Tuesday Recipes

Here are today's six vegetarian recipes. Enjoy!

GARLICKY OVEN FRIES

This comes from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian TImes, and begins, "Presoaking potato slices in hot water helps remove excess starch so they brown and crisp like oil-cooked fries." Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

2 tsp. canola oil

2 tsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Place oven rack in lowest position, and preheat oven to 475°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Soak potatoes in bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and return to dry bowl.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil, olive oil, and garlic in saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook garlic 2 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Transfer garlic to small bowl with slotted spoon.

Pour oil over potatoes, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom. Turn, and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, stir parsley into reserved garlic; sprinkle over fries. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 167; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 4.5 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 298 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

FRENCH TOAST WITH CITRUS-VANILLA SYRUP

This also comes from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, "French toast is usually soaked in a rich egg batter, pan-fried in butter, and made in batches. Here, egg whites and a homemade syrup lighten up the batter, and you bake the slices in one batch so everyone can enjoy a hot, healthful breakfast together." Serves 6.

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Citrus Syrup

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2/3 cup agave nectar

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

French Toast

1 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

6 slices French bread, cut 1-inch thick

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

To make Citrus Syrup: Whisk together agave nectar, lemon juice, orange zest, and lemon zest in glass measuring cup. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend. Heat in microwave on high power 60 seconds or until hot. Cool 10 minutes.

To make French Toast: Whisk together milk, eggs, egg whites, and ¼ cup Citrus Syrup in large casserole dish. Soak bread slices in mixture until all of custard is absorbed, turning once.

Arrange bread slices on prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with remaining Citrus Syrup.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 300; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 59 g; Cholesterol: 73 mg; Sodium: 385 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 32 g

BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

This comes from Ina Garten star of the Food Network’s show Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 37 min; Prep: 12 min; Cook: 25 min; Yield: 16 muffins; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/blueberry-coffee-cake-muffins-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

RATATOUILLE

This comes from Allyson Kramer, About.com’s Vegan Food expert. Allyson wrote, “Ratatouille is a classic flavor-packed veggie filled dish that makes a lovely main course or a stunning side dish. The key to perfect ratatouille is having evenly sliced vegetables for amazing texture. Serve the finished dish alone or atop a bed of greens, mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes; Yield: 6 Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, green tops removed

1 garlic bulb/head, tip cut off to expose the cloves

1 Japanese eggplant or 2 to 3 baby eggplants

1 unpeeled yellow zucchini

1 unpeeled green zucchini

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed

1 very large carrot, orange is best, but any color will do

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil + additional for drizzling

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 °F. Place the tomatoes and garlic bulb onto a large piece of foil, about 12 x 12 inches. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic bulb with 1 teaspoon olive oil and then fold the foil up and over into a loose pouch around the tomatoes and garlic. Place the foil pouch onto an ungreased baking sheet or cake pan. Roast the tomatoes and garlic bulb for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the skins on tomatoes are quite wrinkly and dark in color, and the garlic is fragrant and tender.

Remove the foil pouch from the oven, open the pouch and allow to cool about 15 minutes, or until easy to handle. Once cooled, carefully remove the skins from the tomatoes and scoop out the cooked garlic from the bulb.

Decrease your oven's temperature to 375 °F. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and carrot into thin even slices, about 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch thick using either a very sharp knife or mandoline.

In a food processor or blender, blend the roasted tomatoes and garlic along with the tomato paste, sea salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides of the blending container as needed.

Spread about 3/4 of the sauce into the bottom of a lightly greased ceramic or metal oven safe dish, about 8 inches in diameter. Arrange the sliced vegetables into a spiral ring, alternating the colors to create a colorful pattern with the vegetables. Once all the vegetables have been placed securly and the dish is full, drizzle the with olive oil (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) and the remainder of the sauce.

Top with fresh thyme, oregano, black pepper and salt.

Cover with a layer of parchment paper and place onto the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender and very fragrant. Remove the ratatouille from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

BAINGAN BHARTA

This is from Mark Bittman, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Time: about 45 minutes; makes 4 servings.

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Ingredients

2 pounds eggplant

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 fresh hot green chile like a jalapeño, or more to taste, thinly sliced (discard seeds for less heat)

1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, thin stems included

2 teaspoons garam masala

Preparation

Prick the eggplant with a thin-blade knife. Grill over or next to very high heat, turning as necessary until the skin is blackened and the eggplant collapses. Or broil, or roast on a heated cast-iron pan in the hottest possible oven. It will take about 20 minutes.

When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel (this will be easy) and trim away the hard stem. Chop or mash in a bowl, with lime juice.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for another minute. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato is soft, 5 minutes or so.

Stir in the eggplant purée and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala and turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm chapati bread or pita, or over rice.

BROCCOLI RABE LASAGNA

This comes from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Broccoli rabe (sometimes spelled raab, or known as rapini greens) is one of the most delicious members of the mustard green family. The leaves, tender stems and broccoli-like buds have a distinctive pleasant bitterness when cooked. For this vegetarian lasagna, some of the cooked greens are puréed to make a garlicky pesto and the rest is coarsely chopped and added to the layers.” Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the Lasagna:

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

Salt and pepper

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.

Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and ?1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.

Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)

Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.