Best Vegetarian Dishes - My Experience With Vegetarian Dining

It seems the more I listen to the news and read the papers, the more I start hearing about tainted or spoiled meat getting into our food supplies. One has to wonder just how safe our meats are, especially with some of the hormones they are putting in them. I looked for an option, and decided to look into cooking some healthy vegetarian dishes for a change.

Now mind you, this wasn't an all out decision to become a vegetarian, as some of my prior experiences with vegetarian dining were quite distressing. But this time I decided it would be different, and I would do some research prior to running up the grocery tab.

Vegetarian Dishes

Initially I thought that going to my local library would provide all the resources I would need in regards to vegetarian recipes and cooking, but then I thought I would go one step further. Why not visit a vegetarian restaurant! Easier said then done, as it took hours of looking through the yellow pages along with surfing the web, before I was able to locate some sources in close proximity.

The first restaurant sounded right on target, "Best Vegetarian". I thought, "How could I go wrong with that?" Well unfortunately the name didn't live up to the food. It was a quiet Wednesday night when I visited, so waiting for a table was not an issue. The waiter was quite polite, and the menu was pages in length. As I browsed through some of the entrees, my eyes came to rest on "vegetable lasagna". Yes, just what I was in the mood for.

The meal arrived quite quickly, (I should have taken this as a clue), and it actually looked quite tempting. Unfortunately as I dug in, my fork seemed to get stuck in this thick "goo" that was similar to mending putty. The vegetables were slightly cooked, if not raw, and the sauce was definitely right out of a jar. Soon after, I realized that this was nothing more then a "frozen entree", that was probably purchased at a local store. Who said vegetarian dishes had to be fresh.

Well anyway I left quite discouraged, but determined to do more research on vegan dining, and cooking. This time I thought I might go the "library" route, and see if I could find some great vegetarian recipe books. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Best Vegetarian Dishes - My Experience With Vegetarian Dining

Finding the best Vegetarian Dishes can be a challenge for many. Some veggie recipes are truly better then others. If you want some FREE information on great vegetarian recipes then Visit: http://www.vegetariandishes.org.

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West African Vegetarian Pepper Soup with Black-Eyed Bean Cakes

West African cuisine is unusual in that though meat is a rare and expensive commodity and, as a result most dishes are heavy on vegetable components it's still difficult finding a truly vegetarian dish. Part of the reason for this is that dried fish, fish heads and meat off-cuts as well as animal feet and tails are often used as flavorings for the basic stocks in just about every recipe. The same is true of that most classic of all West African dishes, the chili-laden 'Pepper Soup'.

Recently I was working on a West African themed meal for a number of friends an family. However, several of the guests were vegetarian and I found myself in the unusual position of needing to make a vegetarian version of Pepper Soup. The basis for this recipe is my wife's basic Pepper Soup stock (she is Liberian) and a West African recipe for for Moy-Moy (black-eyed bean cakes). The resultant recipe is given below:

Vegetarian Dishes

For the Moy-Moy

500g black-eyed peas (Akara)

salt and black pepper to taste

What you actually need is Akara powder (black-eyed bean flour) but this is difficult to find. Simply add the beans to a coffee grinder and render to a smooth paste. Tip this paste in a bowl and slowly add just enough water so that you have a smooth, thick paste. Cover with a cloth and leave for an hour. During this time the beans will absorb some of the water and swell. Just add a little more water to return the mixture to a smooth paste then season with salt and black pepper.

You can use the paste immediately, but it tastes much better if left in the fridge over night (the flavour will intensify). When you are ready to use the mixture, stir the batter vigorously to remove air bubbles then grease the bases of the wells in a muffin tin and scoop the mixture into the wells (filling no more than 3/4 full); the mixture should be enough to fill at least five wells. Place the muffin tin in a large baking dish partly-filled with water. Cover with foil and then bake in an oven pre-heated to 190°C for about 50 minutes or until cooked through and firm. (Test by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the cakes. When the skewer emerges cleanly the cake is done.)

Allow to cool then set aside. Quarter the bean cakes and deep fry in oil before adding to the pepper soup.

For the Pepper Soup

20 Scotch Bonnet Chillies

Juice of 1 lime

vegetables for stock (any mix of carrots, onion, courgette, collard greens, broccoli stems, celery)

1 small tin tomato paste

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

vegetable oil

12 cloves garlic, finely chopped

First make a fish stock by gently frying 6 cloves of garlic, diced carrots, roughly chopped onion, courgette slices, broccoli stems and chopped celery in a little oil until the onion is soft and translucent. Add about 2l water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes. At the end of this time pass the stock through a strainer into a clean pan and push as much of the vegetables through the strainer mesh as you can.

