For January, the winner will be the person who submits the best recipe for a vegetarian main course. Recipes can include dairy, but possibly extra points for a really great vegan dish.

These should be main dishes. No desserts, salads or sides. Could be a combo like something over rice, or a casserole. Or a big saute/stirfry. A substantial soup would be OK. Or something I haven't thought to mention. Judgment of whether your dish is really a main course is up to me.

NO RECIPES THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPEARED ON WTF. I've seen most of them, and I'm also sure your competitors will call out recipes they've seen here before.

Don't hesitate to write in if I need to clarify or expand anything.

Oh, and no extra credit for using broccoli romanesco.

Also, can someone please make this a sticky? I don't know how to do it.

Still waiting for a contest I can win - most slacks with broken zippers, most pie spatulas, versions of Beethoven Sonatas, most owl finches..

Oh well...

quote:

Originally posted by kluurs:
Still waiting for a contest I can win - most slacks with broken zippers, most pie spatulas, versions of Beethoven Sonatas, most owl finches..

Oh well...

I couldn't even win a Most Bicycles competition anymore.
Recordings of Bach's Cello Suites? Maybe four.

I don't think I've posted this here... but can't remember where I found the recipe. Even my meat-eating children and grandson love it. If someone else deserves the credit for this, I'll cede it to them.

Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew

Ingredients for stew:
2 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 t Hungarian Sweet Paprika
1 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t cayenne pepper
pinch saffron (I usually omit this)
1 cup water
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, drained, or use peeled and diced fresh tomatoes
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash, 1" cubes
2 cups peeled and diced carrots, 3/4" cubes

Ingredients for Quinoa:

1 c. Quinoa (I use more, up to 2 cups)
2 T olive oil (or 1 T o.o. and 1 T butter)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. finely chopped carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t turmeric
2 cups water (more if making more quinoa)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 t fresh mint, chopped

Preparation for stew:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients, then add water, tomato, and lemon juice. Bring to boil, add squash and carrot, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Preparation for quinoa:

Rinse quinoa and drain. Heat oil (and butter if used) over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric, saute 1 minute. Add quinoa, stir 1 minute, and add water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

To serve:

Add half of cilantro and half of mint to hot stew (re-heat if needed). Spoon quinoa onto a platter, forming a well in the center. Spoon stew into well and sprinkle remaining herbs over.

This is vegan if butter is not used.

Well, Susan, you managed to field the first ineligible entry. It was posted by jon-nyc some years ago. That post is no longer here, but here is WTG's reference to this dish from September 2011, including a link to the recipe:

http://well-temperedforum.grou...461057426#4461057426

It is indeed a wonderful dish.

quote:

Originally posted by CHAS:

quote:

Originally posted by kluurs:
Still waiting for a contest I can win - most slacks with broken zippers, most pie spatulas, versions of Beethoven Sonatas, most owl finches..

Oh well...

I couldn't even win a Most Bicycles competition anymore.
Recordings of Bach's Cello Suites? Maybe four.

Don't feel bad, either of you...I won my first and only one last month, and that surprised the heck out of me!

My apologies to WTG! I even looked up "Butternut Squash" as a keyword in WTF, but should have looked up WINTER squash instead.

And it is a wonderful dish indeed. Even my 8 year old grandson loves it.

quote:

Originally posted by susan dorris:
My apologies to WTG! I even looked up "Butternut Squash" as a keyword in WTF, but should have looked up WINTER squash instead.

And it is a wonderful dish indeed. Even my 8 year old grandson loves it.

jon gets all the credit for originally posting it a couple of years ago. Definitely a winner.

The success of Jon's recipe is, in part, why I started this contest. I want to discover more great recipes like that!

I don't really want to be Decorator of the Month, but here's something I put together recently that was really delicious.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
~2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 or 3 artichoke hearts (canned, packed in water, rinsed), cut into bite-sized pieces
a few mushrooms, sliced
1 T butter

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add the potato and beans and cook over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and the artichokes. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes start to break down. Add mushrooms and butter and cook for a few more minutes until done. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper. I didn't think it needed salt, but you could add some if you want. This made enough for 4 to 6 servings, depending on serving size.

One thing I can't remember is whether I added any herbs. I might have put in a little oregano and rosemary (we have a huge bush of the latter that is green year round, and it is good with potatoes).

We ate it over steamed brown rice, but you could use any grain that appeals to you. Top with grated jack or cheddar cheese.

This could be vegan without the butter and cheese. You could probably add something like white beans for protein instead.

quote:

Originally posted by RealPlayer:
The success of Jon's recipe is, in part, why I started this contest. I want to discover more great recipes like that!

I think that recipe was originally from the NYT, wasn't it?

Think of anything you like on a pizza, and then leave out the crust and put it in a casserole dish - but more of the 'goodies'!

Any mixture of veggies - might want to flash steam them before.

Add black olives, garlic, herbs of your choice.

Top with cheese of choice.

Pop in the oven to heat and raise the heat the last 5-10 min. to put a crust on the cheese.

Serve with a spatula or large serving spoon.

Serve with french or italian garlic bread.

Could also be served over noodles if it is juicy enough.

Easy peasy!

Baked and then broiled half peppers.

Better with red or my favorite - yellow peppers. But green will do and hold up better.

Slice your peppers in half length wise and clean.

Make a mixture of already made bissoti rice that was cooked in broth with herbs added (chives, garlic, parsley, thyme) - make sure it is still moist; and add small chunky chopped green onions, hot peppers, black olives, broccoli, and any other veggies you like.

Over stuff the peppers. Add herbs that you enjoy on the top - thyme? parsley? garlic chives? sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a little olive oil. Add small am't of parmesian/romano for taste and another cheese to melt like mozarella.

Bake in 350 oven for 20 min and top broil for 5 minutes to brown the cheese. All depends on the size of the half pepper and how much rice mixture is added.

I do something like the above for a side dish, but if for a main dish, you could serve two on a plate with a side dish of a cold slaw or fruit slaw. Anything to change the home good rich thick taste of the stuffed pepper.

Yes, both of the above recipes are just made up.

Seven bean Gumbo

1/2 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 C each: chopped carrot, celery, onion, okra
1 C corn kernals
2 C broth
1 16oz can stewed tomatoes
1/2 C tomato paste
3 bay leaves
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t chile powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t anise seeds
1/2 t black pepper
3/4 C each cooked beans: anasazi, black, fava, chickpea, kidney, pinto and lentils

In a large pot, heat oil. Add garlic and vegetables. Saute till tender. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and beans. Simmer 30 mins.

This is a vegan friend's favorite:

Spanish Rice with Toasted Garbanzos

1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained (reserve the juice) and coarsely chopped
1 medium green pepper, remove stem, seeds and membrane, then cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, minced small
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup rice
2 cups water (actually, add enough water to the tomato juice to equal two cups)
1½ tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 16 oz can of garbanzos, drained
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat oil in a saute pan, add the green pepper, garlic and onion, and saute until green pepper is soft. Add tomatoes and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes while rice is cooking.

Toss garbanzos with the 1 tbsp of olive oil, spread out onto a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 350°F for about 15 minutes until garbanzos are slightly browned and starting to get slightly crisp.

Cook rice in reserved tomato juice plus enough water to make 2 cups for 20 minutes. Once rice is cooked, add the sauteed vegetables and stir together.

Serve with the garbanzos off to the side of the rice.

For vegans, the rice and garbanzos is a full complete protein equivalent.