Polenta Cakes with Porcini Mushrooms

1. Buy the round tube of polenta (all sorts of flavors exist, or just original). Slice into rounds and pan fry. That's the quick way, you can also make polenta from scratch, and it's more like a porridge.
2. Saute porcini mushrooms (or any mix of mushrooms) with some herbs and seasoning (parsley, rosemary and sage work well) in olive oil.
3. Saute spinach, red bell peppers, and onions in olive oil to serve on the side if desired. Yum!

Make Your Own Vegetable Stock

All Recipes has a nice illustrated step by step guide to this great kitchen staple.

Quinoa Pilaf with Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts and Basil

This one came from the Wild Oats kitchen so it has specific amounts and nutrition information below. I'm eager to try it out!

Quinoa Pilaf with Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts and Basil

Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes, Serves: 6

2 tbsp. parve margarine or cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 (10 oz.) bag baby spinach
2 c. quinoa, rinsed 3 times
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
sea salt and ground black pepper
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Heat margarine or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add spinach and cook until it wilts. Add quinoa and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed. Stir in pine nuts and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff quinoa with a fork and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Per Serving (314g): Calories 360 (120 from fat) 13g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5mg cholesterol, 520mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 8g dietary fiber, 3g sugars, 11g protein

Veggie and Goat Cheese Quesadilla

1. Heat 1 tortilla in a nonstick pan (add a bit of oil or spray if desired, but if you watch it carefully, NO oil is even needed).
2. Crumble goatcheese on one side and top with sweet corn (frozen from the bag just needs a minute in the microwave to thaw), diced roasted red peppers (from the jar is quick and easy) , black beans (from the can, drained) and cilantro (fresh is best, chopped).
3. Fold the tortilla in half and cook about 2 minutes per side. Enjoy topped with salsa or slices of avocado.

Old Bay Grilled Steak Fries

1. Boil potatoes until tender, but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, let cool and cut each potato lengthwise into 8 slices.
2. Drizzle potatoes with oil, a pinch of salt, and a few tablespoons of the Old Bay spice rub to coat, then throw on the grill.

Just a bit more healthy than deep fried french fries, and a unique BBQ treat for your friends!

Gimme a Sammich

Some great sandwiches (with pictures!) over at All Creatures.

Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Herbs and Cheese

3 zucchini (about 1/2 pound each), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 ounces reduced-fat soft goat's cheese
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup basil leaves
Discard the outermost slices of zucchini and brush the rest of the slices with the oil on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, or until tender.

In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, parsley leaves and lemon juice, mashing with a fork.

Put 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture about 1/2-inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few spinach leaves and 1 small, or half of a large basil leaf. Roll up and place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices. From Food Network Chef Ellie Krieger.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

1 red onion, small slices
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 can cooked black beans, rinsed well
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chiffonade (divided)

Whisk together some balsamic vinegar with fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper to taste. Immerse the chopped onion in the dressing for about 10 minutes to release some of its sharp, acidic flavor. Blanch the corn, then combine with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Add the remaining cilantro and toss again before serving.

Nutritional Yeast

Yellow in color and with a nutty cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is a favorite amongst many vegans because of its unique flavor and similarity to cheese when added to foods. Sprinkle some on hot popcorn or garlic bread, or add a generous spoonful to a stir fry or pasta sauce. Nutritional yeast is also the only reliable food source of vitamin B12, so if you’re vegan, it’s a good idea to add some to your food regularly. Nutritional yeast can be found in the bulk or supplement section of your health food store. You can look for either nutritional yeast flakes or powder, but be sure you don’t get brewer’s yeast by mistake, as its quite similar in appearance.

Spicy Vegan Gazpacho Soup

Want an easy option for all those BBQ's this summer? Try a big batch of Gazpacho Soup, it will go with everything on the grill. Unlike most soups, it is served cold and so it's perfect for hot summer days--plus it doesn't require any cooking on your part!

* 3 cups tomato or vegetable juice
* 1 sweet red onion, diced
* 3 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 bell pepper, any color, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cucumber, diced
* 2 tbsp lemon juice
* 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
* 1 tsp tarragon
* 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
* 1/4 tsp cumin
* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
* 1/4 - 1/2 tsp hot sauce, to taste
* 2 tbsp olive oil

PREPARATION:
Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl. Place half of the mixture in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Recombine back into the bowl so you still have a chunky texture. Chill thoroughly before serving. Tastes even better after a couple of days.

