Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Top Vegetarian Entrees, Part II

I intended to post my list of Top 10 vegetarian entrees ahead of Great American Meatout on Saturday; but life got in the way. Still, these dishes are good any time of the year! And if Meatout inspired you to go veg, even some of the time, they are some good bets.

1. De Molecito y Pintos, at La Botana, 1547 Hanes Mall Blvd. Of all the excellent vegetarian dishes at this great Mexican place, this is the one I get most often. As in, almost always: It is a bed of rice, topped with pinto beans, two cheese enchiladas, and a wonderful, deeply flavored mole sauce, finished with a zingy topping of lime-marinated onions and jalapenos. Journal reporter Laura Giovanelli’s profile of La Botana’s chef, Rigo Velazques, explains how he comes up with his dishes.

2. Green curry with tofu, Thai Sawatdee, 2281 Cloverdale Ave (inside the Harris Teeter). This spicy dish, full of flavor and fresh vegetables, will cure what ails ya. There’s not a lot of atmosphere in the little dining area in the Harris Teeter, but at lunchtime, you get soup and crispy spring rolls for an amazingly low price. A second, sit-down. location is supposed to open soon.

3. Wild Mushroom Pizza, Brixx, 1295 Creekshire Way (off Hanes Mall Boulevard). This place offers a choice of vegan cheese on their pizza, and a lot of good beers on tap. I would be here almost constantly if Brixx weren’t just down the road from my beloved La Botana. Photo

4. Mysore masala dosa, Turmeric Indian Restaurant, 3088 Healy Drive This is the only place in town I know of to get dosa, the Indian crepe. This version comes spread with spices inside, wrapped around a tasty potato-based filling. Accompanied by spicy sambar soup and chutneys, it’s a taste sensation and by far my favorite dish at Turmeric.

5 Winter Harvest Boxty, Finnegan’s Wake. 620 N. Trade St. A potato pancake wraps around a filling of apples, pears, and walnuts. This sweet and savory dish is served at brunch, not dinner, but it’s my favorite main dish at Finnegan’s Wake. Finnegan’s is notably veg-friendly in that many of its dishes can be made with meat analogues – such as a vegetarian version of its shepherd’s pie, or a Rachel – like a Reuben but with faux turkey. Since Cass chose one of Finnegan’s brunch items for her list, clearly this is a place vegetarians need to go for brunch….

Cassandra and I had a couple of overlapping items on our lists:
6. Chef’s Vegetable Tasting Menu, Bleu, 3425 Frontis St. This topped Cassandra’s list; and I second everything she wrote about it!

7. Sampler plate, Mooney’s Mediterranean Café, 101 W. Fourth St. I’m happiest when mujadara, a lentil-and-rice is one of the rotating weekly specials.

8-10. These spaces reserved for future use…. I originally had a list of 10, but after the writing about the meals above, I realized I didn’t have quite the same enthusiasm for the rest; and who wants a padded list? C’mon, Winston-Salem restaurants, wow me! Readers, what are your picks for top local entrees?

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Top 10 vegetarian entrees in Winston-Salem, Part 1

In honor of National Meatout day Saturday, Julie and I decided to share our lists of the Top 10 vegetarian entrees that you can get in restaurants in Winston-Salem. Maybe our lists will give you a new idea of someplace to go out to eat to celebrate the day. Today, here’s my list (check back tomorrow for Julie’s):

1. Chef’s Vegetable Tasting at Bleu: This changes from day to day, depending on the chef’s whim and what vegetables are fresh, so it’s a bit of a leap of faith to rank it No. 1. But the plate I had at a recent dinner was so exceptional, it had to be done. That plate included two big slabs of tofu with Asian-style vegetables, an artichoke-and-sundried-tomato risotto, and peas and mushrooms. All the vegetarians at the table who ordered it agreed that it was one of the best things we’d ever eaten.

2. Artichoke Cakes Benedict at Finnigan’s Wake: Finnigan’s Wake is a vegetarian-friendly place – especially for an Irish pub! – but my favorite dish is served only at brunch. Imagine crab cakes with artichokes instead of crab. Excellent! They’re served with a side of hashed white and sweet potatoes and a broiled tomato for a filling brunch entree.

3. Vermicelli Salad with Tofu at Xia: (above) A huge bowl of rice noodles, lettuce, cilantro, cucumber, carrots, peanuts and a sliced spring roll. It comes without tofu, but ask them to add it for $1 more – it’s definitely worth it, with its crispy, lemongrassy coating. The spicy, vinegary sauce that comes with the salad on the side is too hot for me, but I don’t even miss it. It’s a perfect, filling meal for a warm day – but sometimes I crave it even when it’s cold outside.

4. Vegetarian Thali at Nawab: Indian restaurants are almost always vegetarian-friendly, and Nawab is no exception. Can’t decide which entree to get? Try their vegetarian combination meal. It comes with vegetable korma (which almost made my list by itself), palak paneer, chana masala, rice and bread, PLUS an appetizer (a samosa) and dessert. This is a great pick when you want some variety. And I almost always have leftovers, which can be even better the next day.

