Easy Vegetarian Meals

Hello lovely people. This blog is for healthy vegetarian recipes that are relatively easy to make. I may post the occasional gourmet meal, but Id like to keep them easy and quick so that eating healthy does not have to be a hassle ^_^

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                 Savory Vegetarian "Chicken and Beef" Bok Choy on Rice

Long time no see lovely peoples, I wanted to get back into posting up things I have cooked over the past months, I have taken photos but no time to really sit and make them  into a recipe. Time to start the new year off with some new content...finally! 

I hope everyone can find something in these new recipes they can use, or build from. SO here goes..

Ingredients: 

7-8 Bunches of Bok Choy  - Cleaned and Chopped(or as many as you need, this amount is good for two people)

1-2 cloves carlic minced -  or garlic powder in a pinch. 

1 Pack Gardein Beefless Strips -  Why this brand? Simple it cooked up chrispy in a skillet! Which is really hard to find in alot of mock meat tofu products! Light crispy and easy~~

1 Pack Gardein Mandarin Crispy Chick'n  -  Yep I put the sauce pack in the fridge for some other dish..later. Same with these, they cook up crispy and light in the skillet. 

1/4 cup cashews - whole or halved, salted or unsalted, doesnt matter because we will be taste testing at ALL TIMES!

1 tsp Seseme oil -  Guessing here I usually add and taste at the end until I am satified, It is around this amount. 

2-3 TBS Consumme Soup base powder - I can not live without this stuff...!!!!! 

1-2 TBS Corn Starch

1 to 2 cups water

1-2 TBS Brown Sugar

Pepper and Salt  or even Braggs liquid amino to taste... although I find if you use enough Consumme powder the need for salt becomes low. 

Like it spicey? Add some red peper..go ahead

White, or Brown Rice, however much the hearts desire. 

How to do all the things:

First lets get the rice on and cooking before we do anything else. 

While thats on, chop wash and prep the bock choy - set aside.

Get out all your seasoning ingrediants and leave by the stove for later. 

Find a nice wide skillet and throw in a little cooking oil 1-2 TBS maybe a pinch more if you making more veggies than recommended, ...whatever you prefer. I wont go into what oil is best because it is widely disputed topic. What I use will remain a secret!

Heat on medium and open up your two packs of veggie meats. lay them in the pan, unclumped evenly, throw a lid on and give them time to brown on one side. All stoves are different, so only you know what is the true medium for your own kit.

 Get a draining paper towel ready at the side. 

Once the pieces are browned and crispy on each side, put them on the paper towel to rest. If your feeling brave you can cut them into smaller strips with some cooking shears. 

Take your Cornstarch and cup of water and combine and set beside the stovem with the extra cup on the side. 

Now for the real action!

Get a deeper sided skillet, or wok if you are pro, pur 1-2 tbs oil in there and turn up the heat to medium - high. Let the oil get hot but dont walk away from it. 

Everything that follows is kind of time sensetive...the more you cook this dish the easier it will become to make it. 

With the oil hot throw in the cashews so they can get browned a bit, but dont leave them alone this part goes fast and easy to burn them!

Throw in your chopped Bok Choy.... as it sizzles quickly add some Consumme, brown sugar and drops of seseme oil. Toss like a mad man a 6-7 times. Then quickly get your cornstach and water mixture, stir it if its settled to the bottom and slowly pour it on the stir fry. Put half and see how thick it becomes, you do not want to add too much and have it goopy,--- which is why we have the extra water, If it becoems too thick add water.

Most important at this  point now is taste test!  See if you need more seseme oil, more consumme, or more sugar. 

Taste test the values until you are happy -- quickly since it still on the fire cooking. 

once you are happy with the flavor add in the meats, toss, and serve right away so that the  meats remain cripsy when eaten.

Salt pepper to taste,

TIP:

 Add a sprinkle of lemon juice, and or some chopped green onion for garnish. 

Serves 2,..or 3 if your feeling particularly stingy xD

[easyvegetarianmeals]

Grilled Onion and Mushroom Polenta with Blackened Kumato Tomato Breakfast

I am sorry it has been a while since I have posted up, life has  gotten a bit crazy lately. I decided to post up this simple recipe because it is fat free and delicious. It is very fast to make and pleasing to look at!

