Planet Burgers (Vegetarian)

Recreated from the Good Earth restaurant in Cupertino, California by Diana McAnulty's search for a veggie burger her kids would devour! Adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine.

9 -12 burgers

Ingredients

* 3 cups cooked brown rice
* 12 ounces cooked chickpeas, mashed
* 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 4 ounces cooked red beans, mashed (or adzuki beans)
* 1 medium carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
* 1/2 cup ground almonds (or almond flour or breadcrumbs)
* 1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or 3 large tbls.dried)
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Shape into large patties.

2.Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium high heat.

3.Cook the patties 4-5 minutes per side, or until browned on outside and cooked through on the inside. Use a wide spatula to flip the burgers, they can be fragile.

4. Place in burger buns, or on bread. Use your favorite condiments.

5. Enjoy!

If you prefer not to use as burgers they can be used as a meat in wraps, chilli, spaghetti sauce etc.

Triple Nut Chocolate Tart

Tim found this recipe in the November/December 2008 Vegetarian Times magazine. The pie taste so much better the next day. One change Tim would make. Instead of making the crust from scratch he would use a Pillsbury crust that you find in the dairy section of the store.



Ingredients:

Crust

* 1 cup pastry flour
* ½ cup cornmeal
* 2 Tbs. sugar
* ¼ tsp. salt
* ½ cup vegan margarine (1 stick)
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

or use an already prepared pie crust from your favorite store.


Filling

* 3 cups mixed walnuts, pecans, and almonds (1 cup each), coarsely chopped
* ¼ cup vegan margarine (½ stick)
* 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips
* 2 Tbs. pastry flour
* ¼ tsp. salt
* ½ cup maple syrup
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
1. To make Crust: Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in bowl.
Rub margarine into flour mixture with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle in vanilla, and stir. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. cold water until dough clumps together loosely. Press dough into pie dish or tart pan until sides and bottom are covered. Chill in freezer 30 minutes.

2. To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread nuts on baking sheet,
and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

3. Melt margarine and chocolate in saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Sprinkle in flour and salt, and stir until smooth. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in nuts.

4. Spread nut mixture in piecrust. Bake 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is firm. Cool on wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

Spicy Sweet potato and coconut soup

One of the good ideas of having Tim cook on Saturday nights is that he will pick recipes that I might pass over. This is one recipe that I would not have given a second thought and I would have missed out on an incredibly delicious soup.

Tim found this recipe on Allrecipes. It was submitted by Lynn. He made the soup exactly as stated but the second time we modified the recipe by putting the cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor before adding to the soup. I didn't care for the chunky sweet potatoes floating in the soup the first time. I felt food processing the potatoes blended the flavors better.

Ingredients:
11/2 pounds orange fleshed sweet potatoes
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 T red or green curry paste
1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
3 Cups vegetable broth
3 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t. sea salt
1 T sesame oil
1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes directly on the rack and bake until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and hear for 1 minute, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut into bite size chunks. Add to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes so they can soak up the flavor. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a little bit of cilantro.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

In our quest to use more quinoa in our diet, I found this recipe on Allrecipes. com. It was submitted by SYNEVA B. I modified the recipe to fit our tastes.

Quinoa is a gluten free complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids. Fast-cooking with a nutty texture, quinoa makes a delicious substitute for just about any grain in your pantry. Substitute quinoa to boost the protein profile in dishes like tabbouleh and couscous. Use it as a side dish, instead of rice or potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 cups water 1 cup quinoa 1 pinch salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, diced and seeded 2 bunches green onions, diced 2 carrots, grated 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.	In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
2.	Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

Union House Squash Soup

The other day in the You Asked For It column of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Union House restaurant in Genese Depot published their famous Squash Soup recipe. Since I love acorn squash, I was anxious to try this recipe. I modified it a little bit since I still had some pumpkin in the frig from my last recipes. Great recipe for a fall or winter evening.





Ingredients:

1 large acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
6-8 T brown sugar
1/2 C butter
6-8 T Maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks or 1/2 t. ground
4 C chicken stock (if you are a vegetarian use vegetable stock)
Salt and Pepper to taste\

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash halves on a sheet pan. Divide brown sugar, butter and syrup between the two squash cavities and bake in over until tender (1-2 hours). Time depends on your size of squash. Remove from oven, cool slightly and remove skin. Put squash and the cinnamon into a 1 gallon soup pot. Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree in batches in a blender or with a hand held mixer. Serve in individual bowls garnished with ground cinnamon.

The modifications I made. I cut down on the amount of sugar and butter used. I felt as though it was too much for us. I added one cup of pumpkin to the recipe.

