Thursday Recipes

Here are today's six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Farmers’ Market Chowder and Heavenly Ice Cream Cake with Raspberry Coulis. Enjoy!

GREEN TEA, BLUEBERRY, AND BANANA SMOOTHIE

This recipe, as well as the next one (Blueberry-Lemon Scones), was found in an article on Prevention, titled “11 Recipes with Fresh Blueberries.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.

SERVINGS: 1

3 tbsp water

1 green tea bag

2 tsp honey

1 1/2 C frozen blueberries

1/2 med banana

3/4 C calcium fortified light vanilla soy milk

Microwave water on high until steaming hot in a small glass measuring cup or bowl. Add tea bag and allow to brew 3 minutes. Remove tea bag. Stir honey into tea until it dissolves.

Combine berries, banana, and milk in a blender with ice crushing ability.

Add tea to blender. Blend ingredients on ice crush or highest setting until smooth. (Some blenders may require additional water to process the mixture.) Pour smoothie into tall glass and serve.

NUTRITION (per serving) 269 cal, 3.7 g pro, 3.4 g carb, 7.8 g fiber, 2.7 g fat, 0.2 g sat fat, 52.3 mg sodium

BLUEBERRY-LEMON SCONES

SERVINGS: 12

Scones

3 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 C cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 C buttermilk

1/4 C unsweetened applesauce

1 C fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze

1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3/4 c confectioners' sugar

To Make the Scones: Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Put flour in large bowl. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the flour in small bowl. Add granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt to large bowl with flour. Cut in butter with pastry blender or hands until fine crumbs form.

Combine buttermilk and applesauce. Gradually mix with dry ingredients, stirring gently to form dough. Toss berries with reserved flour in small bowl and gently fold into batter. (Mix well, but do not overwork dough.) Separate into 2 equal portions.

Flour a clean surface and your hands. Press dough into two 1"-thick rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges.

Transfer scones to prepared baking sheets. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown on top, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on rack.

To Prepare the Glaze: Gradually mix lemon juice into confectioners' sugar in small bowl until just pourable in consistency. Drizzle over scones. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

NUTRITION (per scone): 227 cal, 4 g pro, 43 g carb, 1 g fiber, 4.5 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 285 mg sodium

HERBED TOFU LASAGNA WITH ZUCCHINI

This comes from the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Simple, fresh flavors and an innovative way with tofu—it's blended with herbs and seasonings until creamy and ricotta-like—make this lasagna one you'll want to make year-round. The key: Use the best purchased marinara sauce you can find, then drizzle each serving with extra virgin olive oil.” Serves 10.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/herbed-tofu-lasagna-with-zucchini/.

2 14-oz. pkg. firm tofu, well drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 Tbs. olive oil

4 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 3 cups)

5 cups marinara sauce

16 no-cook lasagna noodles (9 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine tofu, basil, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes and sugar in food processor; blend until smooth and similar to ricotta in texture.

Put oil and zucchini in large nonstick skillet. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, or until just tender.

Spread 3 Tbs. marinara sauce over bottom of prepared baking dish. Cover with layer of noodles, overlapping slightly, half of tofu mixture and half of zucchini mixture. Top with another layer of noodles, remaining tofu and zucchini, and 1/2 cup sauce. Finish with another layer of noodles and remaining sauce.

Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 314; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Sodium: 617 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 10 g; Vegan
br />HEAVENLY ICE CREAM CAKE WITH RASPBERRY COULIS

This recipe, http://www.vegetariantimes.com, from Vegetarian Times, begins, “Prepared angel food cakes from the supermarket bakery section are good items to have on hand for desserts. Before preparing this elaborate-looking recipe, freeze the cake completely. It slices easily with a serrated knife.” Serves 12.

You can also view this online, here.

1 16-oz. angel food cake, frozen

1 10-oz. jar raspberry preserves

1/4 cup raspberry liqueur or orange juice

2 pints low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened, divided

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

Cut cake into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover bottom of 9-inch springform pan with slices, cutting one or two slices as necessary to fill in gaps.

Combine raspberry preserves and liqueur in small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Brush half of raspberry mixture over cake in pan. Spread 1 pint ice cream over cake, and smooth top. Arrange more cake slices over ice cream to cover completely. Spread remaining raspberry mixture over cake. Smooth remaining pint of ice cream over cake. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance up to this point.)

Purée thawed raspberries and syrup in food processor until smooth. Strain into bowl.

Run knife around sides of springform pan. Release sides from cake. Slice into wedges, and top with raspberry coulis.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 273; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 60 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 319 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 31 g

FARMERS’ MARKET CHOWDER

This comes from page 61 of the September 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “While corn and leeks are essential here, feel free to substitute potatoes, carrots, or other root vegetables for some or all of the sweet potatoes. You could also mix in yellow wax or purple beans with the green beans or use basil instead of cilantro.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

4 large (or 5 small) ears corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, plus 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.), divided

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

3 cups sliced leeks (5 medium)

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/3 cup dry sherry

12 oz. peeled sweet potatoes, cut into medium dice

1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges, optional

Combine corn kernels, milk, and crushed garlic in saucepan. Run back of knife down cobs to release milk and pulp into saucepan, then add cobs to pan. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat, and let steep.

Heat butter and 1 Tbs. oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add leeks, cover, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and paprika, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in sherry, and cook 30 seconds. Add 4 cups water, and remove pot from heat.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, and sauté 8 minutes, or until browned; transfer to Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to same skillet, add green beans, and sauté 3 minutes. Transfer beans to plate.

Bring mixture in Dutch oven to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes. Add green beans, and cook 4 minutes more.

Strain milk mixture, and discard corncobs and garlic. Stir milk mixture and 1 Tbs. cilantro into chowder. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

nutritional information Per 1 2/3-cup serving: Calories: 280; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 80 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 15 g; Gluten-Free

TOMATO-SUMMER SQUASH SKEWERS

This comes from page 47 of the July/August 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The simplest recipes are often the best, especially in summer when produce is at its peak. Here, all it takes is a little olive oil and Italian seasoning to bring out the natural flavors of tomatoes and squash.” Makes 8 skewers.

To view this online, click here.

20 multi-colored cherry tomatoes, divided

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

16 1-inch-thick slices yellow summer squash

2 Tbs. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Purée 4 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup oil, and Italian seasoning in blender or small food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.

Preheat grill to medium-high, and brush grates with remaining 1 tsp. oil.

Combine squash slices and remaining 16 cherry tomatoes with puréed mixture in shallow baking dish; stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.

Thread 2 cherry tomatoes and 2 squash slices onto eight 10-inch bamboo skewers.

Grill skewers 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until squash is tender and tomatoes are bursting slightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.

nutritional information Per Skewer: Calories: 82; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 3 g; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Sodium: 26 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 1 g; Gluten-Free