Cooking Vegetarian Meals

Have you been wanting to include more vegetarian options into your family meals?  Cooking vegetarian meals is a healthy way to eat, but you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy tasty vegetarian meals.  Even including one vegetarian meal once a week can improve the health of your family's meals.  And the great part is that they don't even have to know that what they are eating does not have any meat.

Here is a recipe that contains no meat at all, but no-one need ever know.  It looks and tastes like the 'meat' version.  Even my son, who seems to be 'allergic' to vegetables eats this dish heartily and even recommends it to his friends.

You will agree that most people love Italian food.  This vegetarian dish is a take-off of Italian cannelloni, but without the meat.  It does not even contain spinach, which most vegetarian pasta dishes contain, to 'put-off' the most vegetable-hating crowd. 

Vegetable Cannelloni

“Meat” Sauce:

1 large can mixed beans

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery

2 medium onions

3 large carrots

Process all above ingredients in food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a large pot.  Add:

¾ jar spaghetti sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup soy sauce

Pepper to taste

Simmer above in covered pot for approximately 45 minutes.

For Cannelloni Filling:

¼ large container of cottage cheese

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

1 large carrot, grated

1 medium onion, grated

¼ cup bread crumbs

1 TBSP. vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. pepper

Parmesan Cheese in shaker

1 pkg. oven-ready cannelloni noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add carrot and onion and sauté until tender.  In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients.  Add hot carrot mixture to bowl gradually (so egg doesn’t cook.)  Stir together thoroughly.

Spread a layer of “meat” mixture on bottom of 13” X 9” lasagne pan.  Using your hands, stuff uncooked cannelloni noodles with cheese mixture.  Place stuffed cannelloni on top of “meat” mixture in pan.  Ladle more “meat” mixture over top of stuffed cannelloni, covering completely.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.  Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Tip:  You can use the same 'meat sauce' to make lasagna!

If you would like more options for vegetarian dishes, try "Eating Vegetarian", available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DY26Q2