Going Veggie

[teacake]

Whatever works! I use a lot of them so I cook up a pot. They keep well if they sit in the bean water (which you can use in stews or bread if you are so inclined).

The only canned beans I've used is chick peas for hummous, but my hand held blender thing broke so I haven't made that for a while which is a shame as I used to make it a a couple times a week.

[Kirkman1987]

My two best friends are vegan and vegetarian respectively, so I understand it a little bit. I enjoy meat too much and don't have ethical concerns about it, so I haven't given it up. I have found hanging out with them has led me to eat less meat than I used to. A lot of vegetarian dishes are fantastic, so once you work yourself into the lifestyle I'm sure you'll get by just fine. Best of Luck!

[ElimParra]

Best of luck John. I've got family members, who been or still vego.

I enjoy eating meat too much to actually consider it.

[teacake]

I'm not sure if you're eating seafood J.? This is what I'm eating right now, but you could easily substitute the prawns with tofu or another vegetable, zucchini would be good.

Brown rice, lightly steamed broccoli, prawns and red pepper. The prawns and red pepper are just swirled around a pan with a little oil and a glob of minced garlic to heat them so the peppers are crunchy. The stuff sprinkled on top is chillie shrimp and dried onion topping which I'm addicted to, nicely pungent and hot.

Other than the rice cooking time very quick and easy.

[Robert Maxwell]

thestrangequark wrote:

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^Is a slow cooker the same thing as a crock pot?

When I was a kid there was a year when our stove broke and my mom couldn't afford to fix it, so every hot meal we had was in from a crock pot!

I make a bitchin' vegetarian chili, if you want the recipe for that, J. It's easy to make, easy to modify, cost-effective, super nutritious, extra-diabetes friendly, and delicious!

Could I have that recipe? I'm curious how much it differs from my own vegetarian chili. (My girlfriend is vegetarian, so I do make veggie meals whenever I'm cooking for both of us.)

I love making things in my crock pot.

[lurok]

Some recipes I like to do:
Black bean soup (but you can practically spread it )
Lentil and mushroom soup
Stir fry
Mozzarella, basil and tomato salad
Pesto
Moussaka
Dahi Vada (love tamarind) - but I'd really like to learn how to make Bhel Poori.

[thestrangequark]

Robert Maxwell wrote:

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Could I have that recipe? I'm curious how much it differs from my own vegetarian chili. (My girlfriend is vegetarian, so I do make veggie meals whenever I'm cooking for both of us.)

I love making things in my crock pot.

It is a haphazard dish, and everything can be changed according to taste, I often use a combination of canned, fresh, and frozen beans and veggies, but it's up to the chef. Here is how I do it:

-In a large pot, saute a white onion and 3 or 4 cloves of diced garlic in olive oil.
-Add a small can of sliced green chilis.
-Add a chopped chayote squash and chopped green beans, maybe green and red bell pepper (any fresh or frozen veggies, canned veggies later)
-Add freshly ground black peppercorns (it makes a difference!)
-When it's nice and browned and smelling yummy, pour in: 3-5 cans of beans (I usually do red beans, black beans, and sometimes chickpeas), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can tomato paste, any other canned veggies you want.
-Add a dash of salt (more if your canned beans are unsalted or if you used dry beans), a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of sugar.
-Season to taste with: chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper
-If you really want to wow them, though less diabetic friendly, add 1 bottle of beer.

Cook as long as possible over low heat. The leftovers just get better and better as they sit in the fridge.

[Tora Ziyal]

thestrangequark wrote:

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It is a haphazard dish, and everything can be changed according to taste, I often use a combination of canned, fresh, and frozen beans and veggies, but it's up to the chef....

My kind of cooking, TSQ! Thanks for the inspiration.

I love seafood too much to be completely vegetarian, but I almost never eat meat.

[Robert Maxwell]

thestrangequark wrote:

---

It is a haphazard dish, and everything can be changed according to taste, I often use a combination of canned, fresh, and frozen beans and veggies, but it's up to the chef. Here is how I do it:

-In a large pot, saute a white onion and 3 or 4 cloves of diced garlic in olive oil.
-Add a small can of sliced green chilis.
-Add a chopped chayote squash and chopped green beans, maybe green and red bell pepper (any fresh or frozen veggies, canned veggies later)
-Add freshly ground black peppercorns (it makes a difference!)
-When it's nice and browned and smelling yummy, pour in: 3-5 cans of beans (I usually do red beans, black beans, and sometimes chickpeas), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can tomato paste, any other canned veggies you want.
-Add a dash of salt (more if your canned beans are unsalted or if you used dry beans), a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of sugar.
-Season to taste with: chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper
-If you really want to wow them, though less diabetic friendly, add 1 bottle of beer.

Cook as long as possible over low heat. The leftovers just get better and better as they sit in the fridge.

That sounds delicious! I know what I'm going to make next. Right now, my crock pot has a whole chicken in it, with a bed of rice. Haven't tried it yet, but it smells great... (I know, I know, not appropriate to this thread.)

[thestrangequark]

^I don't think J would mind! I got the impression that, though going veggie is his major tool for healthful eating, we could all share the ways in which we do it!

[CorporalClegg]

You know what's really good in chili? V8. I hardly ever drink the stuff as I much prefer fresh juice, but it's excellent for cooking provided you cut way back on the salt.

Granted, chili is pretty much shunned around here as something "loudmouth Texans" eat. New Mexicans much prefer tortilla soup and/or green chile stew which is pretty much heaven in a bowl.

[Relayer1]

I love meat and didn't think I could give it up, despite the awful cruelty involved in its production. Especially as I hate pulses and beans.

I eventually tried it for a bet. I ate some appalling garbage, but slowly started to find things I liked.

I've now been veggie for 28 years and enjoy a huge variety of veggie food and meat substitutes. And I can still get a great curry !

[RoJoHen]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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You know what's really good in chili? V8. I hardly ever drink the stuff as I much prefer fresh juice, but it's excellent for cooking provided you cut way back on the salt.

Totally agree. I like to use the Hot & Spice V8 in my chili.

[lurok]

Also Encona pepper sauce or Tabasco.

[thestrangequark]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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You know what's really good in chili? V8. I hardly ever drink the stuff as I much prefer fresh juice, but it's excellent for cooking provided you cut way back on the salt.

I feel like it would be too watery?