HUNGRY and want a fill off anything but spaghetti.

I am not a Vegan but am a vegetarian. I am always looking for EASY few step, few ingredient recipes. Low calorie too. Oh and I'm not too keen on weird stuff. Let me know if you have any ideas.

My problem (one of many): I fill up on Carbs, never feel full and just want to bite into something substantial (that wont make me fat(er))

Thanks!

~Sariah~

Tofu! Tempeh, beans, nuts, bananas, avocados. All very filling and good for you.

Also, pasta can be very filling, just mix in some tofu, cashews, a cup of vegetables, and a tsp of walnut oil. VERY filling, healthy, and delicious.

Here is a single-serving recipe I like and use often:

Ingredients:

*56g dry whole grain pasta
*3 oz baby carrots
*1 small zucchini
*1 slice (2.8 oz) raw extra firm lite tofu
*1/4th oz raw cashews
*1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
*1 tbsp walnut oil
*1 tsp balsamic vinegar
*salt and pepper to taste

Step #1: Take a large pot, pour the pasta in it, fill it up with water, and put it on the stove. Turn the heat on medium. Wait 7 - 12 minutes, take a taste of the pasta. If it is to your liking, turn the heat off. If it isn't, cook it longer.

Step #2: Drain the water from the pasta, and put the pasta onto your plate.

Step #3: Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, fill it up with more water, and add the carrots and zucchini. Let it steam until slightly tender. Then drain the water, chop the veggies up, and put it onto your plate.

Step #4: Get a skillet, pour in one tsp of walnut oil, and toast the cashews on medium heat. Stop toasting when they are brown.

Step #5: Tofu time! Take out an oven-safe dish, put the tofu in it, and add the soy sauce. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees. At the 20 minute mark, flip the tofu over, and then cook it for another 10 - 20 minutes. Keep checking it, because it can burn really easily.

Step #6: Take it out of the oven, cut it up into bite-sized pieces, and put it onto your plate. Add two more tsps of walnut oil for dressing, a tsp of balsamic vinegar, and seasoning to taste.
And there you go!

The total calories for this dish is 500. That sounds high, but it is very reasonable for dinner, especially paired with a yummy, crisp salad of greens and lemon juice.


Hope I helped!

Oh, and if you are that sick of pasta, instead of the pasta in my recipe, use another whole grain. Quinoa..couscous..brown rice, wild rice, etc. All would taste very good.

Red Beans & Rice (the healthy version)
4 one heaping cup servings

1 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups small red beans (cooked and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celerly, minced
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (or season to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth or white wine

In a large non stick skillet, saute the vegetables and seasoning in olive oil until the onions are transparent.  Add the beans and rice and mix well.  Add the broth, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Whenever I feel like I want to eat "alot" of something I make vegetable soup.  Cut up the vegetables in larger chunks and make it in a broth.  I love onions, cabbage, carrots, etc.

Sometimes I also add a little Barley and it is super good.   :)

When I want something "substantial" I like to have pitas or wraps.  Something about that sandwich thing that I love.

For fillings I like portobello mushrooms with roasted red peppers, lettuce/tomato/avocado/black beans/salsa, raw veggies and hummus (onions and olives are great!), or simple baby spinach and tomatoes with vegan cream cheese (sorry, I AM vegan :) )

Veggie burgers, veggie sausage and fake "meat" also tend to be very filling.

Polenta, definitely.  (For those who don't know, it's like solidified cornmeal - really good)  You can mix spices into the polenta itself while it's cooking and then put a sauce over it (tomato/basil sauce or a mushroom gravy is really good).

Risotto.  The creaminess is always really satisfying for me, and it tastes rather chees-y.  Use a tiny bit of olive oil to fry the rice, make it with a veggie broth (regular vegetable or sometimes I use squash or mushroom soup broth), and stick lotsa veggies in there like broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, red peppers, asparagus, onions, etc.

For more stuff try http://www.vegweb.com  I think they have a "quick and easy" section.

Thank you!

Ohhh man, do I love being a vegetarian.

I think you should definitely explore Mexican-style vegetarian food.  Big portions of beans are filling, high in protein, and good for you in lotsa ways.  Also, adding lots of big, fresh flavors (like homemade salsa, corn, and guacamole) lets you cut out the cheeses and sour cream toppings without feeling like you're missing out.  My suggestion?  Make a big, fat burrito stuffed with black beans, a little rice, oven-roasted tofu (marinate it in whatever flavors you like best, or toss it in a sauce after it gets chewy and crispy), tomatoes, corn, cilantro, grilled onions and peppers, and a big blop of guacamole.  Yes, I know guac is high in fat, but it's EXTREMELY good for you (lotsa happy, raw vitamin power), so I think it's worth the calorie indulgence to balance your diet.

Happy eating!!

I havae been making a lot of sandwiches lately. I use soy cheese, tofurky or boca patties for protein. Pretty easy!

Tofurky kilbasa with steamed veggies.

Also, Zatarans Red Beans & Rice or Jumbalaya with a tube of Soyrizo.

Salads, salads, salads...

One of my standbys does have pasta, but it's whole wheat.  The basic formula is whole wheat macaroni, a type of bean, and sauted veggies.  Some good veggie/bean/spice combos are:

Fresh green beans, thinly sliced carrots, diced zucchini with kidney beans and a tomato sauce.

Shredded cabbage, megga amounts of garlic (pressed), sliced onion, diced celery with garbanzo beans and some curry paste

Shiitakes, cabbage, carrots, garlic, onion, kale, and black beans with soy sauce and a touch of toasted sesame oil.

Toss your veggie/bean saute with cooked whole wheat pasta, and you have quite a hefty meal.  Yum!

There is a great cookbook, that unfortunately is out of print, called Lean, Luscious, and Meatless by Bobbie Hinman and Millie Snyder.  Almost every recipe I have tried is totally yummy!  Tonight I made the Tofu Sukiyaki, which was delicious, but was a lot of chopping.  Most of the recipes are fast and easy.  I just found two copies, which I gave to my two daughters for Christmas, on Amazon.  I highly recommend it if you can find copies.  

I just browned a veggie burger and slices of eggplant in a tiny bit of olive oil, then put it in a whole wheat pita pocket with spinach and slices of tomato and red onion...... mmmmmmm and so fast

Try the Boca or Morningstar Farms products. I LOVE MF's sausage products. I won't even eat the real stuff. Also, Boca's burgers are pretty good (don't like MF's). However, I LOVE Boca's chicken patties. I prefer the spicy. I eat one on a piece of toast with low-fat mayo and lettuce and tomato. YUM! (These are not real meat products -- they're soy I believe.)

Vegetarian/Vegan chili is always very filling. I use the Morningstar farms veggie crumbles, diced tomatoes and whatever beans you like (black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans are always good)...Then add as much spice as like, chili pepper/a little salsa/salt & pepper...I've had it hot served with some tortilla chips or sloppy joe style on a whole wheat bun, or cold on top of a big salad

If tofu is something you consider "weird," try freezing it.  You can thaw it out in the microwave right before using it and squeeze out most of the liquid.  Freezing tofu dramatically alters the texture, giving it a dry chewiness that is somewhere between scrambled eggs and bread.  I do this a lot with recipes that call for chicken or pork and it's delicious.  You can also stir-fry it with some garlic and fresh vegetables and serve over pasta or noodles.