Vegetarian Meals: Tasty & Affordable for Vegans

[arildno]

I thought that fungi with typically rather thin stilks, smooth flat hats with a depression in the centre, and gill-like beneath the hat were called "toadstools". If that's the case, there are lots of edible toadstools (but a lot more inedible ones!)

 

[arildno]

Ok, I obviously had it wrong!
In this PDF-file "toadstool" is mentioned as the name for a poisonous mushroom!
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/3303.pdf

I thank you for your concern, wolram; seems I only picked edible mushrooms after all..

 

[wolram]

I thought that fungi with typically rather thin stilks, smooth flat hats with a depression in the centre, and gill-like beneath the hat were called "toadstools". If that's the case, there are lots of edible toadstools (but a lot more inedible ones!)

Well i am sure no expert, these grow around here, i have not tried them, but mom and dad have.
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/aug98.html

They can be huge, and would not fit toadstool or mushroom description.

 

[arildno]

Puffballs are nice, but more of a "filler" than good on its own.

 

[wolram]

Ok, I obviously had it wrong!
In this PDF-file "toadstool" is mentioned as the name for a poisonous mushroom!
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/3303.pdf

I thank you for your concern, wolram; seems I only picked edible mushrooms after all..

Thank goodness for that.

 

[Skyhunter]

Try a portabello mushroom, sauted in olive oil with garlic and onions instead of a hamburger.

 

[arildno]

Try a portabello mushroom, sauted in olive oil with garlic and onions instead of a hamburger.

It seems to be the one we call butter mushroom over here; very good!

 

[wolram]

Try a portabello mushroom, sauted in olive oil with garlic and onions instead of a hamburger.

A meaty tasting mushroom, sounds nice skyhunter, even better with crusty bread, i bet.

 

[wolram]

Any one have a hot spicey vegy meal? i love chili, i have used scots bonnet
birds eye and habernaros, in meaty meals.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm like Kerrie where I actually feel sick if I don't get a little meat in my diet. It doesn't need to be much, even a half of a chicken breast will do, but if I don't eat any, I end up tired with a headache and a growling stomach. And I love milk and cheese, so could NEVER go totally vegan. Whenever a vegan has cooked a dinner for me, I end up having to stop and get more food on the way home. I do like some vegetarian dishes, but they just aren't enough food for me (maybe because I can't actually eat large volumes without feeling sick to my stomach, so can't get enough nutrients out of something vegetarian). I do tend to eat meat only at one meal of the day.

Something I love is spaghetti squash. You just bake it and then use a fork to scoop out the flesh, which is stringy, and use it the way you'd use pasta. You can put any sauce on it you like. I bet it would be really tasty topped with a vegetarian chili.

 

[wolram]

Moonbear, i could not live without the occasional steak, the one with jack Ds
sauce is divine, once every two weeks, as long as i knew i could have one any
time i would be happy, but i would like to be vegy between treats, if i can find
meals that are not bland i may succeed.

 

[Monique]

However, I feel sort of good being a vegetarian like a feeling of cleanliness.

Yes, I too get a feeling of cleanliness and I start getting more and more an aversion to meat while I'm not eating it. Especially the processed meat products I won't eat anymore, if you think about it they are disgusting. I will still eat a cow's stomach though, if it is fresh and nicely prepared

What happens is that meat eaters tend to focus on the meat dish, and treat all the rest as a "side dish". Vegetarians tend to focus on the whole meal and the food value found in all parts of it.

Exactly, the whole meal depends on the flesh, my family couldn't make a meal without it. I have my refrigerator and freezer full with vegetables and my cupboard full of spices so I can live perfectly well without it.

Vegetarian meals tend to cost more than meat-based meals due to low availability. The difference isn't too much if you find good sources.

How is not having to buy meat more expensive? How do vegetables have a low availability? I find that a strange opinion

On a light handed note: if you have a veggie to dinner and they requested a special meal (ie vegetarian) and then offer you an invite to dinner is it ok to request a special meal (ie meat)?

I don't think that is polite at all. You can have a perfectly good meal without flesh.

In a restaurant though I will sometimes opt for a meal with fish or chicken, since the fun is soon gone when there is only a single dish on the menu (or none).

 

[laminatedevildoll]

I was thinking of the cost of being a vegy, and the availability of ingredients,
I doubt i could buy all from my local village shop, but then i do not know what
is needed for a healthy vegy diet.

I don't shop at a special store for my foods; in fact, I pretty much eat beans, rice, vegetables, fresh fruit. Also, I drink a glass of freshly squeezed juice everyday (yeah I have a juicer).

