Wednesday Recipes

Enjoy!

SCALLOPED POTATOES

This comes from the January 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “There are lots of reasons to scallop sweet potatoes instead of plain white spuds. Vitamins A and E—both good for the immune system—are two. And since this recipe has only 3 grams of fat (versus the 9 grams or more in many homemade versions), you won't have to turn down seconds!” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups roasted or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup low-fat milk

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 bay leaf

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lb.), peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 8 8-oz. ramekins or 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion slices, and sauté until soft, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add broth, milk, garlic, thyme, nutmeg and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is reduced to just under 3 cups, about 7 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add sweet potatoes to liquid. Return to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into ramekins or baking dish; bake 30 minutes for ramekins, 40 minutes for baking dish, basting potatoes occasionally with liquid in dish. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes, and bake ramekins 10 minutes; large dish 20 minutes. Let both rest 5 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 161; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 7 mg; Sodium: 194 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 2 g

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

This also comes from the January 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 73. It begins, “If there's a synonym for ooey gooey, this is it: diner-style chocolate cake. But while this version has a moist, velvety texture and a deep chocolate flavor, it's surprisingly light—227 calories per slice; others run anywhere from 450 to 620.” Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

Cake

1 cup puréed firm silken low-fat tofu

1 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup brewed strong coffee, cold

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Chocolate Frosting

10.5 oz. extra-firm silken tofu

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. vegan semisweet chocolate, melted

Raspberries for garnish, optional

To make Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Whisk together tofu, syrup, coffee, and vanilla with 1/4 cup cold water in large bowl until smooth.

Sift together all remaining cake ingredients. Add to tofu mixture, and beat with electric mixer until smooth, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Divide batter between cake pans. Bake about 15 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks, and cool completely.

To make Chocolate Frosting: Place tofu, vanilla, and chocolate in blender or food processor, and process until smooth.

To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Decoratively frost top and sides. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 227; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 173 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 24 g; Vegan

CRANBERRY PIE

This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.




My dad sent this recipe in a letter dated “18 No 79”. He wrote, “Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it.”

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want, whether double crust or simply a bottom crust.)

VARIATION

2 Tbls cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1 1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Make as above.

THREE SISTERS STEW

This comes from the September 2004 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The three sisters—corn, squash and beans—merge into a delicious stew. The stew should be thick, but you may need to thin it slightly with vegetable stock or water. Recipe courtesy of Michelle Emond, a PhD student at Stanford University.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

1 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced

1 lb. medium-sized yellow summer squash, 3/4-inch-thick slices

2 medium-sized zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 lb. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup corn kernels, preferably fresh

2 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup vegetable stock or water

1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño, and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent, for about 5 minutes.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the thyme, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 to 25 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Add the thyme leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Add the salt and pepper to taste, stirring them in well, and serve the stew warm.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 330; Protein: 17 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 65 g; Sodium: 140 mg; Fiber: 20 g; Sugar: 11 g; Vegan

ITALIAN DIJON GREEN BEANS

This also comes from the September 2004 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “A stylish dish, this vegetable accompaniment combines Italian, French and Asian influences and flavors. It would make a refreshing and light first course for an end-of-summer meal, or the perfect luncheon dish if served with a rich soup and hot biscuits or warmed French bread. Recipe courtesy of Karen Zack, a private plot holder at the Stanford garden.” Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. country-style Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried oregano or Italian spice blend

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbs. sesame seeds

Layer the beans in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam until bright green but still very crisp, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the beans until crisp-tender, for about 2 minutes, tossing them gently with tongs.

Combine the mustard and oregano in a separate mixing bowl. Add the beans, and toss them in the mixture, stirring until coated. Add the salt and pepper, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 130; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 65 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan

EDAMAME SUCCOTASH

This yummy recipe is from the January 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. Amazingly simple, and oh-so-good! It begins, “Fresh green soybeans, called edamame, have a sweet, nutty flavor. They offer a great variation on this classic dish, standing in for the traditional lima beans. Edamame are available frozen and fresh, in the pod and shelled. Look for them in large supermarkets, natural food stores or Asian markets. For a great twist, serve the succotash in hollowed-out tomatoes. If you’re using frozen edamame, make it according to package directions, omitting any salt. Drain well.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/edamame-succotash/.

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen shelled edamame

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 Tbs. white wine or vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in edamame, corn and wine; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, parsley and basil. Serve.

nutritional information Per serving: Calories: 140; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 200 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan