The inspiration for this Vegetarian Moussaka came after I had drawn a blank with many other vegetarian moussaka recipes
. I love using butternut squash - it is both filling and nutritious. Therefore, using butternut as a base in this dish meant that there didn't have to be as much bulky pulse added. The result is a very satisfying dish, rich in flavor and packed with nutrients.
With regards to roasting the butternut squash: peel the butternut. Next, chop the butternut into inch (2½ cm) cubes, discarding the seeds. Place the cubes on an oiled baking tray. Massage a little oil over the butternut cubes and roast them in a moderate oven for about 30 - 40 mins, until they are cooked. Simple!
The greatest improvement in this Vegetarian Moussaka recipe is that the aubergines are not fried. I hate greasy food - but I love the taste of it! Baking the aubergines gives you the taste with minimal fat. In order to do this, grease a couple of large baking sheets. Slice 2 large aubergines into ¼ inch / 5 mm slices. Place the slices on the baking sheets in a single layer. Brush the slices with oil. Bake at 350° F / 180° C for about 20 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook for another 20 minutes. I usually prepare 4 aubergines like this and freeze the slices in between sheets of freezer paper. I haul them out to put on top of salads or into pasta sauce.
The ingredients seem endless - but everything can be prepared in advance. In fact, it is wise to make the tomato sauce the day before. It can even be made well ahead and frozen.
The addition of a teaspoon of mustard to the cheese sauce adds flavor and means that you can cut down on the amount of cheese.
A little effort
Preparation time: 45 minutes, but everything can be done in advance
Cooking time: ½ hour for moussaka
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 cups roasted butternut - approx 1lb 4oz / 550g (see above for instructions)
2 cups cooked brown lentils
3 cups tomato sauce (see below)
1 quantity white sauce (see below)
2 large aubergines, cut into ¼ inch thick slices and baked (see above for instructions)
Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
2 large onions, diced
about 3 tablespoons oil
2lbs / 900g tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup (loosely packed) parsley
½ cup (loosely packed) coriander
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
Cheese Sauce Ingredients:
2oz / 60 g butter
2oz / 60 g flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup strong cheese, grated - cheddar is a good choice
Use a large frying pan to make the tomato sauce. You will need a small pot for the white sauce and an oven proof dish for the Moussaka.
When you are ready to assemble, heat the oven to 350° F / 180° C.
Method:
To make the tomato sauce: fry the onions in the oil until they soften and begin to brown.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, coriander, salt and pepper and slowly add the water. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. You may either blend the sauce or leave it so that it is chunky. This quantity yields about 5 cups.
To make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in the pot. Add the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Allow to come to the boil and thicken. Add the mustard, cheese and salt and cook for another minute. Keep aside.
To assemble Vegetarian Moussaka: place the cooked diced butternut in the oven-proof dish. Sprinkle over the lentils. Spoon over 3 cups of tomato sauce. Arrange the aubergine slices on top. Spoon the cheese sauce over.
Bake at 350° F / 180° C for ½ hour. Serve with a big salad.
Fiona Lesley has had over 20 years of experience cooking delicious meals for family and friends alike. A teacher by profession, she brings together her years of time and money-saving tips at Monthly Meal Planning
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1202960_26.html
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Want to Become Vegetarian - 4 Advantages of Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is a campaign to reduce or totally eliminate the presence of meat in the diet. The different classification of vegetarians are as varied as the reasons as to why people switch into this type of diet. However, this movement has a long history, even dating as far back as Pythagoras' time. During those times though, they saw the act of killing animals for human consumption as immoral and blatant barbarism.
Today, the fight continues and it serves varying importance on each individual who chooses to make the change. After all, it offers benefits and advantages that makes becoming a vegetarian a practical decision.
1) Monetary or Economical
By reducing or eliminating meat in your diet, it could improve your financial conditions tremendously. There is no more practical reason than this alone.
If you were to study the trends in the market today, the cost of meat is escalating. There are several factors that can contribute to this. For one, raising meat is expensive in itself as compared to plant-based foods. After the raising period, the processing stage is just as costly. Hence, it will certainly be reflected in the price of meat in the market.
