Readers share hearty vegetarian dishes

Jean Spencer of West Ashley is one of many people across the country sad about the demise of Gourmet magazine, as she appreciated its recent attempts to bring vegetarian dishes into the fold of gourmet cooking.

Jean also expressed a "beef" about restaurants, including a couple of local ones, that don't accommodate vegetarian diners, even to the point of being rude about it. She wonders if Charleston is more hostile than other cities toward vegetarianism.

"Even at the jazz festival in New Orleans, I got excellent Cajun and Creole non-meat dishes," she says.

Anybody care to weigh in on this?

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. At Jean's suggestion, we celebrated it successfully last year in this column. So here we are again, with a fresh batch of no-meat recipes.

This is Jean's latest find, a hearty low-cal dish from Vicki Smallwood's cookbook, "100 Great Recipes Vegetarian."

Hearty Goulash

Serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

4 large red bell peppers, de-seeded and chopped

1 pound, 1 ounce potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tablespoons paprika

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock

1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooked noodles and sour cream for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet and cook onions over moderate heat until tender and softened. Add peppers and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring until peppers are softened and start to turn golden.

Toss the chopped potatoes into the paprika to coat them. Add them to skillet and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the stock and beans and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook 40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is thickened and the potatoes are tender and starting to break up a little.

Season to taste before serving with noodles and sour cream.

Audrey Clarke-Pounder of North Charleston also responded with a recipe her family enjoys as cold weather comfort food.

"This recipe is from 'Diet for a Small Planet' by Frances Moore Lappe (1971, Ballentine Books). This book is all about high-protein meatless cooking and in fact, the first 160 pages is a treatise on obtaining high-quality protein by combining plant and renewal animal resources (eggs, cheese, milk proteins). There is also a good book by Ellen Buchman Ewald titled 'Recipes for a Small Planet' (1973, Ballentine Books) that has lots of good recipes also.

"These books may be out of print and besides there are a lot of good vegetarian cookbooks now. The hippy-dippy air about these two might be a bit off-putting to some, but lovely illustrations, nonetheless. This is perfect for a cold day. Serve with cornbread."

Lentils, Monastery Style

2 large onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and marjoram (oregano works if you have no marjoram)

3 cups of vegetable stock

1 cup dry lentils, washed

Salt to taste

1/4 cup of chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 can (15- to 16-ounce) of diced tomatoes with juice

1/4 cup of sherry (see cook's note)

2/3 cup grated Swiss cheese

Cook's note: If you don't like sherry, Audrey says she has used unfiltered (natural) apple cider with good effect.

In a large pot, saute the chopped onions and carrot in the olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the herbs and saute 1 minute more.

Add the vegetable stock, lentils, salt, parsley and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. When done, stir in sherry.

To serve: place 2 tablespoons grated cheese in bowl and top with soup.

Becky Nida of Charleston sends one of her favorite veggie recipes:

Barley Casserole

1 medium onion, diced

1 small can mushrooms (save liquid)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup quick cooking barley

1/2 cup butter

1 envelope dried onion soup mix (see editor's note)

1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, sliced and drained

Editor's note: Beware of onion soup mix; it may not be meatless. Although beef (or some other meat) may not be listed among the ingredients, "natural flavors" could be derived from anything, including animals.

Saute onion, mushrooms, almonds and barley in butter until golden brown.

Add onion soup mix, vegetable broth, mushroom liquid and water chestnuts.

Pour into casserole, cover, and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

"Since the weather's been cool and gloomy, I decided to send a slightly modified soup recipe from the Jan./Feb. 1990 issue of Cooking Light (magazine)," writes Alysia Lucas of Goose Creek.

"The original calls for chopped stewed tomatoes and chicken broth but the soup is so flavorful that a good vegetable broth would substitute just fine. A dollop of sour cream on top doesn't hurt either."

Sassy Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 small cloves garlic, minced

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) can vegetable broth

1/2 cup medium picante sauce

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of 1 lime

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. Add beans and next five ingredients; stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro if desired.

Amy Midgley of West Ashley sends a recipe that's well-liked at her house. "I often substitute fresh herbs for dried, but it's good either way."

Cheesy Zucchini Pie

Pastry for 9-inch pie (frozen is fine)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 large zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool. Spread mustard evenly over bottom of pastry shell.

Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add zucchini and onion; cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley, basil, garlic powder and oregano; cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes.

Combine eggs and mozzarella cheese; stir into zucchini mixture. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted about an inch from center comes out clean. Let pie stand 10 minutes before serving.

Now I know what to do with the bags of broccoli florets I bought on sale last week, thanks to Ron Pollitt of Kiawah Island.

Cold Sesame Broccoli

1 pound broccoli head

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, roasted

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons spring onions, finely chopped

Remove broccoli florets from stems, peel stems, and slice into bite-size pieces. Blanch broccoli pieces in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and shock in bowl of iced water. When chilled, drain broccoli, dry thoroughly in salad spinner, and place in bowl.

Combine next 6 ingredients in separate bowl, mix thoroughly, pour over broccoli, and toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or cover bowl and chill in refrigerator before serving.

Who's got the recipe?

--Cathy Berry writes, "Last year, one of my favorite sandwich/hot dog shops closed -- SunRays Dog and Deli on Long Point Road. They made the BEST potato salad. Is there any way you could find the recipe?"

Well, maybe with some help, Cathy. If anyone has any leads to the owners, please e-mail the address at the bottom of this column.

--Another reader is looking for a scrambled egg recipe (for about 15 people) that can be held for at least 30 minutes before it will be eaten and not become watery. "I did have a baked recipe but I've since lost it and it did become somewhat watery. Ham or bacon with it will be OK but no cheese."

--Lee Etta Messick of Goose Creek has lost her recipe for Milky Way Cake. She says the cake is a box mix, but is baked with Milky Way candies in the batter.

--Joanne Summers of West Ashley seeks a recipe for "snow rockets," a treat for kids. They are tube-shaped cookies containing oatmeal and are dusted with powdered sugar.

--Adele Fralix of St. George would like recipes using Egg Beaters.

Looking for a recipe or have one to share? Reach Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, e-mail food@postandcourier.com or write The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.