Vegetarian Cooking

I've been asked, since starting this blog, many questions about vegetarian cooking. While eating vegetarian on this diet is more than possible, it can be a little more difficult if you don't stay within the realm of the original diet. Much of the processed food developed for vegetarians on the market, while otherwise healthy, is flavored to have more taste, or even a different taste, than it originally would have due to overprocessing, or even due to its contents. In other words, seaweed is not meant to taste like chicken. MSG, probably in several forms, has been added in processed foods to make it taste that way. Sticking to the original diet, meaning pure vegetables cooked  at home with seasonings added, is much healthier. Visit truthinlabeling.org for a list of MSG aliases that can be found in foods. Are there vegetarian foods on the market that can be eaten? Yes. I know I eat some of them. I would love some vegetarian 1-2-3ers to post what they have found in stores and where they have been able to eat out (to help with variety), since I am a true meat eater. My mission now is to create some vegetarian recipes that taste great. Here is your first one. I have some others that I'm working on, and they will be posted as soon as they are perfected.
Addition 2/29/12: I do realize that many vegetarians don't eat fish, and I'm sorry if I have offended anyone. That was certainly not my intent. I am working on more recipes that will be out soon. There is a website listed below where you can find some great recipes in the meantime. Some may need to be altered a little to fit the diet, but others are great the way they are. I chose one I like and posted it.

Shrimp and Bean Soup

1/2 cup dry black beans

1/2 cup dry light red kidney beans

1/2 cup dry great northern beans

1/2 cup dry pinto beans

2 tblsp olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

2-3 cups vegetable broth recipe (don't use store-bought) Use mine or find a traditional one and make it w/out onions.

4 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp dried parsley or 2 tsp fresh parsley

1 4oz. can green chilies

1 fresh tomato, chopped, if desired

2 cups (1 lb) small-medium peeled, deveined shrimp

Pre-soak beans as directed on package. Drain and rinse. In a dutch oven or large soup pot, saute shallots in olive oil for two minutes. Add garlic and saute for one more minute. Add all remaining ingredients including the beans, except the shrimp. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add shrimp and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until shrimp is opaque and beans are at desired tenderness, about 15 minutes. You may need to add water periodically during cooking.

Tip: Do not use frozen shrimp for this recipe. The fresh shrimp will give it a much better flavor.

Tip: You may use canned beans (unflavored and watch preservatives) instead, if desired. Use one can for every type of bean.

Here is recipe you may like also.
http://www.tarladalal.com/Mexican-Pita-Pockets-3466r

See my new post for Spinach Dumplings on the Migraine.com blog here!
http://migraine.com/blog/cooking-with-migraine/migraine-friendly-recipes-spinach-dumplings/