Vegetarian Experiments month

After a month of dessert, I decided it was time for something a little healthier. As much fun as it was for me to have two or three desserts in the fridge at all times, I can't say it helped my pants fit any better!

So I'm declaring this month a vegetarian challenge month. I have a few inspirations for this--first of all, it would be nice to have some recipes I could make when my sister comes home that I know are good. Second, I continually hear that cooking vegetarian once or twice a week is a great way to save money. And finally, I recently found this website with a ton of recipes that sound really, really good!

This week, I made a broccoli brown rice bake (I'll also copy the recipe below, although I'd recommend visiting the website to get some more ideas!). It was good, especially considering how healthy it was, but I think next time I'm going to try adding in a cream of mushroom soup (or something else to add some liquid) and some more smaller vegetables. The casserole was great the first day, but dried out pretty badly on reheating. Also, since the broccoli usually comes in larger chunks, it didn't mix in very evenly with the rice. I think it might be better if I added in some green peas, chopped okra or carrots, or something of a similar smaller size. It is still definitely worth trying, though--for such a simple dish, it was surprisingly good.

Broccoli Brown Rice Bake
I made this in a 9x13 pan, and about a sixth of the pan is a serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain brown rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 4 cups broccoli, florets and peeled stems
• 4 ounces (half a brick) low fat cream cheese (I added about 2 extra ounces for more moisture)
• freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to package directions (in a pot or rice cooker) until tender. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a large, shallow casserole dish.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the celery and onion and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
4. Add the broccoli, stir to combine and sauté for another 3 minutes or until broccoli is not quite tender.
5. Add the cheese to the skillet, breaking it up and stirring it to make a slightly thick, creamy gravy that coats the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Scrape the vegetable cheese mixture into the bowl with the rice and toss to mix well. Season the casserole with the basil. 
7. Transfer the mixture to an oiled casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.