Vegetarian and Vegan

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Vegetarian and vegan cuisine is a fast-growing phenomenon in North America, due to the rise in numbers of those who prefer a meatless diet, and the number of vegetarians and vegans continues to grow steadily. So with respect to those people, we here at Ethnic Foods R Us have started this page, devoted to all vegetarian and vegan dishes so tasty even a meat-lover will not miss the meat one bit.Typical Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients

Vegetarian meals can be every bit as tasty and satisfying as meat dishes, and the kinds of dishes that prove that are what you will find here, selected from among the best American vegetarian recipes.

So let’s get started, shall we? With a fine selection of some of the best All American Vegetarian and Vegan recipes you will ever find!

Please note: For your convenience, you can click on the recipes listed below and be taken directly to a page with just that one recipe on it, in printer-friendly format.

You are certainly welcomed to read through this whole page, all the recipes are here as well, and there are some videos and pertinent information on background, history, customs, special notes, etc., so it is well worth the read.

Here is the list, in alphabetical order:

Asparagus Goat Cheese Soufflé

Beer Lime Cauliflower Tacos

Best Black Bean Soup

Mango Salsa

Oven Baked French Fries

Paleo Shitake Spinach Soufflé

Spicy Black Bean Burger

Spicy Rice and 3 Beans Hash

Three Cheese Eggplant Lasagna

Very Veggie Spicy Chili

Some of the best tasting vegetarian recipes can be made with beans and rice as the two main ingredients. They are also among the best healthy vegetarian recipes, because beans and rice, taken together, create a complete protein. This recipe can also be made vegan, by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Try this out, you can vary it a thousand ways, but this version is a favorite of The Old Silly’s.

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Note: If any of these ingredients are not available locally where you live, and if they are in bold and linked, you can purchase them in our online ethnic foods grocery store by simply clicking on them. You will be taken to a page here at Ethnic Foods R Us where you can locate the ingredient(s) you need in order to prepare the recipe in true, authentic and traditional fashion.

Spicy Rice and Three Beans Hash

beans and rice

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. In a large sauce pan or skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high. Sauté the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and habanero pepper until softened. (You may want to have a lid on the pan for this step, as the oils from the hot pepper will waft up into the air, and can sting the eyes and nose)
  2. Add in the beans, hot sauce, onion powder, salt, curry, turmeric, soy sauce, and pepper. Turn the heat down to where the mixture is at a lively simmer, and let it cook while you prepare the rice.
  3. In a very large cooking pot, bring 4 cups of the broth you are using to a rolling boil, then stir in the rice and butter. This will stop the boiling, so keep the heat on high until a good boil returns, then reduce the heat to where the rice is cooking at a mild simmer.
  4. Allow to simmer, with the lid on, for 30 to 40 minutes, after 30 minutes check on it—the rice will be done when, if you tip the pot to one side, no liquid seeps down the side of the pot. If the liquid has all cooked out and the rice is still not tender, add some more broth, adjust heat to retain the simmer, and cook longer.
  5. Remove the rice from the burner, and let stand for about 5 minutes.
  6. Gently fold the beans and veggies mixture into the rice, blending it all together thoroughly.
  7. Do a taste test, and adjust seasonings to taste, if need be.
  8. Serve your Spicy Rice and 3 Beans Hash in bowls, with fresh chopped cilantro sprinkled on top, as garnish.

Best Black Bean Soup

Black_Bean_Soup_Cup_Ruby_Slipper_NOLA

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil to medium high heat, and sauté the onion until soft, fragrant, and translucent.
  2. Add in the garlic and ginger, and the seasonings: thyme, allspice, celery salt and cayenne pepper.
  3. Now pour the broth into the pan, and also mix in the tomato puree. Stir and blend together.
  4. Add in the refried black beans, black pepper and sugar, again stir all ingredients together well, and cook until heated through.
  5. Mix the lemon juice and the canned whole black beans into the soup, and continue cooking until heated through.
  6. To serve, fill each serving bowl near to the top with the soup, and garnish the top with some crumbled cheese and a sprinkling of finely chopped green onions.

