vegetarian recipes

[WinniWoman]

Isn't the Paleo diet centered around meat and fish?

I might have that mixed up. Not Paleo then- another name- essentially vegan. I will edit my post. Thanks.

 

[WinniWoman]

And don't forget to eat some dark chocolate every so often!

 

[ace2000]

I'm a believer in the vegetarian diet, though I've had to back off a bit and eat more meat over the last year or so. I've been training for a marathon since last year and was not feeling satisfied, so I've added some fish, turkey and/or chicken to my diet (I completely stay away from red meat). My blood pressure has continued to stay down (I'm sure it's mostly due to exercise and eating healthy), but I haven't been tested for my cholesterol in awhile to see the impact on those numbers - but they were always normal anyway.

I always look forward to my weekly trip to Qdoba or Moes and get their veggie burrito. Chipotle has a tofu thing called Sofritas that you really have to try - I normally do not like tofu, but love this. If you don't have any of those choices nearby, I'm sure you can steal their recipes online. Also, looking forward to trying many new healthy choices with our new Instant pot.

We love the Boca products (and Morningstar) cooked on our George Foreman grill - which are vegetarian chicken and burgers. Also, still drink my daily high fiber smoothie for lunch (which I posted the recipe on TUG previously).

Tip: If you are still feeling hungry, be sure and add more fiber to your diet - whole grains, oatmeal, rice, beans, etc. And also add nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I have never worried about the quantities of eating any of those options.

Good luck!

Edit: My wife makes this recipe with tostadas and adds a layer of vegetarian chili, then adds chopped tomatoes, cheese and other veggies on top. That's another one to try!

 

[easyrider]

And don't forget to eat some dark chocolate every so often!

Yes, my wife doles out one piece of dark chocolate every day. Currently she has a box of Whitman we are working on.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I'm a believer in the vegetarian diet, though I've had to back off a bit and eat more meat over the last year or so. I've been training for a marathon since last year and was not feeling satisfied, so I've added some fish, turkey and/or chicken to my diet (I completely stay away from red meat). My blood pressure has continued to stay down (I'm sure it's mostly due to exercise and eating healthy), but I haven't been tested for my cholesterol in awhile to see the impact on those numbers - but they were always normal anyway.

I always look forward to my weekly trip to Qdoba or Moes and get their veggie burrito. Chipotle has a tofu thing called Sofritas that you really have to try - I normally do not like tofu, but love this. If you don't have any of those choices nearby, I'm sure you can steal their recipes online. Also, looking forward to trying many new healthy choices with our new Instant pot.

We love the Boca products (and Morningstar) cooked on our George Foreman grill - which are vegetarian chicken and burgers. Also, still drink my daily high fiber smoothie for lunch (which I posted the recipe on TUG previously).

Tip: If you are still feeling hungry, be sure and add more fiber to your diet - whole grains, oatmeal, rice, beans, etc. And also add nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I have never worried about the quantities of eating any of those options.

Good luck!

Edit: My wife makes this recipe with tostadas and adds a layer of vegetarian chili, then adds chopped tomatoes, cheese and other veggies on top. That's another one to try!

Thanks Ace, we have a Chilpoltes nearby and I will try the Sofritas and look into Boca products.

Bill

 

[VegasBella]

Here are two websites with recipe ideas and helpful hints on chainging your diet to vegetarian, vegan, or part-time veg (pescatarian etc):
http://tryveg.com/
http://www.chooseveg.com/

You have a better chance of success, if you work closely with a nutritionist.

Actually, what you want is a Registered Dietitian. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. It's not a regulated term. But a Registered Dietitian has to have a degree in nutrition and has to stay updated with regular courses.
http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource...-every-nutritionist-is-a-registered-dietitian and
http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource...r/what-is-a-registered-dietitian-nutritionist

Given that you sound interested in a vegan(+fish) diet for health reasons I suggest these guys for helpful nutrition advice:
http://www.theveganrd.com/
http://jacknorrisrd.com/
https://www.drmcdougall.com/
http://nutritionfacts.org/

I also think that since you're eating only/mostly veggies, fruits, and fish that Denise has a point about healthy carbs. Healthy carbs IMO are potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, squashes, whole grain pasta, brown rice... the key is simply that it's a vegetable or whole grain, you don't want refined carbs.

