vegetarian main dish?

Subject: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 10:35 AM

Can anybody suggest a hearty, satisfying vegetarian main dish for us to offer four guests on Thanksgiving?

(Not eggplant lasagne again.)

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 10:45 AM

Fish and Chips.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 10:47 AM

portabello mushrooms -

marinate and grill;

or you can stuff them and bake them.

you can even stuff them - cap them with a second mushroom and grill or bake the entire bundle.

Eggplant or zuchinni - hollowed out - stuffed and baked - either whole or sliced. - for that matter - acorn squash, delicata, buttercups all work well this way as well.

What about a stuffed pizza?

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 10:49 AM

vegan? ovo-lacto? What about fish/seafood/shellfish?

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 11:18 AM

Festive Jalouise

A pie made with Brussell sprouts, chestnuts,fine sliced onion and red pepper in a cheese sauce (with a slug of Madeira in it)with a puff pastry case.
It is absolutely stunning, I fed a serious meat eater friend one yesterday and he thought it was brilliant

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 11:20 AM

Personally, I think that the theatrical aspect of Thanksgiving dinner -- presenting the giant, golden bird to the table -- needs to be respected, even if you're going veggie.

So I favor roasting a whole, scooped-out pumpkin (preferably a rouge d'étampes variety -- those great-tasting, beautifully furrowed bright red French pumpkins that are not even a little bit watery), and then stuffing it with some cooked, pilaf-like main-dish mixture like rice, pine nuts, TVP, onion, dried cranberries, etc., with plenty of marjoram and sage. Then you have something splendid to set on the table. And you can make soup with the leftover pumpkin the next day, just like you used to do with the turkey carcass!

Claire

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 11:21 AM

Assuming no meat, fish or fowl, but maybe eggs ok?

A mushroom quiche served with hot pitta bread, and
Pumpkin Soup

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie with Cheese in Filo Leaves. Not hard to make at all.)

Stuffed Peppers with rice and raisons in a light tomato sauce, or

There is an amazing Greek recipe of rice and raisons wrapped in cabbage leaves with a white sauce...maybe El Greko knows it. Just mouth-watering.

Anything but the dreaded Nut Loaf..unless you really know how to make a good, tasty, and not overly dry one.

(Darn! I should really post here, AFTER I've eaten!)

..xx..e

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 11:47 AM

There's a Brazilian dish - feijuada (sp?) - that works well as vegetarian. The hitch is the manioc meal. You need a Latin American food store near by. Thoroughly cooked black beans on a bed of rice, topped with new made green salsa, the whole thing sprinkled with toasted/roasted manioc meal (farina de mangioca [sp?]). Serve with thin sliced oranges. Brazilians put a lot of different meats in the beans but vegetables can be substituted. Use your imagination; water chesnuts, bamboo shoots, bits of broad beans and/or string beans, very small sprouts or summer squash, that sort of thing. Walnuts, perhaps. Shrimp and scallops, if acceptable.

Yes, the manioc meal makes a difference. Not the same without it.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: s&r
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:12 PM

Our preference for celebration meals is to let the meal and conviviality last - instead of the concept of 'something' and veg with everything else taking second place to a lump to replace turkey: serve nibbles/crudites, soup, salad with (say) chick peas, cheese, small jacket potatoes with dips/fillings and sweets followed by coffee. We make Christmas lunch an occcasion that lasts two or three hours. We're long standing veggies.

Stu

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:15 PM

Vegetable Lasagne in large amounts with plenty of Garlic Bread..I can taste it now.
Best wishes.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:25 PM

LAHANODOLMADES
(Stuffed cabbage leaves - the dish Ellenpoly was referring to)

1 big cabbage
900 gr onions
200 gr rice for the stuffing
70 gr raisins
70 gr pinecones (if available)
1-3 tea spoons cinamon
1 tea spoon salt
150 gr lemon juice
100 gr wine
150 gr dill
450 gr olive oil
1 chicken stock cube


METHOD

Wash the cabbage and remove the root. In a large saucepan boil water and heat the cabbage. Carefully separate each leaf and drain. Remove, if possible, the hard stem from each leaf. Be careful not to damage them.

Chop the onions and the dill finely and roast in the olive oil. Add the raisins, pinecones, the rice and stir the mixture. Finish roasting with wine. Add salt and pepper. The stuffing is ready!
Use a tea spoon to count the appropriate portion of rice for each leaf. Place on each leaf the mixture and then fold to make a little parcel. At the bottom of a large saucepan place a few of the outer cabbage leaves and on top of them place the stuffed ones. Pour the chicken stock and cover with a plate in order not to open. Pour the lemon juice and boil in low heat for 1 1/2 hour.

AVGOLEMONO (Egg-lemon sauce, to go with the above)
2    Whole eggs or egg yolks
2    Lemons; (juice only)
            -Salt

Once you have finished cooking the Lahanodolmades, take some of the juice/broth to a separate pan (about 3 cupfuls). Do NOT heat it further. Beat the eggs for 2 minutes. Continue to beat, gradually   add the lemon juice. Slowly add some of the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, beating steadily. Cook over minimum heat, WITHOUT BOILING, until the sauce thickens. Taste for salt, and keep warm over hot water until ready to serve. Pass the pepper mill at the table for additional zest.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: darkriver
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:26 PM

I gave up eating vegetarians. Not enough protein.
Maybe for a light dessert.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:27 PM

Oh-heck, please omit the chicken stock cube! Use veggie stock if you want, or just water.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:29 PM

*drool*

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:30 PM

There's a Brazilian dish - feijuada (sp?) - that works well as vegetarian. The hitch is the manioc meal. You need a Latin American food store near by. Thoroughly cooked black beans on a bed of rice, topped with new made green salsa, the whole thing sprinkled with toasted/roasted manioc meal (farina de mangioca [sp?]). Serve with thin sliced oranges. Brazilians put a lot of different meats in the beans but vegetables can be substituted. Use your imagination; water chesnuts, bamboo shoots, bits of broad beans and/or string beans, very small sprouts or summer squash, that sort of thing. Walnuts, perhaps. Shrimp and scallops, if acceptable.

Yes, the manioc meal makes a difference. Not the same without it.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 12:33 PM

TOFURKY!

Though I'm far from a vegetarian, I find it quite tasty.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Sooz
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 01:00 PM

Nothing wrong with nut roast! The outside should be dry and crisp and the inside moist and soft. I make mine in a ring mould so we have more outside!

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 01:10 PM

sooz - I have had nut loaf/roast I enjoyed - but I have also had it served to me where the entire portion was crunchy - not "crunchy" as in raw carrots or peanuts - "crunchy" as in dry grape-nuts or gravel.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 01:33 PM

Take one vegitarian, marinate in alcohol for 4 hours...

:D

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Sooz
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 01:43 PM

Then feed me a nut roast Dave!
MMario, mine isn't like that I promise.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 02:22 PM

Ring Mould, Sooz?? Is it something like athlete's foot, but in a funny place? (ROFLMAO!!)
S:0)

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Once Famous
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 03:13 PM

ragweed.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: jeffp
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 03:22 PM

This tofu turkey was featured on "Roker on the Road" on the Food Network last night.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,SueB
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 04:42 PM

Pinecones? Surely you mean pineNUTS? Or maybe not. Admittedly, I've never tried to cook with pinecones. I wonder if you have to soak them to soften them up first?

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 06:16 PM

Tibetan Vegetable Curry.

In a deep skillet, carmelize onions, garlic cloves and fresh ginger root in a little oil. Once the onion starts to become clear, add curry sauce made of water with equal parts curry powder and garam masala (about a 2 tablespoons each to one and a half cups of water, vary to taste) Add sliced potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, peas and whatever other veggies you like. I tend to add okra. Being a thanksgiving dish, you might want to add squash or fresh sweet potatoes. Don't be afraid to add extra curry/water mixture as needed.

Stir until everything is well coated in sauce and cooked through. Be sure to add harder veggies, i.e potatoes first.

When everything's cooked through, add about 1/2 cup plain yogurt and stir till it mixes with the curry sauce. Serve with rice or bread.

Enjoy!

Rich

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Gypsy
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 09:08 PM

To roast a vegetarian, first marinate your pinecones to soften.......

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 12:18 AM

Thanks, thanks for all the suggestions and the recipes. I'll print this out and work on the details. The recipes sound delicious.

A friend has a nephew, a vegetarian, who is perpetually petulant. I want to see if he cheers up once he gets some real nourishment in his system.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 12:28 AM

PS "ovo-lacto" sounds like something that should be kept between a woman and her gynecologist. I don't want to hear any more about it.

I will save the pine cone recipe for Christmas.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 01:54 AM

Below is a link to the sauce you use with the rice and raisOn balls wrapped in cabbage leaves. Cook the rice, add raisons, mold into balls wrapped with steamed cabbage leaves and then cook on a low flame in the sauce below. It is yummy beyond words..xx..e


http://www.eatgreektonight.com/recipe.cfm?TypeID=7&RecipeID=3

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: freda underhill
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 02:24 AM

Spanakopita - spinach-cheese pie.

