Vegetarian Recipies Please?

[FurryFury]

I highly recommend using the things made by Morning Star farms. They have veggie bacon, burgers, all sorts of things. They might be a little pricey. I think a thing of bacon is almost $4.00 these days. They call em breakfast strips or some such. My kids love them.

Folic acid, iron and B vitamins are very good things to have on hand. I rarely take them except when I feel run down, but I used to have anemic issues (when I was about 95 pounds) in high school. I've been a veggie all my life though. When I say veggie I mean the lacta ova type. That means, I don't do meat, fish or fowl. I do eat dairy products and eggs though. There are so many types of vegetarians.

For your child this is likely just a passing phase and I wouldn't worry about it too much. If she has been raised eating meat, she will probably go back to it.

People can know me for years and never figure out that I am a veggie, even after dates and lunches. I just don't advertise. I learned a long time ago people fear what they are not used to, when they fear you, they often get nasty. I make do with what is available at gatherings or restaurants and don't go around fussing about how I haven't been accommodated. Heaven forbid, my momma sure didn't raise me to be rude like that!

My kids are being raised eating meat and my veggie dishes. I would never raise a child the way I was. Often they prefer my food though. I order some imitation meats directly from the factory by the cases. If you want more recipes or info on imitation meat companies, just PM me.

If your child is a teen I would certainly put most of the onus onto her for fixing her own main dishes.

I'm always happy to help if I can!

Good luck with this, I know a lot of folks stress over it, but it doesn't have to be that big of a deal.

 

[cantdog]

Sorry I came off harsh, I was trying to be sure you didn't make it an issue, once the initial shock wore off. You should ahve seen my wife about this when my daughter went vegetarian. She made some mistakes about it.

Anyway, I'm glad she (your daughter) will be learning more about cooking. It is not just a life skill, as in feeding yourself more cheaply, but it is an enduring joy to cook. Vegetables are where the flavor is, anyway. No meat ever had the kind of wham a pepper or a clove or a clove of garlic has. And colors! woof. No, it's all good. For me, there is more satiety value to meat. It feels like you ate something, in a non-scientific way. A totally veg meal will be perfectly great, but still somehow unsatisfying. Maybe it's just my upbringing or what I've gotten used to all this time. But I love cooking like that. It's made me more conscious of what's in things.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Salad

Oh, it sounds like an obvious one. But look at the truth of it. Doctors are constantly telling us to eat more leafy greens, and why? Because most people don't eat them. This is a way of making salad that got me eating it by the bucketful.

(1) Greens. I go with the mixed, washed "spring mix" greens. They have a variety of flavor and texture that vastly improves the experience. You may like something different, but this is the first step: try several kinds of greens and lettuce until you learn what you like.

(2) Fresh herbs. My aunt got me going with this, and this is the really key part. I watched her go out to her garden and come back with a fistful of fresh herbs for a large mixed salad. I asked what she had and she said, "Oh, parsely, mint, basil - whatever was up." I was surprised, especially at the mint. But the salad was fantastic. I've tried many variants since and have come to the conclusion that pretty much any combination works. Cilantro is wonderful, rosemary, sage, tarragon - anything you can buy fresh or grow in your garden. If you're on a budget, most grocery stores will sell you a bunch of parsley or cilantro as large as you can possibly use for under a dollar. Chop the herbs fine and scatter them over the greens.

(If you absolutely have to, you can try dried herbs, but it's the fresh ones that make the salad work.)

(3) Vegetables and /or fruit. I like the old fashioned basics - tomato, onion, perhaps a few radishes or a little raw zucchini or yellow squash. My aunt does these, but she also uses strawberries, peaches, apple - whatever takes her fancy. It's all good. You can throw in a handful of nuts if it suits you, as well.

(4) Seasoning. This works great for me - loads of flavor with very little salt or oil (which I don't like in jarred dressings):

- 1 minced clove garlic
- 2 large green olives, minced
- 1 or two teaspoons good balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- A sprinkling of good grated Italian cheese - Parmesan or Romano

Sprinkle it all over the salad, toss, and serve.

I can make this salad in my sleep now, and it's a good thing, because it's fantastic. It's the kind of thing you can eat every meal for a week and not tire of. Plus, of course, it's easy to vary with a few changes in herbs, vegetables, etc.

It's a great "building block" for vegetarians as well. You can throw in some chick peas and onions (they go well together and with the seasoning above), or mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, you've got a substantial meal that is fresh, light, and very good. Once you've tried that, you can modify - use parsley and lots of cilantro for the herbs, then add tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese and thawed frozen corn, and salsa for the seasoning. Or use minced fresh ginger and garlic with bean sprouts, slivered raw carrot, mushrooms and sesame seeds, and dress it with soy sauce mixed with a little sesame oil and a drop of honey. You can go all over the place.