Boca Whopper

1. Grill an Original Boca burger patty.
2. Add the patty to a toasted light bun, with light mayo, cheese, mustard, pickle slice, red onion, tomato, and lettuce and you've got a ~250 calorie healthy "Whopper"!

I've heard that Sol Cuisine also makes a good veggie burger (it's just called "Original Veggie Burger") that's more "beefy" tasting. You can also dress up the burger with different kind of cheeses, avocado, red peppers, etc...

Tomato Basil Bisque

Bisque is a type of rich, thick, creamy soup which has been pureed so that it has an even texture. This is awesome because it enabled me to use what amounts to power tools in the kitchen.

This is my approximate recipe, although I don't stick too closely to measurements, and tend to just put a lot of faith into whether or not it tastes good. (Brilliant! I know.) And of course there is always the secret ingredient. (No, it's not Love.)

Tomato Basil Bisque

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. thyme (dried is fine)
1 Tbsp. basil, fresh chiffonade
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz.) can roasted organic tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
3 Tbsp. organic tomato paste
1/2 c. gruyere cheese, grated
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 c. vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cayenne pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add thyme and basil. Stir. Add canned and fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, cheese. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Use power wand to purée the soup in the saucepan, and slowly stir in cream (I substituted half & half and added chicken stock to cut down on calories while bumping up the flavor. Also, the original recipe called for sugar which I didn't use). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with fresh basil and goat's milk chevre.

Fake-Out Chicken Parmesan

EASY meal to fake out the carnivores in your life with them being none the wiser ;)

1. Layer MorningStar "Chicken" patties in the bottom of a baking dish.
2. Pour Spaghetti Sauce over the patties.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan, Mozzarella cheese and some basil or italian herb seasoning.
4. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

That's the basic quick and easy recipe, but you can also dress it up with whatever other vegetables you desire (diced onion, and a smattering of kalamata olives are nice).

Microwave Meal #9472

1. Cook 1 MorningStar spicy black bean veggie burger per microwave directions.
2. Crumble the patty over 1 cup of spring mix salad.
3. Make a dressing out of 1/2 tbl guacamole, 1/2 tbl lite sour cream, and 1 1/2 tbl salsa.

Toast some whole wheat wraps or pita if you need bread to go with, or just enjoy the salad.

2 minutes to a filling meal!

Ideas for MorningStar Veggie Links

Morningstar Veggie Links

I've got these sitting in my freezer, and after trying them straight (2 links with eggs) I'm not super excited about the texture/taste. A lot of people have reported liking the patties better than the links, so that is something else to try, but in the meantime here are some ideas for using up the links:

Frittata
Sautee some diced green peppers, leftover roasted potatoes, red onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes, in a little bit of olive oil with some garlic, cut your faux sausages into coins and throw them in. Add some leftover diced baked potatoes to warm through, then add egg beaters (or a few egg whites + 1 whole egg).

Breakfast Burrito
Chop up and scramble with eggs or tofu. Wrap in a wheat tortilla, add cheese and salsa and wrap up for a breakfast on the go.

Omelette
Cut the links up into tiny pieces and throw them in an egg white omelette with green onions, and green olives.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

1. Saute about 1 cup mock ground beef (Smart Ground is good).
2. Mix it with about 3/4 cup sloppy joe sauce (Manwich).
3. Spoon into a whole-wheat bun. Make it even better by serving with a side salad full of a variety of vegetables.

Yummy and healthy!

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

1. Cut up slices of zucchini and/or yellow squash, red and green pepper, and onion and roast them in the oven.
2. Arrange them on a whole wheat bun with tomato and avocado slices, or goat cheese.

Delish!



A note about oven roasting vegetables:

When I roast I chop up my veggies, coat them in a little olive oil and some herbs (use what you like - thyme, oregano, parsley, etc) and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Oven temp is usually around 400 degrees, and depending on the veggies and size of the cut, you can roast for 45-1hr.

Sweet potatoes, baby red potatoes, carrots, onions are good for roasting all together. Summer squash (zuchinni, pattipan or yellow crookneck) and asparagus take a shorter cooking time, so wait to add them until about halfway through. It really brings out the sweetness, but you have to watch them and give them an occasional turn as they can burn easily.