It's finally Friday. Here are six vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Cauliflower Stir-Fry with Toasted Peanuts, Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, and Chickless Pot Pie. Enjoy!
GRILLED VEGETABLE AND BLACK BEAN FAJITAS
This yummy recipe is from The Scrumptious Pumpkin.
Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 12 fajitas, 6 servings (2 fajitas per serving; Difficulty: Easy
To view this online, click here
Ingredients
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
16 ounces organic black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
12 organic whole wheat tortillas
Salt
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, freshly squeezed
Salt
Instructions
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
Prepare the grill for 375 degrees F.
Layer first the onion, then the bell pepper, and finally the zucchini on a grill vegetable basket. Season with salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add the black beans to the basket, season with additional salt, and cook about 2 minutes more, or until beans are heated through.
Meanwhile, as vegetables are cooking, prepare the spice mixture. To a large mixing bowl, add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Season with a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until well combined.
Immediately after removing the basket from the grill, pour the still-hot vegetables and beans into the mixing bowl. Stir and combine until the seasonings have melted into the vegetables and everything is well coated with oil.
Spoon the vegetable-black bean mixture onto whole wheat tortillas. Top with heaping spoonfuls of Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below) and slices of avocado. Roll up tortillas, and serve.
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
To a mixing bowl, add the tomato, green onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.
Storage: refrigerate salsa in a covered, airtight container.
EASY BAKED BEANS
This comes from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Baked beans were meant to be doctored up to suit a cook’s taste, so feel free to make these with more or less sugar, a spicier salsa or mustard, and add-ins such as soy sausage or soy hot dogs.” Serves 8.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups dried red kidney beans
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)
1 8-oz. jar medium salsa
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbs. yellow mustard
Directions
Soak beans in 6 cups water overnight. Drain; reserve soaking liquid.
Coat Dutch oven with cooking spray, and heat over low heat. Add onions, cover, and cook 15 minutes, or until browned. Stir in 1 cup soaking liquid. Simmer 5 minutes, scraping up onion bits stuck to pot.
Stir in remaining ingredients and 5 cups water. Cover, and cook 1-1/2 hours. Uncover; simmer 1 hour more, or until sauce has thickened.
nutritional information per serving: Calories: 166; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 0.5 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Sodium: 566 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
SLOW-COOKER THREE-BEAN CHILI
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "You won't miss the meat in a spicy chili brimming with three kinds of beans."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Note: The recipe originally calls for “1 large vegetarian vegetable or chicken bouillon cube, crumbled”, but I’ve left out the “or chicken” part.
Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup dried lentils (8 ounces), sorted and rinsed
1 large vegetarian vegetable or chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1 envelope (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix
3 cups water
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and mild green chilies, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
Instructions
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and tomato sauce in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until heated through.
CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY WITH TOASTED PEANUTS
This is from the Food Network, and begins, "This vegan dinner comes together super fast but is also very hearty. Toasting the peanuts in oil not only flavors the oil, it makes the nuts extra toasty and crisp. Broiling the cauliflower before adding to the skillet cooks out some of the water in the vegetable so the stir-fry stays nice and crisp-tender."
Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/cauliflower-stir-fry-with-toasted-peanuts-3589680.
Ingredients
1 cup jasmine rice
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts
1 cup snow peas (about 4 ounces), trimmed
1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 scallions (white parts sliced, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces)
1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Cook the rice as the label directs. Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper; spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the peanuts and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Remove to a small bowl with a slotted spoon and season with salt and pepper.
Add the snow peas, bell pepper and ginger to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the scallions (white and green parts) and cauliflower; toss. Add the chili sauce and soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are glazed, about 2 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork; top each serving with the stir-fry, toasted peanuts and cilantro.
SAUTEED BROCCOLI RABE
This is from Ali Slagle at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "Spicy broccoli rabe is often blanched in a big pot of salted water to tame some of its bitter sting, then sautéed with copious olive oil, dried chiles and garlic until silky. But this recipe streamlines and expedites that process: Toss the broccoli rabe in the garlicky oil, add a small quantity of water, cover and steam until fork-tender, then uncover. By the time the liquid has evaporated, the broccoli rabe will be ready. If you find it too bitter, just keep cooking; it will only grow sweeter and softer. Serve this dish any time you’d make a side of broccoli, with meat, fish, beans or other proteins."
Prep Time: 10 minuts; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024922-sauteed-broccoli-rabe. While you're at it, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), cut crosswise into thirds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
Salt
Preparation
In a large Dutch oven or skillet with a lid, heat the oil and garlic over medium. When the garlic is sizzling and some edges are golden, 2 to 3 minutes, add the broccoli rabe, crushed red pepper and a big pinch of salt. Toss to coat in the oil.
Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until the thick stems are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and toss until the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste a piece: If it’s still too bitter for you, continue to cook uncovered over medium, stirring occasionally, until it’s delicious, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and crushed red pepper.
CHICKLESS POT PIE
This comes from country star Trisha Yearwood, who also has her own show on The Food Network (called Trisha's Southern Kitchen). The recipe starts off, “Trisha Yearwood's vegetarian take on chicken pot pie is just as decadent without the meat. Although the luscious vegetable filling with peas, carrots and potatoes could be a meal on its own, wrapping it in premade pie dough seals in flavor with a crispy crust.” Total Time: 1 hr 25 min; Prep: 25 min; Inactive: 10 min; Cook: 50 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: easy
Read more online at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/chickless-pot-pie-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup small diced potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup butter substitute, such as Earth Balance
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1-3/4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup almond milk
Two 9-inch unbaked pie crusts, lard free
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with foil to place the pie on before cooking; it will keep any filling from dripping into the oven and burning.
In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter substitute until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, celery seed and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out. Slowly stir in the broth and then add the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained vegetables.
Roll out one of the unbaked crusts to a 13-inch diameter and place in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top. Seal the edges and cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. If the top of the pie becomes too dark, loosely cover with foil and continue cooking. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Friday, February 21, 2025
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Breakfast
When I was growing up, there were rules for meals (at least as far as my mother was concerned): We couldn't have dessert at the beginning of a meal; we had to clean our plates of the main part of the meal before having dessert; and we could not have breakfast for dinner.
It didn't matter that two of my friends, a brother and sister who lived next door, would frequently have breakfast for dinner, especially on Thursday night. This was because most of the fathers in our neighborhood were paid on Fridays, which meant that Friday evenings were when moms (or, frequently, the whole family) headed for the grocery store for the week's groceries.
Mom, early 1960s, with my brother and our cat, Frisky, in New York (state)
More than once, I'd stop by to see Robbie and Audrey at dinner time (when I was supposed to be setting the table), only to find them, along with their younger brother and sister, at the table, eating bowls of cereal, with almost-empty ceral boxes on decorating the table, or with stacks of pancakes dripping in syrup.
"C'mon, kids, eat up," their mom would say. "We'll get more cereal tomorrow. Let's finish these up."
"Why can't we have breakfast for dinner?" I'd ask my mom, as my sister and brother nodded their heads in agreement. We thought that would be wonderful, especially if Mom was cooking liver and onions for dinner. (I know some people love liver and onions; I like onions a lot, but not liver.)
Mom would sigh, then explain, as if to a very slow child, that breakfast was eaten first thing in the morning, not as the evening meal.