Take 12 of the chillies and add to a large pestle and mortar. Pound to a rough paste then add the chopped onion and pound this in to form a paste, along with the black pepper and remaining garlic. Pour 60ml of oil in a pan and ad the chilli paste. Fry for a few minutes (about 5) then season with salt and transfer this mix to the pan with the vegetable stock. Add the remaining whole chillies and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

At this time add the deep fried Moy-Moy and the tomato paste and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the bean cakes have cooked through. Serve in a large bowl, accompanied by rice.

Traditionally the guests would spoon the soup into a bowl and mash the whole chillies with a fork before eating.

Admittedly this is a very hot dish, but it has one remarkable property in that it brings out the full flavour of the Scotch Bonnet chillies (and they are very tasty cooked this way). In West Africa this soup or its variants are used as a general pick-me-up and whenever someone is feeling under the weather then the soup is prepared as a general 'pick-me-up'.

This pepper soup truly offers the real taste of West Africa and a version of this is known from just about every country in West Africa. If you wish you can, of course use the basic pepper soup recipe but substitute deep-fried fish or chicken pieces instead of the deep-fried black-eyed bean cakes.

West African Vegetarian Pepper Soup with Black-Eyed Bean Cakes

Dyfed Lloyd-Evans runs the Celtnet Recipes recipe site whose aim this year, as well as bringing you the best recipes from around the world is to gather in one place the largest number of African recipes found anywhere (the site boasts over 1000 recipes already and is growing weekly). The recipes presented here is based on the West African Recipes region of the site, more specifically the Liberian Recipes page. The entire African recipes selection can also be purchased as part of the Recipes of Africa eBook, proceeds from which go to giving the children of Liberian refugees in Senegal an education, which they would not otherwise receive.

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Chicago for Food Lovers - Inside or Outside the Loop, Chicago is a Foodie's Town

Whether your idea of a perfect meal is a melt-in-your mouth steak, main-dish veggies, Chicago-style pizza, classic diner food, or exotic dishes from another culture, you will find a restaurant favorite in Chicago.

For steaks and red-meat lovers, The Capital Grille (633 N Saint Clair Street) features the finest in dry- aged steaks and award-winning wines. Everything from the signature Veal Chop with Roquefort Butter Sauce to Steak au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream is oh, so tantalizing. Viand (155 East Ontario) has more than just red -- pastas and fish are also served -- but why not enjoy a great red meat dish from a chef whose family owns the oldest meatpacking company in Chicago? If you like sports served with your red meat, check out NFL Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka's Restaurant (100 E. Chestnut), with an upstairs cigar lounge.

Vegetarian Dishes

If you are more the veggies as a main course type, you can't go wrong at the Green Zebra (1460 West Chicago Ave), where the emphasis is on unique vegetarian dishes, changed seasonally. Or try a different kind of diner experience, at The Chicago Diner (3411 N. Halsted Street), which claims it is "meat free since '83."

Locals swear by Gino's East of Chicago (633 N. Wells Street) and Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (439 N. Wells Street) for irresistible Chicago-style pizza. Think deep-dish with oozing cheese, rich sauce and fresh toppings. Yum!

For breakfast and more, the Bongo Room (1152 S. Wabash Ave) in Wicker Park is a unique coffee house featuring dishes with a distinctive twist, like raspberry cheesecake hotcakes. Manny's Coffee Shop and Deli (1141 S. Jefferson St) offers classic diner food. Come hungry, leave full.

If your palate likes to venture to other lands, Roy's (720 N. State St) offers Hawaiian with a bit of aloha. For the best of two cultures, Dee's Mandarin (1114 Armitage Ave) offers Chinese cuisine and a great sushi bar. Wishing for a Thai kitchen? Dine at Vong's Thai Kitchen (6 W. Hubbard St), a spin-off of New York's Thai-French fusion Vong. Enjoy Chicago's renowned Greektown at Costa's (340 S. Halsted St). Try the Bistro Margot (1437 N. Wells St ) for soul-satisfying coq au vin and other French delights. Coobah (3423 N. Southport Ave) serves Latin American until late, along with a good party. Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Ave) is a top pick for upscale Italian with a generous helping of Lake Michigan views. At The India House (59 W. Grand Ave), you can taste foods from a variety of different Indian regions.

