Non- Meat Eaters, Sound off...!!!

[megatonic]

I've been doing the vegetarian thing for about 6 weeks, now. I was a vegetarian for a couple years, some time ago.

My reasons are my reasons.

Anyway, if you're a non-meat eater, I'd be interested in any great recipies you might have.

Post 'em & let's try them out!

[Luke]

Converted in 1996.

No recipes sorry.

[ACfixer]

Does veal count?

[scottlr]

Does veal count?

:rotflmao

I am not veggie. But years ago, one of our close friends was at the time. We had them over for dinner and I wanted to make something he'd enjoy. Now, not only am I not veggie, I hate and will not eat any raw veggies, though I love most any cooked past crispy.

Anyway, I went and bought a couple of packs of portobellos that were pre-slice to maybe 1/2 inch. I sauteed onions, then sweated some garlic in there, finally browning the mushrooms, all in EVOO (sorry for the RR reference, but it is quick). I de-glazed with either a red wine, or something like Marsala. The mushrooms were still firm, the onions were past caramelized and the garlic had almost liquified. A few shakes of red pepper flakes, and over some angle hair pasta. DAMN! I did not miss having meat at all! The mushrooms totally took the place of the meat and it was a fabulous meal. He was impressed, and even more so when I told I just winged it.

Oh, and my wife made a salad, and did some killer garlic bread. We has a couple of nice bottles of Italian red, and it was just perfect.

So there's one for you to try and also to improvise with.

[pirateflynn]

Lacto-ovo since 1987. I do have a piece of Ahi every once in a while (maybe a dozen times). I am very healthy and my sons are highly competitive athletes. I'll see if I can come with a recipe or two. Nothing fancy, just the basics.

[megatonic]

Cool,

Don't worry about the recipies. I'm just picking up tips from folks as I go.
The two reasons that brought this on for me were - reason one, I recently got my bloodwork done and, of course have high cholesterol & too much belly fat, so I need to get my healthy on.

The second reason is that I'm not down with killing animals for my food; I ignored my feelings about that for many years, and even grew up in 4-H, raising animals. I watched one of my hogs get butchered at our place, which I could have done without having to see.

But we all have our own choices to make. My family still eats meat, and last night when my wife made tacos, I was racing through numerous of rationalizations in my mind, to justify having a couple. I didn't though.
So if for nothing else, being a vegetarian will be good for reeling in the reptilian part of my brain, and help me with self discipline.

If I was faced with a starvation scenario, then I would probably kill an animal to survive, ...but I'm not currently faced with that scenario, nor have I ever been. Plus, the whole factory farm system we have here, and how animals are treated is deplorable, and I don't want to have anything to do with it. Not only is it bad for the animals, but it degrades us for letting it be that way.

Anyway, that's all.

[PanaDP]

Plus, the whole factory farm system we have here, and how animals are treated is deplorable, and I don't want to have anything to do with it. Not only is it bad for the animals, but it degrades us for letting it be that way.

Anyway, that's all.

Another option is game meat. My family rarely eats anything but. It's very healthy, the animals live the life they were meant to, and they die as instantaneously as an animal can. The only barrier for a lot of people is that it requires more work than a trip to the grocery store, but it's great if you enjoy being outdoors and everything that comes with it.

[Gretsch1972]

Vegan Fish Tacos:

Get some extra firm tofu. Dry it off and soak in a marinade of chili powder(fresh ground), salt and lime and a bit of olive oil.

Season a cup of fine cornmeal with salt and pepper and chili powder. Slice the tofu into strips and toss with cornmeal until crusted. Let it set for 10 minutes to set.

Fry those up in oil until crispy and serve with fresh warm corn tortillas and your favorite condiments.

[amigo30]

I was really running late one morning and grabbed a sausage biscuit at Mickey D's. I'm pretty sure I got some "non-meat substance".

