Guest guest Posted September 1, 1999 Report Share Posted September 1, 1999 Nora's Meatless Pepperpot Soup 1 pkg Knorr vegetable soup mix 1 can peeled, diced tomatoes (any kind you like) 1 small to medium head of cauliflower splash of dry vermouth or other dry wine, red ok (opt) 1 Tbs red wine vinegar freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or pepper sauce Prepare soup according to package directions. While soup heats, break caulflower into florettes and slice them. Add can of tomatoes and other ingredients. The amount of pepper is up to you. We like it spicy, so I use all three types of pepper mentioned. Go very easy on cayenne until you taste at least three spoonfuls. The soup heats just until the cauliflower is tender, perhaps 20 minutes. This can be made in advance and improves as long as cauliflower is not overcooked. This soup is light, but very satisfying. Veggie Gravy You don't need meat to make gravy. I use Kitchen Bouquet to flavor and color it and it is made from a variety of vegetables. To make a really fine vegetable gravy, you need to roast some vegetables. Some work, but this freezes well. Scrub them well and toss them generously with oil. I use whatever is around, but always have onions, celery, garlic, carrots and usually peppers, turnips, pretty much anything can be used (fresh beets are great). I toss with a little salt and pepper and roast at 325* to (uncovered in a pan) for about an hour. I use low temp because I use olive oil and some added margarine. If you use peanut oil, you can raise the temp. The oil and juices in the pan are the fat for your gravy. You must have enough fat to absorb the flour. Generally 1 to 2 Tbs each of fat and flour are used to thicken 1 cup of gravy. The first is thinner, the latter is thicker. I always use Wondra instant flour to do this. It comes in a turquoise blue canister with a shaker top and can be found in the baking aisle. It is much finer and does not tend to make lumps. Ok, you have roasted your veggies and salvaged your oil for the roux. Now, you add some water, wine or vegetable broth to your veggies and pop them in the blender. Puree, then strain through a sieve. Heat the oil on low or medium low and begin sprinkling the flour in, stirring constantly. When you have a paste, begin adding the vegetable liquid, very slowly at first and still stirring constantly. Once you have a uniform, liquified slurry, you can just add the remainder of the liquid. Now you cook until thickened. You will need to taste, of course, and season. Salt and pepper, some Kitchen Bouquet and....hmmm, depends on how it comes out, which depends on what veggies I used. This is something you need to experiment with until it suits you. The texture of your veggie liquid can also vary a lot, depending on what you used and how much liquid you added to the veggie juices. I make it with whatever is seasonal so there are variations. I sometimes add milk or cream. It is some work and takes some practice as fresh veggies vary a lot through the year. But, you can make a bunch and freeze it, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. If I want a creamy version, I do not add milk or cream to what I am going to freeze, I add that while reheating. I also freeze pesto sauce with no adverse results (yes, you can freeze olive oil). I can whip up fettucini and pesto in less than 30 minutes any day of the year. It only takes a few minutes to make a year's supply of pesto and it goes from freezer to table in less than 30 minutes. Also, this is the time of year to make it as garlic and basil are at their peak. Another simple dinner for the 50/50 family is tacos. The prep work is mostly cutting up a bunch of stuff...tomatoes, avocados (toss with lemon or lime juice), lettuce, peppers, olives, onions and grating some cheese. I have a little styrofoam gizmo to heat tortillas in the microwave and it works fine. Nuke 10 seconds, rearrange them and nuke 5 to 10 more seconds for 4 tortillas. This works for soft or crisp tortillas. We use soft flour ones. Heat some refried beans and your wife can brown some hamburger for herself or use some leftover meat if she wants it. I think I really started going veg when I discovered that I preferred my tacos without meat...it was all the other stuff I really loved. And, yes, it's easy to find tortillas that do not contain animal fat, but you do pay more for them. Rosarita vegetarian refried beans are wonderful, but it's easy to make your own. Get a can of pinto beans, drain and put in a skillet or microwave pan. Heat a bit, add some oil if you like (or use bean juice) and mash with a potato masher. You can season, if desired, with some cumin, chili powder or oregano. I, of course, would add some sort of pepper too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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