Yield 8 servings
Time 1½ hours
Tools large saucepan or Dutch oven
wooden spoon
9x13-inch baking pan, oiled
brush

Ingredients ½ c olive oil
2 c onion, minced
¼ t salt
1 t basil
1 t oregano
2½ pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and de-stemmed
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 T flour
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 c ricotta or cottage cheese
1 T black pepper
1 pound filo pastry leaves

Directions Preheat oven to 375º.
Sauté onion, salt, basil, and oregano in 2 T oil for 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook over high heat for at least 5 minutes, until spinach becomes limp.

Turn down to medium, stir in garlic and flour, and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.

Lay out a sheet of filo in the baking dish (it will overlap the sides). Brush with oil, lay another on top, brush with oil, and repeat for a total of 8 sheets.

Spread half of the spinach mixture over the dough. Lay out another 8 sheets of filo as above. Spread the rest of the spinach on top, then lay out the rest of the filo.

Brush the top with oil and tuck the filo sheets into the pan.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until golden-brown and

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 02:34 AM

Oh yeah, freda, oh YEAH!!!

(Salivating in London..)

..xx..e

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: freda underhill
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:13 AM

a good way of making a nut loaf interesting (apart from the crunchy outside) is to put a layer of fetta cheese and tomato through the centre of the loaf, the taste from these two ingrediuents will lift it up a notch.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:20 AM

If you have time to look at a cookbook, look at Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. This has about 400 recipes from all over the world adapted (if necessary) for vegetarian cooking. My ex, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian (I lived in Hawaii for 7 years without eating fish...) made many incredible meals from the recipes in this book. Guaranteed to impress.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:27 AM

Rabbit, wrapped in smoked bacon, and roasted in a red wine sauce.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: open mike
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:42 AM

Vegetarian Curried Pumpkin soup

prepare a large pumpkin--
cut open, scoop out seeds
and cut into chunks to steam.

(I saw one recipe which says
to prepare the soup and put it
inside another pumpkin which
has had the top cut out and the
seeds and pulp removed, and
bake it on a tray withe the lid put
back on--then you serve it in
the pumpkin as a tureen but i would
think the soup tureen would be more
reliable if NOT baked, but raw)

Meanwhile, as the pumpkin steams,
saute 2 chopped onions, one clove
of garlic, minced , and 3 teaspoons
of curry powder. ( add salt, pepper and
chopped carrots and celery too if you want)

when the steamed pumpkin has cooled enough to
handle, remove the skin and any fibers that may
still be on it, and put chunks in blender with water.

add the blended pumpkin to the onion/curry mix
and add sufficient water to make a big pot of soup.

this may be thickened with ground sunflower seed
meal, tofu blended up with water also makes a
nutritious addition. serve with a dollop of sour cream
and parsley flakes sprinkled on top, or nutritional
food yeast (the sweet, large flake kind--not the
bitter brewer's yeast medicinal kind). also paprika
looks good on top...

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: open mike
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:46 AM

vegetarian stuffing/dressing-- to be baked in bread pans
or casserole dishes--not in a bird!

the day before have several loaves of bread and lay
slices out to get dried. Whole wheat bread is best.
Can also make a batch of corn bread to add.

then you will saute these ingredients and toss
with bread and put into pans and bake covered
with foil to keep moist.

2 onions chopped
one bulb garlic, minced
1 "stick" of celery--(whole bunch)
the magic ingredient I use is green tomatoes..
because usually i have some which i have
saved from frost just for this! you can get
these at farmer's market, but not usually at the store!
3-4 sliced zucchini
a couple of green peppers
(and red or orange or yellow ones add colorful zest!)
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
then add a bunch of sage, or poultry seasoning
also chives, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, rosemary
and 1 cup of chopped walnuts,
and 1/4 cup of sesame seeds is good
it is really a treat to add chestnuts--roasted ones.
or chopped water chestnuts--a couple of cans
also a couple of cans of black olives
15 - 25 mushrooms-regular button one
or crimini or just a few of the portabellas
it is a great flavor treat to add shitake mushrooms
or other oriental dried ones which you have soaked
over night

a thing you can add which gives it a meat-like
texture is Seitan, which is made from Wheat Gluten
you can also add a couple of cups of rice or barley
already cooked
i usually put in sea weed, too-Hijiki is best--it is
little squiggly strands almost noodle like
put in a cup of this. (this can be cooked with
the rice or barley if you want)

it also seems as if it would be fun to add
a pkg of frozen corn to your saute mix

cut the bread into bite sized pieces and stir
together with the moist sauteed ingredients
til well mixed. bake at 350 in covered pans
for 45-60 minutes.

