I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
if so, will you share recipes?

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Ophelia wrote:
> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food
> and if so, will you share recipes?
>


I do sometimes, but I don't really have recipes. I do stuff like
stir-fried vegetables and noodles with a spicy sauce, and I throw in a
handful of peanuts for some crunch and protein.

Bob

"Ophelia" > wrote:

>I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
>if so, will you share recipes?
>

If you're still doing eggs and cheese, then life should be easy.

It is a little trickier if you're going vegan, but if I was sentenced
to a vegan diet I could accommodate that easier than going without
sugar or chocolate.

I cooked vegan for a year for my daughter [supplementing most meals
with meat for the rest of us].

This one, though was a hit for everyone-
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/afri...0000000701094/

IMO the peanuts and lime juice at the table double the already
deliciousness of this one.

We have found a lot of good recipes and ideas here-
http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/category/vegan-main-dishes/
[and she has millions of sweets, etc]

I was often surprised at how mushrooms, beans, spiced rice, or
[rarely] textured vegetable protein could replace meat in a dish and
I'd not miss the meat at all.

Jim

Ophelia wrote:
> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
> if so, will you share recipes?

pizza with you-name-it toppings

the things I like best are onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoncini,
olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pesto ... etc


otherwise I'd do Indian or Persian food

look at kashk bademjan for example

this lady cracks me up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZrimiOFEKE

I like to grill the eggplant first

oh yeah and I cheat -- use sour cream instead of kashk sauce

I guess it's supposed to be served with pita or something like that
but I like it on toasted Italian bread I get from Costco

"Jim Elbrecht" > wrote in message
...
> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>
>>I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
>>if so, will you share recipes?
>>
>
> If you're still doing eggs and cheese, then life should be easy.
>
> It is a little trickier if you're going vegan, but if I was sentenced
> to a vegan diet I could accommodate that easier than going without
> sugar or chocolate.
>
> I cooked vegan for a year for my daughter [supplementing most meals
> with meat for the rest of us].
>
> This one, though was a hit for everyone-
> http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/afri...0000000701094/
>
> IMO the peanuts and lime juice at the table double the already
> deliciousness of this one.
>
> We have found a lot of good recipes and ideas here-
> http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/category/vegan-main-dishes/
> [and she has millions of sweets, etc]
>
> I was often surprised at how mushrooms, beans, spiced rice, or
> [rarely] textured vegetable protein could replace meat in a dish and
> I'd not miss the meat at all.

Thanks, Jim, that is something to look at and thank you for that. I don't
want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese, eggs
etc. I don't want us to go vegan. We usually eat a lot of meat and I just
want to cut down a bit, for health reasons really. I think eating more veg
is better for us.

Many thanks for your comments and any more that you can offer will be very
much appreciated


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"sf" > wrote in message
news
>
> Have you thought about stuffing portobello mushrooms or using them in
> place of beef in a burger? We have something over here called "sloppy
> joes" that I used half ground beef and the other half was roasted
> mushrooms I'd chopped in the food processor. I liked that combination
> enough to use it again in some other dish.

I haven't thought about any of it really. It is just a thought in
process. That sounds nice btw

>
> Someday, I will make a mushroom risotto or whatever the "spring" one
> is called with Spring vegetables like peas/asparagus and I also want
> to make mushroom stroganoff sometime.
> http://www.bhg.com/recipes/vegetaria...ishes/#page=11

Not sure I want to use stuff like Tofu, but nice site .. thanks

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"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Ophelia wrote:
>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food
>> and if so, will you share recipes?
>>
>
>
> I do sometimes, but I don't really have recipes. I do stuff like
> stir-fried vegetables and noodles with a spicy sauce, and I throw in a
> handful of peanuts for some crunch and protein.

That sounds nice, thanks We doubt we will stop eating meat altogether,
but I would like us to cut down.



..
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"tert in seattle" > wrote in message
...
> Ophelia wrote:
>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food
>> and
>> if so, will you share recipes?
>
> pizza with you-name-it toppings
>
> the things I like best are onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoncini,
> olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pesto ... etc
>
>
> otherwise I'd do Indian or Persian food
>
> look at kashk bademjan for example
>
> this lady cracks me up
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZrimiOFEKE
>
> I like to grill the eggplant first
>
> oh yeah and I cheat -- use sour cream instead of kashk sauce
>
> I guess it's supposed to be served with pita or something like that
> but I like it on toasted Italian bread I get from Costco

Yes, pizza is a good one))) thanks)


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tert in seattle wrote:
> Ophelia wrote:
>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
>> if so, will you share recipes?
>
> pizza with you-name-it toppings
>
> the things I like best are onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoncini,
> olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pesto ... etc
>
>
> otherwise I'd do Indian or Persian food
>
> look at kashk bademjan for example
>
> this lady cracks me up
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZrimiOFEKE
>
> I like to grill the eggplant first
>
> oh yeah and I cheat -- use sour cream instead of kashk sauce
>
> I guess it's supposed to be served with pita or something like that
> but I like it on toasted Italian bread I get from Costco

here's a picture of my version of kashk

http://www.ftupet.com/upload/IMG_1625.jpg

On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:

> Thanks, Jim, that is something to look at and thank you for that. I don't
> want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese, eggs
> etc. I don't want us to go vegan.

I tried that. Lasted about 4-5 mos, if that long. I did cut waay
back on meat, though. Rarely eat a mostly meat meal, anymore. I prefer
soups, stews, beans, etc, WITH meat. I'll occasionally indulge in a
meat heavy sammy, but not often. Haven't eaten a hamburger in ages.
You'll find a happy medium.

nb

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:
>
>> Thanks, Jim, that is something to look at and thank you for that. I
>> don't
>> want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese, eggs
>> etc. I don't want us to go vegan.
>
> I tried that. Lasted about 4-5 mos, if that long. I did cut waay
> back on meat, though. Rarely eat a mostly meat meal, anymore. I prefer
> soups, stews, beans, etc, WITH meat. I'll occasionally indulge in a
> meat heavy sammy, but not often. Haven't eaten a hamburger in ages.
> You'll find a happy medium.

Sounds pretty much what I have in mind Any advice you feel like sharing
will be very much appreciated
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On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:00:42 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> news >
> >
> > Have you thought about stuffing portobello mushrooms or using them in
> > place of beef in a burger? We have something over here called "sloppy
> > joes" that I used half ground beef and the other half was roasted
> > mushrooms I'd chopped in the food processor. I liked that combination
> > enough to use it again in some other dish.
>
> I haven't thought about any of it really. It is just a thought in
> process. That sounds nice btw
>
> >
> > Someday, I will make a mushroom risotto or whatever the "spring" one
> > is called with Spring vegetables like peas/asparagus and I also want
> > to make mushroom stroganoff sometime.
> > http://www.bhg.com/recipes/vegetaria...ishes/#page=11
>
> Not sure I want to use stuff like Tofu, but nice site .. thanks
>
> --
Me either, but I was trying to show you an example of the mushroom
stroganoff recipe - no tofu in that one.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Jan 31, 1:27*pm, "Ophelia" > wrote:
> I am eating less and less meat. *Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
> if so, will you share recipes?

That's an awfully large question.

May I suggest a couple of vegetarian cookbooks? Poke around in them
and see what kinds of things you might like?

These are good, general, and widely available (like maybe at your
local library):

_Vegetarian_Planet_ by Didi Emmons
_Vegetarian_Cooking_for_Everyone by Deborah Madison

And of course if you like Indian food, much of that is vegetarian.
Try good old:

_Classic_Indian_Cooking_ by Julie Sahni

(Which is sitting open on my desk as I type - I'm about to make some
paneer this evening to use in some Matar Paneer tomorrow or Sunday
night. I love that stuff. With homemade naan (or as close as I can
get to it without a real tandoor handy.)

--
Silvar Beitel

"Silvar Beitel" > wrote in message
...

