vegitarians, please help

[JuliasUndies 7288]

I need a bit of help preparing some veggie dishes that are a sure veggie delight for some vegetarian guests coming over. Sure, I could google some dishes, but I'd really like some dishes that can be vouched for around here. I trust your good word (and taste buds)

Thanks a bunch Cerb!

[Kathryn Bardot 99339]

I've done variations on this recipe that have turned out nicely... You can get really creative! http://www.acouplecooks.com/2011/11/stuffed-acorn-squash-with-quinoa-and-herbs/

[Kyra.Graves 23779]

What type of dishes are you looking for? Are you hosting a cocktail party, sit down meal, tapas style, family dining, etc. Is it vegetarian or vegan and are there other dietary restrictions you need to be mindful of (do you have any guests that are gluten, lactose, soy, nut, etc. sensitive/intolerent/allergic?)

 

One of my favorite go to places when I need a recipe is Vegan Dad, I've never really had a bad choice from there. Not all of the recipes are for beginners so if you aren't used to working with tempeh or are like me and afraid of the pressure cooker then you will need to search a bit through the recipes but in general it's a great reference site.

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/

 

I'd be happy to provide specific recipes and links but I'd probably need you to narrow it down a little first as vegetarian can be just about anything you want and making it flow with the rest of the meal will go a long way to making your guests feel comfortable instead of making them feel singled out for their food or lifestyle choices.

[Mattroxx 100]

I haven't eaten meat in years and agree with Kyra Graves, more information about the type of dishes would be helpful. And how ambitious you are.

One thing I would say you should avoid is the pre-packaged meat substitutes (such as Yves "mock meat" products).

Having said that you should also try to incorporate some proteins in the meal.

 

Zucchini spaghetti can be good, I've done something similar to this recipe:

http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com/2008/08/zucchini-and-summer-squash-spaghetti.html

 

And with the cold weather you can't go wrong with herbed, oven-roasted potatoes or mixed tubers. eg Slices of turnip, parsnip, beets tossed with olive oil, garlic, and seasoing. Put in 400 degree oven for around 30 minutes.

 

Also kale is popular these days, separate the leaves of kale and tear into tortilla chip-sized pieces, wash and dry them, put in a pan, drizzle some olive oil on top, toss on a bit of salt and pepper, and oven-bake at 350 until dry and crispy (10-15 minutes, you have to keep watching them) and served like potato chips.

[Mister T 45020]

You can try any of these recipes: http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes.htm , especially the Thai-spiced sweet potato soup, which is my favorite. You can forego the fish sauce (tried it without, and its tasty).

 

I,m sure you could adjust many of them (salads and soups) for vegetarian guests.

 

Enjoy!

[Victoria Banks 21899]

Black bean soup

Brushetta

 

Both on http://www.allrecipes.com

[oldblueeyez 15475]

Homemade hummus is a treat!

[Mikeyboy 27113]

Pastas are always a great and easy choice. It is important to establish before hand when cooking for vegetarians however what their specific personal choices are. For example, I have a friend who is a vegetarian who will eat dairy and cheeses as long as the cheese does not contain rennet or lipase, which are animal products. Cheeses hardened with bacterial cultures and microbial enzymes are fine for him. If eggs are out, you will need to find egg free pastas.

[Victoria Banks 21899]

Tofu Alfredo :)

[Rassilon 982]

Julias; I am most certainly not a vegetarian but my best friend is and I hope my information can provide some indirect help.

 

She used to have a public Facebook page called VegetarianOttawa that provided news and recipes but last I heard she was moving it because she got wise as to Facebook being Facebook. She may have a website you could use, but I could not find it, but her Twitter feed is here: https://twitter.com/#!/VegetarianOtawa

 

When I visited my friend in Ottawa a year or two ago she took me a vegan showcase event of some sort held by the "National Capital Vegetarian Association" who have a website. http://www.ncva.ca/eng/

 

Now I know this not what you asked for, but I thought that this could help you in the long term. You can establish contact with people local in your area who are subject matter experts.

[Old Dog 179138]

You want simple?

 

1 jar, PC butter chicken sauce (no meat in there!!!)

1 cauliflower

2 stalks of celery, sliced into quarter inch pieces

1 small onion, diced

 

Steam the cauliflower, onions and celery until tender crisp.

 

Drain.

 

Put the PC butter chicken sauce on the veggies, heat for a minute or so and serve.

 

It's not gourmet, but it is tasty!

[Kyra.Graves 23779]

You want simple?

 

1 jar, PC butter chicken sauce (no meat in there!!!)

1 cauliflower

2 stalks of celery, sliced into quarter inch pieces

1 small onion, diced

 

This sauce?

 

PC Indian Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce

INGREDIENTS

 

Water, cream (milk ingredients, carrageenan, cellulose gum, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80), tomatoes (contain tomato juice, citric acid, calcium chloride), onions, butter, modified corn starch, chicken paste (chicken meat, chicken juices, potato flour, onion powder, carrot powder, turmeric), spice blend (spices, garlic powder, onion powder, colour, papain), sugar, salt, garlic, ginger purée (contains canola oil, citric acid, potassium sorbate), concentrated lemon juice (contains sulphites), canola oil, cilantro, potassium sorbate, paprika extract (contains mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80), caramel colour, rosemary extract (contains sunflower oil), calcium disodium edta.

