Vegetarian Cooking

Vegetarian Cooking questions and answers

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Q: Best vegetarian cooking book for a college student?
I recently became a vegetarian (a month and a half ago) and am running out of things to eat. Today I went to the book store to find a good cook vegetarian cook book, but their are SO many, I couldn't decide. I would prefer one with pictures (;D) but a good one will do. Any recommendations? Simple food, not too fancy. Thanks for any and all advice :]

A: Sara Moulton, famous cook, Food Network personality, and all-around smart cookie, used to use "The Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas when she was in college. Lots of easy to fix, very inexpensive meals, extremely tasty and usually filling. Buy volume 1; volume 2 is about foods from other countries and is not as appropriate for students on a budget. But I encourage you to give this one a look over. I've already replaced my paperback because it wore out. Good luck!

Q: Can you help me find a use for this in cooking vegetarian dishes?
I bought some vegetable stock for a vegetarian recipe i wanted to try, and now i cannot find the recipe. What types of things can I use the stock for...................? Please give me some yummy ideas. I am not vegan btw.

A: I use stock instead of water when cooking quinoa (add in fresh herbs for extra goodness). This vegan lasagna is amazing and uses stock: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8013.0 Here's a broccoli and garlic sauce recipe that i use often with stock: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8731.0

Q: Im 13 and love cooking. Do you no of any good vegetarian meals please that I can cook?! (:?
Ok so im 13 and I love cooking. Im a vegetarian, so my diet does not contain any meat or fish. Does anyone no of any good recipes that I can cook? And I like challenging dishes as well, so don't give me recipies for things like pizzas! Thanks! Beth xxx

A: Basil Tomato Bread Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 30 min Yield: 16 servings, 1/2 cup butter Butter Ingredients: 1/2 cup Butter, softened 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see below) Bread Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons dried onions 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup Sour Cream 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil 1/4 cup Butter, melted Topping Ingredients: 1 egg white, slightly beaten 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all butter ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Set aside. Combine flour, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, sugar, onion, baking soda, basil and salt in large bowl. Stir in sour cream, milk, tomatoes and 1/4 cup melted butter just until moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead about 10 times or until smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 4 1/2-inch round loaf. Place loaves 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Brush tops with egg white. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Cut an X about 1/2-inch deep in top of each loaf. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet; cool completely. Serve with prepared butter. *Substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves, 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves and 1/8 teaspoon dried sage. Cinnamon Apple Muffins 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 cup finely chopped apple Heat oven to 375°F. Combine, flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into greased 12-cup muffin pan. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes; remove from pan. Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna Makes 6 servings Prep: 35 minutes Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes Ingredients 3 large onions (1-3/4 lbs.) 1 pound fresh spinach, trimmed and rinsed (12 cups) 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (2 cups) 6 ounces mushrooms, chopped (2 cups) 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Salt Freshly ground black pepper 6 dried lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions Tomato and Roasted-Pepper Sauce (see recipe below) Directions 1. Heat oven to 450 degree. Place onions in 13x9x2-inch nonstick baking pan and roast 55 to 60 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel and chop. 2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F. Cook spinach in skillet with the water clinging to its leaves over medium-high heat until wilted. Drain in colander, pressing to remove excess moisture. Chop coarsely. 3. Combine roasted onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic in large nonstick skillet; cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until liquid is evaporated, 15 minutes. Cool. Stir in cottage cheese, mozzarella, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. 4. Arrange 2 noodles in 8-inch square glass baking dish. Layer with half the spinach, then half the tomato mixture, another 2 noodles, remaining spinach and tomato mixtures and remaining noodles. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot in center.Serve with Tomato and Roasted-Pepper Sauce. Makes 6 servings. Tomato and Roasted-Pepper Sauce:: Heat oven to 450 degree F. Place 1 large onion (about 8 to 10 oz.) and 1 head garlic in 8-inch square nonstick baking pan and roast 25 to 35 minutes or until garlic is tender. Remove garlic; roast onion 30 minutes more. Cool. Meanwhile, roast 2 red bell peppers directly on gas or electric burner over medium-high heat, turning until charred all over. Transfer to bowl, cover and steam just until cool enough to handle. Peel, seed, and chop bell peppers. When onion is cool enough to handle, peel and chop. Squeeze 2 garlic cloves from head and chop (reserve remaining garlic for another use). Combine roasted onion; garlic; bell peppers; 2 large tomatoes (1 lb.), seeded and chopped; 1/2 cup vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil; 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce in food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Makes 2-1/2 cups. http://www.noveleats.com/recipes http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vegetarian+recipes

Q: Does anyone have links to videos of vegetarian cooking shows?
Many Thanks :=)

A: Here is one: http://www.delicioustv.com/ You have to follow the link for Podcast and you need to have Itunes installed, but all of the episodes are free. And here is one where you can watch the videos at the site: http://www.everydaydish.tv/cookingshow_video.html Good Luck

Q: Does anyone know of any good vegetarian/vegan cooking classes i can take in or around L.A. ot the valley?
i am a vegetarian who is currently transitioning to become a vegan. i want to know of any vegan cooking classed i can take around my area LA/valley. or just trying to find other vegans/vegetarians around my area that can help me.

