Vegetarian Main Dishes

[MHamilton]

When I feel like I haven't been eating enought vegetables, I often "become" a vegetarian for anywhere from one to six months - although I do love meat, not eating it forces me to notice new vegetables, come up with great new recipes, etc. Then even when I go back to eating meat, I tend to eat more balanced and healthy meals - at least for a few months! So a friend and I are going to "go vegetarian" from September until Thanksgiving, and I was wondering if anyone had any good cookbook/ recipe source suggestions. Often vegetarian recipes are either side dishes that don't easily convert to main dishes - which is fine except that making lots of side dishes is so time consuming. Or there are main dishes that are all bean dishes, which are good - but don't solve the problem of trying to get a variety of vegetables into the diet. What I would love to find is a place to get recipes for meatless main dishes that are fairly quick to make (or make ahead and store easily), that are tasty, and that incorporate lots of different vegetables.

I do enjoy using my slow cooker, but the 3 slow cooker cookbooks I have have only a few good recipes, and maybe one or two good vegetable recipes. Any help appreciated!

[Mhami]

Ha, ha, ha, I am a MHamilton also. When I saw your post, I thought "I don't remember posting anything?"

[Gail]

Hi!

You must be new around here. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif You may wish to cruise the archives, particuarly Popular Threads. I think you may find some stuff in topics such as "Help! I'm buried in Zucchini" or "Favorite/Most Versatile Veggie." Have a look. You may be pleasantly surprised!

[Cyn]

In the Favorite cookbooks thread, many people mentioned The Victory Garden cookbook which contains mostly vegetarian recipes. After trying the sweet potatoe waffles, stuffed zucchini and eggplant recipes, I bought it. It's great for ideas.

[Grace]

I like Mollie Katzen's books, but I really cook mostly from CL. My Cookware Software has a "Meatless Main Dishes" category, and it's pretty full of choices, actually! If you're looking for something in particular (like fritattas, casseroles, etc), I'd be happy to search and post for you. Here's one CL recipe from that category we especially liked...

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Vegetable Moo Shu

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: Sept 1998 PAGE: 130

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
1 (0.5-ounce) package dried wood ear mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup diagonally sliced green onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Fresh chives (optional)
Quick Chinese Pancakes

INSTRUCTIONS:
You can substitute flour tortillas for the Quick Chinese Pancakes, if
desired.

1. Combine mushrooms and boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30
minutes or until soft. Drain; slice mushrooms into thin strips.

2. Heat sesame and vegetable oils in a large nonstick skillet or wok over
medium-high heat. Add eggs, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove eggs from pan. Add
minced ginger and garlic to pan, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms,
cabbage, and bell pepper; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add onions and next 4
ingredients (onions through hoisin sauce), and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in
eggs. Garnish with fresh chives, if desired. Serve with Quick Chinese
Pancakes. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups moo shu and 3 pancakes).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 377 (27% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 2.8g, mono 4.1g, poly 3g); PROTEIN
16.5g; CARB 51.4g; FIBER 4.4g; CHOL 223mg; IRON 4.1mg; SODIUM 567mg; CALC 209mg

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Quick Chinese Pancakes

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: Sept 1998 PAGE: 130

INGREDIENTS FOR 12 SERVINGS:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Place
the flour in a medium bowl. Combine milk, margarine, and egg; add milk mixture
to flour, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir in fresh chives and
five-spice powder. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Place an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray
over medium-high heat until hot. Remove pan from heat, and pour a scant 1/4
cup batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers
bottom of pan. Cook about 1 minute.

3. Carefully lift edge of pancake with a spatula to test for doneness. The
pancake will be ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from pan and the
underside is lightly browned. Turn pancake over; cook 30 seconds on the other
side.

4. Place the pancake on a towel, and cool. Repeat the procedure until all of
the batter is used. Stack the pancakes between single layers of wax paper or
paper towels to prevent pancakes from sticking. Yield: 12 pancakes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:



[This message has been edited by Grace (edited 08-21-2000).]

