Favorite Vegetarian Recipes

[jade]

I'm sad that there is no vegetarian forum in the specific chat & recipes forum. There are enough vegetarian cooks out there to warrant that.

Anyways, my boyfriend and myself are both vegetarian and love love love to cook. We have gotten very good at substituting meat ingredients in recipes with vegetarian alternatives and the vegetarian products available in the supermarket make it that much more easier. It's not just tofu anymore.

I want to compile a list of great vegetarian recipes, so:

What is your favorite vegetarian recipe?

 

[Janet H]

Favorite? That's tough...

Ratatouille w/couscous?
Falafel?
Grilled cheese and sliced dills on Pumpernickel?
My latest fave is a vegetarian version of a coquille st jacques substituting morels and dry riesling for the scallops and Sauterne.

 

[vyapti]

I've got a blog full of 'em. I make tempeh or chickpea burgers and freeze them, lots of pastas ranging from Bolognese to Stroganoff, and lots of curries and stir fries. I also make my own seitan, including ribs, roasts and sausages. Last Friday, I made Cajun Mushrooms with Andouille & rice.

Welcome to Discuss Cooking too.

 

[Claire]

I'm not a vegetarian (actually, at one time I think we did have a vegetable/vegetarian format), but have favorite meatless meals. First of all, whenever I'm visiting my mom, she requests what she calls "Claire's ratatouille". That is to say, when the rest of the group are eating grilled meat, I halve or thickly slice zuchini (courgetttes), eggplant (aubergine), onions of all kinds, tomatoes. Actually any kind of vegetable you like. I toss with good olive oil and my favorite garlic seasoning, then, before the meat goes on, I grill them quickly on very hot coals. At the last minute some good tomatoes. I put them in a bowl covered with foil and they keep easily until the meat is done. Yes, I know, I know. I chop the veggies coarsely, and they turn out to be a pretty hearty meal for my non-meat-eating friends and family when supplemented with corn on the cob, potatoes, pasta, or rice. When we were on the road, it would crack me up that older, die-hard meat and potato type campers would stop at our site and wonder what I had on the barbecue that smelled so good. Huh? Vegetables.

The leftover grilled veggies can be pureed in the food processor and used as a flavoring for bean/split pea soup. The problem, if you want to call it that, with this is that you can swear on the bible and your mom's grave (luckily, I can't do that) that there is no ham or other smoked meat in the soup and some vegetarians will not believe you.

 

[Arky]

Although I'm not a vegetarian either, at one time I did experiment with grilling a large portobello mushroom cap, stuffing it with cheese, diced mild pepper and diced tomato, and serving it between the halves of a hamburger bun. It was surprisingly good (to my taste.)

 

[powerplantop]

Right now my favorite is using Lentils as a substitute for hamburger in tacos, buritoes ect. I am a meat eater but love lentils.

vyaptivyapti
The idea came from this post at vyapti's Blog:
My Veggie Kitchen: Lentil Bean Dip and Taco Fillinghttp://myveggiekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/lentil-bean-dip-and-taco-filling.html

 

[GB]

We actually used to have a vegetarian forum here, but removed it after we received numerous complaints from our vegetarians here that they felt singled out and that the forum was unnecessary since we have sections for vegetables, grains, breads, dairy, fruits, etc. Part of their complaint was that our forums are broken down into food types and vegetarian is not a food type, it is a lifestyle. It would be very confusing to try to find a recipe or information if you did not know what section of the board to check. If we had a vegetarian forum then there would be two places to look for the same recipe. For instance, if you had a bean recipe, would you look in the beans section of the board or the vegetarian section of the board? The vegetarian section would have many different food types all combined together and that would just be messy and confusing.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Here's one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. I usually serve it with a green salad & some crusty bread, but it can also be used as a side dish.

BREEZY POTATOES ITALIANO BAKE
(adapted from "365 Ways To Cook Vegetarian")

One 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 24-ounce or so package frozen Potatoes O'Brien (frozen diced potatoes mixed with onion & peppers), thawed
1 medium fresh tomato, diced – OR - 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, or dried & reconstituted - chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
8-ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade, & coarsely dice. In a large skillet, heat reserved artichoke marinade over medium heat. Add onion & cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in thawed potato mixture, tomato, & diced artichoke hearts. Add in salt, cayenne pepper, mozzarella, & beaten egg. Scrape mixture into a generously oiled or buttered 2-quart baking dish, sprinkle grated parmesan on top & cover tightly with foil.

