Vegetarian?

slaytonzaylonda

Is anyone else a vegetarian? I just became a vegetarian and i love it physically and mentally but i am finding it hard to spice things up. Any suggestions?

amusedmonkey

What are you missing that isn't vegetarian? The spices? The texture? The variety? The flavor combinations?

It's very common to fall into a rut when you switch to something unfamiliar. Experimenting with new things will help you figure out what you like and what you don't. There are many vegetarian recipes on the internet, you could dedicate a day a week to trying something new to build a mental database of the things you like.

I'm not a vegetarian but I've always eaten more plant based than meat based meals, so I don't feel like there is something missing when a meal doesn't contain meat. Most of my favorite foods are vegetarian. Yesterday's dinner was a falafel sub with hummus, tahini salad, and fried eggplant and cauliflower. It was amazing. If you plant to continue eating this way, you will discover some amazing dishes with time and experience.

lynn_glenmont

Do you literally mean "spice" things up? You can use whatever spice combinations and flavor profiles you enjoyed as an omnivore now that you're a vegetarian. Just put them on legumes, eggs, grains, vegetables, dairy, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fungi instead of on meat.

nickssweetheart

I'm trying a new chickpea tomato curry today. Here it is:

Quick Curried Chickpeas

This was delicious and easy:

Thai Green Vegetable Curry

And I loved this:

Ethiopian Lentils

TAMayorga

I have a favorite recipe for cauliflower nachos. I have never been successful at cutting the cauliflower into "chips", so it really comes out more of a casserole. I've attached a recipe, it isn't the one I use, but it has the seasonings. I add a half cup of pinto beans and a half cup of black beans, and use frozen cauliflower for convenience.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a48260/cauliflower-nachos-recipe/

And here's a recipe for butternut squash chili. Again, not the one I use, but looks quite tasty.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-squash-chili

There are many fabulous recipes out there - good luck to you!

TAMayorga

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Do you literally mean "spice" things up? You can use whatever spice combinations and flavor profiles you enjoyed as an omnivore now that you're a vegetarian. Just put them on legumes, eggs, grains, vegetables, dairy, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fungi instead of on meat.

This comment reminded me: if you like chorizo and eggs, you can skip the chorizo and put chili powder and comino directly on your eggs and get the same flavor.

estherdragonbat

Ovo-lacto vegetarian here! I'm slowly working my way through the 1,000 Vegan Recipes cookbook and seldom make the same main twice. My diary is open if you'd like to see the kind of recipes I do and whether anything sounds good. (If it does, PM me and I'll give you the details.)

kshama2001

nickssweetheart wrote: »

...

And I loved this:

Ethiopian Lentils

I love Berbere spice! I get mine directly from Frontier, but Amazon is currently selling it for a great price as an Add On item: https://smile.amazon.com/Frontier-Berbere-Seasoning-ORGANIC-Bottle/dp/B005WDVQHG/ref=sr_1_5_a_it

@nickssweetheart Do you use the whole 1/2 C of spice? Seems like a lot for just 1 C of lentils. I'd use 1-2 tablespoons myself.

nickssweetheart

I should have put that in my post, actually! I used 1/4 cup the first time, and just a tad more than that the second time. But yes, the full 1/2 cup would be a lot, at least using the blend I bought. Fortunately I got a ridiculously good deal at this tiny Ethiopian market near me that shares its space with a cell phone store.

BTW, @slaytonzaylonda, the chickpea curry I linked earlier turned out just okay. Not bad, but not memorable. It is very easy, but here's a better chickpea curry, imo.

Chickpea Curry