I would also suggest legumes. They're a great source of protein and help lower your cholesterol. Some legume meal/snack options: split pea soup (vegetarian of course), lentil soup, hummus, dal, black bean soup (the moosewood cookbook recipe is fantastic), vegan chili, vegan red beans and rice (new orleans style), black bean burgers, chickpea patties (try Veganomicon cookbook), peanut butter and jelly sandwich, succotash with lima beans, minestrone soup, white bean and kale soup, white bean dip (or any bean dip for that matter), refried beans in tacos or burritos, pasta e ceci, chickpea "tuna" (link here) ... I could go on. At least one serving a day of legumes and you really shouldn't have to worry about protein issues as a vegetarian/vegan/pescaterian.

 

[easyrider]

Thanks VegasBelle !!

I'm keeping it pretty plain right now. I use a vitamix for smoothies and recently an Instant Pot for soup. I did make a potato pea soup that was really tasty. We did have a class in rehab that addressed diet and eating out which was helpful. There is a dietitian scheduled to give a lesson at rehab so that will be interesting. I was told by the cardiologist to keep it simple. She asked how varied our diet was and really it isn't too varied and we really don't eat beef and pork too often. Giving up beef and pork isn't too hard for me. Giving up white rice in exchange for brown rice has been doable. It did seem odd at first to wrap seaweed around brown rice and tuna but it tasted fine, imo.

One of my concerns is I need to find things I can eat and drink with friends when we go out or go to their homes. At the restaurant I can probably order something that would be ok but at my friends homes I might just have to have a small portion of what ever or bring something with me. My friends would be ok with this.

Im still waiting for my Moosewood cook books. I think I bought 5 or 6 of their recipe book from ebay.

Bill

 

[Czahara1]

Recently, I have an interest in vegetarian recipes. I'm not having too much luck finding decent recipes that actually taste good. So far I have been just mixing vegetables that I like together and have tried a few new for me items like soba noodles with mixed results.

So where dose a person go besides you tube ? I guess I need an instapot as I see some recipes that I think I would like.

Anyway, if you have an easy recipe and feel like sharing I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Bill

Hi Bill,

Here is a link to recipes from Dr. John McDougall. I think you will find his educational materials valuable as well. He is a pioneer in the nutrition field.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/recipes/mcdougall-recipes/

 

[ace2000]

Hi Bill,

Here is a link to recipes from Dr. John McDougall. I think you will find his educational materials valuable as well. He is a pioneer in the nutrition field.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/recipes/mcdougall-recipes/

I've heard of Dr. McDougall several times in the past and even saw a couple of videos of him during a nutrition training class I did several years ago. Thanks for sharing the link!

 

[wackymother]

You need some nice spices! Penzey's has excellent products and a lot of great recipes. Here's a link to vegetarian recipes on their site.

https://www.penzeys.com/shop/recipes/

How about tofu? For a main course, we dredge tofu pieces in cornstarch and then pan-fry in peanut oil. The fried pieces are crispy and good with a dipping sauce or on their own. You can add seasonings to the cornstarch before cooking, too. You can also stuff tofu pieces with scallions, mushrooms, or whatever you like before sauteing.

We make a lot of lentils, both as soup and as salad ingredients. For salads, you can make them in the Instant Pot, just cook very briefly (can't remember how many minutes for firm lentils, but it's like four or five).

Also, we put nuts in a lot of dishes--like chopped walnuts in brown rice improves the whole experience. Not a ton, just a few, a handful for the whole pot. We buy sweet brown rice from our local HMart and that's a lot better than regular grocery-store brown rice. We also do a lot of barley.

 

[rhonda]

Howdy, Bill -

I'm a big fan of winter squash -- especially spaghetti squash. A steamed spaghetti squash can plate in many different directions: butter/turmeric/pepper; or tomato sauce; or butter/lemon juice; or butter with Ras el hoanout spice blend; or yogurt/lemon; or butter/honey/cinnamon; etc. I'll throw half a squash in a rice cooker set to 'steam' for 30-45 minutes. Take it out and garnish as you wish. Substitute any oil for butter; I tend to alternate between Organic Coconut Oil and Organic Butter. Acorn squash is similarly quick, easy and delightful.

