Vegetarian Chatter #2

[*Ash*]

Hi Peach! Woo hoo on the trip to Melbourne, you will have an awesome time and DD will be fine! I have had some Cab Sav, also without fish! I am cooking a cauliflower and kumara curry and Madjadara(Moroccan inspired brown lentils and basmati rice dish). I have a choccie to indulge in later, yum yum yum!

I am so glad you popped in here Peach. I've missed you! Not that I've been in here lately hehehehe....

Audax, you HAVE to start a blog, I would be your #1 fan!

ETA what band are you going to see Peach?

[Peach*]

Hello Ash! I was thinking about you today actually, how are you? That curry sounds really good. DP works night shift now so I have gotten really slack with feeding myself which is not good, I miss making big meals but I have just been too slack.

Im going to see 'Mariachi El Bronx' Have you girls heard of them? They are a side project of the band 'The Bronx' and Im seriously going to throw my undies onstage I think ARGH Im SOOOO excited!!!!!! They are playing at the Melbourne Arts festival and its only 20 bucks to see them I cant believe it. Not to mention I get to booze with my best friend who moved down there earlier this year, I cant wait!

[luna moth]

Ohhh, Peach, you are going to have so much fun! I have heard of Mariachi El Bronx, but not for a while.

Places to eat if you get the chance:
Vegie Bar (Brunswick St)
soulmama (St Kilda)
Lentil as Anything (all over the place, some people say it's off the boil but I still love it)
Lucky Coq (Prahran) for their cheap and awesome pizzas. Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy, same deal.

Oh, and I have started a blog. I think I'm allowed to link to it? Not sure... anyway, it's here. Most visitors currently are my mum's friends! But I'm OK with that, they're not the types to usually cook vegie meals, so anything to encourage them is win!

[Arimeh]

I love your blog Audax, I was on there this morning for the root vegie roast instructions. Its one of our meals this week.

So here we are - going into our 3rd week of eating vegie meals, and I have to say that the prep for each meal takes longer than your standard meat and veg meals, but they are sooo yummy!!! Got quite a collection of recipes now - exceeded my 31 recipes needed, plus a friend told me about ANOTHER website to get recipes off, so haven't even checked that out yet.

But is there such a thing of having too much pasta? LOL

[meow]

But is there such a thing of having too much pasta? LOL

Well, I guess so. But I wouldn't stress over that yet. I was a carb-whore when I switched to vego. I guess I still am as I love my carbs but over time the inclusion of beans, lentils, nuts, tofu etc becomes so normal that your meals become less about bulking out the "missing meat" with carbs and simply healthy creations in themselves. Sounds like you're doing really well!!! I need to get into some new recipes.

I love your blog too Audax- will have to try some of your recipes! They look delish

[meow]

Oh! I forgot to share my recent vegetarian excitement. This may not be news to all but I just found out Lord of the Fries (Melbourne fast food chain) is vegetarian! I've often lamented that their burger menu didn't offer a vegetarian burger... but they are ALL vegetarian! They offer a lot of vegan choices too- they had vegan biscuits when I was there and you can order vegan cheese... not sure if the burger patties are vegan or vegetarian. Vegetarian options are standard in everything in the store- non-animal rennet in the cheese, no gelatine in the sour cream, free range eggs etc.
I'm so excited- fast food for the vegos and somewhere I can take my son when he gets older and wants to eat fast food like "the other kids"

[*Ash*]

Hi all,

Audax, I checked out your blog! I will definitely be checking in regularly.

Arimeh, welcome to the wonderful world of meat-free living! Pasta is a favourite in our household, we eat all kinds of dried pastas - spelt, buckwheat, kamut, and our regular, wholemeal.

Peach, here is a link to my curry https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ml#post2498816 My DD and DS2 really liked it, so I thought your DD might too.

Meow, I agree, I need to get in to some new recipes too. It is so easy to just rely on the old, standard favourites!

Have a great weekend everyone!

[luna moth]

I'm starting to rack up a few freezer meals, so wondering if anyone has some ideas for me - meow, I figured you'd be good for that since I know you're doing the same thing!

