Instructions: Black beans & saffron rice - this is a simple, yet tasty, Cuban dinner. Choose a saffron rice mix, if you can find one. Mahatma is a particularly good vegan brand; watch out for mixes that arent vegetarian (Vigo, for example, uses chicken broth in their mix). Otherwise, Spanish rice works just as well. Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, gently heat 1-2 cans of black beans. Spice with cumin, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and/or chopped fresh cilantro. Serve beans over rice and top with red or green salsa. Preparation time = about 20 minutes

Summer vegetable feast - vegetables are in their prime during the hot summer months; shop at a farmers market or roadside stand to get the best produce. Ive created some wonderful meals by letting the vegetables stand alone, and I always try to think about a well-rounded meal (choosing different colors helps). One version of this type of dinner is corn on the cob, steamed asparagus with lemon, tomato salad, and green beans with new potatoes. Tomato salad: Chop 4 tomatoes and mix them with a handful of chopped green onions (scallions - green part only) and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, and let the salad sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the veggies.

Green beans/new potatoes: wash, trim, and snap the green beans and wash the new potatoes. Place them in a large pot, cover with water, add a veggie broth cube or two plus spices if you wish (oregano, basil) and bring to a boil. Cook at high until potatoes are done and you can push a fork through them easily (approx. 15 minutes). Corn on the cob: bring a large pot of water to a boil (do not salt water). Meanwhile, remove husks and silk from the corn. Boil cobs for 10 minutes. Steamed asparagus: wash asparagus and trim bottoms from each spear. Place spears in a large, shallow pan, and add a little water (about 1/2 cup). Cook over medium-high heat, covered, until spears are tender (approx. 7 minutes). Drain the asparagus, then squeeze fresh lemon juice over the spears before serving. Preparation time = approximately 30 minutes

Risi e bisi (rice and peas) - you can prepare this without mushrooms, but its tastier to include them. Soak a handful of dried wild mushrooms (I used shiitake) in 2 cups of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop them into small pieces. Transfer the 2 cups of mushroom liquid to a pot, and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of white rice, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of frozen peas according to package directions (or open a can of peas). When the rice is done, stir in the peas and mushrooms. I think I also added a few teaspoons of dried dill. (If you prefer not to deal with the mushrooms, cook the rice in veggie broth for added flavor - this will cut 30 minutes from your cooking time.) Preparation time = approximately 50 minutes with mushrooms, 20 minutes without.

Falafel sandwiches - falafel is a spicy Mediterranean patty made from fava beans and chickpeas. Usually, these patties are fried, but you can bake them for a lower-fat meal. Grab a falafel mix from the store; youll find these in health food stores or in well-stocked grocery stores near the couscous & tabbouleh. Near East makes a very good mix. Prepare according to package directions, then stuff in pita bread with sprouts, lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. These sandwiches are very dense and filling. Preparation time = 10 minutes if fried, 40 minutes if baked.

TLTs (Tempeh, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) - tempeh is an acquired taste, and this is a good recipe to start with. Cut tempeh into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Fry slices using a little oil (or PAM for a lower-fat version), browning on each side (approx. 4 minutes per side). Meanwhile, toast some bread. Place tempeh slices on toasted bread; top with lettuce, tomato, and Nayonnaise (vegan soy mayonnaise) and enjoy! Preparation time = less than 10 minutes.

Baked potatoes with vegetarian chili - recipe submitted by Jenni (acetalyne@aol.com). Heat up a can of veggie chili (Health Valley Spicy Fat Free is excellent), put chili on baked potatoes. You can usually top 3 - 4 potatoes with one can. This can be made in about six minutes for each potato if you microwave them. Fancy it up with chopped tomatoes, olives or jalapenos if you like. Love this for dinner. (Thank you, Jenni!) VARIATION: Top potatoes with black beans spiced with cumin, cayenne, and chopped cilantro. Top with chopped green onions and red or green salsa. Preparation time = less than 10 minutes per potato

Black bean dip (snack) - make this when youre bored with salsa. Add to food processor the following: 1 can black beans (drained), 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, 1/3 cup red salsa, 2-4 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1-2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno peppers. Play around with ingredients until you like the taste. At times, Ive doubled this recipe and used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of red kidney beans - the kidney beans give a thicker (less soupy) consistency. Serve with tortilla chips or warmed pita slices. As this dip sits in the refrigerator, it gets spicier & more garlicky, so watch out! Preparation time = less than 10 minutes

Biscuits & soysage gravy (breakfast) - You will need: 1 can veg*an biscuits, 1 package Soysage or other meatless sausage product (Gimme Lean, etc.), 1 tablespoon olive oil, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup flour, hot water, seasoning (cajun, salt, pepper, etc.). Lets face it - this isnt a nutritious dish. But if youre craving gravy and biscuits, youve got to try this recipe. First, cook the biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut the soysage into rounds and cook it according to package directions. I use a light oil spray, like PAM, to reduce fat content, and this works just fine. In a large skillet, brown the patties on each side, approx. 4 minutes per side. When theyre done, remove about 2/3 of the soysage rounds from your skillet to eat with biscuits, etc.

Break up the remaining 1/3 with a spatula, so that youve got little pieces of soysage in your skillet. Over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. (Start with 1 tablespoon, and add more if you need it.) Put the flour in a 2 cup measure, and fill the cup to the top with HOT water. Whisk the flour and water together to mix well, and then pour the mixture little by little into the skillet, stirring as you pour. As you stir, the gravy will begin to form and thicken. Add more flour to thicken, or add more hot water to thin. Make sure you wait a bit before deciding which to do, as the gravy will thicken over a few minutes. Season the gravy with your favorite spices, but make sure to salt and pepper well. I like to add a kicky spice mix called Rex - cajun seasonings go very well with the soysage flavor. Serve the gravy over vegan biscuits and the reserved soysage rounds. Enjoy! Preparation time = 10-15 minutes

Rice & veggies with gravy (recipe submitted by Chris MacBlain, chipley@beaches.net, added 11 November 1997) - One quick meal we do is rice (white or brown) or pasta, a can of Veg-All and a quick no-fat (no animal product) brown gravy (Pioneer is a good brand). Cook rice, cook gravy according to directions (we add Braggs Amino Acid and all purpose herb seasoning), put veg-all into the gravy then serve over rice. A quick "no brainer" for those really rushed days. Preparation time = 15-20 minutes

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