> _Classic_Indian_Cooking_ by Julie Sahni
>
> (Which is sitting open on my desk as I type - I'm about to make some
> paneer this evening to use in some Matar Paneer tomorrow or Sunday
> night. I love that stuff. With homemade naan (or as close as I can
> get to it without a real tandoor handy.)

Thank you! I make chapattis regularly but we don't like spicy foods. I
lived in India for some time, but never enjoyed the spices

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"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:00:42 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> news >>
>> >
>> > Have you thought about stuffing portobello mushrooms or using them in
>> > place of beef in a burger? We have something over here called "sloppy
>> > joes" that I used half ground beef and the other half was roasted
>> > mushrooms I'd chopped in the food processor. I liked that combination
>> > enough to use it again in some other dish.
>>
>> I haven't thought about any of it really. It is just a thought in
>> process. That sounds nice btw
>>
>> >
>> > Someday, I will make a mushroom risotto or whatever the "spring" one
>> > is called with Spring vegetables like peas/asparagus and I also want
>> > to make mushroom stroganoff sometime.
>> > http://www.bhg.com/recipes/vegetaria...ishes/#page=11
>>
>> Not sure I want to use stuff like Tofu, but nice site .. thanks
>>
>> --
> Me either, but I was trying to show you an example of the mushroom
> stroganoff recipe - no tofu in that one.

Oh yes! I have saved it and thought I had said thank you If I didn't
then I apologise!

--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Ophelia wrote:

> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian
> food and if so, will you share recipes?

I'd think you'd want to look at a few warm weather, Ethnic cuisines.
Middle East, India, that sort of thing. There's a lot to like and a lot
that's vegetarian. It seems that where fresh, high quality produce is
widely available for a good part of the year, there's a lot of
vegetarian eating - makes sense to me.

I actually find myself eating seasonally of late, e.g., I have little
taste for veggies here in the dead of winter but like them more in the
summer.

Speaking as a meat eater, the most satisfying vegetarian concoctions
I've had always seem to involve beans of some sort, e.g., lentils, plus
a good amount of dairy in the form of yogurt or cheese to add richness.
I simply don't understand how people can salad for dinner unless it's
got a nice dollop of cottage cheese in it at the very least.

-S-

On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:51:12 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
wrote:

> Ophelia wrote:
>
> > I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian
> > food and if so, will you share recipes?
>
> I'd think you'd want to look at a few warm weather, Ethnic cuisines.
> Middle East, India, that sort of thing. There's a lot to like and a lot
> that's vegetarian. It seems that where fresh, high quality produce is
> widely available for a good part of the year, there's a lot of
> vegetarian eating - makes sense to me.
>
> I actually find myself eating seasonally of late, e.g., I have little
> taste for veggies here in the dead of winter but like them more in the
> summer.
>
> Speaking as a meat eater, the most satisfying vegetarian concoctions
> I've had always seem to involve beans of some sort, e.g., lentils, plus
> a good amount of dairy in the form of yogurt or cheese to add richness.
> I simply don't understand how people can salad for dinner unless it's
> got a nice dollop of cottage cheese in it at the very least.
>

I'd approach the problem the same way I approached gluten free cooking
for my DIL when she was avoiding that. I realized there was already a
lot in my recipe repertoire that was completely gluten free and more
that only needed minor adaptations. I think Ophelia will come to that
realization too when she gives some thought to what she already cooks
and considers acceptable alternatives. Here's an example using beans
instead of meat as protein
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/...-rosemary-oil/

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

One of our favorite vegetarian recipes -- black bean and sweet potato
burritos:

Bake, boil, or microwave some sweet potatoes. This is a good way to use
up leftover sweet potatoes. Let them cool until you can handle them.
Meanwhile, cook down some onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add
some chili powder, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic as they
cook. Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes and add it to the onion
and garlic. Add some drained black beans. Let it all simmer together
until the flavors mingle. Wrap the mixture in tortillas. Add salsa,
sour cream, peppers, cheese, etc. to taste.

Tara

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
>if so, will you share recipes?

I ate vegetarian food for most of my life. But I didn't usually use
recipes. I often ate things like huge salads with all sorts of vegetables
and some sort of beans, nuts and maybe cheese cubes in there. Plain beans
and rice. Beans and pasta, maybe with some Parmesan in it. I used the
Frugal Gourmet's recipe for Rice we Bisi (peas and rice) but you don't
really need a recipe for that. White rice, green peas, a little butter,
salt, pepper and some Parmesan cheese.

Made lots of lasagna but it was slightly different each time. Used a layer
of vegetables between the pasta to lower the carb count. That was usually
sautéed zucchini and onions. Mixed parsley and spinach with my cheese.
Usually Ricotta but would use cottage cheese if I didn't have that. Mix in
an egg, and whatever Italian cheeses I had. Made my own red sauce and added
plenty of other veggies like carrots, onions and peppers. Season the sauce
with oregano and other Italian herbs if you have them like garlic, rosemary,
thyme, marjoram. Put the sauce down in the lasagna pan, then pasta (I
preferred to cook it first) then the cheese, then more sauce, then my veggie
layer, more cheese, sauce, pasta, ending with a good layer of sauce on the
top. Bake until hot and bubbly, then add a little more cheese to the top
and heat only until the cheese melts.

A similar dish would be eggplant Rollatine. Buy a large, fat eggplant or
two. Slice lengthwise in thin slices (about 1/4") and sauté until soft
enough to roll in a little olive oil. If fat is a concern, brush with olive
oil and bake in the oven. Make a sauce similar to above and a cheese
filling the same. When ready to assemble, put a good layer of red sauce in
the baking dish. Lay the end of a piece of eggplant on the sauce, put a
good blob of the cheese filling on that, then roll up, tucking the end
underneath. Space your rolls out slightly because they will expand a little
as they bake. Cover each roll with sauce and bake until hot and bubbly. As
above, add a little more grated cheese to the top and put back in the oven
till melted.

A dish that I loved but nobody else did was Hominy Croquettes. I got that
recipe from a very old cookbook which I don't think I have any more. But
you don't really need a recipe. Simply cook some hominy grits as directed,
then add a little butter, salt and grated cheese. I usually used cheddar.
Let cool slightly then mix in a beaten egg. Let cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile make a big mess of fresh bread crumbs and beat another egg or two
for dipping. When the hominy mixture is cool, grab a handful and roll it
into a slightly flattish ball. Dip this into the beaten egg then roll well
in the crumbs, using your hands to pack them well around it. Lay this into
a baking dish that has a good layer of red sauce in the bottom. To make
this, I would use a sauce similar to above but I might or might not use
Italian seasonings, depending on my mood. Sometimes I just used straight
tomato sauce from the can and that's good too. One croquette is a serving
unless you're super hungry but these are quite filling. I always made a lot
because they are a bit time consuming and they do freeze well. Once your
dish is filled, spoon some more sauce over the tops of the croquettes. They
don't need to be fully covered. Bake until hot and bubbly then as above,
put on a little grated cheese and continue to bake until the cheese melts.
I don't know why but I usually used Parmesan on the tops of these. To
freeze, I would put these in freezer proof, microwavable dishes, one per
dish. Of course I was single then and not usually cooking for other people.

A favorite sandwich was two slices of toasted bread, buttered on both sides
then in the middle, slices of onion, tomato, green pepper and lots of
cheese. Swiss is good in this but I would use whatever cheese I had. Wrap
in foil and bake in the oven or toaster oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or
until the cheese melts.

