Your Favourite Vegetarian Recipes

Here is a recipe for Vegetarian Teriyaki Wrap

Makes: 1 Serving

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup White Rice
1 Cups Water
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Spanish Onion - Chopped
1/2 Red Pepper - Chopped
3/4 Cups Teriyaki Sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teapsoon Ground Black Pepper
2 whole wheat tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1) Boil water in a saucepan. Add rice.
2) Saute vegetables in teriyaki sauce.
3) Strain rice & stir into vegetable mix.
4) Add remaining ingredients, including sauces and salt.
5) Stir until vegetables are soft.
6) Serve in a tortilla.

While many people lament the nutritional disadvantages of a poorly planned vegetarian diet, few stress the health advantages of adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. In this article, I will cover the major three nutritional advantages of becoming a vegetarian.

The first major advantage of a vegetarian diet is increased heart health. Vegetarians, on average, consume more nuts (often as a supplemental form of protein). Nuts contain “good” fats, such as omega-3 and omega-6. This promotes good heart health by reducing “bad” cholesterol and unclogging arteries.

In addition to nuts, vegetarians also consume more soy milk (often to replace milk), which reduces “bad” cholesterol and has been linked to good heart health.

The second major advantage vegetarians enjoy is increased skin health. In addition to consuming larger quantities of nuts (which contain healthful oils), vegetarians tend to consume more fruit and vegetables, which are rich in essential vitamins, including A and E, which are linked to good skin health.

Fruits and vegetables also contain high amounts of fiber, which helps flush toxins out of the body, further contributing to better skin health.

The last health advantage vegetarians enjoy is an increased natural consumption of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are foods that help prevent cancer by destroying free radicals. Vitamin C and Vitamin E, two strong antioxidants, are commonly found in vegetarian meals.

Vitamin C can be found in berries, tomatoes, citrus fruit, kale, kiwis, asparagus and peppers.

Vitamin E can be found in wheat germ, seed oils, walnuts, almonds, and brown rice–all foods that are commonly a part of a well-balanced vegetarian diet.

So what does this all mean for you as a prospective vegetarian?

It means the popular mythology about vegetarian diets is false. Not only can a vegetarian diet be nutritionally sufficient, but it can also affect better skin health, prevent cancer, and increase your heart health.

Do you have a strict vegan to entertain, who has a birthday or celebration coming up that traditionally calls for cake?
If you’re not familiar with vegan dietary practices, you might not know what vegans do not eat. Even worse, you might have no idea how to replace what they do not eat.

But don’t worry. In a few short paragraphs, I’ll explain exactly what you need to make the perfect cake for your vegan friend or relative. And best of all, no one will be able to taste the difference.

Let’s start with what strict vegans do not eat. They do not eat eggs. They do not drink milk.
They don’t eat certain types of sugar. They don’t eat butter. And they don’t eat frosting.

Eggs can be replaced by “EnerG Egg Replacer,” which you can purchase at many grocery stores. The box will explain how much replacer to use per egg.

Cow’s milk can be replaced by organic rice milk, which doesn’t contain any animal byproducts. You can buy rice milk at your local grocery store, too.

Many vegans do not consume sugar, either, because it is often whitened by animal bone char. You can avoid sugar that is whitened by bone char by purchasing “unbleached” sugar, sugar in the raw, or beet sugar. There are some cane sugars, too, which were not whitened using bone char, but they hard to distinguish from others, unless you know the exact name brand.

Strict vegans will not eat food made with butter, either. If your cake recipe calls for butter, you can simply replace it with margarine or vegetable shortening.

In addition to butter, sugar, milk, and eggs, strict vegans also will not eat dairy frosting. If your recipe calls for frosting, you can look for a similar flavor of “non-dairy” frosting or you can make your own, replacing butter with margarine.

And there you have it: an ingredient replacement key for your vegan cake. Simply follow the key, replace vegan -unfriendly items on your recipe, and your cake will be perfectly fit for even the strictest vegetarian!

