vegetarian go-tos

[nakiriknaifuwaifu]

i need inspiration
plis forum
gib inspo

 

[panda]

convert to meat

 

[Ochazuke]

Nasu dengaku is delicious and easy.

How vegetarian are we taking about? Are eggs okay?

 

[M1k3]

Indian baked tofu (don't remember the name of the dish).

 

[MarcelNL]

Indian cuisine is IMHO best suited for satisfying vegetarian with enough options, all the 'surrogate meat' stuff that came through our kitchen recently cannot interest me one bit.
Problem with Indian is that it is so spice heavy that it's not really an option for more than once in a week or so. (probably need to be raised on it)

Since a while our two teenagers converted, we'll see how they survive on a diet of carbs and surrogate meat as they hardly eat enough sorts of veg to be mentioned and certainly not enough to survive as vegetarians. (the turn to vegetarianism came as quite a surprise to me). For now we run a dual option kitchen.

 

[NameAlreadyTaken]

I’ve been getting into some middle eastern recipes recently.
Some of my favourite vegetarians in the last couple of months:
Pickled veg:
https://myjerusalemkitchen.com/2011/06/02/ronis-israeli-style-hamutzim-pickled-vegetables-חֲמו%D6%BCצ%D6%B4ים/
Sabich (I prefer the heathen soft boiled eggs):
https://www.seriouseats.com/sabich-sandwich-eggplant-egg-hummus-pita-recipeHummus:
https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/hummus-recipeThe bicarbonate soda makes a big difference and cooked from dry chickpeas seems to get me a better texture. And don’t skimp on the tahini.

 

[Jovidah]

I think the best place to look for vegetarian recipes is to try and find recipes for primate meat; they're probably the closest analogue to prepping a vegetarian.

 

[OkayMode]

Indian cuisine is IMHO best suited for satisfying vegetarian with enough options, all the 'surrogate meat' stuff that came through our kitchen recently cannot interest me one bit.
Problem with Indian is that it is so spice heavy that it's not really an option for more than once in a week or so. (probably need to be raised on it)

Since a while our two teenagers converted, we'll see how they survive on a diet of carbs and surrogate meat as they hardly eat enough sorts of veg to be mentioned and certainly not enough to survive as vegetarians. (the turn to vegetarianism came as quite a surprise to me). For now we run a dual option kitchen.

Agreed on Indian cuisine providing the best variety of options, but Sri Lankan food is also very heavily vegetarian by default and is often a bit lighter and more fragrant than some of the heavier 'restaurant' or 'hotel' style Indian classics.

Vietnamese cuisine also has a lot of veggie options, with the added bonus that (in my experience) oriental supermarkets have by far the best imitation meat products, although my preference if i'm cooking vegetarian or vegan is to avoid recipes that try to replicate traditionally meaty dishes.

 

[Beerzebub]

This thread is good: Recipe Requested - non-meat-centric dinner ideas

 

[jaydee]

I used to make dal twice a week; kind of addicted to it.
Cheap, healthy, protein-rich, delicious, adaptable.
Indian/asian and mexican cuisine come to mind.

I like Ottloenghi´s "plenty" which is vegetarian book.
Many recipes from his books can be found online, like these really nice ones:
Quesadillas by Ottolenghi
Mejadra by Ottolenghi

 

[MarcelNL]

To me most Ottolenghi dishes are just that, a single dish which does not make a meal, and I find much of it very similar yet that may be personal though...

Many Chinese dishes are vegetarian, but again...the word eggplant makes them run for cover so we sortof still try to 'hide' most vegetables.

