Welcome to Vegetarian Tips

Roasted Veggie Wraps

• 1 Medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges


• 1 Zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices


• 1/4 lb Mushrooms, cut into quarters


• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil


• 1/2 tsp Dried basil leaves


• 1/4 tsp Salt


• 1/4 tsp Coarsely ground black pepper


• 6 Flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)


• 1 -1 1/2 cups Shredded lettuce

GARLIC MAYONNAISE

• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise or salad dressing


• 1 tbsp Finely chopped parsley


• 1 tsp Chopped garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Heat oven to 450°F. Spread pepper, onion, zucchini and mushrooms in ungreased jelly roll pan. Mix oil, basil, salt and pepper; brush over vegetables. Bake uncovered 12 to 15 minutes or until crisp-tender, cool slightly. Spread about 2 teaspoons Garlic Mayonnaise down center of each tortilla to within 2 inches of bottom. Top with vegetables, spreading to within 2 inches of bottom of tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup of lettuce. Fold one end of tortilla up about 1 inch over filling; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down.

Sweet and Sour Tofu

This recipe makes a great meal when served on a bed of rice.

• 2 tbsp. vegetable stock or water


• 1 cup diced onion


• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots


• 1 cup each diced green and red pepper


• 1 tbsp. minced garlic


• 1 tbsp. peeled grated gingeroot


• 3/4 cup pineapple juice


• 1/4 cup brown sugar


• 1/4 cup rice vinegar


• 2 tsp. cornstarch


• 1 cup diced firm tofu


• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Saute onions, carrots, peppers, garlic and ginger in stock. Mix together pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar and cornstarch and add to skillet along with tofu, stirring constantly until thickened. Simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.

*Creamy Autumn Squash Pasta

4 cups fresh or frozen butternut, buttercup, ambercup squash, peeled, diced, and steamed until very tender



2 cups plain soy or rice milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Acacia Tummy Fiber(see link below for this product)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups finely diced onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary

2 teaspoons savory

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons brown sugar

16 oz. package spaghetti or linguine, cooked, 1 cup cooking water reserved

soy or rice Parmesan



Whisk together the steamed squash, soy/rice milk, cornstarch, and Tummy Fiber until smooth. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute onion, garlic, and herbs until very tender and golden. Add the squash mixture, salt, and sugar, and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thick add some reserved pasta water. Spoon the sauce over the cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.  Makes 6 - 8 servings.

*Excerpted from 'Eating for IBS' by Heather Van Vorous - www.helpforibs.com/shop/books/eatingforibs.asp

Note: Appropriate for Vegan Diet



 

South of the Border Chili

If you have a hankering for some delicious, south of the border chili sans meat try making some mouthwatering vegetarian chili with a simple mix. If the thought of chili that essentially only contains beans isn't doing it for you fill that pot with some other tasty goodies. Add the following to really pack in the flavor:

• 1 cup of cubed butternut squash


• 1 Vidalia onion, diced


• 1 bell pepper, diced


• ½ jalapeño chili, finely diced


• 1 can of red kidney beans, drained


• 1 can of black beans, drained


• 1 medium zucchini, cubed


• 1 cup sliced mushrooms


• 6 lime wedges

This chili will be so jam-packed with scrumptious vegetables that you won't notice that anything is missing. And, if you do want to add some meat, toss in some soy-based meat crumbles.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

A low-fat tasty potato dish.

• 6 potatoes (unpeeled)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Wash potatoes and cut each into 8 pieces. Toss in a large bowl with all the ingredients. Bake in an uncovered baking dish at 350 F for 30 minutes or until soft.

Portobello Tacos

• 2 cups chopped Portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped lettuce
• 1/3 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup guacamole (optional)
• 4 - 6 flour tortillas

Fry up the onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and carrots in olive oil. When cooked to tenderness, remove and make up tortillas with veggies, chopped tomato, lettuce, and guacamole. Tortillas may be warmed up ahead of time in the microwave or on a stovetop pan.

Flavor-Packed Veggie Chili

Chili is one of those meals that is just downright American. The problem is, however, that most chili recipes are packed with meat and a lot of the ones that aren't just don't have a lot of flavor. If this has been your experience, then you're trying out the wrong chili recipes. Try this fantastic vegetarian dish recipe that is chalked full of so many fruit, nuts, and spices that you won't think anything's missing:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 can yellow corn, drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups kidney beans, cooked & drained
• 2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounce cans)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 drops hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon basil, dried
• 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
• bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup whole cashews (unsalted)
• shredded cheese Cheddar or Monterey Jack

Melt the butter in a large saucepan then add the onion, and celery and sauté until crisp. Throw in the corn, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, chili powder, pepper sauce, garlic, basil, cumin, bay leaf, oregano, and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and allow everything to simmer for 30 minutes. Next, add the cashews & raisins and continue to simmer for around 20 minutes (the nuts and raisins should be tender at this point). Serve the dish with the cheese sprinkled on top.

