Veggie club :)

[Logos]

Hummus, Hummous

I find most hummus is too bland for me, so I add stuff to it (you can ignore or reduce stuff like garlic and onions, just keep trying it as you go along adding things to suit your own taste, and again this is a rough estimate on measurements, I usually just eyeball stuff )

540ml / 19oz. can of chick peas
540ml / 19oz. can of lentils
¼ cup diced onion
6 cloves garlic

I do only a rough chop of the above with the hand blender, I don’t like it when it’s really really smooth, I like a bit of texture to it. The rest I mix in by hand:

2 tablespoons olive oil
juice and pulp of one lemon
1 tablespoon chick pea flour
2 teaspoons cumin seed
2 teaspoons onion seed
2 teaspoons crushed red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt

When I’ve got it in serving bowl, I add a big handful of roughly chopped parsley on top. Of course it’s great on warm naan but also celery sticks, bagels, crackers, etc.

[kilted exile]

I havent tried Palak Paneer, however I did try a potato & cheese curry (Saag Aloo?) not long ago that was real good. The majority of the vegetables I eat are root veg and generally mashed

[Scheherazade]

I have not pledged my full allegiance to vegetarianism but I love QUORN; a great break from the monotonous meals.

[Madhuri]

I didnt know Palak Paneer is a popular dish, I am quite surprised. I am glad too, to see that Indian food is liked by many. I'll post soon some of snacks recipe, you can have these snacks with tea or coffee.

Kilt -- that will be called Aloo (potato) - Paneer (cheese)

Saag is usually made of leafy vegetables, its like saying -- Saag of Palak (Spinach)

Palak Paneer is a very tasty dish, it is best when had with chapati / naan / missi roti / any other variety of chapati.

[dramasnot6]

I will try to make the Palak Paneer with tofu, since I remember how much I loved the dish in my non-vegan days! Thanks Maddie Logos, I LOVE making hommus. It is so simple, healthy and delicious! I make mine with a lot of fresh herbs, i find that is what's best to strengthen the flavor.

[dramasnot6]

Thank you Mira for inviting me to participate in your Veggie Club thread. This was a great idea. It's nice to meet some people who are also vegetarian, like myself. All my friends here at home aren't vegetarian so the support is nice. THank you very much!

Glad to have you on board!

[Poetess]

I`m a semi-veggie; however, i`m more into vegetables.
I barely eat Meat.. If i`m really under pressure I would have chicken burger for instance.
I`m wonted to eating rice since UAE days. Rice all the way, salads, fruits...

[dramasnot6]

I too like love salads and fruits and I eat a lot of brown rice. Sometimes I even make a brown rice salad topped with a bit of fruit like apple pieces or lemon zest.

[Poetess]

How is it done?

[Koa]

Apart from the fact that we had this topic before but I'm too lazy to look for it because it'd take real ages... I'm not a veggie and I wouldn't be able to be one. I do like meat and I am not particularly fond of vegetables... and I do think that meat is a part of the food chain so it's not 'wrong' to eat it. There are short moments when I feel weird about eating meat, like when I cook it myself and I see it raw and yuck, but no I wouldn't be able to. Since I leave alone, I don't often cook meat as it takes time, so I go a bit longer than usual without it, until I happen to eat out etc., so that I happen to miss it, until I realise that maybe I had a small sandwich or something that actually contained meat anyway - so even if I'd cut on the steak, no way I'd be able to erase meat from my diet.

I think that for a high percentage of veggies it's not as much as a choice for health etc., it's more that they don't like meat anyway so it's easier and nicer to be a veggie. There are an awful lot of "vegetarians" that will never tell you about the good sides and blah because they simply do it cos they don't like meat and claiming themselves 'veggie' solves the problem. As some people here said, they tried to be vegetarians but failed, I suppose that those who succeed do it because they never really liked meat much anyway... unless some are really stubborn and deprive themselves of something they like because of their beliefs (save the animal) or for health.

[Jean-Baptiste]

Jean-B applauded vegetarianism. He used that word and it struck me. I don't either applaud or despise it. But there is another perspective. Humanity as a rule is not vegetarian and i don't understand the propaganda that says its better for you. If people choose vegetarianism for whatever reason, fine. But I don't expect guilt to be placed on people who don't choose it.

Sorry, Virgil. I didn't mean to suggest that it was necessarily a better way of life. I've had it asserted to me that vegetarianism is so much more economical than raising large amounts of live-stock (which could be a flawed argument, I don't know.) That's all I meant. I should have been more definite in my stance. I agree with your basic assertion that humans are naturally omnivorous. As for being "better for you" health-wise, I don't camp in that spot, regardless of statistics. And by that, I don't mean to suggest that the statistics are skewed--it simply doesn't concern me. My opinion was based entirely on economics.

