Cheap diet food swaps: meatless, high protein recipes for weight loss

 Hello my friends! We here at GreatFoods4U are all about healthy eating on shoestring, or as economical as possible. Currently, it's Lent in the Catholic church and we are focusing on budget-friendly meatless, vegetarian high protein food swaps to follow our Lenten fast. And value added, these cheap diet foods are great for weight loss. Eating them was part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss drugs or gastric bypass surgery. And one of the complaints I hear, ironically, is how expensive weight loss is. Well, the good news is that weight loss doesn't have to break the bank if you use these cheap diet food swaps. 

Split peas or canned peas. You don't have to buy the costly pea protein powder. Just use these cheap diet food swaps. Just blend a cheap bag of split peas in a food processor and swap these for pea protein powder. Or make meatless, vegetarian split pea soup with carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Or, drain, rinse and eat canned peas. You get up to 15 grams per serving in split pea soup. 

Dried beans. Soybeans or edamame are the highest protein beans with 30 grams per serving. Other beans for high protein diet food swaps are lentils, cannellini, black beans, garbanzo or chickpeas. You can grind these and use for gluten-free breadless flour food swaps. You can mash and fry canned beans as pancakes. Or  make homemade gluten-free falafel with besan (chickpea flour). All of these diet food swaps are super cheap. Eating this way is how I lost 100 pounds. 

Pumpkin seeds or pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). 1/4 cup serving give 7-9 grams of protein. You can find cheap pepitas for under $2 at Aldi. So that's about $.30 a serving for these cheap meatless, high protein food swaps. You can make these into any of your favorite vegetarian dishes such. 

Nut Roast. (or Nut Loaf). Mill gluten-free dried beans or peas. Grind up leftover nuts, any kind. Then sauté leftover bits of onions, celery, garlic, peppers and mushrooms, seasoned with sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Blend in nuts and milled beans. Add eggs if desired, oil loaf pan and bake as you would meatloaf. These vegetarian food swaps substitute for pot roast or meatloaf and can have up to 30 grams of protein for 500 calories. The beauty of this economical diet food swap is that it's also a leftover use-up recipe. 

Parmesan Reggiano cheese. This superfood is lactose free, high protein, filling, curbs cravings and good for weight loss if eaten in moderation. One ounce gives 10 grams of protein. This isn't as cheap a diet food swap but if you buy on sale, a one ounce serving is about $.75. I eat parmesan cheese wedges as a snack and it fills me up. Swapping Parmesan Reggiano cheese for other cheeses is part of how I lost 100 pounds. 

Barilla Protein+ Pasta. So you pay a little more than regular pasta but if you buy on sale, it's under $.30 a serving. You get 10 grams of protein for 190 which is fewer calories and more protein than regular pasta. Plus this cheap meatless diet food swap fills me up and curbs cravings. 

Mushrooms. Believe it or not, these meatless food swaps can have as much protein as meat per calorie. Mushrooms make great vegetarian high protein food swaps in all recipes. I love veggie mushroom burgers with white or baby bella mushrooms, garlic, onions, oatmeal, eggs and Parmesan Reggiano cheese. 

Vegan gluten-free falafel with homemade hummus and other Mediterranean diet recipes for Lent

Hello my friends! We at GreatFood4U are preparing to observe a Lenten fast and part of that involves stocking our pantries and shelves with vegan and vegetarian ingredients so we can make Lenten Kitchen dishes. Check out this article for vegan "mock" food swap recipes for Lent. 

Our Lenten Meal of the Day focuses on gluten-free vegan falafel with homemade hummus. Eating Mediterranean Diet foods like this was part of how I lost 100 pounds. And living a little more minimally, eating a little simpler more sustainable so others might simply live--wins for all of us. And with that in mind, remember, our recipes are endlessly adaptable to what you have on hand, personal preferences, etc. We are all about leftover use-up recipes too, That's part of living sustainably which is part of the Catholic Lenten discipline of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Vegan falafel platter with homemade hummus

I'm going make this Lenten Meal of the Day into a platter with all kinds of yummy, high protein, Mediterranean diet favorites. You can choose whichever of these you like or have on hand. 

