Hollylane,
This sounds delicious, but I had to look up "Ginger People". I was a little taken aback at first, lol!

That reminded me of this bit of BBC silliness...I had never heard of red hair being called "Ginger", before this ridiculous skit...

I'm not sure if I should post in here, I am still an omnivore of sorts. I would say that 90% of the time I would be a lacto/ovo/pesco, and not much of that. (Does that even count?)

Today I set about batch cooking and discovered that everything I made would qualify as vegetarian, even vegan, by choice. It's just what sounded good and I didn't even try to avoid animal products.

I made 10 servings each of:

Many vegetable and barley soup, more like stew
Lentil soup
Quinoa and Black Beans
Black Bean and tri-color pepper vinaigrette salad
Also made a weeks worth of oatmeal in advance

This way just by tossing together a few quick salads and replenishing fruit a couple of times, I shouldn't have to cook for a couple of weeks. It helps that I don't mind repeat meals.
I also rounded out the fridge and pantry for other stand alone items.

And just because I am feeling decadent and experimental;
Coconut rice for dessert, subbing quinoa for the rice and will top with berries :)

:eating:

Please do post in here! If the recipe is veg you are more than welcome :)

And I know you have great recipes and ideas so please don't be a stranger here!

Could you please post the recipes for everything you listed and how you make it when you have a chance. All of it sounds so delicious.

I love quinoa. BB and I find it to be a real comfort food, the healthy man's [sic] mac and cheese :D

I also don't mind repeat meals, not one bit.

Also how do you store it? Freezer? What kind of container do you use?

Okay, well, some of this is pretty easy because I cheat. :)

I get most of my ideas from a web site I've been using a couple of years now. All Recipies.

The reason I use it is because I don't have to know what I am looking for, for instance if I see swiss chard and want to make something I just look up that item and scroll until I see something that sounds good. Once I am there I scan the recipe to make sure I still like the idea and go to the bottom of the page where the nutritional info is. Clicking the 'more info' button turns it into a nutrition label so that it is familiar looking.

What I like in part is that it works a bit like Amazon, lots of reviews to give me ideas of common mods. Example; the lentil soup that I made was not specific as to what kind of vinegar was used, so I looked at a few of the comments and found folks liked balsamic. Also, I saw that it was also popular to add cumin, I do both and like it a lot. It is a staple in my fridge.

http://images.media-allrecipes.com/u.../50/605009.jpg

I also got the recipe for the quinoa and black beans there. I like to put a big scoop of pico de gallo on it when I eat it, also some more of the chopped cilantro since there is always more of that than I use in it.

http://images.media-allrecipes.com/u.../79/357989.jpg


I just got turned onto oatmeal a short time ago, I have hated it for fifty years. This is a bit lame, but I never knew that there was something different about steel cut other than the price until now. I looked at various places to figure out how to batch make it, this was sparked by a post on another thread by the way. I don't have a lot of patience in the morning for cooking, more of a heat and go sort. What I do is mix 1C of the oats and 3 (instead of 4) cups water and boil for 1 minute. The time varies by how long it takes me to figure out that I forgot it. :blink:

At that point just put it in the fridge and take out what you want in the morning, heat and eat. I pour it into a square container and cut it into squares when cold the next morning. It sets up pretty stiff, but softens up when heated.

Naturally, I do stuff to it when I make it for myself. When cooking it I put in a couple of tsps of cinnamon, a capful or two of vanilla, pinch-o-salt, and raisins or other dried fruit. When I eat it I hit it up with a little agave nectar and chopped walnuts. I like to put almond milk on it too. This is supposed to be 4 servings, but for me it is 6, probably all the stuff I put in it. I eat the stuff every day now.

I'll tackle the others in part 2 when I have a bit more time.

:eating:

I know some folks have trouble with raw bell peppers or raw onions, ya been warned! :)

The Black Bean and Tri-colored Peppers is one out of a book that I eat constantly in warm weather as it is refrigerated and quick to just scoop out a bowl or take to go.
I use all organics for this.

