New Year's Eve Recipes

I know, I seldom post here on weekends; this will probably be the last weekend post for a while.

Here are six recipes you can fix for this evening's New Year's Eve celebration (or, really, any time), including Meatless-Ball Subs and Rainbow Sprinkle Cake. Enjoy!

CROCK POT PUDDING (RICE)

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

2 1/2 c. cooked rice

1 1/2 c. scalded milk

2/3 c. white or brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. raisins

3 tbsp. soft butter

Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cook on high 1 to 2 hours. Stir during first 30 minutes. Recipe can be doubled.

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

ORANGE BREAD

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh or frozen orange juice.

Glaze

2 tbsp. orange juice

1/4 c. sugar

Mix together. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 350 degrees 50-55 min.

While cake is still warm, make glaze: Mix 2 tbsp. orange juice and 1/4 c. sugar. Pour over warm cake.

RAINBOW SPRINKLE CAKE

This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “In the 1990s, when home bakers started putting rainbow sprinkles in their cakes, as well as on their cakes, the Funfetti craze was born. Pillsbury introduced its Funfetti cake mix in 1989, and the idea was quickly adopted by home cooks for waffles, pancakes and cupcakes. Now, as seen on photo-friendly social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest, rainbow sprinkles are decorating everything from morning smoothie bowls to late-night martinis. But the Funfetti layer cake is still the most fun. You can buy premixed rainbow sprinkles, but professionals mix their own to get just the right color combination. (Coming up with a signature "house blend" is a good Saturday morning project for kids.) And though it may be tempting, do not use any sprinkles made with natural colorings in the cake -- they fade away, instead of leaving beautiful streaks of color.” Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling.

This was featured in “The Funfetti Explosion” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), slightly softened, more for pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more for pans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

2/3 cup whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites

1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (not pastel, or naturally colored)

For the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), slightly softened

1/8 teaspoon fine salt, more to taste

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup rainbow sprinkles (see note)

Preparation

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Butter and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Flour the pans, coating the bottom and sides, then tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together milk and vanilla.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add egg and whites and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating to blend after each addition. Scrape down bowl and blend once more. Remove bowl and use a spatula or spoon to mix in sprinkles by hand.

Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking.

Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours, before turning out.

Make the frosting: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter and salt together at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated. Taste frosting; you should be able to taste the cream cheese and a little bit of saltiness, as well as the sweetness. If desired, add more salt or sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Turn cooled cakes out of pans. Using a bread knife, cut off any domed or uneven parts of each cake to make flat surfaces. Place one of the cakes on a platter or a cake stand, cut side up. Using an offset spatula, frost the top. Stack the other layer on top, cut side down. Place remaining frosting on top of the cake and, working from the center outward, frost the top and sides of the cake.

Place a baking sheet under the platter or cake stand, to catch any fallen sprinkles. Sprinkle the top with a layer of sprinkles. Toss remaining sprinkles at the sides of the cake, or press handfuls of sprinkles gently up the sides to make a thicker coating. Gather fallen sprinkles and repeat until coated to your liking.

Refrigerate cake 30 minutes or longer to set. Serve cool.

Tip

Julia's house blend: 2 parts blue, 1 part yellow, 1 part orange, 1 part bright pink. It's best not to use white, light pastel or "natural" sprinkles. They just disappear (poof!) into the cake after baking.

CROCK POT BROCCOLI & RICE CASSEROLE

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

1 sm. onion, diced

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 c. quick cooking rice

2 c. water

1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

1 (5 oz.) jar sharp cheese spread

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli, partially thawed

1/4 lb. Velveeta cheese

Corn flake crumbs, browned in butter (opt.)

Combine all ingredients except corn flake crumbs in crock pot. Stir thoroughly. Cover. Cook low 7 to 10 hours or high 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle crumbs over top. If crock pot comes out of your crock pot, brown under broiler for extra crispness. I double this in my large crock pot. Great for pot luck.

CREAMED CORN CASSEROLE

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 6 servings.

1 T butter

1 T flour

1/2 C milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/2 C cooked corn

3 T chopped onion

3 T chopped green pepper

1 tsp marjoram

Chopped fresh parsley

Make white sauce of butter, flour, & milk. Mix with remaining ingredients except parsley. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Turn into greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

Ring with parsley and serve.

Saturday Recipes - End of Year

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so I wanted to get a few more end-of-year recipes in here to help you into the next year. Here are today's six recipes, including Caramel Cappuccino Shake and Winter Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto. Enjoy!

APPLE GINGER CRISP

This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.

For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.

In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.

In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.

Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.

Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”

Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)

7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)

5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

CHEF'S NOTES:

You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.

My notes: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.

Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.

CHERRY-MALLOW CAKE

This recipe is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list and begins, “This cake is a snap to make because you use a mix. As the marshmallows melt, they rise to the top and make a glaze.”

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes; Serves: 15

Ingredients

4 cups miniature marshmallows, (about 3/4 of a 10-1/2 ounce package; you can use vegetarian marshmallows, which I highly recommend)

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay the marshmallows evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the marshmallows. Spoon the cherry filling evenly over the cake batter.

Remove pan from oven and cool on wire racks.

After the cake is cool, cut into squares.

LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE

This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks

2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)

1/4 tsp sea salt

optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)

Filling

1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)

2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

Mushrooms (optional)

2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices

4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)

Pinch each sea salt and black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.

Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.

If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.

Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.

Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).

(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.

Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).

Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.

Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.

*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g

WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO

This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”

Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)

3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)

5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)

1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Easy Basil Pesto

Directions

Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.

Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.

CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO SHAKE

This is from an old (10+ year old) Weight Watchers email. The points are from 2006.

The recipe begins, “It's hard to believe this luscious shake is nearly fat-free. You can easily double the recipe and share some with the rest of the family.”

