PASTA, BEANS AND TOMATOES
This comes from Mark Bittman in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Mark writes, “Many vegan dishes (like fruit salad and peanut butter and jelly) are already beloved, but the problem faced by many of us is in imagining less-traditional dishes that are interesting and not challenging. Here is a more creative option to try.” Time: 10 minutes
To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12219-pasta-beans-and-tomatoes.
Ingredients
1 pound cooked Penne pasta
2 cups Fresh or canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Canned or 1 cup cooked white beans
Garlic
Olive oil
Basil
Preparation
Saute; a couple of cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add 2 cups of chopped fresh or canned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until saucy; add 1.5 cups canned white beans (or about 1 cup of cooked beans) and heat until bubbly.
Add a little more minced garlic, then a pound of cooked penne pasta.
Add fresh basil and a bit more oil and serve.
SIMPLE PROVENCAL WINTER SQUASH GRATIN
This comes from Tara Parker-Pope, also from The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Tara wrote, “I’ve offered a few winter squash gratin recipes over the years, but none as simple as this one. There’s little more than squash here, seasoned with lots of garlic and fresh herbs. Dicing all the squash takes time, but then the work is just about done. If you want to use a food processor, you can, but you can’t get even pieces that way. The recipe is based on one of my favorite recipes in Richard Olney’s book “Simple French Food.” Time: 2 hours; makes 6 servings.
To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015468-simple-provencal-winter-squash-gratin.
Ingredients
3 pounds winter squash (like 1 large butternut), peeled, seeds and membranes removed, cut in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking or gratin dish with olive oil. Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well and turn into the baking dish. Place in the oven and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the squash is thoroughly tender and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.Tip: Advance preparation: You can get most of the busy work – the dicing of the squash – done a day before you assemble and bake this. If you need oven space for your turkey, make the gratin ahead and reheat in a medium oven until sizzling. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.
CURRIED YELLOW SPLIT PEAS AND CAULIFLOWER
I love cauliflower, as well as curry. This fits both bills. It's from the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 22, and begins, “Looking for something exotic and fast for dinner? This robust main course is both colorful and packed with flavor. For added zest, serve this with your favorite chutney and a scoop of unflavored yogurt. Round out the meal with sliced seasonal fruit, such as pineapple, oranges or apples, plus shortbread cookies and hot spiced tea.” Serves 4.
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/curried-yellow-split-peas-and-cauliflower/.
1 cup dried yellow split peas, well rinsed
3 cups water
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. ground turmeric
1 tsp. curry powder or to taste
1 onion, diced
1/2 head cauliflower, trimmed to florets
1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, or as needed
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
Salt to taste
In large saucepan, combine split peas and water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover pan with lid slightly ajar, reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in turmeric, curry powder and onion, and sauté, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and 1 cup vegetable stock, and continue cooking and stirring for 7 to 10 minutes more.
Add split peas, remaining oil and any remaining cooking water to skillet, stirring to combine well. Reduce heat to medium- low and add green peas, red pepper and more stock, if needed. Continue to cook until split peas are soft, about 5 minutes more. Stir in coconut, raisins and salt to taste. Serve hot.
GNOCCHI WITH SAUTEED VEGETABLES
This also comes the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 22. It begins, “Traditionally, the Italian classic eggplant relish caponata is flavored with anchovies, so look for a vegetarian version in your market. Serve this with a tossed green salad dressed with a garlic vinaigrette and hot Italian focaccia or French bread, which you can dunk in olive oil. A fruit sorbet and orange-flavored cookies make a pleasing, light dessert.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/gnocchi-with-saut-ed-vegetables/
1 lb. baby white potatoes, rinsed, unpeeled and quartered
13 oz. fresh gnocchi
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 large red bell peppers, diced
1 zucchini or summer squash, cubed
5 Tbs. caponata
Crushed red pepper to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Fill large saucepan with lightly salted water, and add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in second saucepan, fill with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook gnocchi for about 5 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from heat, rinse, drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté garlic, red peppers and zucchini until softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in caponata, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and gnocchi.
Remove potatoes from heat, drain and add to mixture in skillet. Stir well but gently, and top with shredded cheese. Cook 2 minutes more and serve.
nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 300; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 41 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 610 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 3 g
CRANBERRY PIE
Photo: On left, two Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pies; Upper right, Apple Pie; Lower right: Cranberry Pie. The Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie recipes can be found in the November 13, 2015 blog posting.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking, which is for sale on Amazon.com. (To buy a copy of it for your Kindle or tablet, click here.) 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.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MOCHA MUFFINS
This comes from Today's Food Club. It begins, “These double chocolate mocha muffins are SO delicious. You will not believe that they are lightened up. They are husband and kid approved!”
To view this online, go to http://community.today.com/foodclub/recipe/double-chocolate-mocha-muffins.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, mix the eggs, sugar, instant coffee powder, yogurt, coconut oil, milk and vanilla on low until combined, about 1 minute.
Add the dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated, about another minute on low.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a standard 12-cup muffin tin, about half full in each cup.
Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 23 minutes.
