Guest guest Posted May 2, 2010 Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Thanks, Virginia. Sorry to bother you all with this. I was just very upset and you were the only folks I could think of who might understand. And you're absolutely right. My DH needs to get on the same page with being proactive about my son's weight. He does understand about our boy's weight, and isn't happy about it. He's just one of those men who believes that the best way to combat excess weight is via sports rather than food. He always loses weight by skiing or hiking or bike riding, you know? My son is very active in taekwondo, which I'm sure helps a great deal, but it's just not enough. I think my DH probably just had too much stress at work plus too little sleep, and the " fake " sausage just put him over the top. He usually views my vegetarian meals more with amusement than contempt. You know, I really don't care if you're a vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, omnivore, or whatever, but I will say that life is much more peaceful when everyone in a household eats the same way! Anyway, I finally solved the problem by getting some " real " sausage for my husband and promising to let my skinny younger son choose his favorite. What do you want to bet my younger boy prefers the vegetarian version? My only worry is that once my older boy sees that there are two kinds of sausage, he's going to want both. Wait till my husband finds out that I also bought Morningstar vegetarian burgers for lunch! Hey, they're only 110 calories and low fat! AND they were on sale, which is why I didn't buy Boca burgers this time. I love Boca burgers when I can find the fat free version. Once they came out with the low fat version, the original fat free burgers became scarce around here and I usually stock up when I can find them. It's not that the low fat versions have so much fat. I just like the taste of the fat free burgers better. I hope the Morningstar are good. I've never tried them before. ::Sigh:: Perhaps I'll bring DH a nice sip of Gentleman Jack before I commence making lunch. LOL Anyway... here are a couple of nice recipes I found at a vegetarian website called The Veggie Table in thanks for understanding... Eggplant Caviar A lovely, thick eggplant dip. Great with crackers, French bread, pita bread, or _crudités_ (http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/crudites.html) . Yield 4 servings Time 90 minutes Tools * baking dish * knife * large spoon * food processor (optional) * large frying pan * wooden spoon Ingredients * 1 large eggplant * 2 T olive oil * 1 large onion, minced * 3 cloves garlic, minced * 1 T tomato paste * salt * pepper Directions Preheat oven to 400. Bake eggplant in baking dish for about an hour. Set aside to cool. Cut in half, scoop out fillling, and chop or food process until it looks like oatmeal. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat, add onions, and sauté, stirring frequently, until translucent and very soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, add tomato paste and cook one minute more. Stir in eggplant and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve. You might like to garnish it with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped parsley. Notes Adapted from Jay Weinstein's The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook. Hummus - Chick Pea Dip Hummus, or houmous, is an Eastern Mediterranean dip, very common in Greece and Lebanon as well as a number of other countries. A heavenly blend of chick peas, garlic... Yield about 2 cups Time 10 minutes (+ chick pea soaking and cooking) Tools food processor or potato masher and bowl Ingredients 2 c chick peas, _soaked and cooked_ (http://www.theveggietable.com/techniques/soakbeans.html) or canned, drained and rinsed 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 T lemon juice ¼ c water 3 T tahini (sesame paste) ½ to 1 t cumin ½ t paprika Optional garnish: olive oil, parsley, lemon slices Directions Place the cooked chick peas (it's ok if they're still warm) in the food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, and water. Process for about a minute, until smooth. If too thick, add more water. Stir in the tahini and spices, taste, and add more lemon juice/tahini/cumin/paprika as appropriate. Spread the hummus into a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with lemon slices, minced parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve chilled, with warm pita bread and/or fresh vegetables. Notes Hummus is eaten in many different countries, so there are a lot of variations, especially in spices. Experiment to find what you like best. This basic hummus recipe can be jazzed up with just about anything - spinach, olives, peppers. Maki Rolls Maki rolls are a vegetarian relative of sushi. This recipe calls for cucumber and avocado, but