Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday! Here are six delicious vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

CUMIN AND LIME ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

This is from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 66. The recipe, which serves 4, begins, “Children’s and youth pastor Jennifer Plantenberg found inspiration from the food she had on hand one evening when she lacked a plan for dinner. 'Last winter, I was using sweet potatoes a lot, so we had several sweet potatoes. My family also really loves cilantro, so we almost always have some in the fridge,' she says. 'It’s great to throw this combination into a tortilla with some black beans and avocado for a quick lunch.'”

To view this online, click here.

1 large sweet potato or garnet yam (1 1/4 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped (2 cups)

1 tsp. Eden Organic safflower oil

2 tsp. Simply Organic ground cumin

1 tsp. Simply Organic paprika

1 lime, halved

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Toss sweet potato and onion with oil on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cumin and paprika, and season with salt, if desired. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lime over sweet potato and onion. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing halfway through cooking time.

Remove vegetables from oven; squeeze juice of remaining 1/2 lime over top, and sprinkle with cilantro.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 135; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 36 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 10 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

TWO-TONE POTATO SALAD WITH WALNUT-TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

This comes from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 44. It starts out, “When half of the vinaigrette for this meal-size salad is poured over the hot potatoes, it soaks into the spuds and flavors them before the final layer of dressing is added.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Walnut-Tarragon Vinaigrette

2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

4 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. walnut oil

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. salt, optional

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or red onion

Two-Tone Potato Salad

3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 cups arugula

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

To make Walnut-Tarragon Vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar and mustard in small bowl. Whisk in olive oil and walnut oil. Whisk in tarragon and salt (if using). Stir in shallot. Set aside to allow flavors to develop.

To make Two-Tone Potato Salad: Place boiling potatoes in pot with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and transfer to large bowl.

Place sweet potato in separate pot with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and transfer to bowl with boiling potatoes.

Toss both types of hot potatoes with half of Walnut-Tarragon Vinaigrette in large bowl. Cool salad completely. Stir in arugula, tomatoes, celery, walnuts, and remaining vinaigrette just before serving.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 293; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 191 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

SOUTH AMERICAN SQUASH AND VEGETABLE RAGOUT

This is from the October 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 64. According to the recipe, “This veg version of an Argentinean stew (carbonada criolla) is perfect for when the weather turns chilly. The filling can be made up to two days ahead, then baked in acorn squash shells just before serving.” Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

6 dried pitted apricots

4 dried pitted prunes

6 small acorn or butternut squash

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for coating squash

1 small Spanish onion, diced (1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 small red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

1 14.5-oz. can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juice reserved

1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced (1 cup)

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (1 cup)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Place apricots and prunes in bowl, and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Soak 2 hours, or overnight. Drain, and coarsely chop fruit, reserving liquid.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut circular opening in squash tops, and reserve tops. Cut small slices off bottoms of squash so they stand up straight. Scoop out and discard seeds and fiber from squash. Rub outsides of squash shells and lids with oil, and place on prepared baking sheet.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and oregano; sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and tomatoes and juice; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add potato, sweet potato, and reserved apricot-prune soaking liquid, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are almost soft. Add corn and apricot-prune mixture, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more. Add beans, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 5 minutes more.

Ladle 1 cup stew into each hollowed squash; place lid on top. Bake 60 to 90 minutes, or until fork can easily pierce through squash.

nutritional information Per 1 cup stew: Calories: 376; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 84 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 298 mg; Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 23 g; Vegan Gluten-Free

ANYTIME BLACK FORREST BLIZZARD

This was in the September 2012 issue of Runner’s World, page 50. Contributing chef Pam Anderson comes up with quite a few really yummy recipes. This recipe starts off, “Plain Greek yogurt has roughly twice the protein and half the sugar of plan traditional yogurt. Cherries contain antioxidants that help reduce postrun inflammation. ‘To add crunch, stir in Famous Chocolate Wafers,’ says Anderson.”

I doubt that Pam is reading this, but if she is, all I can say is: Keep it up, please!

1 heaping cup frozen, dark sweet cherries

1 frozen banana, cut into chunks

1 C chocolate soymilk

1/4 C Greek yogurt

2 tsp honey or agave syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 Famous Chocolate Wafers, crumbled

Place all the ingredients – except the Famous Chocolate Wafers – in a blender; process until creamy smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top each with a portion of crumbled Famous Chocolate Wafers. Serves two.

Calories per serving: 273; Carbs: 54 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 4 g

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

This comes from Pete Wells in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Pete wrote, "Squat, glazed ceramic bean pots lurk in cabinets all over New England. They're traditional for Boston baked beans, but enameled cast iron is faster. Beans in cast iron can be brought to a boil over a burner before the dish goes into the oven; this saves about an hour." Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here. Also, check out "How to Cook Beans" by Melissa Clark.

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy or Great Northern beans

1/2 pound salt pork or bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup dark molasses or maple syrup, preferably Grade B

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons mustard powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

1 thyme branch (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon cider vinegar, plus more to taste

Preparation

Pick through the beans for stones, rinse them thoroughly and soak in water overnight. (Leave soaking until ready to cook; you'll need the water.)

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a Dutch oven, 5-quart size or larger, over low heat. Add the salt pork or bacon and fry until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium and stir in the onion. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the beans to the pan along with enough of the soaking liquid to cover them by 1/2 inch, adding fresh water if needed. Add the garlic cloves, molasses or maple syrup, ketchup, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper and the thyme branch and bay leaf, if using. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and put in oven.

Check the liquid level in the pot every hour or so, and add hot water as needed to barely cover the beans. Cook until beans are very soft but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then taste a bean and some liquid, adding more salt, pepper or vinegar, if you like. Serve, or cool completely and reheat.

EASIEST VANILLA ICE CREAM

This is from Julia Moskin, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, "There are many delicious things you can add to this vanilla ice cream. Try berries mashed with sugar, thick dulce de leche or chocolate shards; they should be added to the machine at the very end, once the mixture is already thickened and ready to go into the freezer. Or make Earl Grey ice cream by using loose tea (and a teaspoon of vanilla extract) instead of the vanilla bean." Yield: About 1 quart.

This was featured in "Homemade Ice Cream, Without All the Heat", and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream, preferably organic and not ultra-pasteurized

2 cups half-and-half, preferably organic, or 1 cup additional heavy cream plus 1 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out with the tip of a sharp knife, or 3 tablespoons (about 8 bags) loose Earl Grey tea plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar or 3/4 cup light corn syrup, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Preparation

In a saucepan or a microwave-safe container, combine cream, half-and-half and vanilla bean and seeds (or tea and vanilla extract). On the stove or in the microwave, bring mixture to a simmer. Immediately turn off heat.

Add sugar or corn syrup and salt and mix until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Taste and add more sugar and salt as needed to balance the flavors. The mixture should taste slightly too sweet when warm; the sweetness will be muted when the ice cream is frozen.

Strain mixture into a container and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Churn mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and let freeze until hard.