Veg Dutch Oven Recipes

[Odysseus]

Just got this cool pot:

I'll be cooking for some vegetarians. Anyone have some good vegetarian recipes? I know my way around carnivore stews, but I've not dabbled in vegetarian recipes for this type of utensil.

Anyone have any interesting recipes for four people? (This is a 5-quart pot.)

 

[Old Hippie]

One of my favourite winter dishes is roasted root vegetables. Gather up as many kinds as you can find: beets, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes... I've added other non-root-y things like artichoke hearts as well.

Peel them and cut them up. Put them in the dutch oven and pour some olive oil and just a bit of balsamic vinegar over the top, and dust with crushed dried rosemary. Add a bit of salt. Stir to coat well and put in a 400F oven for 45 minutes to an hour. They will be aromatic and quite soft.

This does not have an included protein, so you may offer choices of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options or else serve another vegetarian dish with protein: meat substitute, tofu, tempeh, seitan or beans.

O.H.

 

[Odysseus]

Thanks for that Old Hippie, sounds wonderful.

 

[Tirvine]

Certainly most any type of beans. Maybe a curry of cubed, firm tofu and chunks of squash, sweet potato, onion, and peppers, okra optional. Blistered green beans. Posole. And, of course, any vegetarian Indian dishes like chana masala, baingan bharta, etc. Try making just the vegetables for boeuf Bourguignon, skipping the meat. It is delicious over steamed new potatoes.

 

[Old Hippie]

I'm not sure what you can find in stores where you are, but I can get a very firm pressed tofu here (in Canada). It works well as a substitute for paneer (Indian cheese). We like it in palak paneer or "cheese and spinach curry" over basmati rice.

I find it too firm and dry to make good sauteed tofu. For that I buy a medium-firm block and cut the block into four slices. I then put a kitchen towel in a half-sheet pan, arrange the tofu slices on the towel, flip the other half of the towel over the tofu, and add some weight. Typically that's a small cookie sheet with a cast iron pot sitting on it. Couple of hours later it's pressed and ready for sauteeing.

Although TSP or textured soy protein is an option, it's not one I generally recommend. When I've used it the consistency (and the taste) reminds me of a cubed kitchen sponge, soaked in broth.

O.H.

 

[Tirvine]

I'm not sure what you can find in stores where you are, but I can get a very firm pressed tofu here (in Canada). It works well as a substitute for paneer (Indian cheese). We like it in palak paneer or "cheese and spinach curry" over basmati rice.

I find it too firm and dry to make good sauteed tofu. For that I buy a medium-firm block and cut the block into four slices. I then put a kitchen towel in a half-sheet pan, arrange the tofu slices on the towel, flip the other half of the towel over the tofu, and add some weight. Typically that's a small cookie sheet with a cast iron pot sitting on it. Couple of hours later it's pressed and ready for sauteeing.

Although TSP or textured soy protein is an option, it's not one I generally recommend. When I've used it the consistency (and the taste) reminds me of a cubed kitchen sponge, soaked in broth.

O.H.

I like to cube my tofu, shake it in cornstarch, and cook it crisp.