Another dish that I often made that everyone loved was something born of
frugality. One day I was cleaning out the fridge and there were little dabs
of leftover vegetables in there. I took these out and combined them with
some cooked dumpling noodles. I don't think you can get these any more.
They were a really wide, thick egg noodle. You can really use whatever
pasta you have for this but I prefer thicker, larger shapes. I put these in
a casserole dish and then mixed in cheese ends which I also don't think you
can get any more. I used to get these from the deli near me. Once a week
or so, they'd take whatever leftover cheese they had, package it and sell it
for cheap. I just cubed it up and mixed it in. The beauty of this was that
each bite would be a little different. You'd get a different vegetable and
a different bite of cheese. Because the cheese was cubed, it would melt but
stay contained to that area. Of course if you don't have different kinds of
cheese like that, you could use all cheddar or whatever you have. Any kind
of cheese will do for this really! I also mixed in a can of chopped
tomatoes and dampened the whole thing with a little red wine that was
leftover. I only seasoned it with a little parsley and pepper. If I had no
leftover vegetables, I would just use a can of whatever I had like beans.
Or even Veg All. I know some people don't like that but I did. Chopped
onion is really good in this too but I would sauté it until soft first
because all of the ingredients are cooked already so you are just heating it
through. Cover your casserole and bake until the cheese melts. The pasta
will soak up the wine and the tomato juice and become really flavorful.

Enchiladas are another favorite. Start with corn tortillas. Normally you'd
soften these in a pan with a little oil but I just nuked them until soft.
You don't want them to break. You'll need a sauce. You can purchase
enchilada sauce and I have made it from various recipes but I found that for
me, whatever I had in the house would work just fine. Salsa, tomato sauce,
salsa Verde, etc. Put a layer of that down just like you would do with the
lasagna. Then you need to fill your enchiladas. I would use either refried
beans with or without added raw chopped or sliced onions or various cheeses
with sliced raw onions. I prefer white onions for this. I happen to like
cheddar for the filling of these but some people prefer Monterrey Jack. You
can also use a mix. Do these like the Eggplant Rollatine. Put the end of a
tortilla down, then lay on a strip of filling, making sure not to put too
much then roll the other end sort of over and under, tucking the end under.
Cover these well with sauce. From there, I would add a goodly amount of
strips of onion and green pepper. Bake until hot and bubbly and as with the
other things I mentioned above, top with more cheese and put back until the
cheese melts. A crumbly Mexican cheese is especially good on top of these.
Like Cotija. You can also mix some shredded cheese with your refried beans
if you like.

The way that I make refried beans would horrify some here but... I start
with pinto beans. Rinse and pick through, looking for rocks and things.
You'll rarely find them. Add enough water to cover and then another two
inches or so above the top of the beans. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2
minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour or so. Drain and rinse the
beans well. Add the same amount of water again. Bring back to a boil then
turn down the heat to low and let simmer until done. This can take as
little as 45 minutes if your beans are super fresh or up to 2 to 3 hours if
they are not. When tender, drain any excess water from them. Season with
salt to taste. If you like a stronger flavor, add cumin, hot peppers or
chili powder. If you want lower carbs, add plenty of chopped onions and
green peppers. Sometimes I even add a little onion powder to taste. You
can add black pepper here too although not traditional. And you can add a
little cilantro if you like. Then I add a little olive oil for richness but
if you want low fat, you can leave this out. Then mash with a potato masher
until you get the texture that you like. I like them a bit chunky. Keep in
mind that if you cook a whole pound of beans you'll be eating refried beans
for a week unless you have a big family or freeze some. But you can also
buy canned refried beans or even mash up canned beans. Traditional refried
beans would use lard and/or bacon so they wouldn't be vegetarian.

For a quick macaroni and cheese, I start with a little butter. I don't
really measure these things. I just sort of instinctively know how much to
use. But about 1-2 T. per serving. When hot and beginning to bubble, add
in some flour. I use sweet rice flour these days but plain flour works fine
as does cornstarch. I just love the smoothness that sweet rice flour gives.
And since I don't do much baking these days, I can purchase the sweet rice
stuff for cheap in a small quantity in the Asian food section. Add about an
equal amount of flour unless you want a thinner sauce. In that case add a
little less. You want to cook it until nicely bubbly. About a minute,
especially if using a wheat flour. If not cooked for long enough it can
give a bit of a raw taste to the finished dish. The way I like it, it will
form a thick paste in the pan. Then I add a little salt and pepper. Some
people like a dash of cayenne or paprika in this. Or even a little dry
mustard. Then add your milk over a low heat. Add it just a bit at a time.
I stir this in but some people prefer a whisk. You can use cream if you
want a richer sauce but we never have cream so milk for me. Just keep
adding until it looks like the texture and amount that you want. Make sure
it's not too runny. Then add your cheese slowly. Use shredded cheese. I
prefer a sharp cheddar but a mix of cheeses is good too. When melted and
smooth, add in your cooked pasta. I just serve it like this. But if you
want a baked dish, put it in a buttered casserole dish, add some more
shredded cheese to the top and a layer of buttered bread crumbs. Bake until
hot and bubbly.

A dish that my husband I both loved but perhaps isn't real cooking was
Kidney Bean Rarebit. This was from a British cookbook. Called for a can of
baked beans and kidney beans. I think their baked beans are not like ours
here in the US because ours are really sweet. I would use something like
Heinz beans that are less sweet. Dump those into a pan. Drain the kidney
beans but not the others. Add a knob of butter and some chopped onion,
freshly ground black pepper, a couple of good glugs of ketchup and a little
bit of dry mustard. Heat through very well then add a goodly amount of
shredded sharp cheddar. Stir until melted and serve over thick slices of
buttered bread. You'll have too much for two slices of bread so there will
be leftovers.

A dish that my FIL both loved came from a depression era British cookbook
that was put out by the government to help people make the most of their
rations. It was called Lobscouse although it in no way bears resemblance to
the real dish which is not vegetarian. Calls for a tin of tomatoes which
have been snipped into small bits. These days you can get them chopped
already. Don't drain. Just put in the pan. Add a knob of butter and heat
until the butter is melted. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and
several handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar. I guess in those days the
amount of cheddar used would depend on how much they had. Heat it through
until bubbly. This will not make what you would normally think of as a
sauce. Parts of it will be thin and parts will be gloppy with cheese and
tomatoes. It's very rustic. Serve this over mashed potatoes. Purportedly
it was served to sailors at sea.

I will go through the recipes I have on my computer later and see what other
things I can come up with. These are just dishes that I made quite a bit
back when I could still eat cheese. *sigh*

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food and
>if so, will you share recipes?
>
> --
> --
> http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

This is a really retro recipe but one that I love!

http://www.finedinings.com/stuffed_g...rapped_in_.htm

Not sure if you can get these peppers there but it's another excellent
appetizer:

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/mainstreetdeli/stuanna.htm

And I forgot to mention the nachos earlier. No real recipe. Just start
with a bed of tortilla chips. These are best baked in the oven but I
usually do them in the microwave when in a hurry. The microwave will melt
the cheese but the oven will brown it. Add a layer of whatever kind of
beans you like. You can use drained pinto, black or even refried. If using
loose beans, put them down all over. If refried, try to put a little dab on
each chip. Then smother them with grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack or a mix
of both. Add lots of sliced green onion, sliced tomatoes, hot peppers (if
you like them) black olives (whole or sliced) then bake or nuke until the
cheese is melted. I actually prefer to put the olives on after they cook
because I just don't like hot olives. I will then top with salsa (or you
can put on the side) and some fresh cilantro. Guacamole and Sour Cream are
traditionally served with this either in big blobs on top or on the side but
I don't eat those.

My husband's Italian family traditionally eats egg and pepper for lunch.
Use Itallianelle or in some areas they called Cubanelle or simply frying
peppers. These are mild like a bell but longer and skinnier and have a much
thinner flesh. If you can't find these, you can use bell but they won't be
quite the same. Cut the peppers in strips (remove the seeds of course).
Fry these in a little oil. I would presume that olive oil would be the
preferred oil but they actually just use vegetable oil. When the peppers
begin to soften add some garlic. They usually use powder but of course you
can use fresh chopped if you have it. Be sure not to cook the garlic for
too long or it will get bitter. Then add beaten eggs like for scrambled
eggs. Cook as if for scrambled eggs until the eggs are set. They serve
this open faced on buttered Italian bread.

