Best Vegetarian Bite

Okay I want your opinions. I'm not asking for your favorite Vegetarian restaurant, I want to know your favorite vegetarian bite. This could be from places like Karyn's or Green Zebra, places like Hot Doug's or Alinea, or could be simply garden fresh tomatos with salt.

I am just trying to get some new idea because my diet gets boring after awhile....Mine is pasta with egg, riccotta, parmesan, and black pepper ( I have a feeling alot of these are going to be unhealthy)

any combination of tomatoes and bread
most preferable being fresh tomato bread olive oil garlic salt (basil or not depending on mood)

Vegetarian Sub from Jimmy John's - mainly because of the guacamole spread, for which I always ask extra.

I know, it's Jimmy John's, but this sandwich isn't bad, imho. And it's vegetarian.

My homemade black bean stew, extra spicy.

This time of year, you can't go wrong with Cook's Illustrated's Creamy(vegan) Gazpacho. It's available online & if you aren't already a member you can get a two week trial & get the recipe.

It's fantastic.


Hmmmm, may have to make it while I'm down at the beach tomorrow

Sunshine Cafe is the place I take my boys and steer my meat-proned husband to super satisfying dishes like Soba with Tempura. Edamame are good as is the amazing GoMae (spinach salad).

bjt

My favorite would be dates paired with cheese, or bread, cheese & fig jam. Add wine to either to make the bite even better.

An apple cider zeppola from the Green City Market.

Every Saturday, I steel myself and vow not to eat any more. Every Saturday, I fail miserably, but happily.

Eggplant Parmesan at Gusto Restaurant in Glenview.

Best I've ever had.

anything with caramelized onions, but I especially enjoy pasta, asparagus, caramelized onions and roasted garlic with goat cheese and a touch of butter.

knitgirl wrote:anything with caramelized onions, but I especially enjoy pasta, asparagus, caramelized onions and roasted garlic with goat cheese and a touch of butter.

That reminded me of the "best vegetarian dish at a carnivore's mecca": mac & cheese with caramelized onions at Kuma's.

As far as dishes in local eateries go, one darts immediately to mind:

The crispy potato tacos from Zacatacos.

Chewy, crunchy, sticky, oniony, chive dumplings - Thai joints, various.
Mango with sticky rice - ditto.

Just about anything we have had from MANA Food Bar. Two favorites are the Mana Slider (brown rice and mushroom burger) and the Sesame Noodles.

Agadashi Tofu from GNR Tampopo

Cheese & spinach pies from Sanabel Bakery on Kedzie (Saabel also offers a ton of other great veg options, hummous, torshi, fresh pita, etc. etc.).

Athena wrote:Cheese & spinach pies from Sanabel Bakery on Kedzie (Saabel also offers a ton of other great veg options, hummous, torshi, fresh pita, etc. etc.).

This reminded me: mushroom and kale pie from Pleasant House Bakery.

Also, a grilled quinoa burger with caramelized onions and bleu cheese mayo from FIG Catering.

I'm a little hesitant to reply to this thread as most of my favorite veggie bites aren't available in restaurants and are mostly home-cooked kashmiri pandit dishes, but if you are looking for cooking ideas as well here a few - morel mushroom (gutshi) pilau, dam alu, lotus stem yakhni, Razmah Goagji (kidney bean curry with turnips)

A good punjabi sarson ka saag (mustard greens), also fits that bill for me (kinda punjabi soul food) the version at chopal is probably their best dish

some recipes for some of the above dishes can be found here:
http://www.koausa.org/Cookbook/recipe.html

Restaurant: Grapefruit risotto at Charlie Trotter's. One of the best three things I have eaten. schwa's quail egg ravioli runs a close second.

Home: sourdough, Boursin, Boat Street Raisin Pickles. Satisfyingly garlicky, sweet, sour all in one bite.

stevez wrote:Agadashi Tofu from GNR Tampopo

If this is served with the traditional 'dancing' bonito flakes I like so much, it is not vegetarian.