No guilt!

[kathycf]

I think that for a high percentage of veggies it's not as much as a choice for health etc., it's more that they don't like meat anyway so it's easier and nicer to be a veggie. There are an awful lot of "vegetarians" that will never tell you about the good sides and blah because they simply do it cos they don't like meat and claiming themselves 'veggie' solves the problem. As some people here said, they tried to be vegetarians but failed, I suppose that those who succeed do it because they never really liked meat much anyway... unless some are really stubborn and deprive themselves of something they like because of their beliefs (save the animal) or for health.

I think many people choose a vegetarian lifestyle for a number of reasons. I don't think it has to be just one reason. They could choose for religious reasons and health too. Whatever else we as people have in common, we all need to eat to sustain life, which is why recipes are so cool.

I see nobody has stepped up to the plate with some TURNIP recipes, so I will take on this honor and post a few...

Cheesey mashed "Neeps" (turnips)


2 large white turnips, peeled and cubed

3 to 4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated

3 tablespoons butter

seasonings to taste

Boil turnips in salted water for about 30 to 35 minutes. Drain off water.
Mash with a potato masher.
Add butter, seasonings and cheese.
Mix until cheese starts to melt, then stop mixing.
Serve.


Scalloped Turnips

3 medium turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons plain flour
3/4 pint milk
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
4 to 5 ounces grated mild Cheddar cheese

Cook turnips uncovered in boiling salted
water over for 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain; transfer to a lightly greased
2-pint casserole.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low
heat; blend in flour, and cook 1 minutes,
stirring constantly.
Gradually stir in milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over turnips; sprinkle
with cheese. Bake at 220 C 10 minutes.
Makes 6 servings

[dramasnot6]

How is it done?

I pressure cook the brown rice(but there are many ways to cook it, just like regular rice) with various spices and fresh herbs then mix it in a bowl with corn, chopped tomatotos, chopped cucumber, capsicum(or red pepper), green onion and kalamata olives. I then take just a little bit of fruit and sprinkle it on the top.

[dramasnot6]

I think that for a high percentage of veggies it's not as much as a choice for health etc., it's more that they don't like meat anyway so it's easier and nicer to be a veggie. There are an awful lot of "vegetarians" that will never tell you about the good sides and blah because they simply do it cos they don't like meat and claiming themselves 'veggie' solves the problem. As some people here said, they tried to be vegetarians but failed, I suppose that those who succeed do it because they never really liked meat much anyway... unless some are really stubborn and deprive themselves of something they like because of their beliefs (save the animal) or for health.

This is completely in perspective. I have been vegetarian for 2.5 years and vegan for 1 but before that I ate meat,particulary seafood, quite frequently and really liked certain types. I got into for a very large range of reasons,not all were animal rights. When you change your diet you change your taste. THe first 2 months I craved meat occasionally but today I find it difficult to even sit next to someone while they are eating meat. Your body and palate adapt very easily and get used to a routine, this can happen with everyone, the time it takes for them to adapt just varies. I have met vegetarians who stopped craving meat after 2 weeks and some who took 4 months to get over it. Usually no more then that though. Biologically, cravings are 90% of the time a product of need for a particular nutritional element like protein or fiber. If one usually eats meat for their protein, when their body needs to refuel that is usually what they crave because their brain primarily associates meat with protein. But when you become veggie and eat other sources of protein/B-12/iron, etc. your brain adapts and then associates non-meat sources with protein.

[Madhuri]

A snacks recipe:

Vegetable Pakora

Ingredients:

1. vegetables -- 1 potato, 1 onion, 6-7 green chillis, or any other item of which you wish to make a pakora, such as cheese slices.
2. Chick pea flour - 2 cups
3. Garlic slices - 3-4
5. Salt -- as per taste
6. Green / red chillies - as per spiciness desired, chop the green chillies.
7. Oil to fry

Method:

- Peel and make thin slices of the potato and onion, do not chop onions finely.
- Put the chick pea flour into a bowl.
- Add the crushed garlic pieces, salt and chilli.
- Put some water into the bowl, and make a paste, but not very thick paste or thin either, just about right to cover the vegetables.
- Heat the oil.
- Dip the slices of vegetables in the batter, make sure they are nicely covered in the batter, and put it in the frying pan, fry it until golden brown and crisp.

Pakoras are ready, you can have it with some tomato ketchup or any chutney

This much quantity will serve about 3-4 people.

Here is what it will look like:

Pakora:

Warning: This snack requires frying and has oil, so beware all those who are calorie conscious