Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Planning Ideas PLUS ... Dairy Free Muffin Recipe

By Rebecca Bennett

In a vegan or vegetarian diet, it may take time to explore new foods and develop some form of routine to it. There are many different products on the market today for vegans and vegetarians to choose from - keep experimenting to find your or your families personal preferences and tastes.

You should be-able to find quite a good amount of vegetarian and vegan products at supermarkets, natural health food stores and co-ops.

When baking, you can use substitutes like egg replacers, cornstarch or bananas to replace eggs.

Soy, rice and nut milks are great replacements for cow's milk. Plus there are many other dairy alternatives around like: vegan cheese, yoghurts, frozen non-dairy ice creams, and cream cheeses. These are all easily sourced through health stores or supermarkets worldwide.

If you are stuck for ideas on some quick easy menu ideas, here are some sample meal menu items for you to consider:

** Breakfast

- Pancakes

- Soy Yoghurts

- Fruit Smoothies

- Wholemeal Toast or Cereals

** Lunch/Dinner

- Veggie Mock Meat and salad sandwich

- Veggie Sausages or hot dogs

- Veggie or Soy Burger

- Simple Prepared Salads

- Tofu Kebabs or Wraps

- Veggie Fried Rice

- Tomato & Pasta Bake

- Soup or Curry Vegetables

- Veggie Stir fry with Tofu, tempeh, or seitan

- Baked Vegetables with Rosemary & Garlic Herbs

** Snacks /Dessert

- Cookies

- Cake

- Non-Dairy Ice Cream

- Dried Fruits & Nuts

- Fresh Fruits

- Chickpeas

- Popcorn

- Pretzels

- Soy or Veggie Crisps or Chips

- Vegan Pies

So as you can see there are an abundance of tasty foods on offer for vegetarians of all kinds, the tastes and wonders of one's food choices is only limited by one's own imagination.

If have you ever wondered how vegetarians, vegans or people just wishing to avoid dairy products make delicious tasting and looking cakes and sweets without much effort at all?

Unless you are a vegetarian or 100% animal free cooker, chances are that you have never cooked without animal ingredients like eggs and dairy. In fact, if you don't know any vegetarians personally you might not even be aware that you can cook without any animal by-products like, eggs and dairy.

Vegetarians are able to maintain a very healthy diet eating any number of traditional meals or sweets minus animal by-products.

And you don't have to be a vegetarian to benefit from such things, even if you'd just like to cut down on animal by-products for the many health benefits involved or if you are lactose intolerant, have vegetarian friends you'd like to cook for or are trying to avoid cholesterol . . . you don't have to feel you will miss out on all those wonderful sweets and treats you feel you can't live without. Because cooking minus animal by-products is so simple and easy you won't believe it until you experience it for yourself.

So I urge you to try the below recipe for yourself and then decide if vegetarians just eat rabbit food or not. You might be surprised. And you might even be shocked that you won't even notice these muffins are not cooked using any eggs or diary.

** Dairy Free Choc Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup coconut

1 and 1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp cocoa or carob powder

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 190C.

2. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl until blended through.

3. Sift the remaining ingredients and blend in bowl until just combined.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Servings: 6 large muffins or 12 smaller muffins

If you are not a vegetarian but are considering becoming one don't let the fear of eating egg or diary free stop you. If you already are a vegetarian or don't eat dairy or eggs for other reasons, and have not tried cooking sweets, you might want to try it. It's so simple and easy if you know how and have access to proven recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/377121

A Vegan Thanksgiving: Cauliflower and Fennel Gratin

By Colleen Boucher

This may be the most delicious thing I've ever made. I know I'm very enthusiastic about the food I make for this blog, but this gratin was seriously transcendent. Creamy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, gloriously caramelized onions and fennel, a Thanksgiving dream come true.

I've been batting around the idea of a vegan béchamel for a vegan lasagna for a while now, but I haven't actually tried making it yet. This recipe gave me an excuse to try it out. I used a traditional béchamel recipe (from the Joy of Cooking), but white sauces generally rely on the final addition of a cheese for body and well-rounded flavor. Obviously cheese is out, but cashew cream adds a comparable richness. This cream sauce turned out so well that I cannot wait to apply it to other vegan adaptations, like a spinach and mushroom lasagna, and even a vegan macaroni and cheese.