Orzo Salad

• 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 10 ounces)
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
• 1 cup finely chopped radicchio (about 1 small head)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add sun-dried tomatoes, oil, vinegar and olives and toss to blend. Let stand until cool. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Mix chopped radicchio, pine nuts, chopped basil, Parmesan and garlic into orzo mixture. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Almond Loaf

Delicious served with mixed vegetables on the side.

• 2 large onions
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 oz spaghetti
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 2 cups ground almonds
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp sage
• Rind and juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Peel and slice the onions and fry in the oil for 10 minutes over a low heat. Cook the spaghetti until tender, but not overcooked. Drain the spaghetti, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and put into a greased loaf pan. Cover and bake at 375F for 1 hour.

Vegetarian Pizza Pie

Do you find it a little hard to believe that a pizza pie can have any flavor without handfuls of pepperoni slices or sausage pieces? Well, believe it or not, there are countless delicious pizza recipes that are topped with items that didn't once live on a farm. Try this exotic vegetarian recipe for a fabulous Thai pizza that won't leave room for any complaints:

• Vegetable cooking spray
• Pizza dough
• I cup of canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 8-ounce can of pineapple chunks
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
• ¼ cup salsa (spiciness depends on personal taste)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a pizza pan with cooking spray and spread out the dough on the pan. Combine all ingredients, except the cheeses, and spread them across the dough. Bake the pizza until the cheese is browned (about 15 minutes).

The Oh-So-Versatile Couscous

Couscous is healthy dish that is often times a staple in many vegetarian diets. The key to enjoying couscous on a regular basis is to play around with its versatility and create exciting new dishes. Here is a charming variation of the dish that's sure to be a hit:

• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon of oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 3/4 cup couscous
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) jars of artichoke hearts (quartered and drained)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

In a saucepan, combine water, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Then, stir in couscous and return to a boil. Finally, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Finally, stir in the walnuts, artichoke hearts, parsley, and lemon juice.

*Serve the dish alone or on pitas.

Great Veggie Sandwich Idea

Some of the most popular lunch choices today are sandwiches but often times there aren't very many vegetarian options in that department. If you want to create your own delicious veggie sandwiches, try this low calorie vegetarian recipe for veggie pocket sandwiches:

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into cubes
• 1 large sweet potato cut into ½ inch slices
• 1 large bell pepper (red or green), cut into ¾ inch pieces
• 1 large onion cut into slices
• 1 large tomato cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 4 pita pockets, halved
• Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Then, line a deep pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Bake vegetables for about 30 minutes until they are browned. Next, combine vegetables in a bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then drizzle over the vegetables. Toss the mixture until veggies are coated. Stuff spoonfuls of veggies into the pita pockets and you're done.

Quick Brown Bread

• 3/4 cup rye flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup plain yogurt or soy yogurt plus 1/2 cup low-fat milk or soy milk)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or molasses
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour each of the wet ingredients into it. Stir vigorously until the wet and dry ingredients are completely combined. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled, 9X5X3 inch loaf pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a rack briefly, then slice and serve while still warm.

Light Mushroom Gravy

A great low fat gravy recipe perfect for mashed potatoes or veggie roast.

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup each diced carrot and celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp each dried thyme and sage
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in 2 tbsp of the stock for 5 mins. until the onion is soft. Stir in remaining stock, tamari, parsley, yeast, thyme and sage. Mix flour and water separately, and strain mixture into pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 mins.

Quick and Healthy

Looking for some healthy fast food to take on the go? Preparing easy vegetarian meals to enjoy on the go is simple, try these fantastic Mexican meals that you can easily prepare in minutes:

1. Quick Quesadillas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put some whole-wheat tortillas on a cookie sheet. Put heaping spoonfuls of canned black beans on top followed by salsa, scallions, and fat-free cheese (or vegan cheese). Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Fast Veggie Chili: Heat up some low-fat canned vegetarian chili and pour over a plain baked potato or cooked brown rice. Sprinkle some fat-free cheese (or vegan cheese) on top and add low fat sour cream and scallions.