Ten terrific vintage vegetarian recipes (that are ideal for summer!)

Summer calls for lighter fair. Few of us want to spend hours in the kitchen with the stove radiating heat, if we can avoid it. We'll cook or bake a little sure, and flock to the grill like seagulls to a French fry, but ultimately, more often than not, we’re in the mood for meals that are a cinch to whip up and that take advantage of some of the season's best produce – which, if we’re especially lucky, hails from our own garden.




With amazing fruit and veg out in full force, summer (much like late spring and early fall) is a particularly delicious time if you're a vegetarian. I'm not one myself, but I do eat meatless meals sometimes and have both vegetarians and vegans in my family. I know that many of you are such yourself and I've strived since day to provide vegetarian and/or vegan alternatives for many of the vintage recipes that I've shared over the years (some of which where meat-free or even vegan as they stood right out of the gate).

I have not, however, devoted a post just to vintage vegetarian recipes, so with a little over a month left (on the calendar at least) of summer and plenty of that scrumptious, juicy, daydream-about-it-in-January produce still on the trees and grocery store shelves alike, I wanted to dedicate today's vintage recipe post to dishes that are completely meatless.

In most cases, if canned or frozen veggies are called for, as they so often wear in the mid-twentieth century, but all means please sub in fresh ones, if you’d prefer. Likewise, a good many of the following ten vintage vegetarian recipes can easily be made vegan by omitting or substituting ingredients (such a soy/rice cheese for the daily version) for ones that are completely devoid of any animal products.

There are countless reasons - personal, medical, cultural, and religious all very much included - why people opt, or need, to be a vegetarian/vegan, and no matter yours, of if you're a carnivore who just enjoys meat-less meals sometimes, I hope that you'll all enjoy and these fun, filling vintage vegetarian recipes this summer!




1. A slew of healthy, fantastic veggies team up in this filling 1940s green salad recipe, for which you could easily swap in peas, corn, canned beans (pinto, kidney, black, etc), olives, or chickpeas in favour of the lima beans, if so desired.




2. If you can get your paws on fresh apricots, which are still in season in many areas that grown them (my own corner of Canada very much included), by all means use fresh fruit instead here in this charmingly pretty - and very tasty sounding - 1950s recipe for Apricot Baskets.




3. Scrumptious Italian flavours mingle marvelously in this classic red tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese dish from 1954 that tastes as delicious cold as it does warm (I've made a GF version before and it's always a big hit with everyone at the table).




4. This 1960s recipe for Lemon Butter Sauce would be perfect on grilled vegetables, drizzled over baked potatoes, tossed with pasta or quinoa, used as a dunking sauce, you name it!




5. What would any well balanced roundup of mid-century recipes be without at least one gelatin salad inclusion? This example - which has a distinctly Christmassy colour palette - is full on 1950s and includes such beloved ingredients of the era as tomato juice, mayonnaise, and pimento - you've always got to have the pimento! :D It is, like many Jell-O salads, vegetarian, and honestly, if you like veggies in your gelatine, I think it sounds rather nice. I could see being a delicious side dish to a plate of grilled corn or veggie tacos. *Edit* If you don't eat animal based gelatine, swap in a vegan substitute like agar instead here.




6. Serve this dead simple vegetable soup cold, pureed or whizzed in the blender first, and you've got an easy-peasy, no fuss take on that Mediterranean warm weather gem, gazpacho.




7. This filling recipe from 1945 for Stuffed Eggplant is especially well suited to cool summer evenings, Sunday dinners, and when the weather starts feeling decidedly like fall again.




8. Four ingredients is all it takes to make this quick, super easy, splendidly tropical inspired vintage fruit salad/dessert (that would be great for breakfast or brunch, too!). If Miracle Whip isn’t your favourite thing, why not use sour cream, whipped cream, mayo, Cool Whip, yogurt, or even ice cream instead?




9. The inclusion of bell peppers in this simple mid-century potato salad is really, really appealing and would give it a great hit of crunch.




10. Summer would not be summer without at least one rich, flakey, wonderfully classic cherry pie. This recipe from 1950 sees the unexpected and very appealing addition of pineapple. Yum-yum!!

{To learn more about a specific image, and in most cases, for a larger version of a given recipe page, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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If we take desserts and (some) salads out of the equation, many vintage cookbooks and recipe ads were, how shall we say, spartan with the number of vegetarian recipes they included (save for some meat/dairy/egg-free recipes that were commonplace out of sheer necessarily brought on by rationing during the war years).

That said, there are a small number of actual (dedicated) vintage vegetarian cookbooks out there, as the practise of eating meat and/or animal product free has been an important part of many cultures and religions for hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of years now.

Then as now though, there were plenty of amazing dishes that did not need meat in the slightest and it's worth pouring over such sources when you come across them for recipes that fit the meat-less bill or which can easily be made vegetarian/vegan.