Although a gratin is not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, it incorporates delightful fall flavors like cauliflower, onions, and fennel. It also provides a luxurious element to the humble simplicity of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. I can't say enough good things about this dish. It's wide open to adaptation. I'm planning to make it with cauliflower and broccoli for the big day. It would also be perfect for potatoes and other root vegetables, in a more traditional gratin. You could also incorporate pasta with the vegetables for a kind of casserole. In any case, it's a cozy, satisfying dish for fall and winter, so make it soon!

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 bulb fennel quartered, cored, and sliced
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
1/3 loaf bread processed into crumbs
1/2 cup almonds processed into crumbs
1/2 cup cashews
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400º. Place onions and fennel in an oven proof pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the cauliflower florets until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place bread crumbs and almond pieces on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake until dry and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Process the cashews and garlic clove in a food processor. Add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil and process until it forms a paste. Add the hot water while the processor is on, until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Add the milk to a small sauce pan, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. In another sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter to make a roux. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the cashew purée into the béchamel. Add the cayenne pepper. Taste for salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 350º. Stir the cauliflower, fennel, and onion into the béchamel. Spoon into a 9" x 9" baking dish. Top evenly with the bread crumb and almond mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the gratin is 160º on an instant-read thermometer.

Serve immediately! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5347191

Vegan Diet Recipes - Mushroom Mint Pasta Salad

By Vanessa Celic

Try this delicious mushroom pasta with its flavor delicately enhanced and lightened with mint. Eaten as a cold salad with BBQ or as a warm side dish for French or Italian mains. Crack some pepper on top and decorate it with unused mint leaves before serving warm.

Whether you are an experienced vegan or are just looking for an exciting new salad, you will find that this recipe will add zest to your menu and reward your taste buds. It has the quality ingredients that will help to lower your cholesterol, and still give you that restaurant quality flavor. Vegans all over the world are enjoying a new way to eat that is far healthier than traditional meat based diets, and are enjoying the health benefits that they can enjoy because of this new awareness of what nutritionists have been saying for years. Why not you too? There are no special cooking tools needed, and the majority of the ingredients can still be found at the same grocery store that you have been shopping at for years. However, take the time to visit a whole food or natural store and you will find many new food items that can be added to your menu.

While you are at it, feel free to join or visit any local vegan group in your community. These can be found at health food stores, at a work out facility, yoga class, church group or many other organizations. Your doctor may even be able to recommend to you a group that shares more recipes like this. Some groups may combine the vegan food element with activities, such as hiking or exercise in a way that will improve your overall physical and emotional condition.

Yield: 12 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
* 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
* 2 (8 ounce) packages button mushrooms, sliced
* 4 onions, sliced
* 1 quart heavy cream
* 10 sprigs fresh mint
* 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Cool, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

2. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place mushrooms and onions in the skillet. Cook and stir until lightly brown. Gradually pour in the heavy cream, stirring continuously. Place the mint sprigs in the skillet. Cook and stir 5 minutes.

3. Mix sugar into the cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the mint sprigs with a slotted spoon. Stir in the cooked pasta until well coated. Serve and enjoy! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5545821

Spaghetti With Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

By Colleen Boucher

This is embarrassing to admit as a twenty-five year old woman of Italian descent, but I have never seen The Godfather, until last night that is. For many years, it has been brought to my attention that this is one of my serious deficiencies as a human being. As time went on, I knew I would have to put on a real Godfather celebration to appease the classic film gods, and as an Italian, I know that celebration means food. So, in order to make amends, I made the most quintessential Italian-American dish I could think of: spaghetti and meatballs.

Traditional spaghetti and meatballs are made with three kinds of meat, beef, pork, and veal, and parmesan cheese. Obviously, this does not gel with the vegan diet. Faux meat products fall into two categories: "looks like," and "tastes like." Well, these meatballs hit the jackpot and accomplish both, all without sending me into my typical Italian food coma. This recipe is so good that it makes veganism an offer you can't refuse. To make it special, I also made my favorite tomato sauce, a recipe from the iconic Hamptons restaurant Nick and Toni's. This sauce requires a little advance preparation, but it has a velvety texture, and a depth of flavor that heightens everything it touches.

