Vegetarian Food: Fun and Easy to cook

I've notice that most of the recipes that I have posted contain meat or poultry, but I have forgotten to include vegetarian recipes.

Today's posting is for my vegetarian readers or people who like to eat vegetables. I found several recipes that you will enjoy.

Cauliflower Purée

• 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and broken into large florets.
• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt

Place cauliflower in a large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Then transfer cauliflower to a food processor; add Parmesan, butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Process until very smooth.

Zucchini ribbons with mint

1. Using a harp-shape vegetable peeler, peel 1 1/2 pounds (4 to 6) small zucchini lengthwise in ribbons. Transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt. Let sit until zucchini releases some of its liquids, about 10 minutes. Pour off accumulated liquid; blot zucchini dry with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and ground pepper. Pour mixture over zuchinni. Add 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves and 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion; toss gently, and serve immediately.

Tomato-cucumber salad with basil dressing

• 3 beefsteak tomatoes, cored, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1 English cucumber, peeled, quartered lenghtwise
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Cut each tomato wedge into four pieces; cut cucumber into 3/4-inch chuncks. In a bowl, whisk vinegar with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, oil, and basil. Add tomatoes and cucumber; toss gently.

Recipes taken from Food Every Day Magazine

Chicken Tostones Recipe

Tostones, also known as "Patacones" in some Latin American countries are a common side dish but they can also be a snack or an appetizer.

Today, I would like to share with you a quick recipe for an appetizer that I tried at Bahama Breeze.

This recipe adds a different twist to the tostones and the combination of flavors is very rich and tasty.

Watch the next video to see how it is made:

To get the recipe, click here.

Healthy Low Calorie Desserts

If you are the kind of person that loves dessert but don't want to feel guilty about eating a lot of calories or if you are trying to lose weight but don't know any recipes that are healthy.

Here are two quick recipes that you can try. The fruit parfait is only 109 calories and the chocolate sandwich 151 calories.

Pineapple-Raspberry Parfaits

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 8-ounce containers (2 cups) nonfat peach yogurt
  
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, (about 1 1/4 cups)
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned pineapple chunks

Preparation

1. Divide and layer yogurt, raspberries and pineapple into 4 glasses.

If you are a chocolate lover you can try the following recipe:

Grilled Dark Chocolate Sandwich

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
  
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
  
• 8 slices thin whole-wheat or white sandwich bread
  
• 3 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts, (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat evaporated milk just until boiling. Add chocolate, let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
   
2. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Divide the chocolate mixture on the unbuttered side of 4 slices, leaving a little border. Press chocolate chips and nuts, if using, into the chocolate. Cover with the remaining slices of bread, buttered-side up, and press lightly.
   
3. Cook the sandwiches in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over, press with a spatula, and cook until nicely browned and the chocolate is barely melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve warm.

Recipes taken by Eating Well

Cooking for Pets?

It may sound crazy to some people but for others it is a pleasure and it is very common. A few animal lovers enjoy cooking and trying on new recipes for their beloved pets.

If you have pets and currently cook for them. According to a story from the The Early Show you should consider the following:

• Don't substitute pet food for regular food.
• Pets cannot eat the same things humans can.
• It is important to have guidance from a veterinarian nutritionist when cooking for pets.
• Cats and dogs are differente, therefore, they need different diets.
  

One website that can help and give you nutritional advice is http://www.petdiets.com

If you cook for your pets remember to be careful and consult with you veterinarian. If you want to read the whole article, click here.

Less Ingredients Equals Quick cooking

When it comes to quick cooking the less ingredients you use the less time you will spend in the kitchen preparing meals.

Searching on the internet, I found several websites that offer a variety of ideas on five-ingredient meals (salt, pepper and oil do not count).

Click on the links below to take a look at the recipes:

• Five-Ingredient Cookbook: Fresh Food Fast
• Quick & Easy Five-Ingredients Recipes
• Five-Ingredient Dinners

You can also check out these videos to see three great recipes:






Next time you want to prepare something remember, less is better.

Put on your apron with Publix Supermarket

Publix Apron's gives customers the option to learn how to cook quick and easy recipes and to be able to find all the necessary ingredients right at the convenience of the store.

Not only do you have the opportunity to get the recipes and see how they are prepared at the store but you can also go online to get them and watch videos.

According to the web site of Publix Supermarket's, this program was created to help customer discover or re-discover the joy of cooking.

Nothing is quiet as gratifying as creating something delightful in the kitchen and gathering with your loved ones to savor it. And that's why we created Publix Apron's.

These are just a few meal ideas:

25 - 30 minutes meals

• Carne Asada with Salsa and Zesty Pinto Beans
• Ham and Cheese Crescent With Vegetable and Dip
• Chicken and Dumplings Soup With Southern Green Beans
• Citrus Chicken Salad and Cheese Crisps

Check out this video clip for more cooking ideas.



Until next time.

Homemade dinner: Simply Bake Breaded Flounder

During the weekend, I went grocery shopping and while checking for food at the frozen aisle, I came across the Breaded Flounder Simply Bake by Treasures from the Sea.

This is only one kind of many varieties of seafood that the company offers. They also have Crab, Catfish, Halibut, Mahi Mahi, Tilapia and many more.

What I like most about the breaded flounder? It is the idea that I did not have to season the fish and I did not need to thaw it before preparing it.

The only thing I had to do was to preheat the oven to 400° and bake the fillets for about 20 minutes.

While waiting for the fish, I made a lettuce, tomatoes, heart of palms and artichoke salad with an oil and vinegar dressing and voila, dinner was ready.

After a long day at work, cooking gets easier if I have things that are ready to cook and do not required a lot of preparation.