 

[Moonbear]

Exactly, the whole meal depends on the flesh, my family couldn't make a meal without it. I have my refrigerator and freezer full with vegetables and my cupboard full of spices so I can live perfectly well without it.

There's a difference between including meat in a balanced meal and going to the unhealthy extreme of over-eating meat or not including enough vegetables. Yes, I have relatives who will sit down with what appears to be the equivalent of half a cow and push aside the vegetables as if they were nothing more than garnish. Lots of fruits and veggies are a part of a healthy diet. You'll find meat in my freezer, but you'll also find plenty of fresh vegetables in my refrigerator.

How is not having to buy meat more expensive? How do vegetables have a low availability? I find that a strange opinion

Sadly, at the supermarkets around here, the produce is of terribly poor quality. I don't think their produce buyers know what they're doing. The onions I looked at today all had rot on them, like they weren't left to dry properly before being shipped, and the bin of avocados had mold in it. I had to dig through the peppers to find one that didn't have bruises or other soft spots on it. One variety of tomatoes were going rotten in the bin, another variety looked too green, another were mostly bruised, and I luckily found a few good tomatoes of decent ripeness without bruising in a fourth variety. I miss my grandfather's garden! (I can never get much to grow here...the "critters" all get to it first.)

I don't think that is polite at all. You can have a perfectly good meal without flesh.

It's not polite on either side. If someone invites a person to dinner, it is incredibly rude of the guest to make requests. If they aren't willing to eat whatever their host chooses to serve, they should turn down the invitation, not try to dictate the menu.

 

[Smasherman]

How is not having to buy meat more expensive? How do vegetables have a low availability? I find that a strange opinion

Moonbear answered ahead of me.

Supply and demand dictates that meat is given more attention than vegetables, as most people prefer meat.

 

[Evo]

Moonbear answered ahead of me.

Supply and demand dictates that meat is given more attention than vegetables, as most people prefer meat.

It depends where you shop here. Some of the grocery stores here have incredible produce sections. In the summer, a local farmer sells fresh fruits and vegetables at the corner of the main street in my town, we have a stop light now! (it turns out I live in an official ghost town). He has wonderful produce, and he's cheap.

 

[laminatedevildoll]

I will still eat a cow's stomach though, if it is fresh and nicely prepared

I wish I had the guts to eat that.

 

[Smurf]

It's not polite on either side. If someone invites a person to dinner, it is incredibly rude of the guest to make requests. If they aren't willing to eat whatever their host chooses to serve, they should turn down the invitation, not try to dictate the menu.

I would consider it extremely bad and impolite hosting not to prepare food to someone's special food needs (i.e. vegetarian) if they have any. Any good host will find out ahead of time if their invitees have any such condition or allergies and will not prepare a meal that they can't eat.

However, preparing extra (i.e. meat if someone isn't a vegetarian) is not necessary, because it's not a restriction the person has, it's a preference.

ah screw it.

 

[Evo]

I would consider it extremely bad and impolite hosting not to prepare food to someone's special food needs (i.e. vegetarian) if they have any. Any good host will find out ahead of time if their invitees have any such condition or allergies and will not prepare a meal that they can't eat.

However, preparing extra (i.e. meat if someone isn't a vegetarian) is not necessary, because it's not a restriction the person has, it's a preference.

It can get a bit crazy though, what if they're Orthodox Jewish? I don't have a Kosher kitchen. I use the same utensils and pots for meat, milk and vegetables and I don't have a Kosher water filter (after the microscopic crustacean water crisis in New York). I'd have to buy all new cookware, utensils, cutting boards, etc...

Yes, if you invite someone to eat with you, it is now politically correct to find out what they will not eat, is it also ok to uninvite them if they turn out to be a royal pain in the rear?

What do you do if one guest is on Atkins (low carb) and the other is vegetarian (high carb). One won't eat sugar, the other has a wheat allergy, and one is lactose intolerant. I guess I could hand out a 10 page questionaire to anyone before I invite them.

 

[Smurf]

It can get a bit crazy though, what if they're Orthodox Jewish? I don't have a Kosher kitchen. I use the same utensils and pots for meat, milk and vegetables and I don't have a Kosher water filter (after the microscopic crustacean water crisis in New York). I'd have to buy all new cookware, utensils, cutting boards, etc...

Yes, if you invite someone to eat with you, it is now politically correct to find out what they will not eat, is it also ok to uninvite them if they turn out to be a royal pain in the rear?