Gluten-free vegan falafel ingredients

1 and 1/2 to 2 cups mashed chickpeas (I'll be honest, I use canned and drained garbanzo beans because I usually have those on hand but dried chickpeas are better. Just soak them first overnight, rinse, drain and blend in food processor or blender. I'm using my blender more lately. 

fresh cilantro, parsley and/or oregano one cup each minced very fine or shredded. I use the same scallion shredder I use for my homemade sushi. Or one of those herb wheels would work too. But to save time, just pop it in blender with a few drop of water. Some recipes say to remove stems but I just mince it all up. Stems are soft enough and contain a lot of the flavor. 

1 garlic bulb (or minced equivalent. If you're like me, and don't have time or patience to hand mince, jarred is just fine.) Use the whole bulb, btw, not just one clove. 

1/2 cup minced onion, preferably red (I'm test-driving that onion holder thingy I just bought. I'll let you know if it was worth it. Though preferred way is for my husband and partner on this blog, to dice. The most important thing is to HAVE A GOOD SHARP KNIFE and sharpen it between uses. Religiously, no pun intended).

1 T besam (gram or chickpea flour) this is a gluten-free binder.

1 T. sesame seeds (toasted preferred by me but your choice)

2 tsp. ground cumin (this is one ingredient you cannot omit. If you don't have any, let me know and I'll send you some!)

1 tsp. smoked paprika (I go back and forth on the smoked or not. There's just something so addictive about that rich campfire-y aroma I can't resist. But be careful if you use it or it will overpower every other flavor. )

Za'atar--buy premade or just mix sesame seeds, thyme, SUMAC (another of my Mediterranean diet heartthrobs) and salt. I add marjoram oregano and cumin. 

1 tsp. baking soda (for poofiness, lol)

1 tsp. celery salt (or regular salt with dried minced celery leaves)

multicolored pepper to taste (this is another one that can hijack the entire dish). 

cayenne pepper if desired

water and lemon juice mixed equal parts to make 5 tsp. Add slowly till ingredients are firm but not too sticky. If sticky, roll in sauteing olive oil (not extra virgin as that has too low a smoke point). 

Sauteing olive oil (aka light for grilling) or avocado oil. If too expensive, vegetable or peanut oil is fine. 

Roll into small balls, one inch in diameter and than flatten slightly. Drop into heated oil (about half  inch in cast iron pan) Use a falafel scoop if you have one. Fry till fluffy and crispy. Serve immediately. 

Homemade gluten-free vegan cumin hummus. Please, don't use store bought hummus unless you've bought it from a shop in the Middle East. Grocery store hummus is the reason people hate hummus. It is seriously so easy and cheap to make. Filling up on good fat, calorie forward foods like this is how I lost 100 pounds. 

Drain one can chickpeas into blender or food processor (yeah, I know, dried and soaked are better but everyone loves my hummus with canned beans, so I'll take that shortcut.) Reserve juice and add a little back into blender. Add in about 1/4 cup lemon juice and blend till down to small chunks. Add in tahini about half cup. If you like that nutty taste and we do, you can add more but it's pretty rich and  oily so don't let it take over the hummus. Next add 1 T minced garlic, 1 tsp cumin and celery salt and blend till creamy. Some recipes call for olive oil but we find it tastes greasy. And it's not necessary with the tahini which is already quite oily. Add in more reserved chickpea juice if dry. Taste occasionally and add more salt or cumin till you hit the taste you like.

Honestly,  I've never seen too many hummus recipes with cumin. But mine never quite hit it for me, till I, on a whim, tossed in some cumin and BOOM! Houston, we have liftoff! 

Serve with toum garlic dip. Sooooooo delicious. I tried making my own but was pretty annoyed with the poor result. Now I just let Mama Toom make it for me. 

Pickled turnips And you'll need to cut the salty richness with some rainbow veggie goodness. So I recommend slice baby cucumbers, red, yellow and orange pepper strips, fresh cilantro leaves and pickled turnips. Peel and matchstick turnips and beets. Brine in fine Himalayan pink salt and set aside to dehydrate. Add celery sticks and sliced jalapeno. Cover with vinegar and soak till veggies turn pinkish purple. Some recipes call for draining out salt water. I don't. They need salt anyway and waste not want not. 

