Vegan/Vegetarian Thread (discussion, recipes, laughs)

[nycfem]

Tonight was kind of a strange meal. I wok-cooked veggies in their own juices (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach) and then added shirataku noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinaigrette! It was hearty and edible, but barely! I did save the leftovers because I'm totally the type that does not get rid of leftovers and MUST not waste them, so I'm stuck with it tomorrow! I finished the noodles so it is mainly the veggies, and mainly the bell pepper. Imagine this mixture but with almost all the noodles having been consumed. What would you add tomorrow to make it tastier?

[homoe]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Tonight was kind of a strange meal. I wok-cooked veggies in their own juices (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach) and then added shirataku noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinaigrette! It was hearty and edible, but barely! I did save the leftovers because I'm totally the type that does not get rid of leftovers and MUST not waste them, so I'm stuck with it tomorrow! I finished the noodles so it is mainly the veggies, and mainly the bell pepper. Imagine this mixture but with almost all the noodles having been consumed. What would you add tomorrow to make it tastier?

It sounds good! If the noodles are gone then I just re-heat the veggies (maybe adding some snow pea pods) and serve it on a bed of rice.......

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Tonight was kind of a strange meal. I wok-cooked veggies in their own juices (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach) and then added shirataku noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinaigrette! It was hearty and edible, but barely! I did save the leftovers because I'm totally the type that does not get rid of leftovers and MUST not waste them, so I'm stuck with it tomorrow! I finished the noodles so it is mainly the veggies, and mainly the bell pepper. Imagine this mixture but with almost all the noodles having been consumed. What would you add tomorrow to make it tastier?

gasoline ... and a match.

[kittygrrl]

roasted potato, garlic and a little magick

[Gemme]

Not sure where you are on the carb spectrum but I'm with homoe. I love a good Jasmine rice with sautéed veggies. Also, maybe shredded cheese (or substitute) on top of the veggies on top of the rice. If you like a bit of heat, maybe add some roasted poblanos?

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Tonight was kind of a strange meal. I wok-cooked veggies in their own juices (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach) and then added shirataku noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinaigrette! It was hearty and edible, but barely! I did save the leftovers because I'm totally the type that does not get rid of leftovers and MUST not waste them, so I'm stuck with it tomorrow! I finished the noodles so it is mainly the veggies, and mainly the bell pepper. Imagine this mixture but with almost all the noodles having been consumed. What would you add tomorrow to make it tastier?

I one time took left over veggies from an meal and blended them up in an DIY recipe for making cat treats (Petunia loved the ones I made for her).

LINK: 5 Easy DIY Cat Treat Recipes


Sometimes, if I have too much left over veggies, whether it's from an single meal or just veggies in the crisper drawer of the fridge that need to be used up soon, I'll save them back and use them in an soup.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

I one time took left over veggies from an meal and blended them up in an DIY recipe for making cat treats (Petunia loved the ones I made for her).

LINK: 5 Easy DIY Cat Treat Recipes


Sometimes, if I have too much left over veggies, whether it's from an single meal or just veggies in the crisper drawer of the fridge that need to be used up soon, I'll save them back and use them in an soup.

What a cool idea! Before doing so, make sure there's nothing poisonous in the batches. Some fruits and veggies can make pets sick or even kill them, like onions.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Tonight was kind of a strange meal. I wok-cooked veggies in their own juices (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach) and then added shirataku noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinaigrette! It was hearty and edible, but barely! I did save the leftovers because I'm totally the type that does not get rid of leftovers and MUST not waste them, so I'm stuck with it tomorrow! I finished the noodles so it is mainly the veggies, and mainly the bell pepper. Imagine this mixture but with almost all the noodles having been consumed. What would you add tomorrow to make it tastier?

So in all seriousness, I am not sure since the base flavors of soy and balsamic vinaigrette are pretty strong. The only two things I can think of, and I really wracked my brain, would be to add a citrus flavor to it like lemon or lime juice. If you have mostly peppers left, why not make either a pasta salad, with the peppers, some other lightly flavored vegetables, and instead of dressing use some olive or avocado oil and a squeeze of lemon or lime. Or, make some sauteed cauliflower rice with salt and pepper in olive oil, cook some other vegetables like, pea pods (I think someone mentioned them) more onions and mushrooms, add some soy sauce and it's like a fajita over cauliflower rice. Cook the vegetables in toasted sesame seed oil to give it a really good flavor. I am stuck as to whether you should throw the peppers in because of the vinaigrette. The sesame oil and soy sauce could overpower it. Good luck.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by tantalizingfemme

The sesame oil and soy sauce could overpower it.

This would be a good thing. Not sure that this was conveyed.

[nycfem]

I really appreciate everyone's feedback on how to "dress" the leftovers. Sometimes reading it helps me understand flavoring and such. I ended up simply adding kidney beans to it. It certainly wasn't anything I'd repeat, but at least I was able to finish it!

