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Meatless Monday's; Need recipe ideas
Topic Started: Aug 5 2011, 01:32 PM (257 Views)
Reynard Ridge
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Drivin' The Short Bus
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http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

The idea behind meatless Monday's is all kinds of save-the-world crap that I don't give a rats a$$ about. But, we are all about eating healthier in Reyardridgeville, so I am using the idea of "Meatless Monday" as a way to introduce vegetarian days to the children. :yes:

BUT. And that is a HUGE HONKING BUT (not that there are any huge honking "butts" here in RR, because we do have reasonably healthy diets) BUT, when preparing meals, "we" (<-- by which I mean Mr. RR, just to clarify in case you were thinking I might be lying about that "no-big butts" thing) requires gluten free AND low-cholesterol.

Oiy. :rolleyes:

So, no:
PASTA
BREAD
EGGS
CHEESE

Yeah. Nothing that actually tastes good and is also meatless.

So, please, help a girl out. I could use some good tasting meals that are vegetarian, gluten free and low-cholesterol. I just purchased the Moosewood Cafe Low Fat Vegetarian Cook book, but it is SO much pasta, bread and eggs! Other ideas welcome. :rolleyes:


PS, Adventures with Tofu is not going all that well at the moment, although it might be that I am having trouble purchasing the right consistency of tofu, what with the language barrier and all.

Thanks!
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Indy
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I made really good black bean burgers on Monday but they involved two eggs and some panko. Are there such things as gluten free bread crumbs? If there are, you could maybe rig them together with that and egg substitute.
Here's the recipe if you want to try to de-gluten and de-cholesterol it.

http://annies-eats.net/2011/06/22/black-bean-burgers/

We ate them without buns because I forgot to buy them, and topped them with avocados. Mr. Indy, who is a carnivore by nature, not only ate two but took a third for lunch the next day. He wrapped his second one in a tortilla, which for the gluten-tolerant, seemed like a tasty way to make due when your wife forgets to buy buns at the store.
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Trialbyfire
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RR, I will give this some serious thought. I am in the same boat as you right now - have been doing a gluten free diet for about a month but it is challenging to pull together meals that don't require a lot of effort. I have asked a new friend for some recipes as she is a Holistic Health Counselor and has written 3 cookbooks that are mostly gluten free and I think are vegetarian also....not sure about that.

I have no problem feeding myself, it's the kids. I have done a lot with rice & beans, but it's usually just thrown together at the last minute and isn't always that tasty or probably well-balanced. But I'm trying.

I do have a recipe somewhere for black bean burgers....not sure if they have eggs. (Is it an egg allergy or low cholesterol? Because if it's not a allergy you could use just the whites probably). I also have a recipe for a Sunshine Raisin Casserole that is basically rice, veggies, raisisn, dill, caraway seeds and cheddar cheese, but you could skip the cheese or leave some un-cheesed....and I've posted my morrocan stew recipe before but I'll get that also (sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc.)

I'll try to get these together.....
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jn4jenny
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Ellen, I will send you an email. I gave some that DH and I enjoy. Dunno how they'll go over with the kids.

Also, Stephanie O'Dea at Crockpot 365 does only gluten-free cooking. She doesn't do low-cholesterol, but you might find some gems in her list of Vegetarian recipes:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2005/12/vegetarian.html
Edited by jn4jenny, Aug 6 2011, 03:15 AM.
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headlesshorseman
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The kids probably won't like it....I just had a meatless Thursday night....I took some onion soup mix and olive oil in a baggie....and placed all sorts of veggies in there....onions, potatoes, squash, garlic, you can add mushrooms or anything they like even broccoli....cut them up in smaller sizes and throw in the baggie...shake...place in a dish and throw it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so.....

GOOD LUCK...

HH :)
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Reynard Ridge
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So far, excellent ideas! Black bean burgers sound really great. Mr. RR is not at all fussy, he's just limited. I can do buns for the wee ones, so maybe can fake them out on the burgers. And eggs are not an allergy, we just need to limit them for the low-cholesterol part. Small amounts of egg are fine, but no wheat. at. all.

I do have access to gluten free bread crumbs, but, I *think* the point of adding the bread crumbs is to help it all stick together? Which is what the gluten is for? But I can always try and see how it goes.

