Monday Recipes

It's Monday, time to get the work week started. Here are six vegetarian recipes to get your week started just right, including Greek-Inspired Veggie Burgers and Black Bean Chili. Enjoy!

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

This is from Kiera Wright-Ruiz in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kiera wrote, “There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Unlike most recipes, which start with a roux, this one begins with a milk-and-egg base, which gives the dish an incredibly rich, silky taste. It’s adapted from Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx, who has been making this dish since she was a little girl growing up in Georgia. The recipe was passed down in her family for generations, but because of the generous amount of cheese used, the dish was only made for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Extra-sharp Cheddar adds tartness and a layer of Colby Jack creates a gooey, molten center. If you can’t find a Colby Jack blend, shredded mozzarella or a Mexican-style blend will work in its place.”

Time: 35 minutes, plus cooling; Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

You can view this online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs

4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

2 cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.

Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)

Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.

CLASSIC CRANBERRY SAUCE

I realize that cranberry sauce is associated with Thanksgiving and other autumn holidays, but there's no reason not to make it any other times of the year. And since Easter is on Sunday, that'll work.

Anyway, this is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Nothing beats the puckery-sweet jolt of cranberry sauce. It's a sharp knife that cuts through all the starchy food on the menu. This recipe is for the traditionalists.” (If I might add, “YUM!!!”)

Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling; Yield: 2 cups

This was featured in “Essential Thanksgiving” (which I highly recommend looking at; go ahead, I’ll wait…), and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015427-classic-cranberry-sauce.

Ingredients

4 cups whole cranberries

6 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups water

1/4 cup orange juice or Grand Marnier (optional)

2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, 2 cups water, the sugar and salt. Let the sauce boil until it thickens; the water will evaporate and the pectin in the cranberries will be activated as it cooks. Let it boil for at least 10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in juice or liqueur, if using, then cover sauce well and chill. Sauce can be made up to this point 1 week in advance and kept refrigerated. A few hours before serving, stir in the pecans, if using.

GREEK-INSPIRED VEGGIE BURGERS

This is from WeightWwatchers, and begins, "Although you can use any frozen veggie burger you’d like, the flavors of Mediterranean chickpea burgers—made with spinach, tomatoes, and Greek spices—work particularly well here. We found that toasted or grilled English muffins make a great substitute for a hamburger bun; the craggy texture captures the tzatziki, a sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, and spices, perfectly without getting too soggy. It's pretty easy to find prepared tzatziki in markets, but you can make your own my mixing finely chopped or grated seeded and peeled cucumbers into plain yogurt and season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Serves: 1; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 sprays cooking spray

1 serving frozen vegetarian burger(s)

1 English muffin, grilled or toasted

2 Tbsp Tzatziki

1/4 cup Roasted red peppers (packed in water), thinly sliced

1/4 cup Cucumbers, cut in ribbons with a peeler

Directions

Lightly coat grill pan with nonstick spray. Grill burger over medium heat, turning once, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

On English muffin, layer tzatziki, burger, red peppers, and cucumber.

BLACK BEAN AND EDAMAME SLIDERS

This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Here’s the veg answer to Sloppy Joes—edamame lightens up a black bean mixture to keep these sliders from tasting too dense." Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/black-bean-and-edamame-sliders/.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained and minced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. prepared fat-free barbecue sauce, divided

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. olive oil

12 small whole-wheat dinner rolls, split like buns

4 oz. reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 12 slices

Preparation

Bring small pot of water to a boil. Add edamame, and cook 10 minutes. Drain.

Process garlic in food processor until minced. Add edamame, black beans, chipotle chile, cilantro, 1 Tbs. barbecue sauce, cumin, and salt. Process until mixture forms coarse paste.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add edamame mixture, and heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Spoon 1 Tbs. barbecue sauce onto each bottom bun. Top with bean mixture, cheese, and top buns.

BLACK BEAN CHILI

This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "You can have this chili on the table in no time at all since you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. We like ours made with black beans, but you can also use red kidney or pinto beans, or mix two kinds of beans together. For a change of pace, serve the chili over quinoa instead of rice." Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/black-bean-chili/.

Ingredients

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

14-oz. can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

3/4 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Two 16-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

In large nonstick pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add spices, tomatoes, beans and water, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in corn and cook 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and serve.

AVOCADO-GREEN TEA POPSICLE

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, "This grown-up popsicle is made creamy from the combination of avocado and yogurt. It tastes indulgent without many calories attached to it."

Makes 6 servings

View this online at https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/avocado-green-tea-popsicle.

Ingredients

1 avocado (halved, pitted)

1 banana (peeled, roughly chopped)

1 cup fat-free milk

1/2 cup fat-free, plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon green tea matcha powder

1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Spoon the avocado's flesh into a food processor or blender, also adding the chopped banana, milk, yogurt, matcha powder, and honey.

Purée until mixture is smooth.

Carefully pour mixture into 6 (4-ounce) popsicle molds. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.

Run the outside of the popsicle mold under warm water to easily remove popsicle from the mold.

Quick Tips

Cooking Tip: Matcha is a finely powdered green tea loaded with many antioxidants, often found at health food stores, if not in the tea aisle of the grocery store. Consider adding 1 to 2 teaspoons into a morning smoothie or make an afternoon drink of fat-free milk, matcha powder, and ice in the blender.

Keep it Healthy: Trying to reduce sugar intake? Adding a banana or other ripe fruit, like in this popsicle recipe, is a smart way to add sweetness.

Tip: Add a little ice into this recipe to turn this into a smoothie for 2. Or, sprinkle a little granola into the popsicle molds before filling with the base to make this into a breakfast popsicle.