Give vegetarian meals an international flavor

We ate at friends, we ate at relatives, we ate at home; the turkey, the duck, the ham, the standing rib roast, the leg of lamb – all were consumed with great enthusiasm and endless good appetite. But suddenly, the sight of rich meat and poultry entrees is enough to make one gag! I think it may be time to go for meals that are a bit different, like maybe without all that stomach-bloating animal protein.

Vegetables? Are you talking about vegetables? How boring is that! Wait, before you reject the notion, consider the amazing variety of vegetarian main dish recipes that originate in other nations. There are so many, I had a hard time choosing from among all the appealing recipes in my files.

I tried to stick to those that are somewhat unusual and are from countries that are not often represented in recipe collections. I finally decided on Brazilian Black Beans with Rice, Vegetable Stew with Toasted Walnut Sauce from the Balkans, Bean and Peanut Stew from Africa and Greek Spinach Turnovers.

All the recipes are for entrees. Each one becomes a complete meal with the addition of crusty bread and a salad, and a sherbet and plain cookies for dessert.

Brazilian Black Beans with Rice

Based on the traditional Brazilian Feijoada

1/2 pound (about 1 1/4 cup) dried black beans

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium whole onion, peeled and studded with 4 whole cloves

1 whole clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and dried oregano

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, halved, seeded, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped

3 cups cooked brown or white rice (3/4 cup raw)

Orange slices, sour cream and salsa for garnish

Bring beans and water to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Lower heat; simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 1 hour.

Add salt, clove-studded onion, and whole garlic clove.

Simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender. Add thyme and oregano and simmer for 30 more minutes or until beans are tender. Remove cloves from onion and mash the onion into the beans.

Sauté chopped onion, pepper and minced garlic in oil in a large skillet until vegetables are tender but nor browned.

Add beans with the cooking liquid and the chopped tomato. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are soft.

Remove 1 cup of the bean mixture and mash with a fork. Return to the skillet and cook a few minutes longer until the sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over cooked rice. Top with salsa and sour cream; garnish with orange slices. Serve with a green salad and corn bread. Serves 6.

Balkan Vegetable Stew

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 medium onions, sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup water and 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), unpeeled, cubed

1 large green pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 small head cabbage (about 1 pound), shredded

1 cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 can (16 pounces) diced tomatoes

Toasted Walnut Sauce (recipe follows)

In medium saucepan in hot oil sauté the onions and garlic cloves 3 minutes. Add broth, salt, thyme, basil and pepper.

Combine remaining ingredients except sauce in a large casserole. Bring broth mixture to a boil and pour over vegetables.

Cover and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid is absorbed. Serve hot with Toasted Walnut Sauce. Serves 6.

Toasted Walnut Sauce

2 slices fresh white bread with crusts removed

1 cup shelled walnuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

About 3/4 cup milk

Toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly toasted. Place the walnuts, bread, salt, pepper and half the milk in a blender container. Blend until smooth, adding enough additional milk to make a thick yet pourable sauce.

Serve over Vegetable Stew. Makes about 2 cups.

African

Bean-Peanut Stew

1 cup dried navy pea beans

Water

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon each salt and ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

In medium saucepan cover navy pea beans with water, bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.

In Dutch oven or large saucepan sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is golden. Add carrots, pea beans, black-eyed peas, red pepper and 6 cups water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender.

In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with about 1/4 cup hot broth from the beans. Add salt, coriander and basil. Stir until smooth. Stir into bean pot.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes to blend seasonings. Serve in soup bowls garnished with fresh parsley. Serves 4.

NOTE: Leftovers are good served as a dip for uncooked vegetables or crackers.

Greek-Style Spinach Turnovers

1 package (10 ounces frozen patty shells, thawed

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon oil

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup each crumbled Feta cheese (4 ounces), and cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Roll out each patty shell between sheets of waxed paper to form a circle 7 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill well.

In a saucepan, sauté the onion in oil until tender. Add spinach. Cook and stir until all liquid is evaporated; set aside and cool.

Stir in egg, cheese, salt and pepper. Place half cup of mixture in the center of each chilled circle. Fold over to form a semicircle. Crimp edges together to seal.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden. Serves 6.