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/

Chat with Dr. Buchholz, USA Today

I can't answer questions as well as Dr. Buchholz can, and I know many of you have read, or are at least interested in his book, so I thought I would post this link to a very informative chat that occurred in 2005. He answers questions the way no one else can, so I hope you enjoy. Topics such as medicines, food triggers, "sinus headache" vs. migraine headache, cluster headache and much more are discussed.

http://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/2002-12-23-buchholz.htm

Blueberry Ginger Refresher (Iced Herbal Tea)

Hello everyone. I was asked by the Migraine Research Foundation, through Twitter, to recommend a great-tasting herbal tea to go along with this very interesting February weather we are having. The tweet read: The weather in NY is mild and balmy. Looking to make a great tasting iced herbal tea. Any suggestions? #freakyfebruary Feb 02, 8:19 AM via HootSuite.  Cool! A challenge! An iced herbal tea for weird, warm, cloudy, out-of-place winter weather. Plus, I don't believe I've ever published an iced tea recipe before. As you may know, I am a fan of blueberries because they are very high in vitamins and minerals, not to mention extremely beneficial to the cardiovascular system due to flavanoid content. Since they go along with winter pies, I thought I would incorporate them into my somewhat summery iced tea. I know it's a little out of place, but so is the weather! Ginger is a good source of magnesium, potassium and B6, as well as other minerals, and may help with both nausea and inflammation. Cinnamon, like ginger, is very high in manganese, so it may also help with inflammation. So, Migraine Research Foundation, here is your...

Blueberry Ginger Refresher

2 cinnamon sticks or 2 tblsps ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh ginger root, sliced
4 cups water
2-3 cups fresh blueberries (or thawed, frozen blueberries)
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
ice

In a medium non-metal saucepan, simmer ginger and cinnamon in water for 15 minutes. While simmering, run blueberries in a chopper, blender, strainer, or food processor long enough to release juices. Being careful to save all juice, strain blueberries through a cheesecloth or very fine mesh strainer to remove chunks. Set juice aside. When ready, remove saucepan from heat and remove ginger slices with a slotted spoon, then stir in sugar. Pour over ice in a pitcher, allow ice to cool the liquid, then add blueberry juice and stir. Serve over additional ice or refrigerate for later enjoyment. You may substitute fresh peaches for the blueberries (make a peach puree before straining), if you wish. Sweeten or garnish, if desired.

Chicken Pomegranate Stir-Fry

The pomegranate in this recipe makes the sauce extra tangy sweet and delectable! It's perfect for this time in the season. Pomegranate makes a wonderful alternative to cranberry sauce at the Thanksgiving meal as many of us can't have some of the ingredients in the sauce, not to mention it looks so beautiful. So, don't let the extra pomegranate go to waste! Introduce it to your family if they've never tried it before. Most pomegranates, like pineapples, come with carving instructions. I hope you like it as much as I do, considering it's one of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet. Enjoy!

4-5 chicken tenderloins, cut into bite size pieces
1 shallot
1/2 each yellow, orange, green bell peppers, cut into 1/2 strips
1 fresh broccoli stalk, crown removed, stems cut into pieces
1 shredded carrot
8-10 pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups white rice, steamed or prepared as directed on package
sunflower seeds, if desired

Place chicken pieces in a wok or large sauteeing pan and brown all sides while stirring occasionally over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed or until chicken is no longer pink in the center, approximately 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except rice and sunflower seeds and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes to let juices flavor and soften the vegetables. Top rice with vegetables and sauce. Top with sunflower seeds, if desired, for extra crunch.

Migraine.com

Want more recipes and information? Please see my latest posts on Migraine.com. I'm excited to be their new Guest Expert!

A Different Answer  http://migraine.com/blog/a-different-answer-with-cheesy-recipes/

Cheeseburger Soup  http://migraine.com/blog/migraine-recipes-cheeseburger-soup/

Spicy Quesadillas  http://migraine.com/blog/migraine-recipes-spicy-quesadillas/

Migraine Research Foundation

As much as we know about migraine, there is still so much to learn. We have barely cracked the surface in many respects, and one of the best ways learn more is through research. If you wish to support an outstanding organization, why not choose a non-profit organization with a full medical advisory board - one that funds research dedicated to making our lives easier? 

The debilitating pain of migraine strikes 1 in 10 – including children and a disproportionate number of women – and is one of the world’s most disabling illnesses. Migraine disease affects more Americans than diabetes and asthma combined, yet funding for migraine research lags far behind. There are an estimated 36 million individuals who suffer, and about 14 million suffer chronic migraine, when attacks come nearly daily and are especially severe. That is why the Migraine Research Foundation exists. MRF is the only non-profit whose sole purpose is to fund innovative migraine research. All of our operating costs are covered, so every contribution directly funds research.

Just imagine if every sufferer and everyone affected by migraine made a contribution to research - we could make real progress toward eliminating this scourge that destroys lives and eats up scarce resources. It is time to take destiny into our own hands. If we don’t, who will? The Migraine Research Foundation has funded 24 grants in just 4 years. But there’s so much more to do. By helping research scientists discover the root causes of migraine and determine how to treat them, the Migraine Research Foundation hopes that everyone who suffers from migraine will have an effective treatment that they can count on to allow them to live a healthy, happy, and productive life, and we are determined that one day, we will find a cure. Help make a difference by making a contribution. Every dollar counts, even if it is just one: http://tinyurl.com/69nmmyr

Spicy Quesadillas

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons green olive juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
milk
4 or 5 flour tortillas


In a medium saucepan combine green pepper, jalapeno peppers (for less spice remove the seeds first), garlic and shallots, along with butter and one tablespoon olive oil. Saute' over medium heat until vegetables are tender. While vegetables are heating, saute' chicken pieces, salt, cayenne pepper, green olive juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat just until chicken is completely cooked, but still moist. When vegetables are ready in the saucepan, whisk flour and chicken stock together with a fork, then add to vegetables to make a paste in the pan, stirring with the fork. Add milk slowly, constantly stirring, until mixture in the pan is at a thick queso consistency (keep it very thick so the quesadilla isn't too runny). Add chicken to the mixture. Stir and remove from heat.
Heat a frying pan or griddle to medium-high heat. Fill flour tortillas on one side with the mixture, then fold the other side on top (the flour tortillas will be folded in half over the vegetable mixture). Grill each side of the quesadilla on the griddle. Serve hot.