I consider myself to be a decent cook, but most of my bread and butter dishes are focused around some type of meat, and I recently started dating somewhat of a vegetarian. (She eats seafood but no beef, chicken, pork, etc.)

So basically I'd like to broaden my cooking horizons and would love to learn about some of your go-to veggie-centric dishes. I'm interested in any and all ideas including appetizers, sides, snacks, main dishes etc.

*Replies not limited exclusively to vegetarians

**If this thread is a success, nudes will be posted on page 10!!!

8/4/2010 2:16:12 PM

You do know that even plants eat dead animals?

8/4/2010 2:18:33 PM

YOU TELL THAT DUMB BROAD THAT FISH HAVE FEELINGS TOO

8/4/2010 2:18:37 PM

sometimes i'll make spaghetti w/ squash and zucchini instead of ground beef or italian sausage

8/4/2010 2:19:39 PM

this thread would have met better success in the lounge

however, under the premise that helping you will actually PREVENT ** from happening:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/everyday-cooking/vegetarian/Main.aspx

8/4/2010 2:21:03 PM

brussels sprouts have parents too

friggin' homewrecker

8/4/2010 2:22:03 PM

Do you need detailed recipes or just ideas? Depends on how good you are with cooking by intuition.

The first things that come to mind:
Veggie soups like minestrone, split pea, lentil, navy bean
Quinoa and black beans
Tofu stir fry with veggies
Sweet potato burritos
Egg and vegetable scrambles
Succotash and veggie gumbo and things like that are really good at this time of year because you can get super fresh stuff from the farmers market
Spaghetti squash with whatever sauce you like and Parmesan

8/4/2010 2:22:24 PM

continue using meat and tell her its tofu

8/4/2010 2:22:49 PM

i think there is a vegetarian thread somewhere

PAGING [user]skwinle[/user]

it might be in the lounge. i can't remember.

8/4/2010 2:23:08 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=519276 is the big one in the Lounge. It has a ton of desserts but also some good main dish ideas.

message_topic.aspx?topic=572759 also to an extent

8/4/2010 2:23:51 PM

Are you a full blown vegetarian or can you still eat things like chicken, sausage and pork?

8/4/2010 2:24:17 PM

^^ came here to post those and to page Skwinkle

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:24 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2010 2:24:24 PM

Quote :

"It has a ton of desserts but also some good main dish ideas."

how convenient. it can be quite difficult to come up with a vegetarian dessert.

i just couldn't figure out how to make a chocolate cake without the steak.

8/4/2010 2:26:38 PM

Also if she does eat fish she shouldn't advertise herself as vegetarian because that leads other people to nag people who don't eat fish about why they don't eat fish because vegetarians are "allowed to."

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:28 PM. Reason : ^ Most of those are vegan. It is more difficult to make a dessert without butter or eggs]

8/4/2010 2:27:25 PM

Yeah right, Lisa.
A wonderful, magical animal.

8/4/2010 2:27:53 PM

pescatarians ITT

8/4/2010 2:27:56 PM

Ever had apple pie without bacon bits?

Its disgusting

8/4/2010 2:28:29 PM

My ex called herself a vegetarian but ate fish. Never really understood that, but didn't question it.

8/4/2010 2:28:58 PM

i think calling yourself a vegetarian even when you eat fish is easier than explaining "pescatarian" to people who haven't heard of it

a lot of people inquiring about your diet and why you are doing what you do are probably a little bit ignorant and don't understand why someone would choose to be a vegetarian or vegan in the first place, so i think its just easier to say vegetarian. even if you still eat fish.

obviously i only mean this for retarded people. obviously YOU know what that means so she could have used the proper term around you.

i also agree with this, but theres just no getting it across to some people.

Quote :

"Also if she does eat fish she shouldn't advertise herself as vegetarian because that leads other people to nag people who don't eat fish about why they don't eat fish because vegetarians are "allowed to." "

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:33 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2010 2:31:30 PM

^ but then it leads to things like people who select the "vegetarian" option at someone's wedding being served fish because they know people who say they are vegetarian and still eat it and they don't know any better. I don't see why you'd want to perpetuate the ignorance by calling yourself something you aren't.

