Vegetarian/Vegan Recipe Swap

[Wink Holliday]

It came up in the Chat room that a whole bunch of us are vegetarian or vegan. Let's swap some favorite recipes! I consider myself kind of a foodie, so this one I'm starting out with isn't my usual fare. It's good, though!

WEEKNIGHT CHILI (VEGAN)
1 bag meatless crumbles (I like Quorn, though they contain egg white)
1 Tb olive oil
1 packet chili seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced jalapeño
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained
1 can yellow corn, drained

In a BIG pan (I use a wok), lightly sautee the garlic in oil. Add the crumbles. When browned, stir in chili seasoning. When well mixed, add the tomatoes, beans, and corn, and stir until heated through. The whole thing is really quick, and makes a bunch. Of course, it tastes better the next day.

[Wink Holliday]

I have a large eggplant that is... a bit past its prime. Anyone have any ideas? Curry? Stew? Halp!

[Kim Bombshell]

I have a guest coming Christmas who is Vegas. I am going to do Prime Rib for everyone else, but what would be a good alternative to cook for my vegan guest? Something festive and holiday like?

[Kim Bombshell]

This might solve my vegas Christmas guest delima?

Wink Holliday said:

Here's an amazing grilled eggplant recipe from Helen Rennie over at Beyond Salmon (I recommend doubling the amount of sauce):

Honey Garlic Grilled Eggplant
Note: Aleppo chili that this recipe calls for is available in Middle Eastern markets. It’s not spicy at all, but sweet and musky. If you don’t have it, substitute it with a pinch of Spanish smoked paprika, or skip it all together.

Serves 2

1 eggplant (2 if using small Italian eggplants)
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 mashed garlic cloves
1 tsp aleppo chili (optional)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Peel stripes of skin off the eggplant to create a zebra-like pattern of skin and no-skin. This is not only decorative, but makes the skin easier to bite. Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick circles.
Lay out a large sheet of paper towels. Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt on both sides and lay out on paper towels. The eggplant will release a lot of liquid. This will help get rid of bitterness (if any) and make the eggplant more succulent and less watery after it’s cooked. Let sit for 15 minutes, then dry both sides well with paper towels.
In a large bowl, mix honey, olive oil, garlic, chili, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Dunk both sides of each eggplant slice into this marinade.
Preheat the grill to high. Grab a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush it on the grill.
Place the eggplant slices on the grill, cover, and turn down the heat to medium. Grill until marked, about 3 minutes. Turn 90 degrees to make cross-hatch grill marks. Grill until marked, about 3 more minutes.
Brush the slices with remaining marinade, flip and repeat the grilling procedure on the other side. Regulate heat so that the eggplant is browning, but not burning. Remove to a plate, and drizzle with olive oil.

[Wink Holliday]

If your vegan friend doesn't do honey, you can probably substitute agave syrup instead. Make enough for everyone, though. Even the eggplant haters like it. :)

Kim Bombshell said:

This might solve my vegas Christmas guest delima?

Wink Holliday said:

Here's an amazing grilled eggplant recipe from Helen Rennie over at Beyond Salmon (I recommend doubling the amount of sauce):

Honey Garlic Grilled Eggplant
Note: Aleppo chili that this recipe calls for is available in Middle Eastern markets. It’s not spicy at all, but sweet and musky. If you don’t have it, substitute it with a pinch of Spanish smoked paprika, or skip it all together.

Serves 2

1 eggplant (2 if using small Italian eggplants)
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 mashed garlic cloves
1 tsp aleppo chili (optional)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Peel stripes of skin off the eggplant to create a zebra-like pattern of skin and no-skin. This is not only decorative, but makes the skin easier to bite. Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick circles.
Lay out a large sheet of paper towels. Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt on both sides and lay out on paper towels. The eggplant will release a lot of liquid. This will help get rid of bitterness (if any) and make the eggplant more succulent and less watery after it’s cooked. Let sit for 15 minutes, then dry both sides well with paper towels.
In a large bowl, mix honey, olive oil, garlic, chili, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Dunk both sides of each eggplant slice into this marinade.
Preheat the grill to high. Grab a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush it on the grill.
Place the eggplant slices on the grill, cover, and turn down the heat to medium. Grill until marked, about 3 minutes. Turn 90 degrees to make cross-hatch grill marks. Grill until marked, about 3 more minutes.
Brush the slices with remaining marinade, flip and repeat the grilling procedure on the other side. Regulate heat so that the eggplant is browning, but not burning. Remove to a plate, and drizzle with olive oil.

[Jason]

Kim, as Wink suggested, if your friend is vegan, you will need to substitute for the honey if you go with that recipe.

I don't read many blogs, but there is one I check regularly. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ Or just fatfreevegan.com for the main page. So many wonderful healthy vegan dishes (I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, but vegan is better!). There is a "Holidays" section of recipes you might find helpful. She used to have a post collecting her favorite Christmas recipes, from last year, and I searched but couldn't find it. So, you might have to sift through a little bit.

I heartily recommend that blog for everyone else as well.