Mom, late 1960s, Conncecticut
Fast forward to having my own place. I occasionally fix breakfast for dinner, have pie first thing in the morning, and otherwise eat weird food at times that would have given my mother gray hair. (Fortunately, she got rid of some of the rules later on.)
Mom, Florida, early 1970s
Here are six yummy breakfast recipes to fix whenever, including Fried Eggs and Potatoes and Parisian-style Sweet Crepes. Enjoy!
PIRATE EGGS
When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.
The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.
Ingredients
1-2 eggs
1-2 pieces of bread
margarine for the pan
Directions
Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
BAKED STEEL-CUT OATS WITH NUT BUTTER
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "For a simple, filling breakfast, baked steel-cut oatmeal, enriched with almond butter and cinnamon, is a go-to recipe. This version is particularly adaptable: Use peanut butter or almond butter, steel-cut or cracked oats, or any number of warming spices that might be in your cupboard. Then, garnish as you wish."
Time: About 1 hour; Yield: 3 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020948-baked-steel-cut-oats-with-nut-butter.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup steel-cut or cracked oats
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom, for sprinkling (optional)
Sliced bananas, raisins or dried fruit, chopped apple, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar or heavy cream, for garnishing (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees and bring a kettle of water to a boil.
In a medium shallow casserole or baking dish, combine 3 cups boiling water and the nut butter and stir until smooth-ish. (Don’t worry about a few lumps.) Stir in oats. Season the mix with a big pinch of salt, and some cinnamon or nutmeg if you like.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. Taste and if the oats aren’t cooked enough, let it bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Garnish with whatever you like, and serve.
FRIED EGGS AND POTATOES
This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "This quick one-pan meal of fried eggs and potatoes hits the spot any time of day, and especially if you like breakfast for dinner. Golden onion, turmeric and tomato paste make a savory and rich bed for the potatoes and eggs to nestle in. Make sure to chop the potatoes evenly into small, 1/2-inch cubes and add a little water to speed up their cooking time. You can cook the yolks to your liking – just cover and check on them every minute. Serve with bread or a green salad, or both, for a complete meal."
Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023911-fried-eggs-and-potatoes. While you're there, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. If you're like me when it comes to food, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
Ingredients
Fresh herb of your choice, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
In a large (12-inch) nonstick pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Season with salt, add the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook just to take off the raw taste and deepen its color, stirring and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute.
Add the potatoes, season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, just until the potatoes are no longer raw. Add 1/4 cup water, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the potatoes are browning too much, until the potatoes are just tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Taste the potatoes and add more salt and pepper to taste, being mindful that the eggs will also be seasoned.
Make four wells in the potatoes and crack an egg in each well; season the eggs with salt and pepper. With a wooden spoon, gently poke the egg whites (without disturbing the yolk) to make them spread and cook faster. Cover and check every 30 seconds to a minute, until the whites are cooked and the yolk is to your liking, 3 to 5 minutes for a softer yolk. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with herbs, if using, and serve.
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FRUIT CUPS
This recipe is from Rachael Ray at the Food Network.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
Maybe I should add: Yumminess level: 5 on a 5-point scale!
View this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/red-white-and-blue-fruit-cups-recipe-1912009.
Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Directions
Slice strawberries and combine in a bowl with blue and/or blackberries. Sprinkle berries with two teaspoons sugar. Whip cream until soft peaks form and sweeten with remaining sugar. Serve berries in small cups with generous spoonfuls of fresh whipped cream.
PARISIAN-STYLE SWEET CREPES
This is from the September, 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience is easy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack.”
This recipe makes 8 servings, and can be found online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/parisian-style-sweet-crepes.
Ingredients
Crêpes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fillings (optional)Nutella
peanut butter
butter
jam
chestnut purée
Preparation
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk in egg; mixture will be shaggy. Whisk in milk 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Cover, and chill 30 minutes, or overnight.
Whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup water into batter to thin. Lightly grease 9-inch nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet, tilting pan to swirl batter so it coats bottom of pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and center is dry. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Transfer crêpe to plate, and repeat with remaining batter. To serve crêpes: Reheat 1 minute in lightly greased skillet. Spread with desired fillings, fold into quarters, and serve.
It didn't matter that two of my friends, a brother and sister who lived next door, would frequently have breakfast for dinner, especially on Thursday night. This was because most of the fathers in our neighborhood were paid on Fridays, which meant that Friday evenings were when moms (or, frequently, the whole family) headed for the grocery store for the week's groceries.
Mom, early 1960s, with my brother and our cat, Frisky, in New York (state)
More than once, I'd stop by to see Robbie and Audrey at dinner time (when I was supposed to be setting the table), only to find them, along with their younger brother and sister, at the table, eating bowls of cereal, with almost-empty ceral boxes on decorating the table, or with stacks of pancakes dripping in syrup.
"C'mon, kids, eat up," their mom would say. "We'll get more cereal tomorrow. Let's finish these up."
"Why can't we have breakfast for dinner?" I'd ask my mom, as my sister and brother nodded their heads in agreement. We thought that would be wonderful, especially if Mom was cooking liver and onions for dinner. (I know some people love liver and onions; I like onions a lot, but not liver.)
Mom would sigh, then explain, as if to a very slow child, that breakfast was eaten first thing in the morning, not as the evening meal.
Mom, late 1960s, Conncecticut
Fast forward to having my own place. I occasionally fix breakfast for dinner, have pie first thing in the morning, and otherwise eat weird food at times that would have given my mother gray hair. (Fortunately, she got rid of some of the rules later on.)
Mom, Florida, early 1970s
Here are six yummy breakfast recipes to fix whenever, including Fried Eggs and Potatoes and Parisian-style Sweet Crepes. Enjoy!
PIRATE EGGS
When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.
The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.
Ingredients
1-2 eggs
1-2 pieces of bread
margarine for the pan
Directions
Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
BAKED STEEL-CUT OATS WITH NUT BUTTER
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "For a simple, filling breakfast, baked steel-cut oatmeal, enriched with almond butter and cinnamon, is a go-to recipe. This version is particularly adaptable: Use peanut butter or almond butter, steel-cut or cracked oats, or any number of warming spices that might be in your cupboard. Then, garnish as you wish."
Time: About 1 hour; Yield: 3 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020948-baked-steel-cut-oats-with-nut-butter.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup steel-cut or cracked oats
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom, for sprinkling (optional)
Sliced bananas, raisins or dried fruit, chopped apple, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar or heavy cream, for garnishing (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees and bring a kettle of water to a boil.
In a medium shallow casserole or baking dish, combine 3 cups boiling water and the nut butter and stir until smooth-ish. (Don’t worry about a few lumps.) Stir in oats. Season the mix with a big pinch of salt, and some cinnamon or nutmeg if you like.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. Taste and if the oats aren’t cooked enough, let it bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Garnish with whatever you like, and serve.
FRIED EGGS AND POTATOES
This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "This quick one-pan meal of fried eggs and potatoes hits the spot any time of day, and especially if you like breakfast for dinner. Golden onion, turmeric and tomato paste make a savory and rich bed for the potatoes and eggs to nestle in. Make sure to chop the potatoes evenly into small, 1/2-inch cubes and add a little water to speed up their cooking time. You can cook the yolks to your liking – just cover and check on them every minute. Serve with bread or a green salad, or both, for a complete meal."
Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023911-fried-eggs-and-potatoes. While you're there, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. If you're like me when it comes to food, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
Ingredients
Fresh herb of your choice, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
In a large (12-inch) nonstick pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Season with salt, add the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook just to take off the raw taste and deepen its color, stirring and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute.
Add the potatoes, season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, just until the potatoes are no longer raw. Add 1/4 cup water, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the potatoes are browning too much, until the potatoes are just tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Taste the potatoes and add more salt and pepper to taste, being mindful that the eggs will also be seasoned.
Make four wells in the potatoes and crack an egg in each well; season the eggs with salt and pepper. With a wooden spoon, gently poke the egg whites (without disturbing the yolk) to make them spread and cook faster. Cover and check every 30 seconds to a minute, until the whites are cooked and the yolk is to your liking, 3 to 5 minutes for a softer yolk. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with herbs, if using, and serve.
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FRUIT CUPS
This recipe is from Rachael Ray at the Food Network.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
Maybe I should add: Yumminess level: 5 on a 5-point scale!
View this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/red-white-and-blue-fruit-cups-recipe-1912009.
Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Directions
Slice strawberries and combine in a bowl with blue and/or blackberries. Sprinkle berries with two teaspoons sugar. Whip cream until soft peaks form and sweeten with remaining sugar. Serve berries in small cups with generous spoonfuls of fresh whipped cream.
PARISIAN-STYLE SWEET CREPES
This is from the September, 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience is easy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack.”
This recipe makes 8 servings, and can be found online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/parisian-style-sweet-crepes.
Ingredients
Crêpes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fillings (optional)Nutella
peanut butter
butter
jam
chestnut purée
Preparation
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk in egg; mixture will be shaggy. Whisk in milk 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Cover, and chill 30 minutes, or overnight.
Whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup water into batter to thin. Lightly grease 9-inch nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet, tilting pan to swirl batter so it coats bottom of pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and center is dry. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Transfer crêpe to plate, and repeat with remaining batter. To serve crêpes: Reheat 1 minute in lightly greased skillet. Spread with desired fillings, fold into quarters, and serve.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Pasta
I can't remember a time when I didn't love Pasta. If you're the same way, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Baked Ziti, the Mushroom Bolognese with Fettuccine, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!
BAKED SPAGHETTI
This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "This comforting baked pasta feeds a crowd and is an easy way to upgrade everyday spaghetti with meat sauce. Once baked, the spaghetti casserole slices into neat squares, and the layer of ricotta and Parmesan filling give it the rich flavor of a lasagna. Feel free to play around with the recipe, swapping in Italian sausage or ground turkey for the ground beef and sautéing leftover vegetables and adding them to the sauce. If you’re planning in advance, you can assemble the casserole (through the end of Step 5) and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake."
Time: 1-1/2 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 8 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024351-baked-spaghetti. While you're at it, please sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)
1 (32- to 35-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
1 cup/8 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
2 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Step 2
While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and basil. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce and toss well.
Step 4
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth.
Step 5
Transfer half the pasta and sauce to the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the pasta in large spoonfuls, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta and sauce to the pan, again smoothing it into an even layer.
Step 6
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then bake, uncovered, until the mozzarella has melted, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Step 7
Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with more chopped basil, a pinch of dried oregano and more red-pepper flakes, if desired. Slice the baked spaghetti into large squares and serve hot or warm.
ANGEL HAIR PASTA
I had something similar to this at a local Italian restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important - unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.
Note: This recipe is from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
Ingredients
1/2 C water
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2green pepper, diced
1 T oregano
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Directions
Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.) In veggie pot, heat 1/2 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.) Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)
BAKED ZITI
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "This baked ziti is layered almost like a lasagna to ensure every bite has enough creamy ricotta, stringy mozzarella and tangy tomato sauce. But the key to its success comes from undercooking the pasta during the initial boil so it stays perfectly al dente, even after a trip to the oven. Heavy cream is added to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy or dry during baking, letting it be its most luscious self. While this baked ziti is meatless (there’s plenty of richness from the cheese — three types, to be exact), you could always incorporate a bit of sausage, ground meat or pancetta, if you like. Simply add 1/2 pound to the onions while sautéeing and proceed with the recipe."
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018954-baked-ziti.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in juice
1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée or sauce
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
16 ounces/1 pound ricotta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino, plus more for grating on top
1 pound ziti, rigatoni, penne, manicotti or other short, tubelike pasta
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Preparation
Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.
Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.
Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.
Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.
Tip
Baked ziti can be assembled 2 hours before baking. It can be baked 1 day ahead and rewarmed before serving.
MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE WITH FETTUCCINE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "A lighter take on the classic Italian sauce, this vegetarian bolognese is packed with mushrooms and vegetables in a rich tomato base. Served with fettuccine, you’ll have a hearty dinner for just 300 calories."
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 packages (8 oz each) baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 packages (8 oz each) white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 oz uncooked fettuccine (from 16-oz box)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, if desired
Directions
In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook onions, carrots, celery, garlic and salt in oil 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove vegetable mixture from Dutch oven to small bowl.
In same Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 14 to 19 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated.
Stir in vegetable mixture, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes; heat to simmering; reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is starting to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine as directed on package; drain. Serve fettuccine with sauce. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese and basil.
Expert Tips
Prefer a creamier sauce? If desired, stir in 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream after removing sauce from heat.
Cooked fettuccine may be stirred into the bolognese or topped with sauce, based on your preference.
FRESH VEGGIE PASTA
This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 46. Makes 6 to 8 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.
This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.
Ingredients
1 lb. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 lb. shelled edamame, steamed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Place tomato, onion, and edamame in large bowl. Drain pasta and add to bowl. Add oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES (SPRING)
This is from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network's website, and from Everyday Italian. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-asparagus-and-cherry-tomatoes-spring-recipe-1939598.
Note This recipe originally called for chicken stock. However, since I'm posting this in a vegetarian blog, I've exchanged the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Ingredients
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.
BAKED SPAGHETTI
This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "This comforting baked pasta feeds a crowd and is an easy way to upgrade everyday spaghetti with meat sauce. Once baked, the spaghetti casserole slices into neat squares, and the layer of ricotta and Parmesan filling give it the rich flavor of a lasagna. Feel free to play around with the recipe, swapping in Italian sausage or ground turkey for the ground beef and sautéing leftover vegetables and adding them to the sauce. If you’re planning in advance, you can assemble the casserole (through the end of Step 5) and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake."
Time: 1-1/2 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 8 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024351-baked-spaghetti. While you're at it, please sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)
1 (32- to 35-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
1 cup/8 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
2 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Step 2
While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and basil. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce and toss well.
Step 4
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth.
Step 5
Transfer half the pasta and sauce to the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the pasta in large spoonfuls, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta and sauce to the pan, again smoothing it into an even layer.
Step 6
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then bake, uncovered, until the mozzarella has melted, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Step 7
Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with more chopped basil, a pinch of dried oregano and more red-pepper flakes, if desired. Slice the baked spaghetti into large squares and serve hot or warm.
