Have any veggie lovers that you need to buy gifts for? Awesome! Being a vegetarian is not what defines of course but being a veggie lover amidst a sea of carnivores does make us different. We have to plan our social outings much more carefully and also hone our cooking skills and repertoire to keep things fresh and interesting in the kitchen. We love new cooking gadgets that make meal preparation faster and new cookbooks are always welcome to. Here are some ideas:

A Sprouting System – If your veggie lover is not sprouting yet, they should be! It can be really pricey to buy sprouts at the store and they are very nourishing component of a traditional veggie based diet. This Sprouting Kit has 3 three sprouting jars with lids and lots of seeds… Alfalfa, Brocolli, Radish, Clover, Lentil, Mung Bean, Buckwheat, and Bean Salad Mix.

Spice Box – Spices are like the right hand of any good vegetarian cook. Ideally spices (and herbs) are bought in bulk or loose from natural/organic grocers but where to store them? This beautiful Indian, stainless steel spice box (above) is perfect! It has seven individual spice containers and a spoon. Another idea? Gift the spice box with a copy of Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking.

A Vegetarian Magazine Subscription – Many people love magazines but unless you go the subscription route you can go broke! Giving the gift of a magazine subscription is practical and enjoyable. Try Vegetarian Times and Vegnews.

Vegetable Cookie Cutters – Cute! This set of Vegetables Dough Cutters are perfect for veggie lovers. Now they can spread the veggie love to their desserts and rock the next vegetarian or vegan potluck with adorable cookies. Set of 12 assorted vegetable shapes, including carrot, celery, tomato, pepper, and asparagus.

A Veggie Inspired Tee – Its not just a lifestyle, it is a statement. Vegetarians usually love apparel that reflects their values so you can’t go wrong with vegetarian themed clothing. Try the Go Veg! Organic Cotton T-Shirt or the Goodie Two Sleeves Vegetarian Dinosaur Hoodie.

A Vegetarian Cookbook – Chances are your veggie lover has lots of cookbooks so your best bet is likely going to be a broad cookbook such as World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World or a specific cuisine such as The Greek Vegetarian.

A Vegetarian Gift Basket – These actually aren’t that hard to find. Your giftee will get products they know they can use and many of them may be ones they have not tried before. Try the Vegetarian Delight Healthy Gift Basket.

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If you are a new vegetarian or a sworn carnivore you may be wondering how those amongst us who choose not to eat meat manage to have a festive Thanksgiving dinner. You are probably picturing these poor souls sitting around nibbling on carrot sticks or eating a large salad wishing that for this one day they could revert to their meat eating days. However the simple truth is that a vegetarian thanksgiving can be a meal that is truly fit for a king! Here are a couple of vegetarian meal plans that are sure to tempt the palate of even the most ardent meat eater.

Meal One: Vegetarian Turkey With All The Trimmings

Many vegetarians like to eat a tofu turkey for a very traditional holiday feast. I personally do not do the faux meat thing but if you cannot go without some kind of “turkey”, this is an option. A better one would be pan glazed tempeh becuas eit is fermented soy. Here is a sample menu for one such dinner.

Appetizer: Stuffed Mushrooms (veggie filling)
Soup: Creamy corn chowder

Main Course With Sides: Orange or cranberry pan glazed tempeh
Vegetarian stuffing
Baked Sweet Potato
Cranberry sauce
Vegetable: Roasted carrots and parsnips
Dessert: Apple Pie

Meal Two: Shepherds Pie With Colorful Sides

While a Shepherds pie may not be considered a traditional Thanksgiving dinner if prepared right this colorful dish is both festive and filling. Add a few delicious sides and you won’t be missing that meat at all.

Appetizer: Cherry tomatoes cored and stuffed with minced onions or pureed raw spinach
Soup: Spicy pumpkin or goulash soup

Main Course With Sides: Shepherd’s pie
Green salad with onions, tomatoes, purple cabbage, choice of salad dressing
Colorful fruit salad (made with apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes and
Mandarin oranges,and covered in orange juice.)
Dessert: Pecan Pie

These are just two sample menus for a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. The truth is that vegetarians enjoy Thanksgiving dinners that run the gambit for incredible pasta meals like vegetarian lasagna, to fantastic rice and vegetable dishes and so much more. A vegetarian Thanksgiving is a cornucopia of succulent vegetables, mouth watering soups, wonderful fruit dishes, and taste tempting desserts.

The flavors of some of the vegetarian dishes are out of this world, and the mix of textures are exciting to the palate. Best of all if you are a beginner vegetarian or simply cooking Thanksgiving dinner and want to impress your vegetarian guests you can find a whole host of delectable recipes scattered across the internet. One thing is sure, with the wide range of tasty vegetarian dishes available you aren’t going to find any vegetarians munching on carrot sticks wishing they were meat eaters this Thanksgiving.