5. Pho Vegetables and Tofu at Soups: (above) When the icy winter wind is howling down Fourth Street, there’s nothing better to tuck into than a huge, steaming bowl of soup at Soups. There’s just one vegetarian soup (along with a couple of entrees), but it’s fabulous: Tofu and a wealth of vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn) come in a savory, flavorful broth. No weak, watery broth here.You get lime wedges, bean sprouts, hot peppers, and cilantro or Thai basil on the side so that you can doctor it up how you like. Want it hotter? There’s a spice wheel provided for that, too.

6. BBQ Tofu Sandwich at Mary’s Of Course: Messy to eat but oh-so-good. A mound of tofu, slathered in BBQ sauce and piled on a bun with cole slaw and Swiss cheese. It’s a great vegetarian comfort food, simple but memorable, and one that I’ve often re-created at home. You can also get it made with tempeh instead of tofu.

7. Tofu Pad Woonsen at Cha Da Thai: I love Thai food, and my go-to dish is pad woonsen. I love the interplay of the thin rice noodles, eggs, vegetables, tofu and light sauce. And whenever you order a dish with tofu, they make sure to ask if it’s OK if there’s egg in it, in case you’re vegan – a thoughtful, with-it touch.

8. Vegetable platter at the Greek Festival: OK, this one is a cheat, since it’s available only twice a year and it’s not at a restaurant, but it’s something I look forward to every time. It’s a great deal compared to the meaty entrees: spanakopita (above), rice, bread, a Greek salad and those yummy, tomato-sauced green beans.

9. Sides sampler plate at Mooney’s Mediterranean Cafe: A gem of a restaurant at the corner of Fourth and Liberty streets, this Lebanese place offers several vegetarian dishes. The best bet is a sampler plate of four sides, served with pita bread. My favorites include falafel, summer couscous, herb-heavy tabouli and the smoothest hummus I’ve ever had. In fact, the hummus is so good, it’s almost ruined all other hummus for me.

10. Spinach Feta Pizza at Burke Street Pizza: Sometimes nothing hits the spot quite like a big slice of pizza, and this is perhaps the city’s best vegetarian option. It’s practically impossible to stop with just one slice. Now, if Burke Street only used fresh mushrooms instead of the unfortunate canned variety, it would be the perfect slice.

To find out more about Meatout, go here.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Meatloaf without the meat

This past weekend, I had a package of Lightlife Smart Grounds original that was going to expire pretty soon, so I set about trying to figure out something to make with it. I finally decided on a vegetarian meatloaf.

I used to really like meatloaf, back when I ate meat, but I hadn’t tried a vegetarian version since a rather unappetizing instance several years ago. But I came across a promising recipe on AllRecipes.com and altered it to fit my tastes and what I had on hand. It was quick to put together, and I have to say, it turned out FABULOUS. I’ve been singing its praises to my friends ever since. I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) package vegetarian burger crumbles
1/3 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspon dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix 1/2 of the tomato sauce with the vegetarian burger crumbles, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Season with thyme, basil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Transfer to the loaf pan.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Pour about half of the remaining tomato sauce over the loaf, and continue baking 20 minutes, or until loaf is set.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The King of Vegetables

King Louis XIV of France enjoyed asparagus so much that he had it grown in special greenhouses so he could eat it all year round. Like the Sun King, we can have asparagus at any time; but it is still most associated with springtime. This time of year, asparagus is often on sale and on my mind.

Asparagus has a lot of history behind it, as well as some mystery. It is known to be a member of the lily family, as are onions and garlic. It is believed to be native to the eastern Mediterranean area, but it grows wild in so many places that there is some disagreement about where it originated. The ancient Greeks attributed medicinal qualities to it, believing it effective against ailments from toothache to heart trouble. Though it’s not a panacea, asparagus is a healthy vegetable—low in calories, and high in B vitamins, especially folate; potassium; and Vitamin C and other antioxidants. It was certainly eaten in ancient Egypt, and it may have been cultivated and used as an offering to the gods (again there is some uncertainty about this). It was cultivated by the Romans, and it is also said that emperors assembled “asparagus fleets” to scour the empire and bring asparagus back to Rome.

Asparagus can be enjoyed prepared very simply. One of the easiest ways to enjoy asparagus is lightly steamed with a simple sauce. A half-pound of asparagus is about right for two people. Wash and snap or cut off the tougher bottoms of the stalk. Lay them in a pan with perhaps a half-inch of water. Bring it to a boil, and then steam for about five minutes. A “dijonaise” sauce of about 1 tablespoon of Vegenaise and 2 teaspoons of mustard—it can be Dijon mustard; but yellow or brown mustard also work well; adjust the quantities to your taste – goes well with this.

Vegetarians in Paradise has other simple preparation suggestions for asparagus, including ways to roast, stir-fry and barbecue it. More elaborate preparations, such as lemon-asparagus risotto and cream of asparagus soup, are also delicious ways to showcase this royal vegetable.