Tasty Veggy Recipes

Ingredients:
1 lb firm tofu
fresh garlic and onion
1 lb pasta, penne or rotini
4 medium carrots
2 stalks broccoli
1 cup fresh green beans, pepper, or celery
2 – 4 Tbsp olive oil
tomato sauce or pesto
Fresh or dried basil and oregano
add to the marinade as you wish :Fresh ground pepper, dried ginger, cumin, cayenne or black pepper

Method:

• Put a large pot of salted water on to boil
• Slice the tofu in 1/2 X 1″ pieces
• Let tofu sit for a few minutes
• Heat the oil on medium/high in a heavy non stick or well cured cast iron pan
• Optional: add 1 Tbsp minced garlic or half an onion, chopped, to the oil
• Add the tofu, fry 5 minutes each side, turning with a spatula (that’s the fun part)
• Prep the veggies and place in a steamer basket over boiling water
• Cover & steam for 5 – 10 minutes, until just tender
• Add the pasta to the boiling water, bring back to boil, stirring, reduce heat, cover and simmer 7 minutes, or until al dente
• Drain the pasta, add a little olive oil, sauce or pesto if you want, and/or fresh or dried herbs like basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme
• Add the veggies & tofu, and mix gently
• Serve hot sprinkled with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, or fresh basil

Ingredients:
6 med. green peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1  egg, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped onion
1  can tomatoes
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup  bread crumbs or wheat germ
1 1/4 cup  grated Cheddar cheese
Method:

Cut off tops of peppers and remove and discard seeds.
Dice tops, discarding stems, and mix all ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup cheese.
Stuff peppers and place in a round microwave casserole. Put extra filling around peppers.
Peppers should fit tightly. Cover with plastic wrap, piercing 4-5 times for vents. Microwave on High 15 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cover; let stand 2-3 minutes. Then serve.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1.5 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1.5 tablespoon Romano cheese
1 (16-ounce) package very thin spaghetti

Method:
Prepare the basil by rinsing it and tearing off the leaves. Discard the stems.
Chop the garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the basil and salt. Process. Add the olive oil. Process until smooth.
At this point you can put the pesto aside for later use, or freeze it. When ready to serve, mix the butter or margarine into the pesto with a fork and blend well. Blend in the cheeses. Set aside.
Make the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain.
Mix the pesto into the pasta.

Ingredients:
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
4 large carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
2 parsnips, peeled, cut into chunks
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
2 sweet potatoes or 1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into chunks
1 sweet red pepper, in chunks
1 medium onion, in chunks
2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 to 2 sprigs fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 sprigs fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 sprigs fresh dill or marjoram or thyme leaves, whatever your preference
Water to cover
Salt, pepper, cayenne, etc. to taste

Method:
Put all ingredients in a pot. Heat to boiling, boil until tender.
Remove in batches to food processor, using SOME liquid in each batch. Process until smooth.
If soup seems too thick, add more of the cooking water until soup is a consistency you want. Season with salt, etc. to taste. Serve hot or cold