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:33 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2010 2:32:57 PM

I tell people I'm a transsexual Nazi Eskimo, but I'm really not.

I have no Eskimo blood at all!

8/4/2010 2:34:36 PM

Actually, now that I think about it I think she used to say that she "doesn't eat meat other than fish." Not actually using the word vegetarian. Anyway... back on topic.

8/4/2010 2:35:00 PM

^^^ thats true

but it also gets tiring having to explain every meal you eat to someone or why you don't eat meat or seafood. i mean if i see someone eating meat i don't jump all over them about what they are doing (i'm not vegetarian anymore or pescatarian, but just from previous experience).

you aren't going to cure an ignorant person who isn't willing to listen or try to understand by using the correct term. if there is someone genuinely interested, sure. but a lot of people who feel the need to incessantly inquire about your meals aren't genuinely interested and aren't going to ever understand. i mean, my dad is like this. it doesn't matter how many times i explain the difference in vegetarian/pescatarian/vegan, he doesn't understand (well he is capable, but REFUSES to really listen) and just will never "get" why a person chooses a certain diet.

god we had a conversation about raw diets a few weeks ago. that was a giant

and that is anecdotal evidence but i've run into a LOT of people who are like this. its just frustrating and if they don't want to try to understand, they're never going to be cured of ignorance.

but i agree about the wedding. having a "vegetarian" option with fish is stupid and ignorant.

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:39 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2010 2:36:06 PM

In all fairness, she never told me she was a "vegetarian" but mainly just said she doesn't eat most meat. I guess that was my own interpretation, which I've just learned can strike a nerve with true vegetarians

I will definitely look at that Lounge thread....seems like there's a ton of ideas. I didn't realize this website had other sections outside of ChitChat

As far as cooking from intuition, I can on somewhat limited basis. I have never made soup myself, so I'd have to follow a recipe there, but some of the others you mentioned Skwinkle are definitely in my realm of ability...i.e. the spaghetti squash dish, sweet potato burritos, stir fry. I have a good feeling about this.

8/4/2010 2:36:57 PM

NyM pines for his lost lover ITT

8/4/2010 2:37:15 PM

I hate having to explain my epicurean endeavors to people. My digestive system just seems to interesting to all those around me.

8/4/2010 2:37:38 PM

lol, slave. not even in the least, trust me...

8/4/2010 2:37:56 PM

"I have to eat fish...it's my only way to get protein."

8/4/2010 2:39:47 PM

If you want particular recipes or have a certain kind of food in mind and I will find something for you. I just don't want to spend a bunch of time posting links to a couple dozen recipes when I have no idea if it's anything you'd be interested in.

And for those of you keeping score at home, as of last week I am no longer a vegetarian. I am not going to cook any meat at home, but getting the right nutrition is rough when I am not at home, so I have decided to eat limited amounts of fish and chicken under those circumstances. (OMG)

8/4/2010 2:40:12 PM

Quote :

"**If this thread is a success, nudes will be posted on page 10!!!"

Chit Chat's conversion to /b/: 65% complete

8/4/2010 2:41:27 PM

When you're not a vegetarian and you're cooking for a vegetarian, it's going to be easiest (and least foreign to you) to cook pasta dishes. Spinach lasagna, mushroom ravioli, primaveras, pesto, Alfredo, tomato basil sauces, etc. And many pasta dishes lend themselves to the addition of shrimp, mussels, clams, and other seafood.

And honestly, a lot of the substitute meats are not bad at all. I really like them and often choose them over the real deal.

-->Raised by a vegetarian mother.

8/4/2010 2:47:04 PM

^^^Cool, I appreciate it!

I guess stuff outside of my normal cooking approach would be most helpful for me. Stuff like casseroles, soups, gumbos (though i guess that's pretty simple) are all somewhat foreign for me.

Quote :

" And honestly, a lot of the substitute meats are not bad at all. I really like them and often choose them over the real deal. "

Nice, please to elaborate. I was wondering if they would be any reasonable substitute for turkey or beef in my chili recipe. It seems like an easy solution but didn't know how believable they were. Any particular meet substitutes you recommend?

