If you're a vegetarian chances are that you eat a lot of pasta and even more rice. However, if you're like most people, you know a handful of decent recipes that you are slowly getting sick of. If you're looking for an easy vegetarian recipe, you are probably looking for something a bit different.
One great easy vegetarian recipe is vegetable fried rice. Cook some brown rice according to the directions on its package. Once it's cooked, drain the rice and set it aside. Then, take heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a large skillet and add beaten eggs. Cover and cook until the eggs are set on top. Then, flip the eggs over and cook a little bit longer until you have a flat egg pancake. Slide the pancake off of the skillet and onto a cutting board. When it's cool enough to touch, slice the eggs into small strips. Heat a little bit more vegetable oil in the skillet and add a bag of thawed mixed vegetables of your choice. Stir-fry the vegetables until they are starting to get tender but are still crisp. Then, add the cooked rice and some chopped scallions. Stir in some soy sauce to add some additional flavor, and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the eggs and serve hot. If you want to make this a more filling dish, add some sliced tomatoes, peppers, and peas to the rice, along with some small pieces of sautéed tofu.
Another great easy vegetarian recipe you make with rice is vegetarian jambalaya. While traditional jambalaya is loaded with shellfish and pork, you can create a vegetarian version that is easy to make and is very tasty. In a Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions, peppers, and scallions in a little bit of butter until soft. Then, add some minced garlic along with parsley, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper, and let sauté a bit longer until the spices are fragrant. Then add some uncooked white rice, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, water, uncooked lentils, and salt to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir until the tomato paste is mixed, and then cover, reduce heat, and let everything simmer for about half an hour while you go do something else. Finally, add some fresh corn and pitted olives, and cook a few until the lentils and rice are soft. Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper for a meal that is filling and, even better, is completely vegetarian.
A third wonderful choice when you are looking for an easy vegetarian recipe is stuffed peppers. In a pot, heat some oil or butter and sauté chopped onion and garlic until soft. Add slices of mushrooms, carrots, and cherry tomatoes, and stir together. Add uncooked rice to the pot along with some vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil, and then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. In the meantime, cut the tops off of some bell peppers and set aside. Clean out the inside of the peppers and place the empty peppers in small baking dish. Once the rice has fully absorbed the liquid, stir in some mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and replace the tops. Bake until the peppers are hot all the way through. If the peppers start to dry out, add a little water or vegetable broth to the bottom of the baking pan while the peppers are cooking.
