Food Vegan & Vegetarian Food

[loveydovey35]

Hello,


I have been a member of TPF for since last year, but had never visited the Kitchen Forum. I searched around for a thread on vegan and vegetarian food, I didn't find one, so decided to start one.


I am hoping that other members who are vegan or vegetarians can use this thread to discuss recipes, food, cooking tips and tricks, or anything else that we may want to discuss. Hopefully we can also post pictures of our creations so we can inspire each other to try different meals.


A little bit about me-
I became a vegetarian about five years ago, I initially did it because I wanted to lose weight, feel better, and cut back on my meat and dairy consumption. I didn't lose weight (smile) but I did feel better, this also forced me to get creative in the kitchen with my meal preparation. Then three years ago while I was in Grad school, I did a report on Agribusiness in the USA, and I stopped eating all dairy cold turkey. I lost 15 pounds within six weeks, and have never regained the weight back. I try to cook dinners at home as much as possible, and I avoid going out to eat due to the limited dining options in my area. I try to take a lunch with me to work, this makes a huge difference in my waistline and my wallet.


Here are some pictures of dinner last night, I made veggie tacos with fresh salsa (pico and tomatillo) as well as guacamole.


I hope that other will contribute their own stories, pictures or topics to discuss, thanks for letting me share!

 

[Dextersmom]

Looks amazing! I have been a vegetarian for 20 years and am making my veggie curry for dinner tonight. I posted a pic of it a week or so ago on this forum.

 

[coconutsboston]

The tacos look amazing! I am no longer vegetarian, but I still do not eat a lot of meat. I prefer and crave veggies, and even tofu.

 

[BigPurseSue]

Thank you for starting this thread, Loveydovey! The veggie tacos look delicious!

I'm trying to eat vegan for six months in an experiment to try to lower my cholesterol. What do you do at restaurants that may not be vegan friendly? Tonight I went out to dinner with some friends. We ended up at an Italian restaurant after the restaurant we initially planned on was too crowded. There wasn't a thing on the menu a vegan could eat. Everything was smothered in cheese, something I'm especially trying to avoid.

Can you recommend any recipes for sandwich spreads? Something one can toss together quickly with bread.

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It's an African-style squash and peanut stew. I cut the ingredients in half as it makes a lot. Here are two slightly different versions with reduced ingredients. I add red pepper flakes to give it a bit of zing.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/the-great-dane-inner-warmth-peanut-stew-1236084

http://www.crossroadscommunityfarm.com/great-danes-inner-warmth-stew/

 

[loveydovey35]

Thank you Coconutsboston, Dextersmom, and BigPurseSue.


BigPurseSue,
I think its great that you are exploring new and alternative meals, not only will you broaden your horizon, but by making healthier choices you will reap the rewards of a healthier diet and health.


I can empathize with your experience when dining out, this happens to me all the time. If I am unable to find any meals on the menu that will work with my restrictions, I always ask the server if the chef is willing to modify an item or make me a special dish. Very rarely has this not worked, in fact, most places are very willing to modify any meal on their menu.


I have gotten many ideas from a raw foodie but in Texas. She is a raw vegan, but many of her recipes can be modified if you want to cook them, she has a website, youtube channel, facebook, and an instagram account, check her out, you can find her at http://www.fullyraw.com


Thank you for the recipes that you linked above, I am going to try to make these.


Here is a picture of what I made for dinner last night, mung beans and chickpeas in coconut curry, instead of rice I used quinoa, it was delicious! I got the recipe from this website, Cookie & Kate, she is awesome, her website has several options.
http://cookieandkate.com/2014/quick-vegan-chana-masala/


As for sandwich spreads, have you tried hummus? I make my own in order to avoid the sodium from store bought spreads. How avocado, its healthy, you can mash it up with a little bit of lime or lemon, add a tiny amount of sea salt (or skip altogether) and you are set to go.


This website also has some interesting recipes that I have tried and gotten ideas from, check them out. http://www.theholykale.com/

 

[clevercat]

*raises hand* Vegan here! I am making sweet potato and cauliflower quinoa curry for dinner this evening. So glad you started this thread.

 

[purseprincess32]

I've been a vegetarian for 27 years and was vegan for part of it but went back to being a vegetarian. I understand your difficulties and concerns when eating out at restaurants etc. I have certain food allergies too which can make eating out tricky.

There are so many cookbooks, websites, and magazines that have great recipes.

Some great recipes and articles
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/

kimberlysnyder.com

https://www.vegsoc.org/

 

[clevercat]

A link to the wonderful Angela Liddon's Oh She Glows
I have made many of her recipes and yet to find one that isn't just [emoji173]️[emoji173]️
http://ohsheglows.com/2014/07/30/21-vegan-freezer-friendly-mealsnack-recipes-my-tips-for-freezing/

 

[BigPurseSue]

I made this pasta and broccoli dish tonight. I skipped the anchovies:


http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017909-fusilli-with-broccoli-and-anchovies


Rose Shulman at the NY Times has some great vegetable-centric recipes, including some great soups. So does Mark Bittman, who is now a vegan.