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:
>
>> Thanks, Jim, that is something to look at and thank you for that. I
>> don't
>> want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese, eggs
>> etc. I don't want us to go vegan.
>
> I tried that. Lasted about 4-5 mos, if that long. I did cut waay
> back on meat, though. Rarely eat a mostly meat meal, anymore. I prefer
> soups, stews, beans, etc, WITH meat. I'll occasionally indulge in a
> meat heavy sammy, but not often. Haven't eaten a hamburger in ages.
> You'll find a happy medium.

My diet is mostly vegan. I do find that I have to eat occasional meat or
I'll go anemic. But I prefer not to. Ground beef and bacon are mostly the
meats that I do eat when I eat it. Occasionally turkey. But... I am not
hardcore with things like this. If I have something with sugar in it, I
don't care if it is vegan. And I will eat refried beans with lard in them,
although when I make them at home they are with olive oil.

I originally went vegetarian because meat was too expensive and I was poor.
When I had guests over for dinner which I did do a lot in those days I would
make them a steak or whatever I thought they wanted. My friends didn't
usually vegetarian.

When I discovered that eggs and dairy were a problem for me I tried to go
raw vegan. I do love beans though and although some beans can be safely
sprouted, I didn't like the raw hummus so well and the food wasn't
necessarily filling enough for me. Plus I love popcorn! So I did eat
cooked beans and popcorn and sometimes rice and wheat bread. Many of the
raw recipes were very time consuming. But one dish I really loved was onion
bread (made in a low temp. dehydrator) made in finger sandwich sized pieces
made into sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and Swiss nut cheese (also
dehydrated at a low temp and cut into slices). Everyone I know who ate this
loved it! Even my daughter who is not fond of tomatoes, nuts or onions.
But the bread took on a very mild flavor and even my mom who is normally
bothered by onions (GERD) could eat this with no problems. It would stink
up the house as it dehydrated but the end result tasted like a good quality
grain bread. It was sooo good! I also loved the nacho nut cheese packed
into baby vegetables. My brother (who isn't normally a fan of such things)
ate this with chips and just assumed that it was real cheese. It was that
good.

Alas, eating a raw vegan diet like this can be very time consuming. I made
my own sprouts. And you have to be very careful when doing that to avoid
food poisoning. And I don't like smoothies which is one thing a lot of raw
vegans consume a lot of. I know some people just eat the whole foods like
an apple, a banana, a carrot and a handful of nuts. And I do sometimes do
that. But sometimes I want something a little fancier and that's when the
time consuming comes in. A lot more time consuming than cooking. And
because it is raw food, it doesn't keep for long.

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "notbob" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks, Jim, that is something to look at and thank you for that. I
>>> don't
>>> want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese,
>>> eggs
>>> etc. I don't want us to go vegan.
>>
>> I tried that. Lasted about 4-5 mos, if that long. I did cut waay
>> back on meat, though. Rarely eat a mostly meat meal, anymore. I prefer
>> soups, stews, beans, etc, WITH meat. I'll occasionally indulge in a
>> meat heavy sammy, but not often. Haven't eaten a hamburger in ages.
>> You'll find a happy medium.
>
> Sounds pretty much what I have in mind Any advice you feel like sharing
> will be very much appreciated
> --
> --
> http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

I highly recommend using this:

http://cronometer.com/

Just put in your food intake for the day. It does also offer that you can
put in your exercise and any weigh gain/loss goals that you have but I don't
use it for that. I use it to see how many nutrients I take in for the day.
Turns out I was getting plenty of some things but really lacking in vitamin
E. That way you can try to add in things that you need in your diet or take
supplements if needed.

To me, the key thing of a vegetarian diet is not just not eating meat but
eating lots of vegetables. I know far too many people who claim to be
vegetarian but eat nothing but bread, pasta, rice and sweets.

Also the old notion of having to eat beans with a grain at the same meal has
been debunked. Yes, beans are not a complete protein. But if you ate
cereal or bread for breakfast then beans for dinner, you've got it covered.

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "Silvar Beitel" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> _Classic_Indian_Cooking_ by Julie Sahni
>>
>> (Which is sitting open on my desk as I type - I'm about to make some
>> paneer this evening to use in some Matar Paneer tomorrow or Sunday
>> night. I love that stuff. With homemade naan (or as close as I can
>> get to it without a real tandoor handy.)
>
> Thank you! I make chapattis regularly but we don't like spicy foods. I
> lived in India for some time, but never enjoyed the spices

I can not get into the Indian spices either. The foods sound so good based
on the other ingredients but the spices just kill it for me. I do like
Papadums though provided they aren't the really spicy ones. But for some
odd reason they make my daughter and I burp like mad. She does like the
spicy ones.

I don't know why but Mexican seasonings are the ones that appeal to me. My
mom never made much Mexican food at home except for the Amercianized tacos
and her seasoning was from a packet. I just latched onto those tastes from
an early age and went with them. My mom said I ruined Mexican food for her
because I love to eat it so much. Daughter loves it too. She and I would
happily eat that twice a day and sometimes have. But unlike me, she loves
garlic as well. Unless there's an extreme amount of it. Took her out for
Chinese food and she ordered garlic chicken with pea pods. There was even
too much garlic for her! But there is no amount of garlic that is too much
for my husband. He'll eat whole cloves either raw or cooked.

Steve Freides wrote:
> Ophelia wrote:
>
>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian
>> food and if so, will you share recipes?
>
> I'd think you'd want to look at a few warm weather, Ethnic cuisines.
> Middle East, India, that sort of thing. There's a lot to like and a
> lot that's vegetarian. It seems that where fresh, high quality
> produce is widely available for a good part of the year, there's a
> lot of vegetarian eating - makes sense to me.
>
> I actually find myself eating seasonally of late, e.g., I have little
> taste for veggies here in the dead of winter but like them more in the
> summer.
>
> Speaking as a meat eater, the most satisfying vegetarian concoctions
> I've had always seem to involve beans of some sort, e.g., lentils,
> plus a good amount of dairy in the form of yogurt or cheese to add
> richness. I simply don't understand how people can salad for dinner
> unless it's got a nice dollop of cottage cheese in it at the very
> least.

Used to be if I ate a big salad for dinner it would have if not shredded
cheese then cubes of it (my preference) plus beans and nuts and all kinds of
veggies. Might even have boiled eggs in there too. These days I have to
make do with just beans and nuts.

My dinner tonight? A can of small red beans, heated and topped with lots of
freshly ground black pepper. And two red bell peppers cut up.

Saturday night I'll go back to cooking my beans from dry. No room for a big
pot of beans in the fridge with husband home. But he's leaving soon and I
can now see some bare spots in there. Heh,

sf wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:51:12 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
> wrote:
> I'd approach the problem the same way I approached gluten free cooking
> for my DIL when she was avoiding that. I realized there was already a
> lot in my recipe repertoire that was completely gluten free and more
> that only needed minor adaptations. I think Ophelia will come to that
> realization too when she gives some thought to what she already cooks
> and considers acceptable alternatives. Here's an example using beans
> instead of meat as protein
> http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/...-rosemary-oil/

I was watching that new Bobby Flay show last night even though he annoys me.
Where they take three teams of home cooks and vote for the best ones. One
guy was vegetarian and they insisted that the other teams accomodate him
even though they were not necessarily making vegetarian meals. Another cook
said that he had been a vegetarian for many (can't remember the number)
years and never expected anyone to accomodate him. And that's pretty much
how I lived.

Although in those days I didn't often dine at other people's houses, my mom
did cook once in a while. The salads and sides were almost always
acceptable to me and if need be for protein, I'd just eat some nuts or
cheese which she almost always had. If not, I'd either bring those with me
or eat them when I got home.

