Initially, Italian cuisine was not much inclined towards vegetarian taste buds, and the history shows that they were traditionally meat lovers. But slowly, this inclination shifted more towards vegetarian cooking and recipes, and now, it is easy to get Italian recipe food in any part of the world that is enjoyed by people of all ethnic groups.

Few Quick Vegetarian Recipe Dishes

If you are short of time and planning for a quick vegetarian recipe, quick bread pizza is an option to go for. The preparation time is 2 minutes for each bread slice and the ingredient are simple to get.

This quick vegetarian recipe requires finely chopped onions, bell peppers, green chili and salt, nicely mixed in a bowl and divided into equal portions. Apply some tomato sauce on the bread, place the mixture and sprinkle some cheese on top. Place the breads in an oven for 2 minutes and once golden brown, serve with tomato ketchup.

Such quick vegetarian recipe is ideal for quick snacks either for kids or for guest paying sudden visit. Similarly you can target garlic bread and other quick vegetarian recipe that are ideally suited for such times.

Another quick vegetarian recipe is spaghetti with tomato sauce and it takes around 10 minutes to prepare and can serves 4 people with heavier appetite. There are many other varieties of Italian pastas and pizzas, which provide a mixture of various combinations that can be used to prepare various Italian dishes.

Italian cuisine is famous all around the world and the combination of vegetables, fruits, cheese and other variety of grains, cooked with olive oil makes the dish unique and sumptuous.

One should however note that a quick vegetarian recipe is not a substitute for a full wholesome meal. Generally people should adopt good eating habits that meet the daily nutritional requirement of the body. Any quick meal is a fill-in factor to keep up the energy level and the ultimate target of a quick vegetarian recipe is to achieve the same. You can include lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products to quick vegetarian recipes to make it healthy and tasty.

What is Low Fat Vegetarian Recipe?

Low fat vegetarian recipe usually contains fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant based diets, which not only help in reducing weight, but also reduce the risk of heart attacks, cancer and coronary artery disease. Low fat vegetarian recipe diet provides the adequate carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and proteins for a healthier body and mind.

Normally a low fat vegetarian recipe should contain a blend of various foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables in sufficient quantities to meet daily metabolic requirements.

A low fat vegetarian recipe comes in the category of a weight loss diet, such as 1200 calorie diet which consist of 5 servings of grains, 3 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of fruits, 2 servings of dairy milk products and 5 oz of beans, nuts and other substitutes. All this gives a total calorie count of 30-40g, which is sufficient for a person with 1200 calorie per day requirement. But it is also recommend taking multivitamin and mineral supplements to cover up the entire nutritional requirements for a person who is following a 1200-calorie low fat vegetarian recipe food program.

Few Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes

Low fat vegetarian recipes that are easy to prepare and add variety to your diet can be found over the internet. . The recipes are given under various categories such as soups, pasta, pastry, tofu, salad, just vegetables, spreads dips and sauces, rice dishes etc. You can choose the recipes as per your taste and preferences.

Few of the low fat vegetarian recipes that you can prepare are spicy lentil soup, broccoli soup, sweet and sour peppers with pasta, tomato and goat cheese galette, tofu chili, cracked wheat and mint salad and many more. These recipes are not only low in their calorific count but at the same time are quite healthy as well.

It is always advisable to consult a dietitian to know your calorie requirement, which would help you in adopting a low fat vegetarian recipe diet. This is especially recommended if you are breast-feeding, pregnant, or recovering from poor health.

Some people are or become vegetarian due to health reasons but there are others who make this change because of concern for environment and animals. It is important to choose healthy vegetarian recipes so that your family gets adequate amount of vitamins and minerals.

Sources of Nutrition

Different nutrients come from different food sources and healthy vegetarian recipes ensure that these food sources are included in the daily menu. Vitamin B12 comes from eggs, dairy products cereals, soy and bread. Dairy products, orange juice and vitamin-fortified products are good source of vitamin D. Calcium is contained in dark leafy vegetables, dairy products, chickpeas, soy, cereals, broccoli and calcium-fortified products. Dairy products, tofu, eggs, nuts and dried beans are good source of protein. Dried fruits, whole grains, dairy products and green leafy vegetables supply the iron to the body and zinc is contained in nuts, legumes, wheat germ and fortified cereal.

