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| Meat vs. Veg |
Over the years the solution that has played out best for us is a vegetarian main course with a side of meat.
As a dedicated griller, the Daddy has been in the habit of scorching up a pile of assorted meat products on Sunday night, which usually lasts until about Thursday, when we scrounge some chicken sausages out of the freezer, and start the cycle all over on the weekend.
Trawling for recipes in my modest collection of vegetarian cookbooks was notable for its lack of success in tempting the Picky Eater's taste buds, but I had to acknowledge that the veggie to meat ratio we had was a good thing. As a result I have made friends with my vegetarian cookbooks, and after venting about a few pet peeves, will recommend a few keepers for cookbook collections.
My Gripes
1. Vegetarian recipes tend to need a lot more flavor support to make them taste interesting, which usually translates to a lot more work. What sort of work? Most often a ton of preliminary steps, like the concoction of vegetable based stocks, the separate chopping and/or blanching of a long list of vegetables and herbs, or the preparation of a bread or dough element that needs time (1 hour +) to chill or rise.
2. Recipes with weird ingredients that don't even show up in an upscale grocery store, let alone a Save Mart or Safeway. Seitan? Black Chinese mushrooms? Nigari tofu? Any chance of suggesting a substitution?
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| Chilaquiles Casserole- Looks yummy on the outside, a watery mess on the inside! |
4. Odd food combinations or cooking techniques that make judgement calls impossible. Knowledgable cooks can usually draw on their previous cooking experiences to inform decisions when unexpected cooking events occur. But, many vegetarian recipes go where I, with what I consider to be a fairly broad rage of cooking experience, fear to tread.
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| View of the kitchen after preparing "Baked Buckwheat Noodles with Brown Butter and Cabbage" |
Reason for selection: I had no idea what the dish would taste like from reading the recipe.
Ingredients not normally stocked in the pantry: Four
Preparation time: over 60 minutes
Pans and utensils used: 1 saute pan, 1 saucepan, 1 baking dish, 2 bowls, 1 colander, 2 measuring cups, 1 strainer, & a piece of cheesecloth
Vegetables & herbs peeled and chopped: Five
Cooking processes (sauteing, boiling, etc.): brown butter, boil potatoes, boil noodles, saute vegetables, grate cheese, assemble casserole, bake
Result: uninspiring
Instead of going to all that effort, try these "Roasty" Potatoes and Carrots, a long time Picky Eater favorite:
“Roasty” Potatoes & Carrots
Note: Quantities are arbitrary; the trick is to avoid crowding your roasting pan. If you do, the vegetables will steam and not develop a nice crispy crust.
1 lb. small (creamer) boiling potatoes, halved
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” x ½” sticks
4-5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
3 Tb olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Oil a 9”x 13” pan with 1 Tb of the olive oil. Place the potatoes and carrots in a largish bowl and toss with the remaining oil. Scrape vegetables and oil into the roasting pan. Tuck the herbs and garlic in amongst the vegetables, distributing them evenly around the pan. Liberally season with salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Stir once or twice during roasting. Serves 3-4.
Watch out! These are very hot when they first come out of the oven. Adventurous eaters can squeeze the roasted garlic cloves and smear the sweet soft garlic onto their vegetables.
My Recommendations
That said, there are plenty of things to like about vegetarian cooking and cookbooks. Here are my favorites, also all more or less Picky Eater approved:
Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This 700 page+ tome is the Princess Di of vegetarian cooking. Elegant, straightforward recipes offer infinite variety and consistent excellence without chaining the cook to the stove. In the spirit of Green's Restaurant, where Deborah Madison got her start, the recipes are an eclectic mix of American and world cuisines which really resonates with the way we cook today.
The Picky Eater, ultimate discriminator, has marked more than 25 recipes which interest her, close to an Olympic record for her. While the scope of this cookbook might seem intimidating, it is still a good choice for the neophyte vegetarian cook. Typical is this carrot recipe, which the author states is "Simple but truly fine."