Palestinian tomato cucumber or Jerusalem salad. I've seen this called harath salad too. Dice Persian (baby) cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions and or/red onions and red bell pepper. Chop Italian or flat leaf parsley. Add EVOO (extra virgin olive oil--the kind for salads and marinades) and fresh squeezed lemon. Season with sumac and mint if desired (not a fan, me). I'd substitute dill. 

Salatet Malfouf This simple dish elevates purple cabbage into ambrosia. It's just shredded purple cabbage dressed in EVOO, lemon juice and dried mint. I'd add celery seed to mine cuz, that's me. You can literally binge on foods like this without guilt. 

Serve with feta cheese if not eating vegan. Oh, bonus added all these recipes are kosher. Eating vegan foods like these was part of how I lost 100 pounds. Here are some more diet food swap recipes that feel decadent but aren't. 

(photo courtesy of yummyporky - https://www.flickr.com/photos/yummy-porky/3835239904/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9840096) Forgot to take picture of mine. 

 

Low-cal Labor Day picnic recipes, light BBQ grill entrees, meatless menu pleasers for weight loss, special diets

Labor Day is the last official picnic day of summer. With everyone on some special diet--vegan, vegetarian, kosher, weight loss, lactose intolerant, gluten-free, diabetic, halal--it's difficult to plan a picnic buffet that suits everyone. Throw some picky, fussy eaters (a.k.a. kids) into the party crowd and the harried Labor Day hosts are at their collective wits' end to know what to feed the hungry multitudes. Here are low-cal Labor Day picnic recipes, light grill entrees, menu pleasers that dieters and everyone else will love!

Whip up the Ultimate Labor Day Salad Bar Buffet. Make your own restaurant-style salad bar and hot buffet. If you do the whole thing, it may get expensive, so trim corners as you need to. Or have guests each bring 3-4 salad toppings. Create an outdoor refrigerated salad bar by laying a clean bath or beach towel on the buffet or picnic table. Cover towel with a layer of ice cubes. Place another clean towel over ice. Replace ice as it melts.

Next make a huge bowl of greens. Get a package of six romaine lettuce heads. Tear up lettuce, rinse with warm water and drain or spin to dry. Place lettuce in zippered plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator until serving. This makes lettuce extra crisp. Or use pre-cut bagged salad like Dole Classic Romaine, with Romaine lettuce, matchstick carrots and purple cabbage. If you serve field greens, remember these lettuces are much more delicate and must be used immediately. Serve in a large stainless steel mixing bowl or salad bowl.

Here are salad toppings guests can pick and choose from to fit any special diet. Arrange salad toppings in individual bowls with forks, spoons or mini tongs for sanitary self- service. Set out diced cucumbers (leave skin on),sliced mushrooms (white or Baby Bella), chopped celery, chopped sweet onions, chopped green, red, yellow and orange peppers, baby spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, broccoli, onion, or spicy), chopped broccoli and cauliflower or broccoli slaw mix, shredded carrots, chopped tomatoes, shredded beets, shredded purple cabbage, pea pods and avocado slices.

Make a relish tray of assorted olives: Spanish (green),black, pitted Greek olives, capers, sports peppers, banana peppers, hot pepper rings, sweet pickles, dill pickles and canned beets. Set out fruit
toppings: raisins, dried cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits. Set out nachos, croutons, chow mien noodles, sliced almonds, mixed nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Set out garbanzo beans, cottage cheese, shredded Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese grater, cubed feta cheese (for Greek salad) and diced hard-boiled eggs, salad shrimp, flake crab meat, sliced pepperoni and anchovies. To season salad, set out fresh chopped herbs (dill, rosemary, oregano, sage, basil), pepper grater and Himalayan pink salt grater.

For hot buffet items, place in three-sided warmer. Grill chuck steak, ham slice, salmon and chicken breast and cube each. Grill bacon and crumble. Make taco meat. Warm nacho dip in a crock pot. A good salad bar should include these dressings: vinegar and olive oil in separate cruets, a lite or low calorie salad dressing (spray-on salad dressing like Raspberry vinaigrette is good), ranch (Hidden Valley is best), French (Russian, Western, sweet and sour) Thousand Island and bleu cheese (Marie's) and Caesar. Serve with french bread. Guests can make their own taco, Caesar, Greek, Salad Nicoise, Antipasto, Cobb or other specialty salads.

