Omnivores, what are your favorite vegan dishes?

[Darienne]

On 11/17/2023 at 9:47 AM, Darienne said:

Hard to believe what I have just gone through to find some polenta.  Neither of the two largest bulk food stores carries Polenta in any format.  Of the main grocery stores in Peterborough only FreshCo carries any form of Polenta and they carry only the preformed tube variety.  So that's where it's at for this city apparently.  

 

Ed will buy me some Polenta at FreshCo today.  

So the polenta was purchased, a shelf stable one...apparently the only one available... but the next part is a bit confusing.  The best buy date is June 2023...OK... but once it's opened, it's good for only 4 days in the fridge and it's not to be frozen.  I just don't get it.  And why can't it be frozen?  

Edited November 18, 2023 by Darienne (log)

[heidih]

Poor Ed.  I thought I'd mention something about lasagna noodles - apparrently the instant ones you do not pre-boil can contain egg - 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

So the polenta was purchased, a shelf stable one...apparently the only one available... but the next part is a bit confusing.  The best buy date is June 2023...OK... but once it's opened, it's good for only 4 days in the fridge and it's not to be frozen.  I just don't get it.  And why can't it be frozen?  

Here is more info.    IMHO, it's a bit anal.    I would just freeze the unused portion, well wrapped, and see what happens.   It's not a major investment should it go sideways.

[Darienne]

2 hours ago, heidih said:

Poor Ed.  I thought I'd mention something about lasagna noodles - apparrently the instant ones you do not pre-boil can contain egg - 

You're right to say poor Ed.  Because I can no longer do the grocery shopping, or even accompany him, he is quite often after ingredients he has never heard of and isn't sure why I want.  And he has to ask someone for help...not something your average male seems to like to do...not to mention the regular impossibility of finding someone to ask.  

 

[Darienne]

So I've now made one dish from the websites suggested by @Dante.Curried Chickpeas and Potatoes.   Of course, I didn't have a couple of the ingredients.  Ed said the cauliflower was tiny and cost almost $5.  No thank you.  I made do with broccoli.  Not as pretty, but it tasted fine.  All in all: delicious.  

 

I might add that the website is called "Bad Manners" for a good reason.  The language is certainly not my style.  But then I am a very old lady.

 

Daughter is arriving today and I know will like this dish.  On brown rice I think.  

 

[blue_dolphin]

On 11/18/2023 at 11:17 AM, Katie Meadow said:

This thanksgiving one of my sisters-in-law is bringing something she is calling vegan butternut squash lasagne, despite the fact that no guests will be vegan as far as I know. I'm having a hard time looking forward to that one, but I will save my judgment for next Friday. She's not a great cook to begin with, so that won't help.

How was it?  Hetty Lui McKinnon has a recipe for a vegetarian butternut squash “lasagna” in her book Tenderheart. It uses thin slices of butternut squash instead of noodles and includes options to veganize it. Not sure how it would mesh with traditional Thanksgiving flavors but I thought it sounded pretty good. 

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

How was it?  Hetty Lui McKinnon has a recipe for a vegetarian butternut squash “lasagna” in her book Tenderheart. It uses thin slices of butternut squash instead of noodles and includes options to veganize it. Not sure how it would mesh with traditional Thanksgiving flavors but I thought it sounded pretty good. 

It was awful. And I certainly wouldn't call it lasagne. Tofu simply can't replace ricotta and mozzarella. 

[Darienne]

12 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

It was awful. And I certainly wouldn't call it lasagne. Tofu simply can't replace ricotta and mozzarella. 

I would agree with that.  But then I am not a fan of Tofu in any format.

[liuzhou]

12 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

It was awful. And I certainly wouldn't call it lasagne. Tofu simply can't replace ricotta and mozzarella. 

 

and I agree although I do like tofu. it is no replacement for any cheese.

