Do you rely on rice/pasta? Can you suggest any alternatives?

[Milk8shake]

I feel like so many of my meals rely on pasta/rice/noodles.

Other than soup, what kind of satisfying vegan meals do you make that don't use rice or pasta? 

[Buzzer Beater]

I do some vegetable curries that stand alone well. Have you tried that?

Also my latest Moosewood has a shepard's pie that's yummy. If you're interested in either I'll get you recipes.

[Milk8shake]

Always interested

I think that it's just habit that I ALWAYS have curry with rice.  Lately I serve my dahl curry as more of a soup with no rice, and my veggie curry with the tiniest portion of rice I can bear...  

Obviously BB, you know I'm trying to kick some kilos, so cutting a bit of rice and pasta would probably help me a lot!

[Buzzer Beater]

Oh while I'm thinking of it here is another recipe I mess around with- use veggie stock, yummy! It looks bad but it's soooo good and you can make it in a flash from what you always have on hand, Or at least I usually do.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-african-yam-soup/detail.aspx

[Buzzer Beater]

http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Black-Bean-and-Sweet-Potato-Hash-%28Moosewood-Restaurant-New-Classics%29/21344/

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/curried-lentils-and-sweet-potatoes/

I add vegetable to this curry, also sometimes chickpeas.

Looking for the shepherd's pie from Moosewood online. It's from New Classics and has no tofu which I adore. I don't want to type it out but I will tomorrow if I can't find it.

[jbk21]

We don't eat much rice or pasta.  We do a lot of bread though.  And soup... Salads, sandwiches and soups for lunch.  For dinner I make some sort of veggie protein (homemade seitan, tofu, tempeh, beans, etc) and veggies in some form.  That could mean tempeh and roasted veggies or potatoes with gravy or salad or green beans, etc.  We eat mexican food a lot, too.  

[doularebekah]

Have you tried other grains? Quinoa is a whole protein, and while still a bit carby not to the degree of rice and pasta. We also eat a lot of sweet potato and squash, sometimes subbing that for the rice in a rice bowl type deal, so we'll have a sweet potato mash or roast them with other veges and a miso gravy. We also have an amazing chili recipe that is cheap and nutritious which we'll often make biscuits to go with it, or it's really easy to add veggies. We don't eat a huge amount of soy products, but I do love tempeh and we'll throw some tempeh or tofu in at times to fill something out. Hope that helps!

[Milk8shake]

Thanks.  That gives me some ideas.

I have been experimenting with quinoa, but only as a stand alone sort of dish, not as a replacement for rice or anything like that.  I do really like it though.  Things like Tempeh and Seitan seem to be really hard to come by here, I have never been able to buy any.  I might have to look for a seitan recipe. 

[Mom2M]

wow, I'm so glad I looked at this thread, great recipes, thanks for posting them!

[petey44]

Originally Posted by Milk8shake 

Thanks.  That gives me some ideas.

I have been experimenting with quinoa, but only as a stand alone sort of dish, not as a replacement for rice or anything like that.  I do really like it though.  Things like Tempeh and Seitan seem to be really hard to come by here, I have never been able to buy any.  I might have to look for a seitan recipe. 

Veganomicon has a seitan recipe that is really easy and really delicious.  Can you get vital wheat gluten?  Here, they sell it even at the "normal" grocery stores, near the rest of the flours.  All the other ingredients are ones you will definitely have access to- soy sauce, garlic, etc.  You might even be able to find the recipe on the author's website: just google "post punk kitchen." 

[catnip]

Tacos- beans, corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, avocado, lime wedges

Broiled polenta wedges with pesto and tuscan white beans

Curried red lentils with seasonal veggies, frozen spinach, coconut milk over quinoa

Roasted potatoes, lentil loaf and whatever veggies are in season.

Black bean sweet potato enchilada casserole

[Milk8shake]

Cheers petey44 - I did find the seitan recipe on PPK.  I really do need to get my hands on a copy of veganomicon though.  I will have to check out the vital wheat gluten, but I guess I might be able to get it from a health food shop, or online. 

<actually, a quick google - it might be harder than I thought! it's not looking good>

Catnip - thanks for the polenta wedges idea!  I have never really known what to do with polenta, but I just found a pretty awesome recipe on Google for spicy wedges.  Sounds like my style. 

The rest of your meals are things that I like, so we might have common tastes! 

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by Buzzer Beater 

http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Black-Bean-and-Sweet-Potato-Hash-%28Moosewood-Restaurant-New-Classics%29/21344/

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/curried-lentils-and-sweet-potatoes/

I add vegetable to this curry, also sometimes chickpeas.

Looking for the shepherd's pie from Moosewood online. It's from New Classics and has no tofu which I adore. I don't want to type it out but I will tomorrow if I can't find it.

The black bean/sweet potato hash was awesome! My 6 year old even loved it and I wasn't too optimistic about that. I changed the spices a little to make it DD friendly and we all loved it.

[Buzzer Beater]

Originally Posted by Mom2M 


The black bean/sweet potato hash was awesome! My 6 year old even loved it and I wasn't too optimistic about that. I changed the spices a little to make it DD friendly and we all loved it.

I'm glad you liked it. We do a double batch around here and even serve it to company. I hate cutting up yams but it's very worth it.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by catnip 

Tacos- beans, corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, avocado, lime wedges

Broiled polenta wedges with pesto and tuscan white beans

Curried red lentils with seasonal veggies, frozen spinach, coconut milk over quinoa

Roasted potatoes, lentil loaf and whatever veggies are in season.

Black bean sweet potato enchilada casserole

Can you please post these recipes, or links to them? Especially the curried lentils and enchilada casserole. Yum.

[catnip]

Both of them are on my blog: http://catnip13.blogspot.com/

[MrsSlocombe]

• Roasted vegetables with white beans - a great, easy winter dinner.
  
  Just add a rinsed can of white beans about halfway through the cooking time of your roasted vegetable recipe.  I would normally serve this with bread, and possibly some steamed greens depending on what vegetables were in the roasting pan.

• Shepherd's pie.  I usually make it with lentils, but there are recipes with tempeh, TVP, and probably other fillings, as well.

• Chickpea croquettes:  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11087
  
  (I don't bother with the vegan feta, since it's not available near me, and I'd have to make it from scratch, but I imagine it would be good.  Joanne Stepaniak has a Betta Feta recipe that calls for marinating tofu in a brine for a few days.  It's very tasty.)

• Other patties, e.g. these quinoa "burgers" (which don't actually need a bun):  http://www.spryliving.com/recipes/quinoa-burger/
   
• Burritos, usually black bean and salsa, sometimes with quinoa and veggies added, as well.  A little vegan cheese is optional.

• White bean or tofu quiche or "ricotta pie":
  
  http://community.cookinglight.com/archive/index.php/t-98577.html (scroll down)

• Chili, if that doesn't count as soup

• Enchiladas

[Milk8shake]

Oh, I'm all over those croquettes!

[Shantimama]

Quinoa could be a great alternative. I sometimes use it in the place of rice but I am more likely to eat it as porridge in the mornings and stirred or sprinkled into my other meals throughout the day.

[McGucks]

Couscous is a favorite around here, but I guess that's the same as pasta, really.  Just tiny.

We use oatmeal sometimes as a savory instead of a breakfast...adding cheese and veggies or whatever's handy.