riacmt@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Carol Miller-Tutzauer) (11/17/90)
In article <1990Nov16.192945.10391@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>, tgl@slee01.srl.ford.com (Tom Leone) writes... >One of my Thanksgiving guests will be a vegetarian (she will eat eggs >and milk products). Could you please suggest an American-style main >dish I could serve in addition to the turkey? I don't really want >anything too ethnic (e.g. fried rice). A couple of suggestions: The first is a Cajun dish called Maque Choux (pronounced Mock Shoe). Serve it like a stew with rice. (Omnivores can fry up chicken pieces and add during the last stages of cooking, but meat is NOT necessarily a part of Maque Choux.) This dish utilizes Cajun cooking techniqes but was really introduced to them by the Choctaw Indians of Louisiana. Essentially it is "smothered" corn stew. Recipe follows: Maque Choux ----------- 2 quarts fresh corn cut off the cob (about 15-20 ears of fresh corn; also see note below on how to shave the corn from the cob) or frozen kernels (don't skimp, get good quality stuff) 1 med onion, chopped 1 lb tomatoes, pureed (add some water if necessary) 2 c (low sodium) vegetable broth or tomato juice 1/4 c vegetable oil 1 t sugar (increase to 1 T if using frozen corn) 1/2 t salt 1/2 t cayenne pepper (more or less to taste) 1/4 t garlic powder 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper Hot cooked rice Heat oil in dutch oven or other large pot (cast iron is best, but use what you are comfortable using) over medium heat. Saute onions for about 5-10 minutes, or until they begin to carmelize. Add the tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 c vegetable broth (or tomato juice), corn, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring and scraping bottom well so it doesn't stick to the pan bottom and scorch. When mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Before serving, heat and serve immediately with rice. NOTE! on shaving corn from cobs: This dish is good with frozen corn but it is absolutely PHENOMENAL if you can get fresh corn. Peel husks and "stringy" hair from the corn; wash ears. Now take a sharp knife and cut only partway down so you get the "tip" of the corn kernels. Then cut another "slice" down the corn aruond all the sides. (Be sure not to cut too far or you will get the tough "cob" part.) Now take your knife and scrape the "juice" from the corn into the bowl holding your kernels. DO-AHEAD TIP: This sounds like a lot of trouble but you can make this dish the day before, then just heat back up before serving. Don't cook it too long, since the corn should still be kind of "crunchy." Frozen corn is easiest but the result will not be quite so "sweet" and "creamy". (Oh yeah...it's kinda messy to shave & scrape the corn, but just go outside & do it then take a shower afterwards!) Credit: This is a variation of a Paul Prudhomme recipe. === Other suggestions are not so interesting (or nearly so tasty, IMHO): You could serve a quiche, but be creative by adding autumn or American ingredients (squash, corn, that type of thing). You could also get one of those smaller, individual-sized squash, then stuff it with whatever dressing you are using for your turkey (provided it has no meat product in it; if nothing else you could keep out part of the breadcrumb/onion/celery/spice mixture then use a vegetable broth as a binder). I think a cornbread stuffing would go well. You could also put some walnuts and raisins in it or even hide little chunks of autumn vegetables in the stuffing. Then you put the squash on some kind of pie plate or tin and bake for the same time you would bake the dressing or maybe a bit longer. The person would get an individual stuffed squash packed with all sorts of veggie surprises. You could even layer alternate layers of veggies and stuffing. Anyway, that's my ideas without going off on the ethnic deep-end (though it was tempting because those cooks from India really know how to put on a vegan feast!). Carol