Often, those who prefer meat in their meals, will complain after having a vegetarian meal that they just don’t have that satisfied “full” feeling. Well a good, hearty and healthy vegetarian lasagna recipe is just what the doctor ordered for those folks.

There are many versions of this dish, but the one we are offering here is, in The Old Silly’s humble but very experienced opinion, the absolute best vegetarian lasagna recipe ever. Prepare this dish, and invite your meat-eating friends over for dinner. I guarantee they will feel completely satiated, as will you. And everyone will want the recipe, too.

Three Cheese Eggplant Lasagna

eggplant lasagna

Ingredients:

 

Directions:
  1. Generously salt both sides of the eggplant slices, then stack them in a large baking dish, placing a paper towel between each slice. Take a baking dish just the right size to fit inside the larger dish, and place it on top of the stack, then place some heavy objects into the dish, so the eggplant slices are being compressed.
  2. Allow the slices to sit about an hour—you want to see the towels becoming well moistened.
  3. Unstack the eggplant slices and rinse thoroughly with fresh water, then pat them dry with cloth or paper towels.
  4. Put 2 tbsp. of safflower oil in a large skillet and bring the heat up to medium high.
  5. Sauté both sides of the slices until they are lightly browned, usually about 5 minutes per side will do it. You may have to sauté them in batches. When all slices are browned, set them aside.
  6. Next prepare the sauce. In a medium sized bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tsp. each of garlic and onion powder, oregano, basil, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Blend together well, and set aside.
  7. In another skillet, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft, fragrant and translucent—about 5 minutes.
  8. Now add in the shredded carrots and frozen spinach, continue cooking until the mixture is becoming dried out, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
  9. In another bowl, combine the Romano cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, ½ tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. each of onion and garlic powder.
  10. Add the cooled carrot and spinach mixture into the Romano-Ricotta cheese mixture, stir and blend together thoroughly.
  11. Set your oven on to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).
  12. Start assembling the lasagna, by pouring a thin layer of tomato sauce into a 9” x 13” baking dish, and spreading it evenly across the bottom.
  13. Take one half of the eggplant slices and layer them on top of the tomato sauce.
  14. Next, spread on a layer of the Romano-ricotta cheese mixture.
  15. Spread on another layer of tomato sauce, then layer on the rest of the eggplant slices.
  16. Spread on the rest of the Romano-ricotta cheese mixture.
  17. Again spread on one last layer of tomato sauce, and finally, the very last layer will be your mozzarella cheese on top of the whole stack.
  18. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, checking on it after about 35 or 40 minutes—you want the mozzarella cheese to be a pleasing golden brown.
  19. Remove the lasagna from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, so it can “set up” and slice easily. Serve while still very warm. Reheated leftovers the next day are as good or even better than the first serving.

Perhaps the most popular and beloved sandwich to North Americans, is the hamburger. We just love them. And many American vegetarians, especially those who have once been meat-eaters and then converted to vegetarianism, long for the unbeatable, distinctive taste and texture of a bun filled up with a yummy patty and lots of condiments.

So the vegetarian community gets very creative, and comes up with delicious substitutes for the meat in many of the typical American dishes – including the hamburger. There are hundreds of “veggie burgers”, but this one is amongst the very best vegetarian burger recipes you will come across.

Note: This recipe can be totally vegan, by using gluten, egg, and dairy-free buns, and substituting potato starch for the egg.

Spicy Black Bean Burger Supreme

bean burger

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. Using a food processor (or electric blender) puree the black beans. Transfer the puree to a large bowl.
  2. Add into the puree the bread crumbs, chopped Roma tomatoes, egg, jalapeno, garlic, hot sauce, and cilantro. Stir and blend the mixture together thoroughly.
  3. Mold the mixture into 4 equal size patties.
  4. Heat the oil to medium high in a large skillet or saucepan, and fry the patties for about 5 or 6 minutes on each side, until they take on a nice golden brown color.
  5. Assemble the sandwiches by slathering the insides of the top and bottom bun slices with the spread(s) of your choice; put a lettuce leaf on the bottom bun first, then some sliced red onion, then a slice of tomato, then the burger patty, and lastly some slices of avocado.
  6. These burgers go great with thick cut, oven baked French fried potatoes (recipe to follow).

