# Vegetarian main courses



## missM (Aug 16, 2010)

Teenaged Granddaughter who is a vegetarian is going to spend a few days with me before she has major lung surgery in a few weeks.
I need to plan really nourishing and flavourful menus for the time she will be here.
Need substantial main course recipes.  Don't need salads.
Any ideas?


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## Linux (Aug 16, 2010)

missM said:


> Teenaged Granddaughter who is a vegetarian is going to spend a few days with me before she has major lung surgery in a few weeks.
> I need to plan really nourishing and flavourful menus for the time she will be here.
> Need substantial main course recipes.  Don't need salads.
> Any ideas?



These are by Yotam Ottolenghi, a Lebanese chef who has recently written a book on vegetarian food. Hope you enjoy them. Although not a vegetarian I have eaten these and they are simply wonderful. 

*Very  full tart*






Very  full tart: Lives up to its name in more ways than one. 
Photograph:  Jonathan Lovekin

A fantastic Mediterranean feast,  full to the brim with roasted vegetables. Serves four to six.

1 red pepper and 1 yellow pepper
About  100ml olive oil
1 aubergine, cut into 4cm dice
Salt  and black pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm  dice
1 small courgette, cut into 3cm dice
2  medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves 
300g shortcrust  pastry
8 thyme sprigs, picked
120g each ricotta and  feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium  free-range eggs
200ml double cream

Heat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Cut  around the pepper stalks, then lift out and discard, along with all the  seeds. Put the peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with oil and  put on the top shelf of the oven.

Mix the aubergine with four tablespoons of oil and season.  Tip into a big baking tin and place on the shelf below the peppers.  After 12 minutes, add the sweet potato, stir and roast for 12 minutes  more. Now add the courgette, stir and roast for a further 10–12 minutes.  By now, the peppers should be brown and the vegetables cooked. Remove  everything from the oven and turn the heat to 160C/gas mark 2½. Cover  the peppers with foil and leave to cool; once cool, peel and tear into  strips.

Meanwhile, heat  two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Sauté the onions  with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until brown, soft and sweet. Discard the bay and set aside.

Grease a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin.  Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick circle large enough to line the tin with  some overhang. Press it into the edges. Line with baking parchment and  fill with baking beans. 

Bake  blind for 30 minutes, lift out the paper and beans, and bake for 10–15  minutes more, until golden brown. 

Remove and allow to cool a little. Spread the onions over the  bottom, then top with roasted veg. Scatter over half the thyme, dot  first with small chunks of both cheeses and then the tomato halves,  cut-side up. 

Whisk  the eggs and cream with some salt and pepper, and pour into the tart;  the tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining  thyme on top. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the filling sets and turns  golden. Rest for at least 10 minutes.
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Chickpea, tomato and bread soup





Picture by Johnathan Lovekin

A take on Tuscan ribollita, and  somewhere between a soup and a stew.  Reduce or increase the amount of liquid to get your preferred  consistency. Serves four to six.
*1  large onion, sliced*
*1  medium fennel bulb, sliced*
*About 120ml olive oil*
*1  large carrot, peeled, cut in half *
*lengthways and  sliced*
*3 celery sticks, sliced*
*1  tbsp tomato purée*
*250ml white wine*
*400g   tinned Italian plum tomatoes*
*1 tbsp chopped oregano*
*2  tbsp chopped parsley*
*1 tbsp thyme leaves*
*2  bay leaves*
*2 tsp caster sugar*
*1  litre vegetable stock*
*Salt and black pepper *
*160g   stale sourdough bread *
*(crust removed)*
*400g   cooked chickpeas*
*4 tbsp basil pesto (ideally  homemade)*
*1 handful shredded basil leaves*
Heat  the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Put the onion and fennel in a large pan,  add three tablespoons of oil and sauté over medium heat for four  minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and soften, stirring occasionally,  for four minutes. Add the tomato purée, stir for a minute, then add the  wine and let it bubble for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes, herbs,  sugar and stock, and season. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently  for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, break  the bread into chunks, toss with  two tablespoons of oil and some salt, and scatter in a roasting tin.  Bake for 10 minutes, until thoroughly dry, then set aside.
About  10 minutes before you want to serve, put the chickpeas in a bowl and  crush them a little with a potato masher or the end of a rolling pin;  you want some to be left whole. Add the chickpeas to the soup and simmer  for five minutes. Next add the toasted bread, stir and cook for another  five minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper liberally.
Ladle  the hot soup into bowls. Spoon some pesto in the centre, drizzle with  plenty of olive oil and finish with shredded basil, if you like.
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This is gorgeous! Lemon and goat's cheese ravioli, my absolute fave! 