[HoboMan]

One of my favorites is to cut veggies of choice (I like Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, Asparagus etc) and saute' in Olive Oil. Put on top of pasta of choice and top with parmesan cheese.

Another of my favorites is to grill veggies of choice, mix with homemade Spanish rice and stuff into a Pablano Pepper. Bake and enjoy. Here's one I made:

http://www.communityofficesupply.com/images/git/hamer/Chili%20Relleno_b.jpg

[EL34]

One of our favorite veggie meals is what we call "eggplant surprise". It's very simplte to make....you just saute eggplant in olive oil and Italian spices, and then add roma tomatoes to the pan. Cook a short while until the tomatoes are hot (but not mushy). Salt and pepper to taste. Put the eggplant/tomato mix over penne pasta, and then sprinkle romano cheese on top. I'm not a huge eggplant fan, but it is delicious in this dish!

[guitarlix]

Indian vegetarian recipes are some of the greatest ever! So tasty!

[newking70]

my question is to those who choose this route, why are you always searching for a meat substitute, ie tofurkey etc.... :huh

[Lotis]

15 years veg. I am quite healthy and happy with it. It is challenging sometimes but I continually discover new foods.

[coreybox]

my question is to those who choose this route, why are you always searching for a meat substitute, ie tofurkey etc.... :huh

it's kitschy to most vegetarians too. It's mostly seen by people who (1) are new vegetarians, or (2) share meals with non-vegetarians.

[Telecaster62]

First you fire up the grill. Then throw on a well seasoned T-bone and a couple of baked potatoes. Then you mix lot's of your favorite garden vegetables into a wonderful salad. There you go........Oh wait, you want vegetarian, sorry can't help you there. :p

[megatonic]

my question is to those who choose this route, why are you always searching for a meat substitute, ie tofurkey etc.... :huh

Because meat tastes great; at least to me. Since I had eaten meat my whole life, the craving is pretty big.
Regardless of the meat aspect, I love the foods (recipies) I ate all those years, so using a meat substitute allows me to keep enjoying them.

[Trego]

I sent this to my friends who came over the other night, if it sounds like it written to someone specifically, it is! The meal was great. Meat-Free but full of flavor!

Portobello Mozarella Panini with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Sundried Tomato Pesto:

- Sundried Tomato - (they come in jars, I picked ones that were already sliced small, but you can buy whole ones)
- Basil - (you can substitute fresh spinach, but basil has better flavor)
- Parmesan Cheese - (preferably the fresh stuff...not the powder)
- Pine Nuts - (these are very and oddly expensive, you can substitute just about any nut, but it will mildly effect the flavor, I've used Walnuts and Cashews before, I suppose Peanuts could work too.)
- Olive Oil - (you will be using quite a bit, but you'll be glad you used EVO, and not just regular Vegetable Oil)
- Salt & Pepper - to taste
- Food Processor - obvious
- Spatula - for scraping the pesto down to the bottom of the food processor

My assembly of the pesto was very unscientific...just lots of adding things slowly. I would start off with a 1/8th to 1/4 cups of your nut of choice. If you go with pine nuts, they are raw, and you will need to toast them by putting them in a pan over low heat and keep moving them around until they look slightly browned...they will release some oils. The oil from the pinenut is what gives it that delicious nutty taste to the pesto.

Then add the Basil and Sundried Tomato...the flavor of the Basil is very mild, so don't worry about using too much, the Sundried Tomato is much stronger, so add just a spoonful at a time. Do yourself a favor and chop these before putting them into the food processor...it will take less scraping the sides back down to the bottom that way.

You will be using the Parmesan cheese as your main source of salt. This will also act a binder. You will add extra salt and pepper at the end...so if it a little bland, you can wait until the end, rather than making your pesto thicker with a lot of cheese. I'd start with 1/4 cup and take it from there.

Then add two or three tablespoons of the Olive Oil. This will be what you start with...up until this point, you haven't blended anything together. You will continue to add the oil slowly until the consistency of the pesto is a very thick sauce. You can always add more oil...you cannot really take it away.

