Vegetarian Ideas

[Kimmie]

CC,

I found Charlie Trotter's upscale vegetarian menu quite inspiring. Here's a sample:

Terrine of Tiny Corn & Oven-Dried Heirloom Tomatoes with Arugula & Basil Sorbet

Grilled Speckled Corn Soup with Crispy Semolina Gnocchi Galette, Spicy Radishes & Kalamata Olive Puree

Ragout of Onions, Garlic Confit, Porcini Mushrooms & Cumin Infused Sweet Corn Emulsion

"Lasagna" of Kolrabi, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Huitlacoche with Red Wine Braised Heirloom Corn Sauce

Chilled White Corn Soup with Cilantro-Yogurt Sorbet

Corn & Brazil Nut Sponge Cake with Sweet Corn Pudding & Brown Butter Sauce

Also, anything with pumpkins and squashes would make nice fillings for agnolotti or ravioli.

And Plums Five Ways : Sorbet, Chip, Sauce, Salad & Gelée

I find all this way too !

[ September 10, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[cape chef]

Shroom,
Outstanding,I love those menus..Very creative
And kimmie,thank you also for sharing those ideas with me.I do have trotters vegetable book and find it useful.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your creativity with me.
Keep em coming
And much thanks
cc

[Kimmie]

You're welcome, cc.

Also check some of the menues at The French Laundry -- Lots of vegetarian combos there too!

[Isa]

A few more days of this and CC will have the best vegetarian menu.

By the way CC have you thought of checking out the moosewood cookbooks?

[CompassRose]

Hi, cape chef -

I'm not a chef - but I have been vegetarian, and eaten in restaurants, for, lessee, thirteen years now.

Some of my thoughts on the subject... things I have thought time and time again when gazing at a menu looking for vegetarian options:
Oh Gods, not pasta again.
Oh Gods and Devils, not bloody vegetarian lasagna a-bloody-gain.
Stir-fry. Yawn.
Cheese. Cheese. Cheese and more cheese. I wonder if this would look like anything at all without the cheese?
Is there anything healthy, or reasonably low-fat, on this menu apart from the salad?
Is there anything that isn't entirely carbs and cheese? I could really use a nice protein source.

The Moosewood Cookbooks are okay, but the older ones are very granola veg - lots of cheese, lots of heedless high-fat stuff.

For more contemporary ideas, I highly recommend The Millennium Cookbook, from the chefs at San Francisco's restaurant of the same name. This is vegan, healthy cooking which could stand proudly by the side of any dish I've ever eaten in any fancy bistro. Delicious and original.

I'd also suggest Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven, which is, again, a bit lighter and more creative.

It's also dead easy, as other people have pointed out, to adapt meat recipes to vegetarian, using beans, or portobello mushrooms, or meat analogues such as seitan or tofu or TVP.... I do it all the time.

Honestly, pasta is nice, but it's what every omni in the world reaches for first when asked to feed "one of us." It's also what WE reach for first when looking for dinner in a hurry. Every veg*n I've ever known is **** sick of ordering pasta every time we eat out.

As for cheese and eggs and milk, they are high in fat, hence offputting to many who are vegetarian for health reasons, and, obviously, they're off-limits to those who eat no animal products at all - and there's just no knowing, some eat milk but no eggs, some eat eggs but have dairy sensitivities... I usually ask for cheese either left off or on the side, myself, as does my husband, because restaurant portions of cheese are usually so ridiculous.

And let me say how absolutely WONDERFUL it is to hear someone say, "I want my vegetarian guests to have the same dining experience as everyone else." Yay, cape chef!

[Shimmer]

Whatever you do, make the vegetarian dishes just as interesting as whatever else you have on the menu. Interesting enough that MEAT EATERS want to order them.

I've been borrowing more vegetarian cookbooks from the library lately, and made a wonderful 'Indian Lentil Soup' that was a huge success with my husband.

If you have enough flavor (through spices or cooking methods) and a good consistency (for instance, the lentils made this soup very dense and filling), vegetarian dishes don't have to feel like they're missing anything.

Well, in case anyone wants to try this recipe, I'll give it to you how I make it. (More or less....

Indian Lentil Soup (adapted from Versatile Vegetarian, a publication of Weight Watchers, I think)

Cook a chopped onion in olive oil until transparent. Add minced garlic, cumin, coriander, and grated ginger. Cook a little more.

