Cruisin' with VT: get on board with veg cuisine - vegetarian recipes

Vegetarian Times, June, 2003 by Carla Davis

On a scorching Sunday afternoon in Miami this winter, I got a reality check about the food that's offered on cruises. My friend Rob and I, both novice cruisers and both first-time participants in the CHIP-Shape Wellness cruise co-sponsored by VT, had just boarded the Carnival ship Paradise for a week in the Western Caribbean. Cranky and fatigued from early-morning travel, we needed a solid-food infusion--and fast. Rob's stomach and a convenient carry-with-you-everywhere map of the ship that we found in our stateroom pointed us to the Lido deck and a poolside buffet.

Grinning with look-what-Santa-brought-me glee, Rob queued up to the hot-food line, where the ship's cooks filled his plate with indistinguishable mounds of pasta salads, potatoes and gravy-slathered meat. This made my carnivorous companion a happy camper indeed but left me--a health-conscious vegetarian--hungry still and wondering, what's there for me to eat?

I sat down at our table empty-handed. But then I decided to further explore the Paradise. Eureka! I discovered the 24-hour pizza line. And the made-to-order omelets. And the fruit-and-salad bar that included--to my astonishment--couscous. And the veggie burgers. And the ethnic foods buffets. And the fresh fruit bars. And the gourmet vegetarian and vegan entrees on the dining room dinner menu that were almost too pretty to eat. And then I realized: Hey, I can do this cruise thing.

You can, too.

Forget what you think you know about cruises. You don't have to gain weight (I didn't); you don't have to suspend your fitness routine (Rob hit the gym or track every morning); and you won't be relegated to eating salads and fruit at every meal, no matter what your dietary restrictions.

So here are a few personal pointers on how to stay healthy and vegetarian on a cruise:

Ask questions. You can't cast a sideways glance anywhere on a cruise ship without finding cruise personnel ready and willing to serve you. Take advantage! This is especially convenient in the dining room. The waitstaff assigned to our table of six adults and an infant fielded all our questions about whether the breakfast bananas were ripe, the black bean soup contained beef broth or the baked apple dessert came with cream sauce. A few words about the Paradise menus: Although heavy on meat-based dishes, they include healthful chilled soups, inventive salads and vegetarian entrees with artistic displays of color, texture and taste. Each menu item comes with a detailed description; those marked as Spa Selections contain less fat, sodium, cholesterol and fewer calories than regular menu selections.

Visit the dining room ahead of your assigned seating time to view the menu posted outside the door. Should nothing pique your interest, keep your shorts and T-shirts on, and try the casual buffet located elsewhere on the ship.

Go native. Expand your cultural horizons--and come mealtime, adopt a "when-in-Rome" philosophy in your ports of call. In ours--Belize; Roatan, Honduras; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico--I found memorable vegetarian fare with a foreign accent: in Belize, Creole beans and rice cooked in coconut milk; in Mexico, gazpacho and quesadillas. Even in touristy Grand Cayman, I located a Hard Rock Cafe that I knew served a tasty veggie burger. Go hungry while ashore? Not likely.

Stay busy. No excuses, folks. On any given day, onboard activities can include golf lessons, bridge games, karaoke, trivia contests, aqua volleyball, spinning classes, comedy shows, classical music concerts--and, for the not-so-faint-of-heart, a Hairy Chest Contest.

Shore excursions can make the most of your interests in snorkeling, horseback riding, dolphin encounters, fiver cruises, bicycling, tubing, hiking, shopping or city tours. For less active people, the ship's library, Internet cafe and casino are safe bets for spending fun time out of the sand and sun. I dare you to let boredom lead your diet astray.

Under the best of circumstances, expect that your cruise experience won't be perfect. You'll get too much sun one afternoon, despite your floppy hat and sunscreen; you'll spend more money than you'd budgeted (but it was worth it); the candid photos snapped on shore will show a grimace when you'd hoped for a grin. Say "So what?" and remember why you went on the cruise in the first place--to see new places, meet new friends, eat good food--and, oh yeah, to relax.

Bon voyage!

Artichokes with Quinoa Filling
and Sweet Red Pepper Coulis

SERVES 2

This colorful appetizer salad calls for combining
vegetable flavors and textures in a
wholesome quinoa dish. Use the Sweet
Red Pepper Coulis as both salad dressing
and dipping sauce for the artichoke leaves
after you have eaten the quinoa filling.

Sweet Red Pepper Coulis

3 large red bell peppers
1 large onion, unpeeled
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black
  pepper to taste

Artichokes with Quinoa Filling

2 large artichokes
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tsp. onion powder, or to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 Tbs. minced basil

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. To prepare Sweet Red Pepper Coulis:
Wrap peppers and onion in separate foil
packets, place on baking dish and bake for
about 1 hour, or until tender.

3. Meanwhile, to prepare Artichokes with
Quinoa Filling: Using kitchen shears, snip
off prickly ends of artichoke leaves, and
discard. Trim off bottoms evenly so artichokes
stand upright without tipping. Place
steamer rack in large saucepan, stand artichokes
upright in steamer, fill pan with
about 2 inches water, cover pan and bring
water to a boil. Steam artichokes until tender,
about 30 minutes. Using tongs, remove
from heat, turn upside down to cool and
allow water to drain.

4. Fill small saucepan with water, and bring
to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cook for 2 to 3
minutes, cover pan and reduce heat to
medium-low. Continue cooking for about
15 minutes, or until grains are tender.
Remove from heat, and drain. Set aside.

