Meatless Monday

If it's Monday, it's Meatless Monday, and time for six vegetarian recipes. Enjoy!

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN STEW

This colorful (and yummy) recipe comes from the February 2000 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Here's a quick vegetarian version of the Brazilian national dish known as feijoada. This stew entices the eye with the colorful contrast of black beans and sweet potatoes and pleases the palate with nourishing ingredients.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

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1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes (1 to 1 1/4 lbs.), peeled and diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 small hot green chili pepper, or more to taste, minced

2 16-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. salt

Meal plan:

Steam some Swiss chard while the stew is simmering and serve with warmed flour tortillas.

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is golden, about 3 minutes.

Stir in sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes (with liquid), chili and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender but still firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and simmer gently, uncovered, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in mango and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and salt. Serve hot.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 326; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: g; Carbohydrates: 61 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 211 mg; Fiber: 17 g; Vegan

VEGETARIAN "BEEF" AND GUINNESS STEW

Jolinda Hackett is about.com's vegetarian cuisine guide. She wrote, "Beef and Guinness stew, an Irish pub favorite, gets a vegetarian makeover in this recipe, using seitan instead of beef to absorb all that rich stout flavor. Yum! The flavor of the beer is very strong in this recipe, so I've suggest using half the amount of Guinness and adding an equal amount of vegetable broth if you aren't a Guinness fan."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

Approx 14 oz seitan, cut into thin strips

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp steak sauce

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1 onion, diced

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 medium potatoes chopped into 1 inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 12 oz bottles Guinness Stout OR 1 bottle plus 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee seitan in olive oil and soy sauce until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add steak sauce and stir until seitan is lightly coated. Remove from heat and aside. In a large pot, sautee onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic in butter or margarine for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are slightly soft. Reduce heat and slowly add Guinness, gently stirring to combine. Add flour, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well. Add seitan and allow stew to simmer until Guinness reduces and stew thickens, about 40-50 minutes.

Add more salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!

BLUEBERRY TOFU SMOOTHIE

This comes from Rhonda Parkinson, About.com's Chinese Food expert. She writes, “Soft and creamy silken tofu is the tofu of choice for smoothies and shakes. If it isn’t available, you can substitute 2/3 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt. Feel free to boost the protein content of your smoothie by adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of wheat germ.” Prep Time: 20 minutes.

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Ingredients

6 ounces silken tofu

1 medium banana

2/3 cup soy milk

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon honey

2 -3 ice cubes, optional

Preparation

Drain the silken tofu to remove excess water (silken tofu has a high water content).

Peel and slice the banana. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes (this helps make the smoothie thicker).

Blend the banana, tofu and soy milk for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup of the frozen blueberries and process until smooth. Add the remaining blueberries, honey and ice cubes if using and process again until smooth.

Enjoy

Nutritional Breakdown (based on 2 servings) Each serving contains: Calories 218, 35 g Carbohydrates, 10 g Protein, 6 g Fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg Cholesterol, 6 g Fibre, 18 mg Sodium, 499 mg Potassium. An excellent source of potassium and calcium.

QUICK SUMMER SLAW WITH APPLES AND PECANS

This comes from Dora Villarosa, About.com's Budget Cooking expert. She writes, “This summer slaw with Granny Smith apples and pecans comes together as quick as you can slice the apples. The simple Dijon vinaigrette keeps it bright and crispy. I like to use a combination of green cabbage and radicchio because I love the combination of colors and the bit of bitterness added by the radicchio. If you want to save time, a bag of prepackaged slaw mix works great. I like the subtle flavor of the shallot in this recipe, but any type of well-minced onion will work.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4-6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 large Granny Smith apples

1 small head radicchio (1 cup finely chopped)

1/2 cup green cabbage, thinly shredded

1 small bunch parsley (1 cup roughly chopped leaves)

1/2 cup pecans

1 shallot, or 1 tablespoon minced yellow, red, or white onion

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Mince shallot or onion, if using. Combine shallot or onion and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup or nonreactive Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Core the apples, and peel them if you prefer (I think the peel helps them keep their color, so I usually don't peel the apples).

Slice apples into matchsticks. Chop pecans. If using, finely chop radicchio and thinly shred green cabbage.

Wash and dry parsley using a salad spinner or draining on paper towels. Separate parsley leaves and roughly chop them, discarding stems. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples with prepackaged slaw mix or radicchio and green cabbage. Add parsley and pecans and toss to combine.

Add Dijon mustard and extra-virgin olive oil to minced shallot or onion. Add apple cider vinegar and stir or whisk until dressing thickens.

Just before serving, toss vegetables to evenly coat with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature. Keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

This dish is delicious with late summer and fall flavors.

FAVA BEAN AND PASTA TOSS

This recipe comes from the April 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “A versatile main dish, this works well as a warm entrée or a hearty salad. If you choose the salad option, try garnishing the dish with diced avocados. Pass with toasted focaccia sprinkled with garlic and olive oil.” Serves 6 in 30 minues or less.

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1 cup uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta

1 19-oz. can fava beans, drained and well rinsed

1 15.5-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, well rinsed and chopped

1 6-oz. jar water-packed roasted red peppers, drained, well rinsed and diced

2 pieces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced

1 Tbs. pesto

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, put beans, artichoke hearts and red peppers in large mixing bowl. Stir together tomatoes and pesto, and stir into bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta, toss mixture and top with mozzarella cheese.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 250; Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 620 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 2 g

SOUTHWESTERN CHOPPED SALAD

This also comes from the April 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Lunches get a big flavor kick with this colorful combination, guaranteed to dazzle family and friends. Pass the salad, and serve it with warmed flour or corn tortillas and lemonade.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked and cooled

1 avocado, diced

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño chile, minced, optional

1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained and well rinsed

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 cup crumbled tortilla chips, preferably lime-flavored

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

1 Tbs. sugar, or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine corn, avocado, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, if using, beans, eggs and tortilla chips in large salad bowl.

Stir together oil, lime juice, chili powder, sugar, salt and pepper until combined. Pour over salad mixture, and toss to combine. Serve.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 290; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 140 mg; Sodium: 330 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 6 g