If you remove meat from your list of grocery items, you will notice a major drop in your bill.
2) Safety of Food
Meat, especially poultry, is often stored and kept frozen for a long period of time. Although the meat is frozen, cold temperatures have not been proven to effectively kill all bacteria. Not to mention that during the shipping, processing, and thawing process of the meat, they could have easily been contaminated. Because the procedures just stated are all part of the meat processing method, there is nothing you can do to avoid it.
In fact, statistics show that several meat eaters suffer from food poisoning. This is especially true because several microorganisms could have possibly infested that dead meat, which can be harmful to your body.
3) Variety of Food Choices
Aside from meat being too costly on your budget, it also reduces the variability in your diet choices. Plus, preparing vegetable dishes take no more (even less) than cooking meat dishes.
It is a common misconception that vegetables are boring and not tasty. There are several varieties of vegetarian dishes that you can explore cooking
. Aside from being equally tasty as most meat dishes, they are also nutritious and easy to prepare.
4) Health Benefits
This is probably the most common reason why people opt for a vegetarian diet. There is a wide variety of health risks entailed with a diet consisting of meat; hence you must be informed of each one of them.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1082614_23.html
Today, the fight continues and it serves varying importance on each individual who chooses to make the change. After all, it offers benefits and advantages that makes becoming a vegetarian a practical decision.
1) Monetary or Economical
By reducing or eliminating meat in your diet, it could improve your financial conditions tremendously. There is no more practical reason than this alone.
If you were to study the trends in the market today, the cost of meat is escalating. There are several factors that can contribute to this. For one, raising meat is expensive in itself as compared to plant-based foods. After the raising period, the processing stage is just as costly. Hence, it will certainly be reflected in the price of meat in the market.
If you remove meat from your list of grocery items, you will notice a major drop in your bill.
2) Safety of Food
Meat, especially poultry, is often stored and kept frozen for a long period of time. Although the meat is frozen, cold temperatures have not been proven to effectively kill all bacteria. Not to mention that during the shipping, processing, and thawing process of the meat, they could have easily been contaminated. Because the procedures just stated are all part of the meat processing method, there is nothing you can do to avoid it.
In fact, statistics show that several meat eaters suffer from food poisoning. This is especially true because several microorganisms could have possibly infested that dead meat, which can be harmful to your body.
3) Variety of Food Choices
Aside from meat being too costly on your budget, it also reduces the variability in your diet choices. Plus, preparing vegetable dishes take no more (even less) than cooking meat dishes.
It is a common misconception that vegetables are boring and not tasty. There are several varieties of vegetarian dishes that you can explore cooking
. Aside from being equally tasty as most meat dishes, they are also nutritious and easy to prepare.
4) Health Benefits
This is probably the most common reason why people opt for a vegetarian diet. There is a wide variety of health risks entailed with a diet consisting of meat; hence you must be informed of each one of them.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1082614_23.html
Vegetarian Sources of Lecithinh
The way people eat today is a far cry from the way people used to eat. Before, we're usually happy with foods that are rich in fats and oils. We didn't care about the amount of calories we consume in a day or how high the cholesterol in our blood is going to get if we eat this kind of food or that. However, current trends in diet have changed our general outlook about food. Instead of just taking a liberal attitude about the kind of foods we consume, most of us have become more careful, to the point that some have even turned to vegetarianism and all its health and philosophical connotations.
The thing with vegetarians is that they do not get to consume those nutrients that are normally found only in animal products. Since they do not eat meat, vegetarians often restrict their diet to foods like: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, cheese pizza, eggplant parmesan, vegetable soup, pancakes, oatmeal, grilled cheese, bean tacos and burritos, vegetable lo mein, French toast, French fries, vegetable pot pie, fruit shakes, bread, yogurt, cheese lasagna, peanut butter and jam, fruit salad, corn flakes, lentils, bulgur, and other non-meat products. One such nutrient that vegetarians hold a danger of inadequate intake is lecithin.
What is Lecithin?
