Thinking about getting your veggie diet on but think you’ll miss meat too much? Well, Vegetarianized.com won’t make you give it a second thought with their mouth-watering recipes like the Grilled Cheese Elvis full of gooey goodness and bananas, asparagus muffin pudding, pretzel cheese soup, and more! The site gives step-by-step instructions along with photos. Right now we’re salivating over the Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde. Try whipping it up this weekend — it only takes 30 minutes!

Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde
Adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Times April 2010
Servings: 6
Time: 15 minutes active; 20 minutes total
Price: About $17.75 total; about $3.00 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 387.1
Protein: 11.5g
Fat: 16.1g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 57.7g
Fiber: 12.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 241.2mg

Marinade:
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp black pepper

Tacos:
6 large portobello caps, washed and stems removed
18 6″ corn tortillas
2 avocados, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 head of cabbage, sliced

Salsa Verde:
12oz can of tomatillos, drained
1 large poblano pepper, roughly chopped
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves only
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp SnP, each

1. Preheat grill or grill pan. Meanwhile marinate mushrooms by mixing canola oil, balsamic and pepper in a shallow dish. Place mushrooms in marinade and coat. Set aside.

2. To make salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a processor and process until smooth.

3. When grill is hot, grill mushrooms for 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool. Slice.

4. Lay out three tortillas per person and divide sliced mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes and cabbage evenly  between each. Top with several spoonfuls of salsa verde.

What your favorite vegetarian dish? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter.

So you’ve seen the commercials with the ladies talking about how HFCS is just like sugar and it’s fine in moderation. But did you also see the SNL skit mocking them? Hilarious! But it got us thinking … what’s really the deal with HFCS?

Basically, along with the HFCS you’re also getting helpings of caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, alpha-amylase, gluco-amylase, isomerase, filter aid, powdered carbon, calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate. Phew!

The one you have to watch out for is hydrochloric acid. It’s a necessary chemical in the creation of HFCS that yields traces of the heavy metal mercury at levels that are high enough to cause some serious damage.

Plus, HFCS can lead to diabetes, obesity and other heart conditions. So Greenista Girls, don’t fall for those “it’s fine in moderation” HFCS commercials.

On these cold winter days, don’t you wish you could cuddle up with a warm bowl of some delish soup? Abe’s Market, the online marketplace for great natural products, is the place to order four different yummy gluten-free soups from Cook-In-The-Kitchen. How to choose from Harvest Garden, Mediterranean Lentil, Welsh Potato, and Dilled Tomato? Decisions decisions! And what makes this soup even more tempting is that it is shipped right to your door and ready to prepare. We love that they can be enjoyed just the way they are, or extra ingredients can be added, such as fresh cilantro to the lentil soup. And extra soup can be frozen for later…but we sure don’t plan on having leftovers!

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Abe’s Market

Does the thought of opening up a pomegranate leave you dazed and confused? This is the season to find beautiful red pomegranates at your grocery store, and with these easy tips from Greenista Girl Shubhra’s award winning cookbook, Entice with Spice – Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People, you can enjoy the fruit (actually seeds), of your labor! We enjoy eating the ruby red jeweled seeds as they are, and sometimes even with a sprinkle of salt on them. Or try them in salads, couscous, sprinkled over chicken or fish dishes, or in yogurt or ice cream. Mmmm!

How to Extract Seeds from a Pomegranate

• Cut off the crown (the small protruding knob) with a knife.
• Score the pomegranate from the crown end down to the other end, cutting only skin-deep, into four or five sections.
• Pry the wedges apart with your hands. Working over a bowl, face a wedge downwards and bend it back to allow the seeds to come loose, picking out the seeds with your fingers.
• Repeat with the other wedges. Enjoy!

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Alive and Well

Tip courtesy of Shubhra Ramineni. www.enticewithspice.com

Make a fairytale come true and have your own real secret garden.  The Secret Garden kit is perfect for a child, or even a gift to yourself to get you in the springtime mood.  This cute kit comes with 6 varieties of flowering seeds, growing directions, and a “secret garden” plan to grow a sunflower walls and a snow flower carpet. We love that it comes so cutely packaged in a recycled steel case with its own “magic” key and reusable storage tins for seeds.  Unlock the magic and get started growing your garden today to experience beautiful colors and wonderful scents.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Branch Home

Who knew that laying out in the sun to the point of getting shriveled would be a good thing?  It works for tomatoes and turns them into a gourmet ingredient, sun-dried tomatoes.  These days ovens and fancy dehydrators are used to make sun-dried tomatoes, but we enjoy the old-fashioned and natural way of using the sun.  We especially love them in pasta dishes and to top off on salads. Here’s how to make your own …

Homemade Sun-dried Tomatoes

• Organic tomatoes (Roma, Cherry, or any variety)
• Salt

Wash the tomatoes and then slice them in half. Place them on a raised screen and lightly sprinkle with salt.  Place outside in the sun and depending on your weather conditions, this could take anywhere from four days to two weeks. Bring them in during the night, so the dew will not undo the drying process. About 10 standard tomatoes yields one ounce of dried tomatoes. The end product must be perfectly dry but not crispy, with no inner moisture in order to avoid bacteria growth.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Trade Note

Recipe Adapted from About.com

Nothing says New Year’s Eve like a bottle of bubbly. Grab yours and ring in the New Year by toasting with a bubbly that makes you feel good all over. Pommery POP Earth Champagne is eco-friendly champagne that is good for you and good for the environment.  Pommery makes this champagne with sustainably-farmed grapes, and uses limited water and energy consumption in the production process. The bottle is made of lighter glass with a label made of recycled paper. And to put a cork in it, we love the crisp and fruity flavors of this champagne.  Cheers!

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Tonic.com

Wondering what to do with all those bottles of wine your friends gifted to you during the holidays? Transform it into mulled wine – a warm elegant drink with sugar and spice.

Mulled Wine

Serves 10; Cook time: 20 minutes

• 2 bottles dry red wine
• 4 ounces port or brandy
• 12 whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 large orange, zested

Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Do not allow mixture to boil. Heat for 20 minutes and serve in a large, heat resistant punch bowl.  For a cute garnish, place a cinnamon stick in each glass.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photo by Eco Salon

Recipe Adapted from Food Network – The Cookworks

Everyone loves fries but you don’t typically see them at your Holiday dinner table. Here is an elegant version of fries made from sweet potatoes that will fit right into your Holiday menu.

Cranberries are an iconic holiday staple. Whether you are eating them or decorating with them, cranberries are must. One of the Greenista Girls’ favorite recipes has a special spicy twist. Make it for your holiday party or Christmas dinner. Your guests will go crazy for it … and go crazy trying to find out your secret spices.

Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir

Makes 2 1/2 cups; courtesy of Simply Recipes

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.
2. Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
3. Add crystallized ginger, curry powder and five-spice powder.
4. Serve sauce cold or warm.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photo by Closet Cooking