| Getting a healthy variety in a vegetarian diet can be challenging, especially when pressed for time. With grilling season upon us, textured soy protein products can easily be combined with fresh produce to make dishes that leave even the most devout carnivores satisfied.
For more veggie recipes, check out: http://vegsource.com/recipe, or www.vegetariantimes.com (the online version of the magazine), with loads of vegetarian and vegan ideas, as well as health and wellness information for those desiring to be herbivores more often. The recipes and ideas here tend to be very user-friendly in terms of preparation time and ethnic variety, and the overall message isn't preachy.
To get a better idea of which foods are animal-product free, scan www.vrg.org, which also houses a restaurant guide for Canadian and U.S. cities.
·Chicken Souvlaki with Twisted Greek Salad (serves 2)
2 packages Yves veggie skewers – chicken souvlaki flavour
4 cups spinach
2 cups diced cucumber
1 chopped tomato
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp pine nuts
1 Tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup crumbled feta
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup light tasting olive oil
1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1 tsp garlic powder
1 sliced fresh peach (cut into 8 wedges)
1 tsp maple syrup
Mix yogurt, shredded cucumber and garlic powder in a small bowl and refrigerate. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine washed spinach, cucumbers, tomato, peppers, mushrooms, pine nuts, sunflower seed and cranberries in a large bowl and toss together. Set aside.
Place skewers on barbecue on medium heat. After a couple of rotations, put sliced washed peach on barbecue on light heat. Cook skewers according to instructions and gently grill peaches. After turning peaches over on both sides, lightly drizzle maple syrup on each side. Remove from grill and serve with skewers and salad. Add crumbled feta and dressing when ready to serve salad and use homemade tzatziki to garnish chicken. Sprinkle fresh dill on tzatziki or Parmesan cheese on skewers if desired.
·Stuffed Peppers, Steamed Yams and Citrus Blackberry Salad (serves 2)
1 large yam
1 tsp grape seed oil
1 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground peppercorns
2 medium red bell peppers
1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove fresh garlic
1/2 cups chopped extra firm tofu
1 Tbsp fresh dill
6 Tbsp chèvre (soft goat cheese)
2 cups kale
2 cups arugula
1 cup spinach
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 can mandarins
1 tsp zest of lime or lemon
Stir together mayonnaise, garlic powder, peppercorns and Dijon mustard, refrigerate. Slice washed yam into thin wedges, drizzle generously with grape seed oil. Place into small aluminum foil pouch with 2 tsp water, pinch edges of foil. Place on barbecue on medium heat. Watch water and oil level to make sure yams don’t stick to foil. Add tiny amounts of water as necessary.
Wash peppers, slice tops off and set aside. Mix tofu, chèvre, dill, artichokes, tomatoes and pressed garlic clove and add half of mixture to each pepper, replace top. Use small pieces of chèvre to gently stick the base and top of pepper together – as cheese softens, it will hold the pepper together. Place peppers directly on barbecue on low to medium heat. Turn regularly.
Wash greens and add grated zest of lime or lemon. Wait till peppers and yams are cooked to desired consistency before adding fresh blackberries and mandarins to salad. Toss together. Juice from the mandarins and blackberries provides enough moisture and flavour to replace dressing. Remove peppers and yams from grill, serve immediately with salad. |
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