I have been wanting to learn to use eggplants for a while now after I had a great curried eggplant dish at this Buddhist restaurant (they had SHREDDED TOFU on top of it), but all the good recipes I find require ingredients I can't find in western Kentucky (I defy you to find a less veg-friendly place). Can anyone help me out with a good, relatively simple eggplant recipe or two for an eggplant n00b?

Oh yeah, and no grills! I'm a po' college student with no grill and no money for one.

Kim Bombshell said:

This might solve my vegas Christmas guest delima?
Wink Holliday said:

Here's an amazing grilled eggplant recipe from Helen Rennie over at Beyond Salmon (I recommend doubling the amount of sauce):

Honey Garlic Grilled Eggplant

[Wink Holliday]

Jason, I wound up making a very simple recipe out of Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything" book. Essentially, I peeled/diced up all the eggplant I had, and sauteed it in oil with a diced onion while I boiled a pound of spaghetti. Use some of the hot pasta water to thin a cup of ricotta cheese into a sauce. Drain the pasta, add the sauteed eggplant/onion mixture, stir in the ricotta, and sprinkle some parmesan on top. Tasty, and inexpensive!

Also, just about anything that you can do to a vegetable on a grill, you can do on a George Foreman indoor grill. Not quite as much surface area, so you'll have to cook in batches, but don't give up!

Jason said:

I have been wanting to learn to use eggplants for a while now after I had a great curried eggplant dish at this Buddhist restaurant (they had SHREDDED TOFU on top of it), but all the good recipes I find require ingredients I can't find in western Kentucky (I defy you to find a less veg-friendly place). Can anyone help me out with a good, relatively simple eggplant recipe or two for an eggplant n00b?
Oh yeah, and no grills! I'm a po' college student with no grill and no money for one.

[Golden Browne]

Here is an easy recipe I learned. Its a great way to eat greens!

Kale Chips

1 Bunch of Kale, washed and torn/cut into bite sized pieces
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vinegar of your choice
Salt

Preheat Oven to 350F
Toss Kale with oil and vinegar
Spread in one layer over a foiled baking sheet
Sprinkle on salt
Heat in oven until crispy (5-10minutes)

[Jason]

Sounds great. I'll let you know what happens.

Wink Holliday said:

Jason, I wound up making a very simple recipe out of Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything" book. Essentially, I peeled/diced up all the eggplant I had, and sauteed it in oil with a diced onion while I boiled a pound of spaghetti. Use some of the hot pasta water to thin a cup of ricotta cheese into a sauce. Drain the pasta, add the sauteed eggplant/onion mixture, stir in the ricotta, and sprinkle some parmesan on top. Tasty, and inexpensive!

[Wink Holliday]

I recently found this rub in a recipe for stout-braised short ribs, and was wondering if anyone who is more successful with cooking tofu than I am could recommend what type of tofu might work best with it? Extra firm? Baked?

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard

[Jason]

If I was doing it with tofu, I'd definitely go with extra firm, and freeze and thaw it before cooking to make the texture a little meatier. But have you considered using seitan? I've never had it but it seems popular for things like this. Check this recipe out... http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html Maybe you could adapt that in some way.

So I made that pasta dish with the eggplant... not quite what I expected. I made it as described, except I added some zucchini squash as well. I don't know if I did it wrong or what, but the eggplant tasted pretty weird, and the whole thing wasn't as cheesy as I expected. I think if I would've added some butter to the sauce it would've been a little better, but it had enough saturated fat in it to begin with. I guess that was my main thing... I didn't feel like I was getting enough cheesy taste in exchange for the high level of saturated fat in the ricotta. Not awful though. Good experience anyway. Thanks!

Wink Holliday said:

I recently found this rub in a recipe for stout-braised short ribs, and was wondering if anyone who is more successful with cooking tofu than I am could recommend what type of tofu might work best with it? Extra firm? Baked?

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard

[Wink Holliday]

Jason, eggplant definitely benefits from peeling AND salting. When you cut it up, salt it well and let it sit for 10-20 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. Then pat the pieces dry with a paper towel. Especially with an older (larger) eggplant, it will help with the bitter taste that can otherwise come through.

And seitan is an excellent suggestion for that spice rub! Maybe I'll try it tonight. Mmmmmm.

Jason said:

If I was doing it with tofu, I'd definitely go with extra firm, and freeze and thaw it before cooking to make the texture a little meatier. But have you considered using seitan? I've never had it but it seems popular for things like this. Check this recipe out... http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html Maybe you could adapt that in some way.

So I made that pasta dish with the eggplant... not quite what I expected. I made it as described, except I added some zucchini squash as well. I don't know if I did it wrong or what, but the eggplant tasted pretty weird, and the whole thing wasn't as cheesy as I expected. I think if I would've added some butter to the sauce it would've been a little better, but it had enough saturated fat in it to begin with. I guess that was my main thing... I didn't feel like I was getting enough cheesy taste in exchange for the high level of saturated fat in the ricotta. Not awful though. Good experience anyway. Thanks!

[Wink Holliday]

Someone just sent me this fabulous link to a handful of autumnal vegetarian recipes, and my stomach is growling just from reading them! Yummers! Here's a direct shortcut to the vegan recipes, if that better suits you.