[meow]

Probably not much help to you as most the stuff so far isn't vegan- So far I have pumpkin & ricotta cannelloni, lasagne, potato & leek soup, mexi-bean mix (for nachos) and carrot loaf. Also planning on making quiche, stews/casseroles (going to steal some of your recipes), curry, banana loaf and apple loaf.

[meow]

I jsut looked in the freezer last night and remembered I have a heap of vegie burgers too! I love having homemade vegie burgers as they have much better things in them than shop ones and having them in the freezer I can quickly make a meat & veg style meal, burgers with salad, burgers with chips... anything really! The best part of the vegie burgers I make is they are not sloppy and they're vegan (so long as you use vegan breadcrumbs).

Soy Lentil Burgers
1 Tb oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 large carrot, grated
2 ts mild curry powder
1 cup red lentils, washed
2 cups vegetable stock
250gm firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Heat oil in frypan, cook onion for 2-3 mins. Add garlic, carrot & curry powder & cook for further min. Stir in lentils & stock, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 20mins or until lentils are cooked. Drain well (I never seem to need to drain) then cool slightly.
Place half lentil mix in blender with tofu & coriander leaves and combine (iuntil tofu turns into a thick paste). Transfer to bowl and mix with remaining lentil mix & breadcrumbs. Form into patties.

* I omit the coriander
* Last time I made these I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup red and 1 cup french lentils. I like these burgers as the french lentils hold their shape so it adds variety of texture.
* I have frozen these uncooked or prefried. Prefried are awesome as you can pop them on an oven tray to defrost & heat then they're ready. Too easy!

[luna moth]

Thanks meow - that looks like a great recipe! I suck at vegie burgers, the only one I have had success with has peanut butter in it, so not really that great for BBQs etc, especially with family allergies. Will definitely try it.

[Peach*]

Great to be 'Chatting' again with everyone!
Meow, thanks for the pattie recipie, I will be keen to try that one. We get patties most food shop but they are so expensive. Stoked you got on the lord of the flies train, I dont mind their burgers although I do find the chips too salty with their sauces on top. Often DP and I would grab it and eat on the tram home when we lived in essendon... oh the memories*sigh*

Audaux-Totally cannot wait to eat at vegie bar again! I will have to check out Lucky Coq as my best friends lives in Prahran, she told me the place opposite where she works makes the best fresh falafel she has ever had so Im keen as beans to try that too. Im going to come back at least 5kg heavier I think. Just checked out your blog too- Im hungry now, the recipies look and sound so good.

Ash-I will check that recipie out for sure, I have been cutting down on pasta lately as I have just been cooking it non-stop and am getting bored but its such a sure-fire hit with DD when she wont eat anything else... We are in that stage of loving something one day then refusing it the next which is SO frustrating when Im putting so much effort into making sure she gets all her nutritional bases covered.

Arimeh-It sounds like your doing so well to have over 31 recipies!! There are still alot of great vego recipies that dont take too much time(I am pretty slack when it comes to prep). Meals like laksa for example take maybe 10-15 mins from start to finish. Im learning you can make a good meal with a few ingredients instead of chopping a million vegies for the same meal. What prompted you going vego? Hope your well

So I had such an awful night last night, Ive worked out I have a food intolerence, which is not like my body at all. I have no allergies and have always been able to eat whatever whenever with no problem... remember I said I got really sick after eating dim sims a while back? Last night DP made a stir-fry with cabbage and broccoli and I was SO sick. Not ten minutes after eating it I started feeling ill, within the hour I was in the shower in the foetal postion then at midnight I was back in the shower vomiting. My stomach was so bloated(think Alien) it was horrible. Anyway, its the third time in the past few months Ive been like this and Ive narrowed it down to either broccoli or cabbage, Im pretty sure it cabbage but to be honest I dont want to take the risk with broccoli again Its so strange though to only start having a reaction after being able to eat them for so long...


Hope everyone is having a lovely evening

[Sibbie]

Can I join?

Massive noob here, I've only jut started eating vegetarian but I'm loving it.... Feels like I've opened up a whole new door to different foods, it's all new and exciting again! I need to start stockpiling recipes, I'll have to go back thru these threads and save them some sound very nice!

