102 replies to this topic

[Darienne]

A vegetarian meal I make often is a curried quinoa with cauliflower.

It was delicious. Absolutely delicious. I added a red bell pepper to the mix because I have an excess of them right now, and it fit in very nicely.

[LindaK]

If you like chick peas as much as I do, here's one to try: chana punjabi. I make this often, tweaking the recipe to add a little more ginger and garlic. Serve over basmati rice, top with a dollop of yogurt and additional chopped cilantro. It's really tasty. Spinach makes a good side dish.

Leftovers also freeze well, so I usually have a ziplock bag or two in the freezer with single serving portions. Even frozen, it reheats quickly, maybe needing a spoonful of water, something I'm always grateful for when I get home from work late in the evening and am hungry.

[Darienne]

Lunch today was a delicious combo of Linda K's Chana Punjabi with Cathy Eats' Curried Quinoa with Cauliflower, accompanied by toasted sliced almonds and an interesting melange of the end of the yoghurt, sour cream and coconut milk, all mixed together.

DH was in heaven.

[cathyeats]

Darienne, thank you (again) - it's so cool to have fans of my recipes and blog.

I never thought of eating the quinoa dish along with chickpeas. Sounds like a great combination. Linda, I think I'll make the chana punjabi tomorrow night!

Cathy

[Darienne]

Darienne, thank you (again) - it's so cool to have fans of my recipes and blog.

I never thought of eating the quinoa dish along with chickpeas. Sounds like a great combination. Linda, I think I'll make the chana punjabi tomorrow night!

Cathy

The combination was a happy accident. I had no idea of whether they would mesh or not. I did like the idea of the spinach, but had none. Living in the 'middle of nowhere' is not conducive to last minute purchases...

[SobaAddict70]

Late night snack of peas and carrots.



Recipe on the blog.

[heidih]

Soba I love the idea of vegetables as a late night snack. I have vowed to use every vegetable I grow so that will be a concept I employ.

I had not given vegetable stocks much thought before and have been intrigued by this topic.

[Richard Kilgore]

I often cook for someone who is vegetarian of one type or another, and myself prefer to have one meatless dinner meal each week. So I need some help with suggestions for vegetarian main dishes.

What are your favorite veggie main dishes? Recipes?

[SobaAddict70]

One of my favorites:


Broccoli rabe and heirloom beans with sourdough-garlic croutons and cheese

The actual ingredients don't matter. Greens can be chard, escarole, broccoli, broccoli rabe or cabbage. Beans are typically Rancho Gordo but can also be any kind of dried or canned beans. Croutons are usually homemade.

Recipe here. Method is easy -- make a mirepoix, saute in olive oil until tender; add greens and bean cooking liquid. Add beans when greens have wilted. Cook until greens are done. Taste for salt, then add chopped herbs, extra-virgin olive oil, croutons and cheese. Serve.


Another favorite:


Winter-spring minestrone

Again, the actual ingredients don't matter. Use whatever you've got on hand. This version features Bintje and Purple Peruvian potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery, celery leaves, asparagus, ramps, watercress, onion, shallot and two kinds of beans from Rancho Gordo, along with vegetable stock, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh thyme and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with bread and a salad and you're good to go.


I also like ricotta gnocchi -- more versatile than the usual potato.



This pic features ricotta gnocchi with Sungold cherry tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. I make gnocchi throughout the year and pair it with whatever's in season. In the winter, it's usually a mix of crimini and reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms, or wilted cabbage and caramelized onion, or puréed Jerusalem artichokes, turnips and heirloom carrots.

Edited by SobaAddict70, 25 January 2011 - 11:17 AM.

[BadRabbit]

Vegetable Koftas are good and I've had some made with cauliflour that felt and tasted much like meat. I'm a big time carnivore but could still eat nothing but Nawabi Malai Kofta at a nearby restaurant and not miss the meat at all.

The downside is that some vegetarians really dislike that it tastes and feels like meat.

[DanM]

I always recommend a copy of Cafe Paradiso Seasons by Denis Cotter to anyone who wants high end vegetarian cooking that isn't health food. He has two other books, The Cafe Paradiso Cookbook and Wild Garlic, Gooseberries, and Me. The latter is his thoughts, stores, and anecdotes on his favorite vegetables with a few recipes thrown in.

Dan

[Darienne]

DH and I were vegetarians for about 30 years so I wouldn't know exactly where to start in. I was raised by vegetarians also.

One of my favorite cookbooks is Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa. Habeeb Salloum. And just about any Indian cookbook will give you such a wealth of recipes.

We are now what Mark Bittman calls Lessmeatarians.

Edited by Darienne, 25 January 2011 - 04:55 PM.

[SobaAddict70]

Roasted La Ratte fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts, finished in ghee with black mustard seeds, garlic, dried curry leaves, sriracha and lemon juice. The little green bits are chopped parsley. I swear I go through three bunches a week.

If you're like me, you've just about had it with the unrelenting grip of winter as evidenced by the serious lack of GREEN at the farmer's market. Ramps are already overdue by a couple of weeks, ditto for fiddlehead ferns.

If I never see another brussel sprout between now and December, it will be too soon.