Shanglan

 

[JamesSD]

My vegetarian ex girlfriend introduced me to "Smartmeats" which are basically soy products seasoned and flavored to taste like meat. I love the little chicken and beef strips in particular, and I'm a definite omnivore who could never give up real meat. Obviously better if she's more about the health or not killing animals as opposed to say hating the taste of animal flesh.

There are a lot of things you can cook and then add the meat at the end for those who want it. A bit of extra work, but better than making two separate entrees.

 

[Guest]

so, last night because i was so fricken tense and upset about work, i made some frozen pizza...however...i made a huge and wonderfully filled salad. lots of spinach leaves and cheddar cheese... kamata olives, carrots, onions... it was very tasty and i do believe that my daughter and i ate nearly the entire salad and left the pizza for other peeps.
i think this is bringing my daughter and i closer. im glad shes made this decision. shes tried to do it before but i just couldnt give it the attention it deserved and she couldnt make it. theres something different about this time. call it mother's instinct, but im fairly sure this time might be for good if not for a lengthy period of time.
shell be going off to college next year. i hope that this summer, with your recipe help, that i'll be able to send her with some cooking and health smarts.
ive said it before
ill say it again
you people are wonderful and the recipes are all in a folder on my desktop for easy access.

more, please?

 

[SensualCealy]

Hey Girly Girl,

This is not intended to be Vegetarian but tastes great, and as a mom you have to be a bit sneaky to get things in without her knowing. Not meat, but stuff she may not like if she knows she is eating it.

Veggie Lasagna

Lasagna Noodles
spinach (bag of chopped or two/ three frozen pkgs)
garlic (smashed and diced tiny)
cottage cheese (med/ large tub)
tofu (diced in small cottage cheese size pieces)
eggs 2
salt /pepper
feta cheese- 5 bucks worth
mozzarella ( abag or a brick I dont measure)

* cook the noodles
use olive oil and coat the pan you are cooking it in 13"x 9'
mix the tofu, cottage cheese, feta, and egg, add garlic, salt and pepper.
Once all combined add the spinach, you can used cooked or fresh doesnt matter.
Layer noodles and spinach/cheese mixture and mozza. Top layer noodles and mozza. You could add milk or tomato juice, NOT both for extra liquid if you like, usually the cottage cheese and tofu has enough that it doesnt dry out.
~~~~~~
I do alot of stuffed tomatoes and red peppers too. Im not sure of what its called, I can find out for you though, there is a veggie protein alot of my Weight Watcher friends use. You put olive oil in a pan with onions, garlic, diced carrot, celery, add the previously soaked veggie protein with a couple cups of the reserved veggie stock you soaked it in. Let it simmer a bit then add a couple cups of instant rice. Put a lid on it and turn it off.
While that is doing its thing, core the tomatoes or peppers, line a pan with foil wrap, when the rice mix is done, start stuffin!
sprinkle mozza and parmesan over top with some parsley or cilantro.
Think these are my kids favourite!

~~~~~~
The Sneaky Bean Dish

I cant find the recipe, as soon as my friend comes on yahoo, I will ask her for it, I know she has it! It is Brownies made with mashed kidney beans!!! They are great!

~~~~~~~

A soup that would be great for her if she can keep a small frig in her dorm is Weight Watcher approved .
At Mom's take a huge pot, toss in -
2-3 tins of tomatoes chopped.
1 large diced onion
1 full bunch of celery
3-4 cups of chopped carrot
1 head of broccoi
1 small head of cauliflower
1 family size package of french onion soup mix
*you can add a quarter of a head of cabbage if you like

Bring to a boil then let simmer until veggies soften.
Get a big relish jar and store in the fridg until all ate up.
On weight watchers its a free soup for when ever you get a hunger on.

Hope some of these help, I agree, anywhere you can sneak beans in where she wont taste them with all the seasonings is a good idea. Smash them up so they are unidentifyable. Spinach and swiss chard have tons of iron and calcium too (I think) Something I had last night that was fantastic, was tummeric rice, an Indian dish I got at the bulk store. I will be sure to by lots more of that. I tossed in soaked rasins, and a few sweated onions to bulk it up a bit.
Good luck to Kat and to Mom, make it a challenge and get Kat to make one meal a week for the whole family!
Lots of love,
c

 

[lil_elvis]

The Sneaky Bean Dish

Sounds ominous.

 

[SensualCealy]

Okay now I have to go look for it, you dont believe me that they are good, you have to make them and see!
lol
C

 

[SensualCealy]

Okay, I cant find it on my files or in my files, so I asked my girlfriend that I got it from and she doesnt have it, she goes by memory on it.
Now we are emailing another friend to see if she has it.

 

[Kassiana]

It isn't low fat, but it's good.

Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce

Chop an onion, a red bell pepper, and a carrot.

Fry in olive oil.

When nearly cooked, add a good-sized glob of peanut butter. (No, really. Trust me.)

When the peanut butter has liquefied, add tomato sauce and regular spices (we like garlic, seasoned salt, basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme) to taste.

Pour over spaghetti noodles.