Pumpkin Spice Recipes and Pumpkin Themed Kids Lunches, Treats, Snacks

Boy, pumpkin and pumpkin spice sure is a shtick for fall foods--everything from IHOP pancakes to coffee creamer, Oreos to beer. So I thought, why not tap into that beta-carotene goodness for my +Week-of-school-snacks and +Five-day-school-lunch-menu series? Here are healthy kids lunch and snack recipes featuring pumpkin. But no pumpkin beer, promise :)

Use fresh pumpkin (be sure to get pie pumpkin, not a jack-o-lantern) or take my lazy way out and use canned--not pie filling. Or substitute yams, sweet potatoes or squash. Involve toddlers and preschooler in preparations.   You can vegan-ize any of these recipes that call for dairy and eggs but swapping tofu, TVP or almond milk. These recipes are kosher, halal and diet-friendly, too! Click to read more. 

Pumpkin Soup/Pasta Sauce: Perfect power packed nutrition for chilly fall days. In a large, deep skillet melt two sticks of butter or ghee (olive oil if you are a vegan). saute one medium chopped onion, one small stalk of cleaned, pared and sliced celery, five chopped sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of ground sage) and one half teaspoon cracked pepper. Pour contents of saute pan in soup pot. Add one 29 oz. can of pumpkin and a carton of Progresso chicken broth (vegans and vegetarians, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth). Fill the pumpkin can with milk (vegans, use water) and add that to the pot. Simmer until blended and heated through. Just before serving, add chopped cucumbers and butter croutons. Send a jar to an elderly neighbor, a family with a new baby or a sick friend.

Pumpkin Upside-Down Custard: In a large bowl, blend 1 29oz. can of pumpkin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one half teaspoon of nutmeg and ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cloves, one teaspoon of salt, four large eggs, one cup of packed brown sugar, one tablespoon of flour Refill pumpkin can with milk and add to ingredients. Blend until smooth and fold in one cup of peeled, chopped apples (optional). Placed in 9x13 glass baking dish coated with non-stick pan spray. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes until set. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

For topping: blend 1 cup finely chopped pecans with 1 stick melted butter and one quarter cup brown sugar. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over surface and bake for five to ten minutes to set. Vegans can replace eggs and milk with two packages of silken soft tofu also.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Custard:</b></i> Using the same ingredients as above, cut milk down to 10 oz and add two 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese. You will need to use blender or electric mixer to blend. Using two cartons of whipped cream cheese will be easier to blend also.

Healthy Easter Snacks, Bunny-Themed Treats Recipes

Holidays involve way too much candy and too many sweets. But what's an Easter basket without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and candy eggs? A lot healthier. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. 

Easter Fruit basket. Who says the Easter bunny must deliver candy? Why not fill it with juicy red strawberries, plump blueberries and blueberries, succulent green grapes, golden mango, yellow bananas, jolly oranges and cheery apples? Toss in a few 70-percent cacao (good for you) dark chocolate Easter candies. But you don't have to with this festive fruit rainbow. Or omit candy and give toys. 

Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon basket. To carve melon into a basket, make two cuts down halfway into melon lengthwise, a about two inches apart. This is the handle. Continue around to meet at the other side of the handle, to carve out  a little under one quarter, on each side. Use a melon baller to remove melon or a knife to cut in chunks. Clean out the rest to form the basket. Mix melon balls or chunks with other melon balls. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, strawberries, mango cubes, blueberries. Or whatever fruit you like in your fruit salad. 

Hunny Bunny Cookies. Skip chocolate Easter bunnies and make healthier bunny cookies. Mix half cup butter or light margarine, half cup of honey or blue agave syrup, two cups whole grain flour, one teaspoon baking soda and half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out and cut like sugar cookies. For bunny shape, cut circle head and two small ovals for ears. Blend peanut butter, nonfat yogurt and honey for frosting. Or blend coconut sugar, yogurt and light butter for white icing. Decorate with raisin eyes, pretzel stick whiskers, raspberry or cherry nose and apple pieces for buck teeth.

Happy Bunny Basket. What would the Easter bunny like in his basket? Veggies! Make a bunny-friendly Easter basket by filling a salad bowl with lettuce and your favorite vegetable toppings: carrots, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and, of course hard-boiled Easter eggs!