Ingrediants:

Cooking spray - ( or a small spoon of butter if you do not mind adding the bit of fat)

1 Roll of packed Polenta - ( i use the brands located in the tofu/vegetarian meats isle)

1 Black Kumato Tomato ( the flavor is amazing and delicate, you can find them in 5 packs at trader joes if you are in the U.S, if not i recommend a beefsteak tomato.)

2 Crimini mushroom (small brown tops)

Sriracha - to taste

Salt/ Pepper- to taste

Prepare:

Cut polenta into 1/2 inch rounds, and brown in skillet with whatever non stick agent you choose. Do not flip too soon, let it sit on one side and fully brown first, they will become fragile and break if over flipped.  Medium heat.

Quickly slice tomato thickly and lay flat on t he hot skillet that the Polenta was just browned in. Do not flip more than once, wait for browning again.

Do the same for sliced mushroom, brown the same as above.

Now it is time to assemble and add salt and pepper with however much sriracha you desire.

TIP: Never add salt to tomato while grilling, it will liquify with the curing of the salt. If you plan to wait to eat the assembled meal, do not salt until people are ready to eat so that the plate is not covered in juice from the sweating tomato.

Enjoy! ^_^

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                     Goji Berry Vegetable Soup with Miso Base

This one is a mash up of things i had on hand in  my fridge, but turned out really savory with depth of flavor so I wanted to post it up. Goji berries make a wonderful sugar alternative to giving soup a touch of sweet. I used sweet and regular potatoes.

What you need:

1 Carrot

2 Cups Vegetable broth

1 cup Broccoli

1/2 Sweet potato

1 Gold Yukon (jacket potato or whatever is on hand)

1/2 cup Bean Sprouts

1/4 Cup Goji Berries

1/2 cup peeled tomato chopped

1 Tbs Tamarind paste

1 Stick of lemon grass

1/4 inch ginger

1/2 fresh jalapeno deseeded and chopped fine

1/2 yellow onion chopped very fine

1 and 1/2 Tbs Barely Miso

Prep:

I actually steamed the two types of potato in a Oster steamer. then the broccoli after. While that was steaming I put the rest in a soup pot to simmer and cook until the veggies were done steaming. I generally do not like my potatoes to be too crumbly inside my soup. Taste test a lot, and adjust the values to your own liking! It helps to cut the onion very small in the soup, and the lemon grass stick cut larger so you can pick them out afterwards, as well as the ginger.

Plate the potatoes and broccoli and spoon on the soup over the top, sprinkle some pepper to taste and enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

Comments Enabled!

Thank you to all my followers! I finally figured out why comments were not able to be posted, so that should be fixed now ^_^

[easyvegetarianmeals]

             Super Lean Baked "Fries" with Salad and Raw Marinara

So! I had a massive craving for something warm, and like fries, but I did not want them to be unhealthy.

This recipe uses only 1-2 Tsp of Olive  oil, with a ton of fresh herbs. Very low on the fat content and satisfies a craving for something bad, without actually eating something bad!

The "fries"

2 Yukon Gold (jacket potatoes) Scrubbed clean or peeled, I like the skin on golds.

2-3 spigs of fresh rosemary

1/4 Cup fresh parsley

pinch of nutmeg

pinch to taste of salt (I used the pink Himalayan salt)

Neat trick!:  Place  your potato sticks in a steamer for 3-4 minutes. Then rinse them in cold water, drain, and put them in a large ziplock bag, throw in the olive oil, chop SUPER fine all the herbs and add those too along with the salt. Massage the potatoes until each piece is well coated. Then dump them out onto a baking sheet, spread them out so they have their own space and stick in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes, flip and bake another 8 minutes, or until they are as tender as you like them! (tongs really help)

Salad:

Anything you like! but here is what I used:

Spinach 1 cup

Baby mixed greens 1 cup

baby heirloom tomatos 1/2 cup

mini sweet multi colored peppers chopped in thin rings

Fuji apple, sliced into super thin matchsticks

The Dressing I used was a simple mix of Tahini paste and lemon juice with some Braggs amino, and 1/4 a zucchini to stretch the sauce a bit all in a magic bullet till creamy.