Sweet potato are a go-to every week. This is a good breakfast food for me. Again, I toss it in the rice cooker on steam for 30 minutes and then garnish using almost as many ways as the squash. Most days I'll go for butter/turmeric/pepper but sometimes I'll go wild on the spices adding cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, etc.

Cabbage is a big deal in my kitchen. For a quick soup, I'll sauté garlic and leek until aromatic, add salt/pepper taste, add thinly sliced cabbage and cubes of boiled potato until the cabbage is gently withered and the potato cubes are warmed; add broth and continue to heat until all is serving-temp-hot. Serve into bowls with a good dollap of crème fraîche and a squeeze of lemon. Note, I make my own organic chicken-bone broth weekly and keep a large variety of organic vegetables stocked including the pre-boiled potato used "in cubes" for this quick dish. This dish is my simplified version of recipe found: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/potato-green-cabbage-and-leek-soup-with-lemon-cr-me-fra-che . I don't bother blending the stock ... but I'll admit to being lazy.

I find ordering organics pretty easy in bulk through Azure co-op. Azure helps me maintain consistency in my pantry provisioning -- and I know that the foods are coming from good sources. I also know exactly which foods I can expect to get from Costco, local community farms, and by last choice, grocery chains.

Learn to soak and/or sprout beans/legumes to increase digestibility, neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. See: https://www.azurestandard.com/healthy-living/how-to-sprout-and-soak-beans-health-benefits

I find it helpful to track my favorite things and make sure they are always in my kitchen when in season. To that end, my Azure and Costco lists include those winter squashes, leek, cabbage, sweet potato, celery, carrots, onions and garlic (always garlic!!). If not a dish alone, these help extend a dish, flavor a dish (leek! garlic!!), offer some color (sweet potato, carrot), etc. Don't forget to really explore good quality spices -- many bring both flavor and specific health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties! Mark your calendar to watch for seasonal favorites to add variety. Have fun playing in your kitchen!

 

[DeniseM]

This reminded me of one of my favorite ways to make spaghetti squash:

Steam the squash and separate strands with 2 forks.
Toss squash with an undrained can of spicy Rotel diced tomatoes and a can of drained and rinsed black beans.
Top with a little sharp shredded cheese.
Bake or microwave until heated through and cheese is melted.

 

[WinniWoman]

You need some nice spices! Penzey's has excellent products and a lot of great recipes. Here's a link to vegetarian recipes on their site.

https://www.penzeys.com/shop/recipes/

How about tofu? For a main course, we dredge tofu pieces in cornstarch and then pan-fry in peanut oil. The fried pieces are crispy and good with a dipping sauce or on their own. You can add seasonings to the cornstarch before cooking, too. You can also stuff tofu pieces with scallions, mushrooms, or whatever you like before sauteing.

We make a lot of lentils, both as soup and as salad ingredients. For salads, you can make them in the Instant Pot, just cook very briefly (can't remember how many minutes for firm lentils, but it's like four or five).

Also, we put nuts in a lot of dishes--like chopped walnuts in brown rice improves the whole experience. Not a ton, just a few, a handful for the whole pot. We buy sweet brown rice from our local HMart and that's a lot better than regular grocery-store brown rice. We also do a lot of barley.

I LOVE lentils! Great in the crock pot.

 

[Gracey]

I went to a Dr. Esselstyn weekender program in Cleveland last fall and what an eye opener that was! He is renowned in the Midwest. Here's some info on his books.

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/

 

[theo]

Another noteworthy and respected physician who espouses what he calls a "nutritarian" approach to food (and also provides many recipes) is Joel Fuhrman. His web site is http://www.DrFuhrman.com. Joel Fuhrman is also a best selling author (Eat to Live, et al) and a very interesting speaker with a good (if sometimes corny) sense of humor. I respect that his input is "science based", like John McDougall, T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn, Dean Ornish.

Fwiw, I am not a "vegetarian" and don't plan to become one (although I seldom eat beef). Just the same, I can and do still respect and am always willing to absorb science based facts and information regarding nutrition. The above mentioned names are indisputably the top leaders in the field of science based nutrition, by any and every possible standard or measure.

