Vegan/Vegetarian Thread (discussion, recipes, laughs)

[WolfyOne]

And yet another easy recipe
I'm a fan of all kinds of noodles and veggies
Some days I just like to go meatless

Ingredients
Four 1.75-ounce packages dried cellophane noodles
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
6 ounces jicama, peeled and julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 cup mung bean sprouts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts


Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the cellophane noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Let the noodles stand until pliable, about 20 minutes; drain. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 6-inch lengths.

In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the honey and sesame oil.

Add the cellophane noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes; drain. Return the noodles to the pot, fill it with cold water, then drain again. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl. Add the jicama, carrots, scallions, cucumber, jalapeño and bean sprouts and toss again. Add the soy sauce dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle the salad with the peanuts and toasted sesame seeds and serve.

[nycfem]

Here's a yummy looking recipe for a peanut flavored soba noodle dish with tofu. It looks easy to make and delicious!

http://www.prevention.com/health/wei...012281eac____/

[WolfyOne]

Mock Chopped Liver
A Vegetarian Option


A vegetarian version of a timeless Jewish favorite, this recipe is delicious as a spread, dip or even as a side dish.


Ingredients
1 can French style green beans
2 hard boiled eggs
2 medium onions
oil for browning onions
1/4 cup walnuts
salt to taste

Saute onions in oil until brown. Drain green beans, pressing out as much water as possible. Put all ingredients into food processor, processing until smooth. Salt to taste.

Note: You can substitute additional hard boiled egg whites for one or both of the yolks. This recipe can also be made vegan by replacing the eggs with fresh mushrooms

[Chancie]

Originally Posted by WolfyOne

Mock Chopped Liver
A Vegetarian Option

A vegetarian version of a timeless Jewish favorite, this recipe is delicious as a spread, dip or even as a side dish.

Ingredients
1 can French style green beans
2 hard boiled eggs
2 medium onions
oil for browning onions
1/4 cup walnuts
salt to taste

Saute onions in oil until brown. Drain green beans, pressing out as much water as possible. Put all ingredients into food processor, processing until smooth. Salt to taste.

Note: You can substitute additional hard boiled egg whites for one or both of the yolks. This recipe can also be made vegan by replacing the eggs with fresh mushrooms

Yum! My mother's Aunt Lillian made this dish and I loved it as a kid.

[nycfem]

Here's a recipe that looks good and simple for Kung Pao Tofu. Any spicy Asian dish with nuts in it, well, count me in

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/...VXoz1CFtDkgKU5

[WolfyOne]

Saag Paneer with Goat Cheese

Serves 6-8


Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil or ghee
1 large onion, diced
2 shallots, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garam masala or other curry spice mix
2 pounds spinach, rinsed well and coarsely chopped, or kale, shredded
½ cup water or dry white wine
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
A few grinds of black pepper, or to taste
2 Tablespoons butter or heavy cream, optional
4 ounces chevre goat cheese, or homemade goat milk farmer’s cheese

Basmati rice, cooked

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil or ghee on medium-high. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow to caramelize for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high again and add the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the curry and toast for another 30 seconds.

Add the water or white wine and swish the liquid to deglaze the pot. Add the salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half. Add half of the spinach or kale, cover, simmer for 2-3 minutes. The greens will cook down considerably. Add the other half and fold in the raw greens so that they com in contact with the hot liquid.

Cover again and simmer until tender, another 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

To serve, spoon rice onto individual dishes and top with the onion and greens mixture. Use a tablespoon to scoop out a portion of goat cheese, then use a smaller spoon to scrape small pieces onto each serving. Eat with a flatbread such as roti, naan, or chapati, if desired, and accompany with raita made with goat or cow yogurt.

[betenoire]

We ate this last night, and I thought it was really great.

The only thing I would do different next time is use a little less of the quinoa, and add extra butternut squash (we went with the squash rather than the sweet potato) and maybe some carrots. It needed a bit more substance. And I might do a little extra ginger, as well.

It smelled AMAZING while it was in the oven, seriously.

Moroccan Chickpea Tagine

4 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained or 2 cans with liquid
2 cups vegetable stock or water (1 1/4 cups if using canned chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups diced sweet potato, sweet or pie pumpkin or butternut squash
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped raisins
4 sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
2 slices (1/8 inch) gingerroot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In the base of a tagine or Dutch oven, combine all but the last 2 ingredients. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the sweet potato is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6.

To cook on the stovetop:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add the other ingredients, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 45 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

[Linus]

Ok. I need an opinion or two. I'm about to do a wworldwind of a tour of Sydney, Singapore and Beijing. I'm tempted to not be vegan/vegetarian on this trip, particularly Beijing and Singapore so I can try local fare (within reason -- I ain't eatin' cat, dog, toad, etc.)I was thinking of sticking with fish/seafood.