Bake approximately 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender & casserole is heated through. Remove foil & bake an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly browned on top. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving. If served hot, can be spooned out; if at room temp can be cut into squares.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Here's another favorite that I made just the other day with some fabulous Poblano peppers from the farmer market:



BREEZY BAKED STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS


6 – 8 fresh green poblano peppers (depending on their size and your appetite)
1 brown paper bag, food-safe plastic bag, or bowl with plastic wrap to cover that will comfortably hold peppers
2 – 3 tablespoons of grated cheese PER PEPPER, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or – if you like extra heat – one of the “hot pepper” cheeses now on the market. A standard-size block of any two of the above should give you more than enough cheese to stuff 6 – 8 peppers.
One 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce spiked with dried oregano & granulated garlic to taste, or one 10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce

Preheat broiler for approximately ten minutes. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil and place peppers on it with space between them. Broil, turning frequently, until all sides of the peppers are black and blistered. Place peppers in paper or plastic bag, or in plastic-wrap covered bowl and allow to sit for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle comfortably. One by one, gently peel blistered skin off of peppers (this may be done under a GENTLE stream of cold running water). Leaving the stem intact, gently cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper and carefully remove seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate cheese(s) and set aside. Using any baking dish that will comfortably hold the peppers in a single layer, coat the bottom with half the sauce. Carefully stuff approx. 3 to 4 tablespoons of grated cheese into each pepper and place on top of sauced dish. Top with a drizzle of the remaining sauce and any leftover or extra grated cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes, or until peppers are heated through and cheese is melted. Remove from oven & allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Served with or on top of your favorite Spanish/Mexican/yellow rice, with beans, and a green salad; this makes a nice, lively vegetarian entrée.

***This is sometimes easier said than done. Don’t have a heart attack if your peppers tear a bit here and there. Once they are stuffed with cheese and everything is melted and oozing together – no one will know the difference.

 

[BreezyCooking]

And one more favorite for good measure:

Mushroom Stroganoff (adapted from "The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two")

1/4# fresh Shitake mushrooms
1/4# fresh Oyster mushrooms
1/4# fresh Cremini mushrooms
1/2# fresh White Button mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
Pinch of dried thyme or approx. a teaspoon of chopped fresh leaves
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
8-ounce container sour cream
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1/4-cup dry sherry
1# or so of wide egg noodles
2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds
Butter to toss with egg noodles

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, & toss with a few tablespoons of butter & the poppyseeds. Cover & set aside.

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly under running water, trim, (removing any tough stems from the Shitake & Oyster mushrooms), & slice thickly. In a large skillet, saute onion in the 4 tablespoons butter until transparent, then add mushrooms & continue cooking until they have released their excess moisture & it's starting to evaporate. Add thyme, chicken broth, & 3 tablespoons of the sour cream, lower heat, & simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add brandy, sherry, salt & pepper to taste, & the rest of the sour cream, stirring gently just until sour cream is heated thru. Do not overheat or sauce will curdle, but this is just an appearance issue & won't affect the taste. Taste & correct seasoning if necessary.

Serve over noodles with a green salad & crusty bread on the side.

(Although the sour cream "might" curdle a little, leftovers are just as tasty nuked in the microwave for lunch the next day.)

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Funny, I am one of the hosts to a yard party next weekend and I have been asked to author up some vegetarian fare.

Are you looking for vegan and vegetarian?

Dang, in the middle of typing I realized that I never measured anything for my first recipe. I just winged it and it comes out fine. I will save it for a time after I make it again and actually measure. Look forward to
"5 mushroom and leek casserole".
anyway, next recipe...

Yesterday I was experimenting with portobello mushroom caps...

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps
(to be used as a burger substitute at the party)

Clean (remove the gills) of four large portobello caps. Set to the side.

Marinade... (good for four caps)
3/4 cup marsala wine
2 Tbls olive oil
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp celery salt

Put all ingredients in a zip lock bag and mix. Add the caps and remove as much air as possible. (I use a straw to suck out the air)

Let marinate at room temp for 3 hours.

Stuffing...

I bought a bag of stuffing (sage and onion) but really all I was looking to do was follow my mother-in-law's recipe without any meat. So pick a stuffing recipe and wing it. I will list mine.

2 1/2 cups stuffing mix
1 to 1 1/2 cups tomato vegetable stock (easily made by adding a can of diced tomatoes to your vegetable stock recipe)
1/4 cup paperthin cut carrots
1/4 cup paperthin cut celery
1/4 tsp onion powder (yes you can use any amount of real onion you want, I am allergic so dried pulverized powder is what I have to use)
salt and pepper to taste

Sweat the carrots and celery in a small amount of any oil you feel comfortable with, I used Olive. While they are sweating, heat your broth to a low boil. Place the dry stuffing mix in a mixing bowl that is double the volume of the mix (you need to room to stir). When the veggies are sweated and tender, add the onion powder and salt and pepper, give a stir to mix and then pour the sweat (oil and all) into the stuffing mix. Give it a good mix and then add the broth and mix again. Set to the side for 5 minutes for the broth to fully rehydrate the stuffing.

I grilled the caps on the low heat side of the charcoal grill, flipping several times so as to cook evenly but not char. Then, using the caps as a size guide I made stuffing patties with my hands and placed them inside the caps. Cover the grill and let the stuffing come up to temp and get a little crisp on the top.

Finally, add the sliced cheese of your choice. I had two with smoked swiss and two with provolone.