ANGEL HAIR PASTA
I had something similar to this at a local Italian restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important - unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.
Note: This recipe is from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
Ingredients
1/2 C water
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2green pepper, diced
1 T oregano
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Directions
Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.) In veggie pot, heat 1/2 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.) Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)
BAKED ZITI
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "This baked ziti is layered almost like a lasagna to ensure every bite has enough creamy ricotta, stringy mozzarella and tangy tomato sauce. But the key to its success comes from undercooking the pasta during the initial boil so it stays perfectly al dente, even after a trip to the oven. Heavy cream is added to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy or dry during baking, letting it be its most luscious self. While this baked ziti is meatless (there’s plenty of richness from the cheese — three types, to be exact), you could always incorporate a bit of sausage, ground meat or pancetta, if you like. Simply add 1/2 pound to the onions while sautéeing and proceed with the recipe."
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018954-baked-ziti.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in juice
1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée or sauce
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
16 ounces/1 pound ricotta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino, plus more for grating on top
1 pound ziti, rigatoni, penne, manicotti or other short, tubelike pasta
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Preparation
Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.
Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.
Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.
Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.
Tip
Baked ziti can be assembled 2 hours before baking. It can be baked 1 day ahead and rewarmed before serving.
MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE WITH FETTUCCINE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "A lighter take on the classic Italian sauce, this vegetarian bolognese is packed with mushrooms and vegetables in a rich tomato base. Served with fettuccine, you’ll have a hearty dinner for just 300 calories."
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 packages (8 oz each) baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 packages (8 oz each) white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 oz uncooked fettuccine (from 16-oz box)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, if desired
Directions
In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook onions, carrots, celery, garlic and salt in oil 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove vegetable mixture from Dutch oven to small bowl.
In same Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 14 to 19 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated.
Stir in vegetable mixture, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes; heat to simmering; reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is starting to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine as directed on package; drain. Serve fettuccine with sauce. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese and basil.
Expert Tips
Prefer a creamier sauce? If desired, stir in 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream after removing sauce from heat.
Cooked fettuccine may be stirred into the bolognese or topped with sauce, based on your preference.
FRESH VEGGIE PASTA
This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 46. Makes 6 to 8 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.
This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.
Ingredients
1 lb. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 lb. shelled edamame, steamed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Place tomato, onion, and edamame in large bowl. Drain pasta and add to bowl. Add oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES (SPRING)
This is from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network's website, and from Everyday Italian. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-asparagus-and-cherry-tomatoes-spring-recipe-1939598.
Note This recipe originally called for chicken stock. However, since I'm posting this in a vegetarian blog, I've exchanged the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Ingredients
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. (But you knew that, right?) Today's offerings include Engine 2 Diet Vegetarian Lasagna and Chocolate Guinness Cake. Enjoy!
MIXED ROASTED MUSHROOMS OVER CREAMY BUTTERNUT PUREE
This comes from the March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 44. It begins, “Roasted mushrooms and butternut squash need little seasoning to be absolutely delicious. To keep the garlic from burning, be sure it’s in the bottom of the butternut squash cavities.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Butternut Purée
1 small butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Roasted Mushrooms
2 1/4 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cups halved cremini mushrooms
2 cups king trumpet mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick lengthwise
2 cups oyster mushrooms, torn into same-size pieces
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Butternut Purée:Preheat oven to 450°F. Place squash halves on baking sheet cut side up. Brush with 1 tsp. oil, and place 1 tsp. minced garlic in cavity of each half. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, or until squash is soft when pressed.
Scoop squash out of skin into bowl, and mash with fork. Mash in remaining 1 Tbs. oil and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Keep warm.
To make Roasted Mushrooms: Position one oven rack in top one-third of oven; position second rack in bottom third of oven. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
Place shiitake and cremini mushrooms on one baking sheet; place trumpet and oyster mushrooms on second baking sheet. Drizzle each baking sheet with 1 1/2 Tbs. oil, and toss to coat mushrooms.
Roast mushrooms 15 minutes. Sprinkle each batch of mushrooms with 1 tsp. sage, and switch baking sheets from top to bottom. Continue roasting 5 minutes more, then remove baking sheet with shiitake and cremini mushrooms from oven. Roast trumpet and oyster mushrooms 5 minutes more.
To serve: divide Butternut Purée among four serving plates, and top with Roasted Mushrooms.
nutritional information Per Serving (1/2 cup puree and 1/2 cup mushrooms): Calories: 210; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 22 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
nutritional information Per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 174; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 17 g; Gluten-Free
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
ROOT VEGETABLE MEDLEY WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS
This also comes from the March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 46, and begins, “Hearty vegetables are roasted, and then coated in a sweet and spicy glaze.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 small or 1 large parsnip, cut into 1-inch pieces (12 oz.)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (8 oz.)
3 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (8 oz.)
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F, and position oven rack in center. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.
Toss parsnips and carrots with 2 tsp. oil, and arrange on one prepared baking sheet. Toss Brussels sprouts with remaining 1 tsp. oil, and arrange on second baking sheet. Roast 10 to 12 minutes, stirring vegetables once or twice, then remove Brussels sprouts from oven. Roast parsnips and carrots 8 to 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, whisk together honey, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) in small bowl.
Transfer roasted vegetables to serving dish, toss with honey mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
nutritional information Per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 174; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 17 g; Gluten-Free
STIR-FRIED SPICY ASPARAGUS
This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Holding out for regional produce may seem absurdly romantic, or a little stubborn, but there’s no denying the thrill when, after months of apples, potatoes and sturdy greens, suddenly asparagus appears in full force at the market. Finally, spring has arrived.” Time: About 15 minutes; makes 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds pencil-thin asparagus (or substitute small or medium asparagus, split lengthwise)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 serrano or other fresh hot chile, finely chopped
A large handful of basil, mint and cilantro leaves
Preparation
Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths.
In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until nearly smoking. Add the asparagus, season generously with salt and pepper and stir well, making sure the asparagus is coated and glistening with oil. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute, until the asparagus looks bright green and barely cooked. Add the garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter leaves on top. Serve immediately.
ENGINE 2 DIET VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
This was on a long-forgotten email list. But it comes originally from a cookbook titled The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. Personally, I'm considering picking up a copy for myself. Check it out!
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 package Silken Lite tofu
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 jars pasta sauce
2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup raw cashews, ground
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.
Drain the silken tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.
To Assemble:
Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 10 - 12 servings of sweet potato lasagna.
CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE
This comes from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times' cooking newsletter. Nigella writes, “For me, a chocolate cake is the basic unit of celebration. The chocolate Guinness cake here is simple but deeply pleasurable, and has earned its place as a stand-alone treat.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; one 9-inch cake or 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Butter for pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
For the Topping:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
For the cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.
For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.
Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.
MIXED ROASTED MUSHROOMS OVER CREAMY BUTTERNUT PUREE
This comes from the March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 44. It begins, “Roasted mushrooms and butternut squash need little seasoning to be absolutely delicious. To keep the garlic from burning, be sure it’s in the bottom of the butternut squash cavities.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Butternut Purée
1 small butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Roasted Mushrooms
2 1/4 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cups halved cremini mushrooms
2 cups king trumpet mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick lengthwise
2 cups oyster mushrooms, torn into same-size pieces
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Butternut Purée:Preheat oven to 450°F. Place squash halves on baking sheet cut side up. Brush with 1 tsp. oil, and place 1 tsp. minced garlic in cavity of each half. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, or until squash is soft when pressed.