If I had any such restrictions I would uninvite myself, because it is also incredibly impolite on the guest's part to be a hassle for the host. Not cooking meat, however, is not a hassle.

 

[Smasherman]

True, some areas have wonderful selections. Unforunately it's not the norm. The US is a predominantly meat-eating society, so meat has a main focus. Cities and some small towns have excellent vegetable selections, though. I know of one fairly small town with severalgood vegetarian and vegan restaurants.

I happen to live in a ranch town, so meat is in almost everything, though not because of the cattle so much as the attitude. The cattle are too valuable to feed to to our poor populace.

 

[Evo]

If I had any such restrictions I would uninvite myself, because it is also incredibly impolite on the guest's part to be a hassle for the host. Not cooking meat, however, is not a hassle.

I know, I'm just taking it to an extreme.

Perhaps if someone has a very restrictive diet, but would still like to be social, that they gain the host's agreement that they bring a special food, with enough to share with others?

 

[Smurf]

What do you do if one guest is on Atkins (low carb) and the other is vegetarian (high carb). One won't eat sugar, the other has a wheat allergy, and one is lactose intolerant. I guess I could hand out a 10 page questionaire to anyone before I invite them.

Well, assuming I actually invite someone over who is stupid enough to be on an Atkins diet I would tell them it's a low carb meal and feed them a high carb meal for their own good.

Or you could just not invite over 10 strangers whos eating habits you don't know anything about and THEN try to compensate.

 

[Smurf]

I know, I'm just taking it to an extreme.

Perhaps if someone has a very restrictive diet, but would still like to be social, that they gain the host's agreement that they bring a special food, with enough to share with others?

That's exactly the answer. A small pot-luck.

 

[Moonbear]

I would consider it extremely bad and impolite hosting not to prepare food to someone's special food needs (i.e. vegetarian) if they have any. Any good host will find out ahead of time if their invitees have any such condition or allergies and will not prepare a meal that they can't eat.

However, preparing extra (i.e. meat if someone isn't a vegetarian) is not necessary, because it's not a restriction the person has, it's a preference.

ah screw it.

I don't consider vegetarianism to be a special food need, but a preference, just as eating meat is. Food allergies are of course something entirely different. Who would invite over guests and not serve anything except meat anyway? There will be vegetables, just don't expect the main dish will be vegetarian if everyone else prefers meat. Pass the turkey to the next person and take a double helping of the rice dish, just as the person who doesn't like broccoli can pass the dish to the next person without putting any on their plate, or just leave it uneaten if the food is served already plated.

 

[Moonbear]

If I had any such restrictions I would uninvite myself, because it is also incredibly impolite on the guest's part to be a hassle for the host. Not cooking meat, however, is not a hassle.

Well, it would be quite a hassle for me since part of the fun of inviting over people is that I can cook those big things that I could never cook for just myself, like roasts and turkeys. Why do I have to refrain from serving meat just because one person doesn't want to eat it? I'm not going to shove it down their throat or even force it onto their plate if they have some phobia of food touching other food, but I'm not going to make my home meat-free for them either. Though, I do have an easy solution... don't invite anyone a second time if they make a royal pain of themselves the first time they are invited.

 

[Smurf]

obviously you don't have to create a whole meal based around it if you don't want to. But part of being a good host is to make sure that if you invite a vegetarian over, that (s)he has more to eat that just rice while everyone else chows down on meat. Basically, If you invite someone over to a meal, you should make sure you provide them with a meal, not the left overs that meat eater don't want. That's all.

 

[Smurf]

Well, it would be quite a hassle for me since part of the fun of inviting over people is that I can cook those big things that I could never cook for just myself, like roasts and turkeys. Why do I have to refrain from serving meat just because one person doesn't want to eat it? I'm not going to shove it down their throat or even force it onto their plate if they have some phobia of food touching other food, but I'm not going to make my home meat-free for them either. Though, I do have an easy solution... don't invite anyone a second time if they make a royal pain of themselves the first time they are invited.

No one thinks you're going to force them to eat meat, but if you invite a vegetarian over you better as hell provide them with a vegetarian meal, or else they're just going to sit there while everyone else eats. They're not the one's being the pain then and I doubt they'd have any desire to have dinner with you again, invitation or no.

 

[Smasherman]

I'd say that it's rude of the vegetarian not to let the host know that they won't eat meat. If the host knows, they should separate the vegetables from the meat, so everyone can eat what they want. The problem with having the vegetarian just not eat the meat is that usually vegetables are mixed in with the meat.

