Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Veggie Personal Pizzas

Ingredients

• uncooked pizza dough or English muffins
• soy or dairy cheese
• pizza sauce
• toppings such as mock pepperoni or sausage slices, olives, mushrooms, and pineapple

Preparation

I'll leave the amounts up to you on this one, depending on the age and number of your children. Prepare a pizza dough the night before your party or gathering or, buy ready-made uncooked dough. Provide each child with a baseball sized amount. Kids can mold and shape the dough themselves into their own pizza crust. For a simpler alternative, use English Muffin halves as ready-to-go crusts. You can buy a can of pizza sauce ormake your own. For a healthier version, puree vegetable marinara to use as sauce. Depending on the age of your little guests, you can have kids squeeze pizza sauce onto their pizza from a plastic squeeze bottle or spread on from a bowl. Have kids assemble their own personal pizzas! Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or, if using English muffins, bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Louisiana Vegetarian Gumbo Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 14 ounce can died tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups okra, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp file powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash black pepper, to taste
• dash tabasco sauce, to taste
• 3 cups rice, pre-cooked

Preparation

Sautee the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in olive oil over medim heat in a large saucepan or soup pot. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except rice and bring to a low simmer. Cover partially, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve generous portions of the gumbo over a bit of rice.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Sweet and Salty Butternut Squash Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• rice or other whole grains (optional)

Preparation

In a large soup or stock pot, combine the butternut squash with all of the other ingredients. Cover, and bring to a slow simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes or until squash is soft, stirring before serving. Serve over rice, or another whole grain if desired. This sweet and salty squash is also tasty on its own

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 8 cups water
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

Soak the bans with one of the green peppers in the water for 8 hours or overnight. After soaking, bring the beans, pepper and water to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are almost tender. Prepare a sauce, called sofrito, by combining the other green bell pepper, the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and a little of the cooking water in a blender. Blend on low until the mixture is smooth. Add the sofrito to the beans. Bring to a boil again, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add salt and the wine, vinegar, and sugar. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the bean mixture becomes thick, about 2 more hours. Add olive oil immediately before serving. Serve over steamed ric.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Pina Colada Tofu Shake

Ingredients

• 1 brick firm silken tofu
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk or soy milk, as desired
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Preparation

Carefully remove the tofu from the package and cut into chunks. Chop the banana.
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves 1 - 2.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Happy Irish Beer Bread

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 12 oz stout beer (take a small sip first, otherwise, there's just a bit too much!)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. It couldn't be easier!

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Basic Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• dash salt to taste
• dash cayenne, chili powder or taco sauce (optional)

Preparation

Mash avocado with a fork until almost smooth, or until desired consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. That's it! Dip your chips and enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Creamy Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped small
• 1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
• 1/2 cup green beans
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp margarine + 2 tbsp
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup milk or soy milk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup soy or regular yogurt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine all the vegetables and steam just until tender. In a large saucepan, combine the steamed veggies, 2 tablespoons of margarine, flour, vegetable broth, soy milk and sage. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash with 2 tablespoons margarine, yogurt and cheese. Spread the vegetables in a large baking dish, and spread the potato mixture on top. Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top if desired. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly golden.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Gluten-Free Carrot Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups corn mix
• 4 carrots
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place corn mix in a bowl. Peel and dice carrots until you have two cups. Boil until tender. Mash.
Beat carrots, buttermilk and eggs together. Place carrot mixture into corn mix and stir well. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. Pour the balance of vegetable oil into corn mix and stir well. Pour into baking pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut in squares and serve warm, Delicious if sliced and toasted.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetarian Pea and Vegetable Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp salad oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 pieces celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups vegetable juice or water
• 1 16 ounce can tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 14 tsp thyme or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15.8 ounce can crowder peas
• 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Add garlic, carrot, celery and onion. Sautee 5 minutes. Add broth, vegetable juice, tomatoes, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and crowder peas. Bring to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Add macaroni. Cook 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally until macaroni is tender. Serve in soup bowls topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if required.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 6 large cabbage leaves
• 2 dried mushrooms
• 30 grams straw mushrooms
• 30 grams silver sprouts 1)
• 3 water chestnuts 2)
  