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I am not a big oatmeal fan. In fact I think I can count on one hand how many times a year I eat it. Eating a breakfast that is so heavy on the grains is just not for me. BUT I did decide to spice up some oatmeal this morning and increase the protein content and nutrition. I snagged the recipe from one of my fave magazines, Oxygen, and adapted it.

Baked Pumpkin Ginger Oatmeal

Serves one

1/4 Cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp Cottage Cheese
1 Cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup oats
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup raisins or chopped dates
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Crystal salt or Sea Salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1-2 pieces crystallized ginger, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a mixing bowl and do the same with the dry ingredients, combine and mix well, adding the ginger last. Pour into an oven safe baking dish (I used Pyrex) and bake for 30 minutes. When done, stir well and add your favorite sweetener… honey, maple syrup, Stevia, coconut sugar, etc.

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This oatmeal was very filling and kept me satiated all morning. It was tasty too! For kids I think I would split one of these in half and also scoop it out into bowls so that they would not burn themselves.

Enjoy!

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Quinoa (pronouced keen-wah) is an excellent food choice for vegetarians who want to incorporate nourishing traditional foods in their diet. Many think it is a grain but it is actually the fruit of an herb plant and it is related to spinach. It is also a complete protein, gluten free, and a very healthy choice for those who want to up their protein intake and avoid becoming a “grainarian”. Combining quinoa with pomegranate gives it a unique and flavorful twist and this dish could easily make an appearance at a healthy Thanksgiving or holiday dinner.

Just remember that when cooking with quinoa make sure to rinse the seeds thoroughly in water before cooking so that you rinse away the natural chemcials called saponins. They are mildly toxic and quite bitter so you will want to rinse well or even soak for a few minutes, changing the rinse water at least once.

Pomegranate Quinoa

1 C Quinoa
1 C pomegranate juice
1 C orange juice
1/2 C water
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 C pomegranate seeds
3/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 C feta cheese crumbles
4-5 basil leaves, minced
Salt an pepper to taste

In a saucepan cook quinoa, juices, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is cooked and juices are absorbed (12-15 minutes). Turn heat off and let sit with lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool. When the quinoa is cooled, add remaining ingredients and mix. Serve and enjoy!

Related article: 10 Ways to Cook Quinoa

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Vegetarians do not eat meat but it does not mean that their meals are bland and tasteless. Vegetarian recipes are not only healthy but they are also flavorful. If you try using fresh vegetables in your main courses more often you will realize that a vegetarian meal will make a healthy, delicious difference in your diet. Healthy vegetarian recipes can be found everywhere on the internet.

Vegetarian recipes are often economical. A balanced vegetarian diet provides all the essential nutrients that the human body requires. Because vegetarian meals are often low-calorie, they help keep the weight down naturally. Vegetarians rarely suffer from illnesses linked to fat consumption.

Because of the health benefits of vegetarian recipes, more and more people are becoming vegetarians. People who eat vegetables are less likely to be obese or suffer from heart disease, kidney diseases, or diabetes. Vegetarians have lower blood pressure and fewer incidents of digestive tract disorders.

Getting the Right Amount of Nutrients

Contrary to what many people believe, meat and fish are not the only sources of protein. Healthy vegetarian recipes can also provide all the essential amino acids that the body needs. Rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, bean-vegetable chili with tortillas, and cheese rolled in chopped nuts are just a few vegetarian recipes that provide protein and other nutrients.

Citrus fruits, peppers, melons, cabbage and strawberries are good sources of Vitamin C. Vegetarians take in calcium from soy milk, almonds, artichoke, broccoli, carrots, kale, peanuts, spinach, lima beans and peas.

Getting enough iron can be tough for vegetarians, but there are vegetarian foods that are rich in iron including Swiss chard, lima beans, whole grains, spinach, lentils, blackstrap molasses, quinoa, and tofu. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron and must be included in a vegetarian diet.

A Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipe

Once you’ve tasted this Homemade Black Bean Burger recipe, you’ll never want to eat frozen veggie burgers again.
Ingredients:
• 1 (16 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
1. If grilling, preheat grill. If baking, preheat oven to 375F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a bowl, mash black beans with a fork until pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, garlic and onion. Stir the chopped vegetables into the mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce.
5. Add the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Add the bread crumbs and mix until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture and form into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on a foil and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

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This salsa recipe can be “heated up” by using a variety of hot peppers in place of the jalapenos

Ingredients:

1 lb dry black beans, cooked, drained
3 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP Chili powder
3/4 cup lime juice
2 TBSP salt
4 jalapenos (or other hot peppers) minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite Mexican dishes.