Among the more easy and popular American vegan recipes, is this next one, which goes great with the veggie burger above.

Oven Baked French Fries

IMG_4651

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Using a large bowl, toss the potato sticks with ½ tsp. salt and 2 tbsp. olive oil. If you are making spicy fries, also add in and toss with the paprika and cayenne pepper.
  3. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray and spread the potatoes out in one single layer.
  4. Bake for about half an hour, maybe a little longer—you want the fries to be crispy on the outside and golden brown in color.
  5. Remove the fries with a spatula and season with more salt, to taste.

 

Next up is a vegetarian recipe that does require a bit of care and skill. But fear not, if you are not familiar with how to make a good soufflé, these instructions will walk you through the process with ease. It is not so much a matter of skill, rather the importance is attention to detail and being careful.

One of the “tricks” this recipe utilizes, that makes the end result so magnificent, is in the way the all-important bechamel sauce is prepared—using cake flour, rather than the traditionally used all-purpose flour. Nifty idea, it really works great.

The biggest problem most cooks have, when preparing a soufflé, is getting it to “rise” properly. The question of, “how do you make soufflé rise?” is one that various chefs will have different answers to. But I can promise you, the instructions laid out in this recipe, if followed to the letter, will produce for you soufflés that are delightfully soft, moist, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Soufflé

Asparagus Soufflé

Ingredients:

You will need: 6 ramekins (8 oz.)

Directions:
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil (1 tsp. of salt for each quart of water), and blanch the asparagus spears for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse immediately to stop them from cooking any further, then set aside to cool down to room temperature.
  2. Using a saucepan, melt 1 tbsp. of butter on medium heat, then add in the shallots, garlic, and thyme. Sauté until just softened, but not yet browned—usually 4 or 5 minutes is about right. Remove from the stove and set aside.
  3. Purée the shallot mixture and the asparagus in a blender. You should have at least 1-1/4 cup of purée.
  4. Butter the insides of your ramekins and then coat the butter with the bread crumbs—retain any leftover crumbs.
  5. In a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tbsp. of butter. Add in the cake flour and whisk until thoroughly incorporated with the butter, and keep stirring for 2 to 3 more minutes. Take care that you don’t let the flour brown. Gradually, add the milk into the mixture, slowly and little by little, whisking continuously. Now stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the ginger, mustard, cumin and nutmeg, as well as some freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat down to low and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then to avoid the mixture from sticking to the pan. This is your béchamel sauce, and it has to be perfect for the soufflé to turn out well.
  6. Remove the béchamel from the heat after 15 minutes; stir in the goat cheese. Transfer the asparagus mixture and the béchamel to a large mixing bowl—preferably a bowl with a pouring lip, for ease of pouring out later.
  7. Do a taste test, and adjust the mixture’s seasonings if and as necessary—this is your soufflé base, and you want it to be well-seasoned. Now stir in the egg yolks and thoroughly combine them into the mixture.
  8. You have the option, at this juncture, of storing the soufflé base mixture, for use at a later date. It will refrigerate for as long as two days. But if you do that, you will need to take the base out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature before moving on to the next step.
  9. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  10. Make a water bath, by using a 9” X 13” baking dish with at least 2” tall sides, then filling it with boiling hot water (no need to fill it just yet, but put the water on to boil at this point.
  11. Now take you egg whites, add a pinch of salt to them and, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to until they are firm, but still soft enough that a spoon stuck into the mixture and gently pulled out creates a peak. (NOTE: it is imperative that there are no traces of egg yolk or even the tiniest bit of eggshell in this mixture—be sure to inspect your egg whites carefully before starting this procedure). Once soft little peaks can form with the spoon test, you are done. Beating any longer will result in peaks so stiff that your soufflé will take on a texture that is too dry, not the moist, soft texture that you want.
  12. Next, using a rubber spatula, fold in just about one fourth of beaten egg whites into the asparagus mixture, then fold in the remaining three-quarters. Be gentle with this procedure, or you may deflate the fluffy egg whites.
  13. Your soufflé mixture is now ready to go into your ramekins. Fill the ramekins to within ¼” of the top, no further. Some people like to sprinkle some bread crumbs over the top, optional, but if you want to do that, now is the time.
  14. Now put your filled ramekins in the baking dish, and then place the baking in the preheated oven in the middle rack position. Pour enough of the boiling hot water into the baking dish so that the water comes half the way up the sides of the ramekins.
  15. Bake the soufflés at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for about 15 minutes more. The soufflés should become puffed up and turn a pleasing golden brown. If you have an oven door with a glass window and an internal light, that is preferable, because opening the door too early to check on them can cause the soufflés to “fall” and lose their nice puffy texture. If your oven door is solid, wait until very near the end of the baking time, and open the door very gently.
  16. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, and let the soufflés sit on the counter or a table for a good 15 minutes before serving.
  17. You can, as an option, save the soufflés for serving at a later date. To do this, again allow them to sit for 15 minutes, then loosen them from the ramekins by running a sharp knife around the ramekins perimeter inside edges. Then invert them onto a buttered baking sheet, allow to cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to serve them, let them warm up to room temperature, heat your over to 400 degrees F, and bake them (on the baking sheet, not in the ramekins) for about 8 minutes, then serve.