Add diced peeled tomotoes (I used canned!), about 30 oz, some water (more or less depending on desired consistency- I usually add about 2 cups), and 2 cups lentils. Heat until boiling, lower heat and simmer 45-60 minutes or until lentils are soft. Take out 2/3 of soup and puree until smooth. Reheat with lentil mixture. Garnish with lemon juice and cilantro.

Very good for the stormy night we had the other day.

~~Shimmer~~

Hi All

I was a veghead for 10 years and taught veg cooking in adult school system. Here are some of my favorites. for an extened list of possibilities please e-mail me privately

1.Sheikh el Mahshi


2 large eggplants stem removed sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 large onion minced
1-2 packages IVES "just like ground"
1/3 cup pinenuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
32 ounces tomatoes chopped
pita bread and cooked basmati rice

1. Cut the stem end just below the hull, which maybe removed. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Salt both sides and place in a colander for 15 to 30 minutes, in the sink. This allows any bitterness from the seeds of the eggplant to be drawn out.

2. While the eggplant is sitting sauté 1 medium chopped onion till translucent, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add 1/3 cup of pine nuts 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and a meatless ground beef substitute, I like Ives " Just like Ground". You can use TVP (reconstituted) also.

3. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant.

4. Into a large baking dish or roasting pan pour 32 ounces of chopped tomatoes. Place eggplant slices on top. Top with your onion, cinnamon "just like ground" and pinenuts mixture.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. If eggplant needs to cook more turn off oven and let it sit in cooling oven for 10 to 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil. Place eggplant on top of cooked Basmati rice. Serve with Pita bread.
****************************************
Miso Glazed Tempeh with Sesame Spinach Rolls

Marinade

1 pound Tempeh
3 tablespoons Warm water
3 tablespoon Sugar
2 ounces Yellow miso paste
1 ounce Mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 ounce sake

Spinach rolls

8 Savoy Cabbage leaves, center rib trimmed flat
5 cups Spinach leaves washed dried loosely packed
1 Shallot minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoon each Sesame seed black and white
1 teaspoon Olive oil

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons Soy sauce
3 tablespoons Fresh lime juice about 2 limes
2 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
1/2 Shallot minced
1 small Garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
1/4 cup Peanut oil
1 cup Baby spinach leaves (16 to 20 leaves for garnish).

1. Cut each 8 Ounce piece of tempeh in half to make four equal pieces.
2. Steam tempeh over at least one inch of simmering water for 15 to 20 minutes. Steaming the tempeh opens up the pores in the cake, allowing the marinade to penetrate.
3. To marinate the tempeh: Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Cool and stir in the miso, mirin and sake. Coat the tempeh slices in the miso glaze and marinate overnight (at least four hours).


4. To prepare the Spinach rolls: Blanch the cabbage leaves in salted, boiling water until softened and remove to a clean cutting board. Lay the leaves flat and trim the thickest part of the rib off. Blot the leaves dry and reserve. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, then add the garlic and shallots. Sauté just for aroma, then add the spinach and stir quickly. Cook until the spinach becomes completely soft, seasoning with salt and pepper, them remove and allow to cool. After the spinach has cooled, press all the liquid from the leaves. Divide in half and roll each roll into a 1 inch diameter cylinder and wrap in the blanched cabbage leaves. Rub the leaves lightly in oil and roll in sesame seeds to coat. Reserve until ready to serve. (It is sometimes helpful to wrap the rolls in plastic wrap to compress them.)
5. To make the Vinaigrette and assemble the dish: Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the spinach leaves in a small amount of the vinaigrette and arrange four or five leaves along the rim of each plate. Slice the spinach rolls into six slices each and arrange three slices next to the spinach on each plate. Broil or grill marinated tempeh for 3-4 minutes on a side until lightly brown. Place the tempeh in the center of each plate and serve. Serves 4.

********************************************


Bow Tie Pasta with Carrots, Artichokes and Pistachios

3 Large Carrots
2 7 1/2 ounce jars Water packed artichoke hearts
3/4 Cup Shelled whole pistachios
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Large Red onion
6 Medium cloves Garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Dried red chili flakes
1/4 Cup (firmly packed) Parsley minced
3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1/4 Cup Water
6 Ounces Feta crumbled
garnish Lemon wedges
1 Pound Bow tie pasta

Slice the carrot on the diagonal into 1/8 inch discs. Cut each artichoke heart into 8 wedges. Cut the red onion into small wedges the same size as the artichoke hearts. Remove as much of the papery pistachio's skin as you can. Place a single layer of nuts in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and toast stirring frequently until aromatic. Remove from heat immediately, finely chop the nuts and set aside.

