I know a lot of you guys here are either vegetarian or vegan.

I would like to try and reduce my dependency on meat products. Both a health and animal rights thing.

The thing is I have no clue where to begin to look for recipes or where to begin with this. I'm sort of picky and prefer higher protein diet, but am willing to start somewhere.

I know this may sound corny but the meatless Monday thing is what grabbed my attention.

So any help is appreciated with recipes or websites that they would recommend , or advise on this.

gardein fake chicken and seitan is prob what you are looking for.
in los angeles with all the hippies over here they have it in the prepared food section made fresh, but they now have it in the fridge aisle in most normal supermarkets.

here's the link for the gardein.
http://www.gardein.com/where_to_buy.php

also quinoa is very high in protein and you can make some good stuff with it. there is also quinoa pasta that is really tasty if cooked right and has not too much fat/ cholesterol etc.

for the quinoa i would reccomend making it with carrots and onions and throw some lemon juice in there and you can store it in the fridge. also jamba juice has a wrap called the "greens and grains" wrap that is made with quinoa.

avocado is a good source of protein and drastically lowers cholesterol but be careful dont eat more than half or one a day or youll get super fat!

I'm really not into the ultra high sodium packed fake stuff like this also.

I just bought a pound of foie gras and a nice fatty duck breast, so me and vegan cooking don't always see eye to eye. That said; my girlfriend was vegan when we started dating and she was really conscious of her dietary needs. Some vegans think that just eating veggies or vegan meatless patties is good enough, but you really need to monitor your vitamin intake to makes sure you're body is getting what it needs without meat and byproducts. She swore by "Color me Vegan" and "The Veganomicon" as far as books are concerned.

i dont think the gardein chicken has high sodium at all.

I'm very conscious of my vitamin intake, I usually take a multi as well as other vitamins anyway. This should go for everyone no matter the diet. Your never gonna get all the vitamins you need daily no matter what you eat, esp. In today's high processed world.

If you go vegan, we can't go to Sally's next time I visit.

I didn't say I was gonna be 100% , just changing it up a tad.

And I'm onto Pepe's Pizza now as the ol stand by Sally's is dead to me.

My wife has a couple of cookbooks that we've used that make some pretty delicious dishes. The veganomicon book is good. And there's a dessert one, "babycakes", which has some good recipes. She doesnt eat meat, but I still do and I've enjoyed everything we've made. Black bean burgers ftw!

this stuff is helpful. my girlfriend is hardcore vegan and i would like to be able to cook for her from time to time. but unless its a slab of meat on a hot grill, i'm lost. i'm going to check out some of those books, so thanks y'all...

Edited for me

You really can't go wrong with anything that Isa Chandra Moskowitz has put out - but her newest book "Appetite for Reduction" has got to be the absolute biggest hit amongst my non-veg friends yet, though primarily the ladies. We use brunch/breakfast recipes from her almost once a week, and 99% of the vegan items my girlfriend bakes has come from her - though you MAY have to modify some of her recipes from time to time for sweetness. You can also check out her blog (Post Punk Kitchen) for free, before buying into a book, & those of you who are avid Flickr users, search the groups category for "vegan" - you'll find yourself clicking a lot more things when you can see them instead of just reading recipes.

Depending on where you live, and what sort of ethnic markets are available to you, you can have hit or miss experiences with Asian markets. When it comes to tofu, my local Korean markets have stuff that's a million times better than anything I can get elsewhere - the one exception being a Vietnamese "Tofu House" which makes different kinds of tofu on a daily basis. If you're still afraid of tofu, or have "never had it cooked well," please give it a try before writing it off for good.

Finally, if veggie burgers are your thing - buy DIY dry mixes from your grocers bulk department or in a box off the shelf. You'll save freezer space this way, and have full control over the size of the patties, as well as what all goes into them. When I make the DIY burgers, I always end up mixing in any of the following, and it rules: corn, black beans, peanut butter (thickens, in case you use too much liquid), herbs & spices, Hatch peppers, chipotle peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. It'll wind up 10x better than any frozen shit you can buy, I promise.

If you live in or near NYC, go to Babycakes. It will blow your mind. That is where that cook book is from.

Rich I can't offer any advice on cook books but I will say just think of dishes that you already like and think of how you can experiment and make them vegetarian or vegan. Personally I really enjoy watching cooking shows and then trying to find a way to do it just as good my way. It works...some of the time.

There is a Babycakes in LA now and every time I go downtown I make a beeline and woof down about 4 or 5 things. There portions are somewhat small so you can eat a lot. The only draw back is that they are not cheap. What they lack in size, they make up in flavor. Intense flavor!

Congrats on your making an effort Rich.
As I am as lazy a cook as I am a typer I will make this quick.
Just now in about 2 mins I made a quick and easy meal.
LAZY BOY NACHOS (and I mean lazy).... open packet of cornchips and can of baked beans, pour beans onto cornchips, grate cheese onto chips. Microwave for 2 mins, chuck jalepeno peppers ontop.
and woof it down... One full tummy in no time.

disclaimer: not healthy and Im not vegan so the best I do for cheese is buy with non animal rennet.