 

[Dan-]

Good stuff here
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671862/ever-green-vietnamese-by-andrea-nguyen/

 

[SwampDonkey]

I'm not sure if these links from NYT Cooking will work but a few of my favorite vegetarian ish meals are:

Pickle-brined fried tofu sandwich. Treat it just like a pickle-brined chicken sandwich, but the tofu takes on a wonderful flavor. Will have non-tofu fans rethinking their stance

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes...ed-tofu-sandwich?smid=ck-recipe-android-share
Allison Roman's caramelized shallot pasta. Homemade or fresh pasta is a game changer with this recipe, I add a little ricotta for some creaminess and shrimp or scallops for protein, but chickpeas or tofu would do just as well. This is also a fun knife recipe since you're thinly slicing like 10 shallots.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020830-caramelized-shallot-pasta?smid=ck-recipe-android-share
This spicy (not really, maybe sassy) butternut squash pasta with spinach is a fall winter staple, as is the sage recipe below it.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes...sta-with-spinach?smid=ck-recipe-android-share
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes...sage-and-walnuts?smid=ck-recipe-android-share
I'm a huge green goddess fan, this recipe is interesting to me since it combines tortellini floaters in to the salad. I particularly like this as a meal on the third day after I smoke a giant pork butt or other piece of BBQ where I'm tired of eating heavy, smoked meat. I to add about a half cup of mayo to the goddess dressing recipe, seems to smooth out the Greek yogurt bite.


https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020264-green-goddess-pasta-salad?smid=ck-recipe-android-share
Lastly for vegetables I just like to make a big curry with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, chickpeas, mushrooms, red onion, and whatever else I have floating around. Hard to go wrong there and it's filling/easy to reheat for lazy lunches.

 

[Dan-]

This one is good too. You occasionally see *******ized versions of these recipes in nytimes.

https://www.joshuamcfadden.com/sixseasons

 

[McMan]

Ratatouille, a good baguette, red wine, some good cheese... try not to have a nice conversation with that combo!
A big veggie-laden Moroccan couscous is always nice.
Greek, Turkish, Levantine, all are veggie-friendly...

Ethiopian can be incredible--and is often less fiery-hot than some Indian dishes. Lentils, chick peas, eggplant, stewed veggies, greens, potatoes... I find Ethiopian food just a veggie-friendly as Indian.

 

[Jovidah]

More seriously; I do actually agree with most of the others here in that the best vegetarian dishes / meals are those that 'aren't trying to resemble meat. A lot of Indian dishes are a good example of those. Another highlight (for me) was tempeh drowned in kecap manis.
Don't get me started on all the ultra-processed 'meat alternatives'...

For me just about anything with (good) cheese can also be decent, the only problem is that any good dish with cheese usually leaves me feeling like it'd be even better with some ham / bacon / other meat or charcutterie added to it.

 

[DitmasPork]

i need inspiration
plis forum
gib inspo

Inspiration to eat out or at home? Here're a few thoughts on both.

FWIW, I'm married to a vegetarian (who very occasionally eats fish); and do the majority of cooking at home.

• Go-to cuisines in my kitchen—South Asian (Indian/Bengali/Pakistani), Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan, Korean, Middle Eastern.

• Main vegetarian proteins tofu, chickpeas, other legumes. I completely despised ALL the fake meats (Impossible, Beyond, etc.), they all taste TERRIBLE. Once cooked for a vegan Tex Mex party with Beyond Meat, ...the vegetarians loved it, I found the product to be meh.

• Chinatown, markets in Little Pakistan, have been hugely inspirational for me when fishing for vegetarian ideas.

• Fave dishes are:
1] Stir fried bitter melon with tofu—either Canto style with black bean sauce; or Okinawan style with egg, onion. sake, mirin, shoyu
2] Chana Masala (chole), cook up a batch every week, ...helps being a short walk from the marlets/spice shops in Little Pakistan.
3] Chile Relleno, ...not the deep fried variety
4] Shakshuka
5] Pasta all'Arrabbiata

• Chinese food is VERY easy to make veggie-friendly—many of the traditional Chinese dishes I grew up with were sparse with meat anyway.

• When eating out—Canto or Indian/Pakistani or Korean is the most accommodating for vegetarians—Japanese restaurants are generally slim pickins. ...Mexican restaurants are the worst for vegetarians.