So tonight I'm making pasta with pureed cauliflower sauce... You steam it and whiz it up with some cooked onion an whatever other goodies you want, and some stock and herbs, and add other chopped veggies if you want. The cauliflower is meant to go all creamy, I'll let you know if it's any good

[Sibbie]

Pasta turned out tasty! Needs some tweaking tho, I didn't follow a recipe.... Could have done with some more flavor... More herbs/spices or something.

I was wrong thinking nan would be inconvenienced.... Turns out she is loving cooking all these veggies for me and eating them too! I've been meat free for almost a week now lol and loving it. Haven't even craved any meat yet :P

Audax - your blog makes me hungry rofl will have to try some of your recipes!

[luna moth]

Hooray Sibbie! Good on you!

My ideas for your cauliflower pasta would be to add some tahini - I love love LOVE the cauli/tahini combo. Alternatively, Dorrigo pepper if you can get any, it goes so well with cauli. Or good ols fresh parsley. Or all of the above!

I was really worried about inconveniencing people by going veggie, but it hasn't really bothered anyone. A couple of friends, but I just mentally write them off as narrow-minded and leave it at that.

Glad you like the blog. We've had a fw lame dinners lately, so haven't posted a lot.

On another note, there are always Tim Tams on offer at our antenatal classes. DH is so sick of being offered one, I think he's about to lose his cool. Not sure how to protect him - might duck into the soopie on the way there and get him a packet of Leda Choculence bickies or something, and whip them out before the m/w gets the chance

[Maruschke]

Poking my head in... we are not vegetarians but we have made a massive shift towards eating more beans and pusles. It's heaps cheaper and healthier for us all. Looking forward to finding a few recipies in here.

Yesterday DH made a curried red lentil and cauliflower soup, it was delish!

[Cherished]

HI EVERYONE!!!!! Peach sweetie thanks for your message I finally found this thread again! As mentioned I must have lost my subscription and have often wondered what happened to the thread as I wasn't getting alerts anymore I'm wondering if there is a thread for vego kids food suggestions etc although I'm sure you gals will give me heaps of ideas when bubs starts on solids. Food wise dh and I are pretty boring! I haven't made a meals since getting home from hospital with bubs as I stocked the freezer with frozen meals so I could just concentrate on being a new parent with dh. I tell you what though I don't really feel like eating ANY of them lol. SO wish those little tikes from junior master chef would let me adopt a few of them and they could cook for me So happy the hotter weather is here as I gear up to loose a massive 20kg so salads and juices and loads of fresh fruit and vegies will be on my menu for some months to come I've really taken to my cous cous salads and have been making the cous cous with lime or lemon juice then adding heaps of fresh salad ingredients and it's got such a lovely tang to it, ahhhhh how nice it woudl be with a glass of crisp white wine (yeah I can only dream about that).

Q do you guys have mnay BBQ's vego ones that is and what do you cook?

Hope you are all well and I'm so happy to be chatting again xo

meow thanks for the burger recipe, I'm going to give them ago, happy it's got no egg as dh doesn't eat them

[luna moth]

Hi cherished! This thread is pretty much it - but check out the VVSQ forums, there's a bit more over there.

I am loving couscous salads too! DH is out most Tuesday and Thursday nights, so last Thursday I had a whole baby butternut pumpkin, cubed and roasted, with couscous, rocket, sultanas, pinenuts, green olives and heaven only knows what else. It's a staple. Not sure what I will rack up tonight, but it will be something yummy!

BBQ stuff - I love tempeh that has been spread with a bit of miso paste. We used to do risotto balls when we ate egg, but now we bake them in muffin tins and find them better. Other than that, vegies. Gorgeous spring asparagus, mushrooms, capsicum, zucchini, corn. I also love barbecued cabbage, but I'm the only person I know that really digs it. Vegie skewers with pineapple and mango, marinated with chilli and basil are usually a fave too, and get the drools going at barbecues! Oh, yeah, and parboiled chat potatoes, halve them, BBQ them, then toss with parsley, capers, green olives and olive oil, that's an awesome side dish.

Thought of you yesterday while I was grating beetroot