Sure it might not substitute for a candy-filled basket, but kids will love eating what the Easter Bunny eats!

Easter Egg-stravaganza. After dying hard-boiled eggs, return them to the fridge to keep fresh. Use in these yummy treats.

--Angel eggs (like deviled eggs only better!) Cut egg in half. Carefully remove yolk. Mash with celery seed, pepper, horseradish mustard, dill pickle relish and light mayonnaise. Refill yolk cavity. Sprinkle on dill and paprika.

--Healthy bunny-wiches: Spread Laughing Cow light cream cheese on slice of rye bread. Tint some cream cheese pink with berry, grape or beet juice. Cut cooked egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolk. Cut semi-circles from base of whites. Fill yolk cavity with pink cream cheese and place on bread for ears. Place cut off bits on bottom for paws (make little slits for toes). Slice yolk. Place olive slice in center of slice for eyes. Use grape tomato for nose, matchstick carrots whiskers and almonds or pumpkin seeds for teeth.

Our kids are very healthy and none has weight problems. They loved these fun Easter candy alternatives as much as sugary treats! 

Healthy Catholic Lenten Fish Recipes, Pescatarian Diet Cooking Tips

I was raised on Lake Michigan and we dined regularly on her bounty: salmon, perch, walleye, catfish, trout, whitefish. Fish in nutritious: high in protein and Omega-3 oil and low-fat. Here are fish recipes to turn you on to this super food. Even fish haters ask for these dishes.

Poached Salmon or Trout: Using fresh or fresh frozen salmon fillets (I like fillets better than the steaks), place them in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray (a good way to reduce fat intake). Pour in enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the fillets with coarse pepper, dill weed, onion powder, minced garlic and salt. Cook them on low until the flesh is light pink instead of bright orange and flakes away from the skin. Serve them with rice and a green vegetable. You can pour a white sauce of mayonnaise and horseradish over them if you wish. I sprinkle mine with toasted almonds or crushed pecans.

Seafood Alfredo: Using frozen cooked shrimp, remove the tails and run under cool water to remove ice. Saute them with a stick of margarine ( I use about 3 tbsp of margarine for every 8 oz of shrimp). Add a pound of rinsed frozen broccoli after about 5 minutes. After another five minutes, add an 8oz pkg. of low fat cream cheese (not fat free), half of an 8oz container of Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, white pepper and a little milk. Stir continually until it becomes creamy. Serve over noodles (linguine, angel hair or seashell pasta). My oldest daughter (the self-proclaimed fish-hater) will do bodily harm to get this dish.

Tuna Salad: The beauty of this dish is its ease and low cost. My daughter craves it. First, set 16 oz of seashell or elbow pasta to boil. Use any variety of tuna, but note: the solid white albacore has the mildest flavor. Finely chop a medium sweet onion (vidala are yummy) and slice four ribs ribs of celery. Drain and rinse the pasta. Combine the tuna, celery, onion and pasta with mayonnaise. Use your preference on the amount of mayo. I go easy on it, about a cup. Season the salad with dill weed, coarse ground pepper and salt to taste. I usually leave the salt for others to add. Refrigerate and serve within two-three days.

Fried Fish in a Flash: Use catfish, whitefish, tilapia, cod or whiting. Frozen is fine. Just thaw and rinse. Don't pat dry. In a bowl, combine (per pound of fish) 1 c. corn meal, 1/2 c. white flour, tsp. baking soda, smoked paprika, dill, lemon juice powder, garlic and onion powder, celery salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper and finely crushed bay leaf. Coat fish with corn meal mix. Melt ghee in cast iron pan. Fry fish on med-high till flesh is white and breaks apart with fork. 

Baked marlin or swordfish: These two ocean fish get our butcher's vote for the fish that tastes and looks the least like fish. Buy them as steak.; they are boneless and very solid. The flesh is dark red in color and resembles beef roast when cooked. They can be a little costly ($5-$7 per pound). Place the rinsed pieces in a baking dish sprayed with cooking oil, skin side down. Cover with enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Slice a stick of margarine or butter into thin pieces and dot the fish and pan. Season with dill. Dill is a tasty salt substitute and cuts the fishy taste. Add pepper and paprika. Bake until fish is darker in color, firm and pulls away from the skin with a fork.

