Calling All Vegetarians...

[Tuckervill]

I've heard Dr. Dean Ornish on the radio talking about taking people off diabetic, cholesterol and blood pressure meds by going vegan. Maybe you don't want to go that radical, but he wrote a book about the whole spectrum of healthful eating. In fact, it's called The Spectrum:

http://www.pmri.org/lifestyle_program.html

The thing I liked that he said was not to think about how you can replace what you like to eat with something that doesn't contain meat, but to find things you like and are good just the way they are. You are going into the growing season right now and the variety of fresh produce will be wonderful and tasty! Eat vegetables close to their whole form. Do soups and chilies. Use lots and lots of spices to make the food tasty and inviting. It's not just about eating vegan or veggie, but enjoying your food.

And by the way, my dad is one of those Atkin's diet success stories, who went off cholesterol medication by eating bacon and butter! I can't do Atkins because I get sick during the induction phase, but it works for him, which is just proof that there is no one right diet for every person. That's what Ornish's book is about.

Karen

[malkin]

When my numbers soared, I became a fan of oatmeal.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

[shootingstar]

I'm not vegetarian but eat meat 1-2 times weekly- seafood or chicken breast.

At home, we seem to only buy butter um...1-2 times annually usually to bake something "special". It's at restaurants where I might order something that used butter. No we don't use margarine nor mayonnaise at home at all. We just eat a slice of yummy artisan bread from bakery as is. If you buy quality bread like this, no need to cover up this wonderful bread with any spread.

We have found a decent tasting soy cheese. (it's a Canadian brand).

Pureed root veggie soups solves any cravings for cream-based soups --ie. squash soup, carrot soup, pumpkin (we use a veggie broth base), beet soup. Can be creative in spicing-- grated ginger root, curry, or even star anise or fennel seed, puree cooked veggies in broth... He makes these soups in bulk. They freeze well and can be microwaved later..

No sugar, no eggs, no milk needed for these type of soups.

[Eden]

I'm not a vegetarian.... but I usually eat like one...

I have culinary objections to soy masquerading as other things myself... I just don't think you need to pretend its hotdogs or chicken nuggets. Usually those things are pretty nasty and your mind and mouth are expecting something entirely different. Personally I prefer to cook in styles that use foods in a natural way.

I love Chinese, Thai and Indian food. Chinese and Thai of course uses lots of soy - and many many Asian recipes that calls for meat can be made with tofu instead. One of the biggest tricks to getting tofu to taste good is to drain it thoroughly. I usually cube it and press it between a few paper towels while I'm preparing everything else for the meal. If its wet through it won't pick up any flavors from your dish. You can also freshen it up by giving it a quick par boil - though I find, around here at least where the tofu is generally pretty fresh, this is unnecessary. Silken tofu, is not only nice for desserts, but really good in soup too. I like to make a stir fry/ soup by stir frying cabbage or bok choy, mushrooms (shitake, cloud ear, or straw) and bamboo shoots with lots of garlic and hot chili bean paste then adding enough stock to make it soupy - add in loosely cubed silken tofu, heat it through top off with green onions - yum, yum - and quick too.

Indian cuisine has lots of legume dishes. I love, love, love curry chickpeas (garbanzos). I have probably half a dozen lentil soup recipes, all different and all extremely tasty. Middle eastern food also uses chickpeas pretty extensively and is very tasty too.

[Over50Newbie]

Wow - so much information! Thank you everyone for such quick responses. I think I will start by checking out the suggested websites and then go to my library to see if I can find some of the books that were also suggested.

And I also really like the idea of being flexible, especially in the beginning, as I will be trying out a bunch of new tastes and textures.

I still would like a specific "How to Cook with Tofu" cookbook suggestion that would be appropriate for a true beginner, written in very simple terms. With tips in it like Eden's post about putting tofu between paper towels to dry it out before cooking it.

With the right information, this new journey could be a lot of fun, as well as healthy!

Thanks again, everyone.

And if anyone wants to add anything else, I am all ears!

Lynette

[divingbiker]

I still would like a specific "How to Cook with Tofu" cookbook suggestion that would be appropriate for a true beginner, written in very simple terms. With tips in it like Eden's post about putting tofu between paper towels to dry it out before cooking it.

The only tofu-specific cookbook I have is Tofu Cookery, but I never use it so I can't vouch for it. But when finding the link, This Can't Be Tofu came up, and that might be a good one to try, because most cookbooks by Deborah Madison are pretty good. It says it talks about preparation (like pressing).

