Vegetarian dishes

In this entry I want to discuss how eating as a vegetarian can be accomplished even after WLS. It is important to remember that the protein component of the vegetarian diet is different than eating the high quality protein of meats, fish, eggs and cheese. It is probable that you cannot be a true vegetarian or on a vegan diet after WLS because of the lower proportion of protein inherent in those foods. However is is sometimes nice to move away from the strictly protein diet and have some other flavors, textures and taste. That is what this blog is about: Eating interesting and exciting food after weight loss surgery.




The following recipes are from dinners we created this month (May 2010) and served to our guests. They are interesting items. Some are relatively low in protein and are not really intended to be a major element of the WLS diet while others are high in protein and could be incorporated as a common element into a WLS diet easily,


Pumpkin ravioli with walnut sauce
Make the pumpkin filling before making the pasta and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. I have previously given the recipe for pasta dough so you should refer to that or use your own recipe. Make the dough and set aside to rest. After resting you can roll out the dough into sheets and make the ravioli using a folding technique or with the ravioli attachment on your pasta machine.


The pumpkin filling: The pumpkin is cut and peeled, then cut into 1” chunks. Use about 1-2 pounds of uncooked pumpkin to start. It is cooked in butter and some water in a large saute pan until it is tender. It is necessary to cook out as much water as possible otherwise the filling is too moist. If there is still a lot of moisture in the pumpkin put in a sieve and allow to drain, even over night. Put it in a food processor and process until smooth. It should be very thick and rich. Add a good amount (1/2 tsp) of grated nutmeg, 4 or 5 ounces of crushed amaretto cookies, and a bit of salt and pepper. Peel and boil a potato, mash it, and add it to the pumpkin puree then process to smooth. Add 4 ounces of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and set mixture aside to cool until ready to make the ravioli. This filling should be savory with a sweetish undertone and definitely not too sweet. Taste it and be sure it has a good solid pumpkin flavor. It should not taste like pumpkin pie. Salt and pepper are important additions. Taste!


The walnut sauce: Toast 1 cup of walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 6-8 minutes. Be careful to not burn the nuts. Cool them and chop them coarsely. Set aside. The walnut sauce uses a basic bechamel base. The bechamel is made with 2-3 tablespoons of butter, melted in a 2 quart saucepan. Add the walnuts and allow to cook in the melted butter for 2 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Then stir in 2-3 tablespoons of flour and stir to mix the flour and butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate the floury flavor. Add 2 cups of warm milk and stir. Bring to a boil and the sauce will thicken. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick. Taste the sauce and see if it needs a bit more salt or pepper. I also add a teaspoon or so of sugar. The added sweetness really brings out the flavor of the toasted nuts. The sauce should be of a medium thickness. It will be used to lightly sauce the cooked ravioli.


Polenta with fresh tomato/vegetable sauce
This dish can also use a meat sauce to increase the protein levels and also to add a interesting element to a family dinner.


To make polenta: To 1 ½ cups of polenta (corn meal) add 6 cups of broth (chicken, vegetable) and bring to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan on medium to high heat. Stir often to keep from sticking. I use a whisk in the beginning to eliminate lumps then switch to a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta for about 20 minutes until it is very thick and creamy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and a cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir until well mixed. It can be served hot like mashed potatoes or poured into a loaf pan and allowed to cool (my favorite technique). From there it can be sliced easily and placed on a baking sheet in a medium oven (350 degrees F) for 20 minutes to warm. Serve a slice with your favorite sauce. These can include tomato vegetable sauce (next recipe), a meat sauce, or a basil pesto. Sprinkle on extra Parmigiano and add a bit of grilled meat for a great dinner.


Basic Tomato and Vegetable Sauce
This sauce is at its best when our local tomatoes are at their peak during the summer. It can be used for pasta or polenta, or whenever a rich tomato sauce is called for. This recipes makes a good quantity of sauce sofreeze any leftovers in serving sized containers.


¼ cup olive oil
2 stalks celery
1 white or yellow onion
6 unpeeled carrots
Handful flat-leafed Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
A few leaves of fresh basil
2 pounds fresh cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 quart tomato puree (called passata di pomodori—look for the Pomi brand in the U.S.)
2 cups water (or more)
1 cup dry white wine (or more)
1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese, to be added at the end.


