Monday Recipes

Hope your holiday weekend was good. Now we're in this year's home-stretch. (And yes, I'll be posting on Friday, which happens to be New Year's Day. And now, for today's six recipes. Enjoy!

ULTIMATE VEGAN LASAGNA

This comes from the February 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe begins, "This recipe eliminates the messy, time-consuming process of preboiling the noodles—use any whole-wheat, brown rice, or regular lasagna noodles right out of the box. They'll cook in the sauce." Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Filling

2 tsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach

2 12-oz. pkgs. firm tofu, drained

1 8-oz. pkg. vegan cream cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Lasagna

5 1/2 cups Speedy Red Sauce (the next posted recipe)

12 uncooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles

12 oz. vegan Italian sausage links, cut into thin rounds, or soy sausage crumbles, broken apart

1 cup shredded mozzarella flavor vegan cheese (3 oz.)

To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in oil 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Add spinach, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl of food processor. Add tofu, cream cheese, basil, and nutritional yeast, and purée until mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread one-quarter of Speedy Red Sauce recipe on bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with one-third of noodles (4 or 5 noodles), then half of Filling, and ladle on another one-quarter of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining Filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with one-quarter of sauce. Finish with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Cover lasagna with foil, and bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Uncover, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until noodles are tender and topping is melted. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per 2-x-3-inch slice: Calories: 508; Protein: 33 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 60 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 817 mg; Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 10 g; Vegan

SPEEDY RED SAUCE

This also comes from the February 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, "This all-purpose pasta sauce can be used on spaghetti as well as in our Ultimate Vegan Lasagna. Puréed roasted red peppers help thicken it quickly." Makes 5 1/2 cups in 30 minutes or less.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained

2 small onions, diced (2 cups)

2 Tbs. dried basil or 3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

Purée roasted red peppers in food processor or blender until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté 5 minutes, or until golden. Add basil and garlic, and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in tomatoes and roasted red pepper purée. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 53; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 352 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 6 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

VEGAN RICE-STUFFED PUMPKIN

This is from page 71 of the October 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, "The stuffing for this entrée can be made two days ahead." Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

1 lb. wild rice blend

2 lb. fresh spinach, stemmed

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided

6 cups sliced button mushrooms (1 1/2 lb.)

1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)

1 cup diced celery

9 cloves garlic, minced, divided (3 Tbs.)

3 Tbs. chopped fresh sage, divided

4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 6- to 8-lb. cooking pumpkin

Prepare wild rice blend according to package directions. Transfer to bowl.

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in bottom of skillet. Add spinach, and cook 4 minutes, or until wilted. Drain, and cool, then squeeze dry, chop, and add to rice in bowl.

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, 4 tsp. garlic, 1 Tbs. sage, and 2 tsp. thyme; sauté 10 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated. Stir in corn and kidney beans, and sauté 3 minutes. Stir mushroom mixture into rice mixture. Fold in pecans, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut top from pumpkin, and scoop out seeds and pulp.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup oil, remaining 5 tsp. garlic, 2 Tbs. sage, and 2 tsp. thyme in bowl. Brush oil mixture over inside of pumpkin. Fill pumpkin with rice mixture, cover with top, and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin is tender when side is pierced with knife tip. Uncover, and bake 10 to 20 minutes more.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 272; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 43 g; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Sodium: 227 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 25 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

LABNEH TART WITH HONEY-CRANBERRY TOPPING

This comes from the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 46. The recipe begins, "Labneh, or yogurt cheese, is a Middle Eastern strained plain yogurt. Make your own by draining plain Greek yogurt in a strainer placed over a bowl for several hours." Serves 10.

To view this online, click here.

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. melted coconut oil, divided

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour, sifted

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 tsp. sea salt

5 Tbs. maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

8 Tbs. honey, divided

1 1/2 cups labneh

1 vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush 9-inch springform pan with 1 tsp. oil. Set aside.

Blend oats, coconut, oat flour, rice flour, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground, and transfer to bowl. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup oil, syrup, and vanilla.

Press crust into bottom of prepared pan. (Do not press up sides.) Bake 25 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

Meanwhile, bring cranberries and 6 Tbs. honey to a simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 3 minutes, or until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.

Place labneh in bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, then whisk in remaining 2 Tbs. honey. Spread labneh mixture over baked crust, and drizzle with cranberry mixture. Serve warm or chilled.

nutritional information Per Per slice: Calories: 355; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 15 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 24 mg; Sodium: 54 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 22 g; Gluten-Free

BLACK BEAN, CHEESE, AND TORTILLA CASSEROLE

This is from Miri Rotkovitz, About.com's Kosher Food expert. Miri writes, “This layered Black Bean, Cheese, and Tortilla Casserole is quick and easy to throw together, but it packs big flavor. It's ideal for busy nights, but you may just find yourself craving its comforting goodness even when you've got time to spare for leisurely meal prep.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: Serves 4 to 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 medium onion, trimmed, peeled, and chopped

3 large cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and finely chopped

3 scallions, sliced, white and light green parts only

1 teaspoon cumin

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup tomato salsa (mild, medium, or hot, depending on preference)

12 soft corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For Serving:

Guacamole

Salsa, homemade or store bought

Sour cream or crème fraiche

Hot sauce

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Oil a 9 or 10" casserole dish and set aside.

Warm the olive oil a chefs pan or large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, scallions, and cumin, and saute about a minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in the black beans, tomato sauce, and salsa, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 4 tortillas, overlapping or trimming to fit if necessary (if you are using a rectangular or oblong dish, you may want to cut a couple of the tortillas in half to get a better fit; don't worry if the tortillas don't cover the entire dish.)

Toss the cheeses together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the tortillas with 1/3 of the cheese. Top with 1/2 of the tomato-bean mixture, smoothing the top with a spatula. Arrange 4 more tortillas over the beans, top with 1/3 of the cheese, and the rest of the beans. Top the casserole with the rest of the tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with the rest of the cheese, drizzle with a little olive oil, and bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top as desired with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and hot sauce. Enjoy!

BEAN AND VEGETABLE STEW

Yield: 6 Servings (about 1-1/3 cups each)

Source: 1,001 Delicious Recipes For People With Diabetes

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/905.shtml

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium Idaho potato, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon flour

1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained

1 can (16 ounces) tomato wedges, undrained

3/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Saute onion, potato, sweet potato, bell pepper, and garlic in oil in large saucepan 5 minutes; stir in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper, to saucepan; heat to boiling.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 209; Protein: 7.7 g; Fat: 5.5 g; Sodium: 493 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 2 Bread/Starch, 1 Fat