Marinara:

This was actually left over from pasta last night, but it made a good dip for my fries!

3 Roma tomato

4-5 Soaked sun-dried tomatos

1/2 cup fresh Basil

2 dates pitted

Lemon and salt to taste.

Throw it all together and Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

Raw Zucchini  Pasta with Pistachio pesto and creamy cashew sauce

Tonight I really wanted to try a pesto recipe from wonderful Master Chef Russell James (http://www.therawchef.com) but I did not have  a few of the ingredients needed to do his recipe, so! I improvised and just used his pesto  mixture on my own creation. If you would like the recipe to his pesto please check out his site, and sign up for a free membership, he sends free recipes and wonderful insight into being, and staying with raw foods.

What you need:

4-5 zucchini ( less if its large ones, all I had was small skinny ones)

1 cup of spinach

1/2 cup of fresh Pesto ( The recipe I used can be taken from Russell James at http://www.therawchef.com

1-3 sliced cherry tomatoes for garnish

few sprigs of micro greens ( I used radish sprouts)

Cashew  Cream

1 Cup of raw unroasted Cashew nuts soaked for at least an hour (overnight is best so it comes out super creamy with less texture)

1/4 cup of cold water

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

2 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

a few pinches of Himalayan pink salt or whatever you like to use

Add water or fresh orange juice until desired consistency.

This all goes in a high speed blender, if you do not have a hardcore vita mix it will definitely take a longer blend time. I used a magic bullet and it took me about 3 minutes with no breaks.

If you do not have a spiralizer then just use a peeler to make strips of zucchini.

Let the zucchini marinate in a couple tbs of Lemon Juice and drizzle of Olive oil to soften the pieces.

Add a tsp of olive oil and  salt to your spinach and massage it until it has a cooked appearance.

Mix everything together except a few pieces of spinach, then dress the plate with garnish and remaining green spinach.

Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

Vegetarian Rice Wrap Veggie Rolls with Tahini Hemp dressing.

Today I really wanted to get more fiber/greens in so I opted for a wrap. Because I wanted something more starchy than a lettuce wrap and do not have my dehydrator yet, I opted for a compromise of a non raw rice wrap, which is barely there and holds everything together nicely. Really easy simple, filling meal, the dip really takes the veggies to another level! For and extra kick I even added a little spicy kraut.

What you need:

ok, this is the veggies I used but you can use any you like!

Carrot

Tomato

Cucumber

Red Onion

Mixed baby greens

radish sprouts

fresh deseeded jalaepeno

Kraut Spicy Jalepeno 1 tbs

Tahini Hemp Sauce:

1/2 Fresh Jalepeno deseeded chopped fine

1 TBS Hemp hearts/seeds shelled raw

2 TBS lemon Juice

1 and 1/2 Tbs Tahini paste

pinch of salt

1Tsp Bragg Liquid aminos

1Tbs Scallions/green onion chopped fine

1-2 tsb nutritional yeast is optional for your B12

Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a Magic Bullet or some type of high speed blender for 60 seconds EXCEPT for the hemp seeds, sprinkle those in after you have done your adjusting and taste testing of the sauce!

Run a 12" rice paper under water evenly on both sides and then fill and roll!

Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

 Onion garlic Mash with  Hot and Sour tamarind broth and veggies

I had some company today and they requested I make something warm and filling. So I decided on this extremely low fat meal! It is not raw, but it is decently healthy, and the veggies were blanched in hot water, not boiled. This is pretty simple, but the broth is what really makes this dish really wow company.

What you need

The Mash:

2 medium russet potatoes - (or more depending on how many you want to feed, this measurements is for one)

1/4 Cup Scallions (chop fine unless you want textured bits when you eat your mash...even in a food processor they do not break up well)

3 TBS Nutritional Yeast - giving a bit of body and getting my b12 in! this is optional.

Pinch Himalayan Salt

1 Tbs Onion Powder (optional also)

1 clove of garlic mashed or chopped super fine

Hot and Sour tamarind broth:

3 Tbs Tamarind Paste

2 and 1/2 Organic Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Tumeric (more to taste)

2 Tbs Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 tsp ground red pepper (more or less to taste)

Chop and steam the potatoes, throw them into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients pulse into well blended and the consistency you  prefer.  TIP: Throw a few tbs of the broth into the  potatoes  before pressing blend, so they come out creamy and less dry!