A phospholipid sometimes referred to as phosphatidylcholine, lecithin is most often found in foods that are rich in fats and oils, such as organ meat, red meat, whole eggs, whole milk with cream, dairy cream, and liver. However, while these foods are rich in lecithin, vegetarians and some health-conscious consumers often turn away from them. Not only are these foods rich in fats and calories, they are also animal products which vegetarians want to avoid.
Lecithin is an important nutrient that our body needs. It is a major component of our cell membranes and helps keep the liver to function normally, particularly in the metabolism of fat by bile, an enzyme secreted by the liver. A component of lecithin, choline, is also an essential nutrient. "Essential" because our body can only get its supply of choline from the foods that we eat. There have been studies conducted wherein a deficiency in choline led to the occurrence of symptoms commonly associated with liver cirrhosis and cancer.
Alternative Sources of Lecithin
Considering how important lecithin is, vegetarians therefore need to find their own alternative source of this valuable nutrient. The good news is that lecithin is fairly common and is found in most foods that we eat whether it is plant in origin or animal. One good source of lecithin is soy food, consumption of which has increased since its beneficial effects were discovered decades ago. Supplementation is also another alternative path that vegetarians can take. A lot of drug companies are starting to market lecithin granules vegetarian to help people get their adequate supply of this nutrient even without eating a lot of lecithin-rich foods.
Most experts say that out of all supplemental forms of lecithin, lecithin granules vegetarian is the best. Unlike other forms, lecithin granules vegetarian is versatile and can be consumed directly or be added as an ingredient to food recipes.
Lecithin granules vegetarian are 97% pure phospholipids, which are essential to the structural integrity of the cell membrane. Lecithin granules vegetarian are often referred to as oil-free lecithin because all the natural oils have already been removed.
Find tips about side effects of stress, upper arm muscle pain and other information at the Health And Nutrition Tips website.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1105721_5.html
The thing with vegetarians is that they do not get to consume those nutrients that are normally found only in animal products. Since they do not eat meat, vegetarians often restrict their diet to foods like: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, cheese pizza, eggplant parmesan, vegetable soup, pancakes, oatmeal, grilled cheese, bean tacos and burritos, vegetable lo mein, French toast, French fries, vegetable pot pie, fruit shakes, bread, yogurt, cheese lasagna, peanut butter and jam, fruit salad, corn flakes, lentils, bulgur, and other non-meat products. One such nutrient that vegetarians hold a danger of inadequate intake is lecithin.
What is Lecithin?
A phospholipid sometimes referred to as phosphatidylcholine, lecithin is most often found in foods that are rich in fats and oils, such as organ meat, red meat, whole eggs, whole milk with cream, dairy cream, and liver. However, while these foods are rich in lecithin, vegetarians and some health-conscious consumers often turn away from them. Not only are these foods rich in fats and calories, they are also animal products which vegetarians want to avoid.
Lecithin is an important nutrient that our body needs. It is a major component of our cell membranes and helps keep the liver to function normally, particularly in the metabolism of fat by bile, an enzyme secreted by the liver. A component of lecithin, choline, is also an essential nutrient. "Essential" because our body can only get its supply of choline from the foods that we eat. There have been studies conducted wherein a deficiency in choline led to the occurrence of symptoms commonly associated with liver cirrhosis and cancer.
Alternative Sources of Lecithin
Considering how important lecithin is, vegetarians therefore need to find their own alternative source of this valuable nutrient. The good news is that lecithin is fairly common and is found in most foods that we eat whether it is plant in origin or animal. One good source of lecithin is soy food, consumption of which has increased since its beneficial effects were discovered decades ago. Supplementation is also another alternative path that vegetarians can take. A lot of drug companies are starting to market lecithin granules vegetarian to help people get their adequate supply of this nutrient even without eating a lot of lecithin-rich foods.
Most experts say that out of all supplemental forms of lecithin, lecithin granules vegetarian is the best. Unlike other forms, lecithin granules vegetarian is versatile and can be consumed directly or be added as an ingredient to food recipes.
Lecithin granules vegetarian are 97% pure phospholipids, which are essential to the structural integrity of the cell membrane. Lecithin granules vegetarian are often referred to as oil-free lecithin because all the natural oils have already been removed.