POINTS® Value | 4; Servings | 2; Preparation Time | 8 min;Cooking Time | 0 min; Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients

1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt

1/4 cup fat-free skim milk

1/2 tsp instant espresso, powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup lite whipped topping

2 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping

Instructions

Blend yogurt, milk, espresso powder and cinnamon on high. Pour into two glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and 1 tablespoon caramel topping.

Friday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to help the old year wind down, including Cornbread and Pinto Bean Shepherd's Pie and Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. Enjoy!

BROCCOLI WITH ASIAN TOFU

Optional: Delicious served on top of brown rice or Asian-style noodles (soba or udon).

Yield: 4 servings

Serving size: 2 slices tofu, with broccoli and marinade mixture

Source: Deliciously Healthy Dinners

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/995.shtml

Ingredients

1 pkg (16 oz) firm tofu, drained

2 Tbsp lite soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped or shredded (or 1 tsp ground ginger)

1 lb fresh broccoli, rinsed and cut into individual spears

1 Tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

4 Tbsp garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (about 8 cloves)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Cooking spray

Directions

Slice tofu into eight pieces. Place on a plate or flat surface covered with three paper towels. Top with four more paper towels. Top with another flat plate or cutting board. Press down evenly and gently to squeeze out moisture. Throw away paper towels. Replace with fresh paper towels and press again. (The more liquid you remove, the more sauce the tofu will absorb.)

Place tofu in a bowl just big enough to hold all eight pieces lying on their widest side without overlapping.

In a small bowl, stir to thoroughly combine soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and ginger into a marinade, and stir thoroughly. Pour over tofu. Carefully turn the tofu several times to coat well. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick saute pan coated with cooking spray. Add broccoli and saute for about 5 minutes, until it turns bright green and becomes tender and crispy. Remove broccoli from pan and set aside.

Heat a grill pan or flat saute pan over high heat. Drain tofu, reserving marinade. Place on grill pan to heat for about 3 minutes. Gently turn. Heat the second side for 3 minutes.

At the same time, in the saute pan over medium-low heat, warm the peanut oil, crushed red pepper, and garlic until the garlic softens and begins to turn brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add broccoli and reserved marinade, and gently mix until well-coated.

Place two slices of tofu on each plate with one-quarter of the broccoli and marinade mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 183; Protein: 14 g; Fat: 11 g; Sodium: 341 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg ; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g

BUTTERNUT SQUASH ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1016.shtml

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz.) diced peeled butternut squash, or 1 1/4 lb. squash, seeded, peeled and diced

Canola oil spray

1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup (3 oz.) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, divided

8 large (about 7-inch) corn tortillas

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa verde

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Place squash in medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water. Cover pot tightly, and place over medium-high heat. Cook until squash is tender but not mushy, 12-15 minutes, depending on size of cubes. Drain squash, and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Select a baking dish just large enough to hold the eight tortillas, folded over and slightly overlapping, so that they fit snuggly in the dish. (You may want to "test" and see if the baking dish is the proper size by arranging unfilled, folded tortillas in it, as they would be once filled and ready to bake.) using the canola oil spray, lightly coat the interior of the baking dish and set aside.

Place beans in mixing bowl. Using fork, partially mash beans. Add squash and blend, leaving mixture coarsely mashed, with some beans still whole. Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Coat a tortilla on both sides with cooking spray. Lay it on a plate. Spoon 3/4 cup of filling on one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling. Set it at one end of the baking dish. Repeat, placing filled tortillas so they overlap, filling baking dish tightly. Pour pureed sauce over assembled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce. Cover pan with foil.

Bake enchiladas about 30 minutes, until they are heated through and tortillas are soft. Uncover and serve garnished with cilantro, accompanied by cooked brown rice, if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 180; Protein: 8 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 479 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g

LEMONY MINTED ASPARAGUS WITH SAFFRON RICE

This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 30. It begins, “With fresh mint and lemon zest accenting asparagus spears, this stir-fry captures the brightness of spring. If you can’t find toasted sliced almonds, toast your own for 3 to 5 minutes in a 300°F oven.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 1/2 cups white rice

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 pinch saffron threads

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

9 green onions, sliced into 
¼-inch lengths (2/3 cup)

1–2 small fresh red chiles, 
thinly sliced (1 Tbs.)

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1/2 lb. asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths (3 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/4 cup sliced mint leaves

2 lemons, cut into wedges, for garnish

Combine rice and broth in large saucepan, and crumble in saffron threads. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat wok over high heat, until water droplets evaporate within 1 second. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, then add green onions, chiles, and garlic; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until onions turn bright green and soften. Add asparagus, and stir-fry 2 minutes more, or until asparagus is bright green and tender. Remove from heat, stir in almonds and mint, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Fluff rice, and spoon onto serving plate. Top with asparagus mixture. Garnish with lemon wedges.

nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 276; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 81 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

SMOTHERED CHEESE GRITS AND STEAMED GREENS

This comes from the January/February 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 46. It begins, “A bowl of grits and a mess of greens might not sound like dinner party fare, but served on a platter and smothered with caramelized onions, this tasty combination looks downright fancy.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, halved and thinly sliced

3/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned white hominy grits (not instant)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup low-fat milk

1 lb. curly kale, tough stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces (14 cups)

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling, optional Toasted sesame seeds, optional

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until onions are softened and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook grits according to package directions. Stir in corn and milk, and return to a simmer, stirring constantly to incorporate milk. Keep warm.

