Vegan and Vegetarian Cooking

[rousseau]

I don't have much substantial to include in this post right now, but thought I'd get the thread started anyway.

Partner and I were out at a local vegan restaurant for a second time last night and the food was just phenomenal. It got me to thinking that I really need to spice up the plant based foods that I eat, because when they're done well they're really outstanding.

So here's a thread for simple or not-so-simple ideas for vegan and vegetarian cooking. How do you cook your produce with a bit of flair?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

No flair at all, usually. When stir frying veggies (very little to no oil), I'll use nutmeg or cinnamon or honey mixed with mustard or soy sauce.

I came up with a carrot quesadilla sandwich that uses a lot of shredded carrots, enough sharp cheddar to bind the carrots and place that between two tortillas on a frying pan (or could bake), use no oil and cook it.

There is a mock chicken salad we make that contains a package or two of seitan, two oranges cut up, walnuts, a small onion cut up, cran-raisins, and maybe 1/8 to 1/4 cup of light miracle whip or mayo. A ridiculous amount of flavor in what is a mash up of ingredients that you wouldn't really think of combining together.

Portabella for a burger is usually good with balsamic vinaigrette. That burger needs a thick slice of red onion and nice melting cheese (or cheeses). For me Havarti and Swiss, though something sharper might work better with someone else's palette. Geesh, haven't made one of those in a while. Maybe this weekend.

Zucchini and portabella is fun. Stir fry, julienne/cube/slices and bread it (don't forget oats) and fry with oil or bake without oil.

I've learned that cooking is a lot about knowing your base ingredients and just going with it.

 

[rousseau]

Yea, with these plant based dishes a lot of the flavour seems to come from the produce itself.

With the vegan restaurants I've been to a lot of it seems to be a solid combination of ingredients with a simple but really nice dressing.

 

[Underseer]

Is there anyone claiming health benefits of veganism? Or is it just a moral choice for those here?

 

[phands]

Vegetables are what you feed to food.

Human digestive systems are built for a mixed diet. So are our teeth. Anything else is moral wishful thinking.

And then there's bacon.

 

[Politesse]

Is there anyone claiming health benefits of veganism? Or is it just a moral choice for those here?

I am not a Vegan, but I can testify that my health improved demonstrably when I went to a mostly-vegetable diet. One of the things that Veganism does by necessity is make it inconvenient to commit a lot of the common food sins that destroy people's waistlines. It's much harder (not impossible, just harder) to eat unhealthily on a strictly animal-less diet.

 

[rousseau]

Is there anyone claiming health benefits of veganism? Or is it just a moral choice for those here?

I'm not vegan or vegetarian. For a while there my diet was similar to flexitarianism (vegetarian with the occasional meat) but I'm not even sure that's true these days. Mostly I just try to eat a lot of produce regularly, and meat when I want it.

So I made this thread only because I like eating plant-based dishes. I think to some it's inconceivable to eat meals without meat, but to me there's a time and place for it. Sometimes what I need is dense protein, sometimes what I need is a pile of produce with a nice dressing.

 

[rousseau]

Is there anyone claiming health benefits of veganism? Or is it just a moral choice for those here?

I am not a Vegan, but I can testify that my health improved demonstrably when I went to a mostly-vegetable diet. One of the things that Veganism does by necessity is make it inconvenient to commit a lot of the common food sins that destroy people's waistlines. It's much harder (not impossible, just harder) to eat unhealthily on a strictly animal-less diet.

Same here. The choice has been about health and well-being for me. For one I've lost most of my body-fat outside of the survival mode stuff. And two I just feel better, lighter, and have more energy when I eat more produce.

But I don't think the enemy is meat, so to speak, unless you're making a moral choice. The enemy is refined sugar and all the sweet garbage that people so readily offer others.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I forgot to mention spring rolls. A little brown sugar to a veggie base does wonders to the base in a spring roll.

Also, lets keep this to recipes and cooking. The reasons for vegatarian or derivative diets can go into another thread.

 

[rousseau]

I forgot to mention spring rolls. A little brown sugar to a veggie base does wonders to the base in a spring roll.

Also, lets keep this to recipes and cooking. The reasons for vegatarian or derivative diets can go into another thread.

Agreed, seems like we're in an age where one can't mention this kind of thing without it getting political.

But if people want to debate that side of it Plant based Diets would be a good place to do so.

