"Chik'n" and veggies stir-fry

I threw this together last night for dinner, and it was pretty yummy. The store-bought teriyaki sauce I used was a little too salty, so I might try a different sauce next time. You can adapt this to use any fresh or frozen veggies you have around the kitchen.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1/2 bag of Morningstar Farms frozen "chik'n" strips


• 1/2 bag of frozen "asian style" veggies (broccoli florets, water chestnuts, and carrots)


• 1/2 can of baby corn on the cob


• 1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced


• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce


• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less, depending upon taste)


• 1-2 tablespoons of store-bought teriyaki or other brown sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add the "chik'n" strips and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add all veggies, fresh and frozen, to the skillet. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the frozen veggies are hot and the fresh veggies are cooked (but still crunchy). Add the teriyaki or other brown sauce and cook for another minute.

Serve with white or brown rice.

Follow up: I wasn't crazy about the taste/texture of the MStar Farms Chik'n strips. They didn't taste bad by any means, but the texture left something to be desired. I read on another blog that the LightLife Chick'n Strips are much better, so I'll try those next time. So far, as a general rule, I've found that the LightLife products taste better and have a better texture than MStar or Boca, so it's not surprising that they might have a better chicken substitute too. See my entry below about the "veggie burgers from scratch" for example. Also, if you haven't tried LightLife's "Smart Chili" yet, then you must! Heavenly!

Veggie Burgers "From Scratch"

Sure, the frozen Boca burgers, etc., are great -- they're easy and tasty. But for an even better burger, try this:

• 1 package of "Gimme Lean!" brand ground beef substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce (such as Annie's Naturals Organic worcestershire Sauce)
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon A1 Sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (to brush on patties to prevent sticking)
• sandwich buns

1 package of Gimme Lean! ground beef substitute will make 2 large burgers. So, if you're only cooking for one person, cut the recipe in half.

Optional items for your fixings bar: sliced cheese, sautéed mushrooms (just clean, slice and sauté fresh mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium high heat), lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, pickles.

In a large bowl, combine the "raw" GimmeLean! beef substitute with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Add worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, A1 sauce, and liquid smoke. Mix with your hands until the liquid seasoning is well distributed and absorbed. Divide the mixture in half and make 2 patties.

Brush both sides of each patty with the vegetable oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill. Grill each patty for about 3 minutes per side.

Serve on toasted buns. See list of optional fixings for ideas on dressing up your burger. I recommend setting up a "fixings bar" so that everyone can build their own burger.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' new cookbook. The best part is that you can sort of substitute whatever you like in this dish -- for example, I skipped the mushrooms (because they were expensive) and used asparagus instead. Also, I didn't use fontina cheese (again, expensive), so I just used shredded mozzarella and provolone and parmesan instead, and it turned out great. It's so easy to make -- the most time consuming part is cleaning and chopping up the veggies.

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
• 1 pound penne pasta 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined. Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Italian Vegetable Soup

The basis for this recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' latest cookbook "Everyday Pasta." I took her recipe and removed some things that I didn't like, and added some extra veggies, etc.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, including all liquid
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 pound frozen tortellini (I use Rosetto, which comes in a 1 pound bag, so I use half of a bag)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme, or any fresh herb you have handy)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute about 5 minutes. Add about half of the minced garlic, and all of the zucchini, carrots, artichokes, salt and pepper, and saute until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the veggie broth and the can of tomatoes (with their juices) and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Bring the soup back up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, add the frozen peas and frozen tortellini, and cook for about 3-4 minutes (according to the instructions on the tortellini packaging).
Meanwhile, combine the remaining garlic, the parmesan, softened butter, and rosemary in a small bowl and stir with a fork until well blended.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of the parmesan mixture and serve. Goes great with some crusty italian or french bread. Makes about 6 large servings.

Aunt Paula's Pasta Salad

This is my Aunt's recipe for pasta salad. It's great for picnics, or just to have handy in the fridge for lunch. It's easy enough to add different or additional veggies if you like. Also, you can make it vegan by simply eliminating the cheese and using a vegan salad dressing.

• 1 pound of tri-colored fusilli pasta (springs)
• 1 head of broccoli (clean and use florets only)
• 1 box of fresh mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
• 1 can of black olives (drained)
• 1/2 small jar of yellow pepper rings (hot or mild, depending upon your preference)
• 1 container of feta cheese (drained and cut into cubes)
• 1 cruet of good seasons italian dressing (or any oil and vinegar based italian dressing that you like)
• grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, and drain.

Boil the broccoli florets for about 3-4 minutes, then "shock" in a bowl of ice water, and drain.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and toss with the dressing until well coated. Chill for at least and hour and serve. Can be served warm, but I think it tastes much better cold. Even better it you let it chill for a few hours before serving.

Animal products to look out for

My friend gave me this list of not-so-obvious ingredients to look out for. This list comes from a Vegetarian Times article. It's not exhaustive, but it's a good guide.

Gelatin
* frosted mini wheats
* starburst
*skittles
*planters dry roasted peanuts
*lucky charms

Lard
* pillsbury pie crusts
* ortega refried beans
*bush's BBQ baked beans

Carmine (cochnieal extract or carminic acid - beetles)
* dole's peaches in strawberry all natural fruit gel
*yoplait thick and creamy lowfat strawberry yogurt
*tropicana orange strawberry banana juice
*wegman's fruit cocktail
*kikkoman sweet & sour sauce
*some applesauce, fruit drinks, puddings

Isinglass (protein from fish air bladders)
*guinness stout
*bass ale
*foster's lager
*boddingtons ale
*some sam adams

Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol (additive made from fish oils or oil from sheep wool)
*some milk and margarine
*florida naturals fortified orange juice
*america's choice milk
*horizon organic milk
*promise light margarine

Rennet
*denmark's finest dill havarti
*tine jarlsberg semi-soft part-skim cheese
*president fresh goat cheese
*francesco rinaldi's tomato, garlic and onion pasta sauce
*classico four cheese pizza sauce
*these are ok: horizon organic cheddar, boar's head colby, land o'lakes mozzarella, organic valley monterey jack and check out cheese.joyousliving.com/Default.aspx

Pepsin (a clotting agent from pigs' stomachs)
*used in some cheeses and vitamins

Stearic Acid (a fatty substance from pigs' stomachs, or from cows, sheep, or dogs and cats euthenized in animal shelters)
*used in some chocolate and vitamins

Cetyl Palmitate (waxy oil derived from sperm whales' heads or from dolphins)
* used in some margarines

Urea (comes from urine and other "bodily fluids")
*used for "browning" some baked goods, such as pretzels