[net.veg] Busy Veggies

kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) (02/04/86)

In article <870@decwrl.DEC.COM>, malik@galaxy.DEC (Karl Malik) writes:
> 	*Where* do you folks find the time to do all the special
> shopping and preparation that being a vegetarian requires?
> 	I once managed to remain vegetarian for 3 months and found
> that it (plus working a full-time job) consumed a huge portion of
> my time.  Hobbies and other interests were neglected, and I
> eventually gave up. Any very busy vegetarians out there?  How do you handle
> a typical week?

I have a very busy life.  If I can do it anyone can.  Here are some
time savers:
1) Cook lots, and eat the left overs 2-3 (4?) times over the next week.
2) Eat raw foods: Cut up a ton of veggies and save in containers
   for tostadas, burritos, which can then be assembled in 1 minute flat.
3) I always have canned soup (from the health food store) on hand for
   when I'm really rushed.  Health food stores carry other "prepared"
   foods that can be cooked quickly.
4) There are tons of recipes that don't take much time.
   One gathers these as one cooks... The past few weeks I've made:
   a. Alu-Gobi (~15 minutes prep, Cook 20 minutes.)
   b. "Soysage and Peppers", using left over "soysage" that
      I made for Sunday Breakfast.  Time: ~15-20 minutes.
      (Soysage: ~10 minutes prep, 5-10 minutes cook. Delish.)
   c. Tortilla Pizza.  Time ~10 minutes.
   d. Quesadilla (~10 minutes)
   e. Falafel (~15 minutes)
   f. Omlette (~15 minutes)
   g. Egg Foo Young (~15-20 minutes)
   h. Pocket sandwiches (using up those veggies from #2) (~5 minutes)
   i. Sloppy Joes made with TVP and veggies. (~15 minutes).
   j. Tofu Falafel (~15 minutes).

I think a lot of it is just becoming accustomed to cooking
so you can throw something together without having to study a
cookbook.  Also, make extra stuff and *combine* for variety (as in using
soysage in different dishes in 4b.)  B.t.w, a microwave sure helps!
There are a lot of Veggie cook books around now.  Look 'em over and
just pick out the quickies.  I leave the fancy dishes for the occassional
fancy weekend meal.
-- 
Ken Greer
{amdahl,hplabs}!elan!kg

ttp@kestrel.ARPA (02/04/86)

>    One gathers these as one cooks... The past few weeks I've made:
>    a. Alu-Gobi (~15 minutes prep, Cook 20 minutes.)
     ..
>    g. Egg Foo Young (~15-20 minutes)
     ..
>    j. Tofu Falafel (~15 minutes).


Could you post recipes for these things that you cooked?  
I've never ever heard of alu-gobi. Arithmetic Logical Unit of the Gobi Dessert?

-tom

smithson@calma.UUCP (Brian Smithson) (02/04/86)

In article <870@decwrl.DEC.COM>, malik@galaxy.DEC (Karl Malik) writes:
> 	*Where* do you folks find the time to do all the special
> shopping and preparation that being a vegetarian requires?
> 	I once managed to remain vegetarian for 3 months and found
>[...]

Special shopping?  I save time by bypassing the meat counter in its entirety.
That area is usually crowded with people trying to find a "good" cut.  I can't
think of anything that is more complex about vegetarian shopping than about
careful shopping in general.  On the other hand, "shopping's a breeze when
you're shopping for sleeze", whether you're a veg or not :-).

Special preparation?  Seems to me that cooking a big roast for hours on end
is more time consuming than steaming vegetables.

So, where do *you* folks find the time to do all the special shopping and
preparation that being a carnivore (OK, OK, omnivore) requires?

kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) (02/06/86)

In article <4546@kestrel.ARPA>, ttp@kestrel.ARPA writes:
> >    a. Alu-Gobi (~15 minutes prep, Cook 20 minutes.)
> >    g. Egg Foo Young (~15-20 minutes)
> >    j. Tofu Falafel (~15 minutes).
> 
> Could you post recipes for these things that you cooked?  

Alu-Gobi  
--------
Alu means Potato. My Indian cookbooks says Gobi is cabbage,
but whenever I've ordered this, it's been Potatoes and Cauliflower.
Can any Indians help out here?

Recipe:
Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot.
Pour in a heaping teaspoon of black mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon
of cardomon seeds and cook for a minute.  Add a few tablespoons "curry"
powder (which you can buy or make -- see an Indian cookbook) and 
mix to a thin paste. Cook 15 seconds.  Throw in a large chopped onion, 
a few potatoes, one cauliflower, each of these chopped to about 1x1 
inch pieces give or take.  "Dry" saute for a few minutes, stiring lots,
until onion is translucent.  Pour in a half cup of water, cover and
cook at low heat for 20 minutes.  Don't stir, or you'll end up with mush.
And it's done.

Condiments a must: you can buy some very yucky chutneys or you can make
your own.  My favorite quick chutney:

Raisin-Ginger chutney
---------------------
In a cuisinart, throw in a cup of good raisins, a tablespoon of
fresh (I said fresh) ginger, chopped to help it blend, and enough
water, say 1/2 cup maybe. But keep it thick.  Blend.
Squeeze in a fresh lemon, blend some more.  It's done (and out of sight!)


Egg Foo Yung
------------

Beat a few eggs with a squirt of sesame oil and a hint of tamari.
Mix in some chopped scallions and lots of mung (and/or other) sprouts.
Make a (separate) sauce of 1 tsp. Marmite, 1/4 cup dry sherry, and
1/2 tsp. arrow root.  Cook egg mixture like an omlette. When it's just 
about done, throw in sauce and cook for 15 seconds max to thicken sauce.
Voila!

Tofu Falafal
------------
Dip sliced firm tofu in falafel mix.  Fry in minute amount of oil
(or bake.)  Sauce: Mix tahini, lots of lemon juice and some water 
to a thick sauce.  Serve with Pita bread. 

Enjoy!
-- 
Ken Greer
{amdahl,hplabs}!elan!kg

avinash@ubvax.UUCP (Avinash Marathe) (02/07/86)

In article <133@elan.UUCP> kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) writes:
>
>Alu-Gobi  
>--------
>Alu means Potato. My Indian cookbooks says Gobi is cabbage,
>but whenever I've ordered this, it's been Potatoes and Cauliflower.
>Can any Indians help out here?
>
As far as I know, Gobi is cabbage and Phool Gobi is cauliflower.  The
word Phool means flower.  However, in "Alu-Gobi" the Phool has been
dropped since it's understood that it means Phool Gobi (Alu-Gobi being
a very popular dish in India).

Avinash Marathe
{ihnp4,allegra,decwrl}!amd!ubvax!avinash

swb@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU (Scott Brim) (02/09/86)

In article <133@elan.UUCP> kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) writes:
>Alu-Gobi  
>--------
>Alu means Potato. My Indian cookbooks says Gobi is cabbage,
>but whenever I've ordered this, it's been Potatoes and Cauliflower.
>Can any Indians help out here?

Well, I'm by no means Indian but in Hindi Bandh Gobi = cabbage (bandh =
closed) and Phul Gobi = cauliflower (phul = flower).  Cabbage and
cauliflower are varieties of the same species (as are kale, broccoli,
brussels sprouts, I think even collards!).
-- 
Scott W. Brim				swb@devvax.tn.cornell.edu
Cornell Theory Center			{decvax,ihnp4,cmcl2,vax135}!cornell!swb
265 Olin Hall				swb@cornella.bitnet (less preferable)
Cornell University			607-256-8686
Ithaca, NY  14853