The Wisdom of the Gaucho

We're always on the hunt for simple vegetarian and gluten free recipes that we can whip up quickly on a weeknight. With a few extra items to grab on your next run to the supermarket, you can easily make this tasty gluten free and vegetarian black bean taco salad. Here is the ingredient line up: 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 can (or 1 cup frozen) corn, drained and rinsed 1 yellow onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin Salt and pepper to taste 6 cups mixed greens 1 avocado, diced 1 lime, juiced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese or grated cheddar cheese (optional, or substitute soy cheese for a vegan option) Gluten-free tortilla chips , for serving Instructions: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes....

When I lived in San Diego, one of my favorite places to eat in town was Jyoti-Bihanga, a tasty vegetarian/vegan restaurant run by the Sri Chinmoy folks. If you aren't familiar with them, I'll tell you this - they make a fantastic fake meatloaf, they call it Neatloaf. You can imagine how excited I was a few years back when a friend of mine e-mailed me the recipe, so now I can have delicious Neatloaf in the comfort of my own home. The recipe as it stands is vegetarian, you'll need to replace the eggs with an equivalent amount of egg substitute to make it vegan, and switch the ricotta cheese with soy cheese (th e Tofutti "cream cheese" works well) or silken tofu. We also use Mom's Place Onion Soup Mix as is sold as Gluten Free . This recipe makes enough for plenty of leftovers (though I usually double or triple the recipe), and reheating my lunch at work the next day has led many people to inquire about this dish.  I can proudly say that several people...

At our vegetarian and gluten free homestead we're always craving recipes that have a couple of common characteristics, namely that they're simple and novel. My significant other is a vegetarian and has Celiac disease, and is thus forced to eat gluten free. Since I never want food boredom to set in for her, I'm always on the lookout for a new recipe. This particular recipe came partly from a cookbook and partly from kitchen experimentation. This happens to be a fun recipe too since it's for sloppy Joe's, a food that for most people reminds them of childhood days eating sloppy Joe's at home or in the elementary school cafeteria. Please bear in mind though that this recipe should be much better for you than the mystery stuff that was in those sloppy Joe's we all ate as kids. Ingredients you'll need: 1/2 an onion, chopped 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 cup of cooked brown rice 1 cup of cooked beans of your choice (I prefer pinto or navy beans, b...

The motivation for people to become vegetarian can range from ethical/moral (believing it is cruel to subject animals to butchering) to nutritional (simply believing that a vegetarian diet is healthier) to environmental (the higher ecological costs of raising livestock versus grains/vegetables). My spouse has been a vegetarian for fifteen years and got started on a dare, bet by a friend that she couldn't eat meat free for a week. Most individuals, and especially most Americans, consume far too much meat in their diets. The United States government RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for meat consumption is six ounces in one day. Three ounces is approximately the size of a pack of playing cards. So the next time you sit down for that half pound burger or eight ounce steak, realize that you are, in that one meal, consuming more meat in one sitting than the US government recommends you consume in an entire day. Non-vegetarians will often argue that it is impossible to have...