[nycfem]

I went to a friend's home for dinner tonight. She served a whole head of cabbage and 3 bunches of spring onions that she had stir-fried in Bragg liquid aminos (2 TSP), curry powder, and 1 TBS natural peanut butter. I didn't want to insult her so I ate all of it but it was horrible. I don't know why. It was flavorless while at the same time being too salty. Have any of you cooked with Bragg liquid aminos as a replacement for soy sauce? Can any of you guess who this "friend" of mine was? Hint: she shares my address but isn't my husbutch.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by nycfem

I went to a friend's home for dinner tonight. She served a whole head of cabbage and 3 bunches of spring onions that she had stir-fried in Bragg liquid aminos (2 TSP), curry powder, and 1 TBS natural peanut butter. I didn't want to insult her so I ate all of it but it was horrible. I don't know why. It was flavorless while at the same time being too salty. Have any of you cooked with Bragg liquid aminos as a replacement for soy sauce? Can any of you guess who this "friend" of mine was? Hint: she shares my address but isn't my husbutch.

Lol not good. Yes I have used it. Such a different flavor than soy sauce. I use it occasionally, but prefer soy sauce. Not a fan so I only use it when there are a LOT of other flavors happening. Next time just throw some coconut milk, peanut butter and bit of chili sauce and then cook your goods. ( I mean your friend should) ETA and a splash of lime juice to the peanut sauce.

[Chancie]

I do have Bragg’s in the door of my refrigerator, but I use tamari a lot when I cook for friends because it’s gluten-free.

[kittygrrl]

earlier-
Parboiled 2-3 cups of cubed potatoes (yukon & garnet). Drained well. Added a bit of coconut oil (or use Vegan butter, if you like!) to pan and fried potatoes til a little golden brown then added some green onion. Then sprinkled in cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika and garlic powder (to taste). Cooked for another 5 minutes and then added some crispy coconut bacon. Then a minute or two before i took it off the stove & added some halved cherry tomatoes and let it cook for another minute or so. I served it on a bed of spinach and added additional sliced cherry tomatoes and green onion & applesauce on the side. really nice!

[adapted from Liv B recipe]

[nycfem]

Tonight I tried making nachos with daiya "cheese" and really was not fond in the least. I do enjoy daiya on pizza. I used whole grain rye crisps and green salsa, two items I always love, but the daiya just did not work flavor wise with them. It almost tasted kind of bitter instead of light and sweet, or something like that. Any suggestions for making tasty vegan nachos? Cuz I'm all about nachos.

[Kätzchen]

Here's an vegan Nacho "Cheese" recipe (it's dairy free) from Karissa's Vegan Kitchen (LINK)

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup potatoes peeled and cubed
• 2/3 cup carrots peeled and cubed
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup plant based milk soy or almond work best
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp arrowroot flour or corn starch
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1) Add potatoes and carrots to a pot of water. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 10 minutes. Strain and add to a blender.

2) Blend together the potatoes and carrots. They don't have to be perfectly blended - just break them down a little.


3) Add in remaining ingredients for the nacho cheese and blend until smooth and creamy!

4) Drizzle over tortilla chips, in a bean burrito, or whatever your heart desires.

[Chancie]

Originally Posted by nycfem is brave

Tonight I tried making nachos with daiya "cheese" and really was not fond in the least. I do enjoy daiya on pizza. I used whole grain rye crisps and green salsa, two items I always love, but the daiya just did not work flavor wise with them. It almost tasted kind of bitter instead of light and sweet, or something like that. Any suggestions for making tasty vegan nachos? Cuz I'm all about nachos.

Our vegan for more than 30 years friend swears by daiya for shredded cheese, but Pete isn’t crazy about it. She likes chao original for sandwiches. When we make it’s a work night pizza, she puts chao on her pizza.

We are serving vegan Mexican food for guests tonight, and Pete bought vegan sour cream.

[nycfem]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I am thinking I can also try to think outside the box a bit. Basically for nachos, I would like something kind of soft and pleasantly flavorful but light since green salsa is strong- so maybe I need to consider replacements to even vegan cheese as well. Mashed avocado might be nice, although avocados are sometimes hard to find at just the right consistency. I know me, and I know I don't do complicated recipes, not that they are not helpful to read because sometimes I can think of a way to simplify. I need super simple.

Originally Posted by nycfem

Tonight I tried making nachos with daiya "cheese" and really was not fond in the least. I do enjoy daiya on pizza. I used whole grain rye crisps and green salsa, two items I always love, but the daiya just did not work flavor wise with them. It almost tasted kind of bitter instead of light and sweet, or something like that. Any suggestions for making tasty vegan nachos? Cuz I'm all about nachos.