Does anyone have a good hummus recipe? The ones I've spotted on the web require large amounts of tahini. Being in the Midwest the only place I can get that is on Amazon at inflated prices.

 

[remainsilly]

I made this pasta and broccoli dish tonight. I skipped the anchovies:


http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017909-fusilli-with-broccoli-and-anchovies


Rose Shulman at the NY Times has some great vegetable-centric recipes, including some great soups. So does Mark Bittman, who is now a vegan.


Does anyone have a good hummus recipe? The ones I've spotted on the web require large amounts of tahini. Being in the Midwest the only place I can get that is on Amazon at inflated prices.

Tahini may be omitted. Texture will vary & lose benefits of sesame seeds.
Hummus has variations: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus

Or, if find Asian grocery, buy bulk sesame seeds & try to make tahini: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-tahini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203314

Very simple hummus recipe--(probably could omit tahini & adjust oil for consistency)
Just wing it to taste:
1 Can of chick peas rinsed well
A couple of large blobs of Tahini
A couple of cloves of garlic
Some olive oil
Lemon juice
some Cumin
All done in the food processor with the oil being the last thing add and drizzle it in while the processor is running.
Source: http://www.runningmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2926&start=25

Hope helps.

 

[afsweet]

so happy to see this thread and try some new recipes! i'm not vegan nor vegetarian, but i am trying to cut back on my meat consumption, which is very difficult since i grew up in a family where a meal is not complete without meat!

so far, i love making lentil chili (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/lentil-chili) and it's so fool proof. you can really add any veggies you have on hand, and it always tastes good.

since it's winter and hard to find good local produce, i've been making a lot of kale and sweet potatoes- sauteed kale with onions and garlic and then topped with roasted cubed sweet potatoes. i also do a simple baked sweet potato and then stuff it with sauteed spinach and onions.

in the summer, i buy local zucchini and spiralize them as a healthier alternative to pasta. i tried to spiralize my sweet potatoes but they didn't make very nice noodles- i'll have to try again with a different blade.

 

[Dextersmom]

Made this super easy white bean salad for lunch today.

It is simply:
2 cans organic white beans
2 to 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
2/3 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup evoo
1 T balsamic
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Just toss everything together and the longer you let it marinate the better it will be!

 

[BigPurseSue]

Tahini may be omitted. Texture will vary & lose benefits of sesame seeds.
Hummus has variations: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus

Or, if find Asian grocery, buy bulk sesame seeds & try to make tahini: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-tahini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203314

Very simple hummus recipe--(probably could omit tahini & adjust oil for consistency)
Just wing it to taste:
1 Can of chick peas rinsed well
A couple of large blobs of Tahini
A couple of cloves of garlic
Some olive oil
Lemon juice
some Cumin
All done in the food processor with the oil being the last thing add and drizzle it in while the processor is running.
Source: http://www.runningmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2926&start=25

Hope helps.

Thank you, RemainSilly! This helps a great deal!

 

[JazzyMac]

This might seem silly, but when I make my hummus, I google "roasted red pepper hummus"...I combine bits of that recipe with the recipe that came with my vitamix, and that's how I get my hummus. For instance, I cook my chick peas (from dried bags), and season it and everything. I feel the hummus has a fuller taste if I season before blending. Thing is, sometimes I get lazy or hungry and I will cook the chick peas in a soup or stew before making hummus. And then no hummus. But this is one of the last times I made it and was I so proud I took photos. I use it for everything! Even as a base when making pizza.

 

[loveydovey35]

So happy to see such a great response to this thread, thank you to everyone who has submitted suggestions, links to websites, and pictures, I am so inspired.


I started a seven day raw/vegan challenge, wish me luck ladies, I am really looking forward to reaping the benefits of a healthier diet.


Last night my husband mentioned that he was craving anything pesto, so I made a pesto salad. I would have normally prepared it with zucchini "noodles" but I didn't have any, so I made it with Buccatini noodles, I had never tried these before, and it turned out delicious.


Here is my simple vegan pesto recipe:


Makes one cup of pesto
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
1/2 cup pinenuts (can use walnuts if you like)
1 to 2 cloves of garlic (or more to taste)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt and group black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Meyers lemon (or any lemon)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
OPTIONAL 1/2 avocado (or whole if prefer a creamier pesto sauce)


While the noodles were cooking I quickly sautéed purple onion, bell pepper, and asparagus in some evoo. I mixed the pesto with the noodles, the veggies, and added fresh cold tomatoes and olives, the dinner was so good I had seconds