A: Do not become a Vegan. It's unhealthy. http://www.westonaprice.org/mythstruths/mtvegetarianism.html http://www.mercola.com/article/diet/former_vegan.htm

Q: Are there any vegan or vegetarian cooking shows on TV?
maggie--Hi...I live in Chicago and was wondering if you knew what the station is since there is no channel 56. tart---I appreciate your answer and will check it otu. kostar----"The only things about these shows is that they don't really make vegetarian things, just things with no meat."----what's the difference?

A: I think PBS has a show called "Delicious TV (Totally Vegetarian)" but I haven't had many opportunities to watch it.

Q: As a vegetarian, how do I stomach cooking meat for my husband?
I am strongly leaning towards becoming a full-time vegetarian, eating only vegetables and natural foods (no cheese or eggs and no soy/tofu or "meat substitute" products either). My husband is a meat eater. How do I cook for both of us? Sometimes cooking meat absolutely turns my stomach, but he has to have it with each meal or he doesn't get full.

A: i'm a vegetarian and my husband is a midwestern meat-and-potatoes kind of guy......i do not cook meat for him. i cook vegetarian food only, and if he wants meat he can cook it on the side and add it to his meal, or he can grill out if it's nice outside. some might think that i forced him into this, but we made the decision together and he is perfectly fine with cooking his own meat dishes. i think it's only fair that if i have to cook every night that he can cook his own chicken drumstick. marriage is all about compromise......but that doesn't mean compromising your values. talk it over with him and see if he's willing to cook his own meat if you do the rest of the work.....you might be surprised! many users of this forum are married to or are dating meat eaters, and many use the same method of compromise that my husband and i do. like another user suggested, ask him to try a few meat substitutes. my husband loves the morningstar farms brand products. EDIT: couple of things.....we tried quorn products for the first time last night, and my husband LOVED it.....he ate it so fast that he was done with his food before i even got through half. so i would highly suggest trying quorn's faux chicken =) also, to all of you who are saying that she should cook it anyway and that "that's a sacrifice you have to make to save your marriage"......i ask you this: if your spouse were jewish and obeyed kosher law, would you ask them to cook you pork? of course not, because that would be asking them to go against their morals and beliefs. it's the same for vegetarians....asking us to cook meat is asking us to do something that we have very deep convictions about.

Q: Can you suggest a cookbook or website for cooking vegetarian.?
Thanks for all information.

A: www.vrg.org www.goveg.com www.famousveggie.com hope this helps!!

Q: Can I half cook a vegetarian lasangna in the morning and finished cooking it later?
Would it still taste as good, or not? I want to make a vegetarian lasagna for my friends on Christmas Eve, but I have to work a short shift at the store so I won't be home until five in the afternoon, then we need time to get ready for the church service at seven, so I want to save time. Is my plan half baked?

A: You could make it and bake it ahead completely then just reheat it in the oven again just before serving it.

Q: confused on cooking vegetarian pot stickers?
hey there, so i have some big bowl pot stickers, i just followed the directions for the pot stickers, and they are all like mushy, what can i do to make them more firm? And also, why are there dumpling insturctions on there? see, i don't know. x.x;; the ones i had were crispy.

A: I think you're supposed to steam them first then fry them in a skillet on one side. You made the dumpling style (soft). So just heat a skillet, add some oil and brown then up. They will stick slightly...hence the name pot stickers.

Q: Cooking vegetarian for my girlfriend?
My girlfriend is a vegetarian and i'm running out of ideas as to what to make us. Does anyone know of some simple dishes which i can make for us?

A: If she's not vegan, try Mexican food - you can make any quesadilla, burrito, fajita, etc vegetarian - and delicious. Mix up a marguerita and you're ready to go!