[scamhi]

red lentils with sautéed cabbage with onions, ginger and cumin over rice. delicious dish

[liuzhou]

There are a number of simple Italian pasta dishes that I fall back on, including the favourite pesto pasta made with freshly made (cheese-less) pesto in the mortar and pestle.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by liuzhou
added that the pesto should, of course, be cheese-less. Anyone suggesting vegan cheese will be ridiculed beyond eternity. (log)

[Dante]

On 11/25/2023 at 4:36 PM, Darienne said:

 

 

I might add that the website is called "Bad Manners" for a good reason.  The language is certainly not my style.  But then I am a very old lady.

 

 

 

So happy that you're exploring my recommendations!   Yeah, they're a bit...vulgar...but their recipes are fantastic! 

[Katie Meadow]

It's chilly this morning and I don't feel like getting out of bed until my husband turns on the heat, so.......it's time for a rant!

 

You've heard it before, of course, but that so-called lasagne was one of the few times I've had to confront in real life the vegan substitution problem. My dwindling circle of friends as I get older are omnivores and vegetarians, but not vegans. When I think over my (also dwindling) repertoire of hits I realize that quite a few of them are, in fact, totally vegan. Chinese stir-fries top the list if you like a variety of vegetables and greens and tofu. And it's easy, although good equipment like a wok and a range with strong BTU's helps. As @liuzhousuggests, Italian pasta dishes also offer lots of options. Besides pesto, if you don't make it with cheese, the variety of meatless tomato sauce dishes is wide. I particularly like to add garlicky sautéed cauliflower or artichokes. Grated hard cheese for a topping can be optional for non-vegans at the table. Casseroles using a variety of grains and veggies baked in the oven are also no brainers, and can be really satisfying.  And curries! Any number of great vegetable curries can be made using coconut oil instead of butter. Cauliflower and tomato curry is a favorite of mine. Skip the raita and serve it with fresh cooling  fruit.

 

Grain salads are excellent. I have one I adore that's made with bulgur wheat, swiss chard, olives and pine nuts, with a tangy shallot dressing. Cuisines that don't rely on butter offer a lot of choices. None of the many vegan dishes I often make don't require a banner headline advertising that they are vegan. They are not called burgers or lasagne. They just don't include animal products nor do they try to recreate versions of dishes that showcase eggs, cheeses or other dairy or meats. My mother always made her potato salad with an olive oil dressing, like for a nicoise; she was not a fan of mayo. For soups or beans, make a really good vegetable stock. That alone goes a long way toward flavor. Many "cream of" green soups are great without the cream. Croutons fried in garlic olive oil to garnish soup cannot be overstated! Okay, done.

 

.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Katie Meadow (log)

[blue_dolphin]

42 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

it's time for a rant!

 

Nice post!  That might have started out as a rant but ended up being  full of good ideas! 

I totally agree that dishes that start out vegan tend to be more appealing than vegan-ized versions of a cheese or meat-centric dish.

At the same time, from a flavor perspective, I'm interested in learning about vegan substitutes for certain umami-boosting ingredients as they could help me out when tweaking flavors in any dish.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Nice post!  That might have started out as a rant but ended up being  full of good ideas! 

I totally agree that dishes that start out vegan tend to be more appealing than vegan-ized versions of a cheese or meat-centric dish.

At the same time, from a flavor perspective, I'm interested in learning about vegan substitutes for certain umami-boosting ingredients as they could help me out when tweaking flavors in any dish.

 

You most likely already know this however I'll say the two best umami boosting ingredients are duxelles and slow roasted tomatoes.

 

[paulraphael]

Chana Masala. I'm a bit of a one-trick pony ... if vegan friends are coming over, this is what they get. It sits alone at the intersection of "vegan," "things I know how to make," and "insanely delicious." I've even made it for Indians.

[liuzhou]

Mala tofu 麻辣豆腐 (má là dòu fǔ), the vegan version of mapo tofu  麻婆豆腐 (má pó dòu fǔ) is another standby and enjoyed by vegetarians, vegans and normal people alike.

 

The interwebs have recipes.

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by liuzhou (log)