serve with chestnut mushroon gravy--yum yum.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:57 AM

As well as spanakopita (with spinach and feta), you can change the recipe to make tyropita (cheesepie - feta plus other cheeses plus egg), or colokythopita (pumpkin, a sweet pie). And of course kreatopita too, but that's for non-veggies.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Firecat
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 11:55 AM

This thread's given me loads of ideas! I only turned veggie in the summer, so my diet at the moment mostly consists of pasta with various sauces, Linda McCartney and Quorn products and egg things.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: MMario
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 11:57 AM

Fc - you must explore the wondrous world of legumes and grains!!!!

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: open mike
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:28 PM

f.c. check out the book Diet for a Small PLanet..
by Frances Moore Lappe' In it there is
loads of information about combining foods to
get balanced diet...you will o.d. soon on straight
pasta diet....the carbs will be too much...try variety!
i find myself living on burritos...beans, rice, cheese
sour cream and celantro...so i get grains, legumes,
dairy, veggies....important to get a broad spectrum
of nutrients...and b vitamins cannot be found in very
many veggies...they are quite important...
might be some in marmite!! oh, yes,,,and fruits!
fruit juice, smoothies, etc.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 04:05 PM

I've eaten vegetarain - but only in a sexual way and they still taste like fish.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: open mike
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 04:07 PM

ooh....here is something tasty...not a main dish
(unless you have a very peculiar palate...like a hair lip?)
but a side dish--and a colorful addition to any table...

Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish Recipe

I'm happy to share my late mother-in-law, Marjorie Stamberg's, recipe, which has been recited on NPR for at least the past 127 years.:-) My family and I hope you enjoy it, and that it will become a tradition in your household. And remember, it's the recipe that SOUNDS terrible, but TASTES terrific! Happy holidays!

            Susan Stamberg

# 2 cups raw cranberries
# 1 small onion
# 1/2 cup sugar
# 3/4 cup sour cream
# 2T Horseradish

Grind the cranberries & onion together...Add remaining ingredients and mix. Put in a plastic container and freeze. An hour before serving, move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment to thaw. The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. Makes 1 1/2 pints!

(enough for you and all your neighbors!!)

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 05:39 PM

On Health Grounds, I suspect that one should not use a Raw Pumpkin as a serving dish, but not sure why...

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 05:49 PM

Try Indian food - a high proportion of the population in India are vegetarian, so a lot of the dishes are meant to be made that way as opposed to just replacing meat in what was supposed to be a meat dish. I always thought it tasted better like that :0)

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 05:51 PM

Pine nuts - don't need to be soaked, are quite soft anyway, with a sort of 'soapy' texture that increases with cooking.. They don't lose their shape though, and can be added whole to dishes.

I've got a few recipe books FC, I used to work in a veggie restaurant, so next time you're in London.....

LTS

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 06:51 PM

Tofurkey? God, the inventor of that should be shot.

Well, I'm mostly vegetarian, but still do occassional meat, fish & fowl, and one of my 2 kids is vegetarian who will occasionally eat seafood. I have no problem sacrificing the Big Bird, but others find the prospect of a tryptophan-less T'day quite traumatic. So we do the bird.

However, I second the Moosewood Cookbook for elegant, satisfying and equally impressive to the bird entrees. And I would add Vegetarian Epicure I & II to that for really scrumptious, fancy and not so fancy ideas. I say, rich and decadent regardless of what it is, because it is a holiday feast, and feasts mean rich and decadent.

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: dianavan
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 11:18 PM

First you need to find out what kind of vegetarian he is. Does he eat fish? Does he eat eggs? Will he eat milk products?

I have had to cook vegetarian for many holidays (my new age kids insisted) and found that most of the traditional fare can be adapted nicely (except the turkey, of course).

Try making a vegetarian stuffing and cooking it in a casserole dish. I use bread, onions, celery, almonds, raisins and a sprinkle of sage. Moisten with warm water. Serve it with mushroom gravy.

Roasted vegetables are always welcome - Roast potatoes, garlic, carrots, squash or what have you.

Make a nice salad and dressing.

d

Subject: RE: vegetarian main dish?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 11:43 PM

My ex also managed to find a turkey-shaped cake pan, so at least we had turkey for dessert!

Aloha,
Mark