664871 Thu Nov 05 06:30:26 -0800 2009 19 31 Home Cooking 0 5157630 Help! I volunteered to help out with the main-dish at an Italian-style potluck, never dreaming that the double whammy of vegan AND no mushrooms would be added to the quest. Good news is that I don't have to pre-assemble the dish and tote it: dinner will be held at the home of family and I can cook all afternoon if need be! Other dishes so far: marinated pepper salad, (a variation on) Italian Wedding Soup, home-made pizza for the kids and a frito misto pesci main dish alternative (for the non-vegan crowd). Dessert is gelato and brandied fruit. Thu Nov 05 06:30:27 -0800 2009 24738 LJS 1 5157788 How about a baked ziti in a spicy tomato sauce with olives, cauliflower and TVP (or Boca type crumbles) and shredded soy cheese? Thu Nov 05 07:18:55 -0800 2009 5157630 50613 weezycom 1 5157841 Just occurred to me that someone posted a link to a good sounding recipe for chickpea cutlets. Might be interesting to do that as sort of a riff on chicken marsala or parmesan (made with soy cheese, of course). Thu Nov 05 07:41:09 -0800 2009 5157630 50613 weezycom 1 5157860 roasted eggplants. hollow them out and fill with the pureed eggplant "meat", roasted tomato sauce finished with either mint or basil, chickpeas and rice. or a warm vegetable terrrine, with layers of eggplant, zucchini, different greens, yellow squash, roasted garlic etc. and finished with a smoked tomato sauce. even though i was vegetarian for a long time, i have always found fake meat and fake cheese disgusting. Thu Nov 05 07:47:58 -0800 2009 5157630 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5157969 there is a whole range of great italian vegetarian appetizers and side dishes, which could be main dishes for a vegan - here are a few (p.s - there are likely to be SOME people at your party who can or will eat mushrooms) - small eggplants stuffed with a mixture of bread crumbs, sauteed with herbs, garlic (and or onion) mixed with chopped olives and tomato and baked - escarole, spinach or broccoli rabe, sauteed in olive oil with garlic, raisins and pine nuts a non-vegan might add anchovies to the above dish but it would be delicious without - red peppers, lots of variations - including (1) roasted and pealed, marinated with olive oil and sliced garlic, garnished with parsley (2) baked and stuffed with rice, herbs, a little chopped tomato, some capeers or olives perhaps (3) simply fried in strips, with garlic and olive oil, or together with tomatoes and/or onions to create a little sauce, garnish with basil. eggplant or zucchini scapece - cut thin slices of these, salt and weight if necessary to remove water, dry thoroughly. Grill in grill pan or dry cast iron skillet (no oil) then layer with sauce of olive oil, vinegar, chopped herbs (parsley - mint especially with the zucchini, some hot pepper, salt and pepper and marinate - this is wonderful - needs a fair amount of olive oil for proper flavor but its a great, stimulating combo sweet and sour onions - small onions cooked slowly (several hours) in olive oil, with a little balsamic or red wine vinegar and sugar water added and turned as neede- becomes brown and mellow. caponata - like a sweet more complex sicilain ratatoille there are simple recipes for spaghetti "sauced" with olive oil/garlic/herb toastedbread crumbs - sounds great Thu Nov 05 08:25:27 -0800 2009 5157860 11130 jen kalb 3 5158092 jen, these are all great, but op was looking for a main. Thu Nov 05 09:08:16 -0800 2009 5157969 30273 hotoynoodle 4 5158198 When I serve my veg/vegan family members I dont find it best to limit myself to a hunk of protein /heavy pasta and beans type dish. They like the type of assortment which have plenty of oil and flavor and vitamins, and which, especially when eaten with bread - satisfy- the senses like a main. something like the stuffed eggplant or baked peppers , or pasta with crumbs, oil and garlic, would certainly consititue a vegetarian "main" in any event. certainly, pasta fagioli or lets say an escarole/bean dish, or a orecchiette/bean/broccoli rabe or arugula type dish - or maybe some of the southern dishes invalving fava beans or fava pure - could fill this slot as well but are more