Vegetarian Gourmet Recipes - Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't a difficult decision as I wasn't a voracious carnivore to begin with, however there were a few dishes that I missed that contained meat and wondered how I was going to live without these favorites.

Rather than resign myself to the notion that these dishes could never be converted over to a meatless status, I decided to pull myself up by my vegetarian bootstrings (cotton, of course), and see if I could find a way to convert these meat-ies to meatless.

The first was my Grammy's recipe for American Chop Suey, actually, almost everyone's Grammy made this or some variation of it. I tried different ways but this one comes the closest:

Meatless American Chop Suey

1 vidalia onion chopped
1-2 tbsp. butter
1/2 pkg Quorn (brandname) veggie grounds frozen
2 cans Campbells Tomato Soup
1 tblsp. catsup (yes catsup, you can't really taste it, it just adds a rich color to the sauce)
sea salt and pepper to taste

1 lb of your favorite fancy pasta in its rigati form, that means with lines, or something like like gemelli or rotini

Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Add vidalia onion and gently saute until translucent. Add frozen Quorn grounds and heat till thawed. Add 2 cans soup and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add catsup salt and pepper and cook an additional 102 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and add sauce to pasta. Stir to incorporate completely. Serve. Serves 4-6 people as a side.

This next one is an adaptation of a Greek-Middle-Eastern recipe for Dolma. I loved this dish as a youngster summering on Cape Cod. A wonderful Lebanese family "turned me on" to this dish and I have finally found a way to make it meatless and spectacular!

Veggie Dolmas

1 jar of Grapeleaves in brine

Filling:
2 cup basmati rice cooked
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup of pine nuts ground
1/2 cup quorn grounds thawed
2 tbsp. dried mint (or 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped fine)
1 tbsp. dried parsely (or 1/4 cup fresh parsely chopped fine)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1/8 cup fresh oregano chopped fine)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp pepper
1 small can tomato paste

Juice of 2 lemons

Remove the grape leaves from the jar, rinse and unfold carefully and rinse again. Lay paper towels and pat dry. Gently remove any stems that are still on the leaves.

In a large bowl mix the filling ingredients together till they are well incorporated.

Carefully separate a few of the leaves and line the bottom of a 1-2 gallon stock pot.

To roll take a leaf, place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of the leaf about 1/2 inch up from the bottom edge. Fold 1/2 inch up over the filling, fold each side toward the middle, then beginning at the bottom again roll the whole package up till you have a 1-2" "log.

Continue with the rolling process till you use up all the filling.

Line the rolled leaves up in a circular pattern in the stock pot till all are in. Pour the juice of both lemons gently over the rolled leaves. Place a dinner plate on top with a stone in the middle to keep in place. Gradually add cold water till it just covers the leaves.

Bring contents to a boil then reduce and simmer for about 1/2 hour till tender. Drain water by holding on to stone to keep plate in place and gently pour out cooking water. Leave plate on till almost cool.

Remove plate and serve with plain yogurt, yummy.

These can be frozen in 1-2 serving sizes for later. I like to do it this way then microwave them for a minute and a half for a quickie meal.

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Going the Healthy Gourmet Way at Dinnertime With Alaska Seafood

There is always a certain amount of doubt every time you sit down to a meal in a restaurant. What exactly are you eating? Where did it come from? What type of caloric content is within? As everyone knows, it is a lot easier to cook a tasty meal when you throw the health factor out the window. Classic French fish dishes go heavy on the butter, while Beef Stroganoff is another famous gourmet meal which piles on the calories. Cooking with Alaska's seafood and some quality recipes, however, can allow you to get big flavor and still provide healthy dinners for your family. Try these recipes.

Baked Snapper for two: Get one pound of fresh snapper, one small onion, dill and sour cream. Mix together about a half cup of sour cream, one half teaspoon of ground pepper and one teaspoon of salt. Place the snapper in a baking dish and dust the filets with the sour cream mixture. Add finely diced onion on top and finish with dill. Bake for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Creole Style Halibut: For a taste of old New Orleans, mix up a Creole dish which is healthy and comes in an excellent presentation. You'll make a sauce similar to pasta sauces, using chopped tomatoes with sautéed garlic and onions. Add salt to taste and let this mixture simmer in a saucepan with a bay leaf, adding chopped green peppers after five minutes. This sauce will need another 15 minutes to be finished. Meanwhile, chop filets of halibut into cubes (about 1/3 lb. per person) and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. When the fish is done, pour your sauce on top and enjoy one of the jewels of Alaska's seafood.

Grilled Shrimp on Skewers: When you get some excellent shrimp and approach your grill to make some skewers, it is important to add the right ingredients. Any poor use of vegetables will take away from the shrimp - one of the best examples of Alaska's seafood. Ripe red peppers are perfect for presentation and flavor. In fact, using just red and green peppers to complement the shrimp is a perfect recipe for success. Serve with baked potatoes for a healthy, delicious meal.

Thanks To : health juice