Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

Healthy vegetarian recipes should not be very difficult to create, as vegetables are one of the most important parts of any diet. It must be quite important then that as a vegetarian you thoroughly enjoy vegetables, or that you feel that you can try them at least.

Being a vegetarian is thankfully quite easy in today's food world - with options available wherever you go. However, it's very easy to fall into bad eating habits, consuming plenty of carbohydrates and forgetting to enjoy good whole proteins in your daily eating plan.

Healthy vegetarian recipes should have a good balance of beans, pulses and wholegrains - to ensure a well rounded intake of protein. As well as fermented soy products, like tofu, and dark leafy greens every day. Vegetarian recipes often consist of too much dairy and refined carbohydrates, which can cause health problems.

Here are some great healthy dinner recipes that are suitable for vegetarians:

♥ Mixed vegetable chow mein

1. Place 5 chinese dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, stand for 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, discard stems, chop caps finely.

2. Rinse a 350g pack noodles under cold water; drain. Combine noodles with 1 tsp sesame oil in bowl. Heat wok or large pan, coat with cooking oil spray, add noodles, stir-fry 2 minutes or til heated through, remove.

3. Heat same wok or large pan, coat with cooking oil spray, add 3 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 small fresh red chilli, chopped finely, mushrooms (prepared earlier), 1 medium carrot sliced and 2 sticks celery (sliced). Stir fry until carrot is just tender.

4. Throw in 125g snow peas (sugar snap), 1 small chinese cabbage (shredded) and 425g baby corn (sliced), stir fry so that the cabbage wilts.

5. Place in 2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed with 60ml water, 250ml vegetable stock, 2 tsps soy sauce and 1 tbsp hoi sin sauce. Stir over heat, so that the sauce boils and thickens slightly.

6. Add the prepared noodles and 6 green onions (sliced), stir til heated through.

♥ Spinach and Ricotta crepes

1. Place 250g spinach in medium pan, stir over until wilted. Add 250g ricotta cheese and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, mix well.

2. Sift 75g plain flour into bowl, gradually whisk in 2 beaten eggs, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 180ml milk, whisk until smooth. Cover; stand 30 minutes.

3. Pour 2 to 3 tbsp of batter into heated, greased, heavy-based crepe pan. Cook until lightly browned underneath; turn, brown other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

4. Spoon prepared filling onto half of each crepe, fold into triangles and place in a shallow heatproof dish. Bake, covered, in moderate oven about 15 minutes or until heated through. Top with a pasta sauce.

♥ Roasted Chilli Vegetables with Garlic Sauce

1. Combine 6 unpeeled garlic cloves and the following vegetables with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp hot chilli sauce and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl; mix well. 12 tiny new potatoes, halved; 1 medium red capiscum, quartered; 1 medium yellow capiscum, quartered; 1 medium green capiscum, quartered; 6 small onions, quartered; 3 small zucchini, chopped (aubergines); 8 small yellow squash, halved. Spread the vegetable mix into non-stick baking dishes.

2. Bake uncovered, in moderate oven for 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring twice during cooking.

3. Whilst the vegetables are cooking, blend/process 2 cloves chopped garlic, 125ml sour cream, 1 tbsp milk, basil leaves, 2 tsps hot english mustard and 1 tbsp hot water. Spread the mix over the roasted vegetables.

For more vegetarian and vegetable recipes, see butternut squash recipes and sweet potato recipes.