Using recipes, with a vegetarian twist..

[Guest guest]

I use all my Old Betty Crocker, Good Housekeeping, Fannie Farmer, pillsbury,

Women's Day and Redbook Cookbooks. My very favorite is a 1955 GoodHousekeeping.

For example: You can make the chicken potpie using veg broth and Quorn. There

are wonderful recipes you can adapt from non-veg cookbooks. Now if you want

tempeh, quinoa, couscous, TVP, tofu, and many grain recipes you won't find

much. That's where our vegetarian cookbooks are such a great help. I'm a total

cookbook addict. I even own a meat and potato cookbook. I use the potato

recipes from it

Donna

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

 

 

" bluespatula02 " <aprilsroberts

 

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:24:04

 

Using recipes, with a vegetarian twist..

 

 

How many of you use " regular " recipes and just leave out the meat? For

years, I was sure I couldn't cook the same old way my family was

accustomed to. The other day, I was talking to my sister, who expressed

interest in preparing more vegetarian meals for her family.

 

Without thinking deeply (off the top of my head), I gave her two ways

to go meatless without even involving fake meat products. She was

amazed that you could make the same recipes but without chicken or beef.

 

We talked about adding mixed veggies in proportion to the meat, using

black beans instead of meat, and just making the recipe without any

substitutions.

 

What other tricks and suggestions do you have for a person who is

interested in going meatless gradually? I'd like to pass some ideas on

to her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

How many of you use " regular " recipes and just leave out the meat? For

years, I was sure I couldn't cook the same old way my family was

accustomed to. The other day, I was talking to my sister, who expressed

interest in preparing more vegetarian meals for her family.

 

Without thinking deeply (off the top of my head), I gave her two ways

to go meatless without even involving fake meat products. She was

amazed that you could make the same recipes but without chicken or beef.

 

We talked about adding mixed veggies in proportion to the meat, using

black beans instead of meat, and just making the recipe without any

substitutions.

 

What other tricks and suggestions do you have for a person who is

interested in going meatless gradually? I'd like to pass some ideas on

to her.

[Guest guest]

   

 

     When I make something like vegetable soup or stew, going without the meat

really isn't hard.  I usually add combinations of beans to sub in for something

like beef or ground beef in the " normal " recipe. 

 

     For example, with chili, I always " used to " use both beans and ground

beef--now, instead of just one kind of beans (red beans, pinto beans or maybe

kidney beans), I might, instead, use two, three, or more kinds of beans--and of

course, no meat.  Lentils, black beans, and maybe a larger bean, such as kidney

beans give a varied texture and " chewiness " that a single kind of beans may

not.  Sometimes, I also add in some " chewy " short-grained brown rice or a bit of

mixed whole-grain multi-colored rices.--It adds texture, and I think that the

" texture " part is what one misses, if anything, when one is used to having meat

in a dish and then the dish becomes meat-less.

 

      With vegetable soups/stews, I also add more beans and just more vegetables

in general.  My DH is unaware of this, but I often add crumbled-up dried

mushrooms (he hates mushrooms) and very finely-chopped up eggplant (which he

also hates) to give the broth a " deeper " flavor than just the vegetables alone

would have for a meat-based dish.  I will add some larger beans--almost any kind

of medium-sized bean--and also a few lentils to round it out.  A bit of barley

added to the broth gives a nice " thickening " to it--and never spare the

flavor-giving veggies, such as onions, garlic, carrot, celery and so on!

 

      One other thing I have tried with using a " regular " recipe, but leaving

out the meat:  Several months ago, I made spaghetti sauce.  This is just an

accidental discovery that happened--I found that " cranberry beans " seem to be

almost perfectly suited (IMHO), to add to a seasoned tomato-y spaghetti sauce to

put over pasta.  Most other beans would seem to overpower the sauce with a

pronouncedly " bean-y " taste--these didn't.   For some reason, the flavors of the

sauce and the flavors and textures of the large, reddish-speckled cooked beans

blends very, very well!  (This was another idea that my DH was skeptical about

at first, but he agreed the result was very good.)

 

     Cranberry beans, here in Illinois where I live, are HARD to find.  I bought

a bag of these at a supermarket chain called " Schnuck's " .  I have seen them

just  a FEW other places.  They look like a large pinto bean with red, instead

of brownish markings.  The flavor of the cooked bean is (I think) unique. 

 

     for Mexican foods (tacos and burritos), I would use a mixture of cooked

pinto, black and maybe some other similar bean.  We've eaten our burritos with

just mashed, seasoned beans for years, so it's only tacos that seem " different "

when made meatless.  Again, it's being accustomed to a certain " texture " more

than to a " taste " when it comes to liking a recipe using or not using

meat. Using good seasonings so there is plenty of flavor makes a difference, I

think.  These are just a couple of ideas I had.