5. When peppers and onion are tender,
remove from heat, and set aside until cool
enough to handle. Unwrap foil, and carefully
peel off pepper skins. Open peppers,
catching pepper juices in blender, and remove
seeds. Place peppers into blender.
Peel off onion skin, cut onion into pieces
and place in blender. Add garlic powder,
balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste,
and puree until smooth. Set aside.

6. Combine quinoa, corn and red onions.
Stir in onion and garlic powders, minced
basil and enough Sweet Red Pepper Coulis
to moisten mixture. Set aside.

7. Pry open artichoke leaves carefully, and
scoop out inner prickly chokes, leaving
artichokes intact. Spoon quinoa mixture
into artichokes, stand upright on plates
and serve.

8. Pass remaining Sweet Red Pepper
Coulis with artichokes for dipping leaves.
Save any remaining coulis for another use.

PER SERVING: 320 CAL; 13G PROT; 2.5G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 69G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
170MG SOD; 18G FIBER; 17G SUGARS

Pasta with Brown Rice
and Greens

SERVES 4

Browning the pasta adds a level of flavor
missing from plain boiled pasta.

1 cup raw brown rice
8 oz. eggless shaped pasta such
  as farfalle
1 tsp. vegetable oil
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetarian, beef-flavored
  vegetable stock
2 leeks, trimmed and well rinsed
10 oz. greens such as arugula or
  spinach, or combination of greens

1. Rinse rice until water runs clear, and
cook according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet
over medium heat, and spray with nonstick
cooking spray. Cook pasta in skillet,
stirring often to prevent scorching, until
golden to golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
When browned, remove noodles
from skillet.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
Saute mushrooms until golden, stirring
often, about 5 minutes.

4. Place mushrooms and pasta in large
saucepan. Add stock and cooked rice.
Cover, and cook mixture over medium-low
heat until liquid absorbed. Stir in leeks
and greens, mixing well, and season to
taste. Cook until greens just wilted,
remove from heat and serve.

PER SERVING: 460 CAL; 15G PRAT; 4G TOTAL
FAT (0.5G SAT. FAT); 92G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
230MG SOD; 7G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Wine Suggestions

Your wine choice here depends on the greens
and mushrooms you use. If you prefer mild
greens--such as spinach, chard and cabbage--opt
to drink a lighter wine such as an
Italian Regional White. If you prefer more assertive
greens--such as arugula, dandelion
and mustard--opt for a slightly assertive red
wine such as Montepulciano D'Abruzzo; and
if you prefer super earthy mushrooms, opt for
an earthy Shiraz.

New Potatoes with Leeks
and Fennel

SERVES 8

This salad with its tri-colored potato
mixture lends itself to an unusual presentation.
Try placing portions in cup-shaped
red cabbage leaves or radicchio leaves, or
select unusual serving bowls.

1/2 lb. new potatoes, mixture of
  Yukon gold, Peruvian purple
  and white
1 3/4 cups chickpeas
1 cup (4 oz.) sliced leeks, about 2
  medium, including green ends
1 cup (4 oz.) diced fennel bulb
2 Tbs. raisins
1/3 cup soy mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
  to taste

1. Scrub potatoes, and place in pot of
water to cover. Bring to a boil over
medium heat, and cook potatoes until tender.
Remove from heat, drain, and, when
cool enough to handle, cut into eighths.

2. Place chickpeas, leeks and diced fennel
bulb in large bowl. Add potatoes and raisins.

3. Combine soy mayonnaise, lime juice,
garlic and thyme leaves, and stir until well
combined. Pour over vegetables, and toss
to cover well. Season with salt and pepper,
and serve.

PER SERVING: 210 CAL; 10G PROT; 4G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 34G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
95MG SOD; 7G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Chilled Tri-Berry Soup

SERVES 2 TO 3

Fruit soups are perfect summertime
sweeteners--and the flavors of this berry
combination are heightened by a dash of
cinnamon and a spoonful of vegan sour
cream. Edible flower petals glamorize this
delectable dessert--or appetizer.

3 1/4 cups Port wine
2 cups berries, combination
  blueberries, raspberries and
  strawberries
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
1 Tbs. cornstarch
Sprinkle cinnamon
4 Tbs. vegan sour cream
Edible flower petals for garnish

1. Heat 3 cups Port wine in saucepan over
medium heat until simmering. Stir in
berries and sugar, reduce heat to medium-low
and cook 5 minutes; alcohol will
evaporate.

2. Combine cornstarch with remaining 1/4
cup Port wine. Stir cornstarch mixture
and cinnamon into soup, and cook 2 minutes
more. Remove from heal and refrigerate
until chilled.

3. Pour soup into large serving bowls, and
top each bowl with equal portions of
vegan sour cream.

4. Garnish soup with edible flower petals
before serving.

PER SERVING: 560 CAL; 2G PROT; 2.5G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 67G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
60MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 59G SUGARS

Papaya-Mint Sorbet

SERVES 6

This delicate sorbet shows off tropical
papaya to its full advantage.

2 cups papaya nectar
1/4 cup sugar
1 small papaya, about 8 oz.,
  peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint

1. Heat 1 cup papaya nectar with sugar
over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat, and cool.

2. Place remaining nectar and papaya
pieces in blender, and process until
smooth. Combine cooled nectar, papaya
mixture, ginger and mint in bowl of ice
cream maker, and freeze according to
manufacturer's directions. When almost
firm, serve, or store in plastic freezer container
until ready to use.

PER SERVING: 90 CAL; 0G PROT; 0G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 23G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
5MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 20G SUGARS