Basic recipes for a non-veg parent

[freakapotimus]

Since I've stopped eating meat, my mother often gives me a hard time about it, especially when I'm going to my parents' house for dinner. An example: last month she made vegetable soup in the crock pot with "just a little bit" of ground beef and suggested I just pick the meat out.

:furious:

So... instead of arguing, I'm making my parents a cookbook as a Christmas gift, filled with basic non-scary vegetarian meals. I'm trying to stay away from anything with tofu or seitan, since the mere mention of them makes my mother gag. My family is pretty "meat and potatoes" so I'm thinking basics like lots of veggies, rice, and beans.

Do you have any favorite starter-veg*n recipes you'd like to share?

[juno]

Ha. My mom used to do that too, that is, tell me to just pick the meat out.

Anyway, I love this one. Easy to make and very delicious. :lick:
http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?p=1776277

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

This vegetable stew is simple and tasty, no "weird veggie infgredients":

1 large onion chopped
1 quart vegetable broth or 1 quart water mixed with 2 Tbsp. dry vgetarian bullion powder - fake "beef" flavor is good if you can find it, but not necessary.
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
4 of each large carrots and large peeled potatoes coarsely chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes and all juices
optional* 1 can whole pinto beans, well drained
1/2 - 2 tsp salt depending on your preferences. TASTE first!
1 teaspoon each of pepper and basil
3 tablespoons margarine
5 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water until not lumpy

Directions:

Place all of the prepared ingredients into a crockpot, stir well, and cook on LOW for at least 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready when it is thick and brown.

ETA: PLEASE NOTE I CHANGED THIS TO "Cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours"!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

This Pumpkin Curry Soup (http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=31242)is yummy too, every omni I know LOVES it...

[Cyrillia]

Anyone know where I could get an accurate way of converting cups to grams and quarts to litres?

Thanks,
Cyr.

[cftwo]

Cyr - My sister has that problem cooking American recipes in France. Here's a link that will get you started. http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cup-to-Gram-Conversions/Detail.aspx It looks like different density ingredients will end up with different weights for dry ingredients.

For liquid ingredients, try this link http://www.easysurf.cc/cnver2.htm

I'll look for some recipes and add them later.

[paganveg]

This vegetable stew is simple and tasty, no "weird veggie infgredients":

1 large onion chopped
1 quart vegetable broth or 1 quart water mixed with 2 Tbsp. dry vgetarian bullion powder - fake "beef" flavor is good if you can find it, but not necessary.
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
4 of each large carrots and large peeled potatoes coarsely chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes and all juices
optional* 1 can whole pinto beans, well drained
1/2 - 2 tsp salt depending on your preferences. TASTE first!
1 teaspoon each of pepper and basil
3 tablespoons margarine
5 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water until not lumpy

Directions:

Place all of the prepared ingredients into a crockpot, stir well, and cook on high for at least 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready when it is thick and brown.


:drool: I am SO making that!!

[danakscully64]

Definately a great idea to make them a cookbook! :) I'm doing that for my boyfriend's Mom, already bought the folder and sheet protectors. I made my own cookbook in March and I use it all the time. I'm going to reprint the recipes I have, they're specially formatted and everything. Nice, pretty, and organized :)

Check out my blog, view the pictures only page, click on what looks good and check out the recipe :)

http://shippersx.com/blog/recipe-images/

PS: Juno is right, that Yummy french onion soup is the best!

[emkay]

hi there!!
i know you are making a cookbook, but my most favourite cookbook is the Family Vegetarian cookbook by Nava Atlas, and pretty much every recipe in there is easy to do, plus a lot of them are just vegetarian twists on very standard meals that most people eat, just without the meat...and there is the option that they can throw in the meat for their part of it, if they are interested. This is the link to the cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Family-Cookbook-Nava-Atlas/dp/0767913965
It really made my conversion to vegetarianism a breeze, because like your parents, my husband is still a meat eater.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Nava Atlas is the best when it comes to simple, family friendly recipes, and she does it without "weird" (to omnis anyway) veggie ingredients like tempeh or nutritional yeast or one recipe that requires 27 spices...

