*Looks hungry and helpless*

[tree_and_leaf]

So. I have been thinking about what to give up for Lent, and have settled on meat.

However, this is making me mildly apprehensive about being able to stick to it, as I have only a very limited repertoire of vegetarian dishes. As I know my flist contains lots of people who are Good at Food, could you help me out by recommending recipes. I don't have much time to cook during the week. I do like spices, though I'm not all that good at really hot food (I tend to go for 'medium' dishes in Indian restaurants). I also love lentils, and also mushrooms. I have never cooked with tofu, but am willing to give it a go as long as people tell me exactly how to deal with it....

Comments

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

One of the easiest veggie dishes is a lasagne. It can be cooked in advance and a portion can be heated up in just a few minutes whenever.

You need: lasagne sheets, tin of tomatoes, herbs (fresh or dried), and whatever veg is about. Spinach is particularly fine, but needs to be cooked first. Sliced mushrooms, celery, leeks, onions (saute first), and pulses/beans of choice (pre cooked/soaked, tins are good) also work well. Build up layers, and finish with mushrooms, aubergine slices or something over the top sheet of pasta otherwise it'll get incredibly crunchy. Cover with foil/greaseproof and back in the oven for c45 mins. Add cheese to top (mozzarella is my favourite but most works well), return for a couple of minutes and serve. If I'm cooking it to eat later, I only put the cheese on before I heat it, otherwise it soaks in and is lost...

My other stand-bys are stuffed mushrooms/peppers, which again use any veg in the house. For mushrooms, peel/wipe and place in a dish, remembering that they will shrink in the oven. For peppers, wash, cut in half length-ways, deseed and place in a dish. Put in the oven for about 15 mins. While these are cooking, saute onions or leeks, the mushroom stalks (or whole mushrooms for the peppers), and any other veg in the house. A couple of tomatoes work really well, as do cashew nuts. Add black pepper and herbs. Fill the peppers/mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes, then top with cheese.

Jars of curry sauce can be good (depending on the brand) and are quick - again just bung in whatever veg you have handy, sauting any onions first.

Sorry this is really long. I could go on for ages...and you've made me hungry!

[tree_and_leaf]

Ooh, the lasagne sounds good!

As do the stuffed peppers (though I have negative associations with them, as my hall of residence did a very unappetising version that was basically peppers with over-cooked cous-cous and cheese)

[arwensommer.livejournal.com]

Tofu is actually really easy to work with! It can work in a great number of dishes, both as replacement for meat (oloriel would have my hide for suggesting that ;) ) or as a stand-alone. Just be careful to NOT marinate tofu... that can go HORRIBLY wrong.

In addition to tofu, you can work with mushrooms, cheese, eggs and nuts to replace the meat you're not eating. An example would be spinach with walnuts over linguini. Tastes really good... Takes about 10 minutes to prepare (depending on the cooking time for the linguini). Other dishes I've done include a mushroom-tomato-corn cream sauce over cheese-tortellini...

I guess I just don't know what you'd like to eat, otherwise I'd be perfectly willing to dig up some of my vegetarian recipes!

[tree_and_leaf]

See, that's good to know, as I would have assumed that tofu needed to be marinated...

Frankly, I'd be grateful for any recipes - I'm not a fussy eater, and will try most things once. The spinach and walnuts thing sounds good; I'll certainly try it.

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

You're planning to tread a harder road than me; I was only thinking of giving up alcohol, which should be interesting enough!

[tree_and_leaf]

Well, good luck! (I'm sure your liver will thank you...)

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

- Mjadra (http://www.discoverlebanon.com/en/recipes/lentil_rice_pilaf.php)
- Chakchouka (http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_chakchouka.htm) (my recipe doesn't have chilli, and I serve it with cous cous)
- Colcannon (http://www.irelandnow.com/colcannon.html)

Ask if you are interested in recipes for an apple/apricot/barley soup; a chickpea/carrot/spinach recipe; numerous pasta dishes; numerous risotto dishes.

[tree_and_leaf]

Mm, these all look great! And I'd be interested in the soup and chickpea/spinach recipe...

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I've bookmarked this page as it is already revealing a lot of recipes which I should really teach myself; I survive on very low-grade vegetarian food for the most part.

[tree_and_leaf]

lj can be a great community resource!

[buffysquirrel.livejournal.com]

Chick peas make a satisfying alternative to meat.

[tree_and_leaf]

I can see potential for stews there.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

A lot of the items on my recipes tag (http://oursin.livejournal.com/tag/recipes) are veggie: and a lot of the side dishes could perfectly well be scaled up to form a main.