you can experiment with other ingredients as well. Yield 4 rolls (2-4 servings) Time 30 min Tools * colander * saucepan with lid * medium bowl * wooden spoon * bamboo sushi mat (optional) * 2 small bowls * very sharp knife Ingredients * 1 c short-grain white rice * 2 c water * 2 T rice wine vinegar * ½ medium cucumber, peeled and seeded * 1 avocado, peeled * 4 sheets nori (paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed) * 1 T wasabi * soy sauce Directions Rinse rice well. Combine rice and 2 c water in saucepan, cover, bring to boil, lower heat to maintain boil without boiling over, and cook without stirring until water is gone, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the cucumber and avocado and cut into strips. Put rice in the larger bowl, stir in vinegar. Lay out a sheet of nori on the sushi mat, if you have one, or on the counter. Spread a 2-inch wide strip of rice all the way across the bottom end of the nori, leaving ½ inch from the bottom. The rice should be thick enough that you can't see the nori underneath it. Add strips of cucumber and avocado on top of the rice, so that there is a strip of each all the way across. Beginning at the bottom, roll up the nori fairly tightly, but without tearing it. When you get near the top, dab a stripe of soy sauce along the end and finish rolling to seal the maki roll. Once you've rolled all four, use a sharp knife to slice them into 6 to 8 bite-sized wheels. In the small bowl, mix wasabi powder with a few drops of water to make a thick paste. You can serve it this way, or add soy sauce to taste. Serve the maki rolls with a small dish of wasabi or wasabi/soy sauce as well as a dish of plain soy sauce for those who don't like spicy stuff. Notes You can put pretty much anything into a maki roll - here are some ideas: * asparagus * bell peppers * carrot * green onions Onion Confit Onion confit is basically _carmelized onions_ (http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/carmelizedonions.html) with a couple of additional ingredients. Don't let its simplicity fool you - onion confit is a terrific addition to pizza, pasta, mashed potatoes, and curry. Yield about 5 cups Time 1 hour Tools * mandoline (preferably) or knife * heavy-bottomed pan * wooden spoon Ingredients * 2 T corn or canola oil * 6 c onions, thinly sliced (about 6 medium onion or 2 pounds) * 1 T sugar * 2 T red wine vinegar * 1 t salt Directions Heat oil over medium heat, add onions, and cook about 30 minutes, until onions begin to carmelize. Add sugar and vinegar and fry another 30 minutes. Stir in salt and serve. Notes Adapted from Didi Emmons' Vegetarian Planet. Vegetarian Pâté If you miss the taste of chopped liver, give this vegetarian pâté (not " pate " ) a try. You might even be able to fool your non-veggie friends. Yield about 2½ cups Time 15 minutes to prepare, plus 2 hours to chill Tools * frying pan * wooden spoon * blender or food processor * small bowls or crocks with lids or plastic wrap Ingredients * 4 T olive oil * 8 oz tempeh, crumbled * 1 c onion, chopped * 1 stalk celery, chopped * 1 clove garlic, minced * 8 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped * ½ c walnuts, chopped * 2 T soy sauce * 2 T red wine Directions Sauté the tempeh, onion, celery, and garlic in the oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until all liquid has been absorbed. Let cool for up to an hour. Place all of the ingredients in blender and process until you see nothing but a smooth brown paste. Spread into bowls, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with bread, crackers, or _crudités_ (http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/crudites.html) . Red Onion Confit A simple recipe that yields a delicious appetizer. Yield 2 cups Time 30 minutes Tools * knife * large heavy-bottomed pan * wooden spoon Ingredients * 1 T olive oil * 2 large red onions, thinly sliced * 1 T garlic, minced * ¼ c balsamic vinegar * ½ c red wine or port * 2 T brown sugar * ½ t salt * ¼ t black pepper Directions Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add remaining ingredients, turn down heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm. This red onion confit is fantastic on pizza and with goat cheese. Notes (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875730701/lkl-20) Recipe from Cafe Flora Cookbook, by Catherine Geier and Carol Brown In Vino Veritas, *´¨) Janis Abbe .. ·´ ¸.·*¨) ¸.·*¨) ¸.·*¨ ) (¸.·´ (¸.*´ ¸.·´ `·-* * Oenaphile, Logophile, Ailurophile, Bibliophile " Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. " ~Albert Einstein " A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. " ~Paul Simon " I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints; the sinners are much more fun. " ~ Billy Joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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