Find tips about side effects of stress, upper arm muscle pain and other information at the Health And Nutrition Tips website.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1105721_5.html
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Vegan and Vegetarian Gluten-Free Recipes Make for Healthy Meals
With the increase of people practicing gluten-free diets who are either vegan or vegetarian, there is a surplus of delicious and healthy recipes readily available on the internet. There are a gluten-free vegan and vegetarian recipes for such classic gluten-containing dishes as pizzas, eggplant parmesan and a variety of others. If you haven´t already you should go on and explore your meal options and be healthy in the process!
Vegans and vegetarians with celiac disease are typically deficient in certain vitamins, making it even more important to eat healthier varieties come meal time. Vegetarians are typically deficient in iron, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids and protein while vegans are typically deficient in calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin b12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and protein.
That´s no problem though. As long as you´re eating the right things you´ll be fine. And luckily, there´s no better way of finding vegan and vegetarian gluten-free recipes than the internet. The only exclusively vegan and vegetarian gluten-free website online right now is Vegiac.com, an online community that lets users share recipes and other information.
One of my favorite recipes I´ve found on the website is a recipe for a vegan gluten-free pizza crust. This yummy pizza topped with tomato sauce, soy cheese and tons of vitamin rich veggies like green peppers and onions, is a delicious meal option that is also healthy.
Not interested in Italian? How about Mexican or Thai? There are literally hundreds of different recipes and meals available to people that are vitamin-packed and delectable dishes to prepare for one, or for the whole family.
You can find tons of vegan and vegetarian gluten-free recipes on the internet for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. For people like vegans and vegetarians, who have a higher risk of vitamin deficiencies, it´s even more important to be eating healthy and nutritious meals. Luckily, if you have access to a computer and the internet, there are a lot of options to choose from. So, don´t afraid to explore the internet and look for recipes to try out, you might find some new favorites that are tons of fun to prepare and eat as well as healthy for you!
Do you want to learn more about a vegetarian gluten free or vegan gluten free lifestyle or get recipes, product reviews or support? Just visit http://www.Vegiac.com to learn more!
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_916181_31.html
Vegans and vegetarians with celiac disease are typically deficient in certain vitamins, making it even more important to eat healthier varieties come meal time. Vegetarians are typically deficient in iron, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids and protein while vegans are typically deficient in calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin b12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and protein.
That´s no problem though. As long as you´re eating the right things you´ll be fine. And luckily, there´s no better way of finding vegan and vegetarian gluten-free recipes than the internet. The only exclusively vegan and vegetarian gluten-free website online right now is Vegiac.com, an online community that lets users share recipes and other information.
One of my favorite recipes I´ve found on the website is a recipe for a vegan gluten-free pizza crust. This yummy pizza topped with tomato sauce, soy cheese and tons of vitamin rich veggies like green peppers and onions, is a delicious meal option that is also healthy.
Not interested in Italian? How about Mexican or Thai? There are literally hundreds of different recipes and meals available to people that are vitamin-packed and delectable dishes to prepare for one, or for the whole family.
You can find tons of vegan and vegetarian gluten-free recipes on the internet for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. For people like vegans and vegetarians, who have a higher risk of vitamin deficiencies, it´s even more important to be eating healthy and nutritious meals. Luckily, if you have access to a computer and the internet, there are a lot of options to choose from. So, don´t afraid to explore the internet and look for recipes to try out, you might find some new favorites that are tons of fun to prepare and eat as well as healthy for you!
Do you want to learn more about a vegetarian gluten free or vegan gluten free lifestyle or get recipes, product reviews or support? Just visit http://www.Vegiac.com to learn more!
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_916181_31.html
Vegetarian Fajitas – Meat Missed No More
The original fajita recipe uses grilled meat strips served on tortilla made of corn or flour. Ideally the meat has to be cooked with bell peppers and onion. Actually, fajitas can be made using all kinds of vegetables and meat from chicken to crab and from leeks to peppers. Traditional fajita recipe uses marinated skirt steak mixed with peppers and onions. Condiments that are popular with the authentic fajitas of the Tex-Mex cuisine include shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, cheese, tomato, sour cream and pico de gallo. With an increase in demand for meatless fajitas, many new recipes are doing the rounds.
