EZ Needs A Favor...Plzzzz
 

You gals have always been so helpful when I have questions so...
what I am asking for now is a favor.

Some of you know my sister has breast cancer and has had a double mastectomy and is doing chemo right now. She and my bil, her young adult daughters and husband of one of them share a home together. My nieces, great girls they are, are not used to cooking....the men are bbq'ers...My sister did all the cooking or they fast fooded. Because of the situation my nieces have asked me for some veggie recipes that would be family style. The problem I have is that most of mine have spinach in them...2 of their family don't care for spinach.

What I would like is a recipe you make for your family that doesn't have spinach in it....something that isn't too difficult for beginning cooks....my nieces will be having to learn...and they want to :)

They are always asking me and Aunt Angie...how do you make this stuff...it is so good...we just say...follow the recipe! I guess...I mean I know, 'cause I remember...if you aren't used to cooking it can look overwhelming at first...

thanks gals...Family size and easy to moderate....:hug:

EZ - this is awesome without the spinach

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/entr...o-noodles.html

How about crock pot cooking? So easy and can feed a lot. Also, the picky eaters can pick out what they dont like. Google crockpot for a year and there is a lady that cooks in her pot every day and has tons of awesome recipes.

Thanks GG ~ I will give them this one.

Thanks Looking For Me Again ~ I will check out some of my crock pot recipes too...forgot about that...

I am mostly looking for those recipes you have cooked and tried and like...I know there are plenty on the internet...the kids do too...they just wanted something "personal" from their Uncle Gary

You are all the best!

Hi Gary! Are you looking for whole vegetarian meals, or just some good veggie recipes that they can cook as sides?

Hi EZ,
So sorry to hear about your sister. The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes cookbook by Robin Robertson is great. Here is a recipe for chili mac. Just leave out the kale and chipotle to make it more family friendly. Blessings to you, Rebecca



Chili Mac
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons mild chili powder*
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
10 ounces frozen corn kernels
1 16-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
5 cups thinly-sliced kale (thick stems removed before slicing) or other greens**
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until tender. Drain. Sauté onion in a large non-stick pot until translucent. Add remaining ingredients, as well as cooked pasta. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

Thank you THINBY that looks right up their alley.

JENNIFER...mostly stuff like a casserole or lasagna without spinach. My sister cooks for them...although maybe not much as this disease takes hold...but they are used to eating either fast food stuff...pizza...or mac and cheese...meat loaf...spaghetti...tacos...burgers...

not too many chicken dishes unless it is BBQ and really no vegetarian...not on purpose...

They are not against meat but were looking for healthier meals than they have had and something my nieces...28 and 25 could cook with limited cooking skills...basic stuff to us but something they have not really done...mom (my sis) did it all.

Thanks gals ~

Really just seeing if anyone had a "proven" family favorite dish that was easy to moderate to prepare...nothing xtra special really...

you are all awesome...as usual!

There are a couple cookbooks that you might want to look at. Nava Atlas has something called Vegetarian Express and Vegan express, both quick cooking cookbooks. She also has the Vegetarian 5-ingredient gourmet. Donna Klein has a cookook called PDQ (Pretty darn quick) vegetarian cookbook.

If they are 25 and 28, I'm wondering if there are cooking classes they could take? I mean my mom showed me how to cook when I was young but I can't imagine being in your 20s and not knowing.

Thank you NELIE...I will suggest these!

The girls are willing and actually they do cook a little...they can cook a chicken breast, etc.

But mostly they throw in a Lean Cuisine...if my sister isn't cooking.

Long story short...my mom lived with them from the time they were born...did most of the cooking although my sister helped...she worked..mom stayed at home...dynamics of their family.

The girls are just not used to family size meals and especially not family size vegetarian meals...they are willing to learn and were just asking me yesterday for some ideas and "what do you make Uncle gary that is vegetarian? We love what you and aunt Angie make"....problem is most of the recipes that I use have spinach...we love it...one of my nieces and their dad don't.

