Friday Recipes

Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Ultimate Vegan Lasagna and Dark Chocolate-Orange Brownies. Enjoy!

VEGAN BRAISED CHINESE MUSHROOMS AND BABY BOK CHOY

This comes from Elaine Louie in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Elaine wrote, “A classic Chinese dish is bok choy served with dried black mushrooms, soaked until soft and then flavored with soy sauce and other ingredients.” Time: 45 minutes; makes 2 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetarian oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce, like Lee Kum Kee brand (sold at Asian markets or on Amazon.com)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry

14 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked in warm water until softened, stemmed and squeezed dry, or fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

14 baby bok choy

2 scallions, white part only, minced

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine oyster or stir-fry sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, vegetable broth and rice wine or sherry. Mix well, and reserve.

Fill a large pot about three-quarters full of water, and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a skillet large enough to hold all the mushrooms in one snug layer, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add reserved sauce, and reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, turning mushrooms over once or twice. If the pan becomes dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water, and mix well. Add to the mushrooms. Stir gently for 30 seconds, until mushrooms are glossy. Cover, and turn off heat. Add the baby bok choy to the boiling water, and blanch until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain well and arrange on a platter with the leaves pointed toward the center. Place the mushrooms in the center, and garnish with chopped scallions. If desired, serve with rice.

VEGAN MAC N CHEEZ

This comes from Tara Parker-Pope, also from The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Tara wrote, “Vegan diners and people who can't tolerate dairy will enjoy this creamy, velvety version of macaroni and cheese -- without the dairy.

“Julie Askew from Long Island set to work to develop this recipe when her picky son developed a dairy intolerance.” Time: 30 minutes; serves 4.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016996-vegan-mac-n-cheez.

Ingredients

1/2 large sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into large chunks

1 medium carrot, top and tailed, washed and cut into thick slice

1/2 small onion, peeled and halved

1/4 red bell pepper, thickly sliced

1/2 cup broken cashew pieces (pre-soaked for 2-4 hours, or overnight)

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon sweet white miso

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 small lemon

Non-dairy milk, preferably unsweetened

Whole grain pasta

Preparation

In a vegetable steamer, steam the sweet potatoes, carrots, onion and red bell pepper until fork-soft, about 15 minutes. When the vegetables are half cooked, put the water on to boil for the pasta. Salt generously.

When the veggies are soft, put them in the blender with the remaining ingredients, then blend, adding milk until you obtain a thick pouring sauce. Stop blender once to scrape down the sides blend a little longer to get the sauce really smooth and creamy.

Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir over a low heat for a few minutes to warm through and combine thoroughly.

Serve with kid-friendly greens of your choice.

ULTIMATE VEGAN LASAGNA

This comes from the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “This recipe eliminates the messy, time-consuming process of preboiling the noodles—use any whole-wheat, brown rice, or regular lasagna noodles right out of the box. They'll cook in the sauce.” Serves 8.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/ultimate-vegan-lasagna/.

Filling

2 tsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach

2 12-oz. pkgs. firm tofu, drained

1 8-oz. pkg. vegan cream cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Lasagna

5 1/2 cups Speedy Red Sauce (next recipe)

12 uncooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles

12 oz. vegan Italian sausage links, cut into thin rounds, or soy sausage crumbles, broken apart

1 cup shredded mozzarella flavor vegan cheese (3 oz.)

To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in oil 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Add spinach, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl of food processor. Add tofu, cream cheese, basil, and nutritional yeast, and purée until mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread one-quarter of Speedy Red Sauce recipe on bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with one-third of noodles (4 or 5 noodles), then half of Filling, and ladle on another one-quarter of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining Filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with one-quarter of sauce. Finish with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Cover lasagna with foil, and bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Uncover, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until noodles are tender and topping is melted. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per 2-x-3-inch slice: Calories: 508; Protein: 33 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 60 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 817 mg; Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 10 g; Vegan

SPEEDY RED SAUCE

This is also from the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “This all-purpose pasta sauce can be used on spaghetti as well as in our Ultimate Vegan Lasagna. Puréed roasted red peppers help thicken it quickly.” Makes 5 1/ 2 cups in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/speedy-red-sauce/.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained

2 small onions, diced (2 cups)

2 Tbs. dried basil or 3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

Purée roasted red peppers in food processor or blender until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté 5 minutes, or until golden. Add basil and garlic, and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in tomatoes and roasted red pepper purée. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 53; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 352 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 6 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

PAD THAI

This is from the January 1998 issue of Vegetarian Times. Makes 4 servings in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/pad-thai/.

8 oz. rice noodles

2 tsp. peanut oil

1 medium red bell pepper, julienned

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

4 oz. snow peas, trimmed

4 oz. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped cashews for garnish

4 green onions, chopped for garnish

2 oz. bean sprouts for garnish

In large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. When water boils, add noodles, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and garlic and stir-fry 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, snow peas and tofu and stir-fry just until tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cooked noodles and cilantro.

Spoon noodle mixture onto warm plates and garnish with cashews, green onions and bean sprouts.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 289; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 59 g; Sodium: 624 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Vegan

DARK CHOCOLATE – ORANGE BROWNIES

This decadent recipe is from page 46 of the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Cointreau, a sweet orange liqueur, gives fudgy brownies an elegant touch.” Makes 16 brownies in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. melted coconut oil, divided

8 Medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 Tbs. Cointreau liqueur

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 large egg

1 cup hazelnut or almond meal

1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour

2 Tbs. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8-inch-square baking pan with 1 tsp. coconut oil.

Pulse 1/3 cup oil, dates, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, syrup, Cointreau, vanilla, and salt in food processor until smooth. Blend in egg, then nut meal, flour, orange zest, and baking powder. Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle with chocolate, and bake 20 minutes, or until edges are firm.

nutritional information Per Per brownie: Calories: 191; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 12 mg; Sodium: 59 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 20 g; Gluten-Free