Directions
Pour enough olive oil into a heavy frying pan (11 inches diameter, 2 inches tall) to cover its bottom, and place it over medium heat.
After washing the vegetables, chop the celery and onion coarsely, mince the parsley and garlic together, and grate the carrots on the largest holes of the grater. Add to hot oil, stir, and cover pot.
When the vegetables have softened, add the pepper flakes, basil and the washed cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with the salt and cover.
In 20 minutes, add the tomato puree and stir. Continue to cook, covered, for 15 minutes more, stirring regularly with a flat-bottomed wooden spatula to assure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove the cover and add water as needed, continuing to cook uncovered on low heat for another thirty minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce will reduce and thicken as it cooks.
When the sauce is thick, remove it from the burner and set aside, covered, to keep it warm. Add to the pasta or polenta, then top with grated cheese and serve.


Lasagna with vegetables and cheeses
The cheese added to this dish enhances the protein level and may actually serve as an adequate meal. Try to cook the pasta until it is quite soft and not too al dente. It will be easier to digest in that new smaller stomach for those WLS patients.


Using dry lasagna noodles or fresh lasagna cook the pasta until nearly done and set aside laid flat on towels to dry slightly. The filling of the lasagna includes your choice of vegetables including grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, lightly sauteed onion slices, basil leaves, grilled asparagus, slices of tomatoes, mushrooms, or even cooked filed greens like chard, spinach, chicory or mustard greens. All of the vegetables should be cooked until they are almost done before constructing the lasagna.


To construct the lasagna: Slice or grate 1 ½ pounds of good mozzarella cheese grated, have a cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a bowl, and the vegetable mix you are going to use. Two sauces can be used and are often used together. A bechamel or white sauce and a red sauce dominated by vegetables and tomatoes. The bechamel should have grated Parmigiano cheese mixed into it as well as a teaspoon of garlic powder. Add a ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg. It should be thick but not over thick. Add a bit of milk if it is too thick to spread or pour easily. Use your favorite pasta sauce made from tomatoes or even commercially pre-made in a jar. Heat the sauce before using.


Place a bit of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and add a layer of pasta sheets. Put vegetables on top of the pasta, some grated Mozzarella, and some Parmigiano, then add a bit of the red sauce to the center. Put a border of Bechamel around the edge and place another layer of pasta. Repeat. When you get to the last layer of past, put the tomato sauce in the middle, the bechamel around the edge, top with the mozzarella and Parmigiano. Baker in a moderate oven for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees F until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into squares and serve.


Insalata Caprese
This dish is actually a salad or can be used as an antipasti. It is simple to put together and is quite good. Use the best quality of mozzarella cheese and fresh vine-ripened tomatoes you can find. If you wish cut some fresh basil from your herb garden or use fresh basil purchased at the market. Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella into ½ inch thick slices. Lay a slice of cheese down on a nice platter, and then overlap a slice of tomato. Add a leaf of basil and continue the overlapping around the platter. Sprinkle the cheese and tomatoes with a really good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Keep cool until serving. This dish provides a beautiful presentation of red, white and bright green but is also quite high in protein and makes a great lunch.


Frittata with artichokes, mushrooms, peppers and pecorino
This dish has one of the highest levels of protein in this recipe group because of the eggs and cheese used to make the frittata. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F
In a 10 inch non-stick saute pan over medium to high heat, put in about 3-4 tablespoons of good olive oil. Add 1 cup of chopped marinated artichoke hearts, a cup of sliced mushrooms, and a cup of sliced yellow or red bell peppers. Stir to keep from burning and allow to saute until softened. Mix 4 eggs with a cup of milk and a ½ cup cream. Add to the pan, stir gently and allow the eggs to begin to cook on the bottom. Sprinkle the top of the frittata with a good quantity of grated pecorino or Monterey jack cheese. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes until it is golden and puffy. Remove and slide the frittata onto a plate, slice into segments and serve.


There you have a number of non-meat recipes that can be easily incorporated into an interesting post-WLS diet and they will provide maximum flavor and tastes at relatively low cost and effort.