Vegeterian Tips: When Vegetarian Being a vegetarian is not always easy, especially when dining out at restaurants with your carnivorous friends. Since you can t always eat at vegetarian or vegan restaurants, here are some tips to read, meant to make your dining out experiences that much better.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 good-sized head of lettuce
• 1 tomato
• 1 cucumber
• 1 pepper (any color)
• 1 peach
• 1 apple
• 1 orange
• 1 banana
• 1 kiwi
• 1 pear
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Tear lettuce. Place in bowl(s). Chop fruits & vegetables up. (You may
want to peel the skin off some items.) Place vegetables in bowl(s). Top
with the fruit. Sprinkle salt & pepper for taste. Enjoy!

Serves: 1-2

Preparation time: 10-15 mi

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Yum Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: While everyone else that you are with is chomping down on huge T Bone steaks and French fries, you can turn a side salad and baked potato into your meal, if nothing else is available.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2 bunches of fresh broccoli, washed, drained, and cut in bite size pieces
• 1/2 red onion, chopped in bite size pieces
• small pkg roasted and salted sun flower seeds
• 6-8 baby carrots, sliced
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained, and sliced in half
• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 Tbl vegan sugar
• 2 Tbl vinegar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and let stand several hours in refrigerator. Recipe can be adjusted to one”s taste.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 10 minutes

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Broccoli Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: You have the right to know what is in your food and how it is being prepared. Don t feel bad about being picky or fussy. Make sure to talk to your server and ask them any questions that you may have. If he or she can t answer your questions, ask to speak with the chef or someone who can help you. Some foods may often times have

Vegeterian Tips: Eat a dark green vegetable broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens at least three times a week. These nutritional powerhouses are packed full of vitamins such as calcium and iron. On the run or hate spinach? Try drinking your greens. I recommend Naked Juice s Green Machine its made with fruit juice as well as greens, so it tastes better than others.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 Kilo (2.2 lbs.) Nopales (cactus paddles)
• 1 Onion – halved
• 4 Cups Water
• 2 tablespoon Salt
• 2 Large Tomatoes – chopped
• 1 Large Onion – chopped
• 4 Green Chiles – Serrano or Jalapeño – chopped

Directions:

If the nopales you buy do not already have the thorns removed, do so carefully. I recommend using gloves and a carrot peeler to do this.
Once you have removed all of the thorns, wash and chop the nopales, place them in a pan with the 4 cups of water, halved onion and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes or until tender.
Drain nopales and combine with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt if necessary.
This dish gets better if you let it sit a few hours in the fridge before serving.

Serves: 4 or more

Preparation time: 1 hour

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Nopales Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: Eat the rainbow! Fruits and vegetables all contain different nutrients. A simple way to remember to eat a range of vitamins and minerals is to vary the colors of the vegetables you eat. Of course, greens are always good, but try eating a rainbow of tomatoes, yellow squash and purple cabbage!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• grated lemon peel
• water

Directions:

Wash the head of lettuce and break into bite size pieces. Press the garlic and place in a bowl. Add balsamic and vegan red wine vinegar and mix well. Add three Tbsp of water and the lemon juice. Grate some lemon peel and add to dressing. Mix in with lettuce and serve.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 8 mins

Nutrition Information: The recipe is very low fat, if any. Make sure that you have your breath mint though if you have a date after dinner!

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='No-Fat Caesar Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: If the above fast food tips do not work for a fast food restaurant that you are at, then just get a meatless burger. Ask for a Big Mac or Whopper without the meat that is the bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, and mayonnaise.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup dry raisins (and water)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 soup spoons of soy vegan mayonnaise or plain soy yogourt

Directions:

Take the dry raisins and put in water to make them juicy, about 3 hours.
Mix all of the ingredients together, put in the fridg for 2 hours and
serve like a salad.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 mi

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Broccoli Au Tournesol']