Q: vegetarian cooking meat?
my fiance realy likes meat and not a big fan of vegetables or meat substitutes. I have been a veggie since I was a kid. I know how to cook pretty well just not meat, chicken, or fish. We are getting married soon and I would like to learm how to cook a few meat things. Does anyone have any exact recipes (so I don't need to taste it)? P.S. his dad is a chef so he is really spoiled with the good cooking

A: I am not sure about many recipes you can make without having tasted them, but I have a few ideas for you. First, buy at least 1 rotisserie chicken a week, then your fiancee can throw some chicken on his plate any day of the week. They are generally juicy and delish. Another idea is some type of sausage. There are many types, there is a chicken sausage out there by al fresco that my family just loves. A lot better for you than traditional pork sausage. Serve this with peppers and onions or in sauce over pasta. All you have to do is cut one in half to check it's doneness. The package gives you exact directions of how long it takes for each type of sausage takes to cook. Fish is pretty easy as well. Have your future father in law show you how to touch the fish and tell when it's done. It's pretty easy. You can top most fish with salt, pepper and lemon and it's good. For sauces you should be able to taste them. As for seafood you know when it's done because the shell opens, it changes colors and curls. Again, the sauces you should be able to taste. My final idea is to braise some meat. You know this is done when the meat starts falling off the bone. The key is to get a really good recipe and follow it to the T for seasoning. Check out Chef Tom Colicchio he is known for his braised meats.

Q: In search of a fun (relatively cheap) vegan/vegetarian cooking class in NYC?
Anyone know where one could be found? Thanks in advance!!

A: here you go: looking for a class in NJ/NYC - VegFamily Vegan ForumsI would like to take a vegetarian cooking class. I'm having trouble finding one. I'm located in the Northern NJ New York City area. Anybody know of any? ... www.vegfamily.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1699 - 33k - Cached - Similar pages Organic vegan baked goods, organic gift baskets, and raw live ...Baking For Health offers a variety of wonderfully delicious vegan baked and unbaked goods and raw snacks. ... NYC, NY. 212-505-2232 info@bakingforhealth.com ... www.bakingforhealth.com/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages Raw Vegan Pies, healthy baking, natural foods, organic gift ...Delicious vegan baked and unbaked goods and raw snacks. Our organic products are all, ... Baking For Health NYC, NY. 212-505-2232 info@bakingforhealth.com ... bakingforhealth.com/raw-vegan-pies.html - 13k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from bakingforhealth.com ] past fabulous hands-on cooking classes in Manhattan Beach cooking ...Here are our past classes. Some classes we repeat and some we don’t. .... Whether you’re a devoted vegetarian or vegan, on the fence, or considering it ... www.southbayschoolofcooking.com/past_fabulous_hands-on_cooking.htm - 52k - Cached - Similar pages Foraging With the "Wildman"Enjoy my tasty, innovative vegan wild plant recipes and mushroom recipes. ... arrest by undercover NYC park rangers for eating a dandelion in Central Park! ... www.wildmanstevebrill.com/ - 4k - Cached - Similar pages macro dessert class in nyc (natural gourmet) - Cybermacro ...Macro cooking class in NYC, coconut, Macrobiotic Cooking Forum ... Contact Us - CyberMacro - Macrobiotic, Natural, Vegetarian, and Vegan Foods - Archive - ... www.cybermacro.com/forum/showthread.php?t=884 - 48k - Cached - Similar pages SuperVegan - Park Slope Food Coop Vegan Cooking ClassPark Slope Food Coop Vegan Cooking Class. At SuperVegan.com has the best guide to New York City restaurants and a comprehensive vegan link directory. supervegan.com/blog/entry.php?id=613 - 30k - Cached - Similar pages Fran Costigan :: diva of dairy-free dessertsFriday, December 7, 6 – 9:30p Natural Gourmet Institute, NYC Vegan Desserts 101: Building a Sweet Foundation demonstration class ... francostigan.com/schedule.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages New York City Vegetarian Guide - vegetarian restaurants ...The Vegan Guide to New York City - c/o Rynn Berry, 159 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2H, ..... food preparation classes, health fairs and advocacy for improved ... www.vegetarianusa.com/city/NewYorkCity.html - 118k - Cached - Similar pages Natural Gourmet Institute - LinksNJ/NYC (and beyond) www.lagustasluscious.com Lagusta's Luscious---vegetarian home meal delivery service run by vegan chef Lagusta Yearwood. NY/NJ/CT ... www.naturalgourmetschool.com/html/links-p.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Q: Does anyone have the Brussels Gratin Recipe from the book "Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking"?
Brussels sprout gratin

A: 2 pounds Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Roasted Garlic, recipe follows 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 cup half-and-half 1/4 cup sherry 1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 1/2 cup 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel off any damaged outer layers of Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem to make it flush. Quarter each sprout and score the stem on each quarter with a 1/4-inch-deep "X." Add the garlic and Brussels sprouts to the melted butter and stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add the cream, half-and-half, and sherry. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat and continue simmering for 7 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in the 1 cup of Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8. Roasted Garlic: 1 head garlic 1/2 teaspoon olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut off the papery tip of the garlic head, exposing the top of each garlic clove. Brush the exposed cloves with olive oil. Place the garlic, root side down, on the center of a piece of aluminum foil. Bundle the garlic with the foil, leaving a small vent on top. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes or until the cloves turn beige and are fork tender. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic head upside down over a small bowl and the cloves will pop out. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.