Scoop squash out of skin into bowl, and mash with fork. Mash in remaining 1 Tbs. oil and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Keep warm.
To make Roasted Mushrooms: Position one oven rack in top one-third of oven; position second rack in bottom third of oven. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
Place shiitake and cremini mushrooms on one baking sheet; place trumpet and oyster mushrooms on second baking sheet. Drizzle each baking sheet with 1 1/2 Tbs. oil, and toss to coat mushrooms.
Roast mushrooms 15 minutes. Sprinkle each batch of mushrooms with 1 tsp. sage, and switch baking sheets from top to bottom. Continue roasting 5 minutes more, then remove baking sheet with shiitake and cremini mushrooms from oven. Roast trumpet and oyster mushrooms 5 minutes more.
To serve: divide Butternut Purée among four serving plates, and top with Roasted Mushrooms.
nutritional information Per Serving (1/2 cup puree and 1/2 cup mushrooms): Calories: 210; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 22 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
nutritional information Per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 174; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 17 g; Gluten-Free
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
ROOT VEGETABLE MEDLEY WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS
This also comes from the March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 46, and begins, “Hearty vegetables are roasted, and then coated in a sweet and spicy glaze.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 small or 1 large parsnip, cut into 1-inch pieces (12 oz.)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (8 oz.)
3 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (8 oz.)
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F, and position oven rack in center. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.
Toss parsnips and carrots with 2 tsp. oil, and arrange on one prepared baking sheet. Toss Brussels sprouts with remaining 1 tsp. oil, and arrange on second baking sheet. Roast 10 to 12 minutes, stirring vegetables once or twice, then remove Brussels sprouts from oven. Roast parsnips and carrots 8 to 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, whisk together honey, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) in small bowl.
Transfer roasted vegetables to serving dish, toss with honey mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
nutritional information Per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 174; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 17 g; Gluten-Free
STIR-FRIED SPICY ASPARAGUS
This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Holding out for regional produce may seem absurdly romantic, or a little stubborn, but there’s no denying the thrill when, after months of apples, potatoes and sturdy greens, suddenly asparagus appears in full force at the market. Finally, spring has arrived.” Time: About 15 minutes; makes 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds pencil-thin asparagus (or substitute small or medium asparagus, split lengthwise)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 serrano or other fresh hot chile, finely chopped
A large handful of basil, mint and cilantro leaves
Preparation
Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths.
In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until nearly smoking. Add the asparagus, season generously with salt and pepper and stir well, making sure the asparagus is coated and glistening with oil. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute, until the asparagus looks bright green and barely cooked. Add the garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter leaves on top. Serve immediately.
ENGINE 2 DIET VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
This was on a long-forgotten email list. But it comes originally from a cookbook titled The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. Personally, I'm considering picking up a copy for myself. Check it out!
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 package Silken Lite tofu
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 jars pasta sauce
2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup raw cashews, ground
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.
Drain the silken tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.
To Assemble:
Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 10 - 12 servings of sweet potato lasagna.
CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE
This comes from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times' cooking newsletter. Nigella writes, “For me, a chocolate cake is the basic unit of celebration. The chocolate Guinness cake here is simple but deeply pleasurable, and has earned its place as a stand-alone treat.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; one 9-inch cake or 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Butter for pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
For the Topping:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
For the cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.
For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.
Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.
Taco Tuesday
It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's meatless tacos (yes, you can have tacos without meat!) include Butternut Squash Tacos with Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish and Eggplant Tacos. Enjoy!
GRILLED VEGETABLE AND BLACK BEAN FAJITAS
This yummy recipe is from The Scrumptious Pumpkin.
Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 12 fajitas, 6 servings (2 fajitas per serving; Difficulty: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
16 ounces organic black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
12 organic whole wheat tortillas
Salt
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, freshly squeezed
Salt
Instructions
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
Prepare the grill for 375 degrees F.
Layer first the onion, then the bell pepper, and finally the zucchini on a grill vegetable basket. Season with salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add the black beans to the basket, season with additional salt, and cook about 2 minutes more, or until beans are heated through.
Meanwhile, as vegetables are cooking, prepare the spice mixture. To a large mixing bowl, add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Season with a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until well combined.
Immediately after removing the basket from the grill, pour the still-hot vegetables and beans into the mixing bowl. Stir and combine until the seasonings have melted into the vegetables and everything is well coated with oil.
Spoon the vegetable-black bean mixture onto whole wheat tortillas. Top with heaping spoonfuls of Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below) and slices of avocado. Roll up tortillas, and serve.
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
To a mixing bowl, add the tomato, green onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.
Storage: refrigerate salsa in a covered, airtight container.
BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND ONIONS
This comes from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, “For a fast meal that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, these tacos fit the bill.” Yield: Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
Roasted Peppers and Onions
3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (3 cups)
1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 Tbs. olive oil
Tacos
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste
16 organic corn taco shells, warmed
Toppings
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 16-oz. container prepared salsa
2 large tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 avocados, diced (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Instructions:
To make Roasted Peppers and Onions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and peppers are beginning to blacken. Transfer to small bowl.
Meanwhile, to make Tacos: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Mash beans until filling is thickened, but chunky, and most beans remain intact. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass taco shells, filling, Roasted Peppers and Onions, and Toppings around the table.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 482; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 665 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 14 g
EGGPLANT TACOS
This is from Reiko on her blog, The Culinary Tribune. She starts off writing, “I love eggplant!…
“These tacos are so delicious!!
“If you like eggplant, try this.
“If you are a vegan or vegetarian, try this.
“If you want good tacos, try this.”
To view this online, click here. It looks like this makes 2 tacos.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon garlic chili paste
dry oregano
ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon corn starch plus water (for thickening)
salt and pepper
2 taco shells
a few slices of red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
Cook eggplant in oil until tender. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic chili paste, oregano, and cumin. Add corn starch and water mixture to thicken it slightly. Salt and pepper.
Warm taco shells in a toaster.
Fill the shells with the eggplant. Serve with red onion slices, cilantro, and green onion.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH TACOS WITH CRANBERRY-JALAPENO RELISH
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 4-6 servings; Serving Size: 2-3 tacos
Relish adapted from The New York Times
Read more at http://ohmyveggies.com/butternut-squash-tacos-with-cranberry-jalapeno-relish/
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
12 small corn tortillas
2 cups cooked black beans
For the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish:
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, toss together the butternut squash, olive oil and salt. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer and roast until tender, 20-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
Meanwhile, prepare the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, apples, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until cranberries start to pop and mixture has thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the jalapeño and ginger and remove from heat.
Warm the corn tortillas according to package directions. Serve the tortillas stuffed with the butternut squash and black beans, and topped with the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish.
Notes
Both the butternut squash and relish can be made ahead of time! Just reheat the butternut squash before stuffing it into the tortillas.
