I need some new ideas.

I use a blender to mix all this stuff. If you don't have one handy, don't worry, I've included non-blender instructions.

5 to 6 cloves of garlic
1/8 cup of chopped shallots (or white onion)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 sugar
2 teaspoons of tamarind concentrate (Dillon's on 23rd sells the concentrate) mixed with 5 teaspoons of water

3/4 cup tofu (plain, firm is best)
1 egg (beaten) (optional)
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (crunched)
1 cup bean sprouts

a lime

6 to 8 oz. of rice noodles, cooked according to directions.


Chop/mince the first five ingredients and drop into a blender and liquify it. Then heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat and slowly pour in the mixture from the blender. Turn down the heat slightly and add the the tofu (for fun you can soak about 1/2 the tofu in dark sweet soy). Add noodles, chives (to taste), peanuts and cooked noodles and stir fry. Drizzle once in a while with water. After noodles have absorbed some sauce, if you want you can add the beaten egg and stir. Then add bean sprouts and stir for about 20 - 30 seconds and remove from heat. Pour into serving dish. Squeeze the lime juice over it.

In the alternative, chop garlic and shallots very fine. Heat some oil in a wok or skillet (medium heat),add the garlic and shallots. Stir fry until it starts changing color. Add the fish sauce, sugar and tamarind mixture to the wok/skillet. Sitr for a minute then add the tofu and noodles. Drizzle with water once in a while but at least stir fry until the noodles begin to take on the color of the sauce. Drizzle in the beaten egg (optional), then add the bean sprouts and stir fry for about 20-30 seconds. Take out of wok/skillet and squeeze lime juice over it.

I will have to try that. What exactly is fish sauce? I got an Electric Wok for xmas this year andhaven't tried it out yet. This will be a good recipe to try it out,.

This is a recipie for some damn good black bean burgers...

1 small onion, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs
salt, pepper, cumin to taste

Saute the garlic and vegatables in the olive oil, mash up the black beans, mix it all together, season, make into patties and pan fry....yum, yum!

What kind of vegitarian recipies are you looking for?? If you give me an idea of what kind of meal you want I got some really good vegan recipies....

Trainrider-ben, Would Italian seasoned bread crumbs work for the black bean burgers?

They sure do, that is what I used last time I made them and it was good.

thanks for the black bean burger recipe, can't wait to try it. veggielover, is there any particular kind of recipe you're looking for? i've got a lot of really handy veggie recipes

here's one my family really likes

4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup rice (brown or white)
2 cups veggie broth
2 15 oz cans pinto beans
2 cups canned enchilada sauce
16 oz cottage cheese
can chopped green chiles
1/2 package soy chorizo (Checkers or the Merc)
1 cup jack cheese
2TB chopped cilantro
2TB chopped green onion
sour cream

Saute garlic, onion and zucchini in oil or nonstick spray until tender. Stir in rice and cook for a couple of minutes until rice starts to brown. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and cook until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 2 quart casserole pan. Layer half the rice over sauce. Spread another 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over rice, then spread cottage cheese over top. Sprinkle with chiles, soy chorizo and 1/2 cup jack cheese. Layer remaining rice on top and then spread the rest of the enchilada sauce over all.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the rest of the jack cheese on top. Cook until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and add sour cream if you want.

This is really good, although it isn't exactly speedy. You can substitute low or non-fat ingredients and it's still fine.

Here is another really good recipe:

Spinach Calzones:

1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach (drain!)
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg white
Your favorite pizza dough recipe

1. Stir together spinach, cream cheese, green onion, parmesean cheese, salt and pepper.

2.Unroll pizza dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch square. Using a knife, cut into twenty-five 3-inch squares. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling onto each dough square. Brush edges of each square with water. Lift a corner of each square and stretch dough over the filling to the opposite corner, making a triangle. Press edges of the dough well with fingers or a fork to seal.

3.Line a baking sheet with foil; lightly grease the foil. Arrange the calzones on the baking sheet. Prick tops of calzones with a fork. Brush egg white over the calzones.

4. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

YUM!

I could go on for hours...this is making me hungry...

Those Spinach Calzones look like they could be made a lot smaller for a really great appetizer. They sound really tasty.

Here's a recipe for vegan brown gravy:

2 or so tablespoons olive oil
1-2 yellow onions, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves (not the whole big thing, just the little pieces), minced--you can use more, I usually use more like 5, but we love garlic
1/2-1 cup tamari (depends on how you like the taste--I like ours a bit strong)
1 cup flour
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
Several cups of water (4-6 maybe?)
2 or so tablespoons of balsalmic vinegar
sage, freshly copped or dried


In a large pan (I use a big, cast iron skillet with tall sides) saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until transleuscent. Add garlic, stir for a minute or so.

Continually stirring (I'd use a wooden spoon at this point) add the flour and nutritional yeast, then the tamari. Stir until well mixed (should be less than a minute) and then add water. Switch to a big wire wisk if you have it, and mix everything well. Turn up heat to medium high.

Add 1 tablespoon of dried sage, 1/8 or slightly less cup of fresh chopped sage. Stir constantly until bring to a boil, then turn down to medium. It should thicken right up once it nears boil. Continue to boil for about a minute, stirring contantly. Add balsalmic vinegar and stir in well.

This entire recipe is an approximation. I don't have anything written down. You have to adjust the amounts of tamari, vinegar, garlic and sage. If it is too thick, add more water. Too thin, add more flour (you know to mix the flour with a small amount of water first, then pour that into the gravy mixture).

We aren't vegan, most of my family isn't vegetarian, but we looooove this stuff.

When my daughter fixes it, she puts in sliced mushrooms when she starts the onions. I'm not a big mushroom fan, but it's a nice taste if you are.

We serve it over potatoes. It's a satisfying meal just this way. If you want to round it out, you can serve it with salad and bread. My husband likes to add grilled brats to his--I'm not a big bratwurst fan, though, so I don't think that tastes so goo.

It sounds like a wierd recipe, and I never would have tried it except that a vegan friend made it for a potluck, and it was so yummy. During the winter I make it at least once a week. The nutritional yeast adds a good dose of protein; if you keep the skins on the potatoes when you are mashing them, you increase the nutritional content as well.

julieoj--is the rice in that recipe already cooked or is it dry? If it is dry, does it have to be a quick cooking rice, or can straight up, old fashioned dry brown rice work?

Thanks, Lori

When it goes in the pan the rice is uncooked. It will be mostly cooked on the stovetop, but then it finishes in the oven.

sorry! plain old brown (or white) rice works fine, doesn't need to be quick cooking

For appetizers try using puff pastry and after Hor'derves (sp?) have cooled place a small dab of sour cream and a sprig of chives and tiny bits of red bell pepper.

sorry this is out of order for responses I just thought it would be a good idea :)

Easy brown gravy-makes one cup +/-
'toast' in saucepan:
1/2 c flour
1/4 c nutritional yeast
stir in to make roux:
2-3 T oil
stir in:
1 c water
1-2 T soy sauce
1/4 t black pepper
bring to boil
serve over potatoes, noodles, bread
YUMMY
could be used for pot pies too

Wow, There are some very good ideas here, I will have to give them a try. The Gravies sound good. My sister and I used to come to Lawrence and buy a case of the Vegetarian Brown Gravy Mix. We would get cravings for Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Thanks. Keep the ideas coming.