8/4/2010 2:50:34 PM

You're right about pasta being easiest, but for that reason vegetarians pretty much always get pasta dishes as their vegetarian option when someone who eats meat is cooking for them. Which is good if you like pasta, I guess, but it's also fun to try new things and impressive when people show the creativity of looking for something new or different to make.

Which reminds me: stuffed portobello mushrooms are awesome. My boyfriend made those for me the first week we were dating and I was pretty dang impressed.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/fire-roasted-vegetarian-gumbo/Detail.aspx this is the basis of the gumbo I make. I don't worry about roasting the peppers though. And I don't use file powder. It's a good "throw in whatever you have around" recipe

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 2:53 PM. Reason : gumbo]

8/4/2010 2:51:38 PM

I have no problem with vegetarians

I have a huge problem with vegetarians who eat "meat substitutes".

If you don't want meat, fine, but don't try to find some cheap imitation instead.

It doesn't make any sense, like dykes using dildos.

8/4/2010 2:52:47 PM

Maybe they're creeped out by the veins.

8/4/2010 2:54:33 PM

You can find meat subsitutes in your freezer section of your grocery store. Morning Star Farms and Bocca make crumbles that are often substituted for ground beef.

8/4/2010 2:54:42 PM

^^ That's why I became vegetarian. Any hint of gristle or fat or bone or the like skeeves me out.

8/4/2010 2:55:38 PM

Yeah stay away from the pasta. You don't want her getting fat.

8/4/2010 2:55:43 PM

Anything with Morning Star Farms on it should be loaded into a cannon and fired into an active volcano as soon as possible.

8/4/2010 2:55:49 PM

lol at all the veggie-trolls...


-----------------------------

Fried Tofu
(for stir-fry)

Use firm tofu. Press the water out. Chop into large pieces. (About 12 pieces per pound)
Marinate in soy sauce and minced fresh ginger and garlic.
(Even better: Vacuum-seal the tofu pieces with the marinade; freeze, and thaw.)
Deep fry in small batches, (so the oil stays hot) until tofu is golden brown and crunchy.
(Use a large enough fryer or sauce-pan so that there's a few inches of space above the oil -- because the wet tofu will cause the oil to bubble up a bit.)
Drain fried tofu on paper towels. (At this point, they may be saved for later.)
Make a vegetable stir-fry. Add fried tofu. Add sauce. Enjoy.

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 3:01 PM. Reason : ]

8/4/2010 2:58:30 PM

^^ i like their black bean and corn burgers.

*shrug*

8/4/2010 3:00:35 PM

I've lost all respect for you.

8/4/2010 3:01:11 PM

Quote :

"I was wondering if they would be any reasonable substitute for turkey or beef in my chili recipe"

i often use ground deer in my chili



oh wait

8/4/2010 3:01:36 PM

^^ have you ever tried one?

i'm guessing not

[Edited on August 4, 2010 at 3:03 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2010 3:01:49 PM

Morning Star Farms makes a yummy corn dog.

8/4/2010 3:02:13 PM

^ Not anymore. It was discontinued.

8/4/2010 3:03:12 PM

Yeah actually we tried all the different meat substitutes a few years ago while on a health food kick. I liked some of the other brands ok, but MSF never let me down with it's shittiness.

8/4/2010 3:03:16 PM

i dunno about other MSF stuff but i like the black bean and corn burger. homemade bb and c burgers are better, clearly. but for a frozen thing, it isn't that bad. i add salsa and eat it out of the bun!

i got sick of them for awhile because when i was a vegetarian (an actual vegetarian) my mom was confused. and pretty much just bought 800 boxes of MSF black bean and corn burgers and that is what i had almost every meal.

but now i like them again!

8/4/2010 3:05:07 PM

Quote :

"Not anymore. It was discontinued."

Well, that explains why I can find it anymore. I just thought my HT had stopped carrying them.

8/4/2010 3:09:46 PM

Trader Joe's has a store brand version

8/4/2010 3:10:52 PM