learn how to prepare 10 excellent vegetarian meals

Curried chickpea and spinach. I would not count this as a full meal since the spinach is the only new thing in this recipe. It was my first time cooking actual spinach. I have always had callaloo which is our green leafy vegetable (or more accurately herb).

Veggie Pot Pie!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6863.0

The family loved this, and my mom’s boyfriend had two helpings without realizing there was no meat at all in it. He still can’t believe it.

Cheese, chilli & cpring onion quesedillas with home made salsa & salad…. YUMMY! now only 1 more to go :)

My mom participated in the Daniel fast with some friends from work, and enlisted me to find some yummy and nutritious foods she’d still be able to eat.
I thought it would be really limiting, but once I got started, possibilities kept popping up everywhere and the new perspective made it very fun and exciting.
While the fast has been long over, I’ve started looking at how much meat and dairy I consume needlessly and thoughtlessly.
So I’m back to it! Not nearly as exclusive as the fast, though.
Tonight it’s my fave dish from mom’s fasting days!

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=12018.0

Brown Rice Asparagus Casserole! It’s awesome stuff, super hearty and ridiculously tasty. I steam a little broccoli with the asparagus in my rice cooker’s steamer basket, making it quick and easy as well.

Vegetarian gumbo

While I was on holiday in Turkey I had a really scrummy pasta napolitana in this tucked away cafe, and so I tried to recreate it once I got back…. I kinda overdid the chilli a teeny bit too much but other than that I got it right ^{^ yummy!!! it was basically HEAPS of baby tomatoes chopped into quarters and cooked down with garlic, onions, chilli (not too much!!) and chopped fresh parsley. serve with spagetti tossed in butter mmmmmmm ^}

I tried to make stuffed peppers the other day, and was surprised when it worked and they turned out to be rather nice!! Here’s the recipe I used:

Stuffed peppers
Cook 75g rice. Drain. Blanch peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes (this softens them and shortens cooking time). Slice off the stalk end and scrape out pith and seeds. Brush each pepper shell with olive oil and place on a baking tray.

Grate 60g cheese. Mix the rice with 2 chopped tomatoes, ½ the grated cheese, salt and pepper. Fill the pepper shells with this mixture, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Place in oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes, until browned.

Also, see: http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com/stuffed-pepper-recipe.html

Have cooked a meal for my ex-housemate :) Procrastinated for a while but finally took the courage to let her taste my food. She likes it! Yeah!

Just discovered (by experimentation!) another really nice recipe:

Baked stuffed potatoes with olive hats
Wash and prick two large baking potatoes. Put them on a plate in the microwave and cover. Cook for 4 minutes. Turn them over, cook for another 3 minutes. Test with a long sharp knife to see if there is a crunch in the middle—you may need to turn them over again and cook for 1 more minute.

Meanwhile, grate 50g mature cheddar, and chop 50g (about 15) black olives (you can use the sort you buy in jars, in brine) into quarters. Cut the cooked potatoes in half, and scoop out the middles into a bowl with the grated cheese, so you are left with four potato shells. Place them on a baking tray.

Mash the potato up with the cheese, some milk, a tablespoonful of chutney (I like spiced fruit chutney), a teaspoon of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper. It should have a lovely creamy consistency. Spoon it back into the empty potato shells, to make a nice mound in each one. Press each with a fork to make a decorative pattern, and press the olive quarters around the base of the mashed potato in each shell, to make the ‘hats’.

Cook for 20 minutes at 200°C, then for another 15 minutes at 210°C, till nice and brown.

I was a vegan for 8 yrs. And I was doing well. I want to go back and start enjoying my health again.