For the vegetables just flash blanch them in hot water, for a minute to preserve as much nutrients as possible!

Serve as shown and enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

   Raw Vegan Walnut "meat" Taco Wraps with Cashew Sour Cream

I decided to finally give this recipe a try, I have seen many floating around online and wanted to do my own version of them so here they are! The 'meat' is savory, the sauce is creamy and the mango salsa I made adds a bit of sweetness. I added lime and salt infused fresh raw corn, some cherry tomatoes and fresh jalapeno without the seeds. If you are looking for a healthy delicious taco alternative these are amazing!  Plenty in this recipe for 3-4 people, eating hearty.

What you need:

Taco 'meat'

2 Cups pre soaked Walnuts (1 hour is enough)

Handful or 1 cup of unpressed fresh Cilantro leaves.

1 and 1/2 Tbs Cumin

1 and 1/2 Tbs Chili Powder

1/4 Cup Onion ( I like the savory factor of red, but yellow will do also)

1 Tbs (or more if you want) de seeded Jalepeno

squeeze of lime or lemon, and  maybe 1/4 cup of water for blending.

Pinch or two of himilayan pink salt, or whatever you like to use salt-wise

Pulse blend it all up in a food processor, or very cautiously in a blender (you do not want to over blend it to a paste)

Cashew Sour Cream

1 Cup of raw unroasted Cashew nuts soaked for at least an hour (overnight is best so it comes out super creamy with less texture)

1/4 cup of cold water

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

2 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

a few pinches of Himalayan pink salt or whatever you like to use

This all goes in a high speed blender, if you do not have a hardcore vita mix it will definitely take a longer blend time. I used a magic bullet and it took me about 3 minutes with no breaks.

Mango Salsa!

Really simple salsa

2 Large Roma tomatoes chopped big

1/4 cup red onion also chopped coarse

1/4 fresh cilantro  chopped coarse

1-2 Tbs Lime juice or lemon (depending on how tangy you want it to taste)

1Tbs Jalepeno fresh, or more deseeded.

1 Super Ripe mango cubed

Do not add too much salt in the salsa, it will cause it to get very watery

Marinated Corn

Ofcourse you dont have to marinate the corn you can just cut one piece off the stalk and use as is, but the marination adds another dimension that I like!

1-2 Tbs Lime juice

few pinch of salt

1Tbs water

Let the corn kernals saok while you prepare everything else.

For the salsa just throw it all in the food processor or blender, and pulse it 2-3 times, THEN ADD MANGO, and pulse 1-2 more times, you dont want it too mushy and fine. and you want the mango to stand out from the rest in larger bits!

Taco Base Wrap

This is just the inner leaves of a head of Romaine lettuce, washed and dried. If you find the bottom stem is a bit to big you can shave it some to make it thinner.

Assemble any way you like! Enjoy!

Tip: Add anything else you want to this, I would have added some fresh avocado if I had some on hand tonight!. Also I put the cashew sour cream in the fridge and then in a squeeze bottle for easy dispensing, if the sour cream is a bit too thick just add more lime juice or water.

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                                  Raw Zucchini Pad Thai

Well Im finally off of my 30 day Master Cleanse! I transitioned out to solid foods the last three days, and this is what I really wanted to try out as soon as i could eat solid food again.

This is not my recipe it is one I found by Low fat raw food expert Megan Elizabeth, you can find the exact recipe I used on her channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJkFTQKYlP0

I think it came out pretty amazing, to be completely uncooked dish! I did however  modify the recipe with some Pink Himalayan salt and a bit of red pepper for a kick. Check her out she has some awesome dishes!

Recipe copied directly from her post:

Dressing: 1/2 cup of fresh OJ 1/3 cup fresh coconut meat 1/2 cup cilantro 1/3 cup chopped scallions 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 Tbsp raw tahini 2-3 leaves of fresh sage 1 quarter sized slice of ginger Noodles: 4 cup spiral zucchini 1/2 cup spiraled or shredded carrot 1/3 red pepper sliced very thin Place on a bed of green and garnish with sprouts

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                      Watermelon peach salad with lime vinaigrette!

