30 minutes: great flavors in these winter recipes—good on any frosty days!

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 2005 by Alexandra Greeley

Festive, filling burritos start the day off right, while bright and robust dinners--and a luscious fruit-studded pudding--end it with a bang. These dishes are a perfect antidote to dreary winter weather, not least because they come together so quickly.

Egg timer by Michael Graves Target stores $7.99

BREAKFAST QUESADILLAS

Serves 6
30 minutes or fewer

These Southwest-inspired treats are
substantial enough to ward off any
winter chill. Serve them as a family
breakfast or brunch. Fresh apples or
tangerines plus cinnamon-spiked
coffee round out the meal.

7 oz. ground soy "sausage"
6 large eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste
6 8- to 9-inch round tortillas
3/4 cup shredded low-fat cheddar
cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced
Chopped scallions far garnish

1. Spray nonstick skillet with nonstick
cooking spray; Crumble "sausage," and
cook in skillet over medium heat about
5 minutes, stirring often. Respray skillet,
and pour in eggs, stirring and lifting up
eggs with spatula so eggs cook evenly;
Season with salt and pepper, and remove
from heat when eggs are firm.

2. Put 1 tortilla on work surface. Sprinkle
with 2 Tbs. cheese. Divide egg mixture
into 6 equal servings, and put 1 portion
on bottom half of tortilla. Fold other
half over top to close. Repeat to fill
remaining tortillas.

3. Spray nonstick skillet with nonstick
cooking spray; and heat over medium
heat. Put tortillas in skillet, and
cook until cheese melts and
tortillas turn golden, about
1 minute.

4. Put quesadillas on
individual plates, top each
with 1/4 cup salsa and
avocado slices. Garnish
with scallions, and serve.
PER SERVING: 390 CAL;
23G PROT; 17G TOTAL FAT
(3.5G SAT, FAT); 37G CARB;
215MG CHOL; 950MG
SOD, 5G FIBER; 3G SUGARS

MEXICAN MUSHROOMS

Serves 4
30 minutes or fewer

Quick and unusual, this dish
is delicious for lunch or dinner.
Serve nachos with cheese dip
and a tossed green salad alongside.
At night, add a round of chilled
Mexican beer, and serve mugs of
hot Mexican chocolate sprinkled
with cinnamon for dessert.

4 large portobello
mushrooms, about
5 oz. each
12 oz. Tex-Mex flavored
crumbled soy "meat"
1 tomato, diced
1 fresh or canned chile
poblano, diced
1 cup low-fat mozzarella
cheese
Snipped cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Brush off mushroom caps, and
remove stems, reserving for another
use. Using a spoon, gently scoop
out black gills from under caps;
discard gills. Set aside caps.

3. Spray nonstick skillet with
nonstick cooking spray. Saute
soy "meat" 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in tomato, chile and cheese.
Spoon mixture evenly into caps.
Put caps on baking sheet.

4. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until
mushrooms are tender. Put on
individual serving plates, garnish
with cilantro and serve.

PER SERVING: 270 CAL; 26G PROT; 7G
TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 20G CARB; 20MG
CHOL; 440MG SOD; 9G FIBER; 5G SUGARS

TRI-COLORED PASTA
WITH GREENS AND
FETA CHEESE

Serves 6
30 minutes or fewer

This dish contains everything you
need nutritionally in one serving.
All that's left to do: Select a
tempting dessert to finish the
meal--think tiramisu or a wedge
of creamy cheesecake.

8 oz. tri-colored dried pasta
3 Tbs. olive oil
5 pieces oil-packed
sun-dried tomatoes, well
drained and chopped
5 cloves garlic, coarsely
chopped
1/2 lb. rapini, trimmed
1/2 lb. kale, trimmed
cup vegetable stock or
water
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1. Cook pasta according to
package directions. Drain, rinse
and set aside.

2. Heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium
heat in large skillet, and saute
tomato pieces and garlic 5 minutes,
or until softened.

