cook at a camp a few summers ago, one day I was in a rush and had to throw together a vegetarian dish quick! I was trying to think of what they had had already and nothing left was fast. So, I looked on my cooler shelf and found some brown rice, black beans, tofu and mushrooms.

I chopped some red and white onion, minced garlic, thin sliced carrots, red and green peppers and the mushrooms, and sauted them. I added some of the cooked brown rice, black beans and cubed tofu. For seasonings I threw in some soy sauce, Italian dried herbs, vegetable broth (I did my own) and salt and pepper. I stir fried it all together and served it. They loved it and it became one of the regular items I served.

I also quite enjoyed it. I am a former vegetarian who reluctantly reverted back to red meat (only once a week, I have chicken often) because even though I ate a responsible vegetarian diet, my body needs meat protein and I went dangerously anemic.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I use both Patak & Trader Joe's sauces for quicky-but-good Indian fare - Tandoori, Vindaloo, Korma, etc. They work well with meat/poultry/seafood, tofu, & veggies just as well, & are easy to "tweak" to your personal taste.

Read the directions well in advance! I was all set to use one and it turned out to be a marinade of the Patak and yogurt well in advance. I scrapped that idea and went to another with the ingredients at hand.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Read the directions well in advance! I was all set to use one and it turned out to be a marinade of the Patak and yogurt well in advance. I scrapped that idea and went to another with the ingredients at hand.

Well yes, I'd assume folks would take the time to read the directions first. But that said, if you're adventurous, you can still use the products to make a very nice impromptu "simmer" sauce. Just add judiciously to broth &/or yogurt & your meat & veggies until it's reached the flavor/spiciness you want.

 

[navywife]

I hardly know where to start.... I went vege because I don't like how meat gets to my table.

We eat as much of a varied diet as I can provide for my kids, since I am making them eat this way as well. That said, it has to be kid friendly. LOL
I like the Morningstar farms stuff, like the chik'n patties, but you have to watch out for fat and stuff like that on some of those, so I don't eat them that often. Some of their other patties lend themselves well to other recipes, like the sundried tomato and basil "pizza" burgers. I own a Vita-Mix so I always make my own tomato sauces, so a pizza sauce is usually quick and easy, and the patties are served open-face on those new thin sandwich buns, with some sauce and a sprinkle of mozz. The kids love it!
I also marinate tofu and saute it till the outsides are crispy...the Newman's own LF sesame ginger works really well.
My boy is really picky, so it's got to have visual appeal as well as some kind of commercial appeal for him to eat it.

I also just bought "Passionate Vegetarian" by Crescent Dragonwagon (yes, that's her name)and I love it! "How to cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman has some good ideas, too.
I love vegetables so much that I can't nail down a favorite dish.....

 

[Scotch]

We aren't vegetarians, but we like to cook vegetarian dishes once a week or more. We have several excellent vegetarian cookbooks that I can recommend to you:

By Jeanne Lemlin (most in paperback -- all filled with excellent recipes):

Vegetarian Pleasures
Simple Vegetarian Pleasures
Quick Vegetarian Pleasures
Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures
​

Vegetarian Dishes from Around the World by Rose Elliot (paperback)
The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee
World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey (James Beard Foundation Award winner)
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

 

[Claire]

From what I can get around here, the Patak's are sauces and condiments, not complete meals, so I do read the sauce instructions, then wing it (not always following exactly). The Kitchens of India can be complete OR you can add favorite vegetables, serve over rice or noodles, or if you have a die-hard carnivore at the table, saute a side of meat. I find some of the Patak sauces to be a little oily, and have been known to drain oil from the top of the jar upon opening. BUT I love, absollutely love, their hot lime pickle/relish. Not for the faint of heart, though.

 

[BreezyCooking]

While the oils do separate in Patak products, I consider them part of the product. They enable me to not have to use/add additional oil to the dish. All I do is use a long-handled spoon (like an iced tea spoon) to stir the oil back into the rest of the jar before I use it. Just like I do with natural nut butters.