Start processing it and again, add oil until you get the correct thickness. This is really more about preference than anything. A thicker pesto will work better on the sandwiches, and a thinner, more runny pesto will be best tossed in Pasta. I'd go on the thicker side at first, and then add more oil later to the leftover pesto you will have from your sandwiches, and use that for tossing in some pasta.

Place in the fridge, it is a nice contrast to have this cool with the warm cheese and mushroom on the sandwich.

The Portobello Mushroom:

- Portobello caps - (even if you are just cooking for the two of you, make at least 4, that way you can make some delicious left-overs. This is not a hard meal, but you might as well make extras while you are at it.)
- More Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar - (I don't know of any substitutes, so if you don't have it yet it'd be good to have for other meals in the future.)
- Salt & Pepper - to taste
- Grill Pan, or other pan for cooking on stove-top.

You are going to want to de-gill the the mushrooms by taking a spoon or fork and scraping the fan-type innards from the underside of the mushroom. These aren't bad for you, but they can make the dish taste very bitter if you do not remove them.

Create a blend of 1/2 Oil, 1/2 Balsamic Vinegar, and Salt & Pepper. You don't need too much, so start off small and make more as you need it. Cut the stems off the mushrooms and apply the oil-vinegar blend on the bottom. Cook them bottom side down for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Apply plenty of your oil-vinegar blend for flavor and to keep the mushroom from drying out and getting tough. After 4-5 minutes, flip it over and cook for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Remember to apply more oil-vinegar blend on the top before flipping.

You want the Portobellos to be soft, but not falling apart. Set these aside, but try to keep them warm by not letting them sit too long.

The Rest of the Sandwich:

You can add plenty of other things to this sandwich, but there's so much flavor that I kept the rest pretty simple:

Bread - (you can do whatever you like, but I went with fresh Italian bread, cut to my choice of thickness.)
Fresh Mozzarella - (you can do shredded, but I went with the "ball mozzarella" and sliced the ball into slices.)
More Olive Oil - (I know it seems like you are eating a lot of oil, and you are, but you don't have any fat from meat, so no need to feel guilty.)
Dried herbs - (sprinkled some Oregano on top of the cheese, not necessary, but go for it if you like. Any Italian herbs will work. Some extra fresh basil you might have left over would be delicious too.)
Salt and Pepper - (again, this part has been in every step, but I cannot think of one better thing to kick up a sandwich than some Salt & Pepper.)

Take the bread that you've sliced, place it on a baking pan brush a very small amount of oil on the bread on the top side of the bread...don't do both sides. Half of the bread will also get the Mozzarella and herbs on top of that. Salt and pepper each piece of bread.

Put the bread, which is on the baking pan, and place it under the broiler in your oven. This will cook very quickly. My suggestion would be to stand next to the oven and not walk away from it. This should be toasted well in 2-3 minutes. If you add even one extra minute, it might be totally burnt, so keep an eye on it!

Assembly:

Simple enough, but here it is anyway

1. Take bread from oven and put on plate.
2. Lay Portobello mushroom on cheese-side to help melt the cheese onto the sandwich.
3. Spread desired amount of Pesto onto other slice of bread.
4. Put the pesto side on top of the mushroom/cheese side. Cutting the sandwich would also make sense now.
5. Enjoy!

[hangten]

my question is to those who choose this route, why are you always searching for a meat substitute, ie tofurkey etc.... :huh

not.

I'm 41, been a vegetarian for 4 years.
I try to avoid processed food like that...

I quit eating meat for ethical reasons - I was raised eating it every day, and love it! (I used to do a mean slow-cooked pork shoulder - all day on the grill)
when I first quit, I tried some of the meat subs because occasionally I would get a serious craving....but I thought they all tasted bad, and whether you eat meat or not, I think one of the keys to healthy eating is to eat unprocessed food. so no tofurkey for me.