The vegetarian fajita recipes use ingredients like mushrooms, bell peppers, tofu, potatoes, zucchini, sweet potato, black beans and many more. The meat is substituted with any combination of the above mentioned ingredients and then used for filling in tortillas making mouth watering, sumptuous and very genuine tasting fajitas. These fajitas taste as good as or even better than those made with steak. The vegetables are grilled and served hot for those who would prefer to make their own filling combination while the wrapped ones are also available. The grilled vegetables add a smoky flavor to fajitas that is its characteristic feature.
Black Beans Fajita
This is a very simple fajita recipe that can be tried by anybody. Cooked black beans, corn, salsa, green onions and red bell peppers are stirred in a skillet until the pepper and onions are tender. This mixture of beans and veggies are served wrapped in warm and tender corn tortillas and served along with salsa. Thus the procedure is easy and the time required for cooking very less. The seasoning can be adjusted according to requirements and rest assured - your guests will not miss the chicken.
Mushroom Fajita
This recipe uses mushrooms which have been cooked in water to which oil, salt and garlic have been added. Red pepper and onions are cooked for about three minutes and cooked mushrooms and garlic are added to this mixture. The flavors are enhanced further by addition of jalapeno peppers and cilantro. The mixture is spooned into the center of the tortillas which are folded and topped with sour cream and chopped jalapenos. The dish can be served with lemon wedges and lime salsa. The fajitas can be served in nacho style where in the filled tortillas are cut into bite sized pieces and garnished with cheddar cheese.
The vegetarian fajitas are easy to cook and healthier than their meaty counterparts. The variety of fajita recipes that are available for making them without the meat are plenty and with a little bit of imagination you can come up with different combinations that can tickle your taste buds to no end. This Mexican food is fast becoming popular due to the freedom of innovation and creativity that can be experimented with and thoroughly enjoyed. No, certainly not! The meat is not needed any more where fajita recipes are concerned and the vegetarians can enjoy and relish them too.
Fajita recipes offers you wide range of both vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes. Check out the website for more information
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_997087_33.html
The vegetarian fajita recipes use ingredients like mushrooms, bell peppers, tofu, potatoes, zucchini, sweet potato, black beans and many more. The meat is substituted with any combination of the above mentioned ingredients and then used for filling in tortillas making mouth watering, sumptuous and very genuine tasting fajitas. These fajitas taste as good as or even better than those made with steak. The vegetables are grilled and served hot for those who would prefer to make their own filling combination while the wrapped ones are also available. The grilled vegetables add a smoky flavor to fajitas that is its characteristic feature.
Black Beans Fajita
This is a very simple fajita recipe that can be tried by anybody. Cooked black beans, corn, salsa, green onions and red bell peppers are stirred in a skillet until the pepper and onions are tender. This mixture of beans and veggies are served wrapped in warm and tender corn tortillas and served along with salsa. Thus the procedure is easy and the time required for cooking very less. The seasoning can be adjusted according to requirements and rest assured - your guests will not miss the chicken.
Mushroom Fajita
This recipe uses mushrooms which have been cooked in water to which oil, salt and garlic have been added. Red pepper and onions are cooked for about three minutes and cooked mushrooms and garlic are added to this mixture. The flavors are enhanced further by addition of jalapeno peppers and cilantro. The mixture is spooned into the center of the tortillas which are folded and topped with sour cream and chopped jalapenos. The dish can be served with lemon wedges and lime salsa. The fajitas can be served in nacho style where in the filled tortillas are cut into bite sized pieces and garnished with cheddar cheese.
The vegetarian fajitas are easy to cook and healthier than their meaty counterparts. The variety of fajita recipes that are available for making them without the meat are plenty and with a little bit of imagination you can come up with different combinations that can tickle your taste buds to no end. This Mexican food is fast becoming popular due to the freedom of innovation and creativity that can be experimented with and thoroughly enjoyed. No, certainly not! The meat is not needed any more where fajita recipes are concerned and the vegetarians can enjoy and relish them too.
Fajita recipes offers you wide range of both vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes. Check out the website for more information
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_997087_33.html
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