Your favorite fancy Vegetarian/Vegan main dish?

[rosemarythyme]

Tamales sound really fun, they're certainly elaborate cause you have to wrap each one. I'm not sure they look the way I hoped so I wonder if there's a way to spruce them up and make them more dramatic.

You could try mixing some inclusions into the masa (such as fine diced peppers since they're colorful, for color and some zip) and then maybe doing something decorative with the husks themselves. Like cutting a design into an outer husk for the purpose of decorative wrapping. Obviously the actual husk they're being steamed in needs to stay intact, however if you utilize both fresh green and dried husks that would give you a natural color difference to be able to "decorate" with, and fresh husks are fine to use. I always steam in fresh husks rather than buy dried.

When I was vegetarian I ate a ton of Mexican food, as it lends itself well to substitutions since many of the recipes take into account of seasonality and personal preferences.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Chickenmomma, those recipes are now super saved to my computer. The processed soy milk might be a problem but I could probably find a substitute.

I think I probably have desserts covered. Most of them are pretty easy to pull off.

We don’t use soy either. I’m sure any non dairy milk would work.

Here is the chocolate pudding recipe, finally found it again, we didn’t use soy milk. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/166611/alexs-raw-chocolate-pudding/

 

[ValerieJ]

My go to vegetarian recipe is eggplant Parmesan. To make it vegan, just don't top it with mozzarella and parmesan. Make a delicious marinara, bread the eggplant and fry it before baking and cover with the sauce. Since the cheese adds to the presentation, sprinkle with strips of basil instead. The eggplant is more filling than most veggies.

 

[ValerieJ]

Also, I have a vegetarian friend who makes this cornflake meatloaf. It is really good actually.
https://keeprecipes.com/recipe/howtocook/meat-loaf-corn-flake-meat-loaf

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Alas, eggplant is the devil in my household. We hate it. My friends like it though so I have considered just making it anyhow.

But the meatloaf I'm fairly certain's not gonna go over well with the non-meaties. XD

 

[ValerieJ]

Alas, eggplant is the devil in my household. We hate it. My friends like it though so I have considered just making it anyhow.

But the meatloaf I'm fairly certain's not gonna go over well with the non-meaties. XD

Because they don't want anything that looks like meat? As for eggplant, most people undercook it. Then it's like eating a sponge or something.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Because they don't want anything that looks like meat? As for eggplant, most people undercook it. Then it's like eating a sponge or something.

Well the recipe you posted literally just used ground beef with corn flakes.
"2 lb ground beef or chuck (80% lean)"
Maybe a mistake was made in the linking? But beef=/=veg so I'm a lil confused. It also has a bunch of dairy in it...

I actually think eggplant just feels like eating slugs no matter how much you cook it. XD Taste wise it's OK. My partner and I both nearly threw up the first time we each ate it, years apart. I think the sponginess makes it a tiny bit better than the sliminess actually.

 

[ValerieJ]

Well the recipe you posted literally just used ground beef with corn flakes.
"2 lb ground beef or chuck (80% lean)"
Maybe a mistake was made in the linking? But beef=/=veg so I'm a lil confused. It also has a bunch of dairy in it...

I actually think eggplant just feels like eating slugs no matter how much you cook it. XD Taste wise it's OK. My partner and I both nearly threw up the first time we each ate it, years apart. I think the sponginess makes it a tiny bit better than the sliminess actually.

Oh OOPS! I don't actually have her recipe and googled it. Picked the wrong one. But now that I looked again I realize it was a Special K Loaf, and it uses eggs, which would not be vegan. My friends are vegetarian but not vegan.

Well, I'm out of ideas. Feed them green beans. lol

 

[Willowspirit]

Don’t lose track of the best part of dinner parties. The biggest pleasure should be in the feeling of offering the food not necessarily in the food you are offering.

That said I like the Wellington idea. Roasted Brussels sprouts would be gorgeous served around it. And maybe fingerling potatoes too. Keep us posted on what you decide.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Eggs are generally OK since for a lot of people I know it's a moral/welfare issue with animals and with eggs they come from my own chickens they can literally see and hold and acknowledge they have a good life here. And my chickens stick around for up to several years so it's not like one year and done with commercial farms, so they live a long time too.

But I'm not going to have almost any eggs in the dead of winter, so if it uses a LOT of eggs or features eggs it won't work.

The dairy is an allergy unfortunately. Lactose intolerance. And I don't raise cows, unfortunately (I sure would love to though). So no wiggle room there.