"Beef" Curry Ramen

Type: Vegetarian
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

-Vegan beef stock (see recipe below)
-1.5-2 tsp curry powder

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

-2-4 tsp maple syrup (to taste)

-1/2 pack / 1 serving ramen noodles (of any kind)

-1 tbsp butter

-2 tsp cooking oil

Steps:

1) In a stockpot, melt the butter and mix it with the oil. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1-1.5 tsp of the curry powder. Mix well, and turn off the heat after it darkens slightly and becomes aromatic (about a minute or less).

2) Add the vegan beef stock. Mix.

3) Add the cayenne pepper. Add an additional 1/2 tsp curry powder. Mix well and remove from heat.

4) Add 2-4 tsp maple syrup, to taste.

5) In a seperate pot, cook the ramen noodles according to the directions on the pack. Strain the noodles and add it to the stock.

(Adapted from "Campfire Curry Ramen, found here: )

"Beef" Stew/Stock

Type: Vegan

Serves: 1

Delicious photographs coming soon!

Ingredients:

-1 pinch smoked paprika

-1/3 tsp thyme

-1/4 cup white mushrooms (sliced)

-1/2 one celery stalk (sliced into 1/3 inch thick pieces)

-5 onion rounds (a quarter inch thick)

-1/2 clove garlic

-1/2 cup vegetable broth

-1/2 cup water

-1 tsp rice wine vinegar (you can substitute apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, OR white vinegar)

-1 very small drop of hickory liquid smoke

-1-1.5 tsp marmite

-freshly ground/crushed black pepper (to taste/a pinch)

-1-3 tbsp evoo (depending on the diameter of your stockpot- it should coat the pot)

-1 tsp white flour (optional--depends on the desired consistency)

-1/4-1/2 tsp maple syrup (optional- adds some depth to the flavor and a very slight hint of sweetness)

Steps:

1) Slice the onion rounds into fourths

2) Add the oil to the pot and turn on the heat. Add the vegetables (mushrooms, celery, onions, and the small piece of garlic) and cook on med-high heat until slightly softened (5-10 min).

3) Add the stock and the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the vinegar. Mix well.

4) Add the pinch of paprika. Add the thyme.

5) Add the flour (optional)

6) Simmer on low heat for 40 min

7) Add the liquid smoke and the Marmite, mix well, and remove from heat.

8) Add black pepper (to taste)

9) Add the maple syrup

Enjoy! (or use this as a base for other dishes)

Vegan Black-Bean Chili

Disclaimer:  It's extremely spicy and a tad unconventional. If you can't take the heat, you are advised to proceed with due caution.


This is a very forgiving recipe, so don't freak out if you don't have some of the optional ingredients or mess-up and add too much or too little of anything:)