Steam kale in basket steamer 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted but still bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer to bowl, and stir in vinegar and remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

To serve: Stir cheese into grits, and transfer to serving platter. Top with kale, then onions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and grated cheese (if using).

nutritional information Per Serving (3/4 cup grits, 3/4 cup kale, and 1/2 cup onions): Calories: 210; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 8 mg; Sodium: 84 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 7 g; Gluten-Free

CORNBREAD AND PINTO BEAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

This also comes from the January/February 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 30. It begins, “Serve this dish with taco toppings (such as salsa, chile and bell peppers, radishes, and shredded lettuce) that can be sprinkled over each serving.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 14.5-oz. cans pinto beans, drained, 1 1/2 cups bean liquid reserved

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/2 cups), divided

2 1/2 Tbs. chili powder

3 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (1 1/2 cups), divided

6 Tbs. whole-grain cornbread and muffin mix, such as Arrowhead Mills

1 1/3 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt, divided

1 large egg

1 1/2 Tbs. sugar

Place oven rack in top position, and preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Whisk reserved bean liquid with tomato paste in bowl.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups onion. Cover, and cook 4 minutes, or until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, and stir 10 seconds to coat onions. Stir in tomato paste mixture, 1 cup tomatoes, and then beans. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, 6 minutes, or until flavors blend and chili liquids thicken. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Meanwhile, combine cornbread mix, 1/3 cup yogurt, egg, sugar, and 1 Tbs. water in medium bowl.

Spread chili beans in prepared pie dish. Pour cornbread batter over beans, spreading with back of spoon. Bake 
10 minutes, or until cornbread is set and golden.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining 1/2 cup onion. Place in small bowl; mix in remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Divide shepherd’s pie among shallow bowls. Serve with tomato salsa and remaining 1 cup yogurt.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 380; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 63 g; Cholesterol: 47 mg; Sodium: 556 mg; Fiber: 16 g; Sugar: 20 g

BAKED APPLES

This comes from Alton Brown of Good Eats on the Food Networks. Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup oats

3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch kosher salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

4 Braeburn apples (Fuji will substitute)

4 teaspoons honey

Directions

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and diced butter. Rub mixture briskly between finger tips until it forms small moist clumps in a loose sandy mixture. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Cut a small layer off the bottom of each apple to create a flat, stable bottom surface. With a small paring knife, cut a cylindrical cone out of the top of the apple, moving about 1-inch outside of the core, similar to removing the top of a pumpkin when carving a Jack O'Lantern. Remove the top and discard. With a melon baller or a teaspoon, remove the remaining core and seeds taking care not to puncture the base of the apple.

Place apples on a baking sheet or pie dish and fill each center with a teaspoon of honey. Spoon in mixture, packing lightly until heaped and overflowing over sides of the apples.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees on the top or middle rack for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and the tip of a paring knife can be inserted into the side of the apple with little or no resistance. Let apples stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Thursday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to help you through the day, including Butternut Squash Risotto and 1-Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Enjoy!

ITALIAN GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS

This comes from Kraft and begins, “Discover these Italian Grilled Stuffed Peppers and bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen! These grilled stuffed peppers are delicious!”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Servings: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups water, divided

1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

2 cups frozen BOCA Veggie Ground Crumbles

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1-1/2 cups OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce, divided

1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1 large each red, yellow and green pepper, cut lengthwise in half, seeded

Directions

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Bring 1-1/2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice; cover. Simmer 5 min. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Stir in crumbles, zucchini, seasoning and 1 cup each pasta sauce and cheese; spoon into peppers.

Place each filled pepper half on center of 12-inch-square sheet heavy-duty foil. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bring up foil sides. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the remaining water onto bottom of each foil packet. Double fold top and ends to seal packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Grill 20 to 25 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and filling is heated through (160ºF).

QUICK PASTA PESTO

This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The recipe begins, “Pasta with cheese and cream sauces can rack up a lot of empty calories, but make simple substitutions, like swapping cream for evaporated skim milk, and you can enjoy your favorite pasta dishes anytime.”

POINTS® Value: 8; Servings: 4; Preparation Time | 5 min; Cooking Time: 10 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

3 Tbsp pesto sauce, sun-dried tomato variety preferred

3 cup mixed vegetables, chopped, fresh or frozen

1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

4 cup cooked pasta

1 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded



Directions

Heat a large nonstick pan coated with cooking spray. Add pesto sauce and vegetables; cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in pasta and cheese; cook until heated through. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”

Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)

7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)

5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

CHEF'S NOTES:

You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.

My note: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.

Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.

VEGAN STIR-FRIED GARLIC TOFU AND EGGPLANT

This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)

Anyway, Christine Gallary, Food Editor-at-Large at TheKitchn wrote, “Eggplant can be a polarizing vegetable. There are those who don't care for it, but I'm in the other camp. I love eggplant in any form, whether roasted, grilled, or even puréed into baba ganoush. But my absolute favorite? When eggplant is stir-fried with lots of garlic and coated with a glossy, savory sauce that I can spoon over a big bowl of steamed rice. I'm not vegan, but this recipe can lean that way if you can get your hands on vegetarian oyster sauce.

“There are a number of ways to make crispy tofu, but the method I turn to uses a nonstick pan, which ensures that the tofu browns nicely, but doesn't stick to the pan. Once the tofu browns, the pan is free to stir-fry the eggplant with garlic until it's nicely seared on the outside, but creamy on the inside. I love using Japanese or Chinese eggplants here since they're smaller and less bitter than their larger Italian counterparts.

“The sauce that holds everything together is a mixture of oyster sauce (vegetarian if you want to keep the dish vegan), soy sauce (or tamari), cornstarch, rice vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

“The finishing touch is a big handful of basil leaves. Sweet and slightly spicy Thai basil is the perfect choice here, although regular Italian basil will work beautifully too. I like this stir-fry heaped over steamed white or brown rice, but rice noodles would also work great.”

To view this online, click here. Serves 4.

For the sauce:

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons regular or vegetarian oyster sauce

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the stir-fry:

1 (14- to-16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt

1 pound eggplant, preferably Asian, cut into 3/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup packed fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves

Steamed rice, for serving

For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch is dissolved.

