Cooking for my girlfriend

[Benji]

Hello all,

This is my first post!

I am looking for some help and tips really for cooking for the other half.
I am no expert by any means! To be honest, i never cook! So please forgive my ignorance.

Basically i am looking to cook an EASY low carb meal for a vegan. It doesnt have to be anything spectacular, it is the thought that counts, but i'd like it to be nice aswell!
Something light aswell would be prefferable, about an hour from start to serve.

Any thoughts would be gratefully appriciated.

Thanks in advance!

[angelee]

hi there benji, welcome and how sweet of you.

before answering your question, i would like to know what time of the day will you be preparing the meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner??

anyways head to this site http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/healthy-cooking/low-carb-diet/main-dishes/vegetarian/Main.aspx, you have lots of options there and they are really easy to make. head on to http://bit.ly/9QFnzN for more tips.

[Benji]

Hi Angelee.

Thankyou, its about time i cooked for her!

It would be dinner time. Its hot, hot, hot here in the UK at the moment, so if you have any suggestions for a light meal then that would be great! :)

[Liketobake]

How about a salad?

[Big Daddy's House]

I had several girlfriends who I used to cook for.

Not every day, but on occasion.

[crazyjack]

how about ice cream?
no need to do more to make it.

[PappaLazarou]

how about ice cream?
no need to do more to make it.

Isn't there pig fat in icecream crazyjack ? Try taking more time to read the post, remembering the key words........Hint : low carb meal and vegan, before you post. :)

[Roberta]

Grill a steak and make a steak salad.

Or roast some Alaskan salmon and make a cold salmon salad.

Then a nice dessert of strawberries dunked in powdered sugar.

[samue1eb]

Hmmm...vegan is a tough one for me, since I am anything but vegan. But maybe some pasta with some type of tomato sauce would be a good choice. Use fresh tomatoes so that you can control everything that goes in it, to be sure that it is vegan.

[cookielady]

Hi ~
If you are going to cook for a vegan, you cannot use any animal products -- no meats, fish, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, etc. Your best choices would be beans. How about a hummus dip (garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, a touch of peanut butter, salt, pepper).Serve with crisp veggies for dipping -- red peppers, celery, carrots, zucchini, snow peas, radishes, etc. You may also want to buy (read labels) egg-less pasta. Make a cold pasta salad. Boil the pasta and drain. While hot add a viniegrette made of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and your favorite herbs. You should make extra dressing as the pasta tends to absorb it. Add dressing as nedded. Chill the dressed pasta and then add lots of fresh veggies such as diced tomatoes, olives, small bits of broccoli, carrots, red or green pepper, celery, onion, peas, nuts, beans or chunks of tofu, any other veggies you like. Keep dessert simple with a compote of fresh fruit. Good Luck! Let us know how your meal turns out.

[LuvsToCook]

Hi ~
If you are going to cook for a vegan, you cannot use any animal products -- no meats, fish, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, etc. Your best choices would be beans. How about a hummus dip (garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, a touch of peanut butter, salt, pepper).Serve with crisp veggies for dipping -- red peppers, celery, carrots, zucchini, snow peas, radishes, etc. You may also want to buy (read labels) egg-less pasta. Make a cold pasta salad. Boil the pasta and drain. While hot add a viniegrette made of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and your favorite herbs. You should make extra dressing as the pasta tends to absorb it. Add dressing as nedded. Chill the dressed pasta and then add lots of fresh veggies such as diced tomatoes, olives, small bits of broccoli, carrots, red or green pepper, celery, onion, peas, nuts, beans or chunks of tofu, any other veggies you like. Keep dessert simple with a compote of fresh fruit. Good Luck! Let us know how your meal turns out.

Maybe, he can serve Turkey. As it is on high protein, As I remember. Rules are low carb, maybe it will work well together with the salad and a bread? :)

[Semigourmet]

Unfortunately LovestoCook a vegan will not eat anything that comes from a living breathing animal. So the Turkey won't work.

[Semigourmet]

How about a creamy tomato basil soup to start, with garlic rubbed toasts. It's a cheat but easy and tasty.

1/4 cup minced onions
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper to taste

Baguette bread sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 cloves garlic peeled and the root end cut off.


In a sucepan over medium heat add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon olive oil add onoin and saute until soft, but don't brown the onion turn the burner down if you have to. add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. then add the tomato sauce and herbs. Let slowly simmer until flavors come together. add a bit of soy milk to cream it up I would say about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. taste and season if needed.

Garlic rubbed toasts

preheat oven to 350.
place sliced bread on a baking sheet; drizzle with just a little olive oil (or brush it on. but not too much you don't want soggy bread) season with salt and pepper.

bake untill they are very crispy about 10-15 minutes, remove from oven, and rub with the garlic cloves. set aside or cover with foil and set aside.


How about a chili as a main course, Salad main course: I wouldn't put all of these in any salad but maybe put some of your and her faves out and create your own salads.
Romaine and iceburg lettuce, cucumbers, red or green onions, maybe a can of red kidney beans, or canellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained. tomatoes, avocado slices or cubes, cilantro, or Italian seasoning, Radishes thinly sliced, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, pepperonccinis, grated carrot, bell peppers all colors, sliced, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, almond accents (new sold usually around the produce), and serve with a vinagerette.

for the chili I would use:
1 can kidney beans, and 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pureed chipotles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1-2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
vegetable stock, eggplant diced,
I would puree about half a can of the red beans for a thickener.

garnish with chopped green onions, avocado, and tortilla chips

drain and rinse the beans, reserve 1/2 a can of the red beans and puree in the food processor or blender. add a bit of the vegetable stock if needed. set the beans and puree aside.

In a saucepan add a little olive oil, saute the onion for about 2-3 minutes, add the garlic and sute for another minute, then add everything now accept the eggplant. simmer for about 10-15 minutes. then add the eggplant to the pan and continue cooking until the eggplant is tender.

You can serve with rice or alone with garnishes.


Desesrt Grill some fresh pineapple slices and top with a frozen yogurt if she will eat that, or just top with cinnamon and brown sugar maybe some granola crumbles.

[Cooksumtinhot]

My wife bought me a cookbook from secret skillet.com so i could cook for her

[cookielady]

Good ideas, Semigourmet. Now that you mention soymilk, I've made pudding using soymilk (vanilla or chocolate). Pudding and fruit would also make a good dessert.

As Cooksumtinhot suggests, there are a lot of vegan books available as well as websites.

I hope that the young man who started this thread is reading all these good ideas.

[Semigourmet]

You're right Cooksumtinhot, and Cookielady, there are alot of books and websites. Great source of info and ideas!!

[Big Daddy's House]

Celiamont, please do not put that spamming link at the bottom of your posts.