Jenny, eagerly awaiting your email! :clap:
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MissBri
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But, I don't care - it's 5:00 somewhere
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EGGPLANT -

I often just slice the eggplant length wise, brush with some ceasar dressing or dry grill rubs, and grill. I serve this with corn on the cob, and some sliced tomatoes with red onion and cukes. VERY yummy meal

Poor man's steak
Ingredients

2 eggplants, (1 1/2 pounds total), ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat dry. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, turn the eggplant over and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown and tender.
Stir together oil, vinegar, mint, oregano and garlic in a small bowl. Season the eggplant with pepper and brush tops with the oil mixture. Serve at room temperature.


Grilled Smokey Eggplant Salad
Ingredients

2 small eggplants, (about 1 pound total)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 small plum tomato, diced
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, (see Note)
3 cups mixed baby salad greens

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium.
Cut stripes in each eggplant’s peel by running a vegetable peeler down the length of it and repeating at about 1-inch intervals. Slice the eggplants into rounds 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
Blot the eggplant slices with paper towels and lightly coat both sides with olive oil cooking spray. Grill the eggplant, flipping halfway through, until soft and browned on both sides, 9 to 11 minutes total.
Puree oil, vinegar, tomato, garlic, paprika and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until well combined.
Toss salad greens with half the vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Arrange the eggplant slices on 6 salad plates. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Place the salad greens over and between the eggplant slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Edited by MissBri, Aug 6 2011, 04:44 AM.
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Reynard Ridge
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Miss Bri, I made the Poor Man's Steak last night and it was a big hit! :clap:
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MissBri
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AWESOME!
I love eggplant.
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AstonMartin
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RR in the health food shops you can buy all sorts of gluten free pastas/ cereals and even breads. The consistency of the bread is a bit denser and grosser than the usual kind, but it works in a pinch.

I'm not gluten intollerant - thank god - i just LOVE pasta. But I am lactose intollerant (very much so) and so I have to be careful. The aisles that accomodate lactose are also usually pretty good for Gluten. Also, re: cholesterol, as I understand it, only the yolks are high, so have you tried buying the pre-sepparated egg whites? I eat a lot of omlettes and usually do the sepparating all by myself - i do it with the shells - i find it easy now. 1 egg white is like 17 calories. Pretty decent! haha.

With Tofu, if you're starting out (or just like me and prefer it better) the best consistency is the extra super duper firm. You can usually feel it in the pack. Be careful there, because some of them are marinated these days and if you look at the calorie and fat content they're horrendous. I gather they must fry it then marinate it - but it gives the most incredible texture. Firm and kind of chewy. I haven't eaten much tofu since i've moved home. Apparently one way to cook it which is 'healthy' is to drain it, press it between paper towels to remove all moisture and then dry fry (no oil) on a non-stick pan. Press the tofu down while you do it. Then when you're done and you have a cooked piece of tofu, you add it to a ziploc with marinade, leave for a few hours, then come back and re-dry-fry and serve.... This is the 'healthier' way to do it. I have yet to try it.

Most dairy containing foods can be made with soy - but i'm not sure if soy is g-free? You can now even get extra light soy which is awesome.

I look forward to seeing what everyone suggests! I get so sick of making meals.

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Delia
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RR -- Assuming that your kids would eat it, any type of curry is easy and yummy (as long as it either uses no dairy at all, or uses coconut milk instead of cream). I'm lazy so usually buy a jar of green, yellow or masala curry. Sautee veggies first, then dump in the curry sauce, let simmer for about 20 minutes to fully cook the veggies and meld the flavors while the rice cooks, and then it's dinner time. With green curry I particularly like eggplant, onions and cubed tofu. For yellow or masala I like a combo of onion, cauliflower, chick peas, string beans, potatoes and/or tomatoes.

Last week I needed to clean out the fridge, so sauteed some onion, diced zuchinni and spinach with chopped garlic, fresh grated ginger and garam masala (powdered mixture of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, etc. -- you can buy it pre-made). Once the veggies had softened I mixed in cooked lentils, a little bit more of the same spices, and some vegetable stock to keep it all moist. Simmered for about 10 minutes and it was done. For a more Italian twist on this, I've used cannelini beans, Italian herbs (garlic, basil, oregano and/or rosemary) and a few dashes of white wine.

Rice noodles also should work for you -- so you can use them for veggie pad thai or to toss with a basic veggie stir fry.

Another favorite of mine is risotto. You really can throw any vegetable in the world in it.

And then there's spaghetti squash marinara.
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Reynard Ridge
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We went with a meatless bean "burger" recipe. Not exactly a hit, but not a totally miss, either. I need to work on my bean choices and techniques. :yes:

Practice makes perfect, and the children are encouraged by the idea that they are eating a musical food. :teehee:
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