Your favorite vegetarian dish for a crowd?

[HRJ]

I'm having several families over for dinner on Saturday (not Superbowl related.) I'm supplying entrees and others will bring sides/desserts. All the families have elementary-school age kids.

Right now, I'm planning on a mac-and-cheese and Deborah Madison's Spinach Torta with Potato Crust from VCFE. I'd like to do one other entree, something without cheese since the other two are cheesy. All food must be vegetarian. (Since I'm doing the mac-and-cheese aimed toward the kids, the second entree doesn't necessarily have to be "kid-friendly.)

So, any suggestions for something interesting?

TIA!

Helene

[donleyk]

Veggie chili or chickpea curry?

[Mamasue]

Hi Helene!:D

This Vegetable Bolognese is very good. Bolognese is a Italian meat ragu sauce, but this is without the meat. If you can't find pappardelle noodles, any large pasta with do, such as, large rigatoni. Make a double batch and freeze. ;)

Vegetable Bolognese
adapted from Gourmet October/November 2006

1 cup fresh shitake mushrooms, chopped
2 medium carrots, minced
2 celery ribs, minced
1 cup onion, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup broth (vegetable or beef)
1/2 cup dry red wine
water if needed
2 or 3 chopped fresh parsley
3/4 lb dried pappardelle
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving


Heat oil in a skillet or pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chopped vegetables, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomato paste, broth, wine. Simmer for 2 minutes. If mixture becomes too dry, add more broth or water as needed. Stir in fresh parsley after removed from heat or just before serving.

Cook pappardelle till al dente, drain. Stir in sauce and grated cheese.

Sue’s Notes: I added more broth as needed and simmered until veggies were tender.

[Seachelle]

We're not vegetarians, but tired this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. Just the right amount of heat and perfect for a snowy, cold night.


Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili
From EatingWell: Winter 2004
10 servings, generous 1 cup each

Black beans, earthy mushrooms and tangy tomatillos combine with a variety of spices and smoky chipotles to create a fantastic full-flavored chili. It can simmer in the slow cooker all day, which makes it perfect for a healthy supper when the end of your day is rushed.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried black beans, (2 1/2 cups), rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mustard seeds
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, or ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, or ground cardamom
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces tomatillos, (see Ingredient Note), husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
5 1/2 cups mushroom broth, or vegetable broth
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1-2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, (see Ingredient Note)
1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

PREPARATION
Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.

Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles; mix well.

Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.
Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Stovetop Variation: Total: 4 1/2 hours In Step 2, increase broth to 81/2 cups. Omit Step 3. Add the beans to the Dutch oven; cover and simmer the chili gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy to bite, about 3 hours.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredient notes: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Tomatillos are tart, plum-size green fruits that look like small, husk-covered green tomatoes. Find them in the produce section near the tomatoes. Remove the outer husk and rinse them well before using.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 306 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 13 g fiber; 415 mg sodium; 735 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (52% daily value), Folate (47% dv), Iron (22% dv), Potassium (21% dv).

[Canice]

Sheesh, with all the vegetarian cooking I do, and all the casseroles, you'd think I'd have at least a couple of ideas. This is driving me nuts!

Note to self: no dating vegans

[oct2189]

I've made THIS (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-lavash-pizza-with-spicy-hummus-grilled-eggplant-feta-red-chile-oil-and-mint-recipe/index.html) recipe from Bobby Flay for Grilled Lavosh Pizza w/ Spicy Hummus and Eggplant. I couln't grill it so I used the broiler. The hummus recipe alone is worth a look!;)
(My thought is that you could make a couple of them)

[Choctini]

You could do the Savory Mediterranean Baklava from Fine Cooking that's been posted on the board. That involves some prep work but is very good.

[Canice]

I've posted that one a few times. A major PITA to make, but exceptional. I did think of that but assumed the event was today, and figured it was tooooo much work on short notice :)

[Choctini]

Whoops, sorry, missed the Saturday part.

[tperes]

I realize it is probably too late, but here are some ideas for future reference!

A family favorite and good enough for company. Makes a lot and freezes well. I serve with mini-corn muffins.

Winter Squash Stew with Pinto Beans and Corn
(modified by Tanya M. Peres Lemons from Cooking Light October 2000)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cups cubed, peeled, butternut squash (1 1/4 lbs)
1 cup diced onions
2 ½ cups water, divided
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 dried New Mexican chile, seeded (I use whatever chili I have on hand)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I sometimes sub. black beans)
Sometimes I add frozen chopped okra with the corn


1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over med. high heat. Add squash and
onion. Sautee 5 mins. Add 1 cup water and next 4 ingredients (1 cup water
through chile). Cover and cook 5 mins.
2. Add 1 ½ water and salt. Add tomatoes. (at this point I “smash” some of the squash cubes with the back of a wooden spoon. It helps to thicken up the “broth.”)
3. Cover, reduce heat. Simmer 20 mins.
4. Add corn and beans, cover and cook 15 mins.
5. Discard the chile.
4 servings


I first made this for a Mardi Gras themed baby shower. The guest of honor lived in NOLA for many years, and I was a bit nervous that she wouldn't like this vegetarian version of a NOLA staple. She said it was one of the most authentic tasting red beans and rice recipes she had ever had (meat or no meat!). I have made these many times since and can't wait to make a batch of these soon! The beans also freeze really well!


New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Jack Bishop -- A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen (pg. 373)

**Note -- I doubled the recipe.**
(My changes/additions are in parentheses.)

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium carrot, finely chopped (I used 2)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (I used 3)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced (I used 6 on the large side)
2 tsp. minced fresh oregano leaves (didn't measure, just kept chopping)
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
2 cups vegetable broth (I only used a bit of veggie broth b/c I kept the liquid the beans were cooked in.)
2 15-0unce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (one 1-lb. bag dried small red)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (omitted these in favor of 2 Tbsp. tomato paste)
1 bay leaf (I used 3 in the initial cooking of the beans and left them in.)
Salt
(cumin)
(one green bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips)
Cooked Rice

My first step was to sort the beans into a large (5 qt.) chili pot. I then added enough cold water to cover by 1-2 inches. I added 3 bay leaves, put the lid on, and turned the heat up. Once it came to a boil, I turned it down to simmer. This will take about 2 hours or so (the no soak method is highly preferred -- another nod to Jack Bishop here [pg. 369]). I do not salt my beans very much (maybe 1 or 2 tsp.) and definitely wait until near the end -- the salt can make the beans impenetrable to the water.

In a separate skillet I sauteed the onions, celery, carrots in the canola oil. After about 5-7 mins. I added the garlic. To this I added the tomato paste and a Tbsp. of veggie broth, seeral dashes of garlic Tabasco, and a dash of cumin. I sauteed this until it was "sofrito" consistency. I added this mixture straight into the bean pot, and continued simmering. As the beans thickened I added a bit more veggie broth. I also added the sliced green bell peppers at this time. I let the whole thing cook for another 20 mins. -- then I had to have some! The scent of onions and cumin, garlic and celery was too much! I whipped up a quick bit of rice (actually the rice cooker did that), and some garlic cheese toast, set out a bottle of garlic Tabasco, and dinner was served!