Yotam  Ottolenghi's lemon and goat's cheese ravioli: SIlky, homemade pasta,  soft, 
creamy goat's cheese filling – what's not to like? Photograph:   Jonathan Lovekin 			              
Use a relatively soft, mild goat's  cheese such as Ticklemore from Devon.  Serves four as a starter
For the  pasta dough
*3 tbsp  olive oil*
*3 medium free-range eggs*
*330g   '00' pasta flour, plus extra*
*¼ tsp ground turmeric*
*Grated   zest of 3 lemons*
*Semolina *
*For  the filling:*
*300g soft goat's cheese*
*1  tsp Maldon sea salt*
*1 pinch chilli flakes*
*Black   pepper*
*1 free-range egg white, beaten *
To   serve
*2 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed*
*1  tsp chopped tarragon*
*Grated zest of 1 lemon*
*Rapeseed   oil*
*Lemon juice (optional)*
Whisk  together the oil and eggs. Put the flour, turmeric and lemon zest in a  food processor, add the oil and egg mix, and blend to a crumbly dough  (it may need extra flour or oil). Once smooth – you may need to work it  a little by hand – divide into four rectangular blocks, wrap in  clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.
Lightly  dust a work surface with flour. Take a piece of dough and flatten with a  rolling pin. Pass through a pasta machine at its widest setting, then  repeat, narrowing the setting by a notch each time, until you get to the  lowest setting. When each sheet is rolled, keep it under a moist towel.  Combine the filling ingredients apart from the egg white, and crush  together with a fork. Use a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass to stamp  out 7cm discs from the pasta. Brush each disc with egg white and put a  heaped teaspoon of filling in its centre. Place another disc on top. Dip  your fingers in flour and gently press out any air as you seal the  edges. You should end up with a pillow-shaped centre surrounded by an  edge that is just under 1cm wide. Seal together firmly. Place the  finished ravioli on a tea towel or tray sprinkled with semolina. Leave  to dry for 10–15 minutes.
Bring a  large pan of salted water to a  boil. Cook the pasta for two to three minutes, until al dente. Drain,  divide among four plates and sprinkle with the peppercorns, tarragon and  lemon zest. Dribble over rapeseed oil, sprinkle with salt and a squirt  of lemon, and serve.
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Mee Goreng





Yotam  Ottolenghi's mee goreng: A modern, vegetarian take on a traditional  Malay 
street food. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin 			              
Street food is served in big,  open-air complexes all over Malaysia –  you can get cheap, cheerful and incredibly delicious dishes from Malay,  Chinese or Indian cuisines. Many dishes are prepared from raw in front  of your eyes, using great ingredients, which makes it far superior to  many western fast foods. This traditional Malay dish takes only a few  minutes to make (once you get a little prep out of the way) and has many  layers and depth of flavour. If you want to serve more than two, you'll  need to start again with a second batch, because double quantities will  be too much for one wok, as you can see from the photograph. Serves  two.
*2 tbsp groundnut oil*
*½  onion,  diced*
*220g firm tofu, cut into 1cm strips*
*100g   french beans, trimmed and cut in half at an angle*
*100g   choi sum (or pak choi), cut into chunks (both leaves and stalks)*
*300g   fresh egg noodles*
*1½ tsp ground coriander*
*1  tsp ground cumin*
*2 tsp sambal oelek (or other  savoury chilli paste), plus extra to serve*
*2 tsp  thick soy sauce*
*2 tsp light soy sauce*
*1  tbsp water*
*50g beansprouts*
*1  handful shredded iceberg lettuce*
*1 tbsp crisp-fried  shallots (from south-east Asian food shops; or use dried onion flakes)*
*Lemon   wedges, to serve *
Set a  wok or a large pan over a high  heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the onion, and cook for about a  minute, to soften a bit. Add the tofu and french beans, and cook for two  to three minutes, so the tofu takes on a bit of colour. Stir gently as  you cook, trying not to break up the tofu.
Next, add the choi sum.  When it wilts, add the noodles and carefully spread them in the wok  using tongs or large chopsticks. You want the noodles to get a lot of  heat, almost to fry. Mixing gently, cook the noodles for about two  minutes. Now add the spices, sambal oelek, soy sauces, water and  beansprouts, and toss carefully. Cook for about a minute, or until the  noodles are semi-soft.
When done,  top with lettuce, transfer to  two serving bowls and sprinkle with some crisp shallots. Serve at once,  with lemon wedges and a small bowl of extra sambal oelek on the side.




 • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron  of Ottlenghi in  London.


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## Andy M. (Aug 16, 2010)

Eggplant Parmesan
Lasagna
Pizza
Spanakopita
Grilled stuffed vegetables
Fried Rice
Lo Mein
Chow Mein
Hundreds of Indian recipes


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## ChefJune (Aug 16, 2010)

Does she eat eggs and dairy?


