learn how to prepare 10 excellent vegetarian meals

I made an excellent veggie sandwich for dinner. It was on a whole grain ciabatta roll and had a little mayo and artichoke and lemon pesto from trader joes (yummy!). I piled it with baby spinach, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, red peppers, cucumbers and Havarti cheese. I’ll be having that one again. :o)

This is my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian and I’m dreading it. We usually go to my fiance’s mom’s or his aunt’s house for dinner. I plan on bringing a veg friendly entree (maybe Butternut Squash Lasagna again) but I will be limited on the other things I will be able to eat. Maybe mashed potatoes No stuffing because it’s cooked inside the turkey, no gravy because it’s make with drippings, no sweet potatoes because they are smoothered in marshmallows. I’d almost rather stay home and make my own feast. Maybe go pick up a Tofurky roast. I hear those are supposed to be good. Any thoughts?

We love these from Taco Bell and make our own version at home. Rice, Beans, Sour Cream, Lettuce, Tomato, Guacamole and Salsa on a flour tortilla – always yummy and always filling. These are even a hit with the meat eating teenager. :o)

I decided to make a hearty meal the other night. I had some Morningstar Farm “Steak Strips” in the freezer. I had been wondering how I would use these. I got thinking “Beef Stroganoff” would be a good way to start.

I pulled out my old favorite cookbook that I’ve had for years, my Betty Crocker cookbook. I think it was published in 1969 and my parents received as a wedding present. They are no longer together so I ended up with it. Anyway, there is a recipe in there for Beef Stroganoff and I started off following it…

Melt some butter in a pan, add 1/2 cup onions, 1/2 lb of mushrooms and saute until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Then you are supposed to add your pound of meat and brown – I added my 8 oz. of “steak strips” and browned. Then you add your beef broth, well I didn’t do that either. I used savory vegetable broth from Trader Joes (the ones in the little packets you add water to). It calls for 10 1/2 oz. You are supposed to add all but 1/3 of a cup to your “meat” mixture and then add 2 tbsp of ketchup, 1 clove garlic minced and 1 tsp salt. cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Blend the remaining broth with 3 tbsp of flour and stir into the “meat” mixture. Add mushrooms and onion back to pan and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup of sour cream.

Serve over warm noodles.

It turned out delicious. I was quite surprised. It was a hearty and filling meal that heated up well in the microwave the next day for lunch. We will definitely make this one again.

This one was delicious! I got it out of Clean Living Magazine. I did modify it a bit because I didn’t have all that it called for on hand but it still turned out great. I was supposed to use Mango and balsamic vinegar – next time I’ll try with those.

1/2 lb asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
4 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
package of trader joes stir fry veggies
extra firm tofu cut into small cubes
red pepper flakes
stir fry sauce maybe 1/2 cup
canola oil for stir fry

Put a little canola oil in your wok and stir fry the tofu for 5 minutes on – stiring frequently. Remove tofu from wok and put on a plate. Add veggies, stir fry sauce and red pepper flakes stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the tofu back in and stir fry for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

I served it with some jasmine rice from trader joes (just the stuff in the freezer section you pop in the microwave). It was a pretty easy dinner and there are even leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Yummy!

The first great meal I made was Butternut Squash Lasagna. My friend made this for a potluck and I made it again for Thanksgiving before I changed my diet. I made it for my family members who had already given up meat. My friend left out the Amaretti cookies but I put them in. They really do make the lasagna. They add a little bit of a kick. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until
smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly.
Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth.
Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan.
Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

I picked up a cookbook tonight called the New Vegetarian Grill. I just spent the last 45 minutes flipping through it and there are several recipes that that I am interested in trying. I also have How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. I will be receiving shortly the Vegetarian Times a few times a year as part of my membership to the Vegetarians of Washington. There are supposed to be several Vegetarian and Vegan recipes in each issue. I’m sure I’ll be able to finish this goal up in no time.