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Emeril’s), divided
7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.

2. Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture, remaining cannellini beans, black beans, and pepper to soup. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, and rosemary.

Source

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Melon Yogurt By FrancescaV

Yogurt is a big seller among families. It is delicious for breakfasts and snacks and kids generally give it their stamp of approval. Moms wanting to make meals a bit healthier may get clever by adding some yogurt to the morning granola or offering fruit and yogurt dipping sauce for a snack. Yogurt has live cultures that help with immunity and good digestion and for centuries it has long been held as a staple of a good, healthy diet.

Nowadays it is quite easy to add yogurt to the menu because it is readily available in stores. It is not even hard to find yogurt made with organic milk. You may find though that good quality yogurt can be pricey if you eat it often. Lucky for us though, yogurt is quite easy to make in your own home. Within 8-12 hours usually, you can be eating fresh yogurt straight from your own kitchen and saving a lot of money in the process.

To get started many opt to purchase a yogurt maker online or at a local cookware store. These units hold 6 pint sized cups that keep the yogurt mixture at a consistent warm temperature so that the live cultures in the yogurt can multiply. You can find them second hand on eBay or Craigslist as well for less than $20. If you do not have access to a yogurt maker you can use any glass container or thermos of your choosing as long as you can keep it consistently warm until the culturing process is finished. Some ovens have a low temperature setting that will work and thermostat controlled dehydrators are yet another option.

To make a new batch of yogurt you will need a yogurt starter. This can come in powdered form or you can simply use a ½ cup of store bought yogurt. After your yogurt is finished remember to reserve some for the next batch.

Begin by heating up 8 cups of milk to 112-114 degrees. Anything hotter than that will kill your live cultures. Stir in your starter and mix well. Pour the mixture evenly into each cup of your maker and let sit for 8 to 12 hours. It is usually easier if you get started with this process early in the morning so that you don’t over process and end up with lumpy lumpy yogurt or something that more closely resembles cheese. After it has reached the desired consistency you can strain the whey out with cheesecloth. If you allow it to strain for a long time you will end up with a very thick, Greek style yogurt. If you desire a creamy, moist yogurt, reduce the straining time or forgo that process altogether. The whey will collect at the top and can be drained or stirred into the yogurt.

Flavored yogurts can be made by adding fresh fruit and you can sweeten it up by adding honey, rapadura, or brown rice syrup. Yogurt is also excellent for smoothies and for incorporating into regular meals like waffles or pancakes.If you have an ice cream maker you can also go a step beyond and make your own frozen yogurt. Once you see how easy it is make you may never want to spend money on store bought yogurt again.

Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker

• Electronic yogurt maker for up to 6 cups of great-tasting homemade yogurt
• Create up to 8 different flavors at a time; use only the freshest ingredients
• Digital LCD display with electric timer; 5- and 10-minute warning beeps; auto shut-off
• Heater base, thermometer stirrer, 8 BPA free jars and lids, unit cover, and user manual with recipes included
• Unit measures 6 by 11-1/2 by 4-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Create all-natural premium yogurt for a fraction of the cost of commercial brands. Yogurt maker has a digital LCD display with electronic timer and warning beep ten minutes and five minutes before automatic shut-off. Includes thermometer and eight unbreakable BPA free jars. Creates up to 6 cups of creamy, nutritious yogurt.

Price: $ 34.00

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Sourdough Bread Before Baking by lior shapira

You are likely familiar with sourdough bread and its deliciously decadent “sour” taste. Bakeries often consider it an artisan or specialty bread and the chemistry required to make sourdough has perhaps lead you to believe that it is too difficult to make at home. Catching and cultivating air born wild yeast does not sound like it would be easy but it is actually quite simple to do. You can cultivate and keep your own sourdough starter for a variety of baking projects and enjoy the taste of gourmet sourdough in the comfort of your own home. It also has added benefits you may not have considered. Sourdough tastes great and it has some health benefits that make it a preferred ingredient for baking.

Sourdough is considered by traditional foods enthusiasts to be a healthier way to consume grains. Traditional diets often include fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi and fermented dairy such as kefir and yogurt. Sourdough is a fermentation process for grains. You may find that grains do not agree with you or someone in your family. Perhaps they are allergic to certain grains or have a gluten intolerance. Or you might even have or know someone with an auto-immune disease linked to grain consumption, like Celiac disease.