I love a good number of vegetable dishes and they change with the season. One thing that's seasonal right now is this green bean and potato salad recipe (thanks eatchicago!). It sounds very simple, but it's terrific. I also think it's a great tip to drop the hot potatoes in to the dressing so they absorb it.

My Mom's ratatouille.
I've tried and tried, but while I get close I just can't replicate it.

Make at home or get at restaurants:

Pasta with Pesto sauce (where to get -Italian restaurants, around here Macaroni grill serves this)
Spaghetti allio olio, also cheese ravioli, and eggplant parmesan

Boca spicy chikn pattie on a toasted english muffin with cheese, lettuce tomato and mayo (Make at home)

Indian food, like samosa, masala dosa, and aloo gobi (Shree or other Indian restaurants)

Potato salad, bean salad, macaroni salad made without meat (Make at home or deli)

Pizza without meat either cheese only or veggies of choice (Make at home, or favorite pizza place or frozen)

Avocado, tomato, lettuce and cheese with mayo on whole wheat toast or bread (Make at home or Panera has something similar)

Cinnamon raisin bagel with walnut raisin cream cheese (or honey almond cream cheese)- Einstein bagels and other places

Also nachos without meat at Mexican restaurants.

Grilled butternut squash with olive oil, salt and garlic with grill marks makes one of the tastiest and easiest vegetarian dishes.

Mushrooms. At the moment, I have a mushroom tart in the oven with some wonderful mushroomsI found at a farmers market--it's not vegan--I used yogurt, eggs and cheese. Mushrooms are great with pizza and pasta.
And they're good baked or broiled, stuffed with almost anything.

Some of my favorites -

Queso Fundido at Frontera without the Chorizo
Eggs Sardou at Dixie Kitche
Thom Kha Kai Soup done vegetarian at Siam Splendour or Thai Sookdee

Most surprising and delectable veggie dish of the summer: the vegetarian cemita at Cemitas Puebla. I thought I was just going to get a few peppers and onions but it also had tons of sauteed mushrooms and I believe eggplant. Combined with that stringy cheese and the shmear of avocado, it was really quite lovely. Messy as all hell but worth it.

bjt

Another with tomatoes, I just made a Tarte Tatin des Tomates

tomatoes
garlic
butter
oil
thyme, rosemary, basil, garlic, minced
handful of couscous (dry)
salt, pepper
pie crust

Get good firm fleshy tomatoes - romas work well. Core and cut in half. (you could blanch and peel first, but you don't have to). Squeeze to get rid of the seeds and excess liquid. Pack well but not tightly, skin side down, in an oven-safe pan on the stove. You will be cooking these over low-medium heat until they are soft - maybe 20 mins or so. Preheat oven to 400. Remove pan from heat, toss herb/garlic mix over top of tomatoes, scatter couscous over (to absorb liquid, you don't need a lot of this), salt and pepper to taste, place pie crust over and tuck in on sides of pan around edges. Poke a few holes so steam can escape. Bake for 40 mins or until crust is nice and browned. Let cool - this should be served at room temp. It's also easier to invert onto a plate and have it not stick to the pan if it's not boiling hot.

Serve with a cool provencal rose

bjt wrote:Most surprising and delectable veggie dish of the summer: the vegetarian cemita at Cemitas Puebla. I thought I was just going to get a few peppers and onions but it also had tons of sauteed mushrooms and I believe eggplant. Combined with that stringy cheese and the shmear of avocado, it was really quite lovely. Messy as all hell but worth it.

bjt

Sweet. I never thought there would be anything I could eat at this beloved spot.

Another with tomatoes, I just made a Tarte Tatin des Tomates

I make something very similar when my mom has a glut of home grown romas. A nice addition is a small handful of nicoise olives, whole or chopped as you prefer (add them to the pan first before the tomatoes) & if the audience isn't strict vegetarian, a finely chopped anchovy fillet or two.

At home --> corn soup.
Recent dining excursion --> English pea sformato at Lula. Heaven.