Vegetarian Menu with WoW Factor

What is it about cooking for vegetarians that stumps so many carnivores? Even those who make a sublime split pea soup or divine dal curry suddenly feel compelled to reach for the safety of Boca burgers.

Truth is, vegetarians and omnivores can dine happily together, on the same glorious feast.

When planning a vegetarian dinner party that includes both vegetarians and meat-eaters, best to banish any lingering whiffs of 1970s vegetarian restaurants, with their Birkenstock-wearing servers and mushy beige food, and focus on the wow factor. And today, that couldn’t be easier.

Consider aromatic, curried vegetables nestled against the black grains of forbidden rice, an exotic grain favored, according to legend, by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Or a hearty stew of toothsome farro, flavorful lentils and vivid orange sweet potatoes or butternut squash that gets a tangy zing from lemon zest and Greek yogurt.

In short, create a menu that offers nothing but gustatory temptation.

“I don’t come to the table as a vegetarian,” says Marie Simmons, the Richmond, Calif., food writer behind “Fresh and Fast Vegetarian” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 256 pages, $17.95). “I come to the table as someone who loves big, bold, robust flavors – curry, paprika, orange zest, lots of herbs – and I believe in abbondanza.”
That’s the Italian word for joyful abundance. Simmons’ philosophy is that if you heap your table with beautiful, aromatic food, even die-hard steak lovers will be too delighted by the bounty to notice the absence of rib-eyes.

The issue isn’t that traditional meat-eaters are anti-vegetarian, Simmons says.
“It’s a fear of tofu,” she says. “And they’re afraid they’re not going to get enough to eat.” That’s not a problem at Simmons’ home, where vegetarian entrees are combined with sumptuous side dishes. When she’s entertaining a mixed crowd, those sides include a crisp green salad, goat cheese-topped crostini and roasted Idaho or sweet potatoes, lush with melting cheese.

“Confirmed omnivores,” she says, “are big potatoes people.”

What Napa Valley food writer Janet Fletcher looks for in a vegetarian entree are the exact same things she seeks in any entree – flavor, texture, heartiness and visual appeal. And, of course, how it pairs with wine.

For heaven’s sake, says the James Beard Award-winning journalist, “you don’t need to announce you’re serving a meatless meal.”

Just think creatively.

“Dinner does not have to be animal protein, a starch and a vegetable,” says Fletcher, the author of “Eating Local” (Andrews McMeel, 306 pages, $35). “Americans are not protein-deficient.”

According to national statistics, Americans are notorious for their protein overconsumption, something we might blame on Dr. Atkins. And in any case, meat, tofu and beans do not hold the monopoly on protein. Whole grains and many vegetables brim with it, too. So Fletcher often uses polenta, farro, bulgur or rice as a foundation, then adds in the vegetables and cheese, either as a flavoring element or afterward, in lieu of dessert.

One of Fletcher’s favourite vegetarian menus includes a salad of roasted peppers and mozzarella, and a creamy farro risotto with Jerusalem artichokes and deeply browned, almost meaty mushrooms.

“It’s a beautiful dish for red wine,” she says.

When it comes down to it, entertaining is all about making guests feel welcomed and well-fed, no matter what their dietary preferences.
“Basically, my position is: Good food is good food,” says Heidi Swanson, a San Francisco food blogger who parlayed her 101Cookbooks.com site into a new cookbook, “Super Natural Every Day” (Ten Speed Press, 250 pages, $23).

“I don’t spend much time thinking about what someone typically eats,” she says. “Instead, I just try to make sure whatever I’m cooking is fresh, flavorful, interesting and substantial.”

That said, when you’re serving a crowd, Swanson suggests including a do-it-yourself element.

“If it’s a soup night, I’ll put out a spread of corresponding toppings,” she says. “The same works for taco fillings, waffle toppings, pizza nights, etc. That allows each person to customize things to their liking.”

Have an elegant vegetarian dinner party coming up? Fletcher suggests trying her party-perfect, grilled eggplant cannelloni, partly because the dish looks fabulous and tastes even better, but partly because its richly satisfying ricotta filling can be tweaked to all tastes. If you really do have a guest who would sooner die than omit meat from any meal, Fletcher suggests adding a little diced prosciutto to some of the filling and baking those cannelloni separately.