 

[southernhybrid]

I'm not a vegan, but I prefer vegan food to animal based foods. I'm just too lazy to go mostly vegan. But, since you asked for recipes, let me give you one.

Basmati and Nut Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
1 chopped onion ( I prefer vidalia )
1garlic clove, crushed
l or 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
1-2 tbsp. sunflower oil ( you can use any light oil instead )
1 teas. ground cardamom
1 teas. ground cumin
2 teas. corriander
2 cups vegetable stock ( I just use vegetarian bouillon )
1/2-1 cup nuts ( I prefer cashews )
salt and pepper to taste ( I don't used salt plus the bouillon is salty )
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro to garnish

I also sometimes add about 1/4 c. raisins

Wash the rice. If time, soak it for 30 minutes. In a large shallow frying pan, gently fry the carrot and onion in the oil for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rice and spices. Cook for another minute or two. Pour in the veggie stock, add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper if desired. Bring to a boil and then gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Watch closely as the heat may need to be adjusted up or down. Stir in the nuts and sprinkle with the garnish. Add raisins if desired.

We like to eat this with fresh steamed broccoli and sliced mango if they are in season. This is one of my favorite vegan dishes. It's cheap, and easy to make.

Enjoy!

 

[Lion IRC]

Mushroom risotto.
Why, why....WHY does brown rice take forever to cook.

8pm and still waiting for dinner.

Thank you God for the free mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and parsley and lemons.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I don't have much substantial to include in this post right now, but thought I'd get the thread started anyway.

Partner and I were out at a local vegan restaurant for a second time last night and the food was just phenomenal. It got me to thinking that I really need to spice up the plant based foods that I eat, because when they're done well they're really outstanding.

So here's a thread for simple or not-so-simple ideas for vegan and vegetarian cooking. How do you cook your produce with a bit of flair?

Not to brag or nothing, but I've worked as a chef in vegan restaurant. And also a vegetarian restaurant. Explore vegetarian Chinese and Indian cooking. They've done it longer than any others. They've got kick-ass taste and texture combinations that are hard to beat. The Italian kitchen also have recipes with just beans that rule.

Pro-tip for beans at home. Never buy cans. They all suck. Instead use dry beans that you soak overnight. It's a bit of a hassle. So here's the life-hack. Boil a big pot all at once. When they're perfectly cooked. Quickly cool them off by rinse them in cold water and just put them in the freezer. I just tip them into a regular plastic grocery bag.

I just reach in and grab a fist and use for any dish that requires some protein. So simple.

Also remember that many vegetables are like sponges for oil. So vegetables are most often preferably boiled than fried. Or you'll become a fat fucker.

Every vegetable has it's own specifics for how to make it nicer. Like aubergine/eggplant for example. Chop them an hour before use. Sprinkle salt over them. Put on a board on an incline plane. Right before use you squeeze out excess liquid. Takes away all the bitterness. Makes it a hell of a lot tastier. There's stuff like that. There's similar trickery for all of them. Figure out which spices are water or oil soluable. If you immerse them in the wrong one you've basically wasted that spice.

I could write a whole book on tips of the trade.

BTW, I'm not vegetarian. I was until I was 21. My parents were hippies. I revolted.

 

[Underseer]

Is there anyone claiming health benefits of veganism? Or is it just a moral choice for those here?

I am not a Vegan, but I can testify that my health improved demonstrably when I went to a mostly-vegetable diet. One of the things that Veganism does by necessity is make it inconvenient to commit a lot of the common food sins that destroy people's waistlines. It's much harder (not impossible, just harder) to eat unhealthily on a strictly animal-less diet.

I meant Vegan as opposed to vegetarian.

With any vegetarian diet, how healthy it is or isn't depends on what you make. I had a male coworker switch to vegetarian in order to lose weight, and he ate almost nothing but potato chips with predictable results.

I'm just curious if we have any valid scientific evidence that vegan is more healthy than vegetarian.

 

[Underseer]

Anyway, back to the OP: lots of dishes can be made vegetarian with little or no loss. Vegetarian chili satisfies as well as meat if you ask me. Plenty of pasta dishes are great without meat.

But mostly, when it comes to vegetarian dishes, I'm crazy for Indian anything. I have yet to eat an Indian vegetable dish that I didn't love.

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The angry butterflies recipe I posted in the recipes thread works well as a vegetarian dish.