Engine 2 Vegetarian Lasagna

Vegetable lasagna with sweet potatoes, sanctioned by Engine 2! If you've heard about the Engine 2 Diet and want to try an Engine 2 approved recipe, here's a sample vegetable lasagna recipe to try. This is Rip Esselstyn's "Raise the Roof" sweet potato vegetarian lasagna with plenty of vegetables: mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers and corn. It's so good, he says, that he served it at his own wedding! It's also low in fat and cholesterol-free. Recipe courtesy of The Engine 2 Diet, by Rip Esselstyn. Scroll down for more Engine 2 sample recipes to try.

See also: Engine 2 Diet Before and After Weight Loss Photos

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 package Silken Lite tofu
• ? teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 jars pasta sauce
• 2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 cup raw cashews, ground

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Saute the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Saute the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.

Drain the silken tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble the vegetable lasagna :
Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 - 12 servings of sweet potato lasagna.

Scroll down for more sample Engine 2 Diet recipes to try. Vegetable lasagna recipe reprinted with permission from The Engine 2 Diet, by Rip Esselstyn

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Chocolate Crock Pot Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crock Pot Cake See also: More Vegan Cake Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar + 3/4 cup
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder + 1/4 cup
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cocoa powder and baking powder. Whisk in the soy milk, vegan margarine and vanilla and mix until smooth. Pour into a lightly greased crock pot or slow cooker.

Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine the boiling water and peanut butter and whisk till smooth. Add to the cocoa and sugar mixture and mix until well combined. Pour over the batter in the crock pot.

Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

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Vegan lunchbox cookies

Looking for the perfect lunchbox treat that the kids will actually eat? These vegan cookies are refined-sugar free, and they're inspired by everyone's favorite sandwich: peanut butter and jelly! With just a few simple ingredients, these peanut butter and jelly cookies are quick and easy to make, and they're healthy enough to enjoy regularly alongside a healthy lunch, or as part of an after-school snack. If you try them, leave a comment to let me know what your kids think!

Sugar-free peanut butter and jelly cookies

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Crock Pot Rice Pudding Recipe

Vegan Crock Pot Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp margarine
• dash salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. Stir once every hour, until the desired consistency is reached. Cooking time may vary, depending on your crockpot.

More Vegan Dessert Recipes:
Easy Vegan Apple Pie
Quick Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Vegan Rice Pudding
Old Fashioned Coconut Pudding
Tofu Cheesecake Recipe
Easy Sweet Potato Pie
Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake
Easy Sweet Potato Pie
Quick and Easy Soy Yogurt Pie
Fruit Filled Spring Rolls
Low Fat Baked Pears
Vegan Cake Recipes
Vegan Cookie Recipes

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Easy Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies

Pumpkin cookies - made from cake mix! If you're a fan of quick and easy recipes, then this is low-fat cookie recipe is a keeper. With just a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin, you can have fresh warm cookies to munch on while you carve up those Halloween jack-o-lanterns! The perfect fall treat. Use a vegan cake mix for vegan cookies. Or try this basic recipe for cake mix cookies or try making vegan cake mix cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes vegan spice cake mix
• 1 29 ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are done.

More Vegetarian and Vegan Pumpkin Recipes:

• Easy Pumpkin Soup
• Pumpkin Risotto
• Low Fat Pumpkin Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
• Vegan Pumpkin Custard
• Pumpkin Tofu Cheesecake

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Szechuan Style Chinese Noodles

Szechuan Style Chinese Noodles - an easy vegetarian and vegan Chinese food recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti or Asian noodles
• 4-5 green onions (scallions), sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp chili sauce, Sriracha sauce or hot sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1 cucumber, sliced thin

Preparation:

Cook the pasta or noodles according to the package instructions.

In a large skillet or wok, sautee the green onions and garlic for just a minute or two. Add the remaining ingredients, except the peanuts and cucumber, and whisk together well.

Add the peanuts, cucumber and pasta or noodles, stirring well. Allow to cook just until heated through.

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How to Open a Young Coconut

Scrape out and eat the coconut flesh inside.

Congratulations! You have successfully opened your young coconut the way its done in Thailand! Use a spoon to scrape the soft white flesh out of the shell. Yum! That wasn't so hard, now was it? And that sweet creamy treat is well worth the effort. Enjoy!

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Barbecue Tofu Salad

Inspired by the all-American flavors of barbecue, this is a simple summery side salad recipe with tofu, corn and bell pepper in a barbecue sauce-based dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, well pressed
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preparation:

Combine the tofu, corn, pepper, red onion and cilantro in a large bowl.

In separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour this dressing over the tofu mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve chilled.

More tofu recipes
More vegetarian recipes

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Chickpea salad sandwich

Mashed chickpea salad sandwich is a healthy vegetarian sandwich that is a little similar to a tuna sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce can chickpeas
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (use vegan mayonnaise for a vegan version)
• 2 tsp mustard
• 2 tbsp sweet relish
• 1 rib celery, minced
• dash salt and pepper, to taste
• lettuce greens
• sliced tomato
• sandwich bread (lightly toasted is best)

Preparation:

Mash together the chickpeas, mayonnaise and mustard until chickpeas are mostly smooth but still slightly chunky. Add relish, celery, and a bit of salt and pepper.