GRILLED PORTABELLA AND POBLANO TACOS
This is from Food.com. Makes 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1⁄2 small red onion, finely diced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 finely minced garlic clove
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
Grilled Portabella Filling
4 medium portabella mushrooms or 1 lb portabella mushroom
1 small red onion, cut into thick slices
1 teaspoon canola oil
salt and pepper
1 whole poblano chile
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
Assembly and Toppings
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
guacamole
fresh cilantro stem
lime wedge
monterey jack cheese (Shredded) or cheddar cheese (Shredded)
Directions
Preheat a lightly oiled grill on medium-high heat.
While the grill is heating up, prepare the pico de gallo. In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime juice. Set aside.
Next, prepare the grilled portabella filling. Remove the stems from the portabellas, and discard. Using a spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the underside of the mushroom caps.
Lightly brush the portabellas and the onions on both sides with canola oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Arrange the mushrooms, onion, and poblano on the hot grill, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until the mushrooms are softened and the onion is lightly charred. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board.
Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano, and discard. Cut the poblano and the portabellas into thin strips, and roughly chop the onion. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with lime juice and chipotle powder until well coated.
To assemble, arrange 2 tortillas per plate, and divide the mushroom filling evenly between them. Serve with pico de gallo and bowls of the different toppings so that everyone can garnish their tacos as they please.
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
GRILLED VEGETABLE AND BLACK BEAN FAJITAS
This yummy recipe is from The Scrumptious Pumpkin.
Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 12 fajitas, 6 servings (2 fajitas per serving; Difficulty: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
16 ounces organic black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
12 organic whole wheat tortillas
Salt
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, freshly squeezed
Salt
Instructions
For the Grilled Vegetable and Black Bean Fajitas:
Prepare the grill for 375 degrees F.
Layer first the onion, then the bell pepper, and finally the zucchini on a grill vegetable basket. Season with salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add the black beans to the basket, season with additional salt, and cook about 2 minutes more, or until beans are heated through.
Meanwhile, as vegetables are cooking, prepare the spice mixture. To a large mixing bowl, add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Season with a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until well combined.
Immediately after removing the basket from the grill, pour the still-hot vegetables and beans into the mixing bowl. Stir and combine until the seasonings have melted into the vegetables and everything is well coated with oil.
Spoon the vegetable-black bean mixture onto whole wheat tortillas. Top with heaping spoonfuls of Fresh Homemade Salsa (recipe below) and slices of avocado. Roll up tortillas, and serve.
For the Fresh Homemade Salsa:
To a mixing bowl, add the tomato, green onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.
Storage: refrigerate salsa in a covered, airtight container.
BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND ONIONS
This comes from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, “For a fast meal that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, these tacos fit the bill.” Yield: Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
Roasted Peppers and Onions
3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (3 cups)
1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 Tbs. olive oil
Tacos
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste
16 organic corn taco shells, warmed
Toppings
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 16-oz. container prepared salsa
2 large tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 avocados, diced (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Instructions:
To make Roasted Peppers and Onions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and peppers are beginning to blacken. Transfer to small bowl.
Meanwhile, to make Tacos: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Mash beans until filling is thickened, but chunky, and most beans remain intact. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass taco shells, filling, Roasted Peppers and Onions, and Toppings around the table.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 482; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 665 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 14 g
EGGPLANT TACOS
This is from Reiko on her blog, The Culinary Tribune. She starts off writing, “I love eggplant!…
“These tacos are so delicious!!
“If you like eggplant, try this.
“If you are a vegan or vegetarian, try this.
“If you want good tacos, try this.”
To view this online, click here. It looks like this makes 2 tacos.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon garlic chili paste
dry oregano
ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon corn starch plus water (for thickening)
salt and pepper
2 taco shells
a few slices of red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
Cook eggplant in oil until tender. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic chili paste, oregano, and cumin. Add corn starch and water mixture to thicken it slightly. Salt and pepper.
Warm taco shells in a toaster.
Fill the shells with the eggplant. Serve with red onion slices, cilantro, and green onion.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH TACOS WITH CRANBERRY-JALAPENO RELISH
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 4-6 servings; Serving Size: 2-3 tacos
Relish adapted from The New York Times
Read more at http://ohmyveggies.com/butternut-squash-tacos-with-cranberry-jalapeno-relish/
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
12 small corn tortillas
2 cups cooked black beans
For the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish:
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, toss together the butternut squash, olive oil and salt. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer and roast until tender, 20-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
Meanwhile, prepare the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, apples, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until cranberries start to pop and mixture has thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the jalapeño and ginger and remove from heat.
Warm the corn tortillas according to package directions. Serve the tortillas stuffed with the butternut squash and black beans, and topped with the Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish.
Notes
Both the butternut squash and relish can be made ahead of time! Just reheat the butternut squash before stuffing it into the tortillas.
GRILLED PORTABELLA AND POBLANO TACOS
This is from Food.com. Makes 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1⁄2 small red onion, finely diced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 finely minced garlic clove
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
Grilled Portabella Filling
4 medium portabella mushrooms or 1 lb portabella mushroom
1 small red onion, cut into thick slices
1 teaspoon canola oil
salt and pepper
1 whole poblano chile
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
Assembly and Toppings
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
guacamole
fresh cilantro stem
lime wedge
monterey jack cheese (Shredded) or cheddar cheese (Shredded)
Directions
Preheat a lightly oiled grill on medium-high heat.
While the grill is heating up, prepare the pico de gallo. In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime juice. Set aside.
Next, prepare the grilled portabella filling. Remove the stems from the portabellas, and discard. Using a spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the underside of the mushroom caps.
Lightly brush the portabellas and the onions on both sides with canola oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Arrange the mushrooms, onion, and poblano on the hot grill, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until the mushrooms are softened and the onion is lightly charred. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board.
Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano, and discard. Cut the poblano and the portabellas into thin strips, and roughly chop the onion. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with lime juice and chipotle powder until well coated.
To assemble, arrange 2 tortillas per plate, and divide the mushroom filling evenly between them. Serve with pico de gallo and bowls of the different toppings so that everyone can garnish their tacos as they please.
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Monday Recipes
It's Monday, time to get the week started. Hope your weekend was good. Mine was fairly quiet.
Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to get the week started, including Kung Pao Tofu and Vegan Lentil Burgers. Enjoy!
CARROT TART WITH RICOTTA AND FETA
This comes from Sue Li on The New York Times cooking email. Sue wrote, “Carrots work beautifully in this simple tart, but onions, parsnips, beets, zucchini or pumpkin work just as well. The key is to cook the vegetables before putting them on the tart, since the moisture released by baking raw vegetables would make the puff pastry soggy and prevent it from rising. Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. The tart can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature, and would make a great addition to a picnic.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020174-carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-feta.
Ingredients
Flour, for rolling out dough
1 (14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pound multicolored carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 ounces ricotta
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1 garlic clove, grated
Chopped fresh parsley, chervil or chives, for garnish
Preparation
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4-inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.
VEGAN LENTIL BURGERS
This comes from Bunny Erica on the Genius Kitchen site. Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Yield: 8-10 burgers
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup dry lentils, well rinsed
2 1-1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup rolled oats, finely ground
3⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
Boil lentils in the water with the salt for around 45 minutes. Lentils will be soft and most of the water will be gone.
Fry the onions and carrot in the oil until soft, it will take about 5 minutes.
In a bowl mix the cooked ingredients with the pepper, soy sauce, oats and bread crumbs.
