Need help with non-dairy vegetarian cooking

[Atlas]

Our staple quick meals are Indian curries with chickpeas and whatever vegetables are on hand, Thai curries with coconut milk, stir fries with tofu and peanut sauce, chili or bean stews, and roasted vegetables with baguette and olive oil to dip)

The Indian curries are not authentic at all but are tasty. I saute an onion and carrot in some oil (coconut or canola), add some curry spices (I like garam masala and tandoori spices instead of 'curry' powder), then add whatever other veggies I have, usually cauliflower, kale, and sweet potato, and a can of diced tomatoes. Let it simmer for 20 minutes until cooked.

Thai curries are even easier. Saute onion, carrot, and winter squash (snow peas, broccoli, bell pepper, and baked tofu are also good additions). Add curry paste and coconut milk, simmer until squash is cooked and finish with basil.

Stir fry is my favorite meal. Ours if full of broccoli, onions, bell pepper, and tofu. I make a peanut sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and fermented tofu if available. All of it covered with sriracha.

Our meals always have a plant protein like beans, tofu, or nuts that help keep things filling. We eat rice with a lot of things (I prefer brown, he prefers white so it depends who cooks which one it is). All of these recipes depend on what vegetables we have in the fridge and can be full of different veggies or only have three different ones.

I also recommend theppk.com - both the recipes and the forum for more information

[lph]

Cool! Lots of good ideas here. I like and often make Indian or Asian type meals (stir fry, or curries using coconut milk, fresh ginger, chilis), but I've had trouble making them completely meat-free without feeling hungry soon after. I think I've been too stingy on the beans, and can certainly use more nuts than we do now. And I haven't tried tofu at all yet. Will check out our "Turkish-shop", as the local kids call it. I have no trouble eating a lot of grains, as long as it's not heavily processed. And I don't mind a certain amount of food prep, it's just that the two recipes from my new cookbook I tried were both for vegetarian burgers, and it took maybe an HOUR to get everything into subatomic particles just so I could shape them into something vaguely burgershaped...

I've never eaten great amounts of meat, so I'm surprised at how difficult it's been to cut it completely out of meals. We'd use maybe 200 g of minced beef in a spaghetti sauce for three people, which is about the size of one large hamburger, I think. And I loved chicken, until I read about the conditions they're raised, and die under. Appalling. I buy free-range every now and then, but it costs a small fortune so chicken is no longer a regular part of our everyday meals, unfortunately. For us, not the chickens ;-)

Thanks again for all of the great ideas!

[lph]

Oh, and I forgot to say - I ADORE samosas. The thought never struck me that I could make my own. Oooh.

I grew up having to take a long-distance bus to and from anywhere, but right next to the main bus stop in town there was a small stand where an Indian guy sold amazing samosas. We'd always buy one if we had the time, he'd always ask if we wanted "hot or mild" sauce, we always asked for the hot one, and it always made our eyes bug out

[Thorn]

Oh, and strange as it may sound, you can substitute tofu for the meat in Indian recipes, particularly if they call for paneer (tofu is just soy cheese) or mild fish. The substitution for fish came when I was watching a local cooking show and the cook was making a very interesting (and simple) tomato tamarind sauce. It sounded really great and then she threw in fish. But she said something about a "mild fish so that it picks up the flavors of the sauce"..hmmm...tofu. We tried it with tofu and it has become a staple meal with a side of brown rice and veggies.

[Crankin]

These are all great ideas. I eat very little dairy, mostly cheese and a bit of Greek yogurt. But, I would find it hard to cut out meats and grains at the same time, so I have ended up cutting out most of the grains, except occasional quinoa, brown rice, kamut, or kasha (buckwheat). I have cooked with tofu for a long time; just buy the extra firm. I've also found some easier type recipes for "black bean burgers" that use low salt, canned beans instead of having to soak the hard ones. Generally, I eat 2 vegetarian meals a week, but it's a bit harder when I'm trying to do a semi-Paleo thing. I was vegetarian for about a year, before I met my DH, but at that time, it was more to lose weight, rather than any type of health issue or political statement.

[sookiesue]

I use tofu in some dishes, always the extra firm kind (unless I'm pureeing a soup, then I use silken soft) but I find if you want a sturdy texture, tempeh is the way to go. It stands up to cooking a lot better, you can crumble it, it takes on the flavors of the spices/sauces but also has a taste of it's own. You can get it in several different flavors if you want to use it for sandwiches. I use it anywhere one would use chicken or beef - burritos, chili, stir-fry, etc.