Vegetarian cooking delights

Many people are interested in eating vegetarian, but there's always the concern for getting enough protein. For people trying to lose weight, this is especially important when balancing meals and staying on a healthy eating track.

So I pulled two vegetarian recipes from the L A Lite cookbook that are completely meatless, but have the protein necessary to maintain a healthy diet. If you're not looking to go vegetarian, they're still tasty, low-cal meals that can suit any weight loss plan. Pass them along to friends and family too!

Mediterranean Pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. diced onion
1/3 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1/2 tomato, diced
1 tsp. flour
1/4 cup skim milk
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/3 cup cooked pasta
1 oz. lite feta cheese
4 kalamata olives, halved
nonfat cooking spray

Coat medium skillet with nonfat cooking spray. Saute garlic and onion over medium heat for one minute. Add zucchini and tomato; cook until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle flour into zucchini mixture and mix well.

Stir in milk, oregano, and tomato paste; heat to a simmer.

Toss in pasta. Top with cheese and olives.

Servings: 1



Eggplant Parmigiana

1/2 cup lite tomato sauce
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. dried onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash of dried parsley flakes
dash of lite salt
dash of oregano
freshly ground pepper
1/2 eggplant, sliced
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
4 oz. part-skim, shredded mozzarella cheese
nonfat cooking spray

In small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, diced tomato, water, dried onion, garlic powder, parsley flakes, salt oregano, and pepper. Heat to a simmer and set aside.

Dip eggplant slices into egg, then into bread crumbs.

Coat skillet with nonfat cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Lightly brown each side of eggplant.

Coat casserole dish with nonfat cooking spray. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer in casserole dish. Top with half of tomato sauce, sprinkle with 2 oz. of the cheese. Repeat process with remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Servings: 2



Looking for more ideas? Try the tofu and vegetarian stir-fry, vegetarian pepper quesadillas, and tofu manicotti. All are in the L A Lite Cookbook, which is available at any L A Weight Loss center.