{It's practically a crime not to avail of all the fantastic array of in season produce that is available during the summertime. Load up and go to town on these and other fabulous vegetarian and vegan recipes while such offerings are still at the peak of freshness.}


Plus, you can always whip up your own 21st century vegetarian/vegan take on classic dishes, too. From potato salad (use dairy/egg-free mayo, such as those from Earth Balance and Follow Your Heart) to caesar salad, ice cream to trifle and scores of other summertime menu staples that more than hold their own when they're free of any meat and/or other animal products.

I hope that you enjoyed these recipes. If you have any other favourite vintage vegetarian or vegan dishes that you'd like to share here, please don't be shy. I know that plenty of my readers scan through all of the comments on my posts and your impute would be very welcome by many a savvy veggie adoring vintage epicurean.

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad

~ Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad ~
During a recent phone call with my mother, she mentioned that she’d bought quinoa for the first time and was curious if I’d cooked with it before and if I had tips regarding its preparation. I have indeed, I informed her, and it’s really a delightful grain that lends itself beautifully to being paired with a myriad of other flavours (from dried cranberries to oven roasted tomatoes). I suggested preparing it with a tasty stock, some fresh herbs and whatever vegetables she fancied.

While I don’t cook quinoa as often as I do certain other grains like rice, barley and couscous, I do enjoy whipping up a dish with this adorable little ingredient (which is technically a cereal, not a grain, that’s related to the spinach plant) from time-to-time, and when I do, the recipe below is one that I often turn to. I put it together a few years ago after a different quinoa centered discussion with someone else, and adore how well this dish works in either its warm or cold state.


{This cheerfully lovely vintage sign for fresh sweet peppers would have definitely been enough to get me to pull over and check out the produce on offer at a roadside vegetable stand. These days however, you can spot it over at AllPosters.com, where it’s for $10.99 (for a 12 x 12 inch version).}


If you’ve never tried quinoa before, I highly recommend picking up a package (it’s available at nearly all well-stocked health food stores and most larger supermarkets). Quinoa, which is naturally gluten-free, is high in protein and essential amino acids, meaning that it works very well as a complete protein source. It’s also rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium. When cooked quinoa has a very pleasant, gentle, vaguely nutty flavour (it’s a bit reminiscent of brown rice) that makes it well suited to both savoury and sweet dishes (it makes a delightful alternative to oatmeal for breakfast or brunch when mixed with ingredients like fruit, nuts and honey).

Once cooked quinoa is light and fluffy, perfect for absorbing dressings and lending it’s gentle flavour to more robust vegetable and/or meat overtones. This particular salad is vegetarian, but you could toss in a handful of grilled meat or prawns for a heartier meal, or keep the vegetarian theme going by including zucchini, eggplant or any other veggie you wish for more substance.

All this talk of quinoa has me suddenly craving its mild, wonderful taste and soft yet slightly crunchy texture so much, I think I too will have to pick up a package the next time I’m out grocery shopping. In the meantime though, I’ll call up my mom to see how her first foray into quinoa cooking turned out.


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa (ensure that you buy the type which is labelled as having been washed so as to remove the slightly bitter outer coating that quinoa contains naturally)

• 3 cups water

• 1 green bell pepper (capsicum), chopped into even sized pieces

• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), chopped into even sized pieces

• 1/4 cup chopped scallion (green onion), both green and white parts (if you don’t have green onions on hand try using leeks or chives instead)

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley (or other fresh herb of your choice, dill is particularly lovely with quinoa, I find)

• 4 tablespoons liquid honey

• ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt (to taste)


Directions

In a medium-large saucepan (the heavier the bottom, the better) combine the three cups of water and quinoa; bring to a soft boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for about 13-18 minutes. You are aiming to have as much as possible of the liquid absorbed, much like a pot of rice, and for the quinoa to have softened.

Meanwhile combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper in a jar or bottle with a secure lid (one that won’t leak). Shake the mixture vigorously to emulsify the oil and vinegar. Store at room temperature until you are ready to dress the quinoa salad.

While the quinoa is cooking, dice all the vegetables and fry them for about two minutes over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying pan or skillet (the scallion may only need a minute), just so that they sweat and release some of their natural oils. Remove from the heat, toss with the flat leaf parsley (or your choice or herbs), and stir into the quinoa once it’s finished cooking.

Pour the dressing over the veggie and quinoa mixture and toss lightly to coat all the grains. Serve warm or chilled. Any leftovers can be kept, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight plastic container, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This dish travels well and is absolutely perfect to take to summer picnics, backyard barbeques and potlucks all year round (you can easily multiple the recipe as needed).

Serves 2 people as a main dish, 4 people as a side dish or starter

Bon appétit!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for vintage ice cream!

The weather simmered down a minuscule amount today, but scarcely enough to warrant mentioning. As such, my thoughts have turned to the topic of all manner of ways to help beat the heat if you’d don’t have AC (or improve the situation further even if you do!). From daydreaming about Alpine ski resorts to imaging a picturesque Christmas morning, snow falling as gracefully as fluttering angels, my mind has been on chilly, refreshing ideas this week.