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## kadesma (Aug 16, 2010)

Here is an acorn squash recipe my grand kids just love. They arent big meat eaters but they love veggies and this is a favorite.Preheat oven to 400.halve the squash removing seeds. Place cut side up in baking dish. Mix together 2 tea. fresh lemon juice. 1/4 cup raisins 1-1/2 cups favorite applesauce.1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tab. toasted chopped walnuts spoon mixture into cavaties of  of squash and dot with butter Pour 1/2 an inch of hot water into bottom of baking dish, cover, and cake 10 min remove cover and  bake 30 min more. Some good broth or veggie soup a nice slice of sourdoug bread and butter. Hope this helps. Best wishes to your granddaughter..
enjoy
kadesma


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## missM (Aug 17, 2010)

Thank you very much everyone; now I've got something to work on.
Linux If the rest of the recipes in the book are as good as those you posted, I think we will be eating a lot more vege meals ourselves. Will try Amazon for a copy.
Andy, Some great basic ideas to work with. 
June, Yes she is not a Vegan, she does eat eggs and dairy.
Kadesma, am going to do a trial run with that squash recipe tomorrow. I imagine I could use what we call "Butternut pumpkin", do you think?
Thanks again


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## PattY1 (Aug 17, 2010)

How about1) Mac and Cheese, Spinach and Strawberry Salad, Mellon Wedges.
                 (2)Vegetarian Re-fried Beans  and Cheese Burritos, Spanish Rice, and Mexican Veggies, Baked Apples. (Yellow Squash and Zucchini, sauteed in olive oil or steamed, add a small amount of Corn and Salsa.) Splitting up the squash and zuck with the soup recipe.
                 (3)Vegetable Minestrone Soup (made with veggie broth), a good Italian Bread and Peach Cobbler.


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## Linux (Aug 17, 2010)

missM said:


> Linux If the rest of the recipes in the book are as good as those you posted, I think we will be eating a lot more vege meals ourselves. Will try Amazon for a copy.



I can assure you those recipes are absolutely delicious, and am sure everyone who has helped you here, their recipe suggestions are tasty and look good.

I found another (I have at least 125), but this meal is highly nutritious, delicious and looks ever so pretty on the plate. 

Oh - and this is a useful cooking conversion website - I apologise for not giving it sooner. So used to working in Metric all the time in my job.  

Cooking conversion online.



*Chermoula  aubergine with bulgar and yoghurt*






Spicy  aubergine topped with fruity bulgar and cooling yoghurt – what's  not to like? 

Served separately, both the aubergine  and the bulgar salad from this  dish are delicious with the accompanying Greek yoghurt, but all three  together are a match made in food heaven. Chermoula is a potent North  African spice paste that is ideal for smearing on your favourite  vegetables for roasting. Serves four as a main course.
*2  garlic cloves, peeled and crushed*
*2 tsp ground cumin*
*2  tsp ground coriander*
*1 tsp chilli flakes*
*1  tsp sweet paprika*
*2 tbsp finely chopped preserved  lemon skin*
*140ml olive oil, plus extra to finish*
*Salt*
*2  medium aubergines*
*150g fine bulgar*
*50g   sultanas*
*10g fresh coriander, chopped,  plus extra  to finish*
*10g fresh mint, chopped*
*50g   green olives, halved*
*30g flaked almonds, toasted*
*3  spring onions, chopped*
*1½ tbsp lemon juice*
*120g   Greek yoghurt *
Preheat  the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.  To make the chermoula, mix together the garlic, cumin, coriander,  chilli, paprika, preserved lemon, two-thirds of the olive oil and half a  teaspoon of salt.
Cut the  aubergines in half lengthways and score  the flesh of each half with diagonal, crisscross lines, making sure not  to pierce the skin. Spoon the chermoula over each half, spreading it  evenly, and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the  aubergines are very soft.
Meanwhile,  place the bulgar in a large  bowl and cover with 140ml boiling water. Soak the sultanas in 50ml of  warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and add to the bulgar, along with  the remaining oil. Stir in the herbs, olives, almonds, spring onions,  lemon juice and salt, taste and add more salt, if necessary.
Serve  the aubergines warm or at room temperature. Place one half-aubergine  per portion on a serving plate, spoon bulgar on top, allowing some to  fall over the sides, spoon over a little yoghurt, sprinkle with chopped  coriander and finish with a dribble of olive oil.


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## ChefJune (Aug 17, 2010)

That eggplant looks PHENOMENAL!  

We love a Middle-Eastern combination of lentils and rice called Mjeddrah. I've piddled with the recipe, and moisten it with a fruity red wine. Adds a little acid and a lot of both flavor and color. 

Especially during the summer months when garden veggies are so abundant, I love to saute almost any veggie you can think of in olive oil with garlic and onions, and add a little white wine. This becomes a sauce for pasta. A hearty, nutritious meal you can finish with the grated cheese of your choice, or not.   (and it doesn't cost much, either.)


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## Linux (Aug 17, 2010)

Eggplant doesn't need much doing to it to make it taste great. In rabbit stidado, a kind of Greek stew, eggplant will absorb all the lovely flavours to become part of it.


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## vagriller (Aug 17, 2010)

You could make a bean, tomato, and corn salsa, and put that and rice into a tortilla for a veggie burrito. And you could easily make veggie enchiladas too. Many latin dishes lend themselves to the vegetarian lifestyle because of all the beans and veggies.


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