Vegetarian Meals

Healthy Food Bytes

One of the questions people ask me most is, "how am I going to get in more plant based meals?" One way is to add one vegetarian meal per day or a few vegetarian meals per week. Eating a vegetarian breakfast is a no-brainer - whole grain waffles, cereal with rice milk, oatmeal etc, fruit and nuts. But a vegetarian lunch or dinner is more challenging. Think outside the box for a meal that provides a complete protein. Although, there is no need to eat protein at each meal, you can snack on nuts and seeds and, hummus and carrot sticks etc. in between meals to get your protein for the day.

Don't freak out, you don't have to be a full-on vegetarian to be "vegetarian friendly". You can have eggs and cheese in moderation, so long as there are no health issues.

I like to revamp recipes. Take for example the California Pizza Kitchen Sedona White Corn Tortilla Soup

CPK Sedona White Corn Tortilla Soup

I add shelled edamame for extra protein and blend in with the corn (corn also has protein). I add a little extra organic chicken broth (Costco or Whole Foods 365 for best price) - or vegetable broth (don't have to be a "strict" vegetarian - no health reasons to be a "strict" vegetarian). Toast up strips of whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas for topping. Also at the end, add diced avocado and fresh cilantro. I make this batch usually on a Saturday with crusty whole grain (more protein) French bread - love Panera's, and usually have extra for the week for lunch.

Another one of my "go to" vegetarian meals include hummus. There are all sorts of delicious, tasty variations of hummus including roasted red pepper, black olive etc. And hummus doesn't just include garbanzo beans. CPK has a Tuscan hummus recipe online with white beans and so does Bobby Flay on Food TV

Flatbread with White Bean Hummus

Or Black Bean Hummus - check out this WF recipe

Black Bean Hummus

WF has an amazing whole-wheat flat bread to make "middle-eastern" pizzas. Top flat bread with hummus of your choice, add tomato, cucumber, raw onion - heck, put whatever you want on it, carmelized onions, black olives etc.

For the Gourmet in you. This is great any time of day...Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner.

Ev's Kicked-Up Eggs Benedict

Make a tomato based gravy:
Heat 1 tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) add
2 tbs of diced onion
1 minced garlic clove (you decide how big)
1/4 c diced red bell pepper
sautee until softened
add 1 tbs flour
Cook for 1 minute
add
2 roma tomatoes - diced
cook for a couple of minutes till softened - wisk if you see lumps
simmer for about 15 min.
Blend with immersion blender or regular blender to smooth out


Other ingredients:
large spinach leaves
sautee red onion round slices
sautee mushroom slices
a poached egg or over-easy, over-medium egg
1/2 slice Havarti cheese
or
slice of fresh mozarella
slice of toasted whole grain french bread

Assemble

Slice of toast
top with spinach, onion, mushroom, cheese, egg, sauce, add more mushrooms on top if you'd like.

Yumolicious

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Enjoy








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