[tree_and_leaf]

Thank you - I'll have a look!

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Try Kartoffelsuppe or Linsensuppe, I can send you the recipies if you like.

I also make a soup from veg stock, butternut squash or pumpkin, carrot,leek,coriander and celery. Nutmeg works quite well with it too. Just boil until the veg is tender and mash with a potato masher.

[tree_and_leaf]

I hadn't thought of Kartoffelsuppe, but that sounds like a good option - could I have the recipe? (I've got a decent one for Linsensuppe).

[themolesmother.livejournal.com]

Here's a quick and easy one. Afraid the quantities are in imperial as I still think in imperial:

Veggie Spaghetti Bolognaise

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
6oz green lentils
8oz mushrooms
1 cube vegetable stock
1 14oz tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
Stock reserved from cooking the lentils

Place the lentils in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until soft but chewy. Drain, reserving the stock.

Chop the onion, crush the garlic. Fry over a medium heat until the onion is transparent and soft.

Wash, dry and quarter or halve the mushrooms, depending upon size. Add to the onion and garlic. Crumble in the stock cube. Make sure the mushrooms are well coated with oil and then fry on a lowish heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the tinned tomatoes, cooked lentils, tomato puree and herbs. Season well. Bring to the boil and simmer slowly for around 10 minutes. Add lentil stock to achieve the desiredd consistency - thick but not too dry.

Serve with spaghetti and a sprinkling of parmesan.

Hope this helps!

MM

[tree_and_leaf]

That sounds delicious! (Imperial is OK - I may be what my maths teacher referred to as 'a metric baby', but I can cope with it for the purposes of cooking...)

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Oh yes- if you use any kind of "meat substiture" mince do make sure that you add a lot of flavouring (eg tomatoes, chilli,curry) as it is quite bland in taste. Linda McCartney food tastes pretty good. Falafels are another possiblity and very nice with yoghurt.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Also there are some dirt cheap recipies here: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ with a heavy emphasis on beans as they are cheaper than meat.

[expectare.livejournal.com]

Are you counting fish as meat?

[tree_and_leaf]

I wasn't going to, but on reflection - and thinking about fish stocks and so on - yes.

[wuglet.livejournal.com]

I'll dig through my recipes on the weekend, I've got some nice things. :)

In the meantime, I can recommend veggie_diaries. They have some amazing dishes there.

And Simply Recipes (http://www.elise.com/recipes/) is always worth a look. :)

[tree_and_leaf]

Thank you - I've friended veggie_diaries.

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

Goodness. I'm just giving up coffee, chocolate, and the internet (and lj doesn't count!) Anyway, I've posted some recipes here (http://community.livejournal.com/recipecollectv/13684.html); hope they help.

Everything's in US measurement, of course: roughly,
One Cup (c) = 237 ml
One Tablespoon (T) = 15 ml
One Teaspoon (t / tsp) = 5 ml

[tree_and_leaf]

Giving up the net = totally harder than meat.

I did consider giving up lj, but decided that was a bad idea, after about ten seconds struggle....!

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

Aha. I was going to do that, but hadn't got anywhere near thinking about the practicalities. *bookmarks*

[tree_and_leaf]

Happy to be of service!

The subject of Lent having come up, I mentioned to the Chaplain that I was giving up meat for Lent. He pulled a face, and said, oh, he couldn't do that. Then he said that he's given up alcohol, puddings and chocolate, starting last Sunday (old rules for clergy), which I rather think would be harder... Possibly I just like chocolate too much.

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

Not now (because it is 10 pm and I am shattered) but sometime before Lent I will post a very yummy recipe for quorn sausage casserole. It is both nice and cheap.

[tree_and_leaf]

That sounds promising!

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

I do a 'gardener's pie' - similar to shepherd's, but instead of a savoury lamb filling, I cook what ever vegies I have (onion, carrot, pepper, green beans, frozen corn etc), a tin of tomato, a tin of kidney beans + some paprika and herbs). Top with mashed pototato, cheese and bake. Very satisfying in winter.

[tree_and_leaf]

That sounds delicious - thank you!

I'm actually quite looking forward to trying all these recipes...

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

I've just copied and pasted all my german soup recipies (I tend to save any translations I do these days)so you've got a couple extra.

German Soups

The basis for almost all German soups is “Suppengrün” which consists of: 1 medium onion, ¼- ½ a root of celeriac, 2 medium carrots, 2 small or one large leek, and a small bunch of parsley. Cut into small dice or slices.

