Favorite Vegetable (vegetarian) recipes

Yum, nice thread, I'm vegetarian and love cooking!

For winter, how about a comfort eating dumpling stew with a Mexican twist??
Choose your own quantities, but for two to three servings -
In a large saucepan, fry some thinly sliced onion, red and green bell peppers and crushed garlic in a little sunflower oil 'til softened. Add a drained can of kidney beans (440g), and stir around. Add a can of chopped tomatoes (440g, I like the kind with added chilli) and a dash of tomato puree, black pepper and minced red chilli to taste and a tablespoon or so of soy sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Making the dumplings: Choose your own quantity - you need twice the amount of flour to veg suet. So for 2 ounces (in USA do you use ounces?) suet, weigh out 2 ounces self raising flour and also add 2 ounces of cornmeal or polenta. Add in a generous handful of grated cheddar and a little minced red chilli, and enough water to make a soft dough. You choose the size of dumplings. I like to make six little ones. (I just can't remember off hand if I use 8 or 4 ounces worth of flour for the six, d'oh!). Drop them in the pan, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (sit and watch a little TV ) Serve and eat, yum!

Another winter favourite of mine is red dragon pie. Aduki beans, grated carrot, onion and garlic in a tomato and hot paprika sauce, topped with grated (cook 'em first though) potato with a little more paprika and some grated cheese.

I like to cook Indian and Chinese style also :p

I want to get this dumpling thing right, because I love those little suckers! What exactly does suet translate to. In my mind it's a chunk of animal fat. i can't imagine hat a vegitarian variety would be....

maybe vegetable shortening?

mmmm, yeah. I dunno if I'd want to use that either.... must be another way.

Hi all!!

thinkzinc- Thanks!,..sounds delicious!!

little_k- vegetarian suet is a product found most commonly in the UK.
The source I was able to find is "Atora",..here's a quote from their site:

"Today, Atora sells more than 2,300 tons of suet in Britain each year - enough to make one million dumplings a day!
While Atora has always been the number one for beef suet, the brand has been extended to include Atora Light. Made entirely from vegetable fats, Atora Light contains no animal products and is thus extremely suitable for vegetarians. In addition, it contains 25% less fat than standard vegetable suet, yet can be used in exactly the same way and gives the same great results."

I have links to purchase if you need!

vegetable shortening = vegetable oil i think

i don't really know. i just bought vegetable shortening for the first time last week - so Setanta could prepare his bread tins. It looks weird, but the ingredients seem kinda innocuous.

Tangy and spicy green beans (side dish)

* green beans with the ends cut or snapped off (as many as you need to serve your group)
* vegetable oil, enough for frying (I prefer EVOO)
* sesame oil (a little)
* sesame seeds (to taste)
* scallions (chopped, not too fine - this is also to taste)
* dried red pepper flakes (to taste)
* lemon juice (use lime juice if you don't have lemon- this is also to taste)

Heat green beans in a microwave-safe dish with some water. You just want to soften the beans, not cook them through and through. Discard water and dry off beans with a paper towel.

Heat up a frying pan or a wok. Add all ingredients except for the beans. Bring up to a fairly high temperature, but you really don't need boiling oil. Add beans slowly, to keep from splattering. Turn over a few times to make sure they are coated with the oil mixture while they cook.

Take out after a few minutes. You don't want to brown the beans; they should still be bright green in color. Serve with other Chinese food.

PS I don't add ginger because Mr. Jespah doesn't like it, but you might like ginger. Garlic can also be added, if desired.

I'd still like to see an ingredients list... Not because I think it's not vegitarian, but because I bet it's hydrogenated.

Much good stuff here that I am struggling to read on a slow dial-up connection here in Ireland. I am clinging in here on Eircom, the free internet server but it keeps dumping me. Whilst I am connected,


Jerry, is that "my" Clifden, as in Co. Galway?? Faith and Begorra, ye had to pass me house, nearly, on your trek to the market town by the sea! Our place is a mile or two above Recess, a wee bump, consisting of shop and pub, on the N59 road to Clifden. My drive to Clifden is about 12 miles, and I shop there two or three times a week. Where in the town did your friend get wed, and where was the party after? Tell me about your trip to his wedding.

Another good recipe, Jerry. I may do that one tonight. Thanks!

Hi Jerry, yes, that is the type of suet I use, though it is Tesco's home brand I have at the moment.

