Vegan and Vegetarian Cooking
Meatless Monday Chef, flexitarian, or committed vegan, it's time to revive a place for vegetarian food in OOT. I eat about 95% vegetarian and/or vegan. While I will occasionally eat something non-veg*n, it's much better for the animals and especially the planet for most people to eat more plants--a LOT more plants.
Today's breakfast: shredded tofu and sweet potato/bell pepper hash:
I generally freeze my tofu as soon as I get it home (exception: the super firm high protein tofu, which in my experience doesn't really need it) and then thaw it in the fridge a few days before I want it.
People make such a big deal out of pressing tofu and tofu presses and wrapping it in kitchen towels and all that, but I find that process messy and kind of a pain, and I've never gotten a better result than from just 1) freezing my tofu to break down the cell walls 2) thawing it 3) cutting it in half by height to make two equal sized tofu "steaks" and 4) just wringing it out in my well washed hands. Bonus if I only use half of it the first day and the other half can sit, opened, in the fridge for 24 hours.
Hash is onions sauteed in canola or olive oil with the barest pinch of salt, then the diced bell peppers with another pinch, then the sweet potatoes seared until caramelly, pan deglazed with just a tablespoon of water, then covered and steamed until potatoes are ready, then lid removed and cooked until dry. Served with tofu seared in olive oil and shredded with my fingers into large rough pieces to absorb all the flavors of the hash. (Normally I'd scramble my tofu and veg together but the first day I had the hash with an egg because I was feeling eggy, so I just cooked the leftover tofu separately while I reheated the hash.)
Breakfast is served!
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Tonight's dinner:
black bean chili with corn and vegan beef crumbles
I added vegetable broth, dark beer, and a touch of Worcestershire sauce (regular Worcestershire is not vegetarian, but you can buy a vegetarian version) to beef up the flavor of the vegan crumbles and it worked out great. I also tried a new dark chili powder from McCormick that is a hit. Other spices: cumin, crushed red pepper.
I would like to try vegetarianism, for ethical and health purposes, but I just don't really like vegetables. Both of those look great though. Maybe I just need a different cook, lol.
Well, I am always happy to cook delicious vegetarian food for anyone who visits me in KC-- just ask Luckbox...but that doesn't mean it always has to look like vegetables. Sometimes it looks like this:
vegan pancakes with berries and coconut
whipped cream
Glad you started this thread again in the old forum.
Thank You
Haha, I do beans and rice semi regularly, but I always put smoked sausage in. Thanks for the suggestion though, next time no sausage. Somewhere I have a lentil recipe VR posted that I never got around to trying. Need to put that on my list too. I've been counting every single calorie for a little over two weeks now, so maybe those will be good for that too.
Haha, I do beans and rice semi regularly, but I always put smoked sausage in. Thanks for the suggestion though, next time no sausage. Somewhere I have a lentil recipe VR posted that I never got around to trying. Need to put that on my list too. I've been counting every single calorie for a little over two weeks now, so maybe those will be good for that too.
I have a couple of great lentil recipes, but I think the one you're talking about is the Ethiopian berbere lentils? Those are my favorite and very simple, but they do need to be eaten with something else, imo. I usually make it with this:
But I'm planning a very simple lentil carrot stew here in a few days. I'll post it for you.
My wife converted us to a meatless diet a couple of years ago. This was a pretty big change for me -I grew up in a family that had steak or other meat at every meal. Major consumer of sausage and bacon. I used to be a huge fan of fried chicken - I once ate a full bucket of KFC at one go (18 pieces as I recall) to win a $50 bet.
I got up to 260 pounds in weight (I'm 73 in tall) , had borderline high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. But I was lifting weights and playing golf and walking fairly regularly and told myself I was just big boned 😀
Now we eat fish once a week or so and the rest vegetables and fruit. A lot of tofu, lentils, beans and rice etc. Fortunately my wife is an amazing cook and makes really tasty dishes.
Weight down to 170 and at my last exam the doc said "your lab results are amazing".
I no longer even consider ordering meat when eating out and frankly don't miss it.
crustless spinach mushroom quiche is in the oven!
Very fast, easy lunch and turned out delicious:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Saute 1/2 large yellow onion in a tablespoon of olive oil, chopped until almost translucent. Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms and saute until brown and small. Push mushrooms and onions to the side, and add 4 cloves minced garlic in the middle. Stir until fragrant, then toss in 2 or 3 handfuls of spinach and stir with spatula until wilted down.
- Meanwhile, I whisked 5 eggs together with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk. I think the proportion was just slightly off here, I think I'd prefer 6 eggs and 3/4 cup.
- Added veg to an oiled 9 inch pie plate, sprinkled 4 oz vegan mozzarella over it, and poured the egg mixture over everything. (Actually I forgot the cheese until the quiche was in the oven, sprinkled it over the top, and pressed it down with a heat proof spatula, but don't do what I did.)
- Bake 35 minutes or until set in the middle. Wait 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Edit to add: I forgot to mention salt, pepper, and seasoning! I salted the onions, then again when I added the mushroooms, then ground fresh ground pepper over the mixture, then added thyme and rosemary with the garlic.
Enjoy!
My wife converted us to a meatless diet a couple of years ago. This was a pretty big change for me -I grew up in a family that had steak or other meat at every meal. Major consumer of sausage and bacon. I used to be a huge fan of fried chicken - I once ate a full bucket of KFC at one go (18 pieces as I recall) to win a $50 bet.I got up to 260 pounds in weight (I'm 73 in tall)
Amazing weight loss!!! You should be applauded and commended!
Fantastic pics OP, but I have to share my joke about Vegans:
How do you know someone is a Vegan?
Spoiler
They won't stop telling you they're one! :p
But bacon makes everything better.
Spoiler
Even a BLT.
Adapted from:
Just to prove I don't live on soups and stews:
navy bean, bell pepper, and parsley salad