I plan on serving these on toasted buns.

P.S. you can do this whole thing in the oven at 450.

 

[vyapti]

Bigdaddy, those mushrooms sound really good. There's a natural tendency to over compensate with cheese when asked to cook meatless. Back when I ate dairy, I used to dread trainings, etc where lunch was provided. They usually had some vegetarian option that was swimming with cheese. Great job. I think I'll be trying those soon.

Right now my favorite is using Lentils as a substitute for hamburger in tacos, buritoes ect. I am a meat eater but love lentils.

vyaptivyapti
The idea came from this post at vyapti's Blog:
My Veggie Kitchen: Lentil Bean Dip and Taco Filling

Why, thank you . I'll be making some of those tomorrow for tacos.

 

[vyapti]

I made this over the weekend. My daughter had her 9th birthday party on Friday and she wanted quiche. So I made quiche for the kids and this for the adults. It had a goodly amount of heat, which I was looking forward to because of my kid-free opportunity.

Cajun Mushrooms with Andouille:
Seitan Andouille Sausage:

 

[BreezyCooking]

Frankly, I like to use cheese in many of my vegetarian recipes because, well - I LOVE cheese - lol!! I don't feel like I'm over-compensating for anything at all. In addition, for vegetarians, cheese offers an excellent source of protein, especially if the recipe doesn't contain any other protein sources.

What I object to in many of the vegetarian recipes I come across is the propensity to use "fake" meat products. I'll never understand the necessity for all these "fake meat" items made from soy products & various chemicals. Their sodium levels are through the roof, most of them taste somewhat funky, & I certainly wouldn't be giving up meat for any of them - lol!! I'm not talking about seasoned tofu, tempeh, or wheat gluten products - just the fake "meatballs", "burgers", etc., etc.

 

[vyapti]

What I object to in many of the vegetarian recipes I come across is the propensity to use "fake" meat products. I'll never understand the necessity for all these "fake meat" items made from soy products & various chemicals. Their sodium levels are through the roof, most of them taste somewhat funky, & I certainly wouldn't be giving up meat for any of them - lol!! I'm not talking about seasoned tofu, tempeh, or wheat gluten products - just the fake "meatballs", "burgers", etc., etc.

Some of the ingredient lists would give a Monsanto executive a queasy stomach. And they're expensive too.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

YEAH! And if vegetarianism is so good and good for you why would you need FAKE meat.

I think fake meat is a crutch for people who don't want to put out the effort to truely go veg.

BD ex vegan

 

[jade]

YEAH! And if vegetarianism is so good and good for you why would you need FAKE meat.

I think fake meat is a crutch for people who don't want to put out the effort to truely go veg.

BD ex vegan

Thank you to everyone who has posted all of these delicious recipes. Please keep them coming. I can't wait to try some of them out!

In response to the people who have been commenting against fake meat, here's my opinion on it. I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years and my boyfriend has been almost 5 years. We are not vegan, just vegetarian. We eat animal products like eggs, honey, and dairy but stay away from the meat. When we first became vegetarian, our only options were vegetables or tofu, which most people prepare wet and undercooked which ends up being disgusting. We are lucky enough to live in Boston, which has solely vegetarian restaurants and almost every place you go to has at least one vegetarian option.

Onto the imitation meat. Soy in high levels can cause problems such as ovarian cysts in women so when I'm looking for meat substitutes, I try to stay away from the soy-based ones. The company Quorn has amazing substitutes made of mycoprotein that are soy free. A big concern with eating the fake meats is absolutely the sodium levels. When we cook with them, we do whatever we can to not add any extra sodium because yes, they are already very high in the imitation meats. They're just a great option to easily substitute things without using vegetables or tofu. We can make chicken parmesan and all of my favorite meals growing up and they end up tasting pretty much the same. It's an awesome thing to have available on the market and they also encourage meat-eaters to try something different. I have so many friends who I have served imitation meat to that claim they would have no idea that it wasn't the real thing if they hadn't been told.

All I'm saying is don't knock it til you try it. Tofu and veggies can get boring sometimes. It's not about not liking the taste of meat; it's about not liking the meat industry.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

If you eat eggs, you can make your own veggie patties that will put Morning star to shame. TO SHAME!

Oh man, grind up egg plant, zuchini, carrots, add oatmeal and a bit of corn meal, put that egg in there... My mouth is watering!!!

I totally forgot about the mushrooms! cook them first before grinding and add them in! Oh so good. Still too veggie? Throw some mashed beans (any kind) into the mix. Oh my stomach is growling!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Well, I've tried it, so I reserve the right to knock it - lol!!!

 

[GB]

All I'm saying is don't knock it til you try it. Tofu and veggies can get boring sometimes. It's not about not liking the taste of meat; it's about not liking the meat industry.

I think what some people are trying to say is that it is pointless to have a meat substitute if you are trying to not eat meat. If you are taking rice and beans and other things and using those to make fake meat then why not just eat the rice and beans and other things without pretending that they are meat.