When I was younger and cooking for others, I would always try to make what
they wanted. Like steak. In more recent years, I would more likely make
what I wanted in terms of vegetarian things and if they didn't like that I
would add some sort of quick to make or purchased cooked meat. To me that
was odd. The meat eaters would happily eat all of my food but be willing to
accept anything as meat. Even if it was lunch meat. It was as though they
felt they needed some meat, any meat. Even though what I provided had
plenty of protein in it.

Tara wrote:
> One of our favorite vegetarian recipes -- black bean and sweet potato
> burritos:
>
> Bake, boil, or microwave some sweet potatoes. This is a good way to
> use up leftover sweet potatoes. Let them cool until you can handle
> them. Meanwhile, cook down some onion and garlic in a bit of olive
> oil. Add some chili powder, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic
> as they cook. Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes and add it
> to the onion and garlic. Add some drained black beans. Let it all
> simmer together until the flavors mingle. Wrap the mixture in
> tortillas. Add salsa, sour cream, peppers, cheese, etc. to taste.
>
> Tara

We used to get some sweet potato taquitos that were made on one of the
islands here. Can't remember if they had beans in them or not. I think
they did. I don't normally like sweet potatoes but these were super good.
Husband hated them but daughter and I loved them. Sadly we can no longer
get them. The person who made them said that it cost to much in ferry fare
to get them over here. I will try your filling for taquitos one day.
Sounds similar to what they made.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...

> I ate vegetarian food for most of my life. But I didn't usually use
> recipes. I often ate things like huge salads with all sorts of vegetables
> and some sort of beans, nuts and maybe cheese cubes in there. Plain beans
> and rice. Beans and pasta, maybe with some Parmesan in it. I used the
> Frugal Gourmet's recipe for Rice we Bisi (peas and rice) but you don't
> really need a recipe for that. White rice, green peas, a little butter,
> salt, pepper and some Parmesan cheese.
>
> Made lots of lasagna but it was slightly different each time. Used a
> layer of vegetables between the pasta to lower the carb count. That was
> usually sautéed zucchini and onions. Mixed parsley and spinach with my
> cheese. Usually Ricotta but would use cottage cheese if I didn't have
> that. Mix in an egg, and whatever Italian cheeses I had. Made my own red
> sauce and added plenty of other veggies like carrots, onions and peppers.
> Season the sauce with oregano and other Italian herbs if you have them
> like garlic, rosemary, thyme, marjoram. Put the sauce down in the lasagna
> pan, then pasta (I preferred to cook it first) then the cheese, then more
> sauce, then my veggie layer, more cheese, sauce, pasta, ending with a good
> layer of sauce on the top. Bake until hot and bubbly, then add a little
> more cheese to the top and heat only until the cheese melts.
>
> A similar dish would be eggplant Rollatine. Buy a large, fat eggplant or
> two. Slice lengthwise in thin slices (about 1/4") and sauté until soft
> enough to roll in a little olive oil. If fat is a concern, brush with
> olive oil and bake in the oven. Make a sauce similar to above and a
> cheese filling the same. When ready to assemble, put a good layer of red
> sauce in the baking dish. Lay the end of a piece of eggplant on the
> sauce, put a good blob of the cheese filling on that, then roll up,
> tucking the end underneath. Space your rolls out slightly because they
> will expand a little as they bake. Cover each roll with sauce and bake
> until hot and bubbly. As above, add a little more grated cheese to the
> top and put back in the oven till melted.
>
> A dish that I loved but nobody else did was Hominy Croquettes. I got that
> recipe from a very old cookbook which I don't think I have any more. But
> you don't really need a recipe. Simply cook some hominy grits as
> directed, then add a little butter, salt and grated cheese. I usually
> used cheddar. Let cool slightly then mix in a beaten egg. Let cool enough
> to handle. Meanwhile make a big mess of fresh bread crumbs and beat
> another egg or two for dipping. When the hominy mixture is cool, grab a
> handful and roll it into a slightly flattish ball. Dip this into the
> beaten egg then roll well in the crumbs, using your hands to pack them
> well around it. Lay this into a baking dish that has a good layer of red
> sauce in the bottom. To make this, I would use a sauce similar to above
> but I might or might not use Italian seasonings, depending on my mood.
> Sometimes I just used straight tomato sauce from the can and that's good
> too. One croquette is a serving unless you're super hungry but these are
> quite filling. I always made a lot because they are a bit time consuming
> and they do freeze well. Once your dish is filled, spoon some more sauce
> over the tops of the croquettes. They don't need to be fully covered.
> Bake until hot and bubbly then as above, put on a little grated cheese and
> continue to bake until the cheese melts. I don't know why but I usually
> used Parmesan on the tops of these. To freeze, I would put these in
> freezer proof, microwavable dishes, one per dish. Of course I was single
> then and not usually cooking for other people.
>
> A favorite sandwich was two slices of toasted bread, buttered on both
> sides then in the middle, slices of onion, tomato, green pepper and lots
> of cheese. Swiss is good in this but I would use whatever cheese I had.
> Wrap in foil and bake in the oven or toaster oven for about 15 to 20
> minutes or until the cheese melts.
>
> Another dish that I often made that everyone loved was something born of
> frugality. One day I was cleaning out the fridge and there were little
> dabs of leftover vegetables in there. I took these out and combined them
> with some cooked dumpling noodles. I don't think you can get these any
> more. They were a really wide, thick egg noodle. You can really use
> whatever pasta you have for this but I prefer thicker, larger shapes. I
> put these in a casserole dish and then mixed in cheese ends which I also
> don't think you can get any more. I used to get these from the deli near
> me. Once a week or so, they'd take whatever leftover cheese they had,
> package it and sell it for cheap. I just cubed it up and mixed it in.
> The beauty of this was that each bite would be a little different. You'd
> get a different vegetable and a different bite of cheese. Because the
> cheese was cubed, it would melt but stay contained to that area. Of
> course if you don't have different kinds of cheese like that, you could
> use all cheddar or whatever you have. Any kind of cheese will do for this
> really! I also mixed in a can of chopped tomatoes and dampened the whole
> thing with a little red wine that was leftover. I only seasoned it with a
> little parsley and pepper. If I had no leftover vegetables, I would just
> use a can of whatever I had like beans. Or even Veg All. I know some
> people don't like that but I did. Chopped onion is really good in this
> too but I would sauté it until soft first because all of the ingredients
> are cooked already so you are just heating it through. Cover your
> casserole and bake until the cheese melts. The pasta will soak up the
> wine and the tomato juice and become really flavorful.
>
> Enchiladas are another favorite. Start with corn tortillas. Normally
> you'd soften these in a pan with a little oil but I just nuked them until
> soft. You don't want them to break. You'll need a sauce. You can
> purchase enchilada sauce and I have made it from various recipes but I
> found that for me, whatever I had in the house would work just fine.
> Salsa, tomato sauce, salsa Verde, etc. Put a layer of that down just like
> you would do with the lasagna. Then you need to fill your enchiladas. I
> would use either refried beans with or without added raw chopped or sliced
> onions or various cheeses with sliced raw onions. I prefer white onions
> for this. I happen to like cheddar for the filling of these but some
> people prefer Monterrey Jack. You can also use a mix. Do these like the
> Eggplant Rollatine. Put the end of a tortilla down, then lay on a strip
> of filling, making sure not to put too much then roll the other end sort
> of over and under, tucking the end under. Cover these well with sauce.
> From there, I would add a goodly amount of strips of onion and green
> pepper. Bake until hot and bubbly and as with the other things I
> mentioned above, top with more cheese and put back until the cheese melts.
> A crumbly Mexican cheese is especially good on top of these. Like Cotija.
> You can also mix some shredded cheese with your refried beans if you like.
>
> The way that I make refried beans would horrify some here but... I start
> with pinto beans. Rinse and pick through, looking for rocks and things.
> You'll rarely find them. Add enough water to cover and then another two
> inches or so above the top of the beans. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2
> minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour or so. Drain and rinse
> the beans well. Add the same amount of water again. Bring back to a boil
> then turn down the heat to low and let simmer until done. This can take
> as little as 45 minutes if your beans are super fresh or up to 2 to 3
> hours if they are not. When tender, drain any excess water from them.
> Season with salt to taste. If you like a stronger flavor, add cumin, hot
> peppers or chili powder. If you want lower carbs, add plenty of chopped
> onions and green peppers. Sometimes I even add a little onion powder to
> taste. You can add black pepper here too although not traditional. And
> you can add a little cilantro if you like. Then I add a little olive oil
> for richness but if you want low fat, you can leave this out. Then mash
> with a potato masher until you get the texture that you like. I like them
> a bit chunky. Keep in mind that if you cook a whole pound of beans you'll
> be eating refried beans for a week unless you have a big family or freeze
> some. But you can also buy canned refried beans or even mash up canned
> beans. Traditional refried beans would use lard and/or bacon so they
> wouldn't be vegetarian.
>
> For a quick macaroni and cheese, I start with a little butter. I don't
> really measure these things. I just sort of instinctively know how much
> to use. But about 1-2 T. per serving. When hot and beginning to bubble,
> add in some flour. I use sweet rice flour these days but plain flour
> works fine as does cornstarch. I just love the smoothness that sweet rice
> flour gives. And since I don't do much baking these days, I can purchase
> the sweet rice stuff for cheap in a small quantity in the Asian food
> section. Add about an equal amount of flour unless you want a thinner
> sauce. In that case add a little less. You want to cook it until nicely
> bubbly. About a minute, especially if using a wheat flour. If not cooked
> for long enough it can give a bit of a raw taste to the finished dish.
> The way I like it, it will form a thick paste in the pan. Then I add a
> little salt and pepper. Some people like a dash of cayenne or paprika in
> this. Or even a little dry mustard. Then add your milk over a low heat.
> Add it just a bit at a time. I stir this in but some people prefer a
> whisk. You can use cream if you want a richer sauce but we never have
> cream so milk for me. Just keep adding until it looks like the texture
> and amount that you want. Make sure it's not too runny. Then add your
> cheese slowly. Use shredded cheese. I prefer a sharp cheddar but a mix
> of cheeses is good too. When melted and smooth, add in your cooked pasta.
> I just serve it like this. But if you want a baked dish, put it in a
> buttered casserole dish, add some more shredded cheese to the top and a
> layer of buttered bread crumbs. Bake until hot and bubbly.
>
> A dish that my husband I both loved but perhaps isn't real cooking was
> Kidney Bean Rarebit. This was from a British cookbook. Called for a can
> of baked beans and kidney beans. I think their baked beans are not like
> ours here in the US because ours are really sweet. I would use something
> like Heinz beans that are less sweet. Dump those into a pan. Drain the
> kidney beans but not the others. Add a knob of butter and some chopped
> onion, freshly ground black pepper, a couple of good glugs of ketchup and
> a little bit of dry mustard. Heat through very well then add a goodly
> amount of shredded sharp cheddar. Stir until melted and serve over thick
> slices of buttered bread. You'll have too much for two slices of bread so
> there will be leftovers.
>
> A dish that my FIL both loved came from a depression era British cookbook
> that was put out by the government to help people make the most of their
> rations. It was called Lobscouse although it in no way bears resemblance
> to the real dish which is not vegetarian. Calls for a tin of tomatoes
> which have been snipped into small bits. These days you can get them
> chopped already. Don't drain. Just put in the pan. Add a knob of butter
> and heat until the butter is melted. Add plenty of freshly ground black
> pepper and several handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar. I guess in those
> days the amount of cheddar used would depend on how much they had. Heat
> it through until bubbly. This will not make what you would normally think
> of as a sauce. Parts of it will be thin and parts will be gloppy with
> cheese and tomatoes. It's very rustic. Serve this over mashed potatoes.
> Purportedly it was served to sailors at sea.
>
> I will go through the recipes I have on my computer later and see what
> other things I can come up with. These are just dishes that I made quite
> a bit back when I could still eat cheese. *sigh*