• PET PEEVE. Some pro cooks in the US are great/talented, when it comes to vegetarian menu options, the majority are lazy *****—I roll my eyes seeing mushroom risotto, pasta (baked ziti/lasagna), aubergine, portobello steaks offered as veg options—salads lazily put together, etc. Wished many chefs would put as much creativity and energy into vegetarian dishes as they do with meat/fish dishes. That said, I've found great vegetarian at higher end restaurants—but I'm not rich enough to dine at them often. The majority of kale salads at restaurants are inedible and boring.

Shahsuka

Gobi Matar

Kasha Varniskes

Gyeran-mari (Korean rolled omelette)

 

[MarcelNL]

Inspiration to eat out or at home? Here're a few thoughts on both.

FWIW, I'm married to a vegetarian (who very occasionally eats fish); and do the majority of cooking at home.

• Go-to cuisines in my kitchen—South Asian (Indian/Bengali/Pakistani), Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan, Korean, Middle Eastern.

• Main vegetarian proteins tofu, chickpeas, other legumes. I completely despised ALL the fake meats (Impossible, Beyond, etc.), they all taste TERRIBLE. Once cooked for a vegan Tex Mex party with Beyond Meat, ...the vegetarians loved it, I found the product to be meh.

• Chinatown, markets in Little Pakistan, have been hugely inspirational for me when fishing for vegetarian ideas.

• Fave dishes are:
1] Stir fried bitter melon with tofu—either Canto style with black bean sauce; or Okinawan style with egg, onion. sake, mirin, shoyu
2] Chana Masala (chole), cook up a batch every week, ...helps being a short walk from the marlets/spice shops in Little Pakistan.
3] Chile Relleno, ...not the deep fried variety
4] Shakshuka
5] Pasta all'Arrabbiata

• Chinese food is VERY easy to make veggie-friendly—many of the traditional Chinese dishes I grew up with were sparse with meat anyway.

• When eating out—Canto or Indian/Pakistani or Korean is the most accommodating for vegetarians—Japanese restaurants are generally slim pickins. ...Mexican restaurants are the worst for vegetarians.

• PET PEEVE. Some pro cooks in the US are great/talented, when it comes to vegetarian menu options, the majority are lazy *****—I roll my eyes seeing mushroom risotto, pasta (baked ziti/lasagna), aubergine, portobello steaks offered as veg options—salads lazily put together, etc. Wished many chefs would put as much creativity and energy into vegetarian dishes as they do with meat/fish dishes. That said, I've found great vegetarian at higher end restaurants—but I'm not rich enough to dine at them often. The majority of kale salads at restaurants are inedible and boring.


View attachment 277230
Shahsuka

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Gobi Matar

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Kasha Varniskes

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Gyeran-mari (Korean rolled omelette)

totally agree with you on lazy cooks....

I am trying to slowly introduce more flavors and spices, but the process is sloooooooww

 

[DitmasPork]

totally agree with you on lazy cooks....

I am trying to slowly introduce more flavors and spices, but the process is sloooooooww

I'm an omnivore, love meat, will eat everything—but often feel bad for my wife when I'm in food heaven and she's begrudgingly having frites and a basic salad.

 

[MarcelNL]

recently in higher echelon restaurants vegetarian options have grown a lot, to the point where some courses are veggie only I must say that I quite like that although at that price point it's not something that I'd consider a go-to option.

 

[DitmasPork]

recently in higher echelon restaurants vegetarian options have grown a lot, to the point where some courses are veggie only I must say that I quite like that although at that price point it's not something that I'd consider a go-to option.

Yeah, think I'd mentioned that the higher end is better—some starred restaurants offer vegetarian tasting menus that sometimes look better than the meat equivalent. Generally my wife and I have been unimpressed by vegetarian restaurants—except for some vegetarian Indian joints. Can usually get pretty good food ordering carefully at French, Italian and ethnic restaurants.

 

[DitmasPork]

recently in higher echelon restaurants vegetarian options have grown a lot, to the point where some courses are veggie only I must say that I quite like that although at that price point it's not something that I'd consider a go-to option.