3. Chop greens coarsely, and add
to skillet. Add vegetable stock.
Cover, and steam 5 minutes.
Remove cover, add remaining
1 Tbs. oil and continue cooking
until greens are completely
wilted, about 7 minutes.

4. Put pasta and cooked greens
in large bowl, toss to mix well,
garnish with feta cheese and serve.

PER SERVING: 330 CAL; 13G PROT; 16G
TOTAL FAT (7G SAT. FAT); 35G CARB; 35MG
CHOL: 470MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 4G SUGARS

PESTO POTATOES

Serves 4
30 minutes or fewer

Summer's flavors in midwinter--that's
one way to warm up
suppertime. Pass a salad with
tart greens such as baby spinach
or dandelion greens. A chocolate
custard or pudding would be
a happy ending.

2 Tbs. olive oil, or more
as needed

1 lb. baby Yukon gold
potatoes, halved or
quartered

1 onion, diced

1 15.5-oz. can cannellini
beans, drained and rinsed

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1/2 lb. green beans

2 tsp. pesto

Fresh basil leaves for
garnish

1. Heat oil in large skillet over
medium heat. Saute potatoes
and onion about 10 minutes,
or until potatoes start to soften
and turn golden.

2. Add cannellini beans, garlic
and green beans, and saute
2 minutes more. Cover skillet,
and cook 5 minutes more.
Uncover, stir in pesto and cook
about 2 minutes more. Remove
from heat, garnish with basil
and serve.

PER SERVING: 330 CAL; 12G PROT; 8G
TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 53G CARB; 0MG
CHOL; 20MG SOD; 11G FIBER; 5G SUGARS

TWO-GRAIN PILAF WITH
GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

This hearty grain-based entree
goes well with steamed greens.
Start with a hot minestrone-style
soup, and for a perfect
finish, serve warm apple tartlets.

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 cup uncooked buckwheat
groats

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 cups baby carrots

1 cup vegetable stock

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. herb salt, or to taste

1 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper

3/4 cup diced dried apricots

4 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola
cheese

1. Heat oil in large skillet over
medium heat. Saute groats and
onion over medium-high heat
about 7 minutes, or until golden.
Add quinoa and mushrooms,
and saute 2 minutes. Add carrots,
vegetable stock and seasonings.
Reduce heat to medium-low.

2. Cook 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally and checking for
liquid. Add more stock if too
dry. Increase heat to medium,
and cook about 5 minutes more.
3. To serve, stir in apricots and
Gorgonzola cheese.

PER SERVING: 420 CAL; 13G PROT; 17G
TOTAL FAT (7G SAT. FAT); 57G CARB; 25MG
CHOL; 880MG SOD; 8G FIBER; 20G SUGARS


PUMPKIN PUDDING

Serves 6
30 minutes or fewer

The holidays are fading fast,
but that doesn't mean that the
season's favorites--pumpkins
and cranberries--have to go
with them. This easy-to-assemble
pudding is just as good warm
or chilled.

2 cups vanilla soymilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup instant tapioca pearls

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar,
or to taste

Pinch of salt

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

2 cups mixed dried fruits,
including cranberries, raisins
and apples

1 cup toasted pecan halves, as
garnish, optional

1. Put 1 1/2 cups soymilk and vanilla
extract into saucepan, and stir in
tapioca pearls. Stir remaining 1/2 cup
soymilk with cornstarch, and,
when well mixed, stir cornstarch
mixture into tapioca mixture. Let
sit 5 minutes.

2. Heat soymilk mixture over
medium heat, stirring constantly,
until pudding begins to thicken,
about 7 minutes. Whisk in sugar
and salt, stirring to remove any
lumps.

3. Stir in pumpkin puree and dried
fruit. Continue cooking and stirring
2 minutes more. Remove from heat,
and spoon into heatproof serving
bowl. Serve warm, or refrigerate.

4. To serve, garnish with toasted
pecans, if using.

PER SERVING: 290 CAL; 40 PROT; 1.5G
TOTAL FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 67G CARB;
0MG CHOL; 150MG SOD; 5G FIBER
41G SUGARS