Wow, plenty of good ideas there! Thanks very much!
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"Tara" > wrote in message
...
> One of our favorite vegetarian recipes -- black bean and sweet potato
> burritos:
>
> Bake, boil, or microwave some sweet potatoes. This is a good way to use
> up leftover sweet potatoes. Let them cool until you can handle them.
> Meanwhile, cook down some onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add
> some chili powder, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic as they
> cook. Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes and add it to the onion
> and garlic. Add some drained black beans. Let it all simmer together
> until the flavors mingle. Wrap the mixture in tortillas. Add salsa,
> sour cream, peppers, cheese, etc. to taste.

Thanks, Tara!


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"sf" > wrote in message
news
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:51:12 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
> wrote:
>
>> Ophelia wrote:
>>
>> > I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian
>> > food and if so, will you share recipes?
>>
>> I'd think you'd want to look at a few warm weather, Ethnic cuisines.
>> Middle East, India, that sort of thing. There's a lot to like and a lot
>> that's vegetarian. It seems that where fresh, high quality produce is
>> widely available for a good part of the year, there's a lot of
>> vegetarian eating - makes sense to me.
>>
>> I actually find myself eating seasonally of late, e.g., I have little
>> taste for veggies here in the dead of winter but like them more in the
>> summer.
>>
>> Speaking as a meat eater, the most satisfying vegetarian concoctions
>> I've had always seem to involve beans of some sort, e.g., lentils, plus
>> a good amount of dairy in the form of yogurt or cheese to add richness.
>> I simply don't understand how people can salad for dinner unless it's
>> got a nice dollop of cottage cheese in it at the very least.
>>
>
> I'd approach the problem the same way I approached gluten free cooking
> for my DIL when she was avoiding that. I realized there was already a
> lot in my recipe repertoire that was completely gluten free and more
> that only needed minor adaptations. I think Ophelia will come to that
> realization too when she gives some thought to what she already cooks
> and considers acceptable alternatives. Here's an example using beans
> instead of meat as protein
> http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/...-rosemary-oil/

Thanks! That bean and pasta thing looks really good!
--
--
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"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...
> Ophelia wrote:
>
>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian
>> food and if so, will you share recipes?
>
> I'd think you'd want to look at a few warm weather, Ethnic cuisines.
> Middle East, India, that sort of thing. There's a lot to like and a lot
> that's vegetarian. It seems that where fresh, high quality produce is
> widely available for a good part of the year, there's a lot of vegetarian
> eating - makes sense to me.
>
> I actually find myself eating seasonally of late, e.g., I have little
> taste for veggies here in the dead of winter but like them more in the
> summer.
>
> Speaking as a meat eater, the most satisfying vegetarian concoctions I've
> had always seem to involve beans of some sort, e.g., lentils, plus a good
> amount of dairy in the form of yogurt or cheese to add richness. I simply
> don't understand how people can salad for dinner unless it's got a nice
> dollop of cottage cheese in it at the very least.

Thanks, Steve. Yes I agree protein is very important and I am with you on
the salad
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"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...

But one dish I really loved was onion
> bread (made in a low temp. dehydrator) made in finger sandwich sized
> pieces made into sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and Swiss nut cheese
> (also dehydrated at a low temp and cut into slices). Everyone I know who
> ate this loved it!

Is this bread made from scratch with onions and then dehydrated, or onion
sandwiches dehydrated?

It would stink
> up the house as it dehydrated but the end result tasted like a good
> quality grain bread. It was sooo good!