 

[VegasBella]

One of my concerns is I need to find things I can eat and drink with friends when we go out or go to their homes. At the restaurant I can probably order something that would be ok but at my friends homes I might just have to have a small portion of what ever or bring something with me. My friends would be ok with this.

First, a couple resources on finding vegan and vegetarian options at restaurants:
http://www.vegguide.org/
and
https://www.happycow.net/
and
http://www.peta.org/living/food/chain-restaurants/

Then here are some tips:
- Always ask "Do you have any vegetarian options?" to the server. If you're nervous to do it in person then call ahead.
- Keep a snack in your car/purse whatever so that if there's nothing available near you then you can eat your own food.
- Know your cuisines. For example, it's often very easy for Thai, Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants to make vegetarian options (eg you can order "Pad Thai with tofu, no egg, no fish sauce"). You can often easily steer a group of friends to one of those types of restaurants.
- Remember that getting together with friends doesn't have to involve food. You can 'meet for coffee' or go for a hike together or see a movie or go bowling etc. When you find it tricky to find a restaurant that suits everyone's needs/wants just opt to do something non-restaurant. (Honestly, that's usually my preference with non-veg people because it kind of upsets me to dine with others who are eating animals.)

 

[JudyH]

I am saving this thread because I would like to transition away from red meat and sugar.

I don't like anything hot or spicy. Could someone explain curry and is there one that is not hot, as in heat.

 

[easyrider]

In my entire life, I do not think I have had tofu, lentils and many other things. I tied buck wheat groats and other grains but think they need to be part of a recipe because they are pretty plain as a side dish. When I get my Moosewood recipe books I might find some use for the almost full bags of quinoa, buck wheat groats and other stuff I have been experimenting with.

So today Im going to get some sweet potatoes, leeks ?? and sweet brown rice after rehab. The Instant Pot makes really good brown rice. 1 cup of rice and 1 1/4 cup of broth and press the brown rice button. I also chopped up a quarter of an onion and tossed it in.

The potato split pea soup I made in the Instant Pot a while back lost its appeal yesterday. It was so good the first 2 days and on day 5 it wasn't. I had to toss out the last quart as it turned into what looked like green jelly and tasted a bit off.

Im not a curry expert but have made recipes that use curry paste , onion, garlic, lime or lemon juice, coconut water and other things. I tossed garbanzo beans into the curry and had a side of rice and grilled chicken. It was pretty good. Im sure there are some curry experts here that can chime in.

Bill

 

[amycurl]

The Moosewood cookbooks will be very helpful. I was vegetarian for about seven years (now, I'm a locavore) and my f-i-l is a pescatarian. I found the key to great, easy vegetarian food has been hinted at in the above posts--ethnic. Fantastic Mexican, Cuban, Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian, Chinese, Japanese dishes can easily be made vegetarian, with loads of flavor. Also, they make great take-out, eating-out choices. Trying to replace more traditional German/English foods, with less spice to be begin with, and more reliance on meats and starches, is much harder.

You may also want to consider joining a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) program--try asking about one at rehab or at your local farmer's market. This will provide you with a regular stream of healthy, seasonal, local vegetables, as well as a community dedicated to helping you get the most out of them--most provide recipes with the weekly shares, cooking demos, and, of course, a community of other folks looking to cook and store their vegetables in a tasty way. Starting with a focus on eating veggies that are local and in season is HUGE--these veggies just taste better than a store-bought tomato in January and can usually be enjoyed more easily in simple, low-fat preparations.

 

[wackymother]

I can give some advice about curry. What we think of as "curry powder" is pretty much a joke to people from India. Real Indian cooks grind and mix their own spices.

For those who are not too picky (I'm not), I like mild Madras curry powder. This is a nice general mix that adds flavor to a dish without much heat. I like Rajah brand, which comes in a little can. There's a picture here. https://wholesale.khanapakana.com/s...rams-3-5-oz/?gclid=CNWir6G0qtICFZKCswod06AF-Q

You can find this in most Indian groceries, and you can add hot ground pepper to add heat if you like.

