In a few days I will celebrate my two-month anniversary of being vegetarian. Already I’ve had my ups and downs, but all in all I’m glad I made the decision to go veg.
In the past two months I’ve figured out how to get enough protein into my diet, sneak veggies into meals and even where to shop.
But the end result is the recipes I’ve found which have become the delicious healthy meals I now love. This week I want to share three of my favorite recipes.
I’ll begin with the first meal of the day. Now breakfast is a meal that’s relatively easy for vegetarians. A lot of the breakfast staples are in fact vegetarian. Cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, waffles and French toast — all vegetarian.
But when I stumbled upon this recipe at allrecipes.com (an absolutely great website for sharing and finding recipes) I just had to add it to my collection.
Breakfast Quinoa:
This meal is great when you have a little extra time on your hands in the morning (I know, how often does that actually happen? But still.) It’s a hearty meal that’s perfect for fueling up at the beginning of the day.
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cups quinoa
2 cups berries of choice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
First, combine milk and quinoa in a saucepan. Then bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium/low — cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Lastly, stir in berries and cinnamon.
Cucumber Cheese Sandwich:
I’m a sandwich lover, so when I became vegetarian I set out to make a delicious sandwich without meat. The cucumber cheese sandwich is what I came up with.
4 slices cucumber – cut long way not circle way
4 slices red pepper
Handful bean sprouts
1 tbs. vegetable cream cheese
1 onion roll or bun
Simply arrange the cucumber, red pepper and bean sprouts on the onion roll or bun, then add cream cheese and voila! Note: apply the cream cheese to the same side as the bean spouts, it helps them stick to the sandwich.
Nappa Noodles:
Now, dinner has been my biggest hurdle in vegetarianism. After a day of school or work I, like most, need a hearty meal that leaves me full instead of wanting snacks. This meal is the perfect balance of healthy versus hearty, but still remains incredibly flavorful.
1 package of soba noodles
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 head Napa cabbage
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (thawed)
1 bunch scallion
3 cloves garlic
2 pieces grated ginger
¼ cup Hoisen sauce
3 tbs. soy sauce
Peal and juice from 1 lime
1 tsp. pepper
½ cup mint leaves
20 basil leaves
First boil the pasta. Then warm a skillet and heat oil inside until it begins rippling. Next add cabbage and edamame, then stir-fry for 2 minutes. Lastly, add remaining ingredients, toss and serve.
These are really helpful and tasty recipes, but they’re great for non-vegetarians too. As usual I try to incorporate tips, ideas and now recipes for everyone. Because being vegetarian isn’t for everyone — but leading a healthy lifestyle is something we all need to do.
