Favorite meat-less recipes

[Run Amok]

Thanks Witchy! That bibimbap recipe looks great. I'll have to give it a shot.

SRSLY-- I don't think those things are mutually exclusive. There are certainly things that are best made at a restaurant, and when it's really complicated sometimes it's best to let the pros handle it. OTOH, sometimes it's delightful to make a homey hack of a dish that resembles something you enjoy eating out.

[srsly]

Thanks Witchy! That bibimbap recipe looks great. I'll have to give it a shot.

SRSLY-- I don't think those things are mutually exclusive. There are certainly things that are best made at a restaurant, and when it's really complicated sometimes it's best to let the pros handle it. OTOH, sometimes it's delightful to make a homey hack of a dish that resembles something you enjoy eating out.

Yeah, I agree. I used to do that, and still do it if the dish is simple enough. I guess I'm getting old and tired of cooking. I've accumulated tons of spices and ingredients that I only used once or twice for dishes like witchy posted. They were fun make until it's no longer. I will try that bibimbap recipe though.

You know what's funny? Just now, dh just now tore off a page from eating and drinking section of WSJ for me to make. It's a recipe for goi cuon. LOL! We'll have to make that together if he is bent on having them for dinner. It usually needs an accompanying dish though. Not sure what it would be.

[merigayle]

Thanks for the recipes. I just think that these ethnic dishes are made best by the restaurants that offer them. I've made the vietnamese spring rolls goi cuon, though they are "eat now" types, for the work involved, they don't keep well for later meals. Same with bibimbap. I think the stewed types of recipes that require work gets the biggest bang for the buck/time required to prepare them.

unless you do not live near those restaurants, or do not want to eat out or have food allergies, then it is often best to make at home. I enjoy the challenge of a new recipe well out of my comfort zone.

[Run Amok]

Yeah, I agree. I used to do that, and still do it if the dish is simple enough. I guess I'm getting old and tired of cooking. I've accumulated tons of spices and ingredients that I only used once or twice for dishes like witchy posted. They were fun make until it's no longer. I will try that bibimbap recipe though.

You know what's funny? Just now, dh just now tore off a page from eating and drinking section of WSJ for me to make. It's a recipe for goi cuon. LOL! We'll have to make that together if he is bent on having them for dinner. It usually needs an accompanying dish though. Not sure what it would be.

I hear you. I've been on a 2ish year cooking hiatus and am feeling ready to return to the kitchen. But, it comes and goes. And, yes, it does add up. $40 worht of ingredients for a bipbipmbap bowl that can be had at the local korean restaurant for $8....

But, I'm very fortunate to live in a place where there is so much variety to chose from!

[srsly]

I hear you. I've been on a 2ish year cooking hiatus and am feeling ready to return to the kitchen. But, it comes and goes. And, yes, it does add up. $40 worht of ingredients for a bipbipmbap bowl that can be had at the local korean restaurant for $8....

But, I'm very fortunate to live in a place where there is so much variety to chose from!

I must have missed a lot while I was gone. Why were you in a cooking hiatus?

I love Korean food, but have not been successful recreating any of the dishes I have had in restaurants. I wonder if the recipes online is the problem. I don't fully trust them. Even the store bought sauce instructions are suspect to me and they tend to have a lot of sodium, and lacking in flavor. I have to search out mango's bulgogi recipe in this forum. I think it was genuine. But as I said, the offerings in restaurants are often more tasty and cheaper to buy than the ingredients. We have a korean fast food near our place here in B'more. It so filling to have bibimbap for lunch for a mere $7, and take home leftovers. Hmm..I want some of that right about now.

[Run Amok]

I must have missed a lot while I was gone. Why were you in a cooking hiatus?

Long story. Not sure how much of it you missed. The short version is that 2 years ago, august 1st, my husband and I split. Since, then I've essentially lived in one short-term situation after another. I spent two 6 month long stints living in a short-term rental. A 6 month stint "house sitting" for my ex-husband. But, creating a new life from scratch, and mostly not having my own kitchen tools, and being single, has mostly sapped my energy/interest in cooking much. I bought a house at the end of April-- which had a kitchen that wasn't barely functional. Dont get me wrong-- there have been pots of soup, pans of roasted veggies, lots of salad, and the ocassional big meal... but fewere and farther between than normal for me.

So, I'm just *now* getting settled back into a kitchen that is fully functional, with all my own kitchen equipment around me. And, now? Maybe I'll start cooking again.

I love Korean food, but have not been successful recreating any of the dishes I have had in restaurants. I wonder if the recipes online is the problem. I don't fully trust them. Even the store bought sauce instructions are suspect to me and they tend to have a lot of sodium, and lacking in flavor. I have to search out mango's bulgogi recipe in this forum. I think it was genuine. But as I said, the offerings in restaurants are often more tasty and cheaper to buy than the ingredients. We have a korean fast food near our place here in B'more. It so filling to have bibimbap for lunch for a mere $7, and take home leftovers. Hmm..I want some of that right about now.

Yes. In general, blog recipes are unsuccessful for me. I suspect because the people who publish them generally are not trained professionals and don't know much about what they are doing.