Assemble sandwiches with chickpea salad, lettuce and tomato slices on lightly toasted bread.

Makes about three chickpea salad sandwiches or two servings of chickpea salad.

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Help for College Vegetarians

I survived life in the dorms as a vegetarian, and you can too. Of course, this was in those days, we had to walk uphill both ways to get to class, and a veggie burger was unheard of. These days, college kids are more savvy; arming themselves with hot plates and crockpots and of course, everyone's favorite college standby: Ramen noodles. Here's some tips to survive as a vegetarian or vegan in college.

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Cheesy Eggless Quiche

An eggless vegetarian quiche recipe with bell peppers and tomatoes and using metric measurements. Although this quiche is egg-free and vegetarian, it does call for cheddar cheese, so it is not vegan. Recipe courtesy of Ener-G Foods.

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces (57 grams) grated cheddar cheese
• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 50 g diced onion
• 50 g diced bell peppers
• 50 g chopped tomato
• 4 tbsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
• 118 ml (1/2 cup) milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (193 degrees C).

Place cheese over entire bottom of pie crust. Place other fillings (diced onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.) over cheese.

Thoroughly mix Egg Replacer and milk together until smooth (3 to 4 minutes). Pour over filling into pie shell.

Bake for 60 minutes or until pie shell is golden brown.

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Is caviar vegetarian?

Question: Is caviar vegetarian?

Is caviar vegetarian?

Answer: No. Most people know that caviar is a type of fish egg. These eggs are called "roe". So, since most people consider eggs from chickens to be a vegetarian food, why the confusion over caviar?

There is a big difference in the way eggs from chickens are processed versus fish egg caviar. With regular chicken eggs, the chicken lays its egg and the farmer (or rather, an industrialized machine) collects the eggs, and the chicken goes on to lay another egg again soon. Not so with caviar.

Caviar eggs, or roe, are taken from within the body of the fish. That is, while the chicken lays its eggs, caviar fish eggs have not yet been laid. In order to get the eggs, the fish is killed in the process, either as the roe-containing ovaries are extracted, or the fish is caught and then the roe is extracted after the fish dies.

The good news for vegetarian gourmands, however, is that vegetarian caviar substitutes, made from seaweed and algae for that "fishy" taste, are readily available. Kelp Caviar, made in Canada, comes in sturgeon, wasabi and salmon flavors and is available online through KelpCaviar.com. Cavi-Art vegetarian caviar comes in salmon flavor, as well as black, yellow or red lumpfish flavors and is available online through Food Fight Vegan Grocery.

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Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Looking for an easy no-bake cookie recipe with peanut butter and chocolate chips? Look no further! These quick and easy peanut butter no-bake cookies are perfect for when the kids want to help out in the kitchen. To make vegan no-bakes, just be sure to use non-dairy chocolate chips and vegan margarine. Enjoy your cookies!

See also: More easy no-bake cookie recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 2 1/4 cups corn flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation:

Crush the corn flakes in a zip-lock bag.

Combine all the ingredients together.

Roll into balls and chill before serving.

Scroll down for more easy no-bake cookie recipes to try.

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Pizzas for Kids

Everyone loves pizza, especially children. Have your kids make their own!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• uncooked pizza dough or English muffins
• soy or dairy cheese
• pizza sauce
• toppings such as mock pepperoni or sausage slices, olives, mushrooms, and pineapple

Preparation:

I'll leave the amounts up to you on this one, depending on the age and number of your children. Prepare a pizza dough the night before your party or gathering or, buy ready-made uncooked dough. Provide each child with a baseball sized amount. Kids can mold and shape the dough themselves into their own pizza crust. For a simpler alternative, use English Muffin halves as ready-to-go crusts.

You can buy a can of pizza sauce ormake your own. For a healthier version, puree vegetable marinara to use as sauce. Depending on the age of your little guests, you can have kids squeeze pizza sauce onto their pizza from a plastic squeeze bottle or spread on from a bowl. Have kids assemble their own personal pizzas!

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or, if using English muffins, bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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Fat-free Cucumber Dressing

Use fat-free yogurt to make this cool cucumber fat-free salad dressing. Super quick, super easy and super healthy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled
• 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 ice cubes

Preparation:

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

One serving fat-free cucumber dressing provides approximately:
Calories: 13, Calories from Fat: 0
% Daily Value:
Total Fat: 0.0g, 0%
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 15mg, 1%
Protein: 1.1g
Vitamin A 1%, Vitamin C 1%, Calcium 5%, Iron 1%

Looking for more fat-free salad dressing recipes? Here are a few to try:

• Quick and easy fat-free dijon vinaigrette
• Fat-free raspberry vinaigrette dressing
• Fat-free vegan red wine vinaigrette dressing

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Pumpkin Recipes for Autumn

A variety of popular pumpkin recipes to spruce up your Halloween or Thanksgiving meals. These healthy pumpkin recipes will add color, flavor and nutrition to your fall table.