Some Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

Some of the easy and healthy vegetarian recipes include baked potatoes with vegetable topping, broccoli cauliflower with cheese, golden rice, eggplant parmigiana, pasta primavera, ratatouille, tofu quiche, steamed vegetables with ginger, shepherd’s rice, sautéed greens, rice peas pilaf and vegetarian sauce with whole-wheat pasta.

Healthy vegetarian recipes don’t have to be boring and tasteless as you can add the taste without adding the calories and do wonders for your health. Low fat vegetarian recipes make you feel fit, energetic and your body is better equipped to deal with diseases and illnesses. To make healthy vegetarian recipes easier, it is a good idea to stock ahead on sauces and ingredients so that you just have to open the cans or packs to whip up something really fast. But, remember to read labels before you stock up so that you are aware of the shelf life of the product and make sure that there is no gelatin or animal oil in them.

To maximise the greatest source of healthy nutrients from healthy vegetarian recipes, you can try a raw night serving simple salads with delicious dips and sauces. In between the meals, you can also serve healthy snacks such as crackers, fruit mixes, nuts, dried fruits and cheese.

Most people think that Indian vegetarian recipes start and end with spicy curry but the diversity of Indian cuisine changes with every border. From one region to another, the colours, flavours, cooking style and chopping style changes drastically. Muslims and Christians prefer to eat meat whereas Hindu Brahmins do not even eat ginger, garlic and onions. Pulses and rice is common in southern region of the country whereas northern regions savour rotis.

Speciality of Indian Vegetarian Recipe

Each state in India offers a diverse and elaborate cuisines and this includes sumptuous meals from Delhi, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Orissa.

Spices and herbs are the soul of all Indian vegetarian recipes and these herbs are either dried or fresh, whole or grounded or roasted or fried. Red and green chillies are extensively used to make the curries spicy. Coconut is mainly used in south Indian and Goan recipes. Garlic adds a distinctive flavour to Mughlai food and is also known to have medicinal value. Methi is yellow, square and flat and is slightly bitter in taste. Saunf looks like anise seed and is usually eaten after meals as mouth freshener.

Other common ingredients of Indian vegetarian recipes are garam masala, mustard seeds, tamarind, saffron and rose water. Garam masala adds surprising flavours to any food and is quite commonly used is most of the Indian vegetarian recipes. It gives a strong aroma and gives distinct taste to the food. The main ingredients of garam masala are coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, dried red chilli, cinnamon sticks and cardamom seeds.

Other Indian Vegetarian Recipes

India is a country of festivals and each festival comes with new clothes and extensive feasts. There are Indian vegetarian recipes especially for each festival. Some of the most common festivals of India are Pongal, Holi, Durga Puja, Diwali, Id, Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan.

Where To Find Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Internet is a vast resource offering extensive database of all kinds of Indian vegetarian recipes. These recipes are classified as roti, snacks, rice, pickle, chutney and desserts. Indian vegetarian recipes not only taste good but they are very healthy as well. You can look for healthy vegetarian recipes over internet that give you the right mix of nutrition and taste. Every individual has different preferences when it comes to food. You should hence choose the recipes that are easy for you and suit you taste and life-style.

Vegetarian chilli is usually the favourite of everyone around the house and it is not only full of vegetable fibre from beans but it also has significant amount of protein.

There are many vegetarian chili recipes varying in ingredients and seasoning but some of the common ingredients are onions, beans and garlic. Some people also add celery, carrots and tomatoes but seasoning is what makes the real difference.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe

The basic vegetarian chilli recipe includes :
3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup chopped onion
8 garlic cloves
2 19 oz cans of red kidney beans
2 19 oz cans of dark red kidney beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ spoon dried oregano
½ spoon dried thyme
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
3 cups vegetable broth
and 1 6 oz can of tomato paste.

You need to heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and once the oil is hot, add garlic and onions. Saute for few minutes till onion turns translucent and then add beans, basil, taco seasoning, thyme and oregano. Stir for few minutes again and now add tomato sauce and vegetable broth. Simmer till it thickens and you get the desired consistency. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. It tastes best when eaten fresh but you can refrigerate until cool and then heat it again over low heat when need to serve.

Another version of vegetarian chili recipe uses:
400 gr diced tomatoes
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes
3 tbs flour mixed with 400 ml of cold water
cacao 85% 20 gr and cooking oil.
Heat the oil and add:
3 minced garlic cloves
5 crushed dried Chipotle peppers
1 crushed dried Pasillo pepper
1 crushed dried Ancho peppers
3 medium diced onions
500 gr ground vegetarian
pinch of cumin and coriander
and 300 ml beer.
Now simmer and bring to boil stirring occasionally.

