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| Unless otherwise noted, all recipes copyright Val Grant (1994, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005 and beyond). Feel free to download for your own use, or to pass on to other animal-friendly eaters. Publication for commercial purposes is NOT permitted. |
| Vegetarian Recipes Vegan Recipes Vegan-adaptable Recipes VALKYRIE'S VEGETARIAN CONCOCTIONS |
| (new recipes will appear in the list at left) NOW WITH Recycling Ideas Crafty Household Hints |
| CAVEAT: EXCEPT FOR THE BAKING RECIPES WHERE PRECISION CAN OFTEN MAKE OR BREAK THE END PRODUCT, NONE OF THE OTHER RECIPE INGREDIENTS ARE BY EXACT MEASUREMENT. EXPERIMENT WITH THE VEGGIES, BE CAREFUL WITH THE SPICES UNTIL YOU ACHIEVE THE TASTE THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU. MAKE IT FUN -- JUST THINK OF YOUR KITCHEN AS ONE BIG HAPPY CHEMISTRY LAB! Me, I don't like meat. While I don't mind the smell of meat being grilled outside, the 'mouthfeel' of a piece of animal flesh tends to make me turn a little green around the gills and the smell and taste of Bacon .. eeeps! Some folks find that odd. Especially my fellow Nebraskans, many of whom consider it a sacrilege here in cow country. Good thing I never been daunted by outside opinion, and the cows and other members of the animal kingdom are quite safe from my knife and fork. However, I've always liked fried stuff, so a lot of my kitchen endeavours start out with frying onions, green peppers, celery, carrots... It's not that I don't eat my salads and such, but I need a bowl of something hearty to last me until the next meal, and with the wonderful cookware available today, not much fat needs to be added at all. Also, I'm a lazy cook ... coming home from work and 'slaving' over a hot stove is not my idea of spending my evenings. So I cook in large quantities on the weekends, early in the morning (that's when the spirit usually moves me), then freeze everything in portion sizes. Ahhhh, the joys of not having to worry about anyone else's stomach at supertime! You'll notice that I have a "thing" for hot peppers -- I use them freely in (almost) everything. I'm especially fond of the Scotch Bonnet, perhaps the hottest pepper known to humankind, but your mileage may vary, so use your judgement. Hope you find something here to entice you. On another note, while I enjoy my homecooked foods and hardly ever buy prepared meals (except for the occasional chinese take-away or a curry), I have nothing against shortcuts such as a good bottled or tinned sauce or even some mixes. And I don't use my salt shaker (except in some baking recipes), but again, your mileage may vary. Also, please don't be put off by what seems a mass of ingredients in some of the dishes. Once your basic veggies are assembled, the rest is just condiments and spices already found in most kitchens. Remember, we don't do this every day ... you'll have lots of portions in your freezer and won't have to cook all that often. THINGS I REFER TO FREQUENTLY: ONIONS: I prefer the flavour of white Onions over other varieties. VEGETABLE OIL: My oil of choice is Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), sometimes I use Peanut Oil. If a baking recipe calls for oil it's best to use a more neutrally-flavoured oil such as Corn or Canola. CHEESE: While I'm partial to Sharp Cheddar, I often use a mixture of this and Cojack. Sometimes I use SOY CHEESE (love the PepperJack for sandwiches or melting over my Chili Dogs). When shredded cheese is called for, try mixing a package of (soy) Cheddar with a package of (soy) Mozarella. But basically, just follow your tastebuds. MILK: I use Soy or Rice Milk, with Rice Milk being more delicate in flavour and is therefore great on cold cereals. Vanilla-flavoured Rice Dream is nice for baking. It also has the advantage that you can keep unopened cartons in the cupboard. Just check the expiration date (unopened, it lasts a very long time and even opened you can keep it for quite a few days in the fridge). WASHINGTON's BROTH AND SEASONING MIX: Comes in small packets available at your supermarket. Similar to AuJus but without animal products. Adds a bit of body to the taste but is not so overpowering as to make every dish taste the same when you use it. If you normally use Salt, you can leave it out because this stuff is already salty. Available in several varieties, I prefer the "Rich Brown" kind. Lately, my store has quit carrying this so now I use Knorr(TM) Vegetarian Cubes which actually have a little less sodium. Then a friend introduced me to "Better Than Buillon" which turned out to be great in soups. PACE PICANTE: My favourite Salsa. I prefer the "Hot" variety, but also available in Mild and Medium. VEGETABLE BROTH: Being naturally lazy, I buy the it by the can or carton, low-fat and/or low-sodium when I can find it. Other cooks are likely to be more enterprising and make their own. Enough preliminaries...click on the links at left for the recipes. Bon appetit! (and there are still people out there who think I'm into culinary denial ... ha ha ha!!!) |
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