For fabulous desserts along with your meal, try A Taste of Heaven (5401 N. Clark St), Nine Steak House (440 W. Randolph St), or Maggiano's Little Italy (516 N. Clark St). If you are heading to a Chicago restaurant for a sumptuous meal, CRSHotels.com has the perfect hotel for you. Choose the Sutton Place, the Seneca Hotel, or the Whitehall Hotel. Enjoy the Amalfi Hotel, the Ambassador East Hotel, or the Raffaello Hotel. Stay at the Congress Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, the Best Western Grant Park, or the Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile.

Chicago for Food Lovers - Inside or Outside the Loop, Chicago is a Foodie's Town

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What To Order In A Mexican Restaurant

If you tend to order the same items every time you visit a restaurant, you are really missing out! Some south of the border style eateries only offer the basics so if your local restaurant only has fajitas, tacos, quesadillas and burritos you would probably be better off finding a more traditional establishment or cooking your own authentic Mexican food recipes at home.

This cuisine blends the exotic with the simple, the spicy with the mild, and the nutritious with the flavorful. Millions of people love this exciting cuisine and you can find Mexican restaurants all over the globe, although they vary hugely in quality and authenticity.

Vegetarian Dishes

You might find traditional dishes on the menu or it might be food which has been tailored to suit the western palate. A lot of the local food is very spicy, which is why some establishments tone down the piquant flavors. It is still worth trying some of the spicy dishes though, if your taste buds can bear it, just for the experience.

Because many people are unaware of the difference between Tex-Mex food and Mexican food (and in fact between junk food and traditional dishes), this cuisine is widely misunderstood. So what exactly should you hope to find on a good menu and what should you order?
Some Tasty Ideas

The menu will probably be based on meat, chicken, fish, and vegetarian dishes. There might also be soups and salads. Burritos feature on most Mexican restaurant menus and this meat, bean and vegetable mixture is tasty. You can order a fajita burrito if you want green bell pepper and onion instead of beans or a burrito bowl if you do not want a tortilla.

Try a side of pico de gallo if you like salsa. This is like a chunky salsa recipe and it is typically Mexican. You can usually get sour cream, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese at no extra cost at Mexican eateries.

If you are familiar with burritos, fajitas and the usual dishes people order, why not try something different? Look out for chicken or turkey in mole sauce. Mole sauce is a mouthwatering savory chocolate sauce with a typical south of the border flavor.

Maybe you fancy a typical stew or soup recipe or even a layered salad. Trying new meals means you might stumble upon something amazing that you otherwise would not have found. You can ask the server for his or her recommendations and you might find out this way about some of the more unusual meals that you can choose from.

Secret Menu Items

Did you know that a lot of Latin restaurants in New York have "secret" items which are not listed on the menus? These are available by request and they are mainly to distinguish regular visitors from tourists.

These secret items might be special salads or taco fillings or they might be different sauces from what is listed on the menu. It is worth becoming a regular, once you find a good restaurant, so you can try different authentic Mexican food recipes each time you visit.

What To Order In A Mexican Restaurant

There is something for everyone with Mexican recipes because this cuisine is so varied. Eating out can be expensive though so the best way to sample plenty of delicious authentic Mexican recipes is to make your own at home.

MexicanFoodRecipes.org When it has to be Real Authentic Mexican Food

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Entertaining - Deciding What to Serve Your Guests

One of the most challenging things about entertaining guests is knowing what to serve them. There is a tendency to try and be all things to all people, and make too much of everything. This ends up wasting time, money and food.

The most important decision to make when entertaining is this: what type of evening are you planning? If it is a sit down dinner, the menu will be different than if it is a cocktail party, where guests will likely carry around a small plate of eats while chatting with the other guests.

Vegetarian Dishes

The cocktail-style party is the easiest to plan, but can be the most challenging to prepare for. The food is typically a selection of appetizers and finger foods. Most of us have one or two signature dishes of this type...those dishes that we have perfected, that we take to all the potlucks, and we are known for them. Don't make them all for the same event. Plan a menu around one of them. If you decide to make your Mexican-style appetizer that everyone just loves, plan a Mexican menu. Or plan your menu theme around a holiday. Whatever theme you use, limit what you serve to how much food you will need-a party can be successful without cooking everything including the kitchen sink.