 

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

..............

 

How many of you use " regular " recipes and just leave out the meat? For

years, I was sure I couldn't cook the same old way my family was

accustomed to. The other day, I was talking to my sister, who expressed

interest in preparing more vegetarian meals for her family.

 

Without thinking deeply (off the top of my head), I gave her two ways

to go meatless without even involving fake meat products. She was

amazed that you could make the same recipes but without chicken or beef.

 

We talked about adding mixed veggies in proportion to the meat, using

black beans instead of meat, and just making the recipe without any

substitutions.

 

What other tricks and suggestions do you have for a person who is

interested in going meatless gradually? I'd like to pass some ideas on

to her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

, " bluespatula02 "

<aprilsroberts wrote:

>

> How many of you use " regular " recipes and just leave out the meat?

 

In place of ground b**f I use crumbled up firm tofu. I make taco

slald with tofu all the time. I also use garbanzo beans (chick peas)

in place of chic**n in recipes that call for chunks of chic**n.

Another substitute I use is cooked lentils in place of ground b**f.

Lentils make amazing sloppy Joes!

 

Deb in Idaho

[Guest guest]

This interests me too. Just leaving out the meat from regular recipes

or using recipes that use beans, eggs, or cheese are the only ones my

hubby will accept. He is not a vegetarian but omits meat most of the

time to accomadate me. I went to a lot of effort to make a lasagna

recipe with tempeh only for him rebel--I put most of it down the

disposal. He refuses for me to try tofu, tempeh, or any other similar

products again. Since it's only the 2 of us that's the way we go but

I have to admit I'm curious when I read some of the recipes posted!

>

[Guest guest]

I agree that we can use a variety of cook books.

 

I am not giving up my " habit " of buying thrift store,

or library clear out sales, of cook books!

I bought one yesterday, called the " Texas Cook Book. "

That one is a challenge!

Honestly, there are some great recipes, and now that

I know about all the veg proteins, it will be a snap.

 

Even a BBQ book has great sauces and marinades,

with no meat in them, and should be swell on

meat substitutions.

 

I do think the seasonings for the smoky flavor,

in the purchased meat substitutes, are quite strong.

Anyone notice this?

Any suggestion of some that are milder, than others?

 

Thanks,

Barb

AZ/OR

 

 

[Guest guest]

I love to pick up cookbooks at thrift stores. What a lot of fun they are to

look thru and find all kinds of things to try. You can use many of the

recipes with the meat substitutes proteins. I love them.

I'm another cookbook addict. lol

Judy

-

BARBARA KIPPER

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:03 PM

Re:Using recipes, with a vegetarian twist..

 

 

I agree that we can use a variety of cook books.

 

I am not giving up my " habit " of buying thrift store,

or library clear out sales, of cook books!

I bought one yesterday, called the " Texas Cook Book. "

That one is a challenge!

Honestly, there are some great recipes, and now that

I know about all the veg proteins, it will be a snap.

 

Even a BBQ book has great sauces and marinades,

with no meat in them, and should be swell on

meat substitutions.

 

I do think the seasonings for the smoky flavor,

in the purchased meat substitutes, are quite strong.

Anyone notice this?

Any suggestion of some that are milder, than others?

 

Thanks,

Barb

AZ/OR

 

[Guest guest]

Oh and I forgot to mention that I don't find that the Worthington/Loma Linda

products have a strong smoky flavor.

http://www.kelloggs.com/brand/worthington/ We love these products. I just

used the Fri Chik to make a " chic'kn " and rice casserole for dinner. It was

very good.

 

Judy

 

-

wwjd

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:47 PM

Re: Re:Using recipes, with a vegetarian twist..

 

 

I love to pick up cookbooks at thrift stores. What a lot of fun they are to

look thru and find all kinds of things to try. You can use many of the recipes

with the meat substitutes proteins. I love them.

I'm another cookbook addict. lol

Judy

-

BARBARA KIPPER

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:03 PM

Re:Using recipes, with a vegetarian twist..

 

I agree that we can use a variety of cook books.

 

I am not giving up my " habit " of buying thrift store,

or library clear out sales, of cook books!

I bought one yesterday, called the " Texas Cook Book. "

That one is a challenge!

Honestly, there are some great recipes, and now that

I know about all the veg proteins, it will be a snap.

 

Even a BBQ book has great sauces and marinades,

with no meat in them, and should be swell on

meat substitutions.

 

I do think the seasonings for the smoky flavor,

in the purchased meat substitutes, are quite strong.

Anyone notice this?

Any suggestion of some that are milder, than others?

 

Thanks,

Barb

AZ/OR