Vegetarian Meal Ideas

[GlutenFreeManna]

It's raining today and that fall chill is in the air so I had to make some soup.

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[alex11602]

Tonight I'm making carrot fries...baby carrots cut into fourths and coated with olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Baked at 425 for 15-20 min.

[alex11602]

Yesterday was a banana for breakfast, lasagna for lunch and a small salad for dinner.

[lucia]

Yesterday was a banana for breakfast, lasagna for lunch and a small salad for dinner.

Gluten-free lasagna? Did you use gluten-free noodles? If so, what brand do you like? Seems like the gluten-free pasta gets so gummy, it'd be hard to make a decent lasagna. But I'd love to!

This is a delicious gluten-free, veg lasagna that I've enjoyed:

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[alex11602]

Gluten-free lasagna? Did you use gluten-free noodles? If so, what brand do you like? Seems like the gluten-free pasta gets so gummy, it'd be hard to make a decent lasagna. But I'd love to!

This is a delicious gluten-free, veg lasagna that I've enjoyed:

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That recipe looks yummy!

Anyway I used the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles except that I didn't cook them before I made the lasagna, it didn't get gummy that way. Just make sure that the sauce that you use covers the noodles so that they are able to cook.

[love2travel]

Another thing I forgot to mention above is GNOCCHI! So delicious with hundreds of sauce ideas such as browned butter and sage, bechamel, four cheese, spinach and feta, pesto, truffle cream, lemon, zucchini and mint, ricotta and roasted tomato, butternut squash...

[alex11602]

Another thing I forgot to mention above is GNOCCHI! So delicious with hundreds of sauce ideas such as browned butter and sage, bechamel, four cheese, spinach and feta, pesto, truffle cream, lemon, zucchini and mint, ricotta and roasted tomato, butternut squash...

Ohh, I completely forgot about that too. Thank you!

[lucia]

Anyway I used the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles except that I didn't cook them before I made the lasagna, it didn't get gummy that way. Just make sure that the sauce that you use covers the noodles so that they are able to cook.

Thanks for typing all this out. I am definitely going to look out for this brand of noodles. And if I don't see them, I'll search them out come the cold weather. I can definitely see myself enjoying a spinach lasagna once it gets cold.

The recipe I posted is really great! It's lighter and less labor intensive than a standard lasagna. I've heard you can do the same with eggplant slices. Another gluten-free lasagna option makes use of sliced oven-baked polenta. (I haven't tried that one - yet? - since I don't have the patience to cook polenta and not eat it right away, but I really want to sometime.)

I decided to make this dish tonight for dinner. I think it came to mind because I had squashes in the fridge. I'm serving it alongside a little salad of marinated olives and roasted beets and sauteed swiss chard with raisins and walnuts.

[love2travel]

Soft polenta with summer corn, basil and asiago cheese topped by sauteed garlic beet greens.

Went to the farmers' market today and came back with an armful of beets & their greens - yum!

Now *that* is my kind of meal. I can just taste it now...

Not that I know what you look like but I can just imagine you carrying around a basket laden with luscious produce.

[alex11602]

Tonight I am making a simple veggie stir fry over white rice. It's a rainy day so I didn't feel like doing much.

[lucia]

-dhal

-sweet & spicy roasted kabocha squash

-wok-fried choy tips with lots of ginger and garlic

-black rice

My father-in-law is coming over for dinner, so I'm making something for Indian tastes.

Oh, and

-baked apples & pears with a citrus glaze - desert is always an afterthought for me, maybe I should work on that ; )

[cahill]

-dhal

-sweet & spicy roasted kabocha squash

-wok-fried choy tips with lots of ginger and garlic

-black rice

My father-in-law is coming over for dinner, so I'm making something for Indian tastes.

Oh, and

-baked apples & pears with a citrus glaze - desert is always an afterthought for me, maybe I should work on that ; )

black rice??

[alex11602]

-dhal

-sweet & spicy roasted kabocha squash

-wok-fried choy tips with lots of ginger and garlic

-black rice

My father-in-law is coming over for dinner, so I'm making something for Indian tastes.

Oh, and

-baked apples & pears with a citrus glaze - desert is always an afterthought for me, maybe I should work on that ; )

That sounds really good.

And I don't think you need to work on dessert...baked apples are one of my favorites. I made them for breakfast the other morning and stuffed them with homemade pumpkin butter.

[Kelleybean]

My son is a very picky eater - won't do meat at all except a hotdog every once in a while. I've been making tofu lately and that has been really good. I get extra-firm and squeeze as much water out as I can, cut it into slabs, then blot it with paper towels. Then dredge it in some egg (milk or milk substitute would probably work too), then bread crumbs (heels of Udi's that I blitzed in the blender), some garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, then pan fry in some olive oil. Last night I used crushed potato chips because I had a bag about to go stale.

Also like the 5 minute mac and cheese recipe from the Spunky Coconut website. It's dairy free and uses cashews as the base.

[come dance with me]

Chickpea curry with rice. Naturally vegan and gluten free without having to use alternative ingredients

[MerrillC1977]

I have a couple of vegetarian dishes that I'd love to share -- and they are fantastic! I am not sure if I am allowed to put links to outside websites, so I will just say that neither of these are my own recipes (I would link you to where I found them if it was allowed...I found them online or borrowed them from friends.)

