Vegetarian cooking: Healthy, not hard

By Becky Wright

Robin Rob

ertson has been a vegetarian since the 1980s. She says people often tell her, "I'd go vegetarian, but I don't have the time to cook like that."

"A lot of people are still working under the misinformation that vegetarian cooking is labor-intense. They picture earth mothers cooking their own bread and stirring giant pots of beans," she said. "That's kind of an old stereotype, and certainly things have changed."

Robertson's recently released cookbook "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" (Andrews McMeel Publishing) is a collection of recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare.

"These recipes give people no excuse not to go vegetarian," she said. "It's all about getting in and out of the kitchen in less than 30 minutes ... and using healthy convenience foods."

Good food, fast

Robertson was a restaurant chef for more than seven years before she turned to writing cookbooks. She says she loves to cook elaborate meals occasionally for company.

"But I'm so busy, and most of the time it's just my husband and me, so I usually only spend about 10 to 15 minutes in the kitchen -- that's my tolerance level," she said. "And just about everybody I talk to is kind of the same way."

A lot of time-crunched folks head to the drive-through for a quick meal. Robertson wanted this, her 15th book, to offer a healthy alternative.

"Many of these recipes can be made in the time it takes to pick something up or have it delivered," she said, by phone from her home in Virginia Beach, Va.

Some of the recipes take only 10 or 15 minutes. Also included are recipes for slow cookers and one-dish baked meals, which take longer to cook but not to prepare.

"To me, those are almost faster than putting a sautéed dish together," she said.

Slow-cooker and oven-baked meals can be prepared in advance.

"When you get home, all you have to do is put it in the oven -- it's all ready and there are no dishes to clean up. I use these recipes for quick meals on busy weeknights and for company."

Stocking the pantry

One of the keys to fast, no-hassle vegetarian cooking is having a well-stocked pantry.

"I do a combination of using a lot of fresh grains and vegetables, and other fresh ingredients, and also selectively pick some really good, high-quality convenience products that are really helpful," said Robertson.

She recommends keeping grains on hand that don't take long to cook, such as couscous, bulgur and fast-cooking brown rice. Pastas and bottled pasta sauce can also be used to throw a quick meal together.

"I definitely rely on canned beans, and with beans the quality is almost as good, if not as good, as fresh," Robertson said.

In addition to chickpeas and other beans, Robertson always has canned vegetarian brown gravy with mushrooms available for cooking. Soft tortillas and ready-to-use pizza shells are also foundation ingredients.

"Frozen pie crusts taste great in a pinch and, if you can get one made without lard, they're wonderful for putting a main dish or dessert pie together in a hurry without getting the kitchen dirty," she said.

Vegetable broth adds extra flavor to meals, as do condiments such as curry paste and tamari.

Meat alternatives

Robertson says meat alternatives can be faster and more convenient than real meat.

"I keep, in my freezer, those frozen veggie-burger crumbles and veggie burgers. They're already precooked, so they're easier to prepare than meat." she said.

"Anything you use ground beef for, you can use crumbles instead," she said. You can add them from the frozen state into spaghetti sauce or put it in chili. You can put it in Mexican dishes, such as taco casseroles, or make tacos with them. ... I haven't met a person who can tell the difference."

There are also vegetarian versions of sausage, hot dogs and chicken strips.

A lot of people don't like trying new foods, so Robertson suggests not making a big deal out of it. Season the meal with the sauces and condiments your family enjoys, so it's still familiar from the flavor standpoint.

"They don't necessarily have to know they're even eating a vegetarian meal. In certain cases, for example, if you're having a pasta dish and making it with beans and veggie crumbles, it tastes like meat, but it's not as greasy," she said. "It's easier to digest and they'll find that their heartburn's not as bad."

Of course, all of the recipes in the book have been taste-tested.

"My husband was basically a meat and potatoes person when we went vegetarian, but he said, 'As long as it tastes good, I'll eat it.' So I use him as my barometer," Robertson said.

Healthy recipes

The recipes in "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" don't come with a breakdown of the nutritional value. Robertson says the publisher decided it wasn't necessary.

"The recipes are all so healthy. There's no cholesterol in any of them, because I didn't use any animal products. They're naturally going to be low in fat," she said.

She recommends using whole-grain pastas or pastas with protein added.

Some people worry that they won't get enough protein on a vegetarian diet, but Robertson says it shouldn't be a problem with a well-balanced approach. The soy products in the recipes are high in plant-based protein, and so are some of the vegetables.

"Dark, leafy greens are higher in protein content than a lot of meats," she said. "Think about all of the herbivorous animals that are strong and muscular -- cows, horses, and giraffes all seem like they get enough protein to me."

Radiatore With Chickpeas, Baby Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 pound radiatore or other small pasta shapes

10-ounce package fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the pasta water on to boil in a large, covered pot. Place the spinach in a bowl, cover and microwave for 2 minutes to wilt. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in both kinds of tomatoes, the wilted spinach and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer to blend the flavors and heat through, 5 to 7 minutes.

When the pasta water comes to a boil, salt the water, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss gently to combine. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Polenta and Pinto Bean Pie

16-ounce package precooked polenta

16-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

16-ounce jar tomato salsa or picante sauce (mild, medium or hot)

4-ounce can mild green chiles, drained

1 tablespoon chili powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded soy cheddar cheese

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the polenta into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange in the bottom of a lightly oiled 9- or 10-inch square baking dish. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the pinto beans, salsa, chilies and chili powder, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and spread over the polenta.

Top with the shredded soy cheese and the tortilla chips. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more to lightly brown the top. Serves 4.

No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies With Almonds and Dried Cranberries

3/4 cup almond butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cranberry juice or water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted (toasting directions at the end of this recipe)

In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, sugar, juice and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the oatmeal, cranberries and almonds. Mix until well-combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Use your hand or the tines of a fork to flatten. Set aside or refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the cookies to firm up a bit. Makes about 2 dozen.

Variations: The almond butter can be replaced with peanut butter or another nut butter of your choice. Instead of dried cranberries, try dried cherries or golden raisins. Add some chocolate chips if desired.

Toasted Nuts and Seeds

Condensed instructions

To toast nuts in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts in a single layer in a small, shallow baking pan. Toast, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 8 minutes, depending on the type of nut. Sliced almonds generally begin to brown quickly.

To toast nuts on the stove top, place them in a dry small skillet over medium heat and toast them, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned, 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the nut. Be careful not to burn them. Allow to cool completely.

Oh-So-Sloppy Joes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

12-ounce package frozen vegetarian burger crumbles

4-ounce can diced mild green chilies, drained

3/4 cup tomato ketchup

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sandwich buns

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the burger crumbles and chiles. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the buns. Serves 4.

Note: If frozen veggie burger crumbles are unavailable, chop up a package of thawed veggie burgers.

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