 

Remind me not to let you cook for me Old Dog. ;)

[Old Dog 179138]

Eeeeek!!!! mea culpa.

 

This sauce?

 

PC Indian Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce

INGREDIENTS

 

Water, cream (milk ingredients, carrageenan, cellulose gum, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80), tomatoes (contain tomato juice, citric acid, calcium chloride), onions, butter, modified corn starch, chicken paste (chicken meat, chicken juices, potato flour, onion powder, carrot powder, turmeric), spice blend (spices, garlic powder, onion powder, colour, papain), sugar, salt, garlic, ginger purée (contains canola oil, citric acid, potassium sorbate), concentrated lemon juice (contains sulphites), canola oil, cilantro, potassium sorbate, paprika extract (contains mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80), caramel colour, rosemary extract (contains sunflower oil), calcium disodium edta.

 

Remind me not to let you cook for me Old Dog. ;)

[Kyra.Graves 23779]

Eeeeek!!!! mea culpa.

 

Q: How many vegans does it take to change a lightbulb?

 

A: Two, one to change it and one to check for animal ingredients.

 

[Mattroxx 100]

Kyra what made me laugh wasn't the joke so much, but the sound effect.

 

Okay so the problems I would have with the PC sauce are many: besides the meat in it, I'm also lactose intolerant. But even more importantly, I eat vegetarian because I find it healthier. Whenever I read of items on the list of ingredients like Polysorbate 80, I put the jar or can back down onto the store shelf. And then I look for quality products.

 

Every Saturday morning at the Brickworks on Bayview there's a farmers market, and I have found some really good items there. Most recent discovery is Kozlik's Canadian Mustard. The Amazing Maple mustard is smoothly sweet, with some spiciness and makes a great glaze and dip.

 

http://www.mustardmaker.com/

 

Animal ingredients - in a light bulb? Digging in to the ancient prog rock past, we uncover:

 

[GrenadeMan 280]

I eat meat, but I prefer to eat vegetarian.

Here is my favorite meal, and if anybody can make it, I am coming to marry you. I do end up with this on weekends a lot of times.

 

Appetizer:

A cheese / crackers platter

Just go to the grocery store and pick some good cheeses, crackers, and dips.

Veggie Platter:

Add some fresh veggies and dip platter.

Hummus / Baba Ganouj dips

You can make these at home with Chick Peas and Egg Plant

 

Soup

Many soups come to mind but here are a few types

-Cauliflower soup

-Carrot soup

-Tomato soup

-Broccoli soup

-Sweet potato soup

 

Main Course

 

bean sprout salad (any sprouts work here)

Here is an example of a bean sprout salad.

The bean sprouts can be steamed before serving to make the dish warm.

 

Quinoa Salad

The Quinoa can be heated before mixing in so the dish is hot.

 

Cheese Fondue

Just have lots of veggies, and nuts to go with it. You can get very creative with the way you arrange veggies, nuts and assortments that can go in the cheese. Also, you can flavor your cheese lots of different ways.

 

Desert

Chocolate Fondue

Fruit and nuts to go with this. You can get really exotic and creative with this dish as well.

 

Last but not the least...

Keep lots of wine flowing, and the music going. Oh and I forgot to mention... end the evening with a sweaty romp.

[JuliasUndies 7288]

MMM, I have made a few of these dishes already and have found myself eating more and more vegetarian these days. Anything tastes good to me with onions and garlic and maybe some spice to that lol. I must own shares in gum companies by now. Keep em coming.

[Mattroxx 100]

MMM, I have made a few of these dishes already and have found myself eating more and more vegetarian these days. Anything tastes good to me with onions and garlic and maybe some spice to that lol. I must own shares in gum companies by now. Keep em coming.

Funny you say this. Yesterday I was at the grocery store and saw this bizarre looking thing called karela (bitter melon). Being a vegetarian I like to try new foods so I bought one even though I didn't know what I'd do with it.

 

 

 

Turns out the way to cook it is: slice and chop up the karela, let it soak in a bit of salt water then drain (to remove some of the bitterness). Saute some onions and garlic, toss in the karela, add a bit of turmeric and chili powder, also some curry if you want, then let simmer for a while.

 

Serve it on top of rice or quinoa. Easy-peasy.

[Old Dog 179138]

Funny you say this. Yesterday I was at the grocery store and saw this bizarre looking thing called karela (bitter melon). Being a vegetarian I like to try new foods so I bought one even though I didn't know what I'd do with it.

 

 

 

Turns out the way to cook it is: slice and chop up the karela, let it soak in a bit of salt water then drain (to remove some of the bitterness). Saute some onions and garlic, toss in the karela, add a bit of turmeric and chili powder, also some curry if you want, then let simmer for a while.

 

Serve it on top of rice or quinoa. Easy-peasy.

 

Kinda looks like the offspring of one of these...

 

 

and one of these....

 

[Meg O'Ryan 266444]

I love to create new recipes but the measurements are only written down after a few attempts. Tonight I made the following which we shall call Meg's chilly curry.

 

Diced celery, onion, medium tofu, fresh mango

Crumbled toasted walnuts

Fat free mayo

Fresh ground pepper

Curry powder

Lettuce

Tomato

Greek style pita (the kind with no pockets)

 

So, like I said, no measurements just yet but imagine making a chicken salad sandwich. Mix everyting together except lettuce and tomato and then assemble the sanny.

 

I heat the pita in the toaster oven just a bit so that it folds nicely.