• 1/4 carrot
• a little dried fungus
• a little black moss
• Seasoning:
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cornstarch Mixture:
• 40 ml water or liquid from the reconstituted mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 40 ml water (or stock if desired)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
• pepper to taste
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1 - 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed

Preparation

Parboil cabbage leaves in the wok in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes. This will help the filling stick to the cabbage. Move the leaves around with chopsticks so they will soften. Drain well. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for between 20 - 30 minutes. Save the soaking liquid to use if desired. Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms and cut off the stems. Soak the black fungus in warm water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse and trim the stems and cut off any stiff parts. Soak the hair moss in warm water for 20 minutes and drain well. Wash the water chestnuts and peel. Wash and scrape the carrot. Rinse the silver sprouts and the straw mushrooms. Shred all the ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients, adding 2 tablespoons of the reconstituted mushroom liquid if desired. In separate small bowls, prepare the cornstarch/water mixture and the sauce.
Heat the oil on medium-high to high heat in a wok. When the oil is ready, add the mushrooms, fungus, hair moss and silver sprouts, carrots and water chestnut and stir-fry. Add the seasonings with the mushroom stock. Add the cornstarch/water mixture, and 1/2 of the sauce and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. Divide the cooked filling into 6 portions. Lay out a cabbage leaf and place a portion of the filling on the end. (If necessary, cut off the stiff rib of the leaf and place a small piece of cabbage over to cover.) Roll up the cabbage tightly and trim off the ends if necessary. Continue with the remaining rolls.

Steam the cabbage rolls on high heat for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in wok and when ready, add the rest of the sauce. Heat and pour on top of the cabbage rolls. Serve hot.
1)Silver sprouts are merely bean sprouts that have been "topped and tailed" - they have had both ends cut off. The purpose is to make a more attractive dish. If desired, you can skip this step and not trim the bean sprouts.
2)If unavailable, substitute bamboo shoot

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 4 cups cold cooked rice
• 8 ounces cooked chicken (or substitute cooked turkey, etc.), chopped
• 2 eggs (more if desired)
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green onion, diced
• Seasonings (add according to taste):
• Light Soy Sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for stir-frying, as needed

Preparation

Beat the eggs lightly with chopsticks, add a dash of salt (Add a bit of oyster sauce if desired).Chop the chicken meat and dice the onion and green onion. Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, turning over once. Cook the other half the same way. Cut the egg into thin strips, and save for later.Stir-fry the onion on high heat for a few moments, remove and set aside. Do the same for the green peas. Add oil, turn down the heat to medium and stir-fry the rice. Add the soy sauce, salt, pepper and oyster sauce. Add the chicken, onion and green peas and combine thoroughly. Serve chicken fried rice with the strips of egg on top and the green onion as a garnish. (Alternately, you can mix the green onion and egg in with the other ingredients).

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Classic Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Rotini pasta
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 small green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 1 8 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
• 1 cup broccoli, lightly steamed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 - 13 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to directions on package; drain and rinse under cold water. Put pasta in a large mixing bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients; toss well. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Crispy Fried Tofu Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. In a small bowl, combine the tofu with the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and toss gently to coat the tofu well. Or, place all ingredients in a zip-lock bag or covered container and shake well. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the tofu. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and lightly crispy.

GREEN BEANS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

 
Ingredients
 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
 4 garlic cloves
 2 jalapenos or other hot chiles
 2 T fermented black soybeans
 3 T rice vinegar
 2 T tamari (or soy sauce)
 1.5 t potato starch (or cornstarch)
 1 T brown sugar
 2 T sake or other rice wine

Preparation

Cut the green beans into equal lengths of about 1.5 inches. Blanch the green beans for 3 minutes.  Set aside.Mince the garlic.  De-seed the jalapenos and finely dice.  Mix together
the garlic, jalapeno, and black beans.  Set aside. Mix together the rice vinegar, tamari, starch, sugar, and sake.  Set aside. Fill a glass with water
and set handy next to the stove.  Put a skillet over high heat.  When the pan is hot, dump the garlic mixture
into the pan.  Stir fry for one minute, adding water as the mixture begins to stick -- add just a little at time.  Add the green beans and
stir fry for 5 minutes, again adding water just as needed. Add the vinegar mixture, mixing until evenly coated and sauce thickens.  Serve
immediately. 
Serves 2 

