By Kely Ann Rosario

Some people dismiss the idea of vegetarianism because they think it will put too great a limit on the variety of foods that they can eat. On the contrary, many people find that switching to a vegetarian diet opens them up to a world of culinary possibilities they had never experienced before.

Exotic cuisines that are rife with vegetarian options like Thai, Indian, and Ethiopian are often forgotten in the typical American ethnic diet of Italian, Mexican or Chinese. Not many people realize that closing the door on one type of food opens a window to an entirely new range of options.

Of course trying cuisines from different countries isn't the only way to explore the possibilities of vegetarianism. Sometimes all it takes is a new way of preparing food. Here are six great vegetarian recipes you can make with a food processor.

Guacamole

Guacamole is best when eaten fresh, so serve immediately after making.

2 ripe avocados ¼ red onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped Juice of 1 lime Handful of fresh cilantro

Simply halve the avocados and remove the pit. Take off the skins and throw them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. It is good to chop up the tomato, celery, garlic, and onion a little bit before you process everything, but you don't have to go too crazy. Just blend it to the thickness of your liking and serve fresh. A compact food processor like the Cuisinart Mini-prep Plus Processor may seem small, but it is big enough for this recipe.

Tahini Dressing

Tahini is a traditional Middle Eastern dressing that is a common topping for falafel. It is also delicious on any regular garden salad. This is not to be confused with tahini paste, which is a common ingredient in hummus.

¾ cup sesame seeds (make sure you hydrate them if they are dried out) juice of 1 lemon (or about 3 tbsp if you are using bottled lemon juice) 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp of fresh chopped ginger (or ginger powder) ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup apple juice

All you have to do with this recipe is blend it up. Depending on what type of sesame seeds you are using, you might have to process it a little longer to get a good consistency. You really want to make this dressing as creamy as possible. The high-power possibilities of the KitchenAid 700-watt 12-cup Chrome Food Processor should make that a snap.

Falafel

Since we gave you the tahini recipe, we should follow it with a falafel recipe so you have something to drizzle it on.

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained 1 medium-sized onion, chopped 2 cloves of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of coriander 1 teaspoon of cumin ½ teaspoon of salt 2 tablespoons flour oil for frying (canola, vegetable, or olive oil all work fine)

Blend all of this in a food processor until it makes a thick paste. A larger food processor like the Hamilton Beach 14-cup Big Mouth Food Processor is great because you can easily double the size of the recipe if you have guests over.

Once you have processed the paste, form it into small balls (about ping pong ball size) and slightly flatten them. If you have a deep fryer, use it. If not, you can fry them in two inches of oil at 350 degrees until they are golden brown. This takes about 2-5 minutes. Let them cool a minute and then drizzle some of that tahini on them! Goes great with pita bread or fresh vegetables.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Of course hummus also goes great with falafel. The wonderful thing about hummus is its versatility. From the basic ingredients of chickpeas, tahini, and extra virgin olive oil, you can add other flavors to your heart's content. This version calls for a roasted red pepper.

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas or great northern beans, drained 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper salt and pepper to taste

First, you are going to want to roast the pepper over an open flame. Just turn on a burner on your stove and set the pepper right on the flame. Turn it with tongs until it is blackened and then put it in a paper bag for ten minutes. This will loosen the skin so it is easy to peel. Peel the pepper, cut off the top and remove the seeds and membrane. Then just blend everything up!

Oftentimes you don't even need to add the salt and pepper, so have some crackers ready so you can taste as you go. The Hamilton Beach 6-cup Food Processor has more than enough room and power to handle this recipe.

Apple Jicama Salsa

This is an exciting take on salsa that uses apples instead of tomatoes and flavors it with the root of the Mexican jicama vine.

3 cups chopped granny smith apples 3 cups diced and peeled jicama 1 jalapeno, chopped (leave the seeds if you want extra spice!) 1 red onion, diced Juice of 3 lemons (or 10 tbsp of lemon juice) 1 red bell pepper, diced Handful of cilantro

Depending on how much chopping you do ahead of time, this might not require too much processing. It all depends on how chunky you like your salsa. A machine like the Proctor Silex Food Chopper won't instantly puree it, so you have time to keep checking on the consistency.

Indian Raita

Raita is a delicious yogurt-based dip from Indian cuisine. It is commonly used to cool down your mouth when it is paired with a spicy Indian dish. Savory yogurt dips are severely lacking in Western cuisine but this low-fat dip will quickly become a staple in your refrigerator.

½ cup plain yogurt ½ cucumber, seeded and chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Just blend everything together and serve. And guess what that goes really well with this outside of the realm of Indian food? Falafel of course! Mix it up in the Cuisinart 11-cup Food Processor so you can easily double the recipe. This recipe is so low in fat (especially if you substitute low-fat yogurt) that there is no reason not to make a lot!

These recipes are just a glimpse into the world of exotic vegetarian cuisine. Feel free to make your own variations or even create some totally new recipes of your own! 

Kely Ann Rosario is a freelance writer who writes about kitchen items such as food processors.