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"John J" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:00:31 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>I don't
>>want to cut meat out totally, and I will still use fish, and cheese, eggs
>>etc. I don't want us to go vegan. We usually eat a lot of meat and I
>>just
>>want to cut down a bit, for health reasons really. I think eating more
>>veg
>>is better for us.
>
> The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition agrees with you:
>
> <http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/01/30/ajcn.112.044073.abstract?sid=79c50832-5428-4f5e-ab4a-6356c122c676>

Thanks for that, John. Interesting reading!
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"barbie gee" > wrote in message
hcrg.pbz...
> r
>
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2013, tert in seattle wrote:
>
>> Ophelia wrote:
>>> I am eating less and less meat. Does anyone here cook vegetarian food
>>> and
>>> if so, will you share recipes?
>>
>> pizza with you-name-it toppings
>>
>> the things I like best are onions, green peppers, mushrooms,
>> pepperoncini,
>> olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pesto ... etc

I do make pizza fairly regularly so yes, I will try some of your toppings
Himself always just wants ham and pineapple .. I know, I know


--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> But one dish I really loved was onion
>> bread (made in a low temp. dehydrator) made in finger sandwich sized
>> pieces made into sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and Swiss nut cheese
>> (also dehydrated at a low temp and cut into slices). Everyone I know who
>> ate this loved it!
>
> Is this bread made from scratch with onions and then dehydrated, or onion
> sandwiches dehydrated?
>
> It would stink
>> up the house as it dehydrated but the end result tasted like a good
>> quality grain bread. It was sooo good!

It's made from scratch with onions and then dehydrated. I'll give you the
recipe. I did not use the Nama Shoyu and instead just used a pinch of sea
salt. I also preferred to use the dark flax seeds when I could find them.
Alas the golden are more common here. Also I kept close tabs on the
dehydrator and took it out while it was still soft like bread. And instead
of cutting it, I simply formed little pieces using a flexible scraper to
mold it into shape. Some people prefer more of a cracker and in that case
you'd keep it in there until crisp. I'm sure you could do it this way in
the oven as well. Not sure you could keep it soft in the oven. The low
temp. dehydrator is key there.

Onion Bread



2 1/2 lbs sweet onions, peeled
1 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
3 oz. Nama Shoyu

Put onions in food processor with 's' blade and process until small pieces,
(but not mush). Put in mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix
thoroughly. The flax will absorb liquid. Smooth onto teflex sheets* about
1/4" thick and place in dehydrator for 5 hours, turning over for another 3-4
hours or until dry and crispy. Either break into pieces or cut with a pizza
cutter, and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
*If you don't have an Excalibur dehydrator, any type will do - just use
natural unbleached parchment paper instead of the teflex sheets.

On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:

> Sounds pretty much what I have in mind Any advice you feel like sharing
> will be very much appreciated

Jes whatever you can think of. I don't do chicken, anymore, the
documentaries on how they are raised are jes too revolting. I stick
with pork and beef, which I know are jes as bad, but I haven't seen
THOSE documentaries. But, I'm trying to eat more natural/organic,
regardless of meat or plant. Grass fed beef is expensive, another
reason to use sparingly. I can feed myself, easily enough, but too
often hafta buy food for my mom, and that's a losing proposition, as
she is not eating much of anything at this point, so I buy a lotta
fattening junk food that will attract her. I'll not spend good money
on her food. So I get a lot of tasteless food that mom likes in the
house and must take care what I eat of it. Ima sucker for a good
cake donut!

I like beans /w some ham in it. Any bean, but mostly white. My go-to
soup is minestrone, which is a vegetable soup, but I add jes a tad bit
of meat for flavor, either proscuito or dried salami. I like stews,
but not traditional stews like beef or Irish. My fave is a Moroccan
Tagine which I make with pork or goat.

http://tinyurl.com/25e4yv2

It would be easier if I didn't have a lot of fattening food around for
my mom, but I do what I can for myself, which usually doesn't appeal
to her. We have an all organic mkt, where I can buy natural beef,
pork, and goat, and several health food stores and I buy organic
produce at our sprmkt. It really does make a difference cuz you can
really taste more flavor in organic foods. I backslide a lot, cuz of
Mom and my own weaknesses, but going organic and eating less meat
really isn't that difficult. I haven't had a steak or a pork chop in
yrs and don't miss 'em one bit. And I finally burnt out on pizza, so
that's no longer a problem. If I ever get some time to myself, I'll
start fishing again. I live right next to one of the most productive
trout rivers in the US and can't get away long enough to fish it.
Can't wait for that to turn around. I love fish.

I like Middle Eastern food. Falafel, tabouli, tagines, hummus, etc.
Also, I'm trying to learn more Indian cooking, the majority of it
strictly vegetarian. Potato samosas, vegetable curries, polaos, which
are about the only rice dishes I like, etc. I'd like to learn more
Korean cooking, as they typically have one plain meat dish, usually
grilled bits, and a dozen pickled veggie sides to enhance the meat,
kimchi the most well known. I like quiches and need to learn a good
basic frittata recipe. Both can be quite good as vegan dishes (if you
overlook the egg!). Our natural food mkt sells big wedges of a veggie
frittata they make and it's to die for. I buy organic eggs when I
find them, preferrably farm eggs.

I'm not much on Western salads, anymore, preferring fresh fruit or
cabbage slaws. I also love steamed cabbage, all buy itself. It's so
sweet. Who knew!

I'm jes stumbling along, learning as I go. I think the human machine
requires less meat as we age. We eat that stuff when we're young cuz
we need protein to grow and do heavy physical labor and the habit
stays with us. In old age, we don't really need a lotta meat, if any.
Last steak I ate, I thoroughly disliked. The heavy beef grease began
to congeal in my mouth as it cooled and it was totally gross.
Reminded me of when I was kid and usta chew on those sugar-water
filled wax thingies around halloween. Ewwww...

That's why I gave my Aubrey/Maturin cookbook away. It was mostly beef
grease. Boiled meat, grease pastries, grease puddings, etc. I can
see it for a hardy sailor freezing his tail off on a cold windy
foretop crosstree. Also Brit food in general. Cold and snowy clime.
Hard times. A body needs that kinda fuel to stay warm. One of the
reasons I didn't go full-crazy vegan. It's too damn cold, here, in
the Winter. But, we have a good heater and I'm not huddled over an
open fire in the blowing snow. So, mostly veggies with jes a bit o'
meat, if you please, guv'ner!

nb

On 2/1/2013 9:04 AM, notbob wrote:
>
> I can feed myself, easily enough, but too
> often hafta buy food for my mom, and that's a losing proposition, as
> she is not eating much of anything at this point, so I buy a lotta
> fattening junk food that will attract her. I'll not spend good money
> on her food. So I get a lot of tasteless food that mom likes in the
> house and must take care what I eat of it. Ima sucker for a good
> cake donut!

I'm not sure tasteless food is the answer. Of course you know your mom
and I don't. I do know when my mom couldn't get my dad (who had
alzheimers) to eat, I could. The answer for him was more highly
seasoned food. His problem was he couldn't really taste much so he
didn't want to eat. I'd make things like sloppy joe's (cut into
quarters as though he was a kid) or make mini-pizzas on English muffins.
Things like that. I also bought (from the grocery store bakery)
cinnamon rolls, fruit danishes. He'd eat any of those things in a
heartbeat because he could *taste* them. I also made sure he drank
Ensure or Boost a couple of times a day. Just a thought.

Shoot me an email if you feel like it.

Jill

In article >,
says...
I can feed myself, easily enough, but too
> often hafta buy food for my mom, and that's a losing proposition, as
> she is not eating much of anything at this point, so I buy a lotta
> fattening junk food that will attract her. I'll not spend good money
> on her food.

I saw your earlier post about your elderly mother's diminished
appetite and constipation.
There are lots of reasons to explain a diminished appetite in old
age; physical inactivity, reduced sense of taste and smell; difficulty
chewing and swallowing due to problem teeth or dry mouth, secret worries
about incontinence. It might be worth getting her mouth teeth and gums
checked out by the dentist.. even if all her teeth are dentures, poor
fit /shrinking gums can make eating harder.
With respect, feeding her fattening junkfood is not ideal for her
health and could bind her up. Its easier to swallow and digest light,
moist, nourishing foods.You may find, that in old age, she would enjoy
the soft nursery foods she ate as a child. Rice pudding, egg custards,
scrambled eggs, buttery mashed potatoes and gravy, toast fingers with
tasty dips, fruit yoghurts, soft tasty fruits (mashed if need be) such
as avocado, mango strawberries, banana,pineapple. Soups, milky drinks,
fruit juices etc. She needs lots of liquid to prevent constipation;
soups, milky drinks, fruit juices. A glass of booze can stimulate
appetitie and make a meal more pleasurable. Even if she doesn't eat
much, by sipping whilke you eat, she's still part of the social
occasion.