[juno]

danakscully64, the recipes on your blog look great! I'm definitely going to try them. :D

[danakscully64]

danakscully64, the recipes on your blog look great! I'm definitely going to try them. :D

:pibo: YAY! Thanks :) I'm a foodaholic :) I'm about to post a recipe for a rose cream sauce (it's not vegan though) that is my FAVORITE. It's just like the dish I get for $15 at a fancy restaurant :D

[Beachbnny]

Definately a great idea to make them a cookbook! :) I'm doing that for my boyfriend's Mom, already bought the folder and sheet protectors. I made my own cookbook in March and I use it all the time. I'm going to reprint the recipes I have, they're specially formatted and everything. Nice, pretty, and organized :)

Check out my blog, view the pictures only page, click on what looks good and check out the recipe :)

http://shippersx.com/blog/recipe-images/

PS: Juno is right, that Yummy french onion soup is the best!

Woah! Heather.... that's awesome!!! Nice food blog! I love the layout with the pics and the titles. Yum.

This is why I don't food blog. You guys do such a good job there's no way I could keep up. lol.

[danakscully64]

Aww... Thank you! :) I feel so special!

Food blogging is easy! It helps me keep my recipes organized. I have a recipe book too, just in case I don't have internet access for some reason (it's gone down before).

The newest recipe on my page is the veggie pot pie... it's SOOO yummy. The recipe is a little involved, but if you have help, it's actually easy to do. I actually made it myself before and it was do-able :) The secret is to not start cooking something you know will be done before you can chop the next item. :p And if you have a vegan pie dough recipe, this recipe can easily be made vegan!

[freakapotimus]

Wow! You guys are awesome, thanks :)

There are a lot of great recipes on the boards here, but hearing the favorites from people makes it really easy to see what's good and also simple.

I feel like my mom thinks I eat salad and tofu all the time. I made a shepard's pie for Thanksgiving (I didn't eat with my family this year) and she was stunned when she heard. "But you can't eat that!" she exclaimed. I told her I made it with veggie sausage--like veggie burgers (which she understands, eats, and likes) only in sausage form.

I think the recipes you've suggested will hold up well :D They're not "scary" at all! I can't wait to try that stew--similar to the pie I made, but a bit different, and made in the crock pot, which means more time to knit while dinner cooks ;)

[danakscully64]

I really believe most meat eaters think our diets are bland and literally just 10 items or so. I eat more of a variety than ever omni I've ever met. Plus, the flavor is in the spices! :) I would DIE without Morningstar Farms griller crumbles... they make the BEST taco filling :D :hungry:

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Please note: I edited my Stew recipe above... it should read "Cook on LOW 6 - 8 hours"... not HIGH.

[danakscully64]

I'm going to try your stew! Probably tomorrow... my bf is getting home from Michigan where it's been freezing (unless he gets snowed in) :)

[danakscully64]

The stew is in the crockpot! It makes A LOT. I also added mushrooms because they were about to go bad and I hate wasting food :)

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Yeah, I guess I could have added that bit of info... it makes a LOT!

But I have two VERY hungry teenagers and a bottomless-pit eight year old to cook for. Around here, even when I cook "A LOT", it disappears quite quickly!

[danakscully64]

I cook for 2 :p Luckily, most things reheat well and freeze well too! :D Maybe my parents will have some too. My Mom doesn't really care about the food she eats, but my Dad can be picky sometimes. This stew seems like it would please everyone though :)

My Mom grew up thinking food wasn't that important, it's all about being skinny. She now doesn't really care about food... which is the complete opposite of me. I get happy when I eat, my brain releases dopamine. :)

[galaxygirl]

Hey I just started a cooking blog since my fellow college/ young adult friends don't cook much but want to learn about some basic recipes. They're tasty, pretty easy and healthier than the omnivore versions. The recipes are all vegetarian but at the bottom of each post I write about how you can easily veganise them. I'm just starting so there are only 3 posts right now. But each day I will post a new one.

Here's the link: www.xanga.com/haneulxangel

[danakscully64]

The stew - turned out pretty good! It was good with mushrooms, about 3/4 cup :)