Recipe

Mock Caesar Salad

Chances are you won't miss the fishy-tasting anchovies or egg yolk that would normally be in Caesar Salad when you taste this recipe! Eat the salad as a meal, or serve with fresh bread and hot pasta. Try making the dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge so it will be ready on a moment's notice.

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 14-ounce bag prepared Romaine lettuce
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a food processor, combine the garlic, mayonnaise, pepper, oil, and vinegar. Process for 10 seconds or until the garlic is finely chopped.

2. In a large salad bowl, toss the dressing with the lettuce and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.
For semi-vegetarians, vegetarians, and ovo-lacto vegetarians.
Per serving: 181.9 cal.; 4.2g prot.; 17.5g fat; 3.3g carb.; 6mg chol.; 138mg sod.; 1.2mg iron; 123mg calc.; 0 vit B12; 0.4mg zinc.

Cheesy Lasagne

This creamy, 3-cheese lasagne is sure to become one of your favorite recipes. With the low-fat cheeses available, it doesn't have to be full of fat. Serve it with a light salad and a glass of milk.

If you have precooked lasagne noodles available at the grocery store, use them to save you a step. Otherwise, cook the dry noodles according to the package directions.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 large tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 lasagne noodles, cooked
1 zucchini, diced
8-9 mushrooms, diced
3 cups well-washed fresh spinach leaves
2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
2 cups grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor. Add the tomatoes to the skillet with the onion. Add the oregano, basil, and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Coat a 13 x 9-inch glass baking pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Spoon out enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Put a layer of 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce, then layer with half the zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach, and half the cheeses. Repeat, then cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.
For semi-vegetarians, vegetarians, ovo-lacto vegetarians, and lacto-vegetarians.
Per serving: 620.6 cal.; 32g prot.; 19g fat; 81.1g carb.; 43mg chol.; 448mg sod.; 5.5mg iron; 555mg calc.; 1mcg vitB12; 3.5mg zinc.

Fruit Pizza

Fruit pizza looks like a beautiful French tart, but it's surprisingly simple to make! My boyfriend hates chocolate, so I made this recipe for his sixteenth birthday instead of a cake. He loved it, and I was thrilled that it was so easy.

Vary the types of fruit according to your taste, but try to use several different shapes and colors to make it attractive.

1 roll of ready-made sugar cookie dough
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 nectarines or small, peeled peaches, cut into thin wedges
10-12 thin pineapple wedges
2 kiwis, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries
1/2 cup red grapes
1 cup apricot preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the wrapping and place it on a 12-inch circular metal pizza pan. Spread the dough evenly over the surface of the pan with your hands, forming a crust. Bake it in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes. Allow it to cool completely.

2. In a small bowl, with a spoon, combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla to form a frosting. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

3. When the crust has cooled and the frosting has chilled, spread the frosting evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Arrange the nectarine or peach wedges closely together around the edge of the pizza, with the tips of the fruit facing the center of the pizza. Place the pineapple wedges on top of the nectarine or peach wedges.

4. Next, layer the kiwi slices slightly overlapping in a ring on the inside of the nectarine border. Fill the empty center of the pizza with the raspberries or strawberries. Make a border of grapes on the very outside of the pizza, around the nectarines.

5. Heat the apricot preserves in the microwave on 100% (HIGH) power until melted, about 1 minute. With a pastry brush, brush the fruit lightly with the liquid jam, avoiding the clumps of solid apricot. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8.
For semi-vegetarians, vegetarians, ovo-lacto vegetarians, and lacto-vegetarians.
Per serving:612.1 cal.; 6.4g prot.; 20.8g fat; 106g carb.; 31mg chol.; 256mg sod.; 2.5mg iron; 82mg calc.; 0 vit B12; 0.7mg zinc.

_{Recipes from OK, So Now You're a Vegetarian by Lauren Butts. Copyright © 2000 by Lauren Butts.}