anyone a vegetarian?

[VOW]

To Karen:

Congratulations on your healthy lifestyle, even though it wasn't exactly by choice!

I'm certainly cooking in a more healthy fashion since my daughter became vegetarian, and truthfully, it is something that I could probably embrace. My husband, the Caveman, and my son, Caveman Jr, though, would shrivel up and die without their daily allotment of animal protein.

I could PROBABLY embrace complete vegetarianism, IF I could have occasional "treats" of dead cow and roast pork. <swoon> Sometimes, you know, you just GOTTA have a steak!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

Hi VOW,
I am doing this...no meat so far...and I am getting hooked on the dried mango at Trader Joes, it has no sugar and no sulphur dioxide...and it is really good...also love the pineapple rings, only ingredient "dried pineapple" and I am actually going back to Trader Joes today for more goodies...I didn't particularly care for their Minestrone soup, but I LOVED their butternut squash soup, oh VOW it is so delicious! I also went to Hadleys and I bought alot of fruit, some cheese, some breads, and whole wheat pasta and of course I could not leave without buying their famous dates, the ones I bought are called honeyball dates and they are so wonderful...I highly reccomend them to you! YUMMY! oh and also, I have given up soda completely...this is what I do, I mix 1/4 cup juice (any juice, grape, cranberry, pineapple, and pomegranite are my favorites) with 3/4 cup seltzer water or any carbonated water and it is really good! I don't know if they carry pomegranite juice in a lot of stores, but Trader Joes does! and they have a bunch of mixed juices that are excellent! My 5 year old likes this with apple juice, it just tastes like apple soda, but no sugar involved! and I have been drinking tons of herbal teas, any and all I can get my hands on, I especially like the celestial seasonings fruity teas...and I am now hooked on the soy milk at Trader Joes...the chocolate, vanilla, and coffee are my favorites! so I am getting my protein and I am becoming obsessed with almonds, but I am limiting those as well! there are these giant ones at where else???Trader Joes....so it is going well, thank you for all the yummy recipes everyone and my friend has not smoked since so we are doing this and tomorrow, I am going to the orange county marketplace with my daughter, we go there to buy all of our fruits and vegetables from the growers, last time, I got 10 mangoes for $1.00, so the prices...you can't beat them, and everything is so fresh! Thanks again, and I will keep you updated!
Amie
PS VOW you would LOVE the marketplace...

 

[VOW]

To Amie:

What time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow AM, so we can go shopping at the marketplace???????




Peace be with you,
~VOW

(PS If you want to try a REALLY delicious snack, get some dried pears! Better than CANDY! And pick up the Good Earth decaffeinated tea at your local market. Naturally sweet, incredible when poured over ice!)

 

[amie]

you and I are definately going to have to go sometime! you would love it! yummy! are cherries in season?

 

[VOW]

To Amie:

Cherries should come into season at the end of this month, or early next month.

And I'd love to go to the OC Marketplace with you! We'll have to make it a date sometime! Then I'll take you to the Loma Linda market and you can have fun checking out all the meatless items there!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

Sounds great! we'll plan it out and go sometime next month! yes, then off to Loma Linda! Can't wait! Love and blessings!
Amie

 

[allieisme]

Originally posted by Avila
Amie!!

Have you tried falafel? They even sell the mixes in the grocery stores (not as good as made from scratch, but not bad). You can serve those in pitas with some tahini, yogurt sauce (also known as tzatziki), and some veggies.

My Dh and I like hummus too. That is really simple.

cooked chickpeas (a cup or 2)
olive oil (prob 1-2 Tbsp)
lemon juice (less than a Tbsp)
minced garlic (1-3 cloves)
cumin (1 tsp?)
coriander (1 tsp?)
cayenne (1/4 tsp?)
salt
pepper

blend chickpeas, olive oil and a splash of lemon juice until a peanut-buttery consistency (a little thinner). add garlic and spices to taste. Somebody suggested to me to add in a dab of plain yogurt too. This is excellent with pitas, on bagels, or with carrot sticks.