While still warm form the mixture into patties, it will make 8-10 burgers.
Burgers can then be shallow fried for 1-2 minutes on each side or baked at 200C for 15 minutes.
VEGETARIAN TACO SOUP IN THE CROCKPOT
This recipe left me in a quandary: do I post it on Taco Tuesday with tacos, or should I post it with soups? I guess this would fit in both places, which is why I'm adding it today.
This comes from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “I love Mexican food. Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say I love Mexican-American food. Or rather, I love both!
“This vegetarian taco soup recipe with kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans isn't going to win any awards of authenticity, but it's quick to prepare (you really just dump everything in the crockpot), easy, high-protein, nearly fat-free, and deliciously satisfying. Plus, it's a great vegetarian and vegan option for families on a budget. Keep it vegan by omitting the optional cheese and sour cream toppings, or use dairy-free and vegan substitutes.”
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 480 minutes; Total Time: 485 minutes; Yield: 6 servings as a main dish
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can kidney beans or navy beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 7-ounce can green chiles (optional - you may want to omit this if you're cooking for kids)
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes (Mexican-style is best, if you can find it) - do not drain
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Optional garnishes:
tortilla chips or corn chips
grated cheese
chopped green onions
fresh chopped cilantro
Preparation
Add ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low crockpot setting for 8-10 hours.
If you're in a hurry, you can also set this on high in the crockpot for 3 hours.
Top each bowl of soup with optional garnishes to serve: cheese, a dollop of sour cream, some tortilla chips or corn chips and fresh chopped cilantro or green onions.
This is a thicker soup, similar to a stew. To thin it out, you can add a little vegetable broth or soy milk, if you like.
MARTHA STEWART'S MASHED POTATOES
This comes from Martha Stewart in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yumminess begins, "One of our family’s favorite dishes growing up was the delicious mashed potato recipe Mom would prepare to accompany her roast pork loin, roasted chicken, and, on Thanksgiving, her big roasted turkey. Her secrets? Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until fork-tender. Lots of fresh butter. A lot of cream cheese and hot milk added for creaminess. Salt and pepper, of course. It was not possible to find Yukon Golds in the Nutley Co-Op, where we shopped for all our groceries in the ’40s, or in the ShopRite, which came to Nutley, N.J., in the early ’50s. But these days, I love the tenderness of Yukon Golds, and I grow a hardy crop of them in my Bedford garden in New York. I also use both heavy cream and milk, and I use a food mill with the finest sieve to ensure the creamiest, smoothest and silkiest mashed potatoes ever."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes; Total Times: 1-3/4 hours; Yield: 8 to 12 servings
This was featured in "We're Talking Thanksgiving with Martha Stewart, David Chang, Galy King, Gwyneth Patrow and More," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026245-martha-stewarts-mashed-potatoes.
While you're at it, check out Julia Moskin's guide, "How to Cook Potatoes."
Lastly, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 9 medium potatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
Preparation
Fill a large pot with 1 to 2 inches of water and add a pinch of salt. Set a steamer basket in the pot, making sure the water doesn’t seep through the holes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Add the whole potatoes to the basket and steam until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size. (Be sure to check the water level halfway through.)
Remove potatoes from the pot and let stand until just cool enough to handle. Rub off the skins and discard. Cut the potatoes into pieces and pass through a food mill or ricer into a large bowl.
Add the cream cheese, butter, cream and milk to the bowl and mash with a masher (or beat with an electric mixer). Season with salt and pepper, and beat to desired consistency. Return the mashed potatoes to the pot and cover to keep warm until serving. (The potatoes can be made up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered; you can reheat on the stove or in the microwave before serving.)
ROASTED POTATOES AND ONIONS
This comes from allrecipes, and begins, "Roasted potatoes and onions are a tasty alternative to mashed potatoes, fries, chips, and all the other ways potatoes are prepared. If you are looking for an uncomplicated and flavorful roasted vegetable dish, then this is it!"
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241713/roasted-potatoes-and-onions-easy-and-delicious/.
Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 onion, halved and each half cut into quarters
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Combine potatoes and onion in a roasting pan; cover with canola oil and olive oil. Add garlic, onion soup mix, rosemary, and black pepper; stir until potatoes and onion are evenly coated. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast until potatoes and onion are browned and edges are crispy, 15 to 30 minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
For really crispy potatoes, remove the foil after 10 minutes. For softer potatoes, keep the foil on the entire cooking time. Softer potatoes can be whipped or mashed to make incredible mashed potatoes.
Sauté bell peppers on the stovetop for 10 minutes before serving them on top of roasted veggies.
Stir with a large spoon every 15 minutes if you don't want pieces seared to the pan.
KUNG PAO TOFU
This yumminess is from Ham El-Waylly in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ham wrote, "Fiery from dried chiles, tingling with Sichuan peppercorns and studded with peanuts, this kung pao tofu recipe is a vegetarian take on kung pao chicken, the classic Chinese American restaurant staple. Though variations on this dish abound, this version swaps in tofu for chicken, treating the tofu similarly. Pressing the tofu removes excess moisture, leaving more room for flavor to penetrate and giving it a denser, chewy texture. The cornstarch coating helps the tofu brown, makes it crisp and acts as a sponge for the savory, spicy, tingly sauce."
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 3 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025397-kung-pao-tofu.
Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1 tablespoon black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 teaspoons cornstarch (for the sauce) plus 1/4 cup (for the tofu)
Salt
Grapeseed or other neutral oil, as needed
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
4 whole Tianjin chiles or chiles de árbol, crushed
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
White rice, for serving
Preparation
Drain the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, set on a plate and put a cast-iron skillet or other weighty object on top. Let it press for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
While the tofu is pressed, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, white pepper, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup water until combined.
After the tofu has been pressed, unwrap it and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Transfer tofu to a medium bowl, season with salt and coat in 1/4 cup cornstarch; set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When it starts shimmering, add the tofu. Cook until one side is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook until the other side is crisp and golden brown, another 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
Add the red bell pepper, celery and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the red bell pepper starts to soften while maintaining some bite and the vegetables char, about 4 minutes. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and sauce, and stir to coat; make sure the sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes. Finish with the peanuts and cilantro, stir again, then serve immediately with rice.
Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to get the week started, including Kung Pao Tofu and Vegan Lentil Burgers. Enjoy!
CARROT TART WITH RICOTTA AND FETA
This comes from Sue Li on The New York Times cooking email. Sue wrote, “Carrots work beautifully in this simple tart, but onions, parsnips, beets, zucchini or pumpkin work just as well. The key is to cook the vegetables before putting them on the tart, since the moisture released by baking raw vegetables would make the puff pastry soggy and prevent it from rising. Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. The tart can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature, and would make a great addition to a picnic.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020174-carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-feta.
Ingredients
Flour, for rolling out dough
1 (14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pound multicolored carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 ounces ricotta
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1 garlic clove, grated
Chopped fresh parsley, chervil or chives, for garnish
Preparation
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4-inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.
VEGAN LENTIL BURGERS
This comes from Bunny Erica on the Genius Kitchen site. Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Yield: 8-10 burgers
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup dry lentils, well rinsed
2 1-1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup rolled oats, finely ground
3⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
Boil lentils in the water with the salt for around 45 minutes. Lentils will be soft and most of the water will be gone.