Carrots with Shallots and Parsley
1 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled
2 Tb butter or olive oil
3 Tb minced shallots (in a pinch you could substitute scallions)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and papper
If using large carrots, cut them into rounds or matchsticks making them uniform in size; if using baby carrots, leave them whole. Steam them over boiling water until they just yield to the tip of a sharp knife- 5 to 12 minutes, depending upon size. Can also boil them in the water if you don't have a steamer.) Drain well.
Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and cook them over medium heat until they begin to color, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked carrots and parsley. Toss well and cook a few minutes more. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
A PICKY EATER ORIGINAL RECIPE!!
The Picky Eater has a favorite frozen pea recipe which is a rift on these "Carrots and Shallots" that she adapted from America's Test Kitchen:
Peas and Shallots
2 Tb butter or olive oil
3 Tb minced shallots
1 cup broth (vegetarian or chicken)
1 cup frozen peas (not defrosted)
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the shallots, and cook until soft. Stir in the broth and reduce it over high heat until it just coats the bottom of the pan. (Reduce it more than seems necessary because the peas will throw off water. Reduce the heat to medium, add the peas and cook just until they are hot. Season with salt and peeper to taste.
The Greens Cook Book (Deborah Madison) and Fields of Greens (Annie Somerville), collections from the consistently fabulous (for 30+ years) and scenic San Francisco vegetarian restaurant, Greens. A good number of these recipes I would classify as "weekend" cooking, taking time and planning. But, others make quick, tasty meals, especially the pastas and salads. Most will require a trip to the grocery store. A long time favorite of ours, both at the restaurant and at home is the classic Greens' recipe for
Green's Black Bean Chili
2 c. black beans (or 3 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed)
1 bay leaf
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 Tb oil
3 yellow onions, peeled & diced
2 bell peppers (green, red, or any color), diced
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 oz. oil packed sun dried tomatoes (about 4), chopped
4 t. ground cumin
4 t. paprika
1 Tb chili powder
1 Tb oregano
1 t. cayenne pepper
2 t. salt or to taste
2 oz. can diced green chiles
4 Tb cilantro, chopped
A note on the beans: Soaking, draining, and rinsing dry beans eliminates most of the gastrointestinal disturbing elements that cause so much bean avoidance. Canned beans are quicker, but....
If using the uncooked beans, either put them in a saucepan, cover with water to 1" above the level of the beans, and soak overnight. Or use the quick-soak method: Cover with water as instructed above, bring to a boil, boil for two minutes uncovered, remove from the heat and let sit for one hour.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans, cover them with fresh water by a couple of inches, and bring them to a boil with the bay leaf and 3 of the garlic cloves. Lower the heat and let simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and replenishing water if needed. (The water will cook away, but they should always be covered by some.)
If using canned beans, skip these steps.
In a skillet, heat the oil, then sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until they soften. Add the bell peppers and cook another 5 minutes or so.
Put the cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano and cayenne pepper in a small skillet over medium heat and toast only until you can smell them. (Do not burn.) This step mellows the flavors of the spices.
Add the spice mixture to the sautéed vegetables, and sauté a minute or two longer, stirring to scrape up the spice mixture. Add to the beans, along with both tomatoes and canning liquid. If using dry beans, bring back to a boil and simmer 1 hour longer, or until the beans are tender. Using canned beans? Simmer for 30 minutes or so to allow the flavors to blend. If the beans seem too soupy for your taste you can either cook them down longer or remove some of the liquid. Add canned green chilies and salt and black pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.
Serve with steamed rice ( I use basmati), grated cheese, more cilantro, salsa, sour cream, avocado, green onions, or whatever you like. These beans are also good mashed in burritos or tostadas.
Serves 6.
Baked Apples Filled with Nuts and Currants (or Raisins)
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
(toast in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes until just toasted, beware of burning)
4 medium baking apples (I used Granny Smiths & Golden Delicious)
1/3 cup raisins or currants
Zest of one orange, minced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tb brown sugar
Apple juice, about 1 1/2 cups
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Chop the nuts and combine them in a small bowl with the raisins, orange zest, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Peel around the top third of the apples, and partially core them, leaving about 1/2" of core at the bottom. (I made the cavity in each apple quite spacious in order to accommodate a maximum of filling.) Pack the filling into the apple cavities.