[Ohioan]

By all means check the archives; I'm sure there's a thread where a lot of us weighed in (no pun intended) with our favorite vegetarian cookbooks, but I can't remember the title of it. Meanwhile, as a full-time vegetarian http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif I recommend almost anything by Jay Solomon, especially Lean Bean Cuisine, The Global Vegetarian, Vegetarian Rice Cuisine, and 150 Vegan Favorites. Also look for books by Nava Atlas, especially Pasta East to West, Vegetariana, and Vegetarian Express. Claire Criscuolo also has some good ones, both Italian and classic American.

For more ideas, you might also do a search for "vegetarian" at Books for Cooks www.books-for-cooks.com (http://www.books-for-cooks.com) or Jessica's Biscuit www.ecookbooks.com (http://www.ecookbooks.com.) .

Good luck!
Phoebe

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 08-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 08-21-2000).]

[lindrusso]

It looks like you have a pretty good start on recommendations for sources, so here are two vegetarian main dishes that make good use of veggies, and both recipes are low in fat. With both recipes, you can adapt it to different veggies if you wish.

VEGETARIAN CHILI
(a slightly adapted version from Jane Brody's Good Food Book)

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 or 2 small zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (wear rubber gloves)
2 (28-ounce) cans pureed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves, or generous pinch of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice berries, or generous pinch of ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cups cooked kidney beans
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups boiling water

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and sautee the zucchini, onions, garlic, green pepper and jalapeno pepper, until they are softened. Add the tomatoes (and puree), coriander, cloves, allspice, oregano, black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and beans. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer the chili for 30 minutes.

2. While the chili is cooking, in a medium saucepan add the rice to the boiling water, reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer the rice for 15-35 minutes, according to package directions. Serve the chili over rice and garnish with items of your choice - such as grated cheddar cheese.


GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICH
(from "In the Kitchen With Rosie")

Note: Apparently Oprah is fond of spicey foods, so if you are not, you might want to cut down on the heat in this recipe!

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons nonfat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons (1 small) shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium yellow squash, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 red onion, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Light vegetable oil cooking spray
2 roasted red bell peppers
2 large crusty hoagie-type rolls
1 large tomato, cored and sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons (1 large) chopped jalapeno pepper
8 fresh basil leaves
8 arugula leaves

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. Put all the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix at low speed until smooth. Set aside.

3. Arrange the eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and onion in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and cayenne pepper over all of the rounds. Spray the vegetable oil over to coat lightly. Broil the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until brown, turn the rounds over, and brown the other side. Remove the cookie sheet, leaving the broiler on.

4. Quarter the roasted bell peppers.

5. Cut each of the rolls in half lengthwise and scoop out the soft inner dough. Place them on the broiler rack and toast for about 2 minutes per side.

6. Put a few slices of tomato into the well in the bottom of each rolls. Dust with black pepper and jalapeno pepper. Place 4 basil leaves, 4 arugula leaves, and 4 pieces of roasted pepper on each roll. Layer on slices of eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and onion. Coat the inside of the remaining half of each roll with the dressing and place it on top of the vegetables. Cut each baguette into 3 sandwiches.

7. Roasting Bell Peppers: Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, core and remove seeds. Put the sliced peppers, cut side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and place on the rack of a preheated broiler. Broil for about 5 minutes, until the skin blisters and the peppers are blackened. Transfer the roasted peppers to a tightly-sealed plastic bag, close it, and leave them for 10 to 15 minutes. When cool, the charred skin can be easily removed from the peppers and discarded.

[LGBurns]

MHamilton, I have one word for you "Moosewood."

Okay -- I have more words http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif :

The whole series is very good, but for a CL reader I would especially recommend "Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites" (try the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos, too yummy for words). I also have "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" which are all recipes that can be cooked in less than an hour (many in less than 30 minutes). Another Moosewood recommendation is "Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special." I highly recommend the tostada salad, (minus the Chipolte Sour Cream which is way too fattening and unnecessary as far as I'm concerned). My final Moosewood recommendation is "Sundays at Moosewood" which is organized by national cuisine and has some really interesting recipes as well as informative essays on the national cuisines at the beginning of each section. Most of the books have nutritional information for each recipe so you can see at a glance whether they're low fat or not (be sure to look, vegetarian doesn't necessarily guarantee low fat). Some of the books also have the recipes listed by categories in the back (e.g., vegan, low-fat, kid friendly, for company, etc.).

