Veggie Food Delights

Veggie Spaghetti Casserole

2010-07-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite baked casserole dishes and though it does require time and hard work, you will find that it is worthwile in the end. The vegetables are interchangeable with any of your other favourite veggies; the corn, for example, can safely be opted out; and you can also add a tin of baked beans, if you need more protein :)

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, french beans, green peas, mushrooms, etc)

2 cups spaghetti

1 kg ripe red tomatoes

1 onion / shallot

1 green bell pepper (capsicum)

1/2 cup cubed cottage cheese (optional)

ground red chili (chilli powder)

2 cups white sauce (see below for instruction)

fresh cream

grated cheese

Directions:

Wash the tomatoes and roughly cut into quarters. Cook without adding any water in a saucepan, stirring occasionally (should take around 30 mins). In the meantime, you can put the spaghetti to boil; and then chop all the 'mixed' vegees into small pieces and boil in a separate pan.

When the tomatoes are cooked, cool and blend them in a liquidiser, and strain in a sieve. You should get a thick soup. Put it back into the saucepan, add some chilli powder, salt and sugar - all according to your required taste, and simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes. When done, add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream, mix well and keep aside. (well, if you are on a diet, better leave out the cream).

Now chop the onion and the green pepper. Heat some cooking oil in a pan, add the chopped onion, saute for 2 minutes and then add the chopped pepper. Stir fry for another 2 mins and then add the boiled vegees and cottage cheese (optional). Mix well and add the boiled spaghetti, chilli powder, salt. Cook for about 2 more mins, letting the flavours blend.

Now add the prepared tomato sauce to this vegee-spaghetti mix. Pour this mixture into a greased casserole or baking tin. Pour the thick seasoned white sauce on top and sprinkle grated cheese generously. Place the dish into a hot oven at 240 degrees C or 450 F and bake for 20 mins or till the cheese has melted and lightly browned.

For the white sauce,

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon white flour

2 cups milk

Melt butter, add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes without browning. Add warmed milk and immediately stir to prevent lumps from forming. Stir thoughout till you feel the sauce thickening. Lower the heat when it starts boiling, add salt, pepper, and simmer for 2 mins. (If there are still little lumps, don't get disheartened - you can use a colander to strain and then mash the lumps into the sauce.)

Vegetarian Tacos

2010-07-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is my simplified veggie recipe for the famous Mexican tacos. If you get the taco shells readymade, then go for it – you can omit Step 1 and it will save you a lot of time and energy!! In the same way, for the bean stuffing, you can use the tinned baked beans instead of cooking the beans from scratch - to save time.

Step 1 – Preparing the Tacos
1 ½ cups maize flour
1 cup plain white flour
4 tsp oil,
¾ tsp salt
Oil for deep frying
- Mix the flours. Add oil and salt, and knead into a soft dough by adding water.
- Make small balls and roll them out into thin rounds of around 4 inches in diameter with the help of plain flour. You can also roll the dough by placing it between 2 transparent plastic sheets. Prick lightly with fork.
- Deep fry in hot oil on both sides and then bend into a U shape just before or while removing from the hot oil. If you find this difficult, you can also just take them out of the hot oil as plain flat rounds. Who said that tacos have to be shell-shaped? Try them as flat tacos – they taste just as good!
- Store the tacos in an air-tight container. (It is good to prepare these well in advance)

Step 2 – Preparing the Red Bean Stuffing
For the traditional stuffing –
1 cup red kidney beans
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
red chili powder & salt to taste.- Soak the beans overnight.
- Cook the beans in a pressure cooker and drain.
- Heat oil and fry the chopped onion for a minute or two.
- Add the beans, butter, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cook for at least 5 minutes till done, mashing the beans slightly along.

For a simplified stuffing -
1 large can (450 gm) baked beans
chilli powder and salt to taste
- Drain the beans and mash them a little.
- Add the chilli powder and salt and warm a little.

Step 3 – Preparing the Sauce
1 kg red tomatoes
1 chopped onion
2 to 4 dried whole red chili peppers (jalapeno, cayenne, poblano or pasilla)
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
little sugar
oregano.
- Soak the chilies in ½ cup water for 20 minutes.
- Cut the tomatoes into big pieces.
- Take a pan, heat oil and add the chopped onion. Stir for a minute or two and add the soaked red chillies together with the water soaked in. Stir and add the tomatoes. Cover and cook (stirring occasionally) till the tomatoes are soft and done. If it becomes too dry, add half cup of water while cooking.
- Cool, blend in a liquidizer and strain.
- Add some oregano, sugar and salt (all to taste) to the sauce and heat for another 10 minutes.
(If you like it more spicy or sour, then add some chili powder or vinegar accordingly.)