Put several quarts of water on to boil pasta. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots, onion, garlic and chili flakes and sauté over a medium heat about ten minutes, stirring frequently. Add the artichoke hearts and parsley and sauté, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes longer. Stir in the lemon juice and water and immediately turn off the heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente and drain briefly. In a bowl, toss the hot noodles with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 4 ounces of the feta, and pistachios. Serve pasta on plates and top with sautéed vegetables. Garnish with lemon wedges and crumble remaining 2 ounces (or to taste) feta on top.

[Risa]

What a timely topic! I'm a bit off meat (except fish) at the moment and I've been looking around for more vegetarian ideas. I never ate much meat before and I ate lots of Asian-style tofu dishes as well as egg dishes. The last couple of days, I've been eating a baby zucchini and zucchini blossoms frittata with some very yummy and fresh baby greens salad. I got the baby zucchini with blossoms and the greens from a regular vendor at Shroomgirl's Clayton Farmers Market.

Shroom: if this vendor is typical of your other vendors, all I can really say is WOW! They don't bring very much up to Springfield on Wednesdays but what they do bring is absolutely wonderful. I'm still hoping that I'll get a free Saturday so I can drive down to Clayton before the Market is closed for the season.

CompassRose: thanks for the lead on the Millenium Cookbook. I was considering the Moosewood books but I haven't been that impressed with them when I've borrowed from the library.

[cape chef]

Thank you all for your wonderful ideas and leads.Compassrose,I totally understand your frustration with the lack of caring or creativity in many kitchens with regards to vegetarian preferences.I think as a whole the Culinary field should enbrass the oppurtunity to supply and present excellent veggie/lugume Etc based dishes.
Some that I have trialed and liked are
Organic wild rice with baby spinach,brussel sprouts and cipolline onions in a carmilized fennel-onion broth.

delicata squash soup with crispy autumn mushrooms.

Russion fingerlings,bok choy,kolrabi,parsnip,turnip braised in a yellow beet stock.

Cranberry beans and miataki mushrooms rolled in rainbow chard with a roast garlic-sage broth.

whole roasted portibellas filled with sweet dumpling squash purre,toasted pumpkin seeds,goat cheese and crispy leeks served with a pomagrante-balsamic syrup.

crispy polenta cake with a white corn raugut,shaved late summer truffle,salad burnet and truffle oil.

braised trevisano and endive with cannalloni beans,plum tomatoes,shallots and finished with a gratin of maytag blue.

Sunchokes with barley,water chestnut roasted hen of the woods with a broth made from the roasted mushrooms.

I'm still waiting for salsify.
Thanks again for all your help.
cc

[DaveB]

You might also look into Chinese and Japanese Buddhist cooking.

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC's Chinatown serves a "Buddha Roll" which is a roulade made of fried bean-curd skin stuffed with a variety of sauteed mushrooms in a rich brown sauce.

It's so good that even I, the original carnivore, order it whenever I go to that restaurant. The bean-curd skin provides a crisp, high-protein, wrapper that could be filled and sauced with almost anything.

I couldn't agree more. I cooked professionally for years in the eighty's then became a veggie in the ninetys. I learned more about cooking from my vegetarian experience. I had to learn to create complexity and flavor with out bones and beef and little feathery/furry critters

some one looking for good veg cookbooks might check out deborah madison. she started the first gourmet vegetarian restaurant called Greens. She has moved on since then to TV etc and has many good cookbooks published

[Plum]

A wonderful dish from Mary Cadogan is a puy lentil & mushroom stew with red wine: (from memory Start with onions/carrots/celery, add garlic, dried and fresh mushrooms,herbs, red wine & stock and simmer for 50 mins or so. It's one of the few dishes I'm inspired to make regularly, and it's as delicious cold as hot.

(no cheese, tomatoes, or pasta!)

Plum.

