Baked Orzo and Vegetables

4 cups hot cooked orzo or rosamarina pasta
3/4 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product or 3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons soft whole wheat or white bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon basil pesto
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 3-quart casserole.
2. Mix all ingredients; spoon into casserole. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This is one of the most requested and favorites! We had a Superbowl Party and everyone got to pick an item that they would like to see on the menu. My son picked this dip. Seems like it is always requested by someone. It is very versatile and can be changed to suit your own taste. You could even use it as a main course.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of refried beans

1/2 envelope taco seasoning

1 6 oz carton avocado dip

1 8 oz container sour cream

1 4 1/2 oz can sliced or chopped black olives

2 large tomatoes diced

8 green scallions chopped or sliced

1 4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 1/2 cup (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the beans and taco seasoning.  Spread evenly in a 12 x 8 x 2 dish. Layer remaining ingredients in order. Serve with large corn or tortilla chips.

I make this up the day before and put it in the refrigerator overnight. One less thing to do on the day of the party or meal!

If you have someone who doesn’t like a certain item, say tomatoes, you could save that for last and just put it on half.

Another idea is to save an item and use it to spell out words for the top. For instance, make sure the the second layer from the top is cheese, and covered well. Then use sliced black items and form letters.

You should also have some extra items available for people to mix in on their plate, such as hot sauce.

Enjoy!

This is one of my favorites. There is nothing quite like fresh potatoes. You may use white or red potatoes in this. I prefer the red. This will yield 6 servings.

Ingredients:

6 large red or white potatoes

1/3 cup vegetable oil (or olive oil if you prefer)

1 t black pepper

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 T chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the potatoes in a shallow roasting pan or oven proof serving dish. Combine all ingredients and pour over potatoes. Mix well to coat. Bake for 1 hour or until fork tender.  Turn occasionally to prevent sticking.

And there you go. A mouth watering side dish or main course!

Here is a nice recipe for the grill. A burger without the burger! Try it.

Grain & Cheese Burger

      Yield: 4 Servings

  1 1/2 c  mushrooms,chopped

    1/2 c  green onions,chopped

      1 T  margarine

    1/2 c  rolled oats,regular

    1/2 c  brown rice,cooked

    2/3 c  shredded cheese,mozzarella

      1    or cheddar

      3 T  walnuts,chopped

      3 T  cottage (or ricotta cheese)

      2 lg eggs

      2 T  parsley,chopped

      1    salt,pepper

      1    buns,mayo, tomato, lettuce

In a 10 to 12 inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat, cook mushrooms and green onions in margarine until vegetables are limp, about 6 minutes. Add oats and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat,let cool slightly, then stir in cooked rice, cheese, walnuts, cottage cheese, eggs, and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. On an oiled 12X15 inch baking sheet shape into 4 patties, each 1/2 inch thick. Grill 3 inches from heat, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes total. Serve on bread with mayo, onion rings, and lettuce.

I am excited about this new web site and the opportunity to share information with you! Feel free to leave comments at any time. If you have a good vegetarian recipe and would like to share it,  just post it in a comment section and I will move it to a post.

I will be giving you lots of information about the benefits of a vegetarian diet lifestyle. Look better and feel better! Sign up for the newsletter to get some extra tips and news of new and exciting products!

And now on with the recipe. I love Portobello’s on the grill. I usually stuff them with spinach, onions, and garlic. But this winter, to save me from standing out in the cold, we decided to try and come up with an inside recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients:

2 T garlic flavored olive oil (or you could just put fresh garlic in)

4 T olive oil

1 small onion (cut into chunks)

2 large portobello mushroom caps (sliced)

freshly grated cheese ( Parmesan or Asiago or both!)

Directions:

Warm the garlic flavored oil and half of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Put the onions and mushrooms in and stir them into the oil. Reduce heat to low. Cook until the onions are dark around the edges the mushrooms are soft.  Do not let them dry up. You may have to add more oil.  Put it in a serving dish and drizzle the remaining olive oil on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with the cheese that you chose. Enjoy!

I hope that you try this and let me know what you think.

Bob