Subject: RE: Need vegetarian meat recipes to satisfy carnivore friends

From: [email-masked] (Tim Ikeda)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 1994 22:29:11 GMT

I'm told by a coworker that Quorn is supposedly a great substitute
for the texture of meat (which for me is the biggest part of "meat
craving").  In Minneapolis, I've had a great vietnamese mock duck
dish that used TVP and was an excellent substitute for the real thing
(even better than the real thing).  I not looking for the same taste
as meat, just the same firm texture.

- Regards,  Tim Ikeda ([email-masked])

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From: [email-masked] (Melissa B. Koch)
Date: 4 Mar 94 14:21:30 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (G.E.Brookhart) writes:

[Deleted to Save Bandwidth - Marty B. Co-moderator for r.f.v.c.]
 
|> Also, on the Italian/pasta scene is lasagna, manicotti with 
|> cheese filling, ravioli with cheese, meatless and (even
|> potentially cheeseless) pizza
|> 
|> Loads of soups and vegetable stews are out there.
|> 
|> Load your friends up on good bread and salad too.
|> 

And spanikopita.

I am not a vegetarian, I just like a lot of vegetarian dishes ;), but
we are frequently entertained by another non-vegetarian couple and
*seldom* have meat-based entrees.  The vegetarian lasagne, orange
pasta and spanikopita we have eaten there are some of my favorite
meals!!  And they are very elegant meals, too, I think.  I'm never
disappointed!

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From: [email-masked] (Stephanie da Silva)
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 1994 18:48:12 GMT

Here are some vegetarian dishes that appeal to me, a fairly resolute omnivore 
(even tho I only eat meat about half the time, I really have no desire to give
it up).  These run towards my tastes, southern dishes, on the spicy side,
adjust to your liking, of course.  The vegetarian chili is wonderful!  I could 
eat it all day, I think.

Vegetarian Chili

2 cups water, or veg stock
3/4 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions 1 cup diced polblano peppers
1 cup diced red or yellow bell peppers  (oh, go for the color, put in some
  of each)
1 cup diced celery
lots and lots of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried coriander
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 bay leaf
4 chopped green serranos
2 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups cooked pintos
1 small can corn
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
an entire bunch of chopped fresh cilantro (tho if you're one of those who 
 thinks cilantro tastes like soap, leave it out or use parsley)

In a big pot, saute the carrots, onions, peppers, garlic and celery in a 
water, stock or wine until soft.  Add the spices, chiles, tomatoes, beans
and stock and simmer for a while.  Add more liquid if it gets too dry.  Add 
the corn and simmer until heated through.  Right before serving, stir in the 
vinegar and cilantro.  Serve with rice or with corn tortillas or witha salad 
or bread (or all of them!).

Veggie Red Beans and Rice

[I just take a regular recipe and leave out the sausage.  I'll add a couple 
 chipotles or four to add in a smoky flavour, but if that's too spicy for 
 you, then leave them out.]

2 cups dried red beans (kidney beans are not red beans, but they'll do if
 you can't find small red beans, cranberry beans'll do too), soaked overnight
1 tbsp salt
4 onions, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
lots and lots of chopped garlic
1 poblano, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (or yellow)
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro (or use parsley)  (can you tell I'm a cilantro
  freak?)
1 tsp cayenne (or leave out if you use chipotles)
few shakes Tabasco (or leave out if you use chipotles)
few shakes Worcestershire
1 diced tomato
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf

Put the beans in a big pot, add 2 quarts water and salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and and simmer, skimming occasionally, for 45 minutes.  Add
the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking until beans are tender and
liquid is thick.  (Red beans and rice is supposed to be creamy and to get this
effect, you should take a potato masher or something and smash down on about
1/3 of the beans).  Serve over white rice.

Black Bean Enchiladas

[These are a little more exotic, but are still excellent.]

1 cup black beans
1 cup red beans (or use all black beans, or 1/3 red, black & pintos), 
  soaked overnight
6 cups water or veg stock
1 bay leaf
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 small can corn
1 cup diced poblanos
1 cup diced red bell pepper (or yellow or both)
lots and lots of chopped garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
4 chopped serranos
salt to taste
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (or parsley)

In a big pot, combine the beans, water, and bay leaf.  Bring to boil,
reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so until tender.  Add the tomatoes,
onion, corn, peppers, garlic, cumin and chiles.  Simmer for 15 minutes, add
the cilantro.  

Take flour tortillas (or corn, but dip them in some stock to soften, or
nuke them), fill with 1/2 cup of the beans and roll, placing seam side down
in a dish.  Nuke (or bake) until hot.  Pour more beans over, and tomatillo
salsa, garnish with sour cream.

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From: [email-masked] (Barbara Hlavin)
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 05:22:38 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Bradley J Barborak <[email-masked]> wrote:
>I am a omnivore with a vegetarian partner. 

So am I.

>We have experimented with different 
>things and there are many disappointing meat substitutes.  

Just tonight I picked up a package of something called "the Original
Gardenburger" (at the edge of the package it says "Gardenchef (tm) Paul
Wenner" in case that means anything to anyone).  I'd never seen it in the
store before but the ingredients sounded pretty good so I picked up a pack
for dinner.  There are four patties per package at a cost of approximately
80 cents per patty.  140 calories per serving with 2.5 grams of fat (about
16%, or 22 calories).

They're pre-baked and quick to prepare: only 10 minutes in a conventional 
oven.  