As you can see, I cannot praise these books highly enough. Although my husband and I are not officially vegetarian we lived in a vegetarian community for two years and almost never cook meat at home. In combination with CL, I hardly ever look anywhere else for recipes.

Hope this was helpful!

[Shirley Panek]

I just got a book (yesterday) from the library called The Vegetarian Grill (200 Recipes for Inspired Flame-Kissed Meals) by Andrea Chesman.

I've just tried one of the recipes so far - Fusilli with Marinated Summer Vegetables - and it was really tasty!

Some of the other recipes look great too. In fact, I'm going to try a grilled tofu recipe. Maybe this will get me over my "fear" of tofu. (Although I'll eat it in miso soup and dips).

I'd also recommend the Moosewood books that LGBurns recommended. I have all of them (including the Moosewood Book of Desserts). Isn't dessert a vegetable? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif



[This message has been edited by Shirley Panek (edited 08-23-2000).]

[lorilei]

My husband and I eat extensively vegetarian, so I would be more than happy to share. I have a virtual library of recipes, so let me know if there's something specific you're craving.

Some of our favorite staple meals are:

* Portabella burgers with spinach salad
* vegetable sandwiches on focaccia with herb mayonnaise or tomato pesto
* Baked polenta with sauce & veggies ( just last night we had polenta with chipotle cream over garlic spinach)
* vegetable quiche or souffle
* stir fry
* vegetable fajitas
* vegetarian enchiladas

Oh, there are more than I can count!
I have a love affair going with vegetables http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[valeriek]

I only eat vegetarian at home and I can't sing the praises of Moosewood enough either. I just got the Moosewood Daily Specials though, so I haven't had a chance to try anything out of there yet. CL is actually a pretty decent source as well.

[Connie]

I too like the Moosewood cookbooks. I also have Vegetarian Times' Low-Fat and Fast series (pasta, mexican, asian and a general book). Those are good.

Lorilei,
Your polenta with chipolte cream over garlic spinach sounds wonderful!! Where is the recipe from, and can you share it? Thanks! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[lorilei]

Originally posted by Connie:
Lorilei,
Your polenta with chipolte cream over garlic spinach sounds wonderful!! Where is the recipe from, and can you share it? Thanks! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Connie -
I'm almost embarassed. This recipe is just TOO quick and TOO easy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif It's particularly easy if you buy a tube of polenta. The chipotle cream is based on a Mollie Katzen recipe which she serves with corn fritters or patties. The recipe overall is something I came up with as a last minute meal.

POLENTA w/ CHIPOTLE CREAM OVER SPINACH
serves 2-3 as light meal

1 tube polenta, sliced
1/2 bag fresh spinach, washed
1 T olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1-2 chipotle chilies
1-2 tsp adobo sauce

Preheat oven to 375. Slice polenta relatively thinly and lay on greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned.

Meanwhile, prepare spinach. Chop spinach, if desired. Heat olive oil over medium heat until hot (not smoking). Add minced garlic and saute 1-2 minutes, just until tender. Add spinach, toss with garlic and oil and cook until wilted. Cover if you like.

Serve polenta over spinach and topped with chipotle cream.

To make chipotle cream: Finely chop chipotle peppers. Mix peppers, sour cream and adobo sauce to taste. 2-3 peppers makes a relatively hot sauce.

[phantomcg]

Lorilei:

I think your polenta w/ chipolte cream over garlic spinach sounds wonderful!!! I have only recently "discovered" polenta (and have only tried the tube kind so far) and I have been wanting to try some different recipes with it.

Thanks!!

Cheryl

[BeckyM]

See my topic titled "Crock Pot Black Bean & Rice Soup" for that recipe and a couple other non-meat, low-fat recipes for the Crock Pot. They all call for chicken or beef broth, but I imagine vegetable broth can be easily substituted.

I personally have made the Black Bean soup, and I love it! And now that I'm looking through that cookbook, I'll have to try a few of the others as well! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Connie]

Lorilei,

Thanks for that recipe; it sounds good! I think I will try to make it this week; I have not made up my menu for the week yet. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif I might substitute swiss chard from my sister's garden for the spinach.