new here with a question

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2005
new here with a question
5
Tue, 03-29-2005 - 4:04pm

i can go months at a time not eating meat, with effort, but what ends up always nailing me is lack of recipes. see, the problem is, i do not like tofu, or really any version of the same type of thing. almost all the veggie recipes i find end up having that in them in some form. it's a texture thing with me. i cannot stand the texture. so, then, i end up throwing in chicken.

any ideas? for many reasons i would love to be a full-time vegetarian, but can't seem to overcome this issue.

thanks in advance.

al

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-20-2003
Fri, 04-01-2005 - 1:28am

Go to a large bookstore and browse the cookbook section- in many there will be a section just for veggie cookbooks.


One I like is Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes- I don't remember a single tofu recipe in it, and it has sections of Mediterannian, American, Mexican, etc. cuisine. And it has both a main and side dish for each meal. It can be hard to figure out how to do a side dish with things other than meat! I also like Rachael Ray's Veggie Meals (you may have seen her show 30 Minute Meals- these recipes are able to be made in a half hour, like those in her major cookbooks.


But mainly browse. You know what type of food you like, so look for a book with at least three recipes that really grab you- if you can find a few interesting ones quickly, it's proably worth it. It's even easier if you do this at the library, come to think about it.


There's a recipe site I like. Is it www.allrecipes.com ? Something like that. And you can search in the vegetarian food section, which makes it easy.


You can also throw other types of protien in some recipes. Canned white beans, for instance.


I have one single recipe that includes tofu (a few that use plain soybeans, though). I've been eating very well for 8 years despite that! I use a lot of beans, mushrooms, and vegetables. I just spent a lot of time pouring through cookbooks, websites, and so on. I have a dozen or so well-used cookbooks (not all veggie, but I have learned to adapt recipes from their pasta, salad, and other chapters), a binder stuffed with clippings and printouts, and a cardfile filled with family recipes (that I also have adapted). In fact I have to have a second cardfile with the name of the dish, where it is, and what to put on the grocery list or I have to look forever for a recipe or don't make a delicious dish for a year because I just didn't think of it!



Jaseann



co-cl: Celiac Disease


co-cl: Vegetarian Living


People saying you look healthy doesn't men your symptoms aren't valid. Just because some physician didn't listen doesn't mean it's all in your head. Just because there is no definitive test yet doesn't mean the disease doesn't exist. You know you body- trust yourself!

Jaseann

co-cl-Celiac Disease

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2005
Fri, 04-01-2005 - 9:37am

thanks!

yeah, it's going to take work, but i just need to stick to it, right. anything worthwhile takes time and effort.

i think yesterday pushed me over the edge. i had to disect a fetal pig in anatomy class. it was absolutely horrid.

thanks for your suggestions!

al

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-21-2003
Sun, 04-10-2005 - 8:51am

Gross!

Thisby

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-04-2004
Mon, 04-25-2005 - 10:30am
I agree with the previous posters that it may take some searching, and trial and error even. I don't have a problem with tofu, but I find that when I incorperate it into dishes for my family, there is some resistance based on texture.

I hope that you can find alternatives that work for you with beans/vegetables etc. How are things going so far?

Keep us posted!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
Thu, 04-28-2005 - 11:07am

Are you using your tofu fresh from the package? Silken tofu (in the asceptic "juice box" type packaging) is very smooth. If this is the texture you don't like, try water packed tofu (Chinese style), often in the produce department's fridge case. This is chewier, but still can be quite soft compared to meat. One way to amend this, which I think gives the tofu a great texture, is to take it out of the water, drain & press it (set it on a cutting board that's angled just slightly so the water has a place to drain, place a piece of plastic wrap over it and set a heavy can or a book on it - leave for 20 minutes). After you've drained and pressed it, and you can do several at once this way, set the blocks on a freezer safe plate. Smaller blocks thaw more quickly, so keep this in mind if dinner-time convenience is an issue. Anyway, set the plate in the freezer - unwrapped. The tofu will change color from whitish to amber; this is normal and not harmful in any way. The longer it's frozen, the better... after a week or so you can wrap it if it helps in terms of freezer space. And thawing it once and refreezing makes it even chewier.

Also, you said you didn't like tofu... have you tried tempeh? It's a very different texture than tofu, and quite tasty in it's own right. Worth trying. Also look for seitan, if you are not allergic to wheat.

Best of luck, and experiment! :-)

Amy/C