Upcoming Recipes
Here’s what to expect in January 2007…
- Sushi
- BBQ Chik Pizza
- AMAZING spaghetti sauce
- Meatless BBQ Loaf
- Spinach & Mushroom Strata
- Chocolate Lava Cake
- Special Beverage Recipes
- And much more!!!
Italian Grilled Cheese-n-Tomato
This recipe comes from Rachael Ray. It’s VERY delicious and a good change to the classic grilled cheese (the one us vegetarian’s live off of if we go out to eat). I cook mine on the George Foreman grill. Great in the spring and summer!
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, cracked away from skin
- 8 slices crusty Italian bread
- 1 pound smoked fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 8 basil leaves, torn
DIRECTIONS
- Heat a grill pan over medium low to medium heat. Heat oil and garlic in a small pot over low heat.
- Brush 4 slices of the bread with garlic oil on 1 side. Place garlic oil side down on the grill. Top with sliced cheese, tomato and basil. Place another slice of bread on top of each sandwich.
- Brush sandwiches with garlic oil. Press sandwiches with heavy skillet or a brick covered with tin foil. Toast sandwiches on both sides to melt cheese. Serve with fresh fruit and/or veggies.
Rating: 
5 out of 5 penguins were highly satisfied by this recipe!
Taco Salad
I received a nonstick tortilla bowl baker for Christmas from my boyfriend and we decided to try it out. This recipe is for 1 taco salad bowl (it serves about 2 people). The only thing you might have to buy to make this is the bowl baker, which you can find online or maybe at a kitchen gadget store (mine came from The Alley in Riverside). The baker can also be used for baking bread, creating molded desserts and salads, etc. You can add to this recipe or take out anything you don’t like.I thought this was a very delicious meal! It has everything you need… carbs, protein, and vegetables. Very filling and the bowl is very impressive. I had this for lunch two days in a row the first time I made this!
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
- 1 burrito size tortilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped lettuce
- 3/4 cup vegetarian refried beans, heated
- 1/2 cup veggie crumbles, heated
- 1/3 cup grated cheese (cow or soy)
- 1-2 tablespoons of guacamole
- 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream (regular or soy)
- 1/4 cup of chopped tomato
DIRECTIONS
- Follow the directions for baking the tortilla bowl.
- Once the tortilla has slightly cooled, fill bowl with lettuce. Add the rest of the ingredients in the following order: beans, veggie crumbles, tomato, cheese, guacamole and sour cream.
- Enjoy!
Rating:
5 out of 5 penguins enjoyed this recipe!
Creamy Spinach Penne
I absolutely love this recipe! My boyfriend and I made it for the first time on Valentine’s Day 2005. It’s pretty simple to make. Serve with rolls/breadsticks and sparkling cider for a special occasion. This is one of the best pasta recipes I have found. Some might think it’s a little bland, but I LOVE it. It’s easy to make and it’s not as unhealthy as typical pesto dishes. You won’t feel guilty after you’ve had it. This recipe came from Kraft Foods.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz. fresh spinach leaves, stemmed
- 12 oz. penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Spoon spinach into large pot of boiling water. Cook 1 minute. Remove spinach from water with slotted spoon, reserving water in pot for cooking pasta. Rinse spinach with cold water; drain well. Chop spinach; set aside. Return water to boil.
- Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, place garlic in food processor or blender container; cover. Process until minced. Add chopped spinach, cottage cheese and milk; cover. Process until well blended. Add Parmesan cheese and seasonings; mix well. Toss with pasta and serve warm.
Rating:
5 out of 5 penguins adored this recipe!
Faux Pepperoni Pizza
This is good as a last minute meal. You can keep most of the items on hand (just keep the crust frozen). This is like the BBQ sandwich post, I don’t really need to tell you what to do (no recipe needed). You can add whatever you want to the pizza and use whatever products you like. The basic ingredients:
- Pizza Crust
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pizza sauce
- Lightlife Pepperoni Slices
Cook for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet or pizza stone (if using stone, don’t preheat the oven). I put mine in for only 8 and it was still cold. I just popped it in the microwave to save time.
Note: The Pepperoni slices dry up quick in the oven. Maybe add them half way through cooking.
Rating:
4 out of 5 penguins gobbled down this pizza!
BBQ Faux-Pork (fork) Sandwich w/ Salad
This is also one of my favorite meals! This is Lightlife’s “Smart BBQ.” It is SO good, EASY and vegan! I think that of all meat substitutes that I’ve had, this is most like meat. I don’t even need to provide a step-by-step recipe. Here’s all it is…
- 1 package of Smart BBQ, heated
- Buns (your choice, wheat or white, vegan or not), toasted
- Side dish (example: salad)
Rating:
5 out of 5 penguins LOVED this recipe!
Beefless Stew
I made this last night. It’s a very traditional recipe but with a meat substitute in place of the beef. You can use any substitute you like. I used VegeOne, a new item I found at the La Sierra Health Foods store in Riverside, CA. This recipe is actually on the back of the spice mix, but this version is modified. I thought the meat substitute I used was a little weird though. I ended up doing the same thing I did when I was a child, I ate the potatoes and carrots and ate around everything else 
Next time, different meat substitute.
Serves: 10, 1 cup servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 oz package of Lawry’s Beef Stew Spices & Seasonings
- 1 Lb meat substitute (more or less depending on your taste and product)
- 3 cups water
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- In 5-quart saucepan, heat up meat substitute (or if using a dehydrated one like VegeOne, just go straight to step 2 after re-hydrating).
- Stir in Spices & Seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes(or longer, but I think the fake meat would get tough if cooked for the suggested 1-1/2 hours).
- Add potatoes, carrots and onion. Cook an additional 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
- Optional Step with pea: Remove from heat and stir in peas, then let stand for 5 minutes.
Rating:
4 out of 5 penguins enjoyed this stew!
Fresh Asparagus Soup
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time and definately my favorite soup! I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com. You can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting soy products for the dairy. Here it is:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- First, cut bottoms off of asparagus (this helps prevent stringiness in soup). Steam asparagus for about 12 minutes in steaming basket (don’t undercook, or you’ll get strings). Half way through the steaming, add onion.
- Reserve a few tips for garnish. Place asparagus and onion in an electric blender or food processor with 1/2 – 3/4 cups vegetable broth and puree until smooth.
- Melt butter in a pan. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1-1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil (IMPORTANT: Make sure mixture desolves before bringing to a boil or you’ll get nasty flour clumps).
- Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into mixture, followed by lemon juice. Sit until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Rating:
5 out of 5 penguins enjoyed this soup!
