Falafel with Creamy Avacado Sauce

This is one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. The flavor is awesome! And it's loaded with nutrition!


Falafel with Creamy Avocado Sauce

For the Avocado Sauce:
1 large whole ripe avocado, mashed
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 to 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of half a lime

For the Falafel:
1 (15ounce can) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg white
2 teaspoons olive oil
pita bread, cut in halves
chopped lettuce

To make the avocado sauce, combine the avocado, sour cream, red onion, cumin, salt, and lime and stir to completely combine. Keep in the refrigerator while making the falafel. Next add the beans to a bowl and mash. Add cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, onion, cumin, salt, and egg to the beans and stir to incorporate well. Shape the mixture into four or five even round patties about 1 inch thick. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook for about five minutes on each side or until they are a dark golden brown and cooked through. When they are finished, place a patty in each pita half and top with avocado sauce and lettuce. So delicious!

Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

These Stuffed Shells taste so good and are loaded with vegetables!

Ingredients:
1 box large pasta shells
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces white mushrooms
8-12 ounce package baby leaf spinach
16 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 26 ounce can of your favorite spaghetti sauce
16 ounces shredded mozzarella

Cook the shells according to the directions on the box. Saute onions and garlic in the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Wilt in the spinach. Set aside and let cool.
In a big bowl mix ricotta, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add cooled veggie mixture and stir well. Next put a small amount of the spaghetti sauce in a 9x13 dish, just enough to coat the bottom. With a spoon stuff the shells with the veggie mixture. (you will have leftover shells. Just stuff as many as you can). Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the shells, and then sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Vegetarian Chorizo Pizza

This is my favorite vegetarian pizza! My awesome sister Donna gave me this recipe! My husband and I both agreed that you really can't tell that the chorizo is not sausage! So yummy!

Vegetarian Chorizo Pizza

Whole Wheat Pizza dough (I use Trader Joes)
1 cupish medium salsa (I like to use Costco's Kirkland salsa)
1 package tofu chorizo (I use Trader Joes)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup black olives, sliced
1 cupish shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take the chorizo out of the wrapping and heat in a skillet over medium high heat until browned. Roll out your pizza dough to a size that will fit your pizza pan. Spread on the salsa for your sauce. Next add the chorizo, red bell pepper, and olives on top of the salsa. Finally cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let sit for five minutes. Slice and enjoy!

2 Bean Tostadas

This is a delicious and very filling vegetarian meal!

2 Bean Tostadas

1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 corn tortillas
1 (16oz.) can refried beans
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (15oz.) can black beans
3/4 cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 whole jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1 avocado, sliced into small pieces
cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add about 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Spread the refried beans and half of the cheddar cheese on 4 tortillas in equal amounts. Place another tortilla on top. Fry each tortilla sandwich in the hot oil for about 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until nice and golden brown, and then place on a baking sheet.
Top tortillas with the black beans, remaining cheese, corn, red onion, and jalapeno (if desired).
Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
After they come out of the oven top each tostado with the tomato, green onion, avocado, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Spinach Enchiladas

I love these enchiladas! And just as a side note I want to say that I get most of my ingredients at Trader Joes. I find that the quality and nutritional standard their food has far surpasses most other grocery stores!

Spinach Enchiladas
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 10-12 ounce box or bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 can or bottle enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in spinach and cook about 5 minutes more. Take off the heat and mix in ricotta, sour cream, and 1 cup of mozzarella. In a skillet over medium heat warm tortillas one at a time until flexible. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella.
Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Potato Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Corn

We LOVE "mexican" food, so you will probably being seeing a lot of these types of meals. This makes for a great lunch or dinner.

Potato Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Corn

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoons oregano

1/2 teaspoons Paprika

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoons black pepper

4 whole Medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes, Diced

2 ears of fresh corn (or you can use a can of corn)

3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1/2 whole Lime Juice

8 Fajita Sized Tortillas

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered

2 whole Avacados, Diced

Greek yogurt or sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 degress F.

In a medium bowl, mix the diced potatoes with the oil and the seasonings, coating well. Transfer to baking dish or pan and bake for 30 minutes, stirring/flipping halfway through, or until fork tender. Meanwhile if using fresh corn cut from the ears and mix with cilantro and lime. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When potatoes are done, warm tortillas in the microwave or in a dry skillet over medium heat. Once they have warmed build your taco. Layer onto tortilla the seasoned potatoes, corn mixture, tomatoes, avacado, and a small dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream. Makes 8 tacos. Enjoy! :)

Kale and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet Mac

This is a vegetarian meal that I tried recently and really liked. I love Kale, but you could use collard greens or any other kind of greens for this recipe too that you like.

12 ounces small whole wheat pasta (elbow, shells, curled)

1 whole bunch Kale, chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 Tablespoons flour

1/3 cup homemade sun-dried tomato pesto (see recipe below)

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Sun- Dried Tomato Pesto (Giada De Laurentis)

1 8.5 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a food processor, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil with the basil and garlic just until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the parmesan, salt, and pepper. (This makes about 1 1/2 cups so I use part of it for the recipe and store the rest in the fridge to use later.)

After you have made your pesto, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put in some salt, and then add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.

Turn on your oven to broil

In a another large pot or skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes until soft. Add the chopped greens, stir and cook until wilted another 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook and stir another minute. Add pesto, yogurt, feta, cooked pasta, and about 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Stir and cook until everything is well combined and heated through and it begins to thicken.

Place pasta in a casserole dish and sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler for about 5 to 10 minutes, or just until top starts to brown. Remove from the oven and enjoy a tasty and nutritious meal! Makes about 6 servings.