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

CHIP-Shape Program

For the second year in a row, the smoke-free Carnival Paradise hosted a CHIP-Shape Wellness Cruise, bringing together health-minded individuals for a week of relaxation, education and peer support.

VT subscriber Denise Kelly-Jones of Englewood, New Jersey, won a free CHIP-Shape Wellness Cruise for herself, her husband, Brad, and their infant son, Christopher. The February 23-March 2 cruise was sponsored by VT, Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), The Travel Company and Dump Your Plump.

"'Health cruise' does not have to be an oxymoron," says Hans Diehl, DRHSc, MPH, a cardiovascular epidemiologist and founder of CHIP. "It can be fun. It does not have to be an exercise in deprivation. Instead. most of our participants have the joy of experiencing the exotic aspects of a cruise while at the same time enjoying luxuries of a 5-star hotel."

Educational seminars featuring experts on matters of both mental and physical health were offered daily in addition to vegan and vegetarian cuisine specially prepared for the wellness cruisers. Both VT and CHIP provided the recipes. (See this month's Editor's Note, p. 6, for more about VT's participation in the wellness cruise.)

Kelly-Jones, a cardiac surgery nurse practitioner and a vegetarian, says she'll use what she learned on the wellness cruise to educate her cardiac patients. And, she welcomed the opportunity to lose weight--wellness cruisers typically shed a pound or two during the week, while other cruisers usually average a gain of a pound a day, according to Diehl.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group