Vegetarian Recipe Advice?

petitchatnoir41

Looking for awesome recipes that are vegetarian and advice on making food flavorful. I have gastroparesis or neuropathy of the stomach, and eliminating meat will help me digest easier. I am also allergic to soy. Thank you everyone!

5154721k

I'm following this thread, as a family we are just transitioning to vegetarian diets.

aokoye

What type of cuisines do you like? It's beyond easy to find vegetarian Indian recipes, but searching "vegetarian recipes" plus a country on google will net you quite a lot of results.

ElizabethKalmbach

I tend to sub in chickpeas for most of the recipes I use for chicken with plenty of success with my family. A blend of ground mushrooms, walnuts, and onions with some salt and pepper also makes a pretty decent substitute for ground beef in some of my other recipes - just realize that your moisture content may change significantly when subbing in veggies for meats, so you may need to experiment a little.

MsSmith832019

I make curry chicken, you can sub tofu. Chickpeas give great protein. Veggies of carrots, celery, cabbage, and a base sauce of curry paste and powder, with coconut milk ( Silk brand) and cilantro. Delish! My current curry with chicken is about 260 cals per serving.

apullum

The first thing most people want to know about eating meatless meals is how to get enough protein. If you eat neither meat nor soy, your best bet is likely seitan assuming you have no issues with gluten. You can use seitan in many recipes in place of meat, and you can also make your own seitan at home. 0% Greek yogurt is another good option in terms of protein per calorie, or you can have a higher fat version if you want. Egg whites are a very calorie efficient protein source, though I expect you don't want to eat egg whites for most meals There are also vegetarian protein powders and bars if you like them.

The part about making food flavorful is confusing to me; unless your food is relying on meat for its flavor, you make meatless food flavorful in the same way you make other food flavorful. Depending on what the dish is, that means spices/sauces, salt, fat, sugar, acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.), umami (mushrooms, tomato paste, etc.), as well as appropriate cooking technique. Because meat generally has fat in it and plant proteins are usually very low in fat, what's perceived as "flavorless" is sometimes a lack of fat for people who are used to higher fat meals.

How I put all that together is typically a protein + spice/sauce + vegetable + optional carb. Recent dinners I've made include:
- roasted soy curls and broccoli with jerk seasoning (you can sub seitan anywhere I'm using a soy product)
- vegan kung pao "chicken" over salad greens with balsamic vinegar
- black beans, corn, tomatoes, rice, and chili powder; simmer until the rice is done
- black bean quinoa stew
- shakshuka (eggs in a spicy tomato sauce); I like it with corn tortillas if I have any
- mac and cheese with TVP
- frittata affogata (a frittata topped with tomato sauce; I put spinach in it and low fat cheese on top)

My usual breakfast is 0% Greek yogurt, chocolate PB2, chocolate protein powder, and fiber cereal. It gets me well on my way to my protein and fiber targets, and I think it's delicious.

acpgee

I use seitan just like meat in any asian stir fry recipe. If you are not bothered by quorn being highly processed you can use it just like minced meat in any recipe.

petitchatnoir41

Thank you everyone so far! These comments are awesome and helpful.