To round out the meal, I served a red wine procured on my recent trip to Sonoma. My best friend Nisha and I stopped at the Mayo Family Winery, drawn in by the sign for a wine and food pairing menu. Unfortunately, the kitchen had closed ten minutes prior. Chef Max Porter-Elliot could probably sense our desperation and was kind enough to bring us a plate of bread, which I fell on blissfully. As it was our last stop of the day, we lingered for almost two hours, chatting with Max and later his girlfriend, trading restaurant recommendations with the other couple at the bar. Opening the bottle of 2005 Meritage brought back the pleasure of my experience at Mayo and added another level of enjoyment to the meal.

So having had a fantastic experience with The Godfather, I'm contemplating whether I should watch the whole trilogy. Perhaps this post will become a three part homage to the films through food. Hopefully this will inspire you to have an Italian dinner and movie night of your own!

Tomato Sauce

This recipe was introduced to me on Ina Garten's show The Barefoot Contessa when she hosted the executive chef of Nick and Toni's on her show.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons fresh or dried oregano
1 cup vodka
2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Heat oven to 375º. Add olive oil to an oven proof pan and turn stove to medium. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and 1 ½ teaspoons oregano and sauté for another minute. Add the vodka and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Drain the tomatoes and add them to the pan, crushing them in your fingers. Add salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 ½ hours. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture in a blender and purée. Return to the pan, add the remaining fresh oregano and simmer briefly. Add your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Eggplant Meatballs

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
1 medium eggplant unpeeled, diced in ¼ to ½ inch cubes
1 ½ cups walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
2 cups dried bread crumbs
½ cup firm tofu, puréed
3 cloves garlic minced
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
½ cup basil chopped

Preheat oven to 375º. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onion for five minutes. Add eggplant and salt and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. If eggplant sticks to the pan add more olive oil. Meanwhile, toast walnuts in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes and chop roughly. Add eggplant mixture and walnuts to a large bowl. Add a heaping cup of the mixture to the food processor and purée until smooth. Return the purée to the bowl and combine. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, bread crumbs, tofu, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, and basil and mix well. Coat hands with a little olive oil and form mixture into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet, and spray lightly with a little oil. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until they develop a dark brown crust on the outside. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to steam for five minutes. Add to the top of your pasta and sauce. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5273933

Vegan Aubergine and Leek Lasagne

By Heloise Wright

Time From Cupboard to Plate: Approximately one hour

Serves: Four Portions

Ingredients:

- Lasagna Sheets
- About eight Aubergine
- One large sized Leeks
- Three medium sized Red Pepper
- One large sized Olive Oil
- As required

Sauce:

- Plain Flour Two tablespoons
- Olive Oil Three tablespoons
- Mustard Powder One teaspoon (alternatively nutmeg can used) 
- Soya Milk 240ml (may need more to thin sauce)

Recipe:

Slice the red pepper and lightly roast in a little oil - remove when browning.

To make the "cheese" sauce, put three tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat over a low heat. When starts to bubble add flour and mustard (or nutmeg), mix well to form a paste like consistency. Add a little more oil if needed. Then add soya milk slowly a bit at a time, stirring constantly. Cook over a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If sauce becomes too thick add a little extra soya milk. It is better sauce is too thick than too thin as more soya milk can always be added when cool.

Thinly slice the leeks and lightly fry them in oil for about 5 minutes. Slice the aubergine. Then in an ovenproof dish layer the aubergine, leeks, a little sauce, the lasagne sheets and finally full layer of sauce. Repeat as desired for the dish but usually twice. Make sure the top sauce layer is nice and thick. For added crunch try a thin layer of golden breadcrumbs on top. Cook in the oven at 190ºC for about 30 minutes or until lasagne sheets are cooked.

Serving:

Serve with your favourite vegetables and some boiled potatoes. If you have left over fried leeks, try adding some mushrooms and garlic and lightly frying together to serve on the side. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4105182

Flashback Friday: Inhibiting Platelet Activation with Garlic and Onions