My favorite blog also has a listing of 'ridiculously easy' recipes that are pretty good:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12...usly-easy.html

Speaking of ridiculously easy, Chili is one of the easiest things to make and when I don't have much time during the week, I'll make it for dinner.
1-2 tsp of olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 cans of various beans, drained and rinsed (pinto, black beans, kidney beans are especially good candidates)
1/2 can of pumpkin puree
1 can of diced tomatoes, with liquid (there are fancy type diced tomatoes such as fire roasted, tomatoes with garlic, etc. It doesn't really matter)
2-3 tbsp of chile powder (this is a mix you can buy, usually has various things including ground chiles, cumin, coriander, etc)

Heat the olive oil on medium in 3+ quart sauce pan. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on top of brown rice. You can also heat up some frozen veggies in the microwave to go with it. Green beans are a freezer staple for me. Just put on a plate and heat for about 2-3 minutes.

I've never heard of pumpkin in chili! I've also never made chili before - but I have all of the stuff to make it. That looks like a fantastic recipe, Nelie! I'm going to try it this week, but the pumpkin in it is a little (a lot!) intimidating (and exactly why it's on the try list!)

Gary - I make a "homemade soup" when we're on a tight budget and time-short (which may or may not be *all of the time* lately ;)). It's definitely easy - maybe even too easy for the girls! I take two cans of v8 juice, and equal parts of chicken broth, and cook brown rice in it - then I add whatever veggies I have around the house, and some chicken to it - and it's never turned out badly! I've used broccoli, carrots, corn, green beens, cabbage, onion, bell peppers... pretty much anything that's getting a little on the ripe side in the fridge. If it gets too thick, just add more liquids (water, broth or veggie juice). It's especially nice now that it's so cold out - and it's super simple. Oh, also, I cook the chicken separately because raw chicken with veggies together (even over high heat) is still a bit scary for me to cook by myself :)

...a lot of parenthesis in this post!

eski - The pumpkin is optional but gives it a creamy texture. Also it is a super easy recipe to play around with. I've even added crumbled tempeh and shiitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms) as well.

Also with the Chili recipe, you can turn it into a chana masala type recipe by using chickpeas instead of the other beans and using indian type spices (curry powder, garam masala) instead of chili powder. and you could turn it into a indian lentil recipe by using dried lentils and adding the appropriate amount of water. (2-3 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils?) For dried lentils, you'd have to simmer for a bit longer until the lentils are soft.

I do something very similar to that chili, except I always start with a mirepoix (diced onion, carrots and celery), I add other veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, sometimes cabbage), and I like a little corn in it too. A little tomato paste adds some depth. I've actually not tried pumpkin or sweet potato in it yet, but sounds good. I mix in lots of cilantro.

It's a total staple for me. I love having it in the freezer for *those* days. And I can turn it something different just by changing the seasonings. I do more or less the same recipe for minestrone, using basil, oregano, marjoram and fennel seed (or whatever you prefer). Great with some parmesan.

I haven't tried a chickpea / curry version yet, sounds like it's time to try it :)

Once you've done this a few times, you can just do it with no recipe and using whatever is on hand.

Hey EZ!

Here's a great thread from the 100-lb forum with loads of veggie recipes: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...egetables.html and another with chicken recipes: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...e-chicken.html

Hugs and prayers for your sister and her family.

Gary, I subscribe to and love Vegetarian Times magazine. They have a huge collection of recipes on their website at http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/ They even include calories on the site :)


This is a super easy recipe for Vegetarian Chili that I love to make.

I make this frequently and freeze it in individual portions. It tastes much better the second day. I don't always use fresh red peppers. I substitute canned roasted red peppers that are packed in water (not vinegar) so they are mild, and I use them sometimes, to make it quicker to fix. The recipe can easily be cut in half if you prefer.

4 sweet red bell peppers, diced
2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can (15 oz) vegetable broth
2 large cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes -find a good brand because the texture matters here - I prefer Progresso crushed tomatoes, or Muir Glen Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained

chili powder to taste (1 tsp to 2 Tbsp or more depending on the type you use) OR use finely minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - start with a small amount and be careful. I also use a smidgen of chipotle powder. Love the smoky flavor. What I DON'T use is the tin can of so-called chili powder or seasoning that is a mixture of things and has usually been sitting on the shelf for a year or two, those taste awful in anything. But I'm really picky about herbs and spices.


In a stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil and add onions, peppers, and garlic. Stir until soft and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Add more broth or water if you have to. Add chili powder gradually until desired heat is achieved. Remove from heat and serve. If desired, top each serving with a dollop of light sour cream, shredded low fat cheddar cheese and fresh diced onions.

Makes 8 to 10 large servings, or about 12 smaller servings. I freeze it then pop it into the microwave, and have even been known to eat it for breakfast.