I am currently 15 days in on my 30 day detox (why I have not been posting anything new), but a friend has come by and wanted me to make something, so I decided on this. Its sweet, tangy and you get the great smokey crunch from the roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

what you need:

1 half  baby seedless watermelon (or around 4 cups) cubed

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, (I found some colorful baby heirloom at Trader Joes!)

2 Peaches (riper is nice, but this time i decided on crunchy white peaches) cubed

1/4 Cup of Roasted or Raw Pumpkin seeds

Few leaves of Basil chopped or your fresh herb of choice ( this is a taste preference that can be swapped out for another)

Pinch of Sea Salt to taste ( I used pink Himalayan sea salt )

Lime Vinaigrette:

2 small limes juice

T (or more to taste) Agave or Raw Honey

2-3 tbs Extra virgin Olive Oil (I found if I added more than that the oil overpowers the dish)

Prep:

Cut and assemble the fruits any way you like, i had a bottle with lid, so I combined the vinaigrette into that and shook for about 60 seconds then taste tested before I poured on  my salad. always try your dressing first! ^_^

Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                         Indian Inspired Potato Peas Roll

Last cooked recipe! I will be posting up Raw gourmet and quick meals with drinks , after this one, I hope everyone will like those as well!

This is a lazy lazy lazy lazy Samosa. I was craving something crunchy and fried so I went for it.  These are relatively fast to make. ( I am aware of the more traditional/authentic ways to make samosas, so any hard core Indian food fans please avert your eyeballs!)

  What you need:

Pack of Eggroll Wrappers

3-4 Potatoes – I prefer Yukon golds, but sometimes I grab whatever I have.

Yellow Onion – Chop fine

1 Serrano Chili – optional you can also just use Cheyenne pepper for the spice… or no hot addition at all.

½ cup Frozen or Fresh green peas.

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tbs Garam masala

1 tbs Coriander Power

1 tbs Mango Powder (if you have it if not ..meh its not a huge loss)

1 tbs Brown sugar

Salt+pepper to taste.

Peanut Oil – best oil for frying!

  Preperation  30 min

Wash and cube your potatoes, put a little butter in a skillet on low to medium heat throw in your cumin seeds to brown then add the raw potato , let them cook on their own a little while, so you can prepare the veggies make sure the heat is not too high so they do not burn before cooking through.

Once you are done cutting the veggies put them in with the potatoes,  also the seasonings then stir fry it until potatoes and veggies are tender.

Put your oil on to heat in a larger sauce pan or if you have a deep fryer use that. (about 4-5 inches of oil)

Wrap this filling any way you like, triangles cylinder, it doesn’t matter so long as you can manage to get them air tight, so excess oil doesn’t get trapped inside.

When the oil is hot enough you should have about 4-5 already made and waiting. Drop two at a time in until brown, strain on a piece of paper towel.

Enjoy!

P.S Cilantro yogurt dip is amazing with these, I just didn’t have any on hand when I made these, there are easy recipes all over to give it a try.

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                             Browned BBQ Tofu on Jasmine Rice

  This and the next one I am about to post  will actually be my last cooked meal, as I am going the distance and committing to becoming raw (long time decision I have finally made!). I had cooked this last week and had not yet posted it up so I figured I would do it as the last Huzzah

I will still post up meals, but it will be raw gourmet meals or Interesting quick salad combos, juices and smoothies!

  What you need:

Package of Firm Tofu -  any brand is ok

BBQ sauce – (your favorite kind is fine)

Yellow onion – (chopped up fine)

Broccoli or any veggie you like!

1-2 tbs - Veggie stock powder – or veggie bouillon cube diluted/softened

1-2 tbs Ketchup – this is a taste preference if you want it a bit more tangy/tomato flavor.

2 tbs Butter – why butter and not oil? Because butter has moisture and flavor in it that will keep the tofu from being dried out while browning it.