One of the tastiest and most time honoured methods to help you – if only for a few minutes – cool off a bit, is to cozy up with a frozen treat. While prior to the widespread availability of ice, and more recently refrigerators and freezers, frozen desserts where generally only consumed by the fabulously well-to-do (or perhaps those who lived in chilly climates, too), for several decades now nearly everyone has had quick access to frozen desserts.

Just as the availability of such treats has become immensely widespread, so too has the number of ice cream and frozen snacks options sky-rocketed. From a virtually endless array of ice cream flavours (including some that most of us would rather pass up, such as the 101 flavours on this list) to frozen novelty treats on sticks, sherbets to ices, gelatos to dairy-free “ice cream” options for anyone who opts (or needs) to milk products (tons of lovely options exist in the dairy-free and vegan ice cream category, such as recipes and store bought brands made from soy, coconut or almond milk). So many incredible frozen treats exist in fact that we’re almost spoiled for choice by them! (Note, I said "almost"! :D)

Based on the comments Monday’s post about the surface-of-the-sun hot temps generated from readers who are similarly melting, I thought we could all imagine that we're getting together at the local malt shop, gathering in someone’s kitchen or around the backyard swimming pool. From there we’ll partake of some respite from the sizzling temperatures by looking at a scrumptious slew of vintage ice cream images – while lapping away at a cone, bar or treat on a stick of our own!




{Getting stranded on a dessert island with a heaping bowl of coconut fudge ice cream does sounds infinitely more fun than just having a volley ball to pal around with, don’t you think? :D}



{A pair of immensely cute youngsters take a break from painting their white picket fence to enjoy an ice cold Popsicle in the lovely, colourful early 60s ad.}



{Anyone else think this strawberry ice cream loving child could pass for Beaver Cleaver’s cousin? On a different note, I love the rather clever idea of keeping a dish or container of ice cream cold in a bucket of ice – so logical!}



{Peanut butter + chocolate + ice cream = super-duper yummy! These sound fantastic, like a frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.}



{The idea of individual little cubes of ice cream is really quite adorable, I’m surprised they didn’t stick around – yet what I especially like about this 1949 advert is how deeply stylish and beautiful the lady tumbling the ice cream out into the little glass dish is.}



{I just had to post this vintage magazine page, it has a recipe for maple nut, my mom’s favourite flavour of ice cream (and one of mine, too!) – though I’m not sure either one of us has ever had a version such as this, which calls for rennet and corn syrup.}



{Surely I can’t be the only who’s a little intrigued by the idea of creating ice cream with three everyday pantry items: Kool-Aid, sugar and evaporated milk.}



{Blizzards are undeniably fantastic, but I must admit, it’s always been Dairy Queen’s sundaes and ice cream cakes that make me go weak in the knees.}



{I swear I was just thinking of little cups of ice cream like this a couple of weeks ago, and here today I chanced upon this Dixie ad for them. While I can’t recall for certain whether they were Dixie brand or not, individual servings of ice cream like this always make me think of the annual Sports Day at my elementary school because mid-way through the day the teachers always gave each of the students a little ice cream in a clear plastic cup with a flat wooden spoon.}



{Cherry nugget ice cream? Yes please! I think this flavour sounds absolutely delicious, perpetual candied cherry fan that I am ;D}



{This 1958 ad for Big Dip low calorie ice cream looks appealing...perhaps a little too appealing, just how low cal was it? :D}



{This deeply charming ice shop photo is wonderful, yet I can’t help feeling sorry for the poor chap, as it seems the young lady is more into her float than her beau!}



{Adorable mascots and a mouth-wateringly delicious soft serve ice cream and soda hybrid, what more could one ask for from a frozen treat?}



{Ice cream is generally fantastic all on its own, but who doesn’t love adding toping such as these Kraft sauces that were available circa 1959?}



{Frozen custard and chocolate ice cream, I can see why the gal spinning the records looks so excited!}



{Whether homemade or store bought, I have such a fondness for ice cream sandwiches. It’s so neat to know their design hasn’t changed much at all in the past fifty or more years.}



{A delectable assortment of ice cream flavours and tasty desserts to whet your appetite, from a vintage RCW freezer advert.}



{Anything – especially no-bake freezer desserts – that conjures up thoughts of snowmen is A-Ok with me when the mercury starts staring 100° in the face!.}



{During weeks as hot as this one had been, it really does seem like you need a larger-than-life sized 7-Up float to dive head (or perhaps more aptly "mouth") first into!}



{And what summer trip down memory lane would be complete without an image of children gathered round the ice cream man’s truck? Fascinating I found part of this exact same illustration used in another ice cream ad – certainly not an occurrence you chance upon every day in the vintage world!}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


Few amongst us aren’t keen on a frozen treat of one kind or another. While I don’t eat sweets all that often, if I am going to indulge in an frozen goodie, I especially love sundaes, Creamsicles, soft serve, sorbets, and Italian gelatos. Thinking back to my childhood I was crazy for raspberry, tiger tail, cotton candy, rocky road, and black cherry ice cream as well as my mom’s homemade popsicles. What are your all-time favourite frozen desserts, the ones that make you scream with delight just thinking about them?