For the stir-fry: Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer on the paper towels to drain.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu, spread into a single layer, and season generously with salt. Cook, flipping rarely, until golden-brown on at least 2 sides (be careful, it will splatter), about 10 minutes total. Remove to a clean plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the eggplant. Season with salt and stir-fry until charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the reserved tofu and stir to combine. Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine and dissolve the cornstarch, and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the sauce has thickened and coats the tofu and eggplant, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil leaves, and toss to combine. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Recipe Notes

Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten-free, look for oyster sauce labeled gluten-free and use tamari rather than soy sauce.

Vegetarian oyster sauce: Regular oyster sauce is usually made from oysters, but vegetarian oyster sauce, which is made from mushrooms, is a vegetarian and vegan alternative.

1-BOWL CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

This is from the Minimalist Baker, and begins, “Fluffy, tender, insanely delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread! Made in just 1 bowl, naturally sweetened, SO delicious!”

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour; Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

To view this online, click here.

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Serves: 10

Ingredients

2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry and lightly packed in measuring cup)

3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend

1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)

1/3 cup almond flour (or almond meal, though I haven't tested it this way)

1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping (I like Enjoy Life brand)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs and let rest for 5 minutes. Then add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder, and whisk again.

Next add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and whisk to combine. Add grated zucchini (that's been squeezed of excess moisture) and stir to combine.

Add gluten-free flour, oat flour, and almond flour and whisk until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be thick and scoopable.

Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then transfer batter to the loaf pan and top with a few more chocolate chips (optional).

Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges feel semi-firm to the touch.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper. Texture is best when cooled completely. Will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 10 slices.

*Recipe adapted from my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 slice (of 10): Calories: 216; Fat: 10.8 g; Saturated fat: 7.1 g; Carbohydrates: 31.1 g; Sugar: 15 g; Sodium: 58 mg; Fiber: 4.1 g; Protein: 3.4 g

BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

This comes from Joyce Gan, “the recipe developer, blog post writer, and food photographer” for Light Orange Bean. It’s a cool site that I recently discovered.

Prep time: 35 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Total time: 1 hour

Tools: 10”saute pan and spatula, strainer, knife and cutting board, potato masher, medium sized mixing bowl, 9”×13” baking dish, pastry brush, aluminum foil.

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4-6 servings

To view this online at Joyce’s site, go to http://lightorangebean.com/black-bean-vegan-enchiladas/.

Ingredients

1 tbs canola oil

1 medium size yellow onion (finely chopped, approximately 8 oz)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 cups cooked black beans

1 tsp salt

2 cups tomato puree or 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup + 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium size jalapenos (seeded, finely chopped, approximately 1 oz)

8 oz vegan cheese (Mexican style GoVeggie preferred)

12-14 (5.5-inch) corn tortillas (gluten-free if desired)

Instructions

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the beans and tomato puree and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Mash the beans with a potato masher and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the bean mixture from the heat and strain, reserving the sauce. Transfer the strained bean mixture to a medium bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cilantro, jalapenos, and 4 oz of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Microwave 5 tortillas at a time or follow the package instructions to soften. Scoop about 1/4 cup bean mixture into each tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish seam-side down. Finish all tortillas.

Dip the pastry brush in the sauce and brush the ends of each tortilla. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.

Garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.

Notes

If there is any remaining bean mixture, it can be used as a filling in tortilla shells without any further cooking. Add lettuce if desired.

Due to different recipes of making tomato puree, the liquid content may vary. Gradually add excess water when making the bean mixture if necessary.

Lasagna

As if we haven't totally over-eaten too much in the past month or so, here are six lasagna recipes to help you through the rest of the year, including Home/Made Mushroom Lasagna and Quick and Easy Lasagna. Enjoy!

LOW-FAT VEGAN EGGPLANT LASAGNA

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian food expert. She writes, "A wonderful vegetarian lasagna recipe full of healthy spinach and eggplant. This vegetarian and vegan lasagna recipe uses no cheese, making it both vegan and dairy-free, as well as much lower in fat than a traditional lasagna." Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant, diced

2 10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 64 ounce jar pre-made tomato sauce

1 pound lasagna noodles

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Sautee the garlic for two minutes, then add the eggplant and stir. Cover the frying pan and cook until the eggplant is just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan with 2 cups of the tomato sauce, then cover the tomato sauce with 4 or 5 uncooked noodles. Cover this with a thin layer of sauce, then add the cooked eggplant and another thin layer of sauce. Add another layer of noodles followed by a thing layer of sauce, then the spinach and another thin layer of sauce. Add the remaining noodles and sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Noodles are cooked when they can be pierced with a fork.

Makes six servings of eggplant and spinach lasagna. Reprinted with permission from The Compassionate Cook Cookbook.

Nutritional information, per serving: Calories: 347, Calories from Fat: 41; % Daily Value: Total Fat: 4.6g, 7%, Total Carbohydrates: 65.8g, 22%, Dietary Fiber: 9.2g, 37%, Protein: 16.3g, Vitamin A 199%, Vitamin C 83%, Calcium 14%, Iron 32%

QUICK AND EASY LASAGNA

This is now officially one of my favorite "go-to" meals. In fact, we fixed this last night; as I'm updating this, I'm eating some left-overs. Yum.

Okay, you've just gotten home from work or a day of running errands. You're hungry and want dinner as quick and easy as possible, but at the same time, something a little more filling than sandwiches. This lasagna fills the bill, as well as your family.

My youngest son came up with this a while back. He wanted lasagna, but without the long wait time that my full-fledged Vegetarian Lasagna takes, as well as without the onions. (He's not big into onions. But we all have our food preferences!) His version of lasagna if quick, fast, and very satisfying.