1 each red, orange, and yellow bell peppers; large cut into 1cm chunks
1 med red onion chopped
1-2 cloves garlic minced
2 cans black beans rinsed and drained
1C frozen corn (I use fire roasted)
Italian parsley chopped coarse, maybe 2/3C? A handful
Red wine vinaigrette, I invert the normal ratio and use 2:1 vinegar to oil instead of 1:2, whatever you like best
So, 1/2C red wine vinegar + 1/4C olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

(I have also used raspberry vinegar in place of red wine, and also you can sub cilantro for the italian parsley)

Let it sit overnight in the fridge for flavors to blend, I store it upside down so that I don't have to do the big stir before serving.

:eating:

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...s1/photo-4.jpg

cleaned out the fridge
 

• • http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/...14b7c9b7ec.jpg

basic vegetable stock
makes approx 4 cups
Feel free to use this as a base recipe. You can easily add other vegetables or herbs. Especially anything that needs using up in the fridge. Starchy things, like potatoes, can make your stock go cloudy. Strongly flavoured veg, like cabbage and broccoli, can overpower your stock but this might be a good thing if you’re after a cabbage or broccoli stock for a change.
Herbs are also a great addition, especially things like thyme, bay leaves and parsley. I didn’t have any on hand which is why they weren’t included here.

2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 handfuls button mushrooms, sliced
1t black pepper corns
5 cups water

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil over a medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, covered stirring occasionally until veg are soft and starting to brown a little.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook gently for about an hour or until the stock tastes rich and full. Strain stock and discard vegetable solids.

Today I went to the health food store and splurged on a yummy, raw vegan comfort food favorite of mine:

http://www.sunfood.com/the-squeeze-f...ganic-raw.html

Subscribing
 

Adding to my subscriptions...

:clover:

Ohhhh, good ideas! They have some heat to them too, which I like. Also, they come with a lot of extra powder in the container which can be saved and used as a tasty seasoning for anything.

I made an experimental recipe that came out good!

I started with stir-frying:
reduced sodium soy sauce, green swiss chard leaves, cilantro, garlic, ginger, onions, red chili pepper flakes, and kimchi.

Then I made Hungry Girl brand tofu shiritaku "macaroni" and then added it to the stir-fry, along with lime juice, and hot sauce. I left it on for another minute while I mixed it and then took it off the heat.

It was hotter than hell but perfectly so, and I will definitely make it again. Delish!

Tonight I made a Jewish recipe (or a spin on one) commonly served for Passover (the Jewish Easter :)). I had a wholewheat matza (unleavened bread, like a large square cracker) with a mix of apples, horseradish, chopped walnuts, and redwine/balsamic vinegar (called charoset, pictured -not mine- below). Normally red wine and honey would be added but I skipped those because I didn't have them around :D. It was good.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...psdbd33826.jpg

Vegan
 

Im new to this but will post some recipes later. Ive been reading vegetarian times some good recipes.

This sounds great! What kind of hot sauce do you use for this sort of dish?

:firetruck:

New twist on a standard snack.

I ran into a friend today who, every time she sees me, feeds me something. Today she was walking around with a bag of bananas she had just finished drying.

Not like chips though, these she just cut in half and then half again lengthwise, and put them in the dryer overnight. They were terrific! Not crunchy at all if that is what you are looking for, more chewy and incredibly sweet, like a candy type treat. I have a huge sweet tooth and these were just right. They were soft but not sticky to handle, maybe 1/2-2/3 dry and held their shape.

