Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. (Yay!) Actually, it's the first Friday in December; one more month, and we can say goodbye to this difficult year.

To that end, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, and Roasted Garlic, Vegan Lasagna, and Creamy Lemonade Pie (to sweeten the weekend just a little). Enjoy!

SPINACH-ZUCCHINI SOUP

This was in the September 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 51. It begins, “This light soup is full of sunny flavors like lemon, zucchini, and mint.” Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (2 cups)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, or 1 15-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups baby spinach (4 oz.)

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

4 tsp. finely chopped mint leaves

Preparation

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add zucchini, and cook 8 minutes more, or until vegetables are well browned. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Stir in beans and spinach, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and mint. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 Servings. 1 Serving size = 1 cup. 1 cup fettuccine alfredo provides a 1/2 serving of Benecol®

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Benecol® Regular spread

4 to 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1/4 cups skim milk

3 tbsp flour

4 ounces fat free cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 cups hot cooked fettuccine noodles (about 1/2 pound uncooked)

Directions

Heat Benecol & garlic slowly over low heat, 5 to 7 minutes, allowing full flavor of garlic to be released into Benecol.

Meanwhile, combine milk, flour, cream cheese, & Parmesan cheese in blender; then puree until smooth.

Add pureed mixture to Benecol® and garlic. Increase heat to medium-low and whisk continuously until mixture has thickened. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Toss with fettuccine noodles.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES, BASIL AND ROASTED GARLIC

This was on page 37 of the August 1998 issue of Vegetarian Times, and posted online on May 1, 2017. It begins, “Our pasta dish can be as simple as the one presented here, or modified by adding diced avocado, chopped red onion, sliced black olives and chopped roasted peppers. Since pasta is not the best source of protein, this dish should be joined by a first-course that includes legumes, such as the Chickpea-Stuffed Mushrooms (p. 35, August 1998).” Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

10 cloves garlic

3/4 lb. ripe plum tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 Tbs. capers

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/2 lb. rice pasta or whole-wheat pasta

Preparation

Place unpeeled garlic cloves in small baking dish and roast until soft and lightly colored, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove each clove as it is done. When cool enough to handle, peel and smash gently with flat side of knife.

Dice tomatoes and place in large bowl, retaining juices. You should have about 2 cups of tomatoes. Add roasted garlic, basil, capers, oil and vinegar. Let stand at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain well and add to tomato mixture. Toss to mix and coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAMY LEMONADE PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant lemon pudding mix

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese softened

3/4 C. lemonade concentrate

1 graham cracker crust

Directions

In mixing bowl combine milk & pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light & fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in lemonade concentrate. Gradually beat in pudding mixture. Pour into crust. Cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

THE ULTIMATE VEGGIE BURGER

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “You make a veggie burger because you want the hamburger experience without the meat. This one delivers. It’s got a firm, beefy texture that takes on the char and smoke of the grill, but is adaptable enough to cook inside on your stove. The enemy of a veggie burger is mushiness, which stems from a high moisture content. To combat that, the very watery ingredients – mushrooms, tofu, beans and beets – are roasted to both dehydrate them somewhat and intensify their flavors. Yes, the ingredient list here is long; you need a diverse lot to make a good veggie burger. And each one adds something in terms of flavor and/or texture. Garnish this any way you like, and don’t forget to toast the buns.” Yield: 6 burger.

This was featured in “The Ultimate Veggie Burger”, and can be found online here.

Also, there are two guides that went with this recipe that you might want to check out. The first is “How to Cook Beans”, and the second is “How to Grill”. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained

Olive oil

1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

Black pepper, as needed

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 medium beet, peeled and coarsely grated (3/4 cup)

3/4 cup tamari almonds or cashews

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

2 ounces Cotija cheese or queso blanco, crumbled or grated (about 1/2 cup)

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 scallions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 teaspoon dulce pimentón or sweet smoked paprika

4 ounces tempeh, crumbled

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

Preparation

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice tofu into 1/4-inch-thick slabs and pat dry with paper towel. Arrange tofu on one half of a rimmed baking sheet; brush both sides with oil. Spread mushrooms on the other half of the baking sheet; toss with 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper.

On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss beans and grated beet with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper, then spread the mixture into one layer.

Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Roast bean-beet mixture, tossing occasionally, until beans begin to split and beets are tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Roast mushrooms and tofu until golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Let everything cool.

Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add cooled bean-beet mixture, mushrooms, tofu, panko, cheese, eggs, mayonnaise, scallion, garlic, pimentón and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse until ingredients are just combined. Pulse in tempeh and rice but do not overprocess. You want small chunks, not a smooth mixture. Scrape mixture into a bowl and chill at least 2 hours or up to 5 days (you can also freeze the burger mix).

When you are ready to make the burgers, divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form each portion into a patty about 1 inch thick. Return to the fridge until just before grilling. They grill better when they start out cold.

Heat the grill. Cook the burgers over a low fire until they are charred on both sides and firm when you press on them, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If they start to burn before they firm up, move them to the sides of the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat. Alternatively, you can cook these on a grill pan or in a skillet over low heat.

VEGAN LASAGNA

This comes from Lena Abraham on Delish, and begins, “A lasagna you can feel good about.”

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 10-12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles

1 (14-oz) package firm tofu, drained

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano, divided

1 (8-oz) package baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 (10-oz) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid

For the White Sauce

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 c. almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 c. marinara

3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 c. thinly sliced basil, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain.

Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen cloth or paper towels and place on a large plate. Place a pan or heavy plate on top of tofu in order to press out as much liquid as possible. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. When drained, crumble with two forks and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp oregano. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thawed and drained spinach until completely combined. Remove from heat and set aside vegetables.

Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat to make white sauce: Add olive oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook until lightly golden and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in nut milk until smooth. Stir in nutritional yeast and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Build lasagna: In a large baking dish, spoon 1/4 c marinara into an even layer, then add a layer of noodles. Top with an even layer of vegetable mixture, tofu, marinara, and white sauce. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending in marinara. Add a single layer of tomato rounds and season with salt, pepper and remaining oregano.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until tomatoes are cooked and lasagna is heated through. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with basil and serve.