16 ounce box of lasagna noodles

Jarred Spaghetti Sauce (1 45-ounce jar or 2 23.5 ounce jars; see note)

12-ounce package of Veggie Ground Crumbles (see note)

8-ounce package of Shredded Cheese (see note)

Taco seasoning pack (optional)

15-ounce can Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce (optional)

Start a pot of water for the lasagna noodles. Once the water starts to boil, add the lasagna noodles and back the heat down just a little so that the water doesn't boil over. (If you drop it to medium heat, you've gone too far.) Cook according to the package instructions.

While the water starts to heat, take another large pot and add the jarred spaghetti sauce, veggie ground crumbles, and the taco seasonings (if adding) and sloppy joe sauce (if adding). Stir together, then start heating on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. If this starts bubbling, stir and back the heat down a little.

As soon as the noodles are done cooking, carefully drain through a colander and rinse the noodles in cool water.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked noodles length-wise. You should have three layers across, and use 9 noodles (3 noodles high). Add half of the spaghetti sauce mixture over the noodles, spreading this fairly evenly. Top with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the process with the remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, remove from oven, and let rest for a minute or two.

Dig in!

Note: With the spaghetti sauce, we tend to use either Prego Heart Smart Traditional or Ragu Traditional, whichever is on sale, but you can use whatever brand you like. Also, we usually put in the larger 45-ounce size sauce, but if you have two of the 23 – 24-ounce size jars (or they're on sale), use them.

With the veggie crumbles, we lean towards Boca's Veggie Ground Crumbles, but you can go with your favorite 12-ounce bag of frozen veggie ground crumbles.

With the shredded cheese, we tend to use shredded cheddar, but have used several other blends of shredded cheese. You can also shred a block of cheddar cheese, if that's your preference, but the bagged shredded cheese saves a little time.

LOW CALORIE SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Kimberly Eggleston, a nutritionist on The Spruce. Kimberly wrote, “You wouldn't think that lasagna could be a lean and delicious dish until you have tried this low-calorie spinach lasagna recipe. You can see from the ingredient list that it doesn't even take a whole lot of ingredients to make up this yummy dish. And the ingredients that are included are relatively lean. Instead of fatty sausage and beef, the bulk of this lasagna filling is part skim mozzarella, low-fat cottage cheese, and spinach which give the lasagna nice texture and color. There aren't too many calories coming from those ingredients!

“Another great thing about his spinach lasagna is that this lasagna recipe is so easy to throw together about an hour and fifteen minutes before dinner. Yes, that's only a little over one hour before dinner, and the majority or that time is the lasagna cooking, which frees you up to do other things.

“And there is no need to precook the noodles. You will add water to the dish once you have layered the lasagna together, using uncooked dry noodles. Then the water will cook the noodles during baking time resulting in perfectly al dente noodles when it is finished. One less pot to wash when it is all finished is certainly worth it.”

Total Time: 70 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 60 mins; Yield: 8 Servings; Per Serving Calories: 304

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.), divided

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups jarred marinara sauce

1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To begin with, prepare the cheese and spinach filling for the lasagna.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, 3/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella, pepper, oregano, and salt. Use large spoon to gently stir together the mixture until it is well combined.

Next, spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place 3 of the uncooked noodles in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, and use a large spoon or a spatula to gently spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, trying to cover all the noodles.

Next, over the cheese and spinach mixture, spread 2/3 cup of the marinara sauce, and then top the layer of marinara sauce with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times. End with the last three noddles, topped with 2/3 cup of sauce and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Now that the lasagna is assembled, pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan gently and slowly, allowing the water to fill in the gaps slowly so that it does not overflow. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil.

Place the covered lasagna in the preheated oven, and bake for 1 hour. Once the lasagna is done cooking, remove it from the oven, and loosely uncover the dish while the lasagna cools. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving in order to allow the lasagna to become far easier to cut.

HOME/MADE MUSHROOM LASAGNA

This comes from Sam Sifton at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Monica Byrne, with her partner, Leisah Swenson, runs a tiny restaurant in Red Hook, Brooklyn, called Home/Made. A plurality of words that appear on the Home/Made menu: ‘cheese,’ ‘smoked,’ ‘bacon,’ ‘caramelized.’ Three of those four appear in Byrne’s lasagna, leaving out only bacon, which would be a fine addition. She layers smoked mozzarella over a painting of rich, garlicky béchamel and sheets of pasta, then radicchio roasted into sweetness and tossed in sauce. Sautéed mushrooms add heft and loamy funkiness, and a mixture of Fontina and Gruyère add zing.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in “Gooey Wild-Mushroom Lasagna” and can be viewed onlinehere.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or herb oil

6 large shallots, peeled and minced

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, wild or best available oyster, shiitake, cremini, trimmed and sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 softball-size head of radicchio, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or herb oil

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 tablespoons flour, ideally instant or all-purpose

3 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

1 cup Fontina cheese, grated

2 tablespoons best-quality truffle oil (optional)

2 9-ounce boxes of no-boil lasagna sheets

1 baseball-size ball of smoked mozzarella, sliced

1 cup fresh Parmesan, grated

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of the olive oil or herb oil. When it begins to shimmer, add half of the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add mushrooms and toss to coat, then cook until they begin to color but are still plump, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze pan and allow to cook down into a syrup, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Put the mushrooms into a large bowl and reserve.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, toss the radicchio with 1/4 cup olive oil or herb oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the strips out onto a baking pan and place in the oven until the strips are lightly browned around the edges, approximately 15 minutes. Combine with mushrooms and reserve.

Make the béchamel. Place a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. When it foams, add the rest of the shallots and cook until they begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir to combine, then cook until the garlic has started to soften. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to combine, then cook gently until the mixture has turned light brown and gives off a nutty scent, approximately 10 minutes. Add milk to the mixture, whisking all the while, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the nutmeg and 1/4 cup of grated Gruyère and 1/4 cup of grated Fontina, then stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reserve a cup of béchamel. Pour the rest over the mixture of mushrooms and radicchio, and stir to combine. Add truffle oil, if using.