Pan-fried lake perch fillets: These small pan fish when filleted, are about the shape and size of a sandwich cut into a triangles. They are sweet and buttery and melt in your mouth. To prepare, rinse each fillet and pat dry. Prepare two bowls, one with seasoned bread crumbs or finely crushed Ritz crackers. In another beat several eggs until golden. Heat a pan or griddle and melt a stick of butter. Dip the fish in the egg, the crumbs and the sauté in the butter. The flesh will go from translucent light pink to white and pull away from the skin when done. Drain on paper towel salt and pepper them and serve immediately. You won' t be able to get them out fast enough to satisfy your family; they're delicious!

Shrimp Cocktail I serve this as a fun treat and the kids love it! Rinse 12-16 oz of frozen ready-to-eat shrimp until thawed. Hang them over a large wine glass. Fill the wine glass half full of cocktail sauce which you can purchase or make by blending prepared horseradish and ketchup. Hold the shrimp by the tail and dip in the sauce. This treat makes the kids feel very grown-up. They like to pretend my kitchen is a bistro; they come in and order the shrimp cocktail.

Seafood chowder: Using pretty much any fish you like: tilapia, trout, salmon, sole, pollock, whitefish, catfish, sauté a pound in butter or ghee with a half cup each of chopped celery and onions. Cook until fish breaks into chunks and celery and onions are tender. Meanwhile pare, dice and boil 5-6 medium white round potatoes and 5-6 carrots in 2 quarts of water. Season the water with a little thyme, dill, pepper, garlic and celery seed. When vegetables are tender, add a cup of milk and a tbsp of flour. Blend and simmer until stock is thickened (about 5 minutes). Add contents of fish mixture and blend.

These are our favorite fish recipes. They get asked for frequently. I feel very satisfied to know that my family is getting the benefits of fish and seafood. 

How to Make Vegan Veggie Burgers for Lent and Weight Loss

Cookouts are great for anyone who isn't on a vegan diet, fasting from meat,  trying to  lose weight or eating gluten-free. Veggie burgers make great alternative protein sources, but they're pricey. $6 for 9 ounces of veggie burger is pretty steep. How about whipping up some delicious veggie burgers from scratch? They're so good that even the omnivores will be demanding seconds. Here are some optional ingredients. 

Beans: The basis of most veggie burgers is beans. Select vegetarian refried beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, turtle beans (aka black beans) or lentils. If you use dry beans, cook until very tender. Mash the beans into a nice soft paste.

Avocado, Egg or tofu: As with meatloaf, a veggie burger may contain egg to hold the burger together. You can substitute tofu to create a solid burger for your vegan or egg allergic diners. 

Grain: Grain also holds the burger together and provides a complex carbohydrates. Couscous is a quick cooking grain that you can add to your veggie burgers. Cooked brown or basmati rice can be blended into your burger. Oat bran, coconut, or almond flour work well also. My favorite is gram or besam (chickpea flour). All of these but couscous are gluten-free. You can add mashed avocado as a binder, too. 

Nuts and seeds. Make veggie burgers from ground walnuts, almonds, peanuts or pecans. I like to use up mixed nuts in my veggie burgers. Favorite seeds are sesame, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 

Vegetables: What would a veggie burger be without veggies? Choose your favorites. Mine are shredded carrots (vitamin A), green and purple cabbage, Portobello mushrooms, sweet or  Vidalia onions (selenium), broccoli, green (red, yellow, orange) pepper, cilantro, celery, radish (daikon and regular), garlic, watercress, cauliflower, alfalfa and spicy (clover, radish, broccoli) sprouts

 

Salsa. No time to chop or dice? Blend in a good natural salsa like Newman's Own (Artichoke-Lime is my favorite) or Muir Glen.

Spices and seasonings: Bragg's Liquid Amino ( healthy salt substitute), pepper, smoked paprika, ginger, cumin, turmeric, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, dill. 

Sub water for lemon or lime juice and blend all ingredients. Fry in light olive oil or avocado oil. 

 

Here are some regional veggie burger variations:

German: Add a touch of sauerkraut, apple, caraway seed and onion to your veggie burger base.