Makes: 25 Servings

Ingredients:

18 Oz Flour
1/2 Lb Sugar
1 Tablespoon Evaporated Milk
Or Rice Milk
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/3 Tablespoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Eggs (Or Equivalent Amount
Of Egg Replacer)
3/4 Cups Water
4 Bananas - Mashed
3 Oz Butter

Instructions:

1. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
2. Combine wet ingredients & add butter.
3. Add mashed bananas.
4. Beat all three mixes thoroughly. Heat, remix,
and blend as needed.
5. Mix all three in a large bowl & then add
resulting batter to a greased pan.
6. Bake until golden brown.
7. Remove & cool on a rack.
8. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Russett Potatoes - Diced
1 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 White Onion - Sliced & Diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Cups Rice/Soy Milk
4 Celery Stalks - Diced
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Saute vegetables with oil in a saucepan
for up to 5 minutes.
2. Remove vegetables & add to a large pot with water.
3. Boil water & add spices.
4. Stir.
5. Cover with lid & simmer on a low flame.
6. Serve when vegetables are soft.

What Is Vegetarian Cheese?

Vegetarian cheese is cheese that is not curdled with rennet, an enzyme that occurs naturally in animal stomachs. Most vegetarian cheeses are curdled with either plants, fungi, or bacteria.
Vegetarians who do not consume cheese with rennet generally choose not to because it involves slaughtering animals to extract the enzymes.

Vegetarian cheese is hard to distinguish from cheese made with rennet. This lack of distinguisability often forces vegetarians who are ethically-opposed to harming animals to consume cheeses that contain rennet.

Even though more cheeses are being made with vegetable rennet, it is usually impossible to spot the difference, unless the package is clearly labeled “vegetarian cheese.” Recently, some grocery stores have started doing this to aid vegetarian shoppers, who would not otherwise be able to distinguish the difference between the vegetable and animal rennet cheeses.

In addition to eating cheeses made with vegetable rennet, there are more alternatives to eating regular cheese. Vegans, for instance, do not consume cheese at all because it is an animal byproduct and subsequently requires animals to be caged and suffer. Many vegans, however, do consume cheese substitutes.

Chreese (www.chreese.com) is one of these substitutes. Chreese is an all natural, non-soy, cheese replacement that requires substantially less natural resources and energy to create than cheese with rennet.

And chreese is just one substitute. There are a number of other all natural alternatives you can find at local organic and health food stores. If you are a vegetarian and you don’t support animal suffering on your behalf in any capacity, you may also want to consider adjusting your dietary habits if you consume cheese made with animal rennet.

To reiterate, you have three basic options: you can look for grocery stores that label vegetarian cheese; you can purchase vegetarian cheese online; or you can purchase cheese alternatives online or at your local organic or health food store.

Don’t have time? Use store bought ready-made pasta sauce.
Have a bit of time? Use the ingredients and steps below to make excellent sauce from scratch!

Ingredients

To make the sauce
· 1 tsp olive oil
· ? cup onion, chopped
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 1 14-ounce can tomatoes, chopped
· 2 tbsp tomato paste
· ½ tsp dried basil, crushed
· ¼ tsp sugar
· Pinch of salt
· Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

To make the pasta rolls
· 8 dried lasagne noodles
· 2 tsp snipped fresh basil, crushed
· ¾ cup fat-free ricotta cheese
· ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
· 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, finely shredded
· 1 egg white, slightly beaten
· 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
· Parsley, to garnish

1. Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add chopped onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and tender. Gradually pour in chopped tomato while stirring. Add in tomato paste, basil, sugar, sugar, salt and pepper; Stir until well combined. Bring heat up to medium-high and allow mixture to come to a boil; once boiling bring heat back down. Allow sauce to simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While sauce is simmering prepare pasta following package directions. Once noodles are tender transfer into a colander; drain well. Set aside.
3. Combine chopped basil, ricotta, mozzarella and ricotta cheese together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour in egg white and spinach; mix together until well combined.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay noodles down side by side onto a clean flat surface. Using a spoon, evenly spread ¼ cup of the cheese and spinach mixture onto each noodle and starting at one end, roll each noodle into a cylinder. Place rolls, seam side down into a non-stick ovenproof pan and place into the oven and bake for around 25 minutes.
5. Once noodle rolls have heated through divide onto separate serving plates and top with sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4

An odd tip, but it works: To add some extra flavour, cut the surface of a garlic clove and rub it onto the surface of the toasted rolls.