Vegeterian Tips: If you are going to a gathering with all your meat lover friends such as a barbeque or pig roast, bring your own veggie burger to place on the grill. You can also make your own veggie kabobs with fresh vegetables and tofu. Just make sure to bring enough, as most people will want to try and probably like what you are eating!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2/3 cup cold water
• 1 cup falafel mix (from grocery store)
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• olive oil
• lemon juice

Directions:

Mix the falafel mix and water, let stand for 15 minutes. Heat some olive
oil in a frying pan. Take some falafel and water mix in your hand and make
a small patty (the patty should be about half the size of your palm).
Put each patty in the pan and flip the patties when they turn golden brown
on the bottom after all the patties are cooked. Put them in a bowl and
break them up into smaller chunks. Add the tomatoes and onion and lemon
juice to taste. Throw a party!

Serves: 2-4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Falafel Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: If you know you are going to be eating at a certain restaurant on Saturday night, call ahead and ask if they offer any vegetarian entrees. If the answer is no, ask if something can be prepared for your dietary needs. Most likely, the answer will be yes.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2 large firm eggplants
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 ground cumi
• juice of one lemo
• 2 large ripe red tomatoes chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt

Directions:

Roast eggplants in a 400” oven until skin puffs up. Let
cool, and then peel away the skin, and cut the flesh intp
1/2 inch dice. Put all the ingredients except the lemon
juice, and salt into a large skillet, and cook over medium
heat. Stir often until eggplant is soft, and cooked through.
Most of the liquid sould have evaporated. Cool to room
temperature, and season with salt, and lemon juice. Serve.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 30 min

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Moroccan Eggplant Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: It s true ladies and gentleman! Certain fast food restaurants are now offering veggie burgers, as well as salads. While most of the salads may come with chicken or meat, you can ask them to leave it off. Just be careful of the dressings, as most have tons of sugar and calories. You also have baked potatoes, or fruit and yogurt options.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 English cucumber
• 2 tsps fresh chopped ginger
• drizzle sesame oil
• 2tablespoon white vinegar
• 2tablespoon white vegan sugar or substitute

Directions:

1./ Cut the chilled cucumber length wise then into 1/4″
slices and put into glass salad bowl.
2./ Add the chopped ginger
3./ Drizzle the sesame oil over the cucumber and ginger.
4./ In a small bowl or glass, mix the vinegar and vegan sugar.
5./ Add the vinegar/vegan sugar mix to the cucumber/ginger mix
just before serving.

This is a very refreshing Chinese salad and with only 5
ingredients, too easy to make! One of my favourites.

Serves:

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Hot and Sour Cucumber Salad']

Vegeterian Tips: Keep your favorite salad dressings on hand. I find that I m much more likely to eat my greens or some raw veggies when my favorite salad dressings are in the fridge. A little variety is great too I try to keep at least two kinds, either store bought or homemade on hand at all times. Some of my favorites are homemade goddess dressing, Thai peanut sauce from my local Asian grocer and rasberry vinaigrette. A vegan ranch dressing was helpful as well when I was trying to wean myself off dairy.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 cup diced tofu or seitan or a combination of the two
• 4 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa (wild rice may be part of it)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped pecans, or a combination of these
• 3/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water and then drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinega
• 2 tablespoon light soy sauce or Tamari sauce
• 1/4 tablespoon peppe
• lettuce leaves
• paprika
• parsley or cilantro

Directions:

Toss ingredients, chill one hour. Arrange on lettuce leaves
and sprinkle with paprika; garnish with parsley or cilantro.

The beauty of this is that not only can it be made in
advance, but it MUST be made ahead of time.

You can also use seitan instead of, or in addition to tofu.
Use extra firm tofu. I like to marinate mine so it”s
tastier.

This recipe lends itself well to a small amount of ginge
powder or grated fresh ginger. Also, I use 2-3 t. sesame oil
& then add olive oil to make 1/3 c. You can skip the oil
and vinegar & use a soy “mayonnaise.”

Serves: 4

Source: It”s mine, but it will be published in a special
edition of the Visalia Times-Delta.

[tubepress mode='tag', tagValue='Granny''s Award-Winning Tofu-Rice Salad']