Kartoffelsuppe: add lots of potatoes (cut into halves or quarters) Cook all in stock until soft, then drain and reserve stock. Put vegetables through a ricer, or mash until very smooth. Add back stock to desired consistency and reheat. If wanted, put sliced frankfurters into the soup whilst re-heating. Serve with fried onion garnish or with black pepper and a nicely flavoured vinegar to taste.

Linsensuppe: add about 200g green lentils, 2 tblsp tomato paste and two medium sized diced potatoes. Cook all in stock until soft then mash a little. Reheat, adding frankfurters at this stage.

Rindersuppe: add a fairly large piece of beef (such as brisket) and simmer for several hours in beef stock. Add some pasta about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yum - thank you!

Plus a couple more

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Mirza Ghasemi (Baademjaan Ghasemi)

Ingredients: (6 servings)
· 8 small seedless eggplants
· 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
· 4 eggs
· 2 medium tomatos
· 1/3 cup of cooking oil
· salt
· black pepper
Directions:
Bake the eggplants in oven until cooked. This occurs when the eggplants swell and the skin bursts. Take eggplants out of oven and let them cool down slightly. Peel them and cut the hard tops. Cut into small pieces.
Bring water to boil in a small pot. Cook tomatos in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pot and let cool slightly. Peel them and cut into small pieces.
Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden. Add eggplants and fry further for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatos, salt and pepper and fry until the excess water is gone.
Beat eggs well with a fork and fry separately until half-cooked. Add to eggplants, mix and fry further for 1-2 minutes. Can be served with white rice or Iranian bread. This is a delicious dish from a region by the Caspian sea in northern Iran.

Afghan Aubergine casserole (might do nicely in a remoska, but I've not tried it)

To serve one

1 large aubergine
1/2 carton Passata
turmeric
Oil
Yoghurt to serve

Slice the aubergine lengthawys into 1/2 cm strips. Fry in the oil until browned and softened. Meanwhile cook the passata with turmeric to taste until it has thickened and reduced slightly.

Oil a shallow casserole dish, then cover the bottom with a layer of the tomato sauce, then a layer of aubergine. Continue to layer until the aubergine is used up and finishing with a layer of tomato. Cook in a medium oven until tender (about 20 min) Serve with a good sharp yoghurt.

Re: Plus a couple more

[tree_and_leaf]

I've never cooked with aubergines, but these look rather good. Especially the egg-and-aubergine one.

Is it true that you have to be very careful to stop aubergine becoming unbearably oily?

[miriammoules.livejournal.com]

Carol Vorderman's detox recipe books - healthy, filling, quick, simple mostly. They're mostly vegan too. I tend to add a lot of seasoning and tweak them.

Buy a Rose Elliot cookbook - specialist Christian Veggie chef.

[tree_and_leaf]

Thanks for the tip - I've never heard of Rose Elliot.

[lizw.livejournal.com]

This link (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=lizw&keyword=Recipes&filter=all) should go to the Recipes section of my memories. Any time you're running out of ideas, let me know what kind of thing you're looking for and I'll try to find something in my paper recipe collection.

[tree_and_leaf]

Lots to go at here - thanks very much!

[harriet-wimsey.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I've shared this with you before--it's a good thing I have it saved on my computer, because I've ended up giving it to lots of people online. But it's one we really like in my family, and it tastes much better as a whole than any of the ingredients do individually. It's from The More With Less Cookbook, a Mennonite cookbook that is an all-around great resource for healthy, inexpensive, make-do sort of cooking.

Baked Lentils with Cheese (serves 6)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine in shallow 9"x13" baking dish:

1 3/4 c lentils, rinsed
1 whole bay leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
2 large onions, chopped
2 c canned tomatoes or 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 c water
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each marjoram, sage, thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cover tightly and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in:

3-4 large carrots, sliced
1/2-1 c thinly sliced celery

Bake covered 40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in:

1 green pepper, chopped (opt.)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Sprinkle on top 3 c shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes until cheese melts.

It has to bake for quite a while, but it's filling and delicious and makes great leftovers. It reheats beautifully and the flavors just meld better over time. It freezes fine, too. I bet it would also work well in a crock pot. Lentils are a good, healthy source of protein, and the rest of it is just vegetables plus a little low-fat cheese to help make it gooey and yummy. You can really mess around with the veggies, too, adding in other things you like, leaving out things you don't like or don't have.

[tree_and_leaf]

That sounds really good - thank you!