Part of me doesn't like doing this as it feels somewhat of a cop-out but this may be the only time I get to these countries. Beijing does have vegan/vegetarian restaurants but they are far and few between (from what Happy Cow shows). I will be checking them out but I don't know if I'll be able to visit them all the time.

What do you think? What would you do?

[violaine]

there wouldn't be any bargaining with my ethics; i would visit local markets in hopes of finding interesting new ingredients to make an amazing vegan dish wherever i was staying during my trip [or else if possible, on the fly- a picnic].


i found this, maybe it will help you?

http://www.veggieplaces.co.uk/vegeta...eijing_cn.html

[undone]

The Moosewood cook book has some great recipes that i love to play with.

[WolfyOne]

Here's a nice twist on a fresh salad using Asparagus


Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing

Ingredients
2 pounds large asparagus
1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (3 ounces)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons warm water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long, thin strips and transfer to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the Parmigiano-Reggiano with the lemon juice, water and olive oil.
Add to the asparagus and toss to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve at once.

[Greco]

I'm new to vegetarianism/vegan and after today's dinner know I cannot wing it. I've subscribed to this thread, thanks for WolfyOne for the link.

Looks like I have a lot of shopping to do for new ingredients, and learning new ways to cook. Your recipes sound delicious and doable, thanks for creating this thread.

Today, I've experienced the generosity of people on this site, and I thank them for the links to vegan sites, and cook book names, and all of their sharing. This site simply feels good.

Greco

[Greco]

nycfembbw,

I realize this is an early post of yours but it was spot-on for me. Recently, about a month ago I viewed the youtube video "Earthlings" and well, that did it for me. No judgment here for people eating meat, but for me put it all into a clear perspective. I feel that I want to live without participating in such cruelty to the animals.

I love eating meat, and cooking with butter etc. but I had no idea what really went on in factory farming. PETA turned me completely off to their message, but this video made it all too clear.

Anyway, so I am looking forward to learning how to cook, and eat a different way. Except for butter, I pretty much don't eat or drink dairy. Years ago a friend suggested I stop dairy so my asthma would improve. Well, I haven't had an asthma attack in years, and I attribute it to stopping the dairy, and I haven't missed it. Mozzarella cheese is the only cheese that my lungs can tolerate without a reaction. I breathe, run with clear lungs now.

Alright, so I'm off the soap box, thanks again all of you who share your recipes, and your ideas on how to thrive eating veggies.

Again no judgment on people who are not vegan/vegetarians. This is my journey. I want to continue keeping this site safe for all of us.

Greco

ps Linus just reminded me of the green veggie juices I've been enjoying. I have to say that my energy level
has increased incredibly which is why I was up all night last night. Ok, have to check that, but will continue
those green veggie juices, they're really delicious and I'm all for that.

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

Hi, Medusa,

I don't think is out of place at all. It's usually the opposite. People don't want to know why we are vegetarian (or vegan). A lot of people who simply see someone eating vegetarian or asking if something is vegetarian have to make an aggressive joke about it!

I became a vegetarian when I was a junior in high school. There was a group at my school that exposed me to the ugliness of factory farming. Most meat doesn't see a good life. Animals are kept in tiny cages. They are taken from their mothers at birth. Chickens beaks are burned off so they don't peck each other to death out of the craziness that comes from being locked up without light in tight quarters that are full of shit. The killing is factory style so sometimes animals don't get fully killed and have a particularly grueling death. Animals within factory farming are fattened up and given injections so they can be quickly big and then killed. The reality of animals' lives in MOST farming is just an ethical nightmare.

When I became vegetarian, it was very hard. I have always loved "meat." I would have a little here and there for several years after I became vegetarian just because I missed the tastes. Then at some point I stopped that. At some point the cravings diminished, and I had enough separation from the whole indoctrination of eating animals without thinking or caring about their lives that I just felt a little sick (morally) at the thought. I do still crave meat sometimes but much, much less than I did during those first few years. My policy is to not eat "anything with a face" (i.e. meat, chicken, and fish). When someone is cooking for me, that's how I put it to keep it simple! I am not vegan, though I believe in it. However, I try to have soy dairy products a good amount of time. I think of it as harm reduction. I find that it is hard enough to be vegetarian (eating out, etc.), so I just am not at a point where I'm willing to commit to being 100% vegan.

As far as health concerns, I have generally not had any health problems. I have a lot of energy and rarely have any stomach problems. I have had occasional low-level anemia, usually if I've been being a "junk food vegetarian," and have easily been able to address it with vitamins and more care and attention to eating (healthy protein). In my day to day life all I take is a multivitamin. Being a vegetarian will likely improve any cholesterol issues btw, because cholesterol comes from animal fat.