likely to be a bit more stodgy than the above. Thu Nov 05 09:43:58 -0800 2009 5158092 11130 jen kalb 1 5158067 Thanks to all: I am inspired...think I am going to go with a blend of the ideas you have presented. Roasted eggplant and chickpeas in a tomato sauce (garlic and sage accent) served over baked spaghetti squash. (Don't want to add more peppers to the menu as they are already part of the appetizer and I don't want to use pasta because I am uncertain just how far this vegan goes and I understand that pasta with eggs may be a problem?) Thu Nov 05 09:00:45 -0800 2009 5157630 24738 LJS 2 5158099 Spaghetti squash is a superb choice. If prepared correctly, it has a nice flavor all its own. My heart went out to you when I saw the post title: I thought, what?! vegan *and* no mushroom? Using garlic and sage as seasoning in the dish will give plenty of flavor interest. One suggestion: brown the chick peas a bit and mush 'em up a little (not puree, though) for textural consistency. Thu Nov 05 09:10:03 -0800 2009 5158067 270888 shaogo 3 5158102 fennel seeds would give that sausage "memory" too. i'd prefer the chickpeas not mushed, for contrast. Thu Nov 05 09:11:44 -0800 2009 5158099 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5158206 certainly a majority of the dried southern pasts do not have eggs - you can check the ingredient list. Thu Nov 05 09:46:13 -0800 2009 5158067 11130 jen kalb 2 5159211 Marinated artichoke hearts go well with spaghetti squash, too. I make a fresh tomato sauce with marinated artichoke hearts at home on ocassion and even my carnivore husband likes it. Thu Nov 05 14:47:49 -0800 2009 5158067 173425 Jen76 1 5158162 I once had a vegan stuffed delicata squash that had a lot of italian flavors- rice, roasted tomato, escarole it was great. maybe something like that? Thu Nov 05 09:31:06 -0800 2009 5157630 158016 cassoulady 1 5158227 Aubergine parm without the parm - seriously. Lots of sundried tomato paste, olive oil, basil, garlic... and maybe some pine-nuts if protein is required. Do NOT add a 'cheese substitute'. (I am a non-meat eater who can't eat mushrooms - I find that 90% of 'veggie' offerings include funghi, so I eat fish in order to have SOMETHING to eat on these occasions). Thu Nov 05 09:54:00 -0800 2009 5157630 40746 Peg 1 5158544 You folks are THE BEST!! I can (barely) recall the days before Chowhound (before internet in general) when a search like this would entail a trip the library and a good two hours spent searching through semi-appropriate cookbooks. Some were great sources and some were dreadful sources, but how to tell the difference? Then phonecalls to fellow foodies who may or may not be home, who didn't quite know what veganism entailed and who complicated things by telling me stuff I didn't need to know about ungrateful dinner guests they cooked for (blah, blah, blah) when all I wanted was one perfect idea! Well I got that here... I LOVE CH! Thu Nov 05 11:22:57 -0800 2009 5157630 24738 LJS 1 5158598 Doesn't anyone kinda' think if you're going to be vegan you should figure out how to like vegetables? I mean, it's one thing to make someone cook vegan and another to further limit it with what veggies can be used. You guys are a lot nicer than I am :) Good luck LJS! Maybe stuffed acorn squash? Though IMO, the secret to stuffed veggies is definitely meat! Thu Nov 05 11:38:01 -0800 2009 5157630 36325 Procrastibaker 2 5158696 I choose not to eat meat but I CANNOT eat mushrooms. I adore mushrooms - they do not adore me back. It is NOT a choice! Thu Nov 05 12:02:23 -0800 2009 5158598 40746 Peg 2 5159613 Actually, beans and greens seems like a good way to go since it's vegan and Italian by nature, (per Jen Kalb's post). Thu Nov 05 17:27:08 -0800 2009 5158598 36325 Procrastibaker 1 5158980 My family's pasta fagioli is vegan.....dried lentils and kidney beans, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, water. Of course, the parm we sprinkle on top is not :-) Thu Nov 05 13:33:28 -0800 2009 5157630 18072 Niki in Dayton 1 5160083 One more to throw into the idea pot... Perhaps a polenta lasagna using nutritional yeast and/or Daiya cheese layered with eggplant ratatouille... Thu Nov 05 22:24:44 -0800 2009 5157630 15572 Emme