Let's Dish with Laura - Vegetarian Month 2023
If you've talked to me in the library, you know that I am a huge fan of movies and TV. Something else I'm very passionate about (and need to make an excuse to do more) is cooking & baking. I love trying new foods and recipes and sharing that with loved ones. With this blog series, you get to come along for the ride. So, let's dish!
October is Vegetarian Month. I'm not vegetarian, but I do try to incorporate meatless meals into my diet fairly routinely.
For this month, I decided to follow a recipe from America's Test Kitchen The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. Before I get into the recipe, I will talk about the book and what I liked about it.
First, it's very informational. It starts off with common ingredients in vegetarian kitchens and why they're used so often. After that, it gets into some equipment and cookware you might need. If you cook a lot, most of these pieces are things you probably already have. Next, it gives you helpful tips on knives and cutting. The final thing before getting into the recipes is advice on picking vegetables and how to prep them.
I love how in depth the book gets with everything you need to know, it's perfect for beginners and those with limited experience in the kitchen. It takes the guesswork out of things and I feel would make the kitchen seem less scary. Tips are also given throughout on many of the recipes. Plus, quite of a few of them also feature variations. Another nice thing is that the book also labels recipes that are vegan and/or gluten free if you are looking for either of those options in particular. One last feature of the book is the inclusion of conversion and equivalents tables in the back.
The other thing I love about the book is the amount of recipes there are. Most everyone should be able to find something they'd try. From soup to pasta to salads and breakfast, there's a wide variety of flavors and ease.
While I found a few things I thought sounded good, I decided to try their recipe for Crispy Potato Latkes. I love all things potato and I had never tried making latkes before.
It was very straight forward with few ingredients: potatoes, onion, eggs, parsley, and salt and pepper. The most important part of the process was getting as much of the liquid from the shredded potatoes and onion as possible. This is done by squeezing batches of the mixture in a clean kitchen towel over a measuring cup (this is important for a later step). The mixture is further dried out with time in the microwave and then cooled on a baking sheet before working with it.
As stated, keeping the liquid from the potato mixture is important. What you need to do is reserve it and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, allowing the starch to settle at the bottom. You can sort of see in the photo the thin layer of starch at the bottom of the glass measuring cup. After sitting for 10 minutes, you'll pour off the liquid and keep the starch.
The serving suggestion was to serve with a green salad and apple sauce. I made a quick applesauce and made a salad with cut up apples, feta, and an apple cider vinaigrette.
Overall, they weren't super difficult to make and turned out really good. They'd make for a great light dinner like this. Or you could even use them as an addition to other meals, including those with meat.
Along with the latkes, other recipes I bookmarked to try later were stuffed tomatoes, pizza Bianca with caramelized onions and GruyĆØre, and the tomato tart featured on the cover.
I would highly recommend the book to anyone getting started out in the kitchen or anyone who wants to have some vegetarian recipes on hand. As I said, there is a huge variety of recipes for all meals plus snacks and time of year. If you have a specific vegetable you need to use, you can look in the index to find the recipes featuring that vegetable.
If you're interested in the book, click the photo of the cover above to place a hold through the library! And let me know if you try anything plus what you thought.
One last tip that I picked up online a few years ago: if you struggle with clean up throughout the cooking process, have a "waste bin" on your countertop! I have a wire basket I picked up at the Dollar Tree a long time ago and line it with plastic grocery bags (as much as I try to take reusable bags when I shop, there are still times I forget). This makes the whole process smoother for me. Just throw the bag away in your normal trash after you're done.