Americans, meat eaters and vegetarians alike, love their chili, and the vegetarian community has come up with hundreds and hundreds of ways to make this wonderful comfort food without meat – from super healthy vegetarian chili recipes to chilis that are way over the top loaded with calories and carbs, but wow – so delicious.

This next dish is a standout, one of my personal favorites, a spicy vegetarian chili recipe with several options for toppings, all of which, and in almost any combination, just add even more enjoyment to the culinary experience.

American Style Spicy and Very Veggie Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. In a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Sauté the bell peppers, carrots, and bell peppers, with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring often, until carrots start softening—7 or 8 minutes.
  3. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté about 2 more minutes, until becoming translucent and fragrant.
  4. Now add in the cumin, coriander, oregano, chipotle, chili powder and tomato paste and continue to cook, while stirring, until the tomato paste is brick red, about 4 minutes. Make sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the skillet—if so, add just a dash of water, scrape the bottom and stir until the mixture is moistened well again.
  5. Add in the coffee and simmer until nearly completely reduced, 30 seconds or so should do it.
  6. Stir in the chocolate, beans, jalapeno pepper, corn kernels, and tomatoes, with 2-1/2 cups water, and adjust the heat to where the mixture is cooking at a mild simmer, then add the cilantro in, stirring and blending well throughout.
  7. Stirring every now and then, let the chili simmer-cook, uncovered, for about 1-1/2 hours, until becoming a bit thickened. If you like a really thick chili, simply cook longer, uncovered. Be sure to occasionally stir, scraping the bottom, to make sure nothing is burning and sticking to the skillet down there. Also, about 1 hour into the cooking, do a taste test, see if the salt and pepper levels need adjusting.
  8. To serve, ladle the chili into serving bowls, leaving some space for toppings. Have set on the table dishes holding the various toppings for each person to choose from. My personal favorite is first a layer of shredded, sharp cheddar cheese, followed by a layer of shredded lettuce, and some slices of avocado on top.

Note: this chili also tastes great served on top of a mound of freshly steamed rice.

Vegan tacos recipes there are hundreds of. How can you go wrong? Just about anything can be loaded up in the tasty tortilla and, properly spiced and seasoned, taste wonderful.

But try this one out, a very healthy vegan taco recipe that a vegan friend of mine treated me to as a dinner guest some time ago. It was so good, I had to ask for the recipe, and now I want to share it with you all. Enjoy!

Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos with Mango Salsa and

Cilantro Coleslaw

cauliflower-tacos1

Ingredients:
For the slaw:
 For the Mango Salsa-
  • 1 large mango, peeled, flesh chopped into1/4” to 1/2”cubes
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup diced)
  • 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeds left in and finely diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed Key Lime juice
  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely
  • salt and pepper, to taste
For the Tacos-
Directions:
To Make the Mango Salsa-
  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine garlic, jalapeno, mango, and red onion.
  2. Toss with lime juice and gently fold in cilantro—you don’t want to disfigure the mango cubes.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
To Make the Slaw-
  1. Cut the cabbage into very thin slices, then crosscut the slices into 2” pieces.
  2. Peel and slice the carrot into thin strips and crosscut into the same 2” lengths.
  3. Mix together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, and salt, in a small or medium-sized bowl. Fold in the cilantro just before assembling the tacos.
To Make the Tacos-
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  2. Chop the cauliflower into (American) quarter-sized florets.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the beer, lime juice, soy sauce, broth, garlic and hot sauce. Add in the cauliflower and onion, and simmer for only about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, then drain the liquid off in a colander.
  4. In a large bowl, toss and blend together the salt and spices. Add the cauliflower and onion, and stir until well coated.
  5. Place the cauliflower and onion on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Then stir and turn them, and bake for another 10 minutes, until well browned.
  6. Warm your tacos in a microwave just a minute or two before the cauliflower is finished baking.
  7. To assemble your tacos, pile them generously with the cauliflower filling, next a layer of avocado slices, next a nice portion of mango salsa, and lastly a layer of the slaw.
  8. Some people like to drizzle a little Ranch dressing over the slaw layer (as shown in picture) but I prefer these yummy-enough-the-way-they-are vegan tacos without it.

This next recipe has vegetarian and vegan versions, the one showing here is vegetarian, but you can make it totally vegan by simply using a suitable substitute for the eggs, and use some tempeh strips fried in soy sauce instead of the bacon.

For those of you vegans who are new to the diet and are not yet aware of all the various substitutes there are and for which cooking purposes, a good article to read is this one.

This soufflé is a veggie twist on a Thai main entree, so it will go well with many of the side dishes found on our Thai Cuisine page, too.

Thai Paleo Shitake Spinach Soufflé

Paleo Shitake Spinach Soufflé

Ingredients:
  • 5 oz. organic baby spinach – finely chopped
  • 4 slices veggie bacon, rough chopped
  • 4 to 6 large shitake mushrooms, rough chopped
  • 1 cup freshly grated celery root
  • 4 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
  • 4 whole eggs plus 10 egg whites (Note: if you are using eggs, please get organic, from free range chickens eggs that are raised on soy-free diets—trust me, the flavor is well worth the price, and it is much healthier for you, too)
  • ½ tsp. celery salt
  • ½ cup Thai coconut milk
  • 6 whole pecans, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 ripe but still firm avocado, peeled and sliced, for garnish
  • 12 asparagus stalks, steamed tender, for garnish
 Directions:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Chop up the bacon and sauté it in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until almost crispy.
  3. While the bacon is cooking, chop your green onions and mushrooms, and grate the celery root.
  4. Once the bacon is near-crispy, add in the celery, mushrooms and green onions.
  5. Sauté on low heat now, while you chop the spinach and put place in a large mixing bowl.
  6. Add coconut milk, eggs, and lastly the sautéed ingredients into the bowl, a sprinkle in the celery salt.
  7. Stir and blend all ingredients together thoroughly, and then pour the mixture into a deep 9″ glass pie pan.
  8. In the coconut oil, lightly roast the chopped pecans, stirring and tossing to make sure they are well coated with the oil.
  9. Ladle the toasted chopped pecans on top of the soufflé, centered on the dish.
  10. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  11. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and 2 or 3 stalks of steamed asparagus.

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