and am very creative when I do. I know many vegetarians, but it seems they eat alot of Quorn products, veggie burgers, cheese and vegetables. Please, give me some really tasty recipes that will make my family takenotice that a veggie diet can be tasty as well as healthy.
Answer on Variety in a vegetarian diet? I would like to eat this way but I find the variety very limited. I love to cook
Add some Indian (from India) foods to your diet. Full of flavor, you'll never miss the meat.
Also, there are a jillion types of dry beans and legumes out there. Do one variety every other night... freeze L/O, then turn the L/O into a bean-veggie-noodle soup!
Here's a couple good recipes:
SESAME PEANUT NOODLE BOWL
Makes: 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes, plus pasta
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
8 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light or dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (green part only)
Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Add sesame seeds; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Immediately pour out of hot pan to avoid over-toasting. Cook spaghetti according to directions.
Meanwhile, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, ginger and red pepper in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in carrots and sesame seeds. Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Add spaghetti and water to sesame seed mixture; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with scallions tops. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 418 calories, 13 grams protein, 15 grams fat (33 percent calories from fat), 2.6 grams saturated fat, 58 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 606 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
-- 7-Day Menu Planner website
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STUFFED SQUASH WITH BULGUR AND FETA
This vegetarian dish can be prepared up to a day ahead; fill the squash halves with the cooked bulgur mixture, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake.
4 large summer squash (about 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
lemon wedges, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve each squash lengthwise; slice off a sliver of skin from each half so they sit flat. Scoop out flesh with a small spoon or melon-baller, leaving a 1/4-inch border; chop finely, and reserve. Place squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, skin sides down; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved chopped squash, onion, almonds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add bulgur and 2 cups water; simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes (bulgur should still be slightly crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in feta.
4. Mound bulgur mixture in reserved squash halves. Bake until squash is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: Once the flesh has been removed from the squash halves, it is chopped and added to the filling so nothing is wasted.
--EverydayFOOD
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EGGPLANT PARMESAN W/ TOMATO SAUCE
2 pounds (about 2 medium-sized) eggplant
Salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, seasoned with 1/4 chopped fresh basil leaves and 1/4 cup pecorino
2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and towel dry the eggplant. Slice the eggplant horizontally about 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices in a large colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside to rest about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggplant and dry on towels.
In a saute pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil until just smoking. Press the drained eggplant pieces into the seasoned bread crumb mixture and saute until light golden brown on both sides. Repeat with all of the pieces. On a cookie sheet lay out the 4 largest pieces of eggplant. Place 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over each piece and place a thin slice of mozzarella on top of each. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and top each with the next smallest piece of eggplant, then sauce then mozzarella. Repeat the layering process until all the ingredients have been used, finishing again with the Parmigiano. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top of each little stack is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Basic Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes
Salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve.
This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
--Mario Batali, FoodTV
