Friday Recipes

It's the last Friday before Halloween. Where the heck has the year gone? After Halloween, we've got Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, the Winter Solstice, Boxing Day (in Canada and Great Britain), New Year's, and so many more...Siiiigh....

Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Engine 2 Diet Vegan Lasagna and Pumpkin Crisp. Enjoy!

MEXICAN QUICHE

This yummy quiche is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This Mexican Quiche takes all the best ingredients of a rich and creamy quiche and adds the essential elements of Mexican cooking: drop in Mexican cheese, diced green chiles and salsa prima.”

Serves: 8; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes

View this online at http://www.familytime.com/recipe/showrecipe.aspx?recipeid=13319

Ingredients

1 (9-in.) unbaked frozen deep-dish pie shell, (4-cup volume)

1 cup 4 cheese Mexican blend

1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 can (4-oz.) ORTEGA® Diced Green Chiles

2 large green onions, sliced

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup ORTEGA® Salsa Prima Homestyle Mild

3/4 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk

Garnish suggestions: ORTEGA® Salsa Prima-Homestyle Mild, sour cream, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle cheese, bell pepper, chiles and green onions onto bottom of pie shell. Combine eggs, salsa and evaporated milk in small bowl until blended. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Garnish as desired.

Notes: For a lower calorie version, substitute shredded light cheese and NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk.

VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

This is from Silk. Makes 8 servings. Total Time: 45 minutes + processing.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups Silk Original or Vanilla Soy, Almond or Coconutmilk

2 cups Silk Original or French Vanilla Creamer

1/2 cup honey, agave or sugar

1 vanilla bean

2 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

Special tools: ice cream maker

Directions

Place Silk and Silk Creamer in a medium saucepan and whisk in honey, agave or sugar.

Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds from the bean into the saucepan. Add bean pod as well.

Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and remove about 1/4 cup from the pan and whisk it together with the arrowroot in a small bowl. Whisk the arrowroot mixture back into the pan, cover and let the mixture infuse for 20 minutes.

Cool completely and process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: If you don’t have a vanilla bean, add 2 tsp vanilla extract when removing mixture from heat. You may also add fresh fruit or any other flavorings you desire.

ENGINE 2 DIET VEGAN LASAGNA

This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “Vegetable lasagna ​​is always a good meal choice for a vegan. And if you've heard about the heart-healthy and cholesterol-lowering Engine 2 Diet and want to try an approved recipe, this vegan lasagna is a good place to start.

“From Rip Esselstyn's The Engine 2 Diet, ‘Raise the Roof’ sweet potato vegan lasagna replaces the high fat and cholesterol of cheese and beef with whole-grain noodles, tofu, and antioxidant-rich vegetables including mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, and corn crowned with a crunchy good-fat cashew topping. It's so delicious, he says, he served it at his own wedding.

“As if that's enough to be happy about, the lasagna noodles cook in the oven so there is no need to boil them first—what a time saver.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 75 minutes; Yield: 10 to 12 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 onion (chopped)

1 head garlic (small, all cloves chopped or pressed)

8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)

1 head broccoli (chopped)

2 carrots (peeled and chopped)

2 red bell peppers (seeded and chopped)

1 can corn (rinsed and drained)

1 package silken lite tofu

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 (24-ounce) jars pasta sauce

2 (13.25-ounce) boxes whole-grain lasagna noodles (uncooked)

16 ounces frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

2 sweet potatoes (cooked and mashed)

6 Roma tomatoes (sliced thin)

1 cup raw cashews (ground)

Directions

Prepare the FillingHeat oven to 400 F.

Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan without any oil.

Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon and leave the mushroom liquid in the pan.

Add the broccoli and carrots to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, remove, and add them to the bowl containing the onion, garlic, and mushrooms, leaving any liquid in the pan.

Add the peppers and corn, and sauté until the peppers are just beginning to soften. Add them and any liquid to the vegetable bowl.

Drain the silken tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl.

Add cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, and rosemary to the vegetable bowl and combine thoroughly.

Assemble the Lasagna

Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with pasta sauce. Add a single layer of uncooked noodles (do not overlap) and cover completely with a generous portion of sauce.

Spread the vegetable-tofu mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a second layer of noodles and another generous portion of sauce.

Add a layer of thawed and drained spinach followed by a layer of mashed sweet potatoes. Top with another generous portion of sauce, a final layer of noodles, and the remainder of the sauce.

Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced Roma tomatoes.

Bake and Serve

Cover with foil and bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the ground cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

More About the Engine 2 Diet

Jolinda wrote, “Rip Esselstyn developed the Engine 2 Diet, he says, to help a person rid their diet of what he considers junk (meat, dairy, refined and processed foods) while still enjoying tasty, nutritious, whole plant-based foods.

“His vegan diet with a twist (no vegetable oils) theory is that plant-based foods and unrefined grains are superior to animal products.

“His regimen includes fitness ideas and recipes like Engine 2 Diet black bean and hummus wrap sandwich and Rip's oil-free, tahini-free almost fat-free hummus.

SWEET PEAR BREAD

This came from an old Weight Watchers' emailing list. It began, “Sugar-free, diet cola adds calorie-free moisture and sweetness to this savory cake. Perfect with a cup of hot cider.”

POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 16; Preparation Time: 18 min; Cooking Time: 25 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 sprays cooking spray

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-grain wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp table salt

1 large egg(s), beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

7 Tbsp dark brown sugar

15 oz unsweetened canned pears, drained and sliced (packed in water)

1/2 cup RC Cola Diet Cola, or other brand

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Combine egg, oil and brown sugar in a large bowl. Finely chop pears and add to egg mixture. Stir in soda.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just enough to wet batter; do not beat.

Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Slice into 16 pieces and serve warm.

SWANSON® RISOTTO

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, but apparently whoever sent it to the list got it from Campbell's Kitchen, as it begins, “Try this easy, delicious recipe from Campbell's Kitchen,” and attributes it to Swanson's Simply Delicious Cookbook.

Note: The recipe originally called for chicken broth, but I've changed it to use vegetable broth.

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice OR Arborio Rice

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth

Generous dash pepper

1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook rice and garlic in nonstick saucepan 2 min. or until rice is browned, stirring.

Add 1/2 cup broth and cook until broth is absorbed, stirring. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until all the broth is absorbed and rice is done and creamy, about 25 min.

Add pepper and cheese.

PUMPKIN CRISP

This comes from Delish.com, and begins, “This crisp will make you forget pumpkin pie ever existed. The crunchy topping is the perfect accompaniment to the smooth pumpkin filling.”

Yields: 6 servings; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Cooking spray, for pan

3 eggs

1 c. granulated sugar

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin purée

2/3 c. heavy cream

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the Topping

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar

Pinch kosher salt

3/4 c. cold butter, in 1/2" cubes

1 c. chopped pecans

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a skillet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. When smooth and fully combined, add pumpkin, cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Whisk until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared pan.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, brown sugar, and salt to combine and break up any clumps of brown sugar. Scatter the cubed butter over the dry ingredients and pulse again until crumbs form. Stir in the pecans.

In the palm of your hand, press handfuls of the topping into rough balls. Break off teaspoon-sized pieces and place over the pumpkin.

Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.