Some vegetarians don't like fake meat and really are into vegetables. BB jokes that I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables. That's a bit of an exaggeration but often I like to make a fakin' bacon cheeseburger or a notdog (teehee) using frozen/microwaved fake meat. Some fake meat is terrible but I've been able to find brands that even impress BB, who is not a vetetarian. I am also not someone who is an elegant cook and still do well with cooking vegetarian. And again, even though BB is not vegetarian, hy eats my veggie cooking happily enough every night! I make simple things like whole grain spaghetti and defrosted wheatballs or stir-fries with seitan and veggies. There are a lot of delicious proteins available to vegetarians.

In converting to vegetarianism, I would recommend maybe going to a health food store and stocking your fridge with yummy veg things so that your cravings can be satisfied. These days there are barbecued drumsticks and basically every meaty thing in a veg form. This is not to say that you need to shop at a health food store. Regular grocery stores are where I do most of my shopping. I would suggest just going for it. There are so many nay-sayers when it comes to becoming a vegetarian and it's also scary for oneself. However, I think you'll quickly find that it is satisfying and easier than you think. I can't think of any food that I have not found a decent veg version of. Don't be hard on yourself if you have a slip. Like I said, that happened to me over a few years. It's all about harm reduction, though, and not a diet or a competition.

Feel free to check in on the thread anytime. It's great to have someone interested and caring about the animals. There's a saying, ""If slaughterhouses had windows, everyone would be a vegetarian." I think that this sums it up. Over the years I have read and watched movies and feel more and more happy with my decision not to partake in eating animals that have lived a terrible life with drawn out cruelty. But be prepared; most people don't want to look at what they are doing when they choose to eat meat in our society. In order to keep themselves from thinking, they need to strike out at vegetarians with the same old jokes and faulty logic that doesn't take into account the simple truth of what you described with that calf.

[Linus]

Greco,

Hrmm.. you just reminded me what I have to do. Watch Earthlings. I think it's time to return to the raw green smoothies I was doing for a while.

[Linus]

Oh.. and here are some green smoothie recipes: http://www.squidoo.com/raw-green-smoothie

(including videos)

[nycfem]

Hey, greco, it took me a few years to get there, and now it's been over twenty years of loving being a vegetarian (vegan friendly). Please don't hesitate to ask us any questions! Peace, Jennifer

Originally Posted by greco

I'm new to vegetarianism/vegan and after today's dinner know I cannot wing it. I've subscribed to this thread, thanks for WolfyOne for the link.

Looks like I have a lot of shopping to do for new ingredients, and learning new ways to cook. Your recipes sound delicious and doable, thanks for creating this thread.

Today, I've experienced the generosity of people on this site, and I thank them for the links to vegan sites, and cook book names, and all of their sharing. This site simply feels good.

Greco

[Greco]

Hi All,

Here to get my shopping list going, but one question that came up for
me since I've been drinking the green juice is how my energy level has
changed, increased.

Have any of you found energy increases since you've been veggie/vegan
and/or began to drink green juice?

Alright, now to my shopping list. The recipes on this thread by the way sound delicious

Greco

[wolfbittenpoet]

I love my green juices. My biggest problem is I have to slowly shift over from a very protein meat heavy diet (bleck) to a vegetarian one while still balancing mineral levels.

I find that energy levels with a properly balanced vegetarian or vegan diet go through the roof.

[Semantics]

Originally Posted by greco

Hi All,

Here to get my shopping list going, but one question that came up for
me since I've been drinking the green juice is how my energy level has
changed, increased.

Have any of you found energy increases since you've been veggie/vegan
and/or began to drink green juice?

Alright, now to my shopping list. The recipes on this thread by the way sound delicious

Greco

Absolutely.

I notice changes in energy levels and also in the health of my skin and hair.

I've never tried the store bought green juices. I have a Champion juicer and make my own and sometimes add super green powder for the spirulina and chlorella.

Kale, broccoli, spinach, carrot, apple, beet:



Happy juicing!

[Greco]

Exactly, I am getting a sharp increase in my energy levels which is a great thing just have to adjust my schedule am able to make it to the gym by 530am then I'm working intensely all day then do my evening work. Its really quite a benefit not to mention it really tastes good.

Thanks wolfbittenpoet for replying. Have a great week, Greco

Originally Posted by wolfbittenpoet

I love my green juices. My biggest problem is I have to slowly shift over from a very protein meat heavy diet (bleck) to a vegetarian one while still balancing mineral levels.

I find that energy levels with a properly balanced vegetarian or vegan diet go through the roof.