[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Plum ]

[Kimmie]

CC, your best source concerning salsify is the late Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book New York: Atheneum, 1979--alas, out of print--since it is a wonerfully valuable and authentic compendium. She gives recipes for salsify soups, salads, pies and fritters, as well as for plain whole cooked salsify (or scorzonera). You will probably find the book through www.abe.com or such similar sites. I would also try e-Bay.

Meanwhile, do I have a recipe for you. How about Potato Salsify Pie.

Ingredients for two 9-inch pies

For two 9-inch by 2-inch walnut crusts
1 cup walnuts
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 "large" egg whisked with 2 tablespoons iced water
2 to 3 tablespoons iced water in a separate measure
1 egg white
Pinch salt

For the salsify filling:
1 cup olive oil
12 large cloves of garlic, smashed
1 quart chicken stock, more if needed to cover ingredients
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine vineegar
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/2 bunch thyme (10 sprigs)
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
2 pounds peeled salsify

For the potato filling:
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup lamb stock
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/2 pounds "boiling" potatoes, unpeeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick.

For serving:
1/2 cup toasted ground walnuts reserved from the first step
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme

Special equipment suggested:
A food processor with metal blade
Two 9 x 2-inch false bottomed tart molds

The pie dough: Pulse the walnuts in the food processor with a tablespoon of flour until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Spread on a small roasting pan and toast in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, to brown lightly. Remove 1/2 cup and reserve for final decorations. When completely cool, scrape the remaining 1/2 cup into the bowl of the food processor. Add the rest of the flour, salt, sugar, and chilled butter. Pulse the butter into the flour, but only until the mixture looks like very coarse meal. Turn on the machine and at once process in the egg-water mixture, adding more driblets of the separate iced water until the dough masses; be careful here not to overmix, the dough should not ball up on the blade. Turn the dough onto a lightly foured board, and hand-knead briefly, cut in two, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours. (May be left in the refrigerator for 2 days, or freeze).

Forming the crust: Roll dough into 14-inch circles and buttered molds. Refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Baking the crust: Line the crusts with lightweight aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until set. Remove the foil and beans. Whisk the egg white with a pinch of salt until foamy and paint the shells with a light coating, then return to the oven for 5 minutes.

The Salsify filling: Bring all the salsify filling ingredients except for the salsify itself to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the salfity and simmer until it begins to soften. Remove the pan from heat and allow the salsify to cool in the liquid. (Reserve leftover liquid for soups and another day). (Note: The cooked salsify may be stored up to 3 days.)

The Potato filling: Bring the cream , lamb stock, salt, pepper, and arlic to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes and simmer several minutes until just tender--taste slices to be sure. (Filling may be cooked several hours ahead; set aside, uncovered.)

Assembling and serving the pie: Use a perforated spoon to transfer the potatoes from the cream to the walnut crusts. Spread the cooked salsify neatly over the potatoes, trimming it to fit if necessary. Pour enough of the potato-boiling cream over the vegetables to coat them nicely. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes until bubblinghot. Toss the remaining walnuts and thyme togeteher and strew them over the top.

Cut pies warm, and serve.

I just hope that's what you were looking for!

[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[cape chef]

Dear Kimmie,
Thanks for the lead and the recipe.

I have many ways of preparing salsify,I was refering to in my post that it is pretty much unavailible until late October
cc

[Isa]

There you are Pasta. Hope you’ll understand my translation. If you have any questions just let me know.

Pâtes fraîches au citron


220g sifted flour
1 egg + 1 white
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pinches of salt
a bit of water


To prepare the pasta:

In a bowl mix all the ingredients. Work the dough and let it rest in the fridge for an hour or so. If you have a pasta machine use it if not, on a marble, roll out the dough as thin as possible and cut fine strips of dough. Set aside.

To cook the pasta:

In a big pan full of boiling salted water add the noodles and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside and keep warm.


Zest of 4 organic lemons
10 cl dry white wine
20 cl crème fraîche
50g Gruyère, finely grated

For the sauce:

Just before serving, in a pan add the zest and the white wine. Cook until reduce by half. Add the noodle to the pan and the crème fraîche. If the noodles absorb all the crème fraîche add a little bit more to keep the noodle moist. Add salt and pepper if needed, a bit of lemon juice and the Gruyère. As soon as the mixture thickens a bit serve.

From: Georges Blanc’s La nature dans l’assiette