Vegetarian Information

Vegetarian Lasagne

A great vegetarian lasange is about having strong and distinct flavors so the whole thing does not turn into a flavorless mush.
This recipe is great for beginers and for the more experienced.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 cup Carrots, grated
1 cup Zucchini, grated
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch Fresh Spinach (or 1pkt of frozen spinach)
1tbsp Black Olives, sliced
500gm Ricotta
500gm Tasty Cheese, grated
2tbsp Tomato paste
1/2 jar Italian style Tomato Sauce
1 cup Vegetable Stock
1 slurp Dry Sherry
1 pkt Pre-cooked Lasagne Sheets

Method: Cook fresh spinach or microwave frozen spinach and set aside to cool. Place oil in large saucepan. Saute onion in oil until soft, add garlic then carrot, zucchini, mushrooms and olives and stir for approximately 3 mins. Add stock. tomato paste, sauce and sherry, bring to boil, simmer for 3 mins then remove from heat.

To Assemble:
Line base of lasagne dish with pasta sheets. Spoon or ladle one third of sauce over pasta sheet (just thinly). Spread thin layer of spinach over sauce (difficult to do so just dollop small blobs over the sauce). Spread ricotta over spinach. Sprinkle with tasty cheese. Repeat assembly steps until the dish is full (should end up with three layers). Bake at 180-200C for 35-40 mins. Serves 6-8.

Tony Milton is a corporate caterer based in Melbourne. His company Ajays is one of Melbourne’s most sought after catering companies.
Corporate Caterer Melbourne
Catering Services Melbourne

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A flavorful, mild curry powder or curry paste, or a bottled curry sauce, makes just about any combination of vegetables into a gourmet meal. Try these recipes and then experiment with your own favorite vegetables, whole grains and beans. Serve the curry over cooked whole grains. If you like, serve the curry with small dishes of your choice of — mango chutney, hot lime pickle, chopped salted peanuts (or my favorite, the small Spanish peanuts), lime wedges, shredded coconut, sliced bananas, chopped cucumber, plain yogurt. Each diner can dress up the curry with their own selection of condiments.

Green Bean-Potato Curry
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
pinch cayenne, or to taste
3 cups bouillon
6 medium potatoes, cut in bite-size pieces
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
3 cups green beans (fresh or frozen) in 1″ pieces
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice, barley or other whole grains of your choice

Bring the onion, garlic, spices, bouillon and potatoes to a boil and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the tomatoes, beans and spring onions and cook 5-10 minutes more, or until the beans are just crisp-tender. Serve over cooked whole grains.

4-6 servings

Mushroom Mix Curry
4 medium red potatoes, cut in chunks
2 cups bouillon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
pinch cayenne, to taste
1 16-ounce bag frozen pepper-onion mix
1 16-ounce bag frozen corn-black bean mix
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered if large
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, cut in chunks
Cooked brown rice, barley or other whole grains of your choice

Cooked barley or other whole grains of your choice Bring the potatoes, bouillon and seasonings to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add the frozen vegetables and mushrooms; return to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add more bouillon if the mixture seems too dry. Serve over cooked whole grains.

4-6 servings

Any Vegetable Curry
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup bouillon
1 tablespoon curry powder
pinch cayenne, to taste
6-8 cups vegetables (choose at least two and as many as you like, such as potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.), cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can chick peas, undrained
1 cup yogurt
Cooked brown rice, barley or other whole grains of your choice
Lime wedges
Bottled mango chutney

Cook onions, green pepper and spices in the bouillon to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the longer-cooking vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc.), return the pot to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add the shorter-cooking vegetables, raisins and chickpeas and cook 5-10 minutes more, or until all the vegetables are tender. Just before serving, stir in the yogurt. Serve over whole grains, accompanied by the lime wedges and chutney.

6-8 servings

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Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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Tofu History

* Tofu is a soft, cheese-like food, made out of Soya milk that is curdled with a coagulant and usually used to blend with other food types, because it easily absorbs their flavor. Tofu is very popular in the Orient and is started to gain more and more ground in Western diets too.

* The history of Tofu starts in China, over 2000 years ago. The first evidence that the Chinese of those times used Tofu in their diets is a mural incised on a stone slab that shows a kitchen scene where both Tofu and Soya milk appear. This stone slab was proven to be from around 100 A.D. The oldest written reference about Tofu is known to also come from China, at about 1500 A.D., when poet Su Ping wrote a poem dedicated to Tofu, called “Ode to Tofu”.

* The Tofu started to spread amongst Asia with the appearance and development of Buddhism. In Japan, Kento priests who went to China to study Buddhism brought back Tofu recipes home (this happened at around 750 A.D.). It was eaten as part of a vegetarian diet for priests and was often used as an offering at an altar. Tofu gradually became more and more popular among the Japanese nobility and the samurai class, who needed healthy diets in their constant and rigorous training.

* In the Western world, tofu began to be popular in the late fifteen century. The first written reference about Tofu is in the 1603 Spanish dictionary “Vocabularion da lingoa de lapam”. By the time the colonization era was over, Tofu had spread all across the World being a well-known element from almost every culture’s diet.

Tofu Health Benefits

* It’s been proven that Tofu has a lot of proteins, almost as many as you would get from the same weight of chicken meat, without the cholesterol and saturated fats. Cholesterol and LDL levels can go down by 30% if you build a diet that constantly has Soya proteins within. This is a very important benefit for those that have cardiovascular problems or those that want to lower their triglyceride levels. Tofu also has all the essential amino acids found in animal proteins. Having a low ration of calories, it’s a very popular dish in weight loss diets and because of its high calcium value, it’s ideal for those who want to strengthen up their body.

* A very important, scientifically proven fact, is that Tofu reduces the chance of your body becoming cancerous. In addition, it also helps women have a softer, less uncomfortable menopause period. The chemical elements of Tofu act as weak estrogens, which help a woman’s body be more balanced during this uncomfortable period. Also, women experience accelerated bone loss during menopause, Tofu reducing this risk with its high calcium value.

* Additional health benefits of Tofu include its high iron value (providing almost 35% of the required daily value), manganese value (providing 36% of the required daily value) and copper value (11% of the standard daily value). These percentages are calculated for 4 ounces of Tofu.

Conclusion

* With Tofu being such a nutritious, protein-rich and delicious foot, it’s no wonder people from all over the world find it an increasingly necessary component of a diet. Being one of the most versatile foods, it can be served with all kinds of meals, ranging from salads and second courses, to desserts or appetizers.

Author: Robert Eaton
Copyright 2005 WikiPublishing.com

Article originally found on: CookbookWiki.com

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