1. Add about 1 level tbsp. of finely diced onions to a large/deep stock pot along with a small handful of diced tomatoes (1 - 2 tbsp)
2. Cook these in about 1 tbsp cooking oil so that it doesn't burn (sunflower/vegetable/canola/olive/extra virgin olive) for several minutes until you get a slightly unpleasant :P earthy smell. Turn off the heat immediately. Add the diced garlic, 1 Serrano pepper OR jalapeno rounds (thinly sliced, depending on the size/personal preference), 1/2 of a large green (or red or yellow) bell pepper (cut into 1 inch squares), a few tomato slices, and then cook it on low for about 10 seconds.
3. Immediately add the black beans and bean-water (1 can). Turn up the heat to high and bring it to a rolling boil. Add more water if needed.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 tsp of wings sauce (optional).
5. Add 4-7 tbsp (to taste) of my "homemade marinara sauce" (see recipe)
6. Add about four shakes of dried basil flakes
7. Add 2 heaped tsp of red chilli powder, a pinch of REGULAR paprika, a pinch of cumin seeds (crushed OR uncrushed- either way is fine...it just depends on what you like. Personally, I think it tastes good uncrushed in this recipe), crushed black pepper (about 1/2 tsp), and about 1/4 tsp granulated white sugar.
8. Add 1-2 heaped tsp of barbecue sauce OR worsteshire sauce. If you decide to use 1 tsp, then add 1 additional tsp of sugar.
9. Add celery slices. I like to slice it thin. Put anywhere between one or two stalks, depending on how much you like celery.
10. Optional: Add anywhere between 0-3 tbsp. of Chipotle Adobo Sauce, and make sure to put at least one of the Chipotle peppers from the sauce into the pot if you like it REALLY spicy. In my opinion, 1 tsp is more than sufficient for a good chili, and you can just omit it altogether so that it doesn't override the other flavors or if you dislike that "chipotle" flavor.
11. Optional: Add 1-3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, depending on how tangy you like it.
12. Add salt to taste. (it doesn't necessarily need any additional salt)
13. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour on the lowest heat setting. Add water periodically (if necessary) so that it does not dry up and burn at the bottom of the pan (ie. keep checking on it).
14. Water-down the completed chili, if desired.
15. I like to crumble either 1) 1/2 field roast burger OR 2) 1-2 field roast sausages (the Italian flavor OR chipotle) OR 3) a handful of Beyond Meat's Beef Crumbles (the "BEEFY" flavor), into the completed chili before serving. Let me know if you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do:) It tastes best when eaten with a GOOD, rustic sourdough, or, if all else fails, a rustic ciabatta (my go-to ciabatta/rustic bread is Trader Joes' "Pain Rustique").


I speculate that large carrot chunks would taste good in this, but I haven't tried it yet. Some recipes call for oregano. I will definitely try putting both of these in here sometime and let you guys know how it turns out.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pho!

So awhile back (about six years ago, or so) I found an absolutely AMAZING recipe for Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup), while scouring the Internet. Ever since then, it has become a staple of mine, and a go-to for cold, rainy days. It is packed with an incredible amount of flavor, and although it doesn't really taste like beef, you will find yourself going back for seconds, I guarantee it.

                                                  
                             My amateur-ish rendition of this wonderful recipe (This is the broth)


The recipe is divided into two parts- making the broth, and making the pho.

My preferred toppings are spinach and/or bok choy, bean sprouts, rice noodles, pan-fried mushrooms, pan-fried seitan chunks, salted peanuts (roasted), and so forth...

Serve it with lemon slices, jalapeno rounds, mint (to taste), and Thai/Vietnamese basil (if available). Some people like it with cilantro, but personally, I find the flavor overpowering.



Here is a link to the INSANELY AWESOME blog that referred me to this recipe: http://www.vegblog.org/archive/2002/04/14/vegetarian-pho/

                                         (picture taken from "The Veg Blog"- check it out!)

                                   (all credit goes to "The Veg Blog" & "Vegetarian Vietnam")


The link to the recipe is here: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000mar/2000marvietnam.htm#Recipes

Various "Go-To" Ingredients

This is basically my go-to for generic imitation poultry

Best Vegetarian Bacon To Date!

 

 this gorgeous image is courtesy of www.ohsweetbasil.com

(image courtesy of fieldroast.com)




Pictured above:

Field Roast "Celebration Roast"

Field Roast "Apple-Maple Breakfast Sausage"

Sweet Earth "Benevolent Bacon"

Field Roast "Deli Slices"

McCormick's "Smoked Paprika"

Field Roast "Burger Patties"

Field Roast "Meatloaf"

Seaweed (dried and roasted nori sheets)

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Welcome!

Welcome to The Starving Carnivore!

People become vegetarians for a variety of reasons, whether these are ethical (factory farms?), religious, or the result of certain dietary restrictions.

This site is targeted at those who LOVE the taste and feel (yes, feel: all the goodness of complete proteins, B12, Zinc, ...) of meat, but who have decided to become vegetarian, whatever the reason.

The purpose of this blog is to provide product reviews, recipes, and survival strategies to try and make your life as a vegetarian/vegan/vega-tarian/pescatarian even slightly more tolerable.


Sincerely,
-sickpuppy aka "The Starving Carnivore"

(vegetarian for 10+ years)