The ingredients are: mushrooms, brown rice, onions, rolled oats, part-skim
mozzarella, cottage cheese curd, egg white, cheddar cheese, bulgur wheat,
natural seasonings and spices, olive oil, tapioca starch, vegetable gum. 

Madhu pronounced them absolutely delicious and ate two.  He wants to buy 
more and take them for lunches.  

I ate half a bag of potato chips earlier in the day, so in prudence or
penance had only an artichoke for dinner and can't give a personal opinion
(and after all: Madhu is the vegetarian and I guess it's his opinion that
would count.  I should have at least had a bite, though, so I could Report
Subjectively). 

Morningside Farms (is that right?) makes a sausage that's pretty good, 
but it's very high fat and also leaves an aftertaste that seems to linger 
for ten or eleven hours no matter how much toothpaste you use.

--Barbara

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From: [email-masked] (Todd R Johnson)
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 22:03:42 GMT

We have been eating vegetarian chili made from a boxed mix from
Fantastic Foods. We add kidney beans and tomato to round it out. Of
all of the vegetarian chili's this one seems closest to meat-based
chili. The key ingrediant seems to be textured vegetable protein. I've
tried other kinds (such as the Moosewood recipe), but they all taste
bland or too grainy.

My questions are: Where can I buy TVP and what is the fat content? The
box mix does not contain nutrition information. In addition, I'd
prefer making the chili from scratch.

As other posters have noted, I have also found that vegetarian food is
better accepted when it is something that is thought of as a standard
dish. Potato soup is good example. It's very filling and a pretty
common dish (at least in my family). However, it helps to branch out
into other kinds of food. Indian vegetarian cooking is very filling
and tastes quite good. Our favorite is a spicy rice with vegetables
along with a dry potato and pea curry. By experimenting, we were able
to cut down the oil to a minimum. The rice is served separately, so,
if you are so inclined, you can provide separate meat and vegetarian
dishes to go on top of it. (We are not vegetarians, we just try to eat
mostly vegetarian food.) We have found that many non-vegetarians like
the rice by itself.

	---Todd

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From: [email-masked] (David Nedved)
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 1994 04:41:55 GMT

I have found that one of the best pizzas period just happens to be vetarian:

Pizza with sauce, cheese, and artichoke hearts (canned)

The rest of my family who are omnivorous (sp) all love this one.
-- 
David Nedved
Department of Computer Science, Clemson University
HOME: (803)654-8408

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From: [email-masked] (Tim Ikeda)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 1994 22:29:11 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Melissa B. Koch)
Date: 4 Mar 94 14:21:30 GMT

And spanikopita.

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From: [email-masked] (Stephanie da Silva)
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 1994 18:48:12 GMT

Vegetarian Chili

Black Bean Enchiladas

1 cup black beans

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From: [email-masked] (Barbara Hlavin)
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 05:22:38 GMT

So am I.

--Barbara

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From: [email-masked] (Todd R Johnson)
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 22:03:42 GMT

---Todd

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From: [email-masked] (David Nedved)
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 1994 04:41:55 GMT

---

From: [email-masked] (Barbara Zimmerman)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 14:55:53 GMT

Todd R Johnson ([email-masked]) wrote:

: We have been eating vegetarian chili made from a boxed mix from
: Fantastic Foods. We add kidney beans and tomato to round it out. Of
: all of the vegetarian chili's this one seems closest to meat-based
: chili. The key ingrediant seems to be textured vegetable protein. I've
: tried other kinds (such as the Moosewood recipe), but they all taste
: bland or too grainy.

: My questions are: Where can I buy TVP and what is the fat content? The
: box mix does not contain nutrition information. In addition, I'd
: prefer making the chili from scratch.

If you do not have a local health food store, then you can get tvp either 
plain or flavored from 1-800-8-FLAVOR.  This is the Archer Daniels 
Midland vegetarian division.  My favorite are the burger mix and the taco 
mix.  

If you do not want to order immediatley, they will send you a catalogue.  
Fat content will vary.

[email-masked]
-- 
Barbara Zimmerman                    Cotati in Northern California
   Worry is not preparation         Veggies, not violence
        How you do anything is how you do everything

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From: [email-masked] (MANGI)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 16:25:55 GMT

>If you do not want to order immediatley, they will send you a catalogue.  
Here is a great recipe for veggie sloppy joes that will leave your 
carnivore friends begging for more. 

I appologize ahead of time for being the grandson of a great Sicilian 
cook and not using many measuring utensils...use your judgement - the key 
to cooking is knowing how much you should use...

mix TVP with hot water and let soak - use a bit more water than tvp.
get a good not stick (not teflon!) cast iron pan, or a Calphlon <== the best
hot, but not burning. 
Brown TVP after it soaks for a solid 15 minutes. Use a little oil, and try
to get a good golden brown color, this makes the whole difference.
Two cups of tvp will make enough for 4-5 hungry people.

Meanwhile, in another pan cook up a small onion diced with some peppers, 
hot and bell peppers, depending on your taste.
when the TVP is cooked (about 20 minutes) add the veggies.
Mix and add ---
   1/2 Ketchup 1/2 tomato paste
       --you can use some tomato sauce if you prefer - get that good 
high school cafe texture.
   Mix and add seasonings -- here is where you need to use your judgement
   Chili Powder -> the dominate flavor, be sure to use a good amount
   Cayenne pepper
   Garlic Powder
   A bit of sweet paprika
   Oregano
   salt and pepper.

I use a heavy hand, but that's just me. Experiment - you won't miss the meat.

Rick