Ingredients

· 6 tbsp margarine
· 1 pound firm tofu, crumbled into large chunks
· 1 red onion, chopped
· 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed and
chopped in to short strips
· 4 rolls
· ½ tbsp dried oregano
· ½ tbsp dried basil
· ½ tbsp dried thyme
· ½ tbsp dried rosemary
· Pinch of dried dill
· Pinch of dried sage
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a heavy-based skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add crumbled tofu, onion and bell pepper into the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While vegetables and tofu are sautéing, slice the rolls in half and toast. Once toasted, place rolls onto a serving plate.
3. Sprinkle in oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, dill and sage in with tofu mixture and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the tofu mixture onto the toast and serve at once.

Serves 4

This type of pizza is really easy to make, not to mention fun and great tasting
Ingredients

· ¼ tsp olive oil
· ½ small onion, peeled and chopped in small dice
· 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
· ¼ tsp dried oregano
· ¼ tsp dried basil
· ¼ tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
· 1 bay leaf
· ½ cup canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
· ½ cup tomato paste
· 2 whole-wheat pita breads (each 7½ inches)
· ½ yellow bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut into
thin strips
· ⅛ cup baby spinach leaves, chopped into fine pieces
· ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
· Fresh basil, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Over medium heat, heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Once heated, add in onion and garlic, stirring occasionally so onion and garlic don’t burn. Cook for about 4 minutes, until both ingredients turn a brown colour.
2. Sprinkle in oregano, basil, red-pepper flakes and bay leaf. Mix spices together. Stir in peeled tomatoes and tomato paste; increase to high heat. Once boiling, bring heat down to medium-low and allow mixture to simmer until sauce is thick and liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
3. Arrange pizzas on 2 baking sheets. Divide sauce onto both pitas evenly, leaving a border for the crust. Place on yellow pepper strips and scatter on chopped spinach leaves. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
4. Place baking sheets into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove pans from oven and put pizzas on a cutting board. Sprinkle pizzas with slices of fresh basil and cut each pita pizza into 12 slices. Serve immediately.

Makes 24 wedges

Eliminate seafood

It’s actually pretty easy to eliminate red meat and poultry from our diets. When you give any thought whatsoever, the reasons are so compelling to stop eating them. Your reasons may be physical, because you need to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure. You may want to reduce your risk of cancers that may run in your family, and eliminating red meat from your diet is an important way to do this. You may also find that the way we mass-produce meat and poultry for consumption in this country is repugnant to you. If we really thought about the way meat and poultry is raised, we’d never eat the stuff again. We’re consuming flesh that’s been produced from enormous pain and suffering. Even the smallest life has value on this earth; mass producing these animals to slaughter and eat them degrades their lives and degrades our own in the process of eating them.

It might feel like it’s carrying things to far to eliminate something as elemental as a shrimp or a scallop. But think about what we dump into the ocean where this food comes from. All our waste and trash gets hauled into the ocean, if it doesn’t go into a landfill. Think of the millions of gallons of oil that have been dumped from oil tanker accidents. Think of the impact that the erosion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere has had on every living thing on the planet. There are toxic levels of mercury in fish and seafood, so much so that if you’re a woman contemplating getting pregnant, you most definitely shouldn’t eat fish. Your risk of producing a baby with birth defects is extremely high if you do.

It can be hard to let go of fish and seafood, because this has a similar texture to red meat and poultry. It’s flesh after all, even though it’s marine flesh. It might take longer to eliminate fish and seafood from your diet, but keep at the effort. If you’ve been realizing the benefits of eating more vegetarian, then it’s really a small step to take to eliminate this last piece of animal flesh from your diet. Imagine how good you’ll feel about yourself and what you’re doing for the planet when make that last step and eliminate all meat and animal products from your diet.