Assemble lasagna. Spread plain béchamel across the bottom of a 9- by-13-inch baking pan. Place a layer of lasagna sheets across the sauce, being careful not to overlap. Spread a generous layer of mushroom mixture on top of the pasta, and follow with some grated Fontina and Gruyère. Put another layer of pasta above the cheese, and top with smoked mozzarella. Repeat until the pasta is gone and the pan is full. Top with remaining cheeses and a generous amount of grated Parmesan. Cover with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is golden and bubbling.

SCOTTO CHEESE LASAGNA

This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “This delectable lasagna makes great use of convenience products so that you've can put the dish together in just 15 minutes! While it bakes you can throw together a salad, and you've got a fabulous dinner for very little work.”

Serves: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 container (32 ounces) ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

Prego® Tomato Basil & Garlic Italian Sauce or 5 cups Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce

12 lasagna noodle, cooked and drained

1 1/2 pounds mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 package (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Mozzarella and Garlic Loaf

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the ricotta and the eggs in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 1/3 cups ricotta mixture, 1/4 of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove the lasagna from the oven. Let the lasagna stand for 1 hour.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. for the bread. Bake the bread according to the package directions.

Cut the bread into 2-inch diagonal slices. Serve the bread with the lasagna.

LIGHT LASAGNA

This is from a long-since-forgotten emailing list (possibly a Weight Watchers email), and starts off, “This is from my new cookbook "Fix it and Forget it Light" Lowfat Crockpot recipes.-Sams' Club.”

Makes 8 servings

4 1/2 C fat free, low sodium meatless spaghetti sauce

1/2 C water

16-oz fat-free ricotta cheese

2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

3/4 C parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

8 oz box no-cook lasagna noodles.

Mix spaghetti sauce and 1/2 c water in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 1/2c mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c parmesan cheese, egg, garlic and seasoning.

Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture in bottom of slow cooker. Top with 1/3 of the noodles. Breaking to fit if needed.

Spread with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, making sure noodles are covered.

Repeat layers twice more.

Spread with remaining sauce.

Cover. Cook on low 5 hours.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover. Let stand 10 min to allow cheese to melt.

Per serving: 360 celeries (90 calories from fat = 25% fat) 10 grams fat (4.5g saturated, 0 trans) 40 mg cholesterol, 870 mg sodium, 39g total carbohydrates (6g fiber, 10g sugar) 25g protein, 50% DV calcium, 10% DV iron.

Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Winter Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto and Creamy Pumpkin Mac 'N' Cheese. Enjoy!

EASY PUMPKIN PUDDING CAKE

This is from Ashley, a high school teacher turned blogger, on her wonderful site, The Recipe Rebel. This recipe begins, “This Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake takes just 10 minutes prep and makes it’s own caramel pudding sauce as it bakes! Perfect hot from the oven with a scoop of ice cream.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat!)

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)

1/3 cup milk (I use 1%)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 1/4 cup hot or boiling water

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9" pie plate or baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves with a spoon.

Add in pumpkin, milk, oil and vanilla and stir until a thick batter forms. Spread into prepared pie plate.

In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and corn starch until there are no clumps. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Add butter to hot water and stir until melted. Pour over brown sugar mixture in pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is completely set (keep in mind that there is a thick layer of caramel sauce in the bottom, so it may jiggle). Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheat perfectly!

PUMPKIN SOUP

I'm not sure where this is from; maybe that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list? Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 20 minutes; Serves 6

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups veggie broth

one 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

one 8-ounce jar applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

freshly ground pepper, to taste

croutons, optional

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until mixed. Add the veggie broth and pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, pepper, and croutons. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until hot and the flavors have blended.

Stir in the cream and heat until hot. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately with crisp croutons, if desired.

WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO

This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”

Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)

3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)

5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)

1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Easy Basil Pesto

Directions

Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.

Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”

Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)

7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)

5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

CHEF'S NOTES:

You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.

My note: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.

Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

LIGHT LASAGNA

This is from a long-since-forgotten emailing list (possibly a Weight Watchers email), and starts off, “This is from my new cookbook "Fix it and Forget it Light" Lowfat Crockpot recipes.-Sams' Club.”

Makes 8 servings

4 1/2 C fat free, low sodium meatless spaghetti sauce

1/2 C water

16-oz fat-free ricotta cheese

2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

3/4 C parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

8 oz box no-cook lasagna noodles.

Mix spaghetti sauce and 1/2 c water in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 1/2c mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c parmesan cheese, egg, garlic and seasoning.

Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture in bottom of slow cooker. Top with 1/3 of the noodles. Breaking to fit if needed.

Spread with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, making sure noodles are covered.

Repeat layers twice more.

Spread with remaining sauce.

Cover. Cook on low 5 hours.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover. Let stand 10 min to allow cheese to melt.

Per serving: 360 celeries (90 calories from fat = 25% fat) 10 grams fat (4.5g saturated, 0 trans) 40 mg cholesterol, 870 mg sodium, 39g total carbohydrates (6g fiber, 10g sugar) 25g protein, 50% DV calcium, 10% DV iron.

CREAMY PUMPKIN MAC 'N' CHEESE

This is from Dana (and her husband, John) on their blog, Minimalist Baker. Dana wrote, “Amazing, creamy, flavorful pumpkin mac 'n' cheese made with 10 simple ingredients! The perfect dairy- and gluten-free entrée for fall and the holiday season!> This absolutely yummy mac and cheese is worth the effort.”