The essence of all the vegetarian chili recipes comes from blending of all the ingredients. Most people vary the ingredients as per their taste and choice. As people are quite calorie conscious these days, they opt for low fat vegetarian chili recipe where you use less oil and opt for fat-free refried beans.

Making A Transition

Most of the people in the world are still non-vegetarians. For those who want to turn vegetarians, it is not always easy but still, many people are making this transition. Being a vegetarian is not as difficult as it used to be few years ago when restaurant menus were full of non-vegetarian delights not offering much for vegetarians. But now, as more people are making a change, even restaurants offer healthy and great tasting vegetarian selections. There are many chefs as well who have come out with delicious yet easy vegetarian recipes so that you can easily cook them at home.

Where To Find Easy Vegetarian Recipes

Internet is a good place to start looking for some easy vegetarian recipes. There are numerous sites that offer step-by-step easy guide to some basic recipes. Vegetarian cooking is not difficult and at the same time, you need minimal cooking so that all the essential nutrients are retained.

If you search online for easy vegetarian recipes, you will find them categorized under various sections tabulated as per cuisine, ingredients, season or type. The recipes are also classifies as easy, adaptable, classic, comfort, flexible, gourmet, kids, quick and vegan.

Vegetarian chili recipe is also an easy vegetarian recipe with lots of vegetables, herbs, beans and chillies making it absolutely mouth watering dish and is a great choice if you have more number of people.

If you are new to cooking and want to learn some easy vegetarian recipes, these sites offer glossary of cooking terms and tips about health and nutrition. If you have any of your favourite easy vegetarian recipes, you can share by posting it on the forums. New recipes are added to these sites everyday so you are sure to find something that matches your needs and taste. One such site is vegweb.com that has thousands of easy vegetarian recipes that are rated by the readers and also features user comments.

There are also some great books available that tell you everything you need to know about easy vegetarian recipes. One very famous book is The New Student’s Veggie Cook Book, which has recipes that are easy to prepare, tasty and don’t cost much. For simple vegetarian meals, How it All Vegan is a good book. Recipes taste good and steps are easy to follow. The Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond gives some easy vegetarian recipes and at the same time has comprehensive nutrition information section. Vegan With a Vengeance has all easy vegetarian recipes that are delicious and nutritious.

Vegetarian cooking and vegetarian recipes are popular as they help you lose weight as well. Homemade food binds the family together and keeps the family traditions going from generation to generation.

The staples for vegetarian recipes include vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Most vegetarians eat free-range eggs and dairy products. Fruitarians avoid all processed foods and animal products, vegans avoid all the animal products, lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products but not the eggs, lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products and semi-vegetarians eat chicken and fish but not red meat.

Where to Find Vegetarian Recipes

Internet is a source to unlimited number of vegetarian recipes from all over the world. These recipes are easy to access and you can browse as per meal type, ingredients, season or special themes. There are recipes for daily consumption, youth recipes, easy recipes, healthy recipes, budget recipes, low carb recipes, quick recipes, wheat-free recipes and gourmet goodies. You can also choose recipes as per servings such as appetizer, breakfast, brunch, bakery, casserole, dessert, main course, salad, sandwich, side dish or soups.

There are also many books available offering wide range of vegetarian recipes and you can buy these books either from stores or over internet. Some of the most famous and successful vegetarian recipes cookbooks are Leiths Vegetarian Bible, Madhur Jaffery’s World Vegetarian, New Vegetarian-Celia Brooks Brown, Delia’s Vegetarian Collection, River Café Cook Book Green, A Paradiso Year, Pure Vegetarian, Veg: The Greengrocer’s cookbook, The Accidental Vegetarian and Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Meals in Minutes.  With the help of these books, you can either cook a meal in minutes or prepare an extravagant meal and impress your family.

If you are new to cooking, there are easy vegetarian recipes that are easy to follow with simple ingredients and procedure. By following these easy vegetarian recipes, you can improve your health by using all best quality ingredients, save money by making all recipes at home rather than going to expensive restaurants to eat them and also can prepare dishes and give them as gift to your neighbours and friends. If you have kids, there are many recipes that make healthy dishes more appealing to them and hence provide them with enough nutrition.