I use it to make curries, but I also sometimes use a pinch or a scant teaspoonful in a whole large pot of vegetarian soup, for example--like a six-quart pot. If you use it sparingly, it just adds flavor and depth to a vegetarian dish without tasting like curry.

Also, Indian grocery stores also have little boxes of spice mixes that can be really good. My favorite brand is Shan, and for mild seasoning, I love the dal masala mix. It looks like this (but don't get it from Amazon, it's about $1 in an Indian grocery). https://www.amazon.com/Shan-Dal-Curry-Mix-100g/dp/B000MSNH00

This is also mild (with a little kick) and you can use it when you make split peas or beans. (Dal is a soupy sauce made from split beans or peas.) I use about a teaspoon or two in a small pot, or I sprinkle it on a bowl of dal when someone is going to eat it. It's good even if you mix it in just before serving, so people who want their dal plain can have it plain, and people who want it with seasoning can have it with seasoning. Don't use the whole package because it's very salty!

 

[easyrider]

I haven't made curry sauce from scratch. I used a powdered package curry sauce that you mix with water that I picked up at Safeway. It was ok. I have used curry powder to season chicken in the past that was ok I guess. Not my favorite but as with many things I cook, I might not be cooking it right.

Bill

 

[rhonda]

While tweaking my weekly bone broth this morning, I figured I'd toss this out there: Save up all the veggie scraps for making your own broth.

Sorry if this is an "obvious" repeat in your skill set. I store all my veggie scraps in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When I'm ready to make a broth, I empty the ziplock bag into my crock pot, cover with water, add spices and/or a smidgen of apple cider vinegar. Cook in crock pot on LOW heat for 12-24 hours. (My broth starts with chicken bones with the veggies added, thus 24 hours. If veggies only -- you should get a good broth in 12 hours on low heat.)

When I say "all my veggie scraps" I mean just about everything that didn't go to the plate: The root bulbs of celery, the thick green tops of leek, both ends of the carrot, beet leaves, tops and 'guts' of peppers, the cabbage core, etc. What I would have previously thrown into the compost bucket now goes into my freezer bag waiting for use in making broth.

 

[bluehende]

Quick and easy beans and rice

take 3 or 4 cans of red beans drain
add 1 jar of salsa
simmer about 20 minutes
use over rice.

We add a bit of sour cream and cheddar cheese so is not vegan. You can make at any heat depending on salsa choice or like us hot sauce added after.

 

[easyrider]

Quick and easy beans and rice

take 3 or 4 cans of red beans drain
add 1 jar of salsa
simmer about 20 minutes
use over rice.

We add a bit of sour cream and cheddar cheese so is not vegan. You can make at any heat depending on salsa choice or like us hot sauce added after.

Ok, this looks pretty easy too me. Thanks bluehende.

I think I will start saving my veggie items for stock. Thanks Rhonda.

I made stir fry in my new wok. It has a non stick coating so I cook an onion in it after washing to get the wok clean. Anyway, I used up the rest of the veggies that were on the last days. I also bought some large mushrooms and a small zucchini for this. After I cut up the ingredients I realized I had too much so we ate stir fry for two nights dinner. I used different sauce for both meals. Sauce one was stir fry sauce. Sauce two was hoisin sauce and fish sauce. This was served with brown rice cook in low sodium chicken stock that was cooked in the Instant Pot and then fryed in the wok to add more flavor. It was pretty good.

I also bought a couple of sweet potatoes for tonight. I haven't ever cooked one of these but thought about just baking them. I will likely steam up the rest of the broccoli and sea bass as well.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I have 6 of the Moosewood recipe books and have tried a couple of the recipes. I usually lack an ingredient or two but the meal still tastes good. The zero soup must be something a person needs to get use to. It really causes gas, lol. I think it is the cabbage.

I went on my first restaurant outing this Saturday with some very good friends. The restaurant did accommodate my order by cooking my salmon with no butter or oil. They used wine and garlic and it was really tasty. They also steamed my small portion of veggies. I also managed a beer.

The result of the diet changes is 12 pounds gone in 7 weeks. Also, I no longer appear grayish as I am slowly regaining my color back.

Bill