Serve it with an avocado, frisee and fennel salad, with a nice piece of blue cheese afterward.

It’s perfect for entertaining, she says, no matter who is at the table.

Grilled Eggplant Cannelloni with Ricotta

Note: This is a lovely vegetarian entree. But if your omnivorous guests really can’t survive without any meat, add 3 tablespoons minced prosciutto to half the filling, and bake separately.

2 large globe eggplants
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, chopped
8-12 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt

Ricotta filling:

2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Slice off the eggplants’ green caps, then cut each eggplant lengthwise into six 1/3-inch thick slices. Discard the first and last slices, which are mostly skin. Sprinkle generously on both sides with salt; let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat a grill to medium, 375 degrees. Pat eggplant dry, then brush with olive oil on both sides. Place the slices directly on the hot grill and cook, turning once, until nicely grill-marked and pliable, 3 minutes per side.

3. For the tomato sauce, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until the onion softens and begins to color, 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they soften and collapse into a sauce, about 10 minutes, depending on ripeness.

4. Puree the mixture or pass it through a food mill. Return the puree to the skillet over moderate heat. Tear the basil in half and add it, along with the crumbled oregano, hot pepper flakes and salt to taste. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and tasty.

5. For the filling, blend the ricotta, 1/2 cup pecorino, parsley and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Choose a shallow baking pan large enough to hold the eggplant rolls snugly in one layer. Spread 1/3 cup tomato sauce in the dish.

7. Spread a generous 2 tablespoons filling on each eggplant slice. Carefully roll each slice, like a jelly roll, and place, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup pecorino. Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

-Janet Fletcher and Sur la Table, “Eating Local” (Andrews McMeel, 306 pages, $35)

• Makes 4 servings.

Farro-Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 cup peeled, diced sweet potato or winter squash
Sea salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
2/3 cup semi-pearled farro
1 1/4 cups green or black lentils, picked over
6-7 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup Greek-style yogurt or creme fraiche
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and sweet potato. Add a big pinch of salt and saute until the onions soften a bit, a couple of minutes.

2. Add the curry powder; stir until onions and sweet potatoes are coated and the curry is fragrant, a minute or so.

3. Add the farro, lentils and 6 cups broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. (If using whole farro, instead of semi-pearled, increase cooking time to 50 minutes.)

4. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Stir together the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a dollop of lemon yogurt and a drizzle of olive oil.

-Heidi Swanson, “Super Natural Every Day” (Ten Speed Press, 250 pages, $23)

• Makes 8 servings.

Coconut-Vegetable Curry with Cashews

Note: This colorful vegetarian curry is delicious served with black Forbidden, Bhutanese red or brown jasmine rice. Feel free to vary the vegetables with the season.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cups unpeeled eggplant, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
15-16 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups 1/2-inch cauliflower florets
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup green beans, cut in 1/2-inch lengths
2-3 teaspoons minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
13.5-ounce can regular or light coconut milk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they are a shade darker, 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and chickpeas; cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add the cauliflower, onion, carrot, green beans, jalapeno, ginger, curry powder, garlic, salt and turmeric. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Spoon the curry into a large bowl or over a platter of rice. Sprinkle with cashews and cilantro and serve.

-Marie Simmons, “Fresh and Fast Vegetarian” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 256 pages, $17.95)
• Makes 4-6 servings.

MEATLESS MONDAYS

You may think of “Meatless Mondays” – the grass-roots movement promoting whole grain, healthful, vegetarian dining one day a week – as some newfangled green thing, but its roots stretch back to World War I. Now, the idea of going meatless one day a week has been revived by a Johns Hopkins School of Public Health-sponsored campaign that includes restaurant chefs, glitzy celebrities and, of course, doctors, who hope to reduce the incidence of cancer, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Get more information, as well as recipes and answers to commonly asked nutritional questions, at www.meatlessmonday.com.

Read more: http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/89dd437e-fa5e-11e0-b60a-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1bLrUMEuM

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Vegetarian, Raw and Vegan with Bill & Sheila