Mediterranean: add pesto, tomato and mushroom into your burger base.

Southwestern: add salsa, corn, colored peppers, cumin and cilantro to your bean base.

Central African: blend beans with ripe plantain or bananas.

Middle eastern: blend in couscous, chickpeas, tahini, besam, cumin, eggplant and garlic. Serve with homemade hummus. 

Creole: garlic, onion, paprika and Tabasco sauce will make your veggie burger dance.

Polynesian: Add molasses, pineapple, pepper, onion, ginger, lime juice and sugar to your veggie burger.

Thai: Blend in peanut butter, liquid amino or soy sauce, ginger, bok choy, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges and brown sugar.

Shape the mixture into patties. Grill or griddle in a small amount of olive or avocado oil. Think "outside the hamburger" and have some fun with these delicious oh-so-healthy veggie burger options! Eating like this was part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss drugs or surgery. 

Vegan, vegetarian and Pescetarian Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner

I originally wrote this article for Labor Day but these vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian recipes work great for any holiday or celebration with vegetarian diners. Here are meatless grill recipes using your broiler. Use these vegetarian fish recipes for

Lent. The Catholic Church observes a Lenten fast in the dead winter to follow Jesus to the cross and

Easter. For 40 days, Catholic families eat simpler. For some, a Lenten fast means avoiding meat, dairy

and sweets. And it also means a LOT of hungry people if you have a big family. 

So proactive Catholic moms develop an arsenal of meatless, vegetarian Lenten Kitchen recipes. Vegetarian and pescatarian is how most of the world eats, so these meatless grill recipes for Lent a Catholic in solidarity with the poor.

Lenten Kitchen Veggie Bean-y Burgers. Meatless grill recipes must include veggie burgers but they

don't have to be store bought. Save money and make your own recipes for Lent. Donate saved

money to those who always go hungry. This practices the Lenten virtue of almsgiving. Mash any

kind of canned beans (adzuki, garbanzo, white, kidney, lentils) and add a little flaxseed, chia seed and

avocado (for binder, fatty acids and fiber). Chop any of your favorite veggies--peppers, onions, celery,

carrots, squash or yams.

Lenten Kitchen Fish Haters Fish Recipes for Lent. The best fish for meatless grill recipes are marlin,

tuna or swordfish steaks. Season with lemon juice, dill, rosemary, garlic, light olive oil butter and

cracked pepper. These fish recipes will fool picky eaters into thinking they're eating chicken, beef or

pork. If you're eating kosher, you can have blue marlin and tuna but not the swordfish.

Lenten Kitchen Pescetarian Platter. If you like fish, try meatless grill recipes with trout, whitefish or

salmon. These medium-bodied lake fish grill beautifully on a lower flame. Wrap in foil and spray with

cooking spray or olive oil. These delicate saltwater fishes can be served baked or or broiled. Baste

with fresh lime, rosemary, dill and butter sauce. Pan fry delicate lake fish like perch, whitefish, smelt,

blue gill, sunfish and bass. For lovers of breaded fish, use cod, pollock or catfish (avoid tilapia and

swai as they're very fishy tasting). Try Cajun fried fish--wash fish fillets and leave wet. Make breading of corn meal, cracker crumbs, lemon juice powder, red pepper, crushed bay leaves, oregano, file, garlic, dill and onion powder. . Fry in high heat avocado or olive oil on medium. 

Lenten Kitchen Seafood Kebabs. All grill recipes are better on a stick! Baste fish chunks, crab, shrimp

or scallops or with olive oil or melted butter. Season with Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, pepper

and paprika. Add mushrooms, green or orange pepper chunks and grape tomatoes to kebabs. Spray

with cooking oil. Good luck getting at any of these recipes for Lent. You'll have to fight the hungry

mob off with a skewer!

Lenten Kitchen Quesadillas. Make seafood kebabs as you did above, but season with cumin and

cilantro. Wrap in toasted corn tortillas and add cheddar and Monterray Jack cheese, chopped onions

and tomatoes and baby spinach. Serve with fresh fruit and non-alcoholic Mojitos (limeade, mint

leaves, sliced limes and crushed ice). Perfect for a winter fiesta. These vegetarian fish recipes will feel

more like feasting than a Lenten fast!

