Indy.com
Today:
Veggie Lovers
Anyone a "professional" vegetarian out there? Recently decided to become one. So far so good. Any tips when it comes to going out or going to family and friends for dinner? Especially during the Holidays when meat is such a prominent staple.
A better job awaits
Enter occupation keywords:
Flash appears here
Check out this post. There's a whole convo going on about this very thing. And there are a few "professional" vegetarians and vegans in the mix.
BYOT(ofurky)
Definitely bring something for yourself, and I'd also say bring a side to share -- the first veggie Thanksgiving I did with family, there was even meat in the green beans.
I've also found it's nice to contribute to the cooking if you're going into a den of meat eaters. Your family cooks will appreciate not having to make something extra.
As for going out to eat, if you're a veggie you can get something good almost anywhere, including chain restaurants (pasta without meat for example). Just read the menu carefully and if you have questions, ask the waiter.
Good luck.
P.S. Pick up a couple good cookbooks, too! I like Vegan with a Vengeance, any Moosewood, books by Sarah Kramer, books by Dreena Burton... (These are vegan, but there's ton of +cheese books out there too. Check out Half Price books, there's always something.) Also - hit up the blog world; there are a lot of veggie-friendly recipe blogs.
There's a book called the "Angelica Home Kitchen" that's pretty well-respected for veggie cooking.
Go to vegweb.com for amazing reader submitted recipes.
As for the turkey-focused holidays, Jolene suggested Quorn yesterday. If you get the Quorn roast and make it beforehand, you'll have an awesome veggie entree for yourself. And believe me, it tastes so good you might not have it all to yourself. Best of luck!
I just read a great-sounding recipe from the folks at Mother Earth News for a stuffed pumpkin as a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree. Here's the link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Whole-Foods-and-Cooking/1984-11-01/A-Vegetarian-Thanksgiving.aspx
And I love the Moosewood cookbooks. I think my "Sundays at Moosewood," which includes a wide range of ethnic cuisines, also has a few fish dishes.
By the way, I ate at a great vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Bloomington last weekend called Roots. It's at 6th and Walnut. Here's a link for more info: http://www.bloomingtononline.net/directory/Restaurants/Roots-657-11-0-0.html
I'm not veggie . . . yet. But I've been debating it for awhile. Problem is the kid. Since there's just two of us, it makes things difficult and he is NOT into the veggie thing. I do love Quorn products though. Yum. Tofurkey though scares me.
Doesn't the kid like chix nuggets? Those are pretty good...
Tofurkey is delish. I still make it for friends who are vegan. If you are just vegetarian it should be pretty simple to substitute tofu/tempeh/wheat gluten for the "main dish."
Jenny's right. The Quorn roasts aren't bad at all. Especially with mashed potatoes and gravy (make the gravy with vegetable broth). Speaking of vegetable broth, I was going through the checkout with a couple cans one time, cans clearly labeled "vegetable broth" and the cashier picked them up and said, "Vegetarian chicken broth -- how can you have vegetarian chicken broth?"