Grains are hard to digest, they are oft times nutritionally deficient due to factory processing, they are low in healthy fats, they contain phytic acid that can cause dental decay, and they have antinutrients that can leach nutrients from our food and create allergies and sensitivities. But how can fermenting our grains help with this? The sourdough process breaks down the antinutrients and phytic acid in the grains and renders them much easier to digest. It also enables our bodies to extract the nutritional elements it requires for optimum health. Using sourdough in our baking is not only a healthier way to eat grains it is a tastier way too!

How to Make Your Own Sourdough

Sourdough is made by letting a flour/water mixture sit on a countertop were it will interact with air born wild yeast and ferment or sour. The initial consistency is much like pancake batter and the process usually takes 4-5 days.

You need minimal equipment to make your own sourdough starter, just flour, water, and a canning jar. Mix 1 cup of high quality, whole grain flour with ½ cup lukewarm water. Let it sit for 24 hours. Soon you should start to see signs of life indicated by tiny bubbles. Feed your starter daily by adding a ½ cup of flour and a ¼ cup of lukewarm water. Use a spatula to scrape flour off the sides of the jar periodically. Do this for 4 more days and then you can start to remove some, as needed, for baking. Leave at least a ½ cup in the jar to keep your starter growing. Feed every day or several times a week if you plan to bake often. If you don’t plan on doing any baking you can put your starter jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Your sourdough will ferment quickly when house temperatures are warm and slower if they are cold.

Now that you know how to make your own sourdough enjoy making your own artisan breads as well as sourdough pancakes, waffles, muffins, tortillas, or even pizza.

The e-course below walks through dozens of sourdough recipes all for as low as $10 a month! I highly recommend it:

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Berry Kefir!

Fans of a nourishing or traditional foods diet have no doubt heard many sing the praises of kefir. You have likely seen bottles of kefir at your local health food store as well. It has become increasingly popular in the past few years. What exactly is it though and how do you make it?

Kefir is actually a fermented beverage that you can make at home on your kitchen counter top. The process is made possible by kefir grains, which are actually a gelatinous grouping of bacteria and yeasts. The grains themselves look quite a bit like tiny cauliflower heads but they are living powerhouses that can turn milk, or other beverages into a drink that is deliciously sour and fizzy. The grains can be used many times over to make a continuous supply of kefir drinks.

You may be most familiar with dairy kefir or kefir grains fermented in cow’s milk but kefir drinks can also me made from soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, juice, and water. A smoothie or drinkable yogurt can be made by simply adding fruit and other sweeteners. Try a bottle of flavored kefir at your local store and see just delicious these drinks can be!

How to Make Your Own Dairy Kefir

While store bought kefir is delicious it can also be pricey and making your own at home is pretty easy. You first need to obtain some grains and that can be done online quite easily. Some online stores specialize in live cultures for fermentation and eBay has many kefir sellers as well. After purchasing your grains you will need to 1-2 tablespoons for every two cups of milk to a glass mason jar. You can use any type of milk you want from skim to whole.

Let your jar sit at room temperature on your counter top for 12-24 hours, shaking it up a bit to mix things occasionally. Make sure to keep your jar away from direct sunlight though. The Kefir is done when it starts to taste tangy. If you let it ferment too long, it will get solid like cottage cheese, which many find unfavorable for drinking. Strain the kefir grains over a bowl or jar and place your kefir beverage in the refrigerator. The grains can be placed in a clean jar and the process can be started all over again. If you don’t plan to use them for awhile you can place them in the refrigerator for a week or two as well. They are less active in cold temperatures.

The kefir grains will multiply as you make more and more batches. You can add the excess grains to the strained beverage and blend them to increase the probiotic value of your drink. You can also sell them or donate them to someone who wants to try their own hand at making kefir.

This amazing beverage has important vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and strains of healthy bacteria and beneficial yeasts that help with digestion, immunity, and healing. You may begin to see changes in your energy levels and those with frequent tummy aches or bowel problems may be pleasantly surprised at what kefir can do.

Milk Kefir Grains

• Make a healthy probiotic beverage
• Milk kefir grains can be used repeatedly
• Brew a new batch of water kefir every 18-48 hours
• Can be flavored with fruit or flavor extracts; makes a delicious beverage or smoothies
• Save money over buying kefir in the grocery store–just add milk!

Milk kefir grains (aka dairy kefir) are live active cultures consisting of yeast and bacteria which exist in a symbiotic relationship. Adding the kefir grains to fresh milk yields a probiotic drink within 18 to 48 hours. The kefir grains are reusable and with care, will allow you to make milk kefir over and over again (unlike the powdered kefir starter cultures which have a limited lifespan). Milk kefir grains are a starter culture which can be used with soy or coconut milk too.

Price: $ 4.00

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