I fascinates my how in the US, vegetarian-friendliness can vary a lot from city to city. NYC, LA, most big diverse cities are usually quite accommodating. I remember being on a work trip in Texas—they'd put out a big spread of food, everything had meat in it, even the big bowl of salad was dotted with bacon and chicken cubes.

Man, right now I'm craving a good falafel.

 

[panda]

why should pros exert more effort in vegetarian if that is not their interest?
I get that everything should be made to best of your abilities but I'm not going out of my way to cater to the select few.

that being said, I love me some eggplant capponata.

 

[1315]

I like having tortillas out, then can cut up whatever fruits and vegetables quickly for wraps. Hot sauce, sour cream, salsa and the like as flavor.
This time of year, soups are great to. I make a full big crock pot and it lasts 4-5 days when chilled. This calls for Italian sausage, but the fake veggie chorizo or italian sausage crumbles give the soup even better flavor than real meat . Use pepper and red pepper flakes to taste! Really good stuff! Be sure to use and peel the yukon golds, makes a big difference.

 

[EShin]

There's already many very good suggestions above and I completely agree.

Go-to... Natto and white rice! Some seasonal steamed vegetables of really good quality and it's a fantastic meal, almost like a basic temple food we call Shojin Ryori.

A good Pizza Margherita beats any other Pizza.

There's also many kinds of dumplings such as Tortelloni, Xiaolongbao or Gyoza that will usually contain meat but can be fantastic without meat. Can.

 

[MarcelNL]

why should pros exert more effort in vegetarian if that is not their interest?
I get that everything should be made to best of your abilities but I'm not going out of my way to cater to the select few.

that being said, I love me some eggplant capponata.

how do you define 'pro' I define it as someone who makes a living out of preparing food for their clientele, and a (growing) number of them are vegetarians.

If a pro does not want to do veggie, fine, but make that clear upfront (I'd applaud that!) and do not offer lame excuses like an omelette or the stuffed portobellos that even I as non pro would be ashamed of serving to vegetarians.

I LOVE places where the chef makes one set menu, you like it or you don't....

 

[MarcelNL]

There's already many very good suggestions above and I completely agree.

Go-to... Natto and white rice! Some seasonal steamed vegetables of really good quality and it's a fantastic meal, almost like a basic temple food we call Shojin Ryori.

A good Pizza Margherita beats any other Pizza.

There's also many kinds of dumplings such as Tortelloni, Xiaolongbao or Gyoza that will usually contain meat but can be fantastic without meat. Can.

will try our teenagers with Natto, I suspect it's a no go ;-)

I hear you on Margherita, that is something going over well!

 

[DitmasPork]

why should pros exert more effort in vegetarian if that is not their interest?
I get that everything should be made to best of your abilities but I'm not going out of my way to cater to the select few.

that being said, I love me some eggplant capponata.

I've always felt that people should take pride in their work, try to do something well or not do it it all. I'd rather a restaurant not have any vegetarian options at all—than to just offer up the usual mushroom risotto, eggplant, baked ziti, portobello steak, or kale salad.

I'm just saying that restaurants have vegetarian options because they want to accommodate vegetarians, which it fine—I tend to have more respect for kitchens/chefs that show a little creativity, knowledge, talent. Guess all I expect is for the same amount of care that goes into a meat dish, be given to vegetarian options—as a paying customer, it's a reasonable expectation.

A restaurant is only as good as their weakest dish IMO.

 

[Jovidah]

What's wrong with mushroom risotto?! As long as it's well made...

 

[lumo]

Processed things, fake meats, vegan cheese or vegan butter are not my thing either.
Some vegan dishes that I had recently and enjoyed.

Roasted maitake and walnut bolognese, mafaldine pasta, herb oil
Cauliflower barbacoa, cranberry beans, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro.
Grilled artichokes and baby eggplant with escalavida vegetables, tomato fondue, marcona almond and sherry gastrique
Confit sweet potatoes, black lentils, swiss chard, raw apple relish, maple vinegar, chervil
Braised celery root chasseur, thumbelina carrots, tomato, mushrooms, creamy polenta