Need help with non-dairy vegetarian cooking

[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.