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh egg noodles
• 1 can bamboo shoots
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh snow peas
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 slices ginger
• 2 TB dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 TB Chinese rice vinegar

Preparation

Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 3 - 5 minutes, or cook according to the package directions.
Prepare the vegetables: Rinse all the vegetables and drain thoroughly. (Rinse the bamboo shoots and canned water chestnuts under warm running water for several minutes to remove any tinny taste). Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, and cut into thin strips. String the snow peas and cut the celery into thin strips on the diagonal Mince the ginger. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the water chestnuts. Stir-fry briefly, and add the other vegetables except for the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry briefly and add the noodles.
Stir in the dark soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Stir in the bean sprouts. Cook for a few more seconds and serve hot. Each serving contains (based on 3 servings): Calories 469*, 76 g Carbohydrates, 16 g Protein, 13 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 72 mg Cholesterol, 8 g Fibre, 907 mg Potassium. An excellent source of potassium. A good source of calcium, iron and dietary fiber.
*The calorie count goes down to 352 when based on 4 servings.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetarian Sweet and Sour "Spareribs"

Ingredients

• 10 - 12 cups water for boiling walnuts
• 4 teaspoons salt for boiling walnuts
• 3 ounces fresh shelled walnuts
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon oil for stir-frying
• 6 ounces pineapple slices (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup Sweet and Sour Sauce
• 1 medium carrot, shredded, for garnish

Preparation

Bring 5 to 6 cups water with 2 teaspoons salt to a boil. Boil the walnuts in the boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. Repeat one more time. (This removes any bitter taste from the walnuts). Drain and allow the walnuts to cool. Cut the bell peppers into bite-sized chunks. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the 3 tablespoons water and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a frying pan or preheated wok. When the oil is hot, add the walnuts. Stir-fry briefly, then add the bell peppers and the pineapple slices. Stir in the sweet and sour sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick restir and add. Mix and serve hot, garnished with the carrot.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Quick 7 Layer Dip Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce container sour cream
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 16 ounce cans refried beans
• 1 16 ounce jar salsa
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 avocados, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 4 ounce can sliced black olives
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• tortilla chips

Preparation

Mix sour cream and taco seasoning. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes. In sauce pan, combine refried beans and salsa. Heat on medium until evenly blended. Let cool. Shred lettuce. Dice tomatoes, avocados, and green onions. Take cooled beans and salsa and spread in 11x13 inch pan. Spread sour cream/taco seasoning mixture over beans. Layer the cheese, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and green onions in that order evenly over each ingredient. Serve with tortilla chips.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dry white wine or rice wine
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 4 cups pre-cooked rice

Preparation

Whisk together the soy sauce and wine and set aside. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the garlic and fry for one minute, stirring. Add the carrot, green pepper and peas. Stir-fry for one or two more minutes, then add the eftover rice, stirring frequently. Pour the soy sauce and wine over the rice, and stir until well combined and the rice is hot. Enjoy your vegetarian fried rice

Vegetable Pita Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

2 Garden Sausage patties
olive oil spray
1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes or premade natural pizza sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
6 whole wheat pitas
1 cups Veggies pack, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 to 2 roasted red peppers, chopped
1 cup sliced green onions
6 black olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - optional

Method

Heat the Garden Sausage in a hot skillet sprayed with olive oil spray. Approximately 3 minutes on each side will be needed. Dice into 1/4 inch pieces and set aside. Combine the crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and thyme in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes. (Or use premade natural pizza sauce). Preheat the oven to 375F. Spread each of the pitas with tomato sauce, then top with Veggie Pack, pieces of red peppers, green onions, and olives. Sprinkle with the diced Garden Sausage. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the edges just begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using and serve.
Serves Six Persons