Hi LittleK, yes the veg suet <i>is</i> hydrogenated, just went to check the pack -
<b>Ingredients</b> - Hydrogenated palm oil (68%), Sunflower Oil (22%), Rice Flour (10%).
Per 100g, 93g of fat, (49.7g saturates, 16.1 mono-unsaturates, 13.4 polyunsaturates.
It isn't a problem for me, I just eat dumplings occasionally in any case, but for those who are watching fat, I think it would make a nice cobbler - a cobbler mixture with low fat yoghurt perhaps, with cornmeal added to the flour, put on the chilli mixture in a casserole dish, and the whole lot popped in the oven for 20 minutes?

P.S. Checked it out, I usually use 8 ounces of flour/cornmeal mixture and 4 ounces veg suet to make enough for three.

Oops, used the wrong brackets for my HTML there, lol!

Hi All!!

Thinkzinc- I thought that was the stuff

little_k- I wouldn't dream of making some pastries without hydrogenated fat,..it's just one of those things,..not so great for ya,..but all in moderation

Kara- We stayed at the Station House on our trip to Clifden, I did the drive from the airport, cause the four guys that came with me were chicken!
I think the church was St. Joseph's,..it was a stone's throw from the hotel.
The bride and groom stayed at the Alcock & Brown, that's where the party was as well,....and WHAT A PARTY,..the ceremony was at 1 pm,..the dinner started at 5 (after a good few hours, and pints, in the hotel pub),..a band from 8 til midnight,..then a DJ from 12-4am, then the hotel pub after,....we were having cognac and coffee with the bride's family at 7am, in the hotel lobby,......it was exhausting!!!

Ach! I won't do the hydrogenated fats, I'd rather do all animal fat.... eeyep, that's right.

BTW, I came back in to tell all you Boston area food junkies with vegetarian bent about a little restaurant near Harvard Square. It's the Zen Teahouse. It has all vegetarian lunches everyday. You can order dimsum a la carte, or get the vegie lunch special (for $6). It is fantastic! I also had the tapioca tea.... very interesting.

I came upon a couple of meatless recipes that I thought people would like to try:

Nutty Meatless Loaf
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Stand: 15 minutes

Nutty Meatless Loaf
Ingredients

* 1-1/4 cups dry red or yellow lentils
* 2 medium carrots, shredded
* 3/4 cup snipped dried apricots and/or golden raisins
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1-1/2 tsp. garam masala or 2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 3 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
* 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh mango
* Cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium saucepan bring 3 cups water and lentils to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; set aside.

2. In 10-inch skillet cook carrots, apricots, onion, celery, garam masala, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

3. In large bowl combine eggs, cooked lentils, carrot mixture, brown rice, 2/3 cup of the nuts, half the chutney, and 1 tsp. salt.

4. Firmly press lentil mixture into a greased 9- or 9-1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining chutney with sweet pepper, mango, and remaining nuts.

5. Evenly spoon chutney mixture on loaf. Bake 10 minutes more or until chutney mixture is heated through (loaf should read 160 degrees F). Sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Let stand 15 minutes; cut in wedges to serve. Makes 8 servings.

----------------------------------------------------


Apple Breakfast Bars
Makes: 8 bars
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 1 hour

Apple Breakfast Bars
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup dried apples, snipped
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1/3 cup peanut butter
* 1/4 cup apple butter
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
* 1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
* 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
* 2 cups cornflakes and/or wheat flakes

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven combine dried apples, honey, raisins, and
brown sugar. Heat and stir until mixture boils; reduce heat
slightly. Cook, uncovered, for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Stir in apple
butter and cinnamon. Stir in rolled oats, walnuts or pecans,
wheat germ, and sunflower seeds until well combined. Add
cereal, stirring to coat.

2. Press mixture very firmly (or bars will crumble) and evenly into
an ungreased 8x8x2-inch pan. Chill to set. Cut into 8 bars. Store
in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Makes 8
bars.

Beth - I was going to try this, but I can't figure out the spinach/egg layer. You are whipping a raw egg in with a bag of wilted spinach...and then cooking this together? Just making sure.

the spinach is past wilted but still brilliantly green, you have to be able to stir the beaten egg into it thoroughly

I sorta whip the spinach with a fork to get the texture right before I stir the beaten egg into it

(I wish I could show you the texture)

ok the proper technique is

steam the spinach
drain the spinach (press the extra liquid out)
chop the spinach
stir in the beaten egg

if you want to be 'proper' about it, you separate the egg - beat the yolk - add it to the spinach - whip the white - follllllllld it into the spinach (I haven't split this step out in about 15 years)

Thank you darling. Will report back tomorrow.

Deary, bake at...350? for about an hour or till top is bubbly and lightly browned? Cover with foil or sumpin?

nothing on top

the top layer of mash has to be a bit crispy/crunchy