I will add my own thing that I like to do to dry fruit and load it up with cinnamon. Yes, there are 14 bananas on my counter now. :cheesy:

This is going to sound funny but it's true: Patti La Belle Very Spicy Super Woman Hot Sauce (low sodium, agave sweetened)

http://www.pattilabelle.com

Ok, I'm not Matt, obviously! Lol But here is a link for cauliflower pizza crust.....enjoy!
http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/2011/...ust-pizza.html

I ran into 'woman who feeds me' again at the beach. She and I often talk about healthy eating and this morning was no different. She told me about something she makes for her husband for breakfast as an alternative to oatmeal when he is going to the gym and wants something light.

It's kind of soymilk pudding. She heats up 2 Qts Soy milk and adds about a tsp of agar disolved in hot water, simmers for a minute or two and then cools about 2 hours or overnight. They like it with cinnamon on it. I asked a couple of questions about variations and of course she insisted I stop by and have one on my way home, their house is across from the beach. I found out she had made it with vanilla soy milk, it was quite mild and very good, not too sweet, she said some folks make it with honey or sugar added. I think it would also be good as a desert with a little sliced fruit. Sample below;

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...ss1/photo5.jpg

It is green because she puts 'a leaf' in it while cooking that is fragrant. This is where it gets tricky, they are Vietnamese and while they have been here 30 years, some things don't translate or have not needed to be yet. I will update if I can get a useable name. It isn't needed but would be fun to know.

Only the beginning. We had gone out for lunch a couple of weeks ago and I said that the miso soup was good and she wanted to make sure I knew the good things to get for it. Sooo, I show up today and she has a packet of the seaweed she uses in it for me;

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...1/photo1-7.jpg

And gave me about a pound of the paste she uses from her fridge, brand and package TBD. I broke it up into small containers for the freezer, a good supply. I am thinking it will be a switch for breakfast as the weather gets warmer and I want something lighter.

But wait! There's more! We also had something I had never had before; a soursap fruit. It was fabulous! Kind of a cross between papaya/pineapple/pear. Of course, I must take another with me to go. :blink: They naturally come all spiny, so this had been trimmed.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...1/photo2-7.jpghttp://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...1/photo3-6.jpg

This is the same person who showed me the other way to dry bananas I posted about yesterday. Yep, got to take some more home with me today AND she had just gotten a package from a friend in Vietnam who had a bumper crop of the little short plantains and dried them whole to send to her, just smashed flat and dried. They are great too, and I have some of those for home also.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...ss1/photo4.jpg

Regular bananas on the right, short plantains on the left.

Stopping off for a quick post-walk soy pudding turned into a whole bag of goodies to go. She is a sweetheart, I like hanging out with her, and not just for the food. :)

Okay... I'm officially obsessed with needing to know what that Vietnamese leaf is. I want to make it exactly like in the picture!

Sounds really good. Can you post the recipe?
I love cauliflower.

Would this work without the cheese or is that what kind of holds it all together? Or maybe the egg will help.

<--- doesn't cook

Yeah, me too. :(

<-- no dairy eater.

Thanks for the info!

I made a delicious Asian salad tonight:

romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
cucumbers
carrots
cabbage
mint leaves
cilantro leaves
crushed red pepper flakes

It was similar to the filling in a summer roll but without the carbs of the roll. I actually made the roll part (thinking I'd make summer rolls), but decided that the filling would be tasty enough on it's own. It was!

Another dinner that turned out yummy :)

I roasted a mix of fresh vegetables:

asparagus, black olive, yellow and green squash, red onion, grape tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, and portobello mushrooms.

Before I put them in the oven I added olive oil spray, balsamic vinegar, curry, fresh rosemary, and garlic.

Then I "cooked" shirataku tofu "noodles" and added kimchi and a little EVOO.

When the veggies were done, I added them to the mix.

It was wonderful!

Holy Crap that sounds great!

Ya know, I have to admit...the recipe intimidates me a bit. Is it hard? I am hoping I am just being a big lazy baby because I would love to make cashew cheese... it sounds so good!!!

:happy:

I found a thread that I will <3.
I am a vegan, or vegetarian, but I prefer nothing that comes from an animal. I also luv to cook, so I can pass along my knowledge.