Thursday Recipes

Here are today's six vegetarian recipes. Enjoy!

FRIED RICE

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Here's a brilliant and addictive way to use up leftovers that comes together in about 20 minutes. It can accommodate practically any vegetable languishing in your refrigerator, and adding leftover cooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp isn't a bad idea either.” Of course, as a vegetarian, I'd add any leftover tofu (especially if it's been marinated) or any number of meat substitutes. What would you add in place of meat? Add a comment, as I'd love to hear what others would add! Time: 20 minutes; serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste

1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)

1 tablespoon minced ginger, or to taste

3 to 4 cups cooked white rice, cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, or water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup minced cilantro or scallions

Preparation

Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or a large skillet, and turn heat to high. When it begins to shimmer, add onion, pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to a bowl.

Drain peas if necessary, and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Remove them to the bowl.

Put remaining oil in the skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. When the mixture is fragrant, about 15 seconds later, add the rice, breaking up clumps with a spoon as you go along and tossing it with oil. When the rice is well coated, make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Scramble these, then stir into the rice.

Return vegetables to the skillet and stir to integrate. Add wine or water and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in the cilantro and serve.

MCBITTY'S BEAN BURGERS

This is from Mark Bittman, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “Make semi-veganism work for you. Once a week, let bean burgers stand in for hamburgers, leave the meat out of your pasta sauce, make a risotto the likes of which you’ve probably never had — and you may just find yourself eating 'better.'” Makes 8 small burgers or 4 supersize burgers.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried stemless porcini mushrooms

2 cups cooked or drained canned black beans

1 teaspoon roughly chopped garlic

3/4 cup rolled oats, or more if needed

2 teaspoons smoked paprika or chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and black pepper

Bean-cooking liquid, porcini soaking liquid or water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes; roughly chop.

Put the mushrooms, beans, garlic, oats, spices and soy sauce in a food processor with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Let the machine run until the mixture is combined, not puréed, about 30 seconds. (Or use a potato masher.) Add oats to thicken, or liquid to thin, as needed.

Stir in the cilantro, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Shape into 4 large or 8 small patties; let them sit for 5 minutes.

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until crisp on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the burgers are crisp on the other side, another 5 minutes or so. Serve with the usual fixings.

APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.

In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.

CHOYOTE RATATOUILLE AND RED BEANS

This is from the March 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. It begins, “When chayote is simmered, it takes on a zucchini-like texture and tenderness, making it a perfect cold-weather substitute in this Provençal vegetable dish. We’ve added kidney beans for extra protein so you can serve this as a main dish over couscous, rice, or pasta.” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 small onions, quartered and thinly sliced (2 cups)

2 small red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin 1 1/2-inch-long strips

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into eighths, and thinly sliced (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

4 chayotes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (8 cups)

2 15-oz. cans chopped tomatoes

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 sprigs fresh oregano

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. harissa paste, optional

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

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and fennel, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are translucent. Stir in garlic, then chayote, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, harissa paste (if using), and 1 cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes.

Add kidney beans, and cook, covered, 10 to 15 minutes more, or until chayote is tender. Adjust seasoning with harissa paste, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

nutritional information Per Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 332 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 8 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

ULTRA-EASY POT PIE

This also comes from the March 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 43. It begins, "You can have all of the ingredients on hand for this pot pie and whip it up any time you need a hot, satisfying meal." Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 1/3 cups prepared vegan creamy potato-leek soup

1/2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

2 10-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

1 sheet vegan puff pastry, from 17.3-oz pkg., thawed

Position oven racks in middle and bottom positions, and preheat oven to 450˚F.

Whisk 2 Tbs. cold water into cornstarch in medium saucepan. Whisk in soup, rosemary, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in vegetables, then spread mixture in 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Unfold puff pastry, and place over vegetable mixture; allow pastry to drape over pie pan. Trim pastry edges with scissors or sharp knife so that it fits tightly in pan. Prick pastry all over with fork or knife. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until puff pastry is puffed and golden.

nutritional information Per Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 373; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 607 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan

ROCKY ROAD CAKE

Another recipe from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake!

And for a certain son who's having a birthday tomorrow, this would be a great birthday cake!

1 C chopped nuts

4 eggs

1 C raisins

1 C mayonnaise

1 C mini-marshmallows

1 C water

6 oz. package of chocolate chips

1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding

Grease & flour 2 9-inch pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.

Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 stick butter

8 oz. cream cheese

1 box confectioners sugar

Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!