1. Vegetarian Pumpkin Pizza

Pumpkin pizza! Chunks of roasted pumpkin brushed with pesto on top of a creamy white sauce and topped with lots of cheese and crushed cashews. This is a truly gourmet vegetarian pumpkin dish for a fall entree.

2. Breakfast: Pumpkin Scones

These moist gingered pumpkin scones will fill the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. A yummy breakfast for a fall morning. Reviewers have given theseumpkin scones an average of 4 out of 5 stars and have called these scones "heavenly", "fluffy", "lovely" and "just right". I think you'll agree, so try them out!

3. Breakfast or Snack: Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Pumpkin muffins image courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council.

Healthy and high in fiber, these pumpkin and oatmeal muffins are the perfect light breakfast for the morning after an indulgent Thanksgiving feast! Adding a crumbly sunflower seed topping means there's a bit of protein in these muffins too, making them perfect for vegetarians. If you'd like to try an egg-free and dairy-free vesion, here's a vegan pumpkin muffin recipe to try.

4. Soup: Easy Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup

Stock.xchng

Pumpkin soup can be very filling, so you might consider serving it as a main dish. I like to add some sauteed tofu and a bit of fresh crumbled sage to a vegetarian pumpkin soup for some extra flavor and texture. You might also want to try this quick and easy recipe for pumpkin and coconut soup. It's a vegetarian and vegan pumpkin soup recipe using canned pumpkin and coconut milk.
See also: Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

5. Main Dish: Pumpkin Pasta

Savory and aromatic, this vegetarian and vegan pumpkin and sage pasta sauce recipe is naturally lower in fat than other pumpkin pasta sauce recipes, and is perfect for an unusual (and delicious!) main dish for autumn or anytime.

6. Main Dish: Pumpkin Risotto

A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, Thanksgiving, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan, as long as you use a vegan margarine.

7. Main dish or dip: Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Don't throw out those pumpkin seeds! If you need a recipe for pumpkin seeds, why not try turning them into a savory vegan pumpkin seed pesto? If you've got leftover pumpkin seeds from Halloween jack-o-lanterns, this recipe will use them all up. Serve your pumpkin seed pesto on crackers as a dip or toss with pasta for a main dish.

8. Dessert: Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pudding

If you've got 15 minutes, you've got enough time to get this quick and easy pumpkin dessert ready to go. Made from just a few simple ingredients, this is am unusual way to serve up an elegant pumpkin dessert.

9. Dessert: Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie

Enjoy a healthier low-calorie and sugar-free pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving or Halloween dessert. Using a sugar-substitute and fat-free evaporated milk keeps this crustless pumpkin pie low in calories and sugar-free. Or, try this easy and low fat vegan pumpkin pie recipe which uses tofu instead of eggs or a gluten-free pumpkin pie. If you're feeling more adventurous, try this vegan recipe for a chocolate pumpkin pie

.

10. Beverage: Pumpkin Pie Latte

Latte photo courtesy Stock.xchng

I love sipping a hot pumpkin spice latte on a crisp autumn evening, and About.com's resident coffee expert, Sean, shares his recipe for homemade pumpkin pie latte. Sean says this is a very spicy and thick latte recipe, and, unlike other recipes for pumpkin lattes, this recipe actually contains pumpkin, not just spices.

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It's forum round-up time!

As always, the vegetarian discussion forums are full of interesting banter, helpful tips and serious debate. Haven't checked in lately? Here's a summary of what's been going on:

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Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushroom

Combine bok choy and shiitake mushrooms stir-fried in a garlic sesame sauce for a healthy vegetarian vegetable stir-fry recipe. If you like like bok choy or just want to try out a simple bok choy stir-fry recipe, this is a simple one to try.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 bok choy, chopped
• 5-6 scallions (green onions), sliced
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Sautee the garlic and mushooms in soy sauce for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bok choy and scallions, and cook for a few more minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and add vegetable broth and ginger. Simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients and serve hot over rice.

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Raw food breakfast cereal

A homemade raw foods diet breakfast cereal similar to a healthy muesli or granola cereal with fresh fruit and topped with raw nut milk. This is a wonderfully delicious and healthy breakfast idea for those eating a raw and living foods diet.

It's a wonderful recipe, but to make it truly amazing, add the coconut oil - that's the secret ingredient to make this raw granola museli truly praise-worthy.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup raw nuts
• about 10 dates, soaked and pitted
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (optional, but makes it taste really yummy)
• Fresh fruit (mango, berries or banana works well)
• 1 tbsp fresh raw grated coconut (optional)
• Raw nut milk, to taste

Preparation:

Using a food processor, process the nuts and dates and coconut oil together until nuts are almost finely ground. Combine in a bowl with fresh fruit and grated coconut.

Top with nut milk, to taste.

This raw foods muesli is incredibly delicious, so enjoy every mouthwatering bite!

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