Vegan Cooking for Carnivores!

Are you curious how others are eating out there? Are you a carnivore with a BIG appetite for veggies? Always wondered what those vegetarians  and vegans are eating? Well nothing wrong with dabbling in a few different food lifestyles!

First lets demystify the difference between the two:
vegetarian noun 1. a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, or fowl.  subsists on  fruits, nuts, grain, etc., but may eat dairy and eggs
vegan noun 2. a person who eats plant products only, no animal products at all.

Now I am not getting on my soap box today to tell you that you can never have a steak again. But as we know red meat is not exactly a friend when it comes to cholesterol, etc. Then of course, there's all that terrible  food fodder in the news about the unsanitary and inhumane conditions that certain farmers are keeping their cows and chickens under. So very sad. But again, does this mean you have to forget all kinds of meat all together? Of course not. But being mindful of where your food sources come from is always important, even your vegetables!  And so, when you can, buy locally, do it!  Hit up that farmers market this weekend and get the fresh stuff!

SO, if you're just tuning in, let me repeat, "I am all about moderation". And so with that, I like to change up our dinner week by always including a meat-free night. You can try it, too! It's a great way to dabble in some wonderful vegetarian and/or vegan recipes, and get a few extra vegetables into your healthy lifestyle. Not to mention the fat content of your food and calories will be sliced in half, and your body is going to be thanking you for it!! So let's begin with something that is super familiar  to all of us, to get you started~ LASAGNA!
First recipe listed is a vegetarian version, followed by a vegan version (no dairy):

SPINACH LASAGNA by All Cooks

• 1 8 ounce package whole wheat lasagne noodles, cooked slightly (al dente)
• 1 9 ounce package frozen raw spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• 3 cups pre-made or store-bought pasta sauce
• 3 cups grated low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs; add cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Put one layer of slightly cooked lasagna noodles flat across the bottom of the baking dish. Add 1/2 the leaf spinach, pressing down lightly and evenly over noodles. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Top this layer of noodles with the cottage cheese mixture; add the remaining spinach. Then add the last of the lasagna noodles laid evenly on top of spinach. Spread pasta sauce evenly over the top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Press down lightly.
Cover baking dish with foil, using foil sprayed with cooking spray and keeping foil off the center of the lasagna. Secure sides tightly over baking dish.
Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes in oven. To lightly brown the top, remove foil for a few minutes at the end of baking time.
Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Servings: Provides 10 servings
Calories/Serving: 373 calories/serving
Nutrition: One serving provides approximately: 373 calories, 33 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 12 g fat (7 g saturated), 110 mg cholesterol, 142 mcg folate, 3 mg iron and 671 mg sodium.

VEGAN SPINACH LASAGNA by the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Easy Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp. water
• 2 24-oz jars of spaghetti sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
• 9 lasagna noodles (regular lasagna noodles, uncooked)
• Soy Parmesan (optional)

Filling:

• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 lb tofu (firm, reduced-fat recommended–not silken!)
• 1 tsp. salt (optional)
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy taste)
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat in the 2 tbsp. water until tender; cover between stirring to keep them from drying out. Remove from heat and add the spaghetti sauce.
2. Place the tofu and thawed spinach in the food processor and process briefly. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the processor and blend until smooth. (You may do this without a food processor by using a potato masher on the tofu.)
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×12-inch pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and leaving a little space in between them. Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (I drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it). Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them. Top with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with soy Parmesan and sliced black olives if you want. The lasagna will cut better if you allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Cooking time (duration): 1 hour 15 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 9

Makes about 9 servings. Nutritional breakdown will change depending on the exact ingredients you use. Using regular (not light) tofu and Barilla Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce (with 70 calories and 2 grams of fat per 1/2 cup) and no optional ingredients, one serving provides 190 calories, 47 calories from fat, 5.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 809.6mg sodium, 269.6mg potassium

Think your ready to try some more? I just came across this fabulous new cookbook called, you guessed it.........VEGAN COOKING FOR CARNIVORES!! My family adores the meals and you will too!  Getting healthy while eating? You bet! Can you think of a better thing to do for yourself? Here's the book if you want to check it out. Super Easy and Fast Recipes! ENJOY!