It's great that she eats a big cooked breakfast, but that would
fill a grown and active man; it probably provides a whole day's calorie
needs for an old lady so not surprising she doesn't feel hungry later;
or want to three meals a day. She may be more easily tempted if for the
rest of the day you just offer a series of very small snacks on a little
sideplate. Cold nibbles like a fruit yoghurt or fruit slices means
there's no pressure to eat it up right away; let her take her time and
pick away while watching TV etc.

Janet UK

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...

> It's made from scratch with onions and then dehydrated. I'll give you the
> recipe. I did not use the Nama Shoyu and instead just used a pinch of sea
> salt. I also preferred to use the dark flax seeds when I could find them.
> Alas the golden are more common here. Also I kept close tabs on the
> dehydrator and took it out while it was still soft like bread. And
> instead of cutting it, I simply formed little pieces using a flexible
> scraper to mold it into shape. Some people prefer more of a cracker and
> in that case you'd keep it in there until crisp. I'm sure you could do it
> this way in the oven as well. Not sure you could keep it soft in the
> oven. The low temp. dehydrator is key there.
>
> Onion Bread
>
>
>
> 2 1/2 lbs sweet onions, peeled
> 1 cup ground sunflower seeds
> 1 cup ground golden flax seeds
> 1/2 cup olive oil
> 3 oz. Nama Shoyu
>
> Put onions in food processor with 's' blade and process until small
> pieces, (but not mush). Put in mixing bowl with the other ingredients and
> mix thoroughly. The flax will absorb liquid. Smooth onto teflex sheets*
> about 1/4" thick and place in dehydrator for 5 hours, turning over for
> another 3-4 hours or until dry and crispy. Either break into pieces or cut
> with a pizza cutter, and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
> *If you don't have an Excalibur dehydrator, any type will do - just use
> natural unbleached parchment paper instead of the teflex sheets.

Ahh, I am now understanding ... I hope It is not the bread you made from
scratch, but the onion mix, yes? I do indeed have an Excalibur dehydrator.
So, just to be clear, is this a kind of spread?
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2013-01-31, Ophelia > wrote:
>
>> Sounds pretty much what I have in mind Any advice you feel like
>> sharing
>> will be very much appreciated
>
> Jes whatever you can think of. I don't do chicken, anymore, the
> documentaries on how they are raised are jes too revolting. I stick
> with pork and beef, which I know are jes as bad, but I haven't seen
> THOSE documentaries. But, I'm trying to eat more natural/organic,
> regardless of meat or plant. Grass fed beef is expensive, another
> reason to use sparingly. I can feed myself, easily enough, but too
> often hafta buy food for my mom, and that's a losing proposition, as
> she is not eating much of anything at this point, so I buy a lotta
> fattening junk food that will attract her. I'll not spend good money
> on her food. So I get a lot of tasteless food that mom likes in the
> house and must take care what I eat of it. Ima sucker for a good
> cake donut!
>
> I like beans /w some ham in it. Any bean, but mostly white. My go-to
> soup is minestrone, which is a vegetable soup, but I add jes a tad bit
> of meat for flavor, either proscuito or dried salami. I like stews,
> but not traditional stews like beef or Irish. My fave is a Moroccan
> Tagine which I make with pork or goat.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/25e4yv2
>
> It would be easier if I didn't have a lot of fattening food around for
> my mom, but I do what I can for myself, which usually doesn't appeal
> to her. We have an all organic mkt, where I can buy natural beef,
> pork, and goat, and several health food stores and I buy organic
> produce at our sprmkt. It really does make a difference cuz you can
> really taste more flavor in organic foods. I backslide a lot, cuz of
> Mom and my own weaknesses, but going organic and eating less meat
> really isn't that difficult. I haven't had a steak or a pork chop in
> yrs and don't miss 'em one bit. And I finally burnt out on pizza, so
> that's no longer a problem. If I ever get some time to myself, I'll
> start fishing again. I live right next to one of the most productive
> trout rivers in the US and can't get away long enough to fish it.
> Can't wait for that to turn around. I love fish.
>
> I like Middle Eastern food. Falafel, tabouli, tagines, hummus, etc.
> Also, I'm trying to learn more Indian cooking, the majority of it
> strictly vegetarian. Potato samosas, vegetable curries, polaos, which
> are about the only rice dishes I like, etc. I'd like to learn more
> Korean cooking, as they typically have one plain meat dish, usually
> grilled bits, and a dozen pickled veggie sides to enhance the meat,
> kimchi the most well known. I like quiches and need to learn a good
> basic frittata recipe. Both can be quite good as vegan dishes (if you
> overlook the egg!). Our natural food mkt sells big wedges of a veggie
> frittata they make and it's to die for. I buy organic eggs when I
> find them, preferrably farm eggs.
>
> I'm not much on Western salads, anymore, preferring fresh fruit or
> cabbage slaws. I also love steamed cabbage, all buy itself. It's so
> sweet. Who knew!
>
> I'm jes stumbling along, learning as I go. I think the human machine
> requires less meat as we age. We eat that stuff when we're young cuz
> we need protein to grow and do heavy physical labor and the habit
> stays with us. In old age, we don't really need a lotta meat, if any.
> Last steak I ate, I thoroughly disliked. The heavy beef grease began
> to congeal in my mouth as it cooled and it was totally gross.
> Reminded me of when I was kid and usta chew on those sugar-water
> filled wax thingies around halloween. Ewwww...
>
> That's why I gave my Aubrey/Maturin cookbook away. It was mostly beef
> grease. Boiled meat, grease pastries, grease puddings, etc. I can
> see it for a hardy sailor freezing his tail off on a cold windy
> foretop crosstree. Also Brit food in general. Cold and snowy clime.
> Hard times. A body needs that kinda fuel to stay warm. One of the
> reasons I didn't go full-crazy vegan. It's too damn cold, here, in
> the Winter. But, we have a good heater and I'm not huddled over an
> open fire in the blowing snow. So, mostly veggies with jes a bit o'
> meat, if you please, guv'ner!

Sounds good enough for me) Thanks for that, all saved

--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 2013-02-01, Janet > wrote:
>
> It's great that she eats a big cooked breakfast, but that would
> fill a grown and active man; it probably provides a whole day's calorie
> needs for an old lady so not surprising she doesn't feel hungry later;
> or want to three meals a day. She may be more easily tempted if for the
> rest of the day you just offer a series of very small snacks on a little
> sideplate. Cold nibbles like a fruit yoghurt or fruit slices means
> there's no pressure to eat it up right away; let her take her time and
> pick away while watching TV etc.

Thanks for the feedback, Janet. Yes, the junkfood is jes one part of
it. I'm pretty much trying everything, now. While she still eats a
big breakfast, she's becoming less interested in those, too. I give
her a glass of fresh squeezed OJ every day, which helps with her
regularity. She also will eat a bowl of fresh fruit at night, usually
sliced apples, oranges, melon, and raisins. I do season her food
pretty heavily (S&P), but she doesn't like hot spices like I do, so hot
sauce and Indian foods are out. I always keep a big bowl of popcorn
and a pastry on the counter. I try different foods, but too often she
ignores 'em or feeds the meat to her dog. That's what I meant by not
wasting money on pricey organic/natural foods for her. The bottom
line is, she still losing weight. I can see it, as does the care
person who comes once a week.

I appears this lack of appetite is not uncommon in dementia patients.
A close friend told me his father died when he forgot how to swallow
and they could no longer even hand feed him. My mom is getting like
that. She wants food, than when it's prepared, jes forgets about
eating it.

nb