 

[Smasherman]

Steamed Lemon Broccoli:

Get some broccoli and soak it in olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. I can't give you exact amounts, but cover the broccoli fairly well.

Steam the broccoli. Take the broccoli out when it becomes a squishy (though it should be a little squishy).

Eat the brocolli.

Sorry I can't give you better details, but I cook by feel and not numbers.

 

[Skyhunter]

I'm like Kerrie where I actually feel sick if I don't get a little meat in my diet. It doesn't need to be much, even a half of a chicken breast will do, but if I don't eat any, I end up tired with a headache and a growling stomach. And I love milk and cheese, so could NEVER go totally vegan. Whenever a vegan has cooked a dinner for me, I end up having to stop and get more food on the way home. I do like some vegetarian dishes, but they just aren't enough food for me (maybe because I can't actually eat large volumes without feeling sick to my stomach, so can't get enough nutrients out of something vegetarian). I do tend to eat meat only at one meal of the day.

Something I love is spaghetti squash. You just bake it and then use a fork to scoop out the flesh, which is stringy, and use it the way you'd use pasta. You can put any sauce on it you like. I bet it would be really tasty topped with a vegetarian chili.

I was the same way, in fact when I first stopped eating meat it felt like I was hungry all the time and had a low level fever. I went totally vegan after about 6 months and there was a change that occurred. I started eating about 1/5 as many calories as I used to (I was a big eater) and eating became more like breathing. In other words food was once a central focus in my life, and now I just eat when I get hungry.

Variety is important, not only what you eat but where it is grown. You get different minerals in foods grown in different areas.

Douglas J. Lisle, Ph.D. and Alan Goldhamer, D.C. have recently published a book based on their studies of the brain, appetite, and how it relates to survival. I have not read the book, but I watched one of Dr. Lisle's lectures and found it somewhat compelling. Here is a link to a review of their book.

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/pleasure_trap_review.htm

 

[JamesU]

My neighbor has some gigantic moshrooms in her front yard. she works 24-hour shifts as a nurse, so she's not home very often, no need to take care of the yard

 

[Skyhunter]

On a light handed note: if you have a veggie to dinner and they requested a special meal (ie vegetarian) and then offer you an invite to dinner is it ok to request a special meal (ie meat)?

Depends on the person. Some people don't eat meat for health reasons, in that case it would probably be ok. If they do not eat meat for ethical reasons it would be inappropriate.

When someone invites me to dinner, I tell them I don't eat animal protein. If it is a problem I will bring my own food and still enjoy their company. If I invite someone, I tell them I don't serve animal protein. They can eat what I prepare or not the choice is entirely theirs.

I don't make a special request, nor will I make a special exception.

When I go to dinner with a date, they are welcome to eat whatever they want, however if they want me to pay for dinner it has to be vegan. This usually is not a problem since I normally go to some great vegan restaurants and they seem to always enjoy the food.

This is for ethical reasons not nutritional. I won't buy meat because an animal was killed for the meat. I don't know where the eggs or milk came from so I won't buy them either. I can't stop certain practices but I can refuse to support them.

 

[Smurf]

Depends on the person. Some people don't eat meat for health reasons, in that case it would probably be ok. If they do not eat meat for ethical reasons it would be inappropriate.

I think it's inappropriate no matter the reasons. If someone invites you to dinner you shouldn't really be asking for anything except a drink of water. Mind you, with a good host you wouldn't have to ask for anything else either.

When someone invites me to dinner, I tell them I don't eat animal protein. If it is a problem I will bring my own food and still enjoy their company. If I invite someone, I tell them I don't serve animal protein. They can eat what I prepare or not the choice is entirely theirs.

Curious, would you allow them to bring their own meat?

When I go to dinner with a date, they are welcome to eat whatever they want, however if they want me to pay for dinner it has to be vegan. This usually is not a problem since I normally go to some great vegan restaurants and they seem to always enjoy the food.

I think I'm going to copy that ethic from you.

This is for ethical reasons not nutritional. I won't buy meat because an animal was killed for the meat. I don't know where the eggs or milk came from so I won't buy them either. I can't stop certain practices but I can refuse to support them.

Hurray!

 

[wolram]

Well when i invite you all to my place i will serve salad, and you can pick and
choose what to have. Tuna, boiled egg, ham cheese, beans, chicken.
The party will be at Halfe past twenty to seven an all crotchets day, evoary
the thirty second.