Mock Guac(amole)

This recipe is a great option for those times you want to make guacamole but can only find hard, unripened avocados. The puréd peas absorb all the Tex-Mex flavors of the cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce, so most guests won't even guess the main ingredient!

4 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas, and cook 15 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Puré in food processor, then press through medium-meshed sieve with back of ladle to separate skins from puré.

2. Combine pea puré and remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes to develop flavors. Serve with tortilla chips or Mexican dishes.

Vegetarian Times: Peas Recipes

Mango-Pea Salad with Sesame Dressing

Toss this salad with the dressing at the last minute, otherwise the peas will start to turn yellow as the acid in the lime juice "cooks" them.

Mango-Pea Salad
3 cups soybean sprouts
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
2 bunches green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs. black sesame seeds

Sesame Dressing
3 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

1. To make Mango-Pea Salad: Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sprouts and peas, and cook 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain, and chill in ice water to stop cooking and keep peas bright green. Drain again.

2. Toss together sprouts, peas, mangoes, green onions, mint and sesame seeds in large bowl.

3. To make Sesame Dressing: Whisk together lime juice, sesame oil, vegetable oil, ginger, brown sugar and salt in small bowl. Pour over pea mixture, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and serve on bed of lettuce, if desired.

Vegetarian Times: Peas Recipes

Turkish Tomato Soup

Whether you're looking for a creative twist on tomato soup or you need an appetizer to start off a traditional Turkish meal, this recipe is likely to satisfy. This is also a unique way to enjoy fresh domates (tomatoes) on a cool, summer night.

Ingredients
* 6-7 large tomatoes
* 1 white onion
* pinch of nutmeg
* pinch of oregano
* pinch of sugar
* 4 small bunches of parsley (flat leaf preferred)
* 1 bay leaf
* three cups of broth/stock
* butter
* 1 teaspoon flour
* 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
* salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1. Slice the tomatoes and chop the parsley into very small pieces. Combine with the oregano, sugar, nutmeg, 1/2 tablespoon pepper and the bay leaf.

2. Chop the onion into small pieces and saute on medium high heat with butter in a pan until they are brown/yellow. If you find that your butter is burning you may add a bit of oil (canola or olive- not extra virgin olive oil however) to raise the smoke point of the fats.

3. Add all the ingredients of step one to the fried onion.

4. Mix thoroughly and fry for approximately fifteen minutes on half heat, until tomatoes are soft.

5. While you wait for the tomatoes to soften, heat up three cups broth/stock.

6. When the tomato mixture is soft, add the broth and stir well.

7. Put the lid on the pan and cook the mixture of tomatoes and chicken broth for about ten minutes.

8. Take the pan off the heat, discard the bay leaf, and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until there are no chunks of tomato left.

9. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a big pan.

10. Add teaspoon of flour and stir it well to make a roux - this will melt in the soup and thicken it. For optimal results cook the roux until it reaches a medium golden brown color.
* The more you cook a roux, the less thickening power it will have. It will also give it a stronger, almost nutty taste.

11. Slowly pour the soup into the pan with the butter and flour.

12. Add the whipping cream. Last add salt to taste.

13. Heat the soup on the stove and serve.

How to Make Turkish Tomato Soup - from wikiHow

Shells with Ricotta, Basil and Lemon

Serves 6 in 30 minutes or fewer.

Toasted breadcrumbs give this dish an authentic touch.

1 lb. medium-size dried pasta shells or rigatoni
2 tsp. olive oil
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese (15 oz.)
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
16 fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown.

Combine ricotta, lemon juice and zest in warm serving bowl. Fold in basil; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss pasta with ricotta mixture until well coated. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs, and garnish with lemon wedges.

PER SERVING: 394 CAL; 20G PROT; 6.5G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 65G CARB; 27MG CHOL; 437MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 5G SUGARS

Vegetariantimes: 30 Minutes - No-Cook Pasta Sauces

Spaghettini with Walnuts and Parsley Pesto

Serves 6 in 30 minutes or fewer.

Parsley pesto is a light alternative to basil or sun-dried tomato versions. When storing any homemade or prepared pesto in the fridge, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the sauce before closing the lid. The oil seals out the air and keeps the sauce a bright, vibrant green for weeks.

1 lb. spaghettini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced (1 to 1 1/2 Tbs.)
1 medium-size cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Toast walnuts in skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and fragrant, shaking often.

Place parsley, cheese, oil, lemon juice and garlic in bowl of food processor. Pulse several times, or until parsley is finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl.

Add walnuts, cucumber and hot pasta to pesto. Toss to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 471 CAL; 15G PROT; 18G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 63G CARB; 6MG CHOL; 323MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 2G SUGARS

Vegetariantimes: 30 Minutes - No-Cook Pasta Sauces

Fettuccine with Basil-Tomato Sauce

Serves 6, Vegan, in 30 minutes or fewer.

