Lukas Volger - Vegetarian Entrees That Wont Leave You Hungry

Vegetarian Entres
That Wont Leave You Hungry

Also by Lukas Volger

VEGGIE BURGERS EVERY WHICH WAY:
Fresh, Flavorful and Healthy Vegan and Vegetarian Burgers
Plus Toppings, Sides, Buns and More

LUKAS VOLGER

Nourishing, Flavorful
Main Courses That
Fill the Center
of the Plate

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTINA HEASTON

VEGETARIAN ENTRES THAT WONT LEAVE YOU HUNGRY:
Nourishing, Flavorful Main Courses That Fill the Center of the Plate

Copyright Lukas Volger, 2011

Photographs on copyright Lukas Volger, 2011

All other photographs copyright Christina Heaston, 2011

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Vegetarian Entres That Wont Leave You Hungry includes a variety of vegetarian recipes. While care was taken to provide correct and helpful information, the suggestions in this book are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietitian or medical professional. We strongly recommend that you check with your doctor before making changes to your diet. The author and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks.

When those designations appear in this book and The Experiment was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been capitalized.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Volger, Lukas.

Vegetarian entrees That Wont leave you hungry : nourishing, flavorful main courses that fill the center of the plate / Lukas Volger.

p. cm.

Summary: Includes recipes for filling vegetarian entrees such as salads, soups, rice bowls, risottos, pasta, noodle dishes, dumplings, curries, oven-baked dishes, and eggs every which wayProvided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-61519-033-1ISBN 978-1-61519-134-5 (electronic book) 1. Vegetarian cooking. 2. Cookbooks. I. Title.

TX837.V64 2011

641.5636--dc23

2011019594

ISBN 978-1-61519-033-1

Ebook ISBN 978-1-61519-134-5

Cover design by Susi Oberhelman

Cover photographs by Christina Heaston

Author photograph by Matt Rebula

Interior design by Pauline Neuwirth, Neuwirth & Associates, Inc.

Manufactured in China

Distributed by Workman Publishing Company, Inc.

Distributed simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen and Son Ltd.

First published October 2011

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INTRODUCTION
WHAT TO PUT IN THE CENTER OF THE PLATE?

Vegetarian Entres
That Wont Leave You Hungry

Some time ago, my editor sent me an article by the British writer Rowley Leigh in the Financial Times in which he argues that the vegetarian main course is some kind of misnomer. In most households, he writes, the main course is a chunk of protein with some vegetables beside it. It sort of follows that a hunk of vegetable with some vegetables beside it is a less enticing prospect. Hes arguing from a chefs concern for balance, rather than an intent to attack vegetarianism. And to some extent, he has a point.

Theres nothing wrong with making a meal of side dishes. After all, in many cuisines, primarily of the East and Middle East, the structure of the meal is such that no single food is meant to steal the spotlight. But if youre not accustomed to such cuisines, and not up for cooking an array of side dishes for dinner every night, determining what to put in the center of the plate can be the hardest part of adapting to and following a vegetarian diet.

If youve picked up this book, youre undoubtedly familiar with the scenario: At a dinner party, or at the Thanksgiving table, or staring into the contents of your refrigerator, you settle for a smattering of nutritionally imbalanced side dishes, overload on bread and cheese, or resort to cooking frozen soy nuggets in the microwave for dinner four nights a week. At run-of-the-mill restaurants, vegetarians dont fare much better. On the menu are one or two with vegetables dishes, featuring the vegetables that are otherwise served as sides with everything else on the menu. Maybe you order a with vegetables dish, or maybe you just order a salad with a side of French fries. Does that sound appetizing, filling, and nourishing? Not especially.

Thankfully, things are changing. Over the past few years its become impossible to claim ignorance about the horrors of factory farmingits environmental and health hazards, as well as its ethical implications. In the United States, the USDA recently released new dietary guidelines that put the benefits of plant-based eating front and center. Interest in eating seasonally and locally has spiked to the extent that its now fodder for satire (Im thinking in particular of the IFC series Portlandia). And restaurantsnot only fringe eateriesare beginning to adapt, providing more than just the with vegetables options. But what about the home cooks who are skilled at preparing vegetable sidesmaking salad, steaming broccoli, and grilling cornbut still unsure about how to put together a vegetarian entre for the center of the plate?

My first book, Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, is a deep dive into one kind of filling vegetarian entre. In fact, Id long considered veggie burgers the ultimate hearty vegetarian entre. But looking back over my eating habits, its clear that Ive always favored broader realms. The recipes collected here simply represent the kind of food Im most inclined to cook and eat. My lazy meal has always been a kitchen-sink salad, eaten directly out of the mixing bowl, but Ive discovered that with just a bit of additional effort, hearty yet elegant salads are also easily within reach. Tarts and galettes have always struck me as refined in appearance, fun to make, and universally enjoyed by dinner guests. And then I have a thing for soup, all kinds of soup, though because of the unfortunate state of the air-conditioning in my apartment in New York, hot soup is a decidedly fall through spring meal for me.

One of my first jobs was at a bakery in Idaho, where, in addition to learning how to make bread, I also learned about pastry crust. I had the great pleasure of making quiche in batches of eight. I also had sandwich-making duties, and thats when I learned that a sandwichs most flattering angle is from the center, after its been cut in half and the fillings are exposed as distinct layers, like strata. I didnt go to culinary arts school for a formal education in food, but that bakery job turned out to be the beginning of my education.