MyPlate-Inspired Vegetarian Recipes

Cooking Light is working with the Partnership for a Healthier America and USDA’s MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to thousands of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov. Find recipes at http://pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes/.

Ready in just over 20 minutes, these pita sandwiches are a delicious option for Meatless Monday or an everyday lunch option for a vegetarian diet.

Quick-cooking red lentils don't need to be pureed since they break down as they cook. Lentils are a great source of protein, as well as fiber. This recipe gives 20 percent of your daily fiber goal. Serve over brown rice with a side of broccoli for a vegetarian meal.

Toss the pasta and vegetables immediately after cooking. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg, thickening it into a light, creamy sauce.

This quick vegetarian entrée is full of flavor and rich vegetables. Piercing the tofu with a fork allows the sesame oil and soy sauce to absorb into the tofu, making it more flavorful.

Don't skimp on the oil: There's a good bit here, but it creates a gorgeous tomato sauce that coats the noodles nicely. Burrata is rich, delicious fresh mozzarella cheese filled with cream. Although it was originally a hard-to-find imported Italian ingredient, now Bel Gioioso (an American cheese producer) makes and sells it in the gourmet cheese section at many major supermarkets.

Traditional falafel is made from seasoned, mashed chickpeas that are shaped into patties and deep-fried. Here we use the same components to make a tasty filling for eggplants, baked and topped with a deliciously nutty sauce.

Soba noodles lose about 80% of their sodium when cooked in unsalted water. Rinse and drain the soba thoroughly after cooking to remove any lingering salt.

Here's the key to a speedy dinner: While the eggplant broils, toast your bread slices in a toaster oven.

Quick, healthy, and delightful, flavorful lentils mix well with poached eggs for a quick and easy meatless meal option.

Serve these individual vegetarian pizzas with sliced fresh strawberries, plain 2% Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey for a complete meal.

This is more of a knife-and-fork taco. The soft egg yolk oozes and coats the filling for a delicious flavor and texture.

Here is a lovely twist on beloved pesto for spring. Baby spinach takes the place of most of the basil to give the sauce an earthy flavor. The thick, emerald sauce beautifully coats the flat noodles and serves up big flavor in every forkful.

Cut the sprouts lengthwise to keep their shape, about four slices per sprout. They'll be thin enough to get a deep caramelized sear quickly but still keep a good crunch.

What's quicker than pasta? This simple dinner comes together in a flash by using packaged, trimmed snap peas from the produce department.

Sometimes the best "steak" comes in the form of ripe, juicy beefsteak tomato slices, as in this easy gratin. Serve with a salad of fresh summer greens.

Full of fresh ingredients and produce, this light salad pairs well with roasted new potatoes.

These wraps are full of delicious fresh flavor. Summertime, or anytime, this will be your new go-to. Serve with pita chips.

With earthy beans, bitter greens, and sharp Parmesan cheese, this light pasta doesn't sacrifice flavor. Serve with fresh fruit for dessert for a well-balanced meal.

Truffle oil adds rich indulgence to homey comfort food. Less is more–you don't have to spend a lot on truffle oil; look for small 2- or 3-ounce bottles, which are less likely to go bad before you use up the oil.

Ready in just over 30 minutes, this dish is overflowing with fresh produce and flavorful protein.

The salty-sweet glaze complements the nutty, slightly tangy flavor of the tempeh. If you've never experimented with this soybean cake before, this is a good recipe to start with.

We lighten up these traditionally deep-fried Spanish tortilla cakes with a quick pan-sear to ensure a good, crispy edge, then finish them off in the oven for even cooking. They're fresh, simple, filling, and fast.

This crust, made tender and flaky with heart-healthy olive oil, makes the perfect base for farm-fresh tomatoes and earthy-sweet basil. For a less expensive alternative to pine nuts, substitute toasted sunflower seeds.

Crispy on the outside with a creamy, hummus-packed center. When using flour as a binder for things that are not baked, such as these pan-seared fritters, the finer grade of cake flour yields a creamier texture in the cooked product. If you don't have it, don't sweat it: You can just use all-purpose.

Make sure to zest the lemon before you squeeze the juice. Serve with a quick tomato salad: Combine 3 ounces mini mozzarella cheese balls with 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; toss to coat.

To quickly warm tortillas, stack and wrap them in damp paper towels; microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds. Serve immediately.

Bright grape tomatoes and fresh pecorino Romano cheese shine beautifully in this lovely weeknight dish. If allergies are an issue, simply omit the pine nuts.

Onion and spicy jalapeño serve as a flavorful contrast to the sweet potato in these easy cakes.

Sriracha aioli? Oh yes! The flavors in this burger just can't be beat. Add zesty Black Bean Burgers with Sriracha Aioli to your mealtess dinner options. They're superfast to make and will become a fast favorite as well.

Serve with steamed broccoli florets. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, the rim of a drinking glass will work.

We love the versatility of this 25-minute entrée. It's a hearty choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The mushroom mix here is a winning combo, but you can use any fresh variety that's readily available in your market.

Lacinato kale, also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, is the easiest variety to stuff because of its long, pliable, flat leaves.

Nutty whole grains make a perfect bed for a bowl of saucy winter veggies. If you have trouble finding kabocha squash, an acorn or butternut variety is an easy, just-as-delicious substitute.

This spin on the bistro staple steak frites offers plenty of umami satisfaction in the form of juicy, meaty portobello mushrooms and a savory wine sauce. Finishing the sauce with a touch of vegan butter gives it luxurious and velvety consistency.

Toss in any combination of root vegetables, dark leafy greens, and fresh herbs to create different versions of this versatile and simple entrée.

Drizzled on top of whole carrots and black lentils is a green harissa, a Tunisian hot sauce, to bring a balancing tang to this vegan entrée.

A sparkling risotto that truly satisfies. Stirring in a little broth at the end results in a creamier finish.

The black bean mixture is delicate. Turn cakes gently, as they may fall apart. If they do, don't worry—you can press them back together. Serve with a simple salad of lettuce, sliced cucumbers and radishes, and carrot ribbons.

Removing intermittent strips of eggplant skin not only makes this dish easier to cut and eat but also retains some of the great flavor that's in the peel.

Portabella mushroom caps bring meaty flavors and textures to this quick-cooking veggie dish. The addition of fresh mozzarella makes this a great vegetarian starter for kids.

Look for quinoa flakes on the hot cereals aisle. If you can't find them, use all panko for the topping.