What do we need for vegetarian cooking?

In my first post I'm going to cover a few starter ideas and give you a simple recipe. This is easy, trust me!

Ok first things first....  You need recipes,  obviously. And you will get some here but you will need at least a few other sources. The web is FULL of recipe sites and you can find so many great new things to try just by searching online.

Cookbooks are awesome but buying them online can be hit or miss because every family eats and cooks differently. If you want to make sure a book fits your style you really need to pop over to a bookstore and scour the shelves. Here are the ones I will be using and referencing.



Veganomicon really is the vegetarians bible. If you can only get one book this is the one you NEED to have. Seriously, just go to your favorite online vendor and buy it right now.

Another must have , in my opinion, is a food processor. You can try to use a blender for some things but really even a mid level FP is SOOO much better. Empress has a much nicer one than I do but mine is good enough for now.

Now there are many gizmos and gadgets that would make cooking easier or more fun but they aren't necessary so don't feel like you have to run out and buy out the store.

Now for a easy recipe that anyone can make.  Trust me, this one is basic... and yummy! Today's recipe came from The Veggie Table, a great online recipe source. I hope you try it and enjoy. I've made it with rice but pasta would be wonderful and possibly more kid appealing. And if you are low/no carbing your meals you can definitely eat this as a stew.

~ Venus



Ratatouille
The perfect recipe to enjoy fresh summer vegetables and herbs; it can be served half a dozen different ways.

Yield	6 servings
Time	1¼ hours
Tools	knife several platters or plates large skillet or Dutch oven with cover wooden spoon
Ingredients	1 pound eggplant salt 3 T olive oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 medium onions, roughly chopped 3 T fresh basil, chopped 3 T fresh parsley, chopped 1 t oregano ½ t rosemary ½ t thyme 1 pound zucchini, cubed 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped or sliced 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped black pepper
Directions	Slice the eggplant, sprinkle both sides of each piece generously with salt, and lay out on platters or plates. After 45 minutes,* rinse off the salt, pat dry, and cube.Heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add eggplant and herbs, stir well, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until eggplant is tender. Stir in zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, until zucchini and peppers are cooked.
Notes	* Salting eggplant removes the bitter flavor, but you have to be careful. If you leave the salt on for too long, it will permeate the eggplant and - unless you're wild about salt - ruin the ratatouille. The general rule of thumb is that smaller eggplants are less bitter, so very small ones only need 30 minutes or so of salting, while very large ones may take up to an hour. The eggplant is ready when several tablespoons of tan-colored liquid have oozed out of each slice.This recipe is quite versatile. It can be served hot, warm, or cold. It can stand alone as a stew; cover pasta, rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, or toast; or fill a crepe or sandwich. I once tried it with some leftover pesto - delicious! The ingredients are also pretty flexible - just be sure that they are fresh!