And to add to add a question to this thread: Could someone tell me if they think it is possible for me as a vegetarian and not vegan to eat cheese without contributing to the veal trade? i.e. completely different model/practices?
This knowledge is completely new to me which is daft because I have been vegetarian for over 20 years, and have grown to love cheese Lately I have beenthinking wethere it is atleast theoretically possible to acquire humane cheese.
I completely respect vegans for their efforts so please dont flame me for asking a silly question. I am being honest and open.

Good for you Rich! Happy to hear you are giving this a shot.

I grocery shop on a whim without any list, and just throw together meals with what I end up with. And unless I'm going out to eat, the majority of the food I consume is raw... aside from the obvious like potatos, pasta, rice, eggs, etc. Maybe I'm just lazy... but it doesn't provide me with many recipes to share.

One staple I eat a few times a week tho is the avocado, mixed leafy greens, tomato, onion and pepperjack (animal rennet free) sandwhich. Toss in some veggie bacon or pinto beans for added protein. I have a great minimalistic brussel sprout recipe too, if ya dig the sprouts.

Also, if you haven't indulged already, check out Claire's Corner Copia in your city. It's right by the green, nextdoor to Basta. A little pricey, but SO GOOD. If you are ever out in the Farmington area, stop by China Pan. They have a whole vegan menu, which is pretty comparible in it's selection to Buddha's Delight in Boston (now called My Thai Cafe). Middletown also has a great eatery called It's Only Natural. Pretty slammin'.

At 18 I started teaching myself to cook using the classic vegetarian book "The Moosewood Cookbook." Easy to make nutritional recipes. For something a little more contemporary (and geared towards a busy lifestyle) try Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian." He includes alternate ingredients for vegan purists when necessary, along with lots of ideas for variations on the basic recipes.

I'm not 100% vegetarian by any means but learning about Japanese cooking in the past couple of years has really helped me to think of meat as a condiment rather than the main feature. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Someone just recommended the Moosewood Cookbook to me. The hubster and I don't eat meat at home. I know that sounds strange, but he is prone to high cholesterol due to genetics, and he has a super-high metabolism, so he can eat anything and everything and not gain weight so we have to be careful with him. He realized he was eating way too much meat (ie, sandwich meat) and every dinner he went to for work was at a steakhouse. So we changed it up, and I am a no flesh (no meat, fish, poultry or eggs) cook at home unless it's a special occasion.

He's a changed man. Good luck Rich!

I'm a vegetarian that wish I was toughing it as a vegan, but I'm not going to lie - I do love me a locally farmed egg that comes from a cute, sociable, quirky & happy chicken, and honest to goodness... pizza is the one thing I can't give up. I can, and often do, fore-go cheese on anything & everything that isn't pizza, but cheese "alternatives" are just not great. Back onto that topic, cheese, again - local cheese is the best! I mean it aint umpteen years old or imported from France, but we've got enough locally owned hippy markets in town that I can get any dairy product I want made within 10-20 minutes of my house. If you have the ability to do so, go to the in-house farmers markets that are held on the farm, seeing happy animals that people really care for will contribute to less guilt over egg/dairy consumption, and will further your feelings towards not eating their flesh It may be more of a drive out of your way, only open one or two days a week, and cost a little more - but the stuff you'll get is so much better, fresher, more REAL. Having gone to culinary school AND worked a year in the produce dept of one of our own local chains of Whole-Foods type grocers, local and/or organic is totally worth the price difference IMO.

Regarding vegan cheese, I have to say Daiya is the best, Follow Your Heart is good, and the things I've had made with Teese have been good. None of them melt as easily as the real thing, and the flavor can be a bit of an acquired taste, but I'll take Daiya on my pizza over nothing.

As far as books go, I would also recommend "Veganomicon" as well as "Vegan Brunch" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. "La Dolce Vegan" by Sarah Kramer is full of awesome recipes that are all over the map. If you're looking for something with a breakdown of the nutritional values of each dish, I suggest "New Vegetarian Cuisine" by Linda Rosenweig. That's all I can think of at the moment, but keep the questions coming!

I've been looking to cut down my meat intake a bit, and this is a pretty helpful thread! I generally enjoy vegetarian/vegan foods just as much as meat dishes (veggie burgers yummy!) and often eat at vegetarian spots in San Diego like Sipz or Pokez.

Though I absolutely do not enjoy vegan cheese. That's the only vegan item I cannot stand to eat.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
is my favorite for vegan recipes.
Lot's info and a cool format.

There will soon be a vegan bakery in LA much better than Babycakes.

i have a bunch of punk/hc cookbook zines from the 90's, Soy Not Oi!, Bark & Grass etc. that I could probably scan in, if anyone is interested.
though i'm not even vegetarian anymore i find myself eating a lot of the same stuff because some of it is really good.

This is a good place to start in New Haven

Edge of the Woods

379 Whalley Ave
New Haven, CT 06511

(203) 787-1055

http://www.edgeofthewoodsmarket.com