Fry the onions and carrot in the oil until soft, it will take about 5 minutes.
In a bowl mix the cooked ingredients with the pepper, soy sauce, oats and bread crumbs.
While still warm form the mixture into patties, it will make 8-10 burgers.
Burgers can then be shallow fried for 1-2 minutes on each side or baked at 200C for 15 minutes.
VEGETARIAN TACO SOUP IN THE CROCKPOT
This recipe left me in a quandary: do I post it on Taco Tuesday with tacos, or should I post it with soups? I guess this would fit in both places, which is why I'm adding it today.
This comes from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “I love Mexican food. Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say I love Mexican-American food. Or rather, I love both!
“This vegetarian taco soup recipe with kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans isn't going to win any awards of authenticity, but it's quick to prepare (you really just dump everything in the crockpot), easy, high-protein, nearly fat-free, and deliciously satisfying. Plus, it's a great vegetarian and vegan option for families on a budget. Keep it vegan by omitting the optional cheese and sour cream toppings, or use dairy-free and vegan substitutes.”
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 480 minutes; Total Time: 485 minutes; Yield: 6 servings as a main dish
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can kidney beans or navy beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 7-ounce can green chiles (optional - you may want to omit this if you're cooking for kids)
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes (Mexican-style is best, if you can find it) - do not drain
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Optional garnishes:
tortilla chips or corn chips
grated cheese
chopped green onions
fresh chopped cilantro
Preparation
Add ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low crockpot setting for 8-10 hours.
If you're in a hurry, you can also set this on high in the crockpot for 3 hours.
Top each bowl of soup with optional garnishes to serve: cheese, a dollop of sour cream, some tortilla chips or corn chips and fresh chopped cilantro or green onions.
This is a thicker soup, similar to a stew. To thin it out, you can add a little vegetable broth or soy milk, if you like.
MARTHA STEWART'S MASHED POTATOES
This comes from Martha Stewart in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yumminess begins, "One of our family’s favorite dishes growing up was the delicious mashed potato recipe Mom would prepare to accompany her roast pork loin, roasted chicken, and, on Thanksgiving, her big roasted turkey. Her secrets? Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until fork-tender. Lots of fresh butter. A lot of cream cheese and hot milk added for creaminess. Salt and pepper, of course. It was not possible to find Yukon Golds in the Nutley Co-Op, where we shopped for all our groceries in the ’40s, or in the ShopRite, which came to Nutley, N.J., in the early ’50s. But these days, I love the tenderness of Yukon Golds, and I grow a hardy crop of them in my Bedford garden in New York. I also use both heavy cream and milk, and I use a food mill with the finest sieve to ensure the creamiest, smoothest and silkiest mashed potatoes ever."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes; Total Times: 1-3/4 hours; Yield: 8 to 12 servings
This was featured in "We're Talking Thanksgiving with Martha Stewart, David Chang, Galy King, Gwyneth Patrow and More," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026245-martha-stewarts-mashed-potatoes.
While you're at it, check out Julia Moskin's guide, "How to Cook Potatoes."
Lastly, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 9 medium potatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
Preparation
Fill a large pot with 1 to 2 inches of water and add a pinch of salt. Set a steamer basket in the pot, making sure the water doesn’t seep through the holes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Add the whole potatoes to the basket and steam until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size. (Be sure to check the water level halfway through.)
Remove potatoes from the pot and let stand until just cool enough to handle. Rub off the skins and discard. Cut the potatoes into pieces and pass through a food mill or ricer into a large bowl.
Add the cream cheese, butter, cream and milk to the bowl and mash with a masher (or beat with an electric mixer). Season with salt and pepper, and beat to desired consistency. Return the mashed potatoes to the pot and cover to keep warm until serving. (The potatoes can be made up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered; you can reheat on the stove or in the microwave before serving.)
ROASTED POTATOES AND ONIONS
This comes from allrecipes, and begins, "Roasted potatoes and onions are a tasty alternative to mashed potatoes, fries, chips, and all the other ways potatoes are prepared. If you are looking for an uncomplicated and flavorful roasted vegetable dish, then this is it!"
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241713/roasted-potatoes-and-onions-easy-and-delicious/.
Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 onion, halved and each half cut into quarters
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Combine potatoes and onion in a roasting pan; cover with canola oil and olive oil. Add garlic, onion soup mix, rosemary, and black pepper; stir until potatoes and onion are evenly coated. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast until potatoes and onion are browned and edges are crispy, 15 to 30 minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
For really crispy potatoes, remove the foil after 10 minutes. For softer potatoes, keep the foil on the entire cooking time. Softer potatoes can be whipped or mashed to make incredible mashed potatoes.
Sauté bell peppers on the stovetop for 10 minutes before serving them on top of roasted veggies.
Stir with a large spoon every 15 minutes if you don't want pieces seared to the pan.
KUNG PAO TOFU
This yumminess is from Ham El-Waylly in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ham wrote, "Fiery from dried chiles, tingling with Sichuan peppercorns and studded with peanuts, this kung pao tofu recipe is a vegetarian take on kung pao chicken, the classic Chinese American restaurant staple. Though variations on this dish abound, this version swaps in tofu for chicken, treating the tofu similarly. Pressing the tofu removes excess moisture, leaving more room for flavor to penetrate and giving it a denser, chewy texture. The cornstarch coating helps the tofu brown, makes it crisp and acts as a sponge for the savory, spicy, tingly sauce."
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 3 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025397-kung-pao-tofu.
Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1 tablespoon black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 teaspoons cornstarch (for the sauce) plus 1/4 cup (for the tofu)
Salt
Grapeseed or other neutral oil, as needed
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
4 whole Tianjin chiles or chiles de árbol, crushed
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
White rice, for serving
Preparation
Drain the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, set on a plate and put a cast-iron skillet or other weighty object on top. Let it press for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
While the tofu is pressed, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, white pepper, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup water until combined.
After the tofu has been pressed, unwrap it and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Transfer tofu to a medium bowl, season with salt and coat in 1/4 cup cornstarch; set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When it starts shimmering, add the tofu. Cook until one side is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook until the other side is crisp and golden brown, another 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
Add the red bell pepper, celery and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the red bell pepper starts to soften while maintaining some bite and the vegetables char, about 4 minutes. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and sauce, and stir to coat; make sure the sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes. Finish with the peanuts and cilantro, stir again, then serve immediately with rice.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Bread
There's something about homemade bread that feels just right. While baking, it makes the house smell great, it tastes yummy, and making homemade bread makes one feel productive.
To that end, here are six homemade bread recipes to help you through the day, including Egg Cinnamon Bread and Magic Caterpillar Peanut Butter Bread. Not to worry, no caterpillars were hurt making this bread. Enjoy!
NO-KNEAD BREAD
This is from Jim Lahey and adapted by Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipes, Mark wrote, "Here is one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading. It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort — only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf. (We've updated the recipe to reflect changes Mark Bittman made to the recipe in 2006 after publishing and receiving reader feedback. The original recipe called for 3 cups flour; we've adjusted it to call for 3-1/3 cups flour.) In 2021, J. Kenji López-Alt revisited the recipe and shared his own tweaked version."
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours resting time; Yield: One 1-1/2-