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Recipe Makeover: Vegetarian Gumbo
By Caitlyn Elf
I try to go vegetarian at least once a week both for my wallet and my waistline. However, with these cold temperatures it’s hard to resist the urge to dive head first into a bowl of turkey chili or chicken soup. That’s why for this week’s Recipe Makeover I decided to take one of my favorite meat-based recipes and make it fit for a vegetarian!
Using this Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo recipe, I made some super simple tweaks to not only make it meatless, but also up the fiber content so it will be sure to leave you just as satisfied as the original. Trust me on this one, you won’t miss the meat one bit!
Follow the substitutions below to spoon your way to a hearty, vegetarian gumbo!
- 1 (3.5-oz.) bag boil-in-bag rice (Here I used 3.5 ounces of brown rice to increase the fiber in the recipe)
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil (In place of the vegetable oil I used 1 tbsp. canola oil for even greater heart-health benefits)
- 2 cups chopped roasted boneless, skinless chicken breasts; about 2 breasts (To make this meat-heavy dish vegetarian, I replaced the 2 cups of roasted chicken breast with a soy protein-based chicken such as Light Life Smart Cutlets)
- 8 oz. turkey kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces (For this I used 8 oz. of meatless sausage (such as Trader Joe’s sausageless sausage)
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (In place of the fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth I simply used a fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth)
With the very first spoonful I brought to my lips, I knew that this was going to be just as good as the classic. The soy protein-based, vegetarian substitutions did a great job of keeping the soup nice and hearty while also making it healthy and meatless! Even the carnivores in your life will have a hard time turning down a piping hot bowl of this stuff!
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Healthy Cooking on the Cheap: Heart-Healthy Recipes
By Jenna Weber
This week’s menu is all about keeping your heart healthy! Salmon, tofu and legumes make up the protein sources in these easy, delicious meals and provide vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling and looking your best! Explore new flavors with the fire pot soup, which is the perfect warming meal on a cold winter evening. On your busiest day, try my sweet and spicy glazed salmon sandwich—it’s ready in twenty minutes and combines zesty flavors and heart healthy fats. Enjoy!
Grocery list
1 yellow onion
1 large carrot
3 cloves garlic
2 4-5 oz. wild Atlantic salmon fillets
paprika
cumin
chili powder
cayenne pepper
honey
1 lemon
pretzel rolls (or regular rolls)
mayonnaise
lettuce
tomato
3/4 lb. raw shrimp
8 oz. extra firm tofu
Thai curry paste (available at large supermarkets and Asian markets)
Thai basil leaves (available at Asian markets)
fish sauce
brown sugar
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1 quart chicken broth
1 6-inch stalk lemongrass
1 lime
2 red or green Thai chilies
dry jasmine rice
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno
garam masala (Indian spice mix available at most large grocery stores)
1 butternut squash
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
1 quart vegetable broth
dried red lentils
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Salmon Sandwiches
This quick and easy dinner is ready in less than a half hour!
Makes two large sandwiches
2 4-5 oz. wild Atlantic salmon fillets
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1-2 tbsp. honey
1/2 lemon, juiced
pretzel rolls (or regular rolls)
mayonnaise
lettuce
tomato
1. Preheat broiler on high.
2. Mix together the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, paprika and cayenne pepper.
3. Rub the salt on the salmon fillets, followed by the spice mixture. Lay fillets in a pie dish or on a tin foil-lined sheet tray and drizzle the honey over top. Broil fish for 5-8 minutes, until flaky but still pink. Remove from oven and drizzle lemon juice over top.
4. Prepare sandwiches by smearing mayonnaise on one side of the pretzel roll, then topping with a salmon fillet. Top with lettuce and tomato, followed by other half of roll. Serve warm.
Next page: Thai Fire Pot Soup