I eat...VEGETABLES!

check this out (macca content)

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sorry if this is OT, I know I didn't exactly post a recipe...just wanted to address that comment...

[LHanson]

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but we do eat at least 3 meatless dinners here at Chez Hanson.

Here's a couple of winners.

Ziti Bake
Serves 5 well

1 pound dry ziti
1 can spaghetti sauce, or jar if you have a favorite. Big can, something like 40oz
2 cups moz. cheese
water
Italian herb mix, or whatever you doctor you spaghetti sauce up with.

Grease/spray a large casserole dish.
Preheat oven to 350
Mix sauce and a can/jar of water, to get a 50/50 mix, in a bowl/whatever.
Dump pasta in casserole. Pour thinned sauce on top.
Bake 30 minutes. Put cheese on top, bake 10 more minutes.



Lentil Tacos - C&P from Runners World.
1 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown lentils, dry
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons dried black currants or raisins, minced
1 cup salsa, plus additional for topping
8 6-inch corn tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauted onions, celery, and garlic in the olive oil for five minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for one minute. Add the broth and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (add more water or broth as needed). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (until lentils are thick), stirring often. Fold in the salsa. Wrap the tortillas in a damp white cotton towel and microwave on high for one minute. Spoon the lentil mixture among the tortillas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Serves four.

[Will Chalant]

I'm a Vegetarian and have been for most of my life on and off.

One dish my gal and I have been really into lately is Basmati Rice topped with fresh vegetables (think salad form) mixed together with a Thai Peanut sauce. Quick and easy!

[Will Chalant]

Also, for those in the Denver, CO area, there are a couple of fantastic Vegan restaurants called Watercourse and City 'O' City. Very creative dishes that even my non-vegetarian friends love.

[Tubebender]

I was veg man for a year....I eat limited meat now. I love animals. Sorry for all you hunters out there, have your masculinity. I watched Earthlings, and was kinda pissed. I don't dig any animal suffering, being half dead, beat on...etc.
I have a conscience.

You can do a lot with tofu. We used to make a tofu scramble with , tofu, hash browns, morning star sausage, tortillas and cheese. salsa on the side, real good.
Of course, the bean, cheese thing too...Many options.
Lots of Chinese food to be made as well.
Tofu steaks were killer. It was like slicing them in 2x2x1/2"wide with lots of seasoning, (the x did that one, i think it was some kind of steak sauce..lol)in the oven atop mashed potatoes, veg baked beans and asparagus,,,,yummy,.
Really thou. Chile relleno (sp?) burritos rock....

Whatever, at least I didnt go vegan....then you have real issues...

[PSaulino]

5 years and counting....
Paul

[daddyo]

I was an alternating vegetarian for a long time.

[James M]

I converted about a month ago, and loving it (plus I've lost about 7 pounds!).

Here's a recipe I made yesteraday:

-Flatbread (I made my own...I could post that when I get home, if you are interested, but from the store flatbread/pita could work too.)

-baba ganoush (I made my own...I could post that when I get home, if you are interested, but from the store stuff would work)

-grilled zuchini

-grilled red onion

-grilled red pepper

-feta

-green olive ("real" ones, not the bottled pimento ones)

-a tiny bit of low fat monterrey cheese

Grill this up on a panini press, grill pan, or similar. Delicious!

[Pelagic]

I'm not good with the various labels for vegetarians, but 2 months ago I went back on my zero cholesterol diet. No animal products except egg whites.

I've lost 13 lbs. eating as much as I want. The last time I did this my cholesterol dropped 85pts in 2 months.

We'll see if it sticks after I get the blood work done for an insurance policy.

[Blue Fin]

We use a lot of the "fake" meat and chicken products and some of them are pretty good.

[Zelmo]

30 years now. Don't miss the meat (fish, chicken, etc. etc.) at all.

[Thinsocks]

4 years and counting. Cool thread.