Two years ago I went with my sister-in-law, Cathy, to the Wisconsin Club and had lunch. This recipe reminds me of the great soup I had there.

Fiery Fish Tacos with crunchy corn salsa

Fish tacos are popular out west. If we would go out for tacos in Nevada Tim would always order the fish tacos. For some reason fish in my tacos didn't
sound too appetizing. One of my favorite recipe sites is Allrecipes. I found this recipe on the site. It was worth a try since so many people gave it a great recommendation. I had to agree, this recipe is a must try. The corn salsa makes the meal a success.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup peeled, chopped jicama
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 6 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 corn tortillas, warmed

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together corn, red onion, jicama, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Stir in lime juice and zest.
3. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and salt. Brush each fillet with olive oil, and sprinkle with spices.
4. Arrange fillets on grill grate, and cook for 3 minutes per side. For each fiery fish taco, top two corn tortillas with fish, sour cream, and corn salsa.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette

In our garden we planted some sugar snap peas. For the last week we have begun harvesting them. I wanted to find a recipe that would incorporate the sugar snap peas along with the fresh mint I have planted. Last week I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up the July/August 2008 Vegetarian Times magazine. This recipe had the ingredients that I was looking for and also incorporated some of the pistachios that I had left over from another recipe. Great way to use your abundance of sugar snap peas this summer.

I doubled the lemon-mint vinaigrette to use on a salad for a later date.

Surgar Snap Pea Salad With Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette

To keep sugar snap peas bright green, add the vinaigrette just before serving.

1/4 cup olive oil (I didn't use that much)
3 TBS chopped fresh mint
2 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS minced shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar

1 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/3 cup chopped pistachios

1. To make Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients.

2. To make Salad: Cook sugar snap peas in boiling water 2 minutes, or until bright green. Drain. Toss peas with 3 TBS Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette. Stir in pistachios.

Jicama Salad

Jicama is a root vegetable that taste something of a cross between potato, an apple and a water chestnut. It's low in calories and low in sodium. What I like about this recipe versus others, is that it has cut up oranges in it. Recipe is from The Phoenix Gazette in Phoenix Arizona. Picture will come soon.

Ingredients:

1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into strips
1 small red onion cut into rings
1 cucumber sliced
3 large seedless oranges, peeled, cut into sections
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder
1 clove garlic, chopped

Prepare jicama strips, onion rings, cucumber slices and orange sections. Arrange on individual plates to toss together in a salad bowl. Combine lime juice, oil, chili powder and garlic in a small container; mix well. The amount of chili powder varies according to how spicy you like your food. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Orzo Salad with Currants, Olives and Pine Nuts

Another great recipe from Kristin

I've received a few requests for the orzo pasta salad I made for last night's concert on the square. I found the recipe in an issue of Real Food (Summer 2007), a quarterly magazine produced by Minnesota-based gourmet grocer, Lund and Byerly's. The salad was awesome, and made great leftovers for today's lunch. Many ingredients, but worth the effort. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups orzo pasta
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley sprigs
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup currants
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Garnish: parsley sprigs (optional)

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, then rinse with cold water and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl. To make dressing, add garlic and salt to the bowl of a food processor and process until garlic is minced and a paste forms. Add parsley and process well. Add lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, curry powder, cumin, and pepper; process for 30 seconds. Pour oil in a slow steady stream through food chute with processor running.

Drizzle dressing over pasta. Add onion, currants, olives, and pine nuts; toss well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Rachael Ray - Tex Mex Corn Chip Chili

Found this great chili recipe in the March 2008 issue of Rachael Ray Magazine. It was the winning recipe in one of Rachel Ray's chili cook-off contests. I modified it a little bit and used Boca meatless ground burger instead of the lean ground beef. This is an easy conversion to make if you want to try a healthy alternative. This recipe serves 4.











Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 pound of lean ground beef or Boca meatless ground burger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 T. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 15oz can black beans
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 10oz can tomatoes and green chilies
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 oz monterey jack pepper cheese, shredded
1 (10 oz) bag corn chips such as fritos



1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans, with their liquid, and the tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the cilantro, then top with the cheese, cover and let stand until the cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Place a handful of corn chips in each of 4 bowls. Top with the chili and serve.

Red pepper hummus

I love the taste of fresh hummus. Did you know hummus is made from mashed garbanzo beans (chickpeas)? The other day my son bought a container of red pepper hummus from the store and was bragging on how good it was. So I decided to make some fresh, it goes very quickly with a food processor. We did a taste test, my fresh red pepper hummus versus his store bought. Mine clearly won. If you have never tried hummus this is a great recipe to taste. Serve with pita bread or fresh cut up vegetables. I also use it has a sandwich spread instead of butter.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In an electric blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, cilantro and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor or blender in between pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.)