Lenten Kitchen Very Vegetarian Fish Recipes. To grill, wrap fish aluminum foil coated with olive oil.

Add asparagus spears. Or, for a greener wrap, place fish in large grape leaf or romaine lettuce leaf.

You can place the skewers and heavier bodied fish directly on the grill, but watch them carefully.

Keep cooked and raw foods separate on your grill. Don't dribble juices from raw meats or fish onto

cooked foods to avoid contamination. Don't cook on a high flame; fish cooks quickly. Fish is done

when the flesh turns from translucent to opaque and separates or flakes away from bone.

Mincemeat Pie Recipe: Vegan, Vegetarian Alternatives

Mincemeat pie is the quintessential traditional Thanksgiving pie. Mincemeat pie is a love it or hate it dessert. If you love mincemeat like we do, you probably know that it is expensive. Here's an easy recipe for homemade mincemeat pie filling.

  Mincemeat pie is named so, because traditionally mincemeat contains stewed, shredded beef. Mincemeat developed in the middle ages as a way to preserve meats and prevent them from spoiling. Similar to smoking meat, pickling it in a brine, like herring or corned beef or salting it away like salt pork, beef cooked in stewed fruits and spices could be stored for a time also. The cooked fruits formed a sort of brine for the beef. When the mincemeat filling was baked into a pie, the pie was a dinner pie, such as steak and kidney pie or the more modern pot pie. Mincemeat pie was the entree.

  My original recipe called for a pound of stew beef stew meat to be cooked with the fruit and spices. For reasons of taste and for vegetarians and vegan diners, I've omitted the stewed meat from the recipe. If you've a yen for a good old medieval dish, add a pound of stewed beef to your recipe. I have done this in our homeschool when we were studying medieval Europe. But for the rest of us, here's the modified fruit only version.

  Nine cups cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered (Macintosh, Jonathan, Ida Red, Jonamac, Granny Smith apple varieties make the best cooking apple; my personal favorite being the wonderful Macintosh from my home state of Michigan.)

  4 ounces avocado oil or ghee

  2 1/2 cups of sugar (I like Florida Crystals)

  2 1/2 cups of water

  15 ounce package raisins

  1/4 cup molasses

  2 cups dried currants (available near the packaged raisins; Sun-Maid makes packaged currants)

  1/2 cups chopped or diced candied fruits with peels, also known as citron; these are the same candied fruits used in holiday fruitcake (available seasonally in most grocery stores).

  1 teaspoon each shredded orange peel and lemon peel

  1 cup orange juice

  1/2 cup lemon juice

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  1/4 teaspoon mace

  In food processor, grind apples and oil. Place all ingredients, including apple-suet mixture in a large kettle. Cover, simmer for forty-five minutes, stirring frequently. This recipe makes enough for 2 nine inch pies. Use four cups per pie. Bake with a double crust pie. If you are using frozen pie crusts, use two crusts, fill one and use the other on top.

Dairy free Vegan Recipe: Milk-less, Eggless, Sugar-less, Butter-less War Cake (with diet food swaps)

Vegan Cake Recipe: War Cake
During WWII, foods were rationed: eggs, milk, sugar and other items. Vegans do not eat these foods, so what better recipes for vegans than recipes from WWII? Here is my grandmother's famous eggless, sugar-less butter-less milkless "war cake" recipe. I've tweaked the recipe only to remove lard' or shortening from the ingredients list and replaced with olive oil. If you want to make an authentic war cake, use shortening as olive oil  would have been difficult to find and probably boycotted as we were at war with Italy. If you're looking to lose weight or just lighten up your cake, use mashed avocado, applesauce or ground flaxseed to sub for oil and eggs. 

 War Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/ 2 cup corn syrup

1/2 molasses

1 cup cold water

1 cup chopped raisin

2 teaspoons any combination of spices: cinnamon, mace, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves

one half teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

one half cup olive oil (or mashed avocado, mashed banana, applesauce or milled flaxseed)

Bring to boil oil, spices, corn syrup molasses, salt, raisins and water. Boil three minutes. Sift together dry flour, soda, baking powder. Blend wet and dry ingredients. Pour into oiled tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into top of cake comes out clean.