  Preparation 30-35 minutes:

Put your rice on to cook as directed by the package. Chop all your veggies and set aside,

Cube your tofu in the shape you would like and put the butter in a skillet to melt at medium. When the butter is mostly melted add the tofu and cover.

Put some water with veggie powder sprinkled in it on to boil ( cooking the broccoli separate for a more tender consistency but you can put it in the pan when you put the onions later if you want to skip the hassle.)

Do not toss it like crazy until it’s had time to brown on one side, then add the veggie stock powder and onion , and toss once, cover again and let the onions  and broccoli get tender. Once they are tender add as much BBQ as you would like , TURN OFF THE HEAT soon as you add the BBQ sauce .

Plate your rice and add the broccoli then pour over the top the BBQ browned tofu

  Enjoy!!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                  Broccoli Cashew Noodle Stir Fry

This is  a super fast way to make something with a lot of flavor and crunch. I whipped it up after  going grocery shopping for basic  supplies, Should take you no more than 20 minutes tops!

  What you need:

·        Fresh Noodles – you can get these from the Asian markets easy and cheap, if you don’t live nearby one, then consider stocking up on soba noodle dry packs.

·        Yellow Onion – one will do chopped either large or fine, depending on your tastes.

·        Pack of Broccoli - or you can spend time cutting a large piece, cut bite sized regardless which you buy, people usually don’t like to eat huge chunks of broccoli, and it helps with even sauce distribution.

·        Cashews – I use these a lot in my meals I know, but I have a whole costco sized container that needs to be used! And they add great texture.

Sauce:

·         5 tbs Lee Kum Mushroom Sauce – you can get whatever brand, but I like this one the best.

·        1tbs Brown Sugar – random amount, you will end up adding more depending on your tastes

·        2Tbs Veggie stock powder – you can buy this at the local Asian market too. Or use a diluted veggie bouillon cube or two.

·        1tsp lemon juice, or vinegar – this is to offset the sweetness, use very sparingly and taste test a lot.

Preparation:

Prepare the noodles as directed on the package and set aside to cool, maybe run some cold water to stop them from cooking further while sitting.

Chop your veggies …really you can add any kind you want to this, broccoli was just what I had on hand.

Have your seasoning ready on hand.

Get a pan read with 2tbs Olive oil heated, you can test how hot it is by swirling the pan, if it moves more like water than oil then its ready. Or throw in a tiny piece of onion and see if it crackles.

This part you will have to be quick, throw in the cashews and let  them brown a second, throw in the onion and broccoli,  stir fry it for a minute before adding the noodles, toss again a few times then begin adding your seasonings.

During this time you want to test your noodles after adding all the seasonings, it may need more veggie powder, or more brown sugar or more mushroom sauce.

Taste Test!

Serve and Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

Vegetarian Honey Glazed Stuffed Bell Peppers (spicy)

I wanted to make something for my meat eating friend who always scoffs that It is impossible to make a hearty meal without traditional meat added. This is prepared with vegetarian imitation beef. It is a little sweet and a little spicy and will leave you stuffed! I am aware there is many ways to make this recipe more gourmet, I like simple ingredients so this is what I stick with.

What you need:

5 Bell Peppers (for 2-3 people)

½ Yellow Onion

1 clove of garlic

½ cup diced small Bell pepper

1/3 cup honey

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS Veggie stock powder or diluted vegetable bouillon cube

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Jar of your favorite Pasta Sauce

2-3 Cups of cooked rice

½ pack of Tofurky ground beef or SmartGround (these are the only two ill use, the others are gross to me)

Cheyenne pepper to taste

Preparation is pretty simple:

Cut the tops off of your bell peppers, deseed and wash, set aside

Dice your onion and piece of bell pepper (that is what the fifth pepper is for, you can use half is enough)

Mince your garlic clove

Cook the rice and set aside covered

After everything is prepped get a large skillet and drizzle a couple TBS olive oil, get it sizzling hot and add the peppers and garlic.

Let the peppers become clear and then toss in the rice

Mix it all up with heat at medium to high, depending on how fast you can work (you don’t want to burn filling)

Add half a bag of the Tofurky ground beef

Add seasoning and drizzle on some of the honey

This where you TASTE TEST! And adjust sweet vs salty until you have the right taste you prefer.