One rule of thumb is to assume that every guest will have three of any given appetizer. Three cocktail meatballs, three truffles, three buffalo wings. Determine the approximate number of guests, then multiply accordingly to determine how much of each dish to prepare. I always plan for 2-3 extra guests in my computations. Things tend to average out nicely.

Another important rule is to serve a variety of foods. A few guests will likely prefer vegetarian dishes, others will seek dishes without cheese. Still others will head straight to the veggie platter. Planning a party with 12 total attendees, I might make six appetizers; two meat based, two dips (only one with cheese), one veggie/fruit tray, one dessert). It might seem like a small spread, but people will eat what they are served, and by the time the drinks go on the buffet table, and all the plates and napkins, and what the heck, throw in a few bowls of mixed nuts, your table will be rich and full, and no one will leave hungry.

A final bit of advice is this: if you are planning on serving a dish (or dishes) that you have never prepared before, do a trial run before the party. Most of us tend to fine tune recipes to suit our tastes, and reading a recipe in a magazine or online is a far cry from actually knowing how it tastes, or how well it stands up to the other dishes you will be serving. Take the time to fix it once for your family, and make adjustments to personalize it for your party. No one wants to be your test kitchen, and you don't want to serve something you feel you need to apologize for.

With a little planning, and a little effort, your party will be successful, your guests will be full, and your budget won't be broken. Enjoy!

Entertaining - Deciding What to Serve Your Guests

Danielle Brooks is a freelance writer who loves to entertain. When entertaining she likes to use Noritake Colorwave dinnerware from Noritake

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Montreal Vegetarian Restaurants - A Guide to Best Vegetarian Montreal Restaurants

Bored of non-vegetarian recipes? Though I am sure you aren't especially when you're residing in a city like Montreal. However, if you are seeking some vegetarian alternatives, then Montreal has plenty of such options too. Well, Montreal is one city which offers you a wide variety of restaurants where you can savor your favorite dishes and satisfy your taste buds. No matter where you are located, you will always find great restaurants close to your neighborhood. It is quite easy to find well known Montreal restaurants serving vegetarian options. Not only this, you can easily find purely vegetarian restaurants in Montreal as well.

With a wide range of restaurants in Montreal to select from, you will never feel exhausted tasting the same dish again and again. The vegetarian restaurants in Montreal offer you a great diversity of vegetarian eating options to meet your pallet. Here comes few of the noted restaurants in Montreal bringing you the best vegetarian options to take a note of.

Vegetarian Dishes

Commensal

A perfect choice for vegetarian people, Restaurant Commensal is a unique buffet styled Montreal vegetarian restaurant. It brings you a variety of lip-smacking and fresh vegetarian options. The best thing about this restaurant is that here you pay for the overall weight of your plate either for dinner or for lunch. That's just great if you are looking to try out few more dishes. Moreover, it's exciting for those people who are not used to select from a whole buffet table.

Lola Rosa Café

Located alongside a calm street close to a university, the Lola Rosa Café is a beautiful café sometimes busy but it's a cozy place to enjoy some great food. There are several options to satisfy your appetite. Some of the popular choices include chili vegetarian curry, hemp burger and more. Get some of the most inventive and creative choices out here. They bring you some of the exciting selection of desserts available in the city.

Yuan Vegetarian

Yuan Vegetarian is by far one of the most expensive vegetarian restaurants in Montreal offering you the best of vegetarian dining experience. This is a large restaurant with the ability to hold several people at a time. At Yuan Vegetarian, you can be ready to have a relaxing and quiet dining experience. If you plan out to visit this Montreal restaurant, then don't forget to try the special oriental tea.

Le Cagibi

Le Cagibi offers much cheaper vegetarian dishes. It is at least cheaper than the recipes of Lola Rosa. However, you can be sure of the quality of food being served at this restaurant. When you plan your visit to Le Cagibi, make sure you have the delicious Croque Chevre. It is one of the favorite dishes served with perfection.

Enjoy your lunch or dinner in a relaxed and moderately designed back room with comfortable sitting arrangements available. The relaxed, quiet and cozy atmosphere is what you can look for. The food served is of highest standards and fresh.

Vegetarian Montreal Restaurants bring you the best of dining experience. So make sure you have the great experience choosing the best one!

Montreal Vegetarian Restaurants - A Guide to Best Vegetarian Montreal Restaurants

For more on Restaurants in Montreal, check out information available online. Get to find the best Restaurants in Montreal instantly!

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