Step 4 – Final Step – Serving
Vegetable toppings of your choice, such as spring onions, onions, red cabbage, white cabbage, carrots (grated), lettuce leaves, etc – all chopped or grated, salt to taste, and most importantly, grated cheese.
- Mix the chopped vegetable toppings and salt.
- In the fold of each taco, fill a little mashed red beans, sprinkle the prepared sauce and fill with the chopped vegetables. Again sprinkle a little sauce, and top with grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, you can also serve the tacos, bean stuffing, sauces and chopped vegetables in separate dishes - and let your guests make their own fillings to taste.

Types of Vegetarian and Semi-Vegetarian Diets

2008-08-21T02:20:00.000-07:00

It is not quite sufficient these days to just say that you're a vegetarian. It is like saying that you like music, which doesn't say much at all until you mention that you like soft rock or reggaeton (or whatever). In the same way, with the numerous subcategories of vegetarianism now, you simply have to specify whether you are a vegan or an ovo-vegetarian or a pescetarian, and so on.

Vegan or Veganism is quite a strict form of vegetarianism 'cause beside the customary meat, the diet also excludes all animal products such as dairy products and honey. Which means you cannot eat that scrumptious chocolate cake which has butter and milk, nor can you have that mouthwatering cheese pizza, and you can just about forget your regular creamy icecream.

Raw veganism is an extreme sub-form of veganism which focuses mainly on raw foods and excludes foods which are cooked above 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Included in the diet besides raw vegetables and fruits, are nuts, grains, legumes, sprouts, seeds, plant oils, herbs, etc. Vegan diet with at least 75% raw foods is sufficient to be called raw veganism. Its versions include fruitarianism and sproutarianism. Fruitarianism, as named, is having ripe fruits occupying atleast 50% of the diet.

A lacto-ovo-vegetarian does not eat meat or animal flesh of any kind, but consumes dairy (lacto) and egg (ovo) products. Yes, you can have that chocolate cake! and the cheese pizza too!!

Eggetarians or Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but not meat or dairy products.

A lactovegetarian diet includes all dairy products made of milk but excludes eggs. Here, you will have to google out the recipes for that eggless chocolate cake, and not-to-worry, there are many out there - but, of course, you will have utilize your own baking skills... Some lactovegetarians also exclude root vegetables like garlic and onions.

Semi-vegetarianism is a not a vegetarian diet as it includes limited amounts of poultry, fish, and/or seafood and excludes some meat (particularly red meat). It includes:

Pollotarianism / Pollo-vegetarianism where besides vegetables and fruits, you get to eat poultry meat (chicken), eggs and dairy products; but you will have to give up on seafood and other red meats.

Pescetarianism diet - you can have seafood, but not poultry or red meat. You may or may not include eggs and dairy products in the plan.

Flexitarianism, as the names suggests, is the most flexible, involving the consumption of mainly vegetarian food, but allowing for occasional exceptions which may expectedly or unexpectedly come up in the form of some social, cultural, practical or nutritional reasons. I belong to this category :). What else can you do when you find yourself hungry while traveling in the streets of Bangkok where you won't find anything vegetarian except during the Vegetarian Festival? Or you are invited to a house party where everyone eats non-vegetarian food - surely you can't be so cruel as to let the hostess slog extra hours just to prepare vegetarian dishes for you!

Vegetarian Food?

2008-08-07T02:50:00.000-07:00

Some people I know would turn up their noses when they hear a mention of vegetarian food; some have no clue and enquire as to what on earth that is; some even think that it takes superhuman ability to eat such food and that they aren't endowed with the skill required; and yet others would look down on you like you are a third world citizen without sufficient resources and discernment to eat decent meat food (among these are the ones who claim that they are '100% non-vegetarian' which I consider impossible). And there are also some who believe that if they have even a single meal without meat, they will lose all their physical strength and energy, and therefore succumb to weakness and illness. Very few of us are out there who truely admire, respect and value good veggie food.

I am not a total vegetarian - I eat vegetarian as well as non-veg food, but have a greater fondness and preference for vegetarian food. This blog is dedicated to simple and practical vegetarian food that I consume in my daily life. Living in this part of the world where I am, it is very difficult to come by vegetarian food - that's why I wouldn't even dream of turning into a complete vegetarian.