Once the filling is nicely mixed together and tastes the way you want it, start spooning and packing in the filling into the peppers

Get a glass oven safe container and set them in as you fill each one

Take your sauce and drizzle it on the tops, and pour the remaining around the edges of the peppers

Drizzle a little honey on top if you like ( I do!)

Put in the oven around 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until tops have browned a little

Cut down the center and add some extra sauce

Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                      Falafel Sandwich  with Furikake Fries

  Recently I took a trip with a good friend to the market and discovered a really good ciabatta bread. He wanted me to cook something for him so I decided to see if I can make an easy vegetarian sandwich out of it.  This isn’t a meal made from scratch, just something I put together that makes for a good sandwich idea.

What you need:

Ciabatta bread (any kind, the kind I found came in a larger pack from Costco)

Falafel premade, or the mix and make them yourself, they are fairly easy to make. (wholefoods has them fresh)

Cilantro yogurt sauce ( I bought this one premade at the local Wholefoods store, it is easy to make if you cant find it premade and plenty of recipes online for it)

Green Cabbage

Roma tomatos

Butter spray ( I use the 0 calorie 0 sodium I cant believe its not butter)

Hummus (original is best, the cilantro dip will be the main flavor here)

Bag of crinkle fries or steak fries

Furikake seasoning (you can get this from the local Asian market, lasts for ages once you have bought it)

  To prepare:

Thinly shred your cabbage

Dice your tomato into tiny cubes (sharpen your knife helps a lot)

Cut your ciabatta bread and set aside

Put your falafel into the toaster oven, or regular oven and cook as directed

Put your oil for the fries on to heat, or oven on at 400 to bake, cooking as directed.

Put the bread on to toast as soon as the falafel is done

Spray the toasted bread with butter spray

Add a thin layer of hummus

Add the shredded cabbage and diced tomatoes

Cut your falafel balls in half and drizzle the cilantro yogurt sauce

For the fries just add as much of the furikake as you like to taste.

Enjoy!

[easyvegetarianmeals]

                         Vegetarian Alfredo Pasta

  This dish was a mashup of leftover ingredients from previous meals, it turned out tasty and I do not like to waste, so here it is! This will feed 2-3 people depending.

What you need:

·        1 Jar of Alfredo sauce (whatever brand, I prefer Bertolli…diluted a bit with almond milk or whatever milk you have..i find straight out of the jar to be overpowering and salty)

·        1 Bunch of Thin Asparagus (this is personal preference I love asparagus, especially for vegetarians its chock full on iron… I tend to really dislike the thick ones…really whatever green veggie you prefer)

·        3-4 slices of Morning Star Veggie Bacon Strips (go ahead and pre crisp these in a pan and set aside)

·        Pasta (whatever kind you prefer, this one is Target brand archer farms, I had a bit left over from a previous meal…spiral or any ribbed pasta really does a great job holding in sauce)

·        1 tsp Vegetable stock powder or Bouillon cube (veggie one) diluted in a tiny bit of water. (recurring theme but it is a great base and adds body to almost anything really I don’t measure I season then taste bit by bit until I get the flavor right)

·        Salt and pepper to taste

·        Spritz of lemon at garnish (optional, adds a small kick)

To prepare:

Get your pasta water on to boil

 Prepare and wash your vegetable

 Pan fry the bacon until brown (it gets crispy as it cools off don’t over brown it)

Heat up your Alfredo sauce

Water should be ready, throw in pasta. Let it cook and finish , drain and set aside

Plate the pasta and alfredo

Now quickly ->

Get 1 TBs of olive oil heated pretty hot (not burned but super hot) throw in your drained asparagus, careful of any splatter, toss once and slowly add the veggie stock powder or tsp of dissolved bouillon cube. Toss quickly

Bring pan and all over to the plates and portion out the stir fried veggie

Then grab a pair of cooking scissors and cut your bacon over the top

Add a squeeze of lemon if you like

Enjoy!

Tips: After making this a while you will get used to timing everything so that you have a fresh hot meal in every sense at the time of combining.  My friends know I am diehard about when the food is ready to be eaten come now. Fresh and hot only lasts so long!