As vegetarians (and especially vegans!) we have a clear conscience when it comes to our planetary footprint and our dietary karma. While I can't help you with too many other forms of guilt you may secretly harbor within, these healthy dessert recipes can help you ease any guilt you might feel about overindulging your sweet tooth or feeding the kids too much tooth-rotting sugar. Try out a protein-packed reduced-sugar healthy vegan chocolate mousse recipe (pictured, above left), or, perhaps you fancy a low-cal and nearly fat-free vegan chocolate sorbet (pictured, right). It's ridiculously delicious, and completely guilt-free. Assuming you use fair-trade locally-sourced shade-grown organic cocoa, of course.

Link: Healthy dessert recipes

Make vegetarian stuffed tomatoes with a simple pesto and bread crumb stuffing mixture. Use a homemade vegan pesto recipe to make these easy stuffed tomatoes vegan as well as vegetarian. These could be either a light and healthy vegetarian main dish or a vegan appetizer or hors d' oeuvres. My friend Ben likes to think of these as little tomato cupcakes topped with a pesto frosting.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Ben C. Thanks, Ben!

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Butternut squash is so naturally flavorful that it needs little enhancement once cooked. This simple recipe, with just four ingredients, makes a sweet and salty side dish that taste so good you'd think you were eating candy. Add sauteed tofu and perhaps some lightly wilted spinach to make it an entree served with rice or another whole grain, or, make the recipe as is for a simple and understated yet delicious side dish.

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Hello, my name is Jolinda, and I'm a carboholic. But I don't mind. In fact, I love it! Pasta, though not particularly nutritious, has long been one of my favorite foods. These days, I use whole wheat noodles or even tofu noodles as much as possible. This penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is a rich and filling way to add some protein to your carb fix. Sun-dried tomatoes carry the intense flavor, walnuts add a rich texture, and the tofu adds a creamy ricotta-like quality to this vegetarian and vegan pasta entree. Two reviewers have given this recipe their stamp of approval. Bon appetit!

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