I'll put them in two separate replies, to avoid any confusion....

SPICED CHICKPEAS (INDIAN "CHANA MASALA")

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas

2 Tbsp olive oil

1-2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock

1 shallot, chopped

2 Tbsp tomato sauce (I used Newman's Own organic marinara)

4 cloves chopped garlic

spices of choice (I used salt-1/4 teaspoon, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander, parsley, paprika, cilantro, and oregano)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in shallow pot (I use a small saucier). Add shallot and cook until it starts to become translucent, then add garlic. Continue to cook until garlic is cooked and shallots are translucent and a little brown.
   
2. Add chickpeas. Next add enough stock so that it is level with the chickpeas.
   
3. Once the stock begins to simmer, add tomato sauce and spices. Stir occasionally and allow the broth to reduce. Basically, all you are doing now is cooking things down so that the chickpeas and onions get soft and cooked. If you find that things get too dry and the chickpeas are soft enough to your liking, simply add more stock and continue to cook down. This is also a good time to adjust the seasoning and make this dish really your own.
   
4. It's all done when chickpeas are relatively dry and start to come out of their skins a bit.
   

[MerrillC1977]

THAI FORBIDDEN RICE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup Thai black rice (also called forbidden rice)

kosher salt (I probably used about a ¼ teaspoon a pinch) and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

2 tsp sesame oil

juice of 1/2 lime

1 Tbsp Tuong Ot Sriracha - Hot Chili Sauce (rooster sauce) I like it hot.

1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

6 green onions (scallions), sliced

Directions:

1. Put the rice, 2 cups water, and a pinch of salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, whisk the tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, and Sriracha together in a salad bowl.
   
3. 1. Add the cashews, red and yellow bell peppers, and green onions.
   
4. When the rice is ready, add it to the mixture and toss to coat everything well.
   
5. Add salt, pepper, and additional Sriracha or lime juice to taste.
   
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

[MerrillC1977]

Another thing I forgot to mention above is GNOCCHI! So delicious with hundreds of sauce ideas such as browned butter and sage, bechamel, four cheese, spinach and feta, pesto, truffle cream, lemon, zucchini and mint, ricotta and roasted tomato, butternut squash...

What kind of flour do you use to make your gnocchi? My family's recipe is potatoes + flour.....but what kind of gluten-free flour would I use?

[love2travel]

What kind of flour do you use to make your gnocchi? My family's recipe is potatoes + flour.....but what kind of gluten-free flour would I use?

I have used white rice flour as it is neutral, a blend of brown/white rice and quinoa. They all work. I used to make ricotta spinach gnocchi that did not require much flour at all but since I have eliminated dairy have not done that lately. Hope to reintroduce dairy again, though. Oh, yes. Have tried a touch of potato flour, too.

You probably do the same as it is a common technique - I roast whole unpeeled russet potatoes, scoop out the flesh and put through ricer. Same with sweet potatoes.

[MerrillC1977]

I have used white rice flour as it is neutral, a blend of brown/white rice and quinoa. They all work. I used to make ricotta spinach gnocchi that did not require much flour at all but since I have eliminated dairy have not done that lately. Hope to reintroduce dairy again, though. Oh, yes. Have tried a touch of potato flour, too.

You probably do the same as it is a common technique - I roast whole unpeeled russet potatoes, scoop out the flesh and put through ricer. Same with sweet potatoes.

Ooh, quinoa sounds like it would be lovely!

[lucia]

That recipe looks yummy!

Anyway I used the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles except that I didn't cook them before I made the lasagna, it didn't get gummy that way. Just make sure that the sauce that you use covers the noodles so that they are able to cook.

Hi Alex,

I came across the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles last week and made a vegetable lasagna with them last night. It was delicious!

I didn't follow your advice to use the noodles without cooking ahead of time, although I didn't boil them as much as the box called for. It was still really good, but the noodles were a bit soft. Next time I won't cook them in advance.

[lucia]

black rice??

I get black rice in Chinatown. I think it's Thai. I've seen it at Trader Joe's too.

It's very hearty, almost nutty. I was inspired to include it in the meal after seeing Skylark's tribute to all the different kinds of rice available to us.

[alex11602]

Hi Alex,

I came across the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles last week and made a vegetable lasagna with them last night. It was delicious!

I didn't follow your advice to use the noodles without cooking ahead of time, although I didn't boil them as much as the box called for. It was still really good, but the noodles were a bit soft. Next time I won't cook them in advance.

I'm glad that it worked for you:)

[MerrillC1977]

I get black rice in Chinatown. I think it's Thai. I've seen it at Trader Joe's too.

It's very hearty, almost nutty. I was inspired to include it in the meal after seeing Skylark's tribute to all the different kinds of rice available to us.

Some places also call it "Forbidden Rice." - same thing. And yes, its nutty and smells like popcorn while it's cooking (really!).

[lucia]

Went apple-picking this weekend, hence:

-sauteed apples with brussel sprouts and sage topped by grated parmesan

-roasted carrots with pine nuts

-quinoa

(Also, thought I'd revive this thread : )