[tpb]

Our family has been eating (mostly) vegetarian for 15 years. Like another poster, we don't necessarily substitute veggie alternatives (tofu, etc.) for meat. Usually, we just load up on veggies or make things that were intended to use beans, tofu, etc. I think another poster brought up ethnic foods. We love Chinese and Thai food because the tofu is *supposed* to be there - it's not standing in the place of something else (not sure if that is clear).

Anyway, cookbook-wise, we like How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman. We also have a few by Deborah Madison that we really like.

Also, don't overlook beans. You can easily take something that a meat-based meal would consider a "side" and turn it into the entree. Beans and rice, for example, is a wonderful "main dish".

Happy eating!
TB

[Over50Newbie]

DivingBiker,

I sent you a PM about those cookbooks. What a nice thing to offer!!! I think I will take you up on it.

Thank you,

Lynette

[skinimini]

Ditto for Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, I also like the Greens restaurant (San Francisco) cookbooks, Greens and Everyday Greens. I also like Vegetarian Times magazine. I know that a lot of people swear by the Moosewood cookbooks, but I've had less than stellar results with many of their recipes.

There's a lot of good info in the previous posts, I'd just like to add that I really like quinoa and farro and have begun to use them more. Quinoa provides superior protein to other grains and may even be considered a "complete" protein.

Right now, I'm ready to move on with the spring/summer vegetables. I have one butternut squash left in the fridge, and after that, so long until next fall.

[divingbiker]

The only tofu-specific cookbook I have is Tofu Cookery, but I never use it so I can't vouch for it. But when finding the link, This Can't Be Tofu came up, and that might be a good one to try, because most cookbooks by Deborah Madison are pretty good. It says it talks about preparation (like pressing).

Ha, it turns out that I do have This Can't be Tofu! I also have a Lorna Sass soy cookbook. I buy cookbooks and never use them. I'll send both of them along with some others.

[Eden]

Another thing to look for, though you'll probably only find it if you live in an area with a significant Asian population, is pressed or baked flavored tofu. The texture is very different from regular tofu. It is very firm and a a bit chewy. I love just cubing it up and putting in cold noodle salads. It doesn't hold any water when its been prepared this way, so no draining needed.
This is my recipe that I made up and its yummy!

Thai inspired noodle salad (quantities are guesses - I hardly ever measure if I'm making something up)
Rice noodles - I like the really, really fine kind that only need soaking, but any kind will work.
1 cucumber cut into strips or quarters
1 green (not ripe - it should be pretty hard and still a bit sour) mango peeled and cut into strips
2 or 3 medium tomatoes cut into 1/8" segments
4 or 5 green onions, white and green parts cut into 1" pieced and julienned (or just cut into rounds if you are in a hurry)
1 block of baked tofu cut into small cubes - I like 5 spice or Thai flavored
toss with:
fish sauce
rice vinegar
sesame oil
white pepper

this is a super refreshing supper on a hot day and if you can find the Maifun style noodles there is not any cooking at all involved.

[Blueberry]

Another thing to look for, though you'll probably only find it if you live in an area with a significant Asian population, is pressed or baked flavored tofu. The texture is very different from regular tofu. It is very firm and a a bit chewy. I love just cubing it up and putting in cold noodle salads. It doesn't hold any water when its been prepared this way, so no draining needed.

Trader Joe's has a really good version of this in a couple of "flavors" - teriyaki, and I'm not sure what else. Goes really well in lots of dishes.

CA

[Karma007]

I have D. Madison's Vegetable Soup book- Yum! Her "Sick Person's Soup" (I'd post but @ work) is awesome- ginger, cabbage, miso and garlic. Awesome for a chili day.

[endurancerider]

W
I still would like a specific "How to Cook with Tofu" cookbook suggestion that would be appropriate for a true beginner, written in very simple terms. With tips in it like Eden's post about putting tofu between paper towels to dry it out before cooking it.

Well for really simple, buy the baked tofu at Trader Joe's, and fry it in a pan with some spinach and salt. If you want more complex, add garlic.

I also like the Soy Chorizo they sell at Trader Joe's. I cook it with onion and tomato. Don't put in too much, a little goes a long way. I know you're avoiding dairy--I often add this to an egg and a little cheese--but you could add a little soy cheese to cut the chorizo. Good on a tortilla with guacamole.

[Over50Newbie]

Wow - these are all great ideas!!

Thank you so much, everyone!

And I do have a Trader Joe's about a half hour from my house, although I have to admit that I have never gone shopping there.

But I will go now, and with my shopping list in hand.

Thanks again, everyone!

And a special thanks to divingbiker for lending me those cookbooks. She won't even let me pay for the shipping. What a sweetheart!

That's what I love about this TE community - we all help each other out!

Lynette