Friday Recipes

For anyone who's lost track of the days (and most of us have), it's finally Friday. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup and Apple Pear Strudel w/Dried Fruit and Almonds. Enjoy!

BAKED RAJMA (PUNJABI-STYLE RED BEANS WITH CREAM

This is from Tejal Rao at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, "Punjabi-style rajma, or red beans, in a thick, spicy tomato gravy is comforting, quick and comes together with what you have in the pantry. This one-pan baked version lets the oven do the work of reducing the sauce. When the dish comes out, scatter with cilantro, if you’ve got it, and some quick-pickled onion. The key is to take your time with the base, letting the onion mixture cook out properly, so the final sauce is mellow and deeply flavored. You can try the same recipe with different beans — use whatever you’ve got, from chickpeas to cannellini. Serve it over rice, ideally, but if you’re in a pinch, a side of hot flour tortillas, or even buttered toast, will make it into a delicious meal."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 hour

This was featured in "The Indisputable King of Bean Dishes", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021035-baked-rajma-punjabi-style-red-beans-with-cream.

Ingredients

1 red onion

4 garlic cloves

1 fresh green chile

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 (28-ounce) can crushed, diced, chopped or whole tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained

1/2 teaspoon red chile powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 cup diced mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the Pickle:

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the onion, then thinly slice one portion. Set aside sliced onion. Add the remaining onion to a food processor, along with the garlic, chile and ginger. Purée until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and cook until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just starting to take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the mixture cooks, purée the canned tomatoes and their juices, if using diced, chopped or whole tomatoes.

Add the beans and chile powder to the onion mixture, and mix well. Use a fork to mash a tablespoon or so of the beans against the side of the skillet to help thicken the sauce.

Add the crushed or puréed tomatoes and garam masala to the beans, and mix well. Drizzle the top with cream or scatter with cheese, then slide into the oven and bake, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the top is lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

Prepare the pickle: While the beans are baking, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer 1/4 cup hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the reserved onion slices to the boiling water in the saucepan, turn off the heat and, after 1 minute, drain the onion. Transfer the softened onion to the small bowl and stir in the vinegar.

When the beans are ready, fish out the pickled onion slices and arrange on top, letting a few drops of the pickling liquid flick over the beans to season them. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice, buttered toast or flour tortillas.

TOFU-SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from PETA's website. Whether you like PETA or not, they do have good vegetarian recipes. This one makes 6 to 8 servings, and can be viewed online at https://www.peta.org/recipes/tofu-spinach-lasagne/.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles

2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 lb. soft tofu

1 lb. firm tofu

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 tsp. minced fresh basil

2 tsp. salt

4 cups tomato sauce

Instructions

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.

Place the tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the spinach.

Cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about one-third of the noodles). Follow with half of the tofu filling. Continue in the same order, using half of the remaining tomato sauce and noodles and all of the remaining tofu filling. End with the remaining noodles, covered by the remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”

POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Ingredients

1 large onion, cut into large chunks

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups winter squash, cubed

2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)

3 cups fat-free vegetable broth

1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.

Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Notes

You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.

SWEET-AND-SPICY GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH BURRATA

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "A colorful platter of soft, grilled vegetables in a sweet and spicy sauce can be the centerpiece of a light summery meal; just add some creamy cheese for richness and crusty bread to round things out. This recipe is extremely adaptable. You mix and match the vegetables, increasing the amounts of your favorites (or the ones you can get your hands on), and skipping anything you don’t have. And if your grill is large enough, you can make several different kinds of vegetables at the same time. Just don’t crowd them so they cook evenly."

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in "Let Vegetables Be the Star of Your Memorial Day," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021091-sweet-and-spicy-grilled-vegetables-with-burrata.

Note: The original ingredients list calls for 1 tablespoon fish sauce or colatura (optional). However, since this is optional, and this is a vegetarian blog, I'm leaving it out. It was part of the Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce.

Ingredients

For the Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce:

1/4 cup chopped raisins, preferably golden, or dried apricots

2/3 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or a combination)

2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Pinch of fine sea salt

For the Vegetables (use any or all):

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 bell peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed

1 to 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick

1 small eggplant, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick

2 to 4 ears yellow corn, shucked

8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered

1 bunch thick asparagus, ends snapped

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably still on the vine

For Serving:

2 small burrata or fresh mozzarella balls, or 2 cups fresh ricotta

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Basil or mint leaves, for serving

Crusty bread slices

Preparation

Make the sauce: Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, honey, fish sauce or colatura (if using), red-pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool. Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh. (Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the vegetables: Oil the grill grate and light the grill. Have a serving platter at the ready.