Eggplant Parmesan

This is the first time we have had eggplant parmesan so we have nothing to compare to. The site we found this recipe on had 550 thumbs up so we thought it warranted a try. Once again, my meat loving husband thought it was great enough to go back for seconds. We modified the recipe from the original recipe to meet our tastes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 C egg beaters or 2 eggs
  
• 2-2/3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
  
• 4 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided we used Smart Balance
  
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sweat the 1/4" slices by sprinkling with sea salt and letting sit for 30 min. Rinse, pat dry with paper towel (get good & dry)
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 6-7 minutes on each side. While eggplant is baking saute onions and mushrooms. Stir sauted vegetables into the spaghetti sauce.
   
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

For a healthier alternative to saute onions and mushrooms, heat up a little wine or vegetable broth in a fry pan and saute the vegetables until done.

Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna

My husband is a big meat eater. It use to be whenever I tried a new recipe with no meat, he would turn his nose up. He would try the new recipe but felt cheated without some sort of meat. Lately he has opened up his mind to new ways of eating more healthy. We tried this meal on Saturday. When I first told him the name of the meal he was like, oh yuk. He was shocked on how good this lasagna was and even went back for seconds! We served this lasagna with Rosemary bread (recipe on this blog) and a nice salad.

I found this recipe on a local recipe site. It was given almost 500 thumbs up so I didn't feel as though I was taking on too much of a risk. This is a fabulous lasagna made with an artichoke and spinach mixture which has been cooked with vegetable broth, onions and garlic. The mixture is layered with lasagna noodles, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, and topped with crumbled feta.

INGREDIENTS

• cooking spray
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
4. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Butter Bean Burger

Thanks to Silverwolf, on Allrecipes.com , for this great vegetarian meal. This can be served in place of meat for a main meal, or great as a sandwich with your favorite toppings. I modified the recipe a little bit to accommodate out tastes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, drained
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper or green pepper
  
• 6 saltine crackers, crushed or Italian bread crumbs
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Frank's Hot sauce (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mash butter beans. Mix in onion, jalapeno pepper, crushed crackers (bread crumbs), egg, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Divide into 3 equal parts, and shape into patties.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; use more or less oil to reach 1/4 inch in depth. Fry patties until golden, about 5 minutes on each side.

Sweet Potato and bean Burritos

Great recipe from Karena on allrecipes. This was so good that even Tim said he would definitely have it again. Hey that is a big recommendation! Serve these with sour cream, chopped green onions and salsa. For vegan burritos, omit the cheese and sour cream. These may be made ahead of time, individually frozen, then heated.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2/3 cups water
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Garbanzo bean sandwich filling

This recipe will start my first vegetarian meal. I found this on allrecipes. You can serve it on multi grain bread with lettuce and a slice of tomato. This is a great recipe to modify and use other raw vegetables in place of the celery. I added a dash of Frank's Hot sauce to make it a little more spicier

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ( I used Smart Balance Omega Plus )
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Pour chickpeas into a medium size mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Mix in celery, onion, mayonnaise (to taste), lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato and lima beans

This is an unusual vegetable side dish that I saw on the today show. This is the original recipe below. I would modify it next time I make it. I did not like the ginger taste so would omit that from the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1⁄2 pounds sweet potatoes

• 1 pound frozen lima beans

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 dried whole red chili

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• Salt

• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
• 1⁄2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Boil sweet potatoes, in enough water to just cover them, until tender, about 25 minutes. At the same time, in another saucepan, boil the lima beans in just enough water to cover them, about 15 to 20 minutes. Peel and dice the potatoes once they are cool enough to touch. Drain the lima beans.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; when they pop and start to crackle out of the pan, add the cumin, red chili, onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir well and mix. Let the onion turn golden brown; then add the reserved lima beans and stir. Add the sweet potatoes. Mix all the ingredients well, and sauté for just a few minutes more to mingle tastes evenly. Salt to taste. Add lemon juice and stir. Garnish by sprinkling cilantro over the top. Serve warm.

Tabbouleh

Great healthy salad. Look for bulgar in the health food aisle of most supermarkets.

1 C medium-grind bulgur
coarse salt & pepper
6 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 English (seedless) cucumber, seeded and diced
1 C fresh basil cut up
1/2 C cilantro cut up
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 C crumbled feta cheese



1. In a medium bowl, mix bulgur with 1/2 t. salt and 2 c. boiling water. Cover bowl, and let sit until bulgur is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 30 minutes. Remove remaining liquid.

2. Add tomatoes, cucumber, basil, cilantro, lemon juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper, toss to combine. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days