If you are looking for a soup cookbook, try "12 Months of Monastery Soups" They are largely vegetarian, as it is written by a monk, and they do not eat much meat in his convent.

Whats DH? I really need to get this computer lingo down.. sorry

 

[amie]

Dear Husband...

 

[allieisme]

ohhhhh...thanks amie

 

[VOW]

To Allie:

You'll also see DD (Dear Daughter), DS (Dear Son), MIL (Mother In Law), FIL (Father In Law), and other variations of the same.

IIRC= If I Recall Correctly

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary


To Amie: I'm looking forward to our adventure!!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

I know VOW! FUN!!!!!

 

[VOW]

To Amie:

Here's a great place to check for ANY kind of recipe, including vegetarian!

http://www.recipesource.com/


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

Thanks VOW you are the best...I just tried "chickenless nuggets" from Trader Joes...yummy! made with soy but soooo good even my 5 year old liked them!
Amie

 

[susabean]

My brother makes this, and it is soooo good. It is not vegan, but can be
made vegan by substituting potato water and oil for the milk and butter.

Tofu layer:
1 cake tofu, frozen, thawed, and shredded
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1-2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

Potato layer

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
salt to taste
[save the potato water for the gravy]

Mushroom gravy
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups hot potato water
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

Freeze the tofu the day before and thaw first in refrigerator, then let sit
at room temp.

Saute the onion in the oil with the thyme, coriander, and black pepper until
the onions are translucent. Stir in the chopped walnuts and shredded tofu.
When heated through, stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Remove from heat.

For the mashed potatoes, place the cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover
with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes
are soft. drain, saving the water. Mash the potatoes with the butter and
milk and salt.

For the gravy, heat the oil in skillet. Stir in the mushrooms, soy sauce,
and black pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are
tender. Add 1 1/2 cups of the potato water and bring to a boil. Slowly
stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook at a low boil, continuing to stir
until the gravy is clear and thick.

Oil a 9" square casserole dish or use a 10" round cast-iron skillet. Layer
the tofu mixture, then the mushroom gray, and then the mashed potatoes. Dot
the top with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until the top
becomes golden.

Serves 4

Blessings,
Tammy

 

[amie]

Thanks susabean!
sounds delicious! I am doing this! yay! but better than that, my friend has stopped smoking!
Amie

 

[ZiSunka]

I'm not a vegetarian, but since I learned that adults only need 2.3 ounces of meat a day to get all the protein they need, I cut way back on meat consumption, and I have many vegetarian meals each week.

 

[VOW]

::: happy dancie for Amie's friend ::::


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

good for you lambslove and VOW...you crack me up!
Amie

 

[VOW]

Hey, Amie!

I fixed a family favorite last night, which is easily adaptable to vegetarian. It's called "Atomic Pasta" and a good friend gave me the recipe.

In a big saucepan, put a little bit of oil (I prefer olive oil). In the oil, add chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. (can't really give amounts here, just "to taste") After that has simmered a little bit over low heat, you can start to add chopped fresh veggies. Celery and onion are ALWAYS good starters. Then add a can of diced tomatoes, JUICE AND ALL.

In order of "tough" vegetables first, add any and all of the following veggies, chopped:
Green beans
Summer squash
Carrots
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Mushrooms
(you get the idea)
Frozen veggies are okay, but fresh is better. In a pinch, canned will work, but try not to use TOO many canned veggies. I can definitely recommend canned artichoke hearts, though!!

When veggies are done, cook rainbow rotelle and drain well. You can either stir the pasta into the veggies, or serve the veggies over the pasta.

This freezes like a dream and makes GREAT lunches!!

Enjoy!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[amie]

VOW,
you are a dream come true...and I agree canned artichokes! YUMMY! can't wait to make this, sounds divine!
Amie