Stand the apples in a baking dish and pour in enough apple juice to fill the dish to a depth of about 1". Cover with foil, and bake for 40-60 minutes (or longer, depending upon size) until they are tender and can easily be pierced by a knife. Check them as they bake. Serve warm or cold with yogurt, creme fraiche, sour cream, or whipped cream, depending on your pleasure and your pantry. Serves 4.
The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash isn't strictly vegetarian, but it has so many great classic vegetable recipes that it deserves a mention. Marian Morash's husband was the producer of Julia Child's cooking shows, and Marian was one of her assistants. Russell also produced a 1970's-80's PBS gardening show, "Crockett's Victory Garden," which demonstrated and promoted home vegetable gardening. During a segment of the show, Marian would demonstrate a recipe using something from the victory garden's current crop. And so, a cookbook was born.
Arranged by vegetable, this book provides extensive information on preparation methods for each, accompanied by a plethora of over 700 recipes, any of which I would prepare for company without a second thought. It must be admitted that there are some vegetables I will never cook with- fennel, endive, parsnips, to name a few; but my 1st edition copy from 1982 is well thumbed and well loved. Several of our Thanksgiving standard recipes are from The Victory Garden (saving those for a holiday post); but I have also made many other of the recipes and consulted this book often when it came to technique when developing my own recipes.
Written before fear of fats took hold, this cookbook abounds in generous helpings of butter and cream, which can easily be modified if desired. The recipes run the gamut of elegant to homey, and it is one vegetable cookbook where I embrace the dessert and bread recipes. Think Julia Child's cuisine without the haute. Here are two favorites from the onion chapter:
Soubise (Onion & Rice Braise)
1/2 cup rice
2 lb onions (sweet onions preferred)
6 Tb Butter
2 Tb oil
Salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Lemon juice
Pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Drop the rice into boiling, salted water and boil for 5 minutes., then drain. Peel and chop the onions. Heat the butter and oil in a baking dish in the oven. Carefully stir in the onions, rice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Mix to coat well with the butter and oil.
Cover the pan and bake, stirring occasionally, for 45-60 minutes or until the rice is completely tender and the onions are soft and golden. Mix in the cheese, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Makes 4 cups.
Onion Dinner Rolls
This recipe must be started either early in the day (allow 9 hours) or the day before you want to bake. One critical secret to successful bread dough is making sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. In this recipe, watch out for the eggs and butter.
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 eggs (room temperature)
4 1/2-5 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup sugar
2 c. chopped onions
2 tsp. salt
7 Tb butter, softened
In the bowl of a mixer, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes. Add the eggs, 2 1/2 cups flour, remaining 1 cup warm water, butter, sugar and salt. Beat at low medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Cover the dough, put it in a warm spot in the oven, and let it rise until it is doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough and refrigerate it at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking.
Sauté 1 1⁄2 c. onions in 2 Tb butter until wilted and golden. Cool. Divide the dough in half. On a floured board, roll each half into a 1⁄2” thick rectangle. Spread each rectangle with 2 Tb softened butter, then spread with sautéed onions. With the long side facing you, roll the rectangle into a jelly roll shape. Cut into 1” thick slices, and place cut side down into greased 2” muffin tins. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, and brush over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄2 c. of raw onion. Bake in a preheated 400 ̊ oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 20 rolls.
Vegetarian Kitchen Doyennes
Any discussion of vegetarian cooks and cookbooks is not complete without mentioning of Martha Rose Shulman and Mollie Katzen. Over the last 40 years they have authored a veritable library of vegetarian and vegetable oriented cookbooks. And, for many reasons, they loom large in my personal Pantheon of eminent women. But, my stuffed apple breakfast calls, and I leave them for another day.
Bon Appetit!
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