To view this online, click here. Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 30 mins. Author: Minimalist Baker. Serves: 2 as entrée, 4 as side.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 (2-3-lb) sugar or pie pumpkin (or sub 2 cups canned pumpkin puree*)

optional: 1 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil

2 cloves garlic (1 Tbsp)

2 Tbsp arrowroot starch

1-1 1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond or rice milk (start with 1 cup)

1/2 tsp sea salt

2-3 Tbsp chopped sage or thyme (I used half thyme, half sage)

4-5 Tbsp nutritional yeast

3-4 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flake or cayenne pepper

Pasta

10 ounces gluten-free pasta (I love Bionaturae pastas and Trader Joe’s gluten-free fusilli)

Toppings, optional

Vegan parmesan cheese

Fresh sage sautéed in oil over medium heat for 1 minute or until just slightly browned

Pine nuts

Instructions

If baking your pumpkin, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Otherwise, if using canned pumpkin puree, skip to step 4.

Using a sharp knife, cut the tops of your pumpkin off and then cut pumpkin in half. Use a sharp spoon or ice cream scoop to scrape out all the seeds and strings. (Save the seeds for roasting!)

Optional: Brush the flesh with a neutral, high heat oil, such as avocado. And place flesh down on the baking sheet.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. In the last 20 minutes of roasting, add the two cloves of garlic still in skin to the baking sheet to slightly brown and soften. Then remove pan from the oven and let the pumpkin cool. Also peel garlic cloves and set aside.

If serving with pasta, start boiling water and cooking pasta at this time. Once pasta is cooked, drain and set aside. Optional: I like to drizzle mine with a little olive or avocado oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and vegan parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

To make the sauce, add 2 cups baked pumpkin (or pumpkin puree) to a high-speed blender along with peeled roasted garlic, arrowroot starch, dairy-free milk (start with 1 cup or 240 ml), sea salt, sage or thyme (I used both), nutritional yeast, vegan parmesan cheese, pumpkin pie spice, and red pepper flake (optional).

Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more salt for saltiness, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, sage or thyme for herbiness, vegan parmesan cheese for depth of flavor, pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin flavor and warmth, or red pepper flake for spice (optional).

To heat/thicken the sauce, pour into a rimmed skillet and heat over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until sauce is hot and slightly thickened - 3-5 minutes. If it gets too thick, thin with a bit more dairy-free milk.

To serve, add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve as is or (optional) sprinkle with 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese and broil on medium for 1-3 minutes, watching very carefully until barely browned.

Enjoy hot and garnish with pine nuts or sautéed sage if desired. Cool leftovers and store in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.

Notes

*If using canned pumpkin puree, add the garlic raw to the blender or sauté in 1 Tbsp oil for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat before blending.

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 4 servings without additional toppings.

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/4 of recipe; Calories: 297; Fat: 4.7 g; Saturated fat: 0.8 g; Carbohydrates: 54.2 g; Sugar: 3.9 g; Sodium: 306 mg; Fiber: 4.4 g; Protein: 11.3 g

Taco Tuesday

It's the last Taco Tuesday for 2017. Here are six yummy vegetarian taco recipes to help you through the day, including Tacos With Spicy Tofu Tomatoes and Chard, Eggplant Tacos and Chipotle Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos w/Roasted Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa. Enjoy!

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND BLACK BEAN FAJITAS

This yummy recipe is from The Scrumptious Pumpkin.

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 12 fajitas, 6 servings (2 fajitas per serving; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, click here

Ingredients

For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 organic zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

16 ounces organic black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoons cumin

3/4 teaspoons chili powder

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below)

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

12 organic whole wheat tortillas

Salt

For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lime, freshly squeezed

Salt

Instructions

For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:

Prepare the grill for 375 degrees F.

Layer first the onion, then the bell pepper, and finally the zucchini on a grill vegetable basket. Season with salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add the black beans to the basket, season with additional salt, and cook about 2 minutes more, or until beans are heated through.

Meanwhile, as vegetables are cooking, prepare the spice mixture. To a large mixing bowl, add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Season with a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until well combined.

Immediately after removing the basket from the grill, pour the still-hot vegetables and beans into the mixing bowl. Stir and combine until the seasonings have melted into the vegetables and everything is well coated with oil.

Spoon the vegetable-black bean mixture onto whole wheat tortillas. Top with heaping spoonfuls of Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below) and slices of avocado. Roll up tortillas, and serve.

For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:

To a mixing bowl, add the tomato, green onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Storage: refrigerate salsa in a covered, airtight container.

CHIPOTLE QUINOA SWEET POTATO TACOS WITH ROASTED CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE SALSA

I recently discovered Tieghan Gerard’s website, Half Baked Harvest. Some very yummy-looking recipes, including this one.

Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 a small sweet onion

1 clove garlic minced or grated

1 large sweet potato chopped (peel if desired)

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (I used red quinoa)

1 leaves can diced tomatoes (Optional; I normally these out, but sometimes add them) (Note: I'm guessing this should be “1 little can diced tomatoes”)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 canned chipotle chilies minced

1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo from the chipotle chili can

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne or to your taste

1 cup cooked black beans if using canned drain and rinse them

1 lime juiced

1 small bunch cilantro

6-8 four tortillas corn tortillas (warmed) or hard shell tacos (personally my family prefers hards shell, but all of them are good!), warmed

1 avocado sliced or diced, for topping

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping

cotija cheese crumbled, for topping

Roasted Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 canned chipotle chili, chopped

1 lime zested + juiced

1 clove garlic minced or grated

1 jalapeno chopped and seed removed if desired

the arils from 1 pomegranate (learn how to deseed a pomegranate here)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the salsa: Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Place the cranberries, brown sugar, chipotle chili, lime zest + juice, garlic, jalapeño and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together until the cranberries are evenly coated. Place in the oven and roast until the cranberries burst and release their juices, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and and let cool 10 minutes. Then add the pomegranate arils and toss well. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Set aside and keep at room temperature.