Grill the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and corn directly on the grate, in batches if necessary, and turning them as needed. Move them around the grate so they cook evenly. Cook until they are lightly charred, watching them carefully, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the vegetable.

To grill the mushrooms and asparagus, place them in a grilling basket if you have one, or put directly on the grill. (Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.) Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Grill the cherry tomatoes, using the vine as a handle if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to burst and char slightly. Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter.

Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables. Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce, stirring it up to get the raisins, and with olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top. Serve the extra sauce and the bread alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce.

Tip

To make this using a broiler, spread the vegetables on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with oil and broil until browned on top, then flip and broil until browned on the other side. The timing will depend on the vegetable, so stick with one kind per baking pan. You’ll need to do this in batches. You can also use a grill pan.

APPLE PEAR STRUDEL WITH DRIED FRUIT AND ALMONDS

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in another recent New York Times cooking newsletter. Martha wrote, “This strudel is made with phyllo dough. When I tested it the first time, I found that I had enough filling for two strudels. Rather than cut the amount of filling, I increased the number of strudels to 2, as this is a dessert you can assemble and keep, unbaked, in the freezer.” Time: 45 minutes; makes 2 strudels, each serving 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Filling for 2 Strudels

1/2 pound mixed dried fruit, like raisins, currants, chopped dried figs, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries

1 1/2 pounds apples (3 large) (I recommend Braeburns), peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter for cooking the apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds

3/4 pound (1 large or 2 small) ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch dice

For Each Strudel

8 sheets phyllo dough

7/8 cup almond flour, divided (about 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)

1 1/2 ounces butter, melted, for brushing the phyllo

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.

Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour on hot or boiling water to cover. Let sit 5 minutes, and drain. Toss the apples with the lemon juice.

Heat a large, heavy frying pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Wait until it becomes light brown and carefully add the apples and the sugar. Do not add the apples until the pan and the butter are hot enough, or they won’t sear properly and retain their juice. But be careful when you add them so that the hot butter doesn’t splatter. When the apples are brown on one side, add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds, flip the apples and continue to sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the pears and dried fruit, then scrape out onto one of the lined sheet pans and allow to cool completely. Divide into two equal portions (easiest to do this if you weigh it).

Place 8 sheets of phyllo dough on your work surface. Cover with a dish towel and place another, damp dish towel on top of the first towel. Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface horizontally, with the long edge close to you. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the parchment. Brush lightly with butter and top with the next sheet. Continue to layer all eight sheets, brushing each one with butter before topping with the next one.

Brush the top sheet of phyllo dough with butter. Sprinkle on half of the almond powder. With the other half, create a line 3 inches from the base of the dough, leaving a 2 1/2-inch margin on the sides. Top this line with one portion of the fruit mixture. Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo up over the filling, then fold the ends over and roll up like a burrito. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the strudel and place it on the other parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with butter and make 3 or 4 slits on the diagonal along the length of the strudel. Repeat with the other sheets of phyllo to make a second strudel. If you are freezing one of them, double-wrap tightly in plastic.

Place the strudel in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush again with butter, rotate the pan and return to the oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Tip:

Advance preparation: The fruit filling will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The strudel can be baked a few hours before serving it. Recrisp in a medium oven for 10 minutes. It can also be frozen before baking, double-wrapped in plastic. Transfer directly from the freezer to the oven and add 10 minutes to the baking time.

VEGETABALE SPAGHETTI

This comes from Makinze Gore at Delish. It begins, “Vegetable spaghetti is the perfect way to use up leftover veggies. Use whatever you have on hand, don't feel married to these specific ones. They are just a good starting point.”

Yields: 6 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb. spaghetti

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 zucchini, sliced

1 carrot, chopped

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Sliced basil, for garnish

Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot of boiling water, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain spaghetti.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add zucchini, carrot, and red onion and cook until soft, 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste then add diced tomatoes and season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, simmer 10 minutes.

Add spaghetti to skillet and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and toss to combine. Add more pasta water as necessary to bring sauce together.

Garnish with basil and Parmesan to serve.