It's Monday. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to start your week off, including Carolina-Style Barbecue Sandwiches and Deep South Slaw. Enjoy!
ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
This is from VeryWellFit, and begins, "Vegetable casseroles are a great way to enjoy fresh produce from the farmers market or make use of a bumper crop. But they can also be loaded with cream and cheese making for a very heavy and high-caloric dish.
"To make this zucchini casserole recipe healthier, instead of adding cream to the sauce it is enriched with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs. The zucchini is then topped with just a bit of cheese. You may notice the absence of breadcrumbs, which also helps cut down on the calories. To compensate for the breadcrumbs' job of soaking up some of the liquid the vegetables exude during cooking, this recipe calls for starting the casserole on a higher heat to dry it out a bit, and then adding the last of the cheese on the top (otherwise it gets too brown or could even burn).
"This zucchini casserole recipe works well with any kind of zucchini or green summer squash, including a combination of squashes."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup onion (chopped, about 1/2 of a medium onion)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
3/4 pound tomatoes (fresh or canned—about a 1-pound can of whole tomatoes, drained)
1 teaspoon Italian herbs (or oregano)
Salt and pepper
1 pound zucchini (approximately 2 medium)
1 cup Italian cheese mixture (grated, packaged, or your own mix including mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone)
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 F.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onion in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
Cut each tomato into 3 to 5 pieces and add to the oil, along with the herbs, salt, and pepper.
Cook over medium heat until the liquid is mostly gone (but not dry), stirring occasionally—you should end up without about 1 cup of the mixture. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the zucchini into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. These can be either round slices, or lengthwise. Take the largest slices and line the bottom of a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch pan, or a similarly-sized round pan.
Spread about 1/4 of the tomatoes on top of the zucchini (don't even try to spread evenly; it won't work), followed by 1/4 cup of the cheese.
Continue layering the sauce, zucchini, and cheese. It should come out to 4 layers, but if it only makes 3, just try to divide things relatively evenly. Don't put the final layer of cheese on yet.
Bake for 20 minutes. Top with the rest of the cheese, and lower the temperature to 375F. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
Ingredient Substitutions and Cooking Tips
If you'd like to cut down on the fat even more, substitute low-fat or fat-free cheese. Just keep in mind that when you remove the fat, you also lessen the cheeses' melt-ability.
LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE
This is from Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, "Getting this vegetable torte right takes a little time. You really must grill (or pan-grill) or roast all the vegetables well — they have to become quite tender — before assembling the torte. Ultimately, you want the vegetables to almost melt together. Grilling is the technique of choice because it gives the vegetables a hint of smokiness."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "A Vegetable Torte Starts at the Grill", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013213-layered-vegetable-torte.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
ULTIMATE VEGGIE FRIED RICE
This was in the September 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 64, in an article, “The Zen Kitchen.” It begins, “Add leftover cooked vegetables, an egg, or some beans, and you have a wonderful one-bowl meal. Recipe adapted from Tassajara Dinners & Desserts by Dale and Melissa Kent.” Makes 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 small carrot, diced (1/4 cup)
1 stalk celery, diced (1/4 cup)
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cooked brown rice, crumbled or broken up
2 cups leftover vegetables, beans, etc., optional
Preparation
Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil. Sauté onion, carrot, celery, herbes de Provence, and salt 10 to 15 minutes, or until well browned. Add a little more oil if pan seems dry. Add rice, and stir-fry 5 minutes, or until mixture is hot and well combined.
Rice is now ready to be served, but if you have some time before your meal, turn heat to low, add a little more oil to pan, and let rice sit undisturbed 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned. If it begins to stick, scrape it up, stir tasty brown bits in, and continue browning with a little more oil. The more time and energy you spend at this stage, the tastier the rice will be. If using leftovers, add them just before serving and continue to heat thoroughly.
MADE-IN-THE-PAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
This wonderful vegan cake is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, "This surprisingly tender vegan chocolate cake is made entirely in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan: Just toss in the ingredients, stir until you don’t see any flour streaks, then bake. For flourish, add a small handful of chocolate chips before baking or sprinkle the finished cake with a little confectioners’ sugar. Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s 'Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook,' this recipe was developed for kids, but adults love it, too. It’s an ideal snacking cake, or you could gussy it up with a simple ganache frosting."
Yield: 9 to 12 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in "The Best Cookbooks for Kids", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020063-made-in-the-pan-chocolate-cake.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional)
Preparations
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.
Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.
Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
Use a damp paper towel to wipe the edges of the baking dish clean. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes. (Instead of looking like you dipped the toothpick in chocolate frosting, it should look like it has some chocolate cake crumbs clinging to it.)
Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares. If you’re feeling fancy, this tastes good (and looks pretty) with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top.
CAROLINA-STYLE BARBECUE SANDWICHES
This is from Vegetarian Times (posted on the website on May 9, 2017), and begins, "A tangy mustard-based sauce distinguishes Carolina-style barbecue from its sweeter Kansas City cousin. This recipe makes 2 cups of sauce, leaving plenty to serve on the side. For crunch in your sandwiches, buy coleslaw at the deli, or make Deep South Slaw."
Makes: 4 servings.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/carolina-style-barbecue-sandwiches.
Ingredients
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup no-salt-added ketchup, such as Heinz
1/4 cup yellow mustard
3 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
2 tsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. seitan, cut into thin strips
4 hamburger-style buns
12 pickle chips, optional
1 cup prepared coleslaw, optional
Directions
Bring vinegar, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, molasses, hot sauce, black pepper, and salt to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl, and set aside. Add seitan to saucepan, and cook 10 minutes. Divide among buns. Serve with pickle chips, coleslaw, and extra sauce, if using.
DEEP SOUTH SLAW
This is from Vegetarian Times (updated on the website on June 11, 2019), and begins, "The key to perfect coleslaw is a creamy base, a hint of sweetness, a touch of tangy vinegar, and, in the case of Cajun versions, a little kick from hot sauce or cayenne pepper."
Makes: 8 Servings
This can be viewed online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/deep-south-slaw.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, grated
10 oz. green cabbage, thinly sliced (4 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Directions
Combine cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper in large bowl. Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Pour mayonnaise mixture over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Chill well. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