While the cranberries are roasting start the tacos. Heat the olive oil over a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Cover the skillet and let cook until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy, stirring once or twice for about 15 minutes. Once the sweet potatoes are fork tender, add the garlic and saute 30 seconds. Then crank up the heat to medium-high (adding more oil if needed) and add the quinoa. Let the quinoa get crispy and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup water, tomatoes (if using), the chili powder, chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar and cayenne, stir to thoroughly combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

To assemble the tacos place some of the quinoa in a tortilla or shell. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, a large dollop the the roasted cranberry salsa, crumbled catija cheese and fresh chopped cilantro. Take in their beauty and then EAT!

10-MINUTE BLACK BEAN TACOS

This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)

Anyway, Sheela Prakash, Assistant Food Editor at TheKitchn, wrote, “When you come home extra late after a crazy day at the office, it may seem like your only options for dinner are takeout, those questionable leftovers in the fridge, or scrambled eggs and toast. You're starving and cranky and you need dinner fast, after all. Luckily there's a fourth option: these 10-minute tacos.

“Yes, making tacos in 10 minutes is absolutely possible. In less time than it will take you to wait for delivery (it feels like it takes forever when you're hungry), these hearty vegetarian tacos can be on your plate.”

To view these yummy tacos online, click here. Serves 4.

For the tacos:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup water

8 corn tortillas

For serving:

1 bag cabbage slaw or shredded cabbage

1 medium avocado, sliced

Salsa

Lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the beans and water.

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then uncover and use the back of a fork to partially mash the beans, leaving about half whole. If there's any remaining water in the pan, simmer the mixture uncovered until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas. Stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30-second bursts until warm.

Fill the tortillas with the black bean mixture and top with slaw or cabbage, avocado, and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftover taco filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

EGGPLANT TACOS

This is from Reiko on her blog, The Culinary Tribune. She starts off writing, “I love eggplant!…

“These tacos are so delicious!!

“If you like eggplant, try this.

“If you are a vegan or vegetarian, try this.

“If you want good tacos, try this.”

To view this online, click here. It looks like this makes 2 tacos.

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons water

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon garlic chili paste

dry oregano

ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon corn starch plus water (for thickening)

salt and pepper

2 taco shells

a few slices of red onion

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Cook eggplant in oil until tender. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic chili paste, oregano, and cumin. Add corn starch and water mixture to thicken it slightly. Salt and pepper.

Warm taco shells in a toaster.

Fill the shells with the eggplant. Serve with red onion slices, cilantro, and green onion.

TACOS WITH SPICY TOFU, TOMATOES AND CHARD

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “In these tacos, tofu stands in for meat in a vegan picadillo, cooked in a modified salsa ranchera. I’ve never been one for meat “substitutes,” and I normally don’t advocate using tofu in anything other than Asian dishes. But I find this pretty irresistible, a sort of vegan picadillo. You can make it spicier by adding more chiles, milder by using less. The tofu is cooked in a modified salsa ranchera; being tofu, it absorbs the sweet and spicy flavors of the tomatoes and chiles. I used firm tofu and mashed it with the back of my spoon. Silken tofu is also a good choice, though then you will have something more akin to Mexican scrambled eggs.”

Yield: 8 tacos, 4 servings; Time: About 45 minutes

This was featured in “Vegetarian Taco Night” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 pound tomatoes

1/2 pound Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves washed in 2 changes of water

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles (to taste), seeded if desired and minced

1 14-ounce box firm tofu, drained and cut into medium-size cubes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (more to taste)

8 warm corn tortillas

Salsa fresca (optional)

Preparation

Preheat broiler with rack set about 4 inches from the heat. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place tomatoes on foil and broil for 6 minutes, until blackened in spots or all over. Using tongs, flip over and broil for another 4 to 6 minutes. The tomatoes should be charred and cooked through. Remove from oven and tip, with juices, into a bowl. Allow to cool until you can handle them, then core and discard skins. Purée, along with juices in the bowl, in a blender or a food processor.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the chard. When water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and chard. Blanch for 1 minute and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and take up chard by the handful to squeeze out excess water. Cut in 1/4-inch wide strips and set aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring, until tender and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add puréed tomatoes, which should sizzle as soon as they hit the pan. Cook, stirring often, until purée thickens and leaves a canal when you run your spoon down the middle, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Add minced chiles and tofu, and mash tofu into the tomatoes using the back of your spoon. Add Swiss chard and salt to taste, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring and mashing tofu. Stir in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Heat tortillas and top with tofu mix. Serve with salsa on the side if desired.

Tip

Advance preparation: The cooked tofu keeps well for a couple of days.

CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS

This also comes from Martha Rose Schulman, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “These sweet and spicy tacos can be filled with chard of any color, or other greens like beet greens or amaranth. I used Swiss chard for these tacos, but other greens like beet greens or amaranth will work. I don’t recommend strong-tasting cruciferous greens like kale, though. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow, and do include the stalks if they’re nice and wide. Don’t skimp on the garlic. As for the salsa, you can choose between fresh or cooked tomato salsa, or use a salsa verde made with tomatillos. They all work well. A quarter cup of filling is plenty for each taco.”

Yield: 8 tacos, serving 4; Time: 15 to 20 minutes.

This was also featured in “Vegetarian Taco Night” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)

Salt to taste

1 medium white, red or yellow onion, sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn

Freshly ground pepper

8 warm corn tortillas

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (but not too salty a feta)

Salsa of your choice

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem chard and wash leaves in 2 rinses of water. Rinse stalks and dice them if they are wide and not stringy.

When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add chard leaves. Blanch for a minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Take chard up by the handful and squeeze out excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, diced chard stalks and corn kernels. Continue to cook, stirring often, until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until ingredients are combined nicely and chard is tender but still bright. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Heat tortillas. Top with vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of salsa.

Tip

Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet.