Hope you had a good weekend. Here to start off this week's food are six yummy vegetarian recipes, including Banana Snacking Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Vegan Chinese Kung Pao. Enjoy!
APPLE SPICE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTER SAUCE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 10 servings.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon Apple Pie Spice
1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
2 apples (Granny Smith or Gala), peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Vanilla Butter Sauce (recipe follows)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, apple pie spice, allspice and salt in small bowl; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla on low speed just until blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in apples, raisins and walnuts. Spread evenly in greased 9-inch round cake pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving plate.
Serve warm with Vanilla Butter Sauce.
Vanilla Butter Sauce:
Bring 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and 1/2 cup heavy cream to boil in 2-quart saucepan on medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract. Serve warm. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Test Kitchen Tip: The cake and sauce can be prepared and refrigerated separately the day before. Warm the cake in the oven and the sauce on top of the stove before serving.
CANNOLI QUESADILLA WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
This was in an old Weight Watchers email (we're talking more than 10 years ago). The plan has changed several times since then.
This recipe begins, “Whip up this Italian-inspired specialty in honor of Mother’s Day. Topped with a simple strawberry sauce or just sliced strawberries, it’s a sweet treat every mom will love.”
POINTS® Value: 3 (value from when this recipe was emailed); Servings: 4; Preparation Time: 10 min; Cooking Time: 1 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
8 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener, or similar product, or to taste
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
4 medium whole wheat tortilla
5 oz sweetened frozen whole strawberries, partially thawed and pureed (1/2 a 10 oz package), or whole sliced strawberries if you prefer
Directions
Mix together ricotta cheese, Splenda and almond extract by hand in a large bowl until well-combined and smooth; gently fold in chocolate chips. Chill for at least 2 hours (and up to overnight); drain off any liquid.
To soften tortillas, wrap them in layers of paper towels and then microwave them on high for 30 seconds.
Place about 1/4 cup of cheese mixture down the center of each cooled tortilla; fold tortilla over in half (or roll up burrito-style). Drizzle each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce or top with fresh strawberry slices; serve immediately. Yields 1 cannoli per serving.
Notes: Add more Splenda if you prefer your desserts very sweet. And feel free to top the quesadillas with freshly sliced strawberries when they’re in season. Or you can use a combination of pureed and sliced strawberries.
Note: Okay, this is me talking. I personally would refrain from the Splenda, simply because I'm not a big fan of non-sugar (read not-quite-sure-it's-not-synthetic) sweeteners. But that's my preference. I would use sugar or no sweetener at all. It's your call here.
EASY VEGAN TEMPEH CHILI
This is from OnTrackDiabetes, a site with some good information for diabetics and their families.
Servings: 6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Total: 40 minutes
You can view this at https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/recipes/easy-vegan-tempeh-chili.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces tempeh
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 15-ounce can of organic pinto beans (undrained)
1 15-ounce can of organic kidney beans (drained)
2 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
3/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large (6-quart) saucepan on medium heat.
Remove tempeh from the package and crumble it into saucepan. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add chopped onion, bell peppers and celery to saucepan. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes.
Add beans (1 drained and 1 undrained), tomatoes, water and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.
Simmer on low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are cooked yet still firm.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 330 calories (33% calories from fat), 18 g protein, 12 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 767 mg sodium
BANANA SNACKING CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL GLAZE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This buttery snacking cake is a bit like banana bread, but richer, and topped with a sticky caramel frosting that is dotted with crunchy flakes of sea salt. The frosting, made from brown sugar and heavy cream, is easier than a classic caramel, but just as compelling, with the sea salt contrasting perfectly with its sweetness. It’s important to use ripe bananas here. Soft, spotty ones with dark yellow skins will be the sweetest and most complex. Firm, pale yellow bananas just don’t have enough intensity to flavor the cake.”
For the Glaze:
Yield: 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
This was featured in “Three Snacking Cakes to Change Your Afternoons”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup mashed banana (from 2 to 3 very ripe bananas)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into pieces
1/3 packed cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Large pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan, and then line with parchment paper, letting the two long ends hang over the edges by at least 2 inches.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk in bananas, melted butter, sour cream, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Scrape into baking pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
When cake is cool, make the glaze: In a medium or large pot (not a small one because the mixture will bubble up), combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt. Bring to a full boil and continue to boil over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth, then immediately pour over cooled cake. Spread evenly across cake and let set for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.
VEGAN CHINESE KUNG PAO TOFU
This is from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “Never had kung pao tofu before? Looking for something new to try for a vegetarian dinner tonight? Try this vegetarian Chinese dish!
“Although this traditional Chinese food dish is usually made with chicken, you can use tofu to create a very similar vegetarian and vegan version of traditional kung pao chicken using all the same Chinese ingredients and seasonings, including sesame oil, red pepper flakes, onion, lime and hot sauce. This vegetarian kung pao tofu recipe also calls for lots of healthy Chinese veggies including snow peas, bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms.
“Serve this Szechuan-style Chinese kung pao tofu recipe over rice.
“Need this recipe to be gluten-free as well as vegan? Double-check that your is gluten-free, and use tamari in place of the soy sauce.”
Prep Time: 45 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: about 3 servings.
View this online here.
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable broth
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari to keep it gluten-free)
1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 small bok choy, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup snow peas
1/2 small purple cabbage, sliced thin
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Prepare your tofu. Like most vegetarian tofu recipes, this tofu recipe will taste best if you press the tofu first. This allows the tofu to absorb more of the flavorings and seasonings which you add to it.
Once your tofu is ready, combine the 3 tbsp vegetable broth, lime juice, soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil and the tofu in a small bowl. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, mixing occasionally to coat the tofu well.
Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet or cover with foil and bake tofu for 15 minutes, turning once.
In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, saute the onion, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, mushrooms and ginger in 2 tbsp sesame oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bok choy and vegetable broth and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes. Add cabbage and snow peas.
Reduce heat to low and add tofu and remaining ingredients, cooking just until combined and heated through. Serve over rice.
COUSCOUS WITH MIXED VEGETABLES
This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
Couscous:
16 oz couscous
2 cups water
2 teaspoons oil or margarine
Salt & pepper
Aromatic broth:
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 Tablespoons turmeric
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon coriander, ground
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
Salt & pepper to taste
Vegetables:
1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow squash
1 turnip
1 carrot
1/8 cabbage
Directions
Boil water with salt, pepper & oil. Mix in couscous & place plastic wrap on top. Let steam for 15 minutes. Sauté onion. Add raisins, turmeric, coriander, cumin & cinnamon stick & 6 cups of water. Boil for 25 minutes, then strain. Cook zucchini, yellow squash, turnip, carrot, & cabbage in broth & set aside until ready to use.