There’s no better way to showcase ripe, juicy summer tomatoes than with this sauce. Seeding the tomatoes takes only a minute or two and makes all the difference. It keeps the sauce sweet—the seeds can be slightly acidic—and prevents it from becoming too watery.

2 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. brown rice syrup
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. thinly sliced basil
1 Tbs. chopped chives
1 Tbs. minced Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
1 lb. fettuccine
Basil sprigs, for garnish

Combine tomatoes, rice syrup, vinegar, basil, chives, parsley and garlic in large serving bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Toss pasta with sauce. Season to taste with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with basil sprigs, and serve.

PER SERVING: 343 CAL; 11G PROT; 1.5G TOTAL FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 69G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 215MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 12G SUGARS

Vegetariantimes: 30 Minutes - No-Cook Pasta Sauces

Farfalle with Feta and Chipotle

Serves 4 in 30 minutes or fewer.

Smoky, creamy, crunchy...this Southwest-inspired sauce has it all. It’s served with farfalle so that the pumpkin seeds and feta crumbles don’t get lost in a pasta tangle.

2 Tbs. pumpkin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 oz. farfalle or other small pasta

Toast pumpkin seeds in small skillet 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, or until browned, shaking often.

Combine garlic, chipotle powder and salt in small bowl. Add cilantro, lime juice, oil and lime zest. Fold in cheese.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Toss hot pasta with sauce in large serving bowl. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, and serve.

PER SERVING: 448 CAL; 12G PROT; 15G TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 64G CARB; 19MG CHOL; 533MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 1G SUGARS

Vegetariantimes: 30 Minutes - No-Cook Pasta Sauces

Strozzapreti with Cheese and Green Peppercorns

Serves 4 in 30 minutes or fewer.

Strozzapreti—which means “priest chokers”—sounds like it was invented by the Mafia, but it’s actually a type of pasta with curved, medium-length strands. If you can’t find strozzapreti, just use penne or fusilli.

1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (about 3 oz.)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. mint leaves, sliced into very thin ribbons
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. brined green peppercorns, drained
1 8.8-oz. pkg. strozzapreti
2 cups grated zucchini
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)

Toast pine nuts in small skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and fragrant, shaking often.

Blend cheese, 1/4 cup mint, oil and peppercorns in food processor until peppercorns are broken up. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, combine zucchini, garlic and mint sauce in large serving bowl.

Toss hot pasta with sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in pine nuts and remaining mint leaves, and serve.

PER SERVING: 409 CAL; 16G PROT; 18.5G TOTAL FAT (4.5G SAT. FAT); 46G CARB; 20MG CHOL; 427MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 4G SUGARS

Vegetariantimes: 30 Minutes - No-Cook Pasta Sauces

Grilled Okra

Ingredients
1 pound fresh okra
1 tablespoon dark (Asian style) sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the grill to high.

2. Trim the tips off the stems of the okra, but do not cut into the pods. Lay 5 pieces of okra side by side in a neat row at the edge of a cutting board. Skewer crosswise with 2 bamboo skewers, one at the top, one at the bottom. Lightly brush the skewered okra with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Grill the okra until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning once with a flat spatula. Serve the okra at once, letting each guest remove the skewers.

This recipe serves: 4 | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 5 minutes

Grilled Okra Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit

Sesame Noodle Salad with Asparagus and Tofu

This vegetarian version of a popular Chinese dish called Bon Bon Chi is amazingly flavorful. Take care not to overcook the vermicelli when it's just tender to the bite, it's ready. If you like your noodles very saucy, use all of the sesame dressing; otherwise, use leftover dressing to spoon over pasta or rice. 6 servings.

Ingredient List
* 1 1/2 Tbs. sesame oil or other mild-flavored oil
* 2 cups well-drained diced firm tofu (13 oz.)
* 2 tsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
* 1 lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
* 6 oz. dried vermicelli
* 1 English cucumber, peeled and julienned
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* Pinch of asafetida (optional)

Directions: Sesame Dressing
1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for vermicelli. Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Stir in asafetida if desired and tofu. Sprinkle with liquid aminos and cook, stirring often, until tofu is golden-brown, about 7 minutes.

2. Add asparagus, sprinkle lightly with salt, cover and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat; set aside.

3. Add vermicelli to boiling water; stir to prevent sticking. Cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain well.

4. Transfer noodles to large bowl; add half the dressing and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss well. Spoon asparagus-tofu mixture on top, sprinkle with cucumber and drizzle with some remaining dressing. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Sesame Noodle Salad with Asparagus and Tofu: Vegetarian Times [Issue: May 1, 2000 p.54 ]