[Cool Foot Luke]

My go-to meal is to boil some water in a pot, then meanwhile chop bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, squash, etc. add pasta to the boiling water and start sautéing all the veggies with olive oil and garlic in a big pan. Then dice some tomatoes. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sautéed veggies, stir in tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Top with feta and a splash of Balsamic vinegar. Takes as long to make as just cooking pasta.

The beans and pasta combine for complete protein, along with the feta. It ends up being more veggies than pasta.

I make this ALL THE TIME.

[Kumbaya]

Wow - I just checked back in here and there are a lot of good ideas!  (Thanks Meri and Witchy!) Although some of the items I have never heard of before.   
I am going to print and take to Indiana this weekend.

Luke, that does sound good, too.

We made red beans and rice this weekend.  That was pretty tasty.  I topped it with chopped red onion, jalapeno and sour cream. 

[diablita]

can someone bump their favorite mujadara recipe?  I love it, want to see other recipes.

[Run Amok]

I like this one: http://arabiczeal.com/mujaddara-palestinian-lentils-rice/ I usually add finely chopped carrots/cellery/onion to the rice/lentil mixture and a bay leaf while the rice & lentils are cooking. I tend to prefer to fry the onions brown rather than carmelize them.

There was one in the NYT that was my favorite but I can't find it now. I seem to remember that in that one you cook the onions first, then add the rice & lentils, and cook all together. Which sounds weird, but I think it was really good. I might just try it and see if that's how it worked.

[merigayle]

i like just simple-- lentils, brown rice, onions, salt butter. YUM!!!!!!!! the more onions the better!

[merigayle]

http://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/3/3/443
different diets and their environmental impact. I wish i could find the article on how just going meatless one day a week makes a huge impact on the earth.

[redkitty]

http://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/3/3/443
different diets and their environmental impact. I wish i could find the article on how just going meatless one day a week makes a huge impact on the earth.

I did not read the full article...but does this assume that your meat consumption/buying is from stores and the meat comes from big companies? Do you think it makes a difference if you eat local or even raise your own livestock.  I mean, I know that you will still have some of the environmental impacts, but I would think it would be a lot less if you have much smaller numbers.  Just curious.  My BIL raises a cow every year for beef (he splits it with someone.)  So his beef is definitely local.  He also now sort of owns a pig farm...which I have no doubt completely negates any positive environmental impact his cow raising does.  Pig farms are just nasty (I haven't even seen his, just know by driving past them to get to ILs house....I think chicken farms might even be worse.) 

[merigayle]

I think a lot of it is just how much energy goes into feeding a cow, for example, instead of eating the grain, you have to grow the grain and feed it to the cow, then you eat the cow. As well as with the water that the cow is consuming. So, even if it is local, there are a lot more resources going into an animal vs plants for food, if that makes sense? I have never been one to tell everyone they must be vegetarian, but hopefully small measures like Meatless Mondays will continue and reduce the impact on our environment. I got kicked out of a vegan group because i said something of the sorts. I really wish i could find the article about the Meatless Mondays, but had trouble with my poor googling skillz, will keep looking. It was a great read. I may have read it in a magazine and forgot that was where i saw it.

[merigayle]

here is just a little bit, but still cannot find that article i read

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/about-us/why-meatless/

http://chiropractorencinitas-thejoint.com/blog/some-statistics-behind-meatless-monday/

from the first site:

Environmental Benefits

    REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation. And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend.

    MINIMIZE WATER USAGE. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.

    HELP REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE. On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein. Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand.

[redkitty]

I think a lot of it is just how much energy goes into feeding a cow, for example, instead of eating the grain, you have to grow the grain and feed it to the cow, then you eat the cow. As well as with the water that the cow is consuming. So, even if it is local, there are a lot more resources going into an animal vs plants for food, if that makes sense? I have never been one to tell everyone they must be vegetarian, but hopefully small measures like Meatless Mondays will continue and reduce the impact on our environment. I got kicked out of a vegan group because i said something of the sorts. I really wish i could find the article about the Meatless Mondays, but had trouble with my poor googling skillz, will keep looking. It was a great read. I may have read it in a magazine and forgot that was where i saw it.

No, I get that there is still an impact,  but I would still bet that an individual getting their meat local from a local farmer is probably better than an agri-farmer in terms of environmental impact...but definitely has more of an impact than being a vegetarian. 

I tend to go meatless some days anyway...just how it works out. I am a bit too picky to be a vegetarian...I would be the vegetarian who subsisted on pasta and pizza (I am not against carbs, but know that my diet would not be 90% carbs.  ) 

[redkitty]

Also think about how much less pollution there would be without these big farms (or even small ones.) I know where my ILs live the state has had to crack down on the chicken farms for polluting the local rivers and wells due to chicken shit run-off and other issues.  (there are regulations in place, of course, these farmers just ignore them because apparently they can.) 

[merigayle]

yep, lots of pollution as well. As far as the locally sourced meat, you would not have to transport said meat product, and that alone is better. Anytime you buy anything local, it is better

[seattlegirl]

This one:



http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chickpea_potato_curry/

Fast and tasty

[Ice Cream]

This one:



http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chickpea_potato_curry/

Fast and tasty

I am making this in the next week!