topic Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners? in Kitchen

Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

Yuban3 — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 18:47:24 GMT

I'm hoping that you fine ladies can help me. I've tried posting this in a couple of forums, but so far haven't gotten much in responses.

I'd like to stick my toe in to vegetarian cooking. I'm looking for a cookbook that has simple, easy recipes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

qvcaddition — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 19:16:09 GMT

I had to answer this. In 1958 I was 22 years old. I met my children's father, to be. and invited him to my apartment for a big steak dinner,. I grew up in a meat eating household, that grew their own fresh vegetables. Well, he kept saying, no, it's OK, we'll go to a movie. He finally had to tell me he was raised a vegetarian. His Mother was one since her pet rabbit was killed. They were not vegans, but no animal was killed to make her clothes. In those days, people were considered odd if they were vegetarians. Even my family thought he was odd. My Grandmother made Minnastrone soup and strained the meat in it, and he got sick, his system was not use to the fat in the meat.

At 22 and starting out, no cookbooks on the subject, you used your imagination. I would make stuffed zucchini. Artichokes au gratin, nut patties, turnip patties, stuffed bell peppers. You used rice, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, tomatoes, onions, garlic, whatever you wanted. Eggs and bread crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, and cheese held things together. Also, the 7th day Advent, a religious group, put out fake meat products, made of vegetables or soy. Today you have so much to choose from. We could not go to restaurants much, except Mexican, where he could get a cheese enchilada. Thank god at that time he wasn't vegan. Now, because of so much cheese and rich foods, I feel that is why he and his mom both died of colon cancer.

I just took recipes and left out the meat products. I grew up in an Italian family and the cooking and food so great, but I left out the meat. So if you can't find a cookbook, use your creative powers. Good luck

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

sablesong — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 19:41:02 GMT

Deborah Madison "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" and for vegan, "Veganomicon" and "Vegan with A Vengence"

Any of the Moosewood books, maybe "Simple Suppers" ?

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

Tigriss — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:26:13 GMT

The Vegetarian Times website and their cookbooks. They are a different mix of all the types of vegetarian cooking. I get their magazine and emails. I love them! It started when I wanted to cook a larger variety of veggie dishes more so than those regular dishes found in cookbooks.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

jackthebear — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:29:53 GMT

Moosewood books are great

I would also search for a blog on veg. cooking there must be tons of them.

Better than a cookbook since you can get feedback so quickly.

I just did a google search

http://www.google.com/webhp?nord=1#nord=1&q=vegetarian+cooking+blogs&safe=off&spell=1

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

jackthebear — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:29:54 GMT

Moosewood books are great

I would also search for a blog on veg. cooking there must be tons of them.

Better than a cookbook since you can get feedback so quickly.

I just did a google search

http://www.google.com/webhp?nord=1#nord=1&q=vegetarian+cooking+blogs&safe=off&spell=1

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

ocgal3 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:31:49 GMT

Loved all the Moosewood cookbooks. You can probably find them in the library and take a look at them first. Wasn't thrilled with Vegetarian Times stuff--it was hit or miss.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

redtabby — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:35:16 GMT

Most of my recipes now come from vegetarian and vegan bloggers. My first vegetarian cookbook was Diet for a Small Planet, one of the first to run with the theory (now discounted) that we needed to combine proteins. Then I got The Vegetarian Epicure, a fun cookbook that was designed to appeal to mainstream cooks, as opposed to the commune living hippies that so many of the vegetarians were assumed to be in the early 1970s.

I do have Deborah Madison's Green's Cookbook and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, both good choices. Happy Herbivore has pretty basic recipes, she has 3 or 4 books out now.

My suggestions would be to go the library and just look at every veggie cookbook to see if any appeal to you. Check out a few to play with at home before making the purchase commitment. Also, on create tv (part of pbs) there are a few vegetarian cooks. Jazzy Vegetarian, Christina, and b organic with Michele. Check createtv.com for their schedule. I find watching someone cook something is helpful. There are tons of bloggers that are vegetarian or vegan. I tend to do a search when I want to cook something specific, like Chana Masala or pineapple salsa.

b organic with Michele Beschen

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

sidsmom — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 01:36:12 GMT

Get a cookbook about beans & lentils...and you should be good to go! As entering the vegetarian world, don't make the mistake we all did....substitute meat for high fat items like nuts, dairy, oils...or lots & lots of sugar based items. A high fat vegetarian diet is just as...maybe worse...than a diet high in meat & animal products. Have to keep everything low in fat. Good luck!!

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

IamDoodles — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 04:34:54 GMT

I have all the Moosewoods as well as Deborah Madison's Greens Cookbook. They are all great. Others that I can recommend are Vegetarian Epicure books by Anna Thomas.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

author — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 04:38:44 GMT

Love Vegetarian Epicure. Excellent recipes, easy to do, then create and experiment using basic cooking techniques and ingredients you like.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

boby — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 17:54:46 GMT

If you really want a "101" cookbook, the "Everything" series of cookbooks publishes one for vegetarian cooking.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

vickie25 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 23:35:56 GMT

I think you need to decide what kind of vegetarian you want to be. I'm been everything from vegan, to ovo-lacto, to ovo-lacto-pescetarian. I currently follow a Mediterranean Diet though I tried to eat more vegetarian. My suggestion is to pick up the current copy of Vegetarian Times which you can find at Barnes & Noble, most grocery stores, and Target. It has a lot of seasonal receipes, does Vegetarian book reviews, and is what I used when I was moving from a Carnivoure diet. For me, while I will eat edamame and some tofu, I don't eat seitan or tempeh, or any kind of "vegeterian" version of chicken, or beef, etc. So I try to stay away from cookbooks that feature a lot of those ingredients. That's why the Vegetarian Times magazine is a good place to start. You can try some receipes in the magazine, and go online and find more, and discover what your tastes are so you will know what kind of cookbook would be best. Like another reviewer, one of my first cookbooks was one of the Moosewood Restaurante's book.

I will post a couple of receipes for you to try.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

vickie25 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 23:36:30 GMT

Cannellini-Kale-Veggie Stew - serves 4-6

I adapted this from Giada's Cannellini-Sausage stew receipe. Basically just left out the turkey sausage, and added some more veggies which she said you could do anyway.

1. Pre-heat over to 375

2. Dice 2 fennel bulbs

3. Dice 1 large yellow onion

4. Put the fennel and onion in a dutch oven, or casserole dish on the stove, on medium, with a little olive oil, salt and about 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for a little kick, so it starts wilting down.

5. Chop one bunch of Tuscan Kale (this variety has smaller leaves and tender ribs. If you can't find it can use the curly Kale - remove the stem, or swiss chard). Add to pot with a little more salt.

6. Add 1 can, drained and rinsed cannellini beans to add some creaminess to the stew.

7. Stir the pot good then add 1 26oz can of chopped tomatoes.

8. Add 1c each of diced carrots and celery to pot

9. Add 1c. vegetable broth and stir well

10. Roast in oven, with lid on dutch oven or casserole dish, for 30 min or until veggies are tender

This is good for a cold winter's night. Just add a simple salad and some crusty bread.

Variation: Sometimes I add 1c of diced butternut squash. When using that, I add the squash first to the pot and cook that for about 5 minutes, since it is a harder vegetable and I want to ensure it will be cooked when it reaches the oven. Then I follow the rest of the directions. Feel free to add any other vegetable you like. It's a nice rich stew.

Re: Vegetarian Cookbook for Beginners?

vickie25 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 23:36:58 GMT

Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich w/ Watercress Salad from The Sandwich King - serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Slice cauliflower (can use white, green or purple) into 4 1" thick slices ( think like you are slicing a steak)

3. Mix together the following to baste the cauliflower with:

1/4c olive oil, 2 tsp. dried mustard, 2 tsp. smoked paprika

4. Place cauliflower on a sheet pan, and using a pastry brush, brush on the marinade on the top only.

5. Roast in oven for 10 min. Take out pan, flip over the cauliflower, repeat basting, and put back in the oven for another 10 min.

6. Prepare honey-mustard sauce for sandwich

Mix together 1/4c yellow mustard, 1T. stone ground mustard, 1T. honey, salt and pepper to taste

7. Prepare Watercress side salad

4c. Watercress, 2T. chopped fresh dill, 1 or 2 sliced radishes

Dressing: juice from 1/2 lemon, 2T. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Sandwich King said this acidic salad would balance out the flavors in the sandwich

8. Shred 1c. provolone cheese and thinly slice a pear (bosc, bartlet, doesn't matter). Can use an apple instead. This will be added to the sandwich.

9. The Sandwich King used lavosh bread, which is a flat bread, but said you can use regular bread. I usually use wheat or multi-grain bread.

10. To assemble sandwich:

Spread the honey-mustard dressing on the bread, add sliced pears, add shredded provolone, add roasted cauliflower "steak", add finish with more shredded provolone

11. Grill sandwich (can use a George Forman grill if you have one) for about a minute or until cheese melts. Server with watercress salad.

I would have never thought to make a cauliflower sandwich because A) cauliflower is one of my least favorite vegetables and B) it just sounds weird. But I thought the marinade would mask the taste and it does. I have meat-lovers who like this sandwich. They don't know they are eating cauliflower. I make it with the cheese for them so I am sure that helps too.

I make this without the cheese as I am trying to cut down as it is my weakness. If you decide to do this, toast the bread first in the grill so it gets "smooshed" with nice grill marks to give the bread some structure, then assemble the sandwich and eat.

Variation: I work from home but attend art fairs or other outdoor activities and try to bring food with me. I put the sandwich in a pita pocket, wrap in plastic wrap, and put the salad in a lock n' lock container and eat it cold/room temperature, and I am set. I find it is less messy and easier to eat when out this way. If you bring this to work for lunch and use the cheese, you could microwave it for 30-45 seconds, to melt the cheese.