Recipes from your travels to have at home - Vegan

Applebee's Spinach Pizza Appetizer

Pita Bread (2 or 3 whole)
1 − 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 med. onion
5 or 6 plum tomatoes
8 oz. pkg fresh mushrooms
3−4 cloves garlic
1 tsp of each of the following spices:
Basil, Parsley, Cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 c. rice milk
4 Tbsp flour

Thaw spinach completely, press out all water. Preheat oven to 425.

Heat milk in saucepan. When hot but not boiling, stir in flour. Stir until sauce begins to thicken, turn heat down. Add nutritional yeast and spinach. Stir constantly until thick and gooey, only about 3−4 min.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and garlic until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spices. Sauté until just done.

Using a very sharp bread knife, split each pita bread so that you have two round flat pieces instead of one thick one. Place each piece of bread on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spread spinach sauce over each. Top with tomato mixture, being careful to avoid the juice.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Watch closely so that the edges of the pita don't burn. Slice as desired.

Recipes from your travels to have at home - Vegetarian

T.G.I. Friday's Sizzling Vegetable Fajitas

Pesto:
8 oz. chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbsp. margarine
Carrots, zucchini and yellow summer squash, cut julienne−style
Broccoli and cauliflower, cut into small florets
Green pepper and mushrooms, thinly sliced
Snow peas, whole
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 flour tortillas, warmed
Lime wedge, for garnish

To make pesto, put cilantro and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With machine on, gradually add olive oil. Season and blend in cheese.

Slice enough onion to equal about 1/2 cup. Sauté with margarine in a small cast−iron skillet over medium−high heat. Cook past translucent stage until browned, about six to eight minutes.

Prepare about 2 cups of vegetables (the combination depends on personal taste). Cook all vegetables except mushrooms in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of pesto over medium to medium−high heat. When almost at al−dente stage, add sliced mushrooms. Continue cooking for about one minute. (The remaining pesto can be refrigerated for future use.)

Place vegetable mixture over sizzling onions, then spoon vegetable−onion mixture into center of warmed tortillas. Top with condiments (guacamole, sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, salsa) to taste, then roll up tortillas.

Recipes from your travels to have at home - Vegetarian

Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro

3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 lbs Plum tomatoes; seeded, diced
1 oz Fresh basil leaves, minced
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 oz Parmesan cheese
12 oz Dry angel hair pasta, cooked
1/4 tsp Pepper

Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until it turns white.

Add tomatoes and pepper and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Tomatoes should not lose their shape. Remove from heat.

Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss pasta gently with tomato mixture, basil and half of Parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, serve immediately.

Recipes from your travels to have at home

El Torito's Black Bean Soup

12 oz. dried black beans
8 c vegetable stock
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Rinse and sort though black beans, discarding any that are shriveled or discolored. Place beans in a large stockpot. Cover beans with water and refrigerate to soak overnight.

Drain beans and return to stockpot. Add stock and heat to boiling.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium−high heat in a large skillet. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add to stockpot along with oregano, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Cover stockpot and reduce heat to simmer for 3 to 4 hours.

Transfer soup to blender or food processor and puree to desired thickness. Just before serving add lime juice and garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipes from your travels to have at home

Cheesecake Factory Bruschetta

1−1/2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
2 Tbsp.diced red onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of ground black pepper
1/2 loaf french baguette or crusty Italian bread, sliced into 5−7 slices
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2−3 sprigs Italian parsley

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil. Add 1/2 Tbsp.
of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate
for at least an hour.

Preheat broiler, slice the bread in 1" slices
diagonally to make 5−7 slices. Combine remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil with the
garlic salt. Brush entire surface of each slice (both sides) with the olive
oil mixture. Broil slices for 1 1/2−2 mins. on each side, until surface
starts to brown.

Arrange bread like spokes of a wheel on plate. Put the
chilled tomato mixture in a pile in the middle of the slices. Garnish with
Italian parsley.

Veggie Stir Fried Rice - quick and tasty! Vegetarian | Vegan

Veggie / Vegan Stir Fried Rice

2 C cooked rice (cooked with ¼ C soy sauce)
2 eggs worth of egg veggie replacer
2 Tbsp green peas
1/2 C smoked tofu, diced small
1 Tbsp green onions, chopped
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cooking oil


1. Heat wok and add 4 Tbsp oil. Pour fake eggs in and stir fry until well scrambled.

2. Put rice in, lower the temperature and stir until well cooked. Add tofu, green peas, green onion and salt to the rice. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed before placing the rice on a platter and serving.

Recipes from your travels to have at home

California Pizza Kitchen Broccoli and Sun−Dried Tomato Fusilli

1 pound dry fusilli pasta
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
About 12 oil−packed sun−dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 quart blanched broccoli florets, drained (bite−size pieces)
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until
al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large non−stick frying pan over high heat.
Add salt and garlic; when the garlic just begins to brown, add
thyme and sun−dried tomatoes. Toss and add broccoli. When broccoli
is heated through, add drained pasta (if pan is not large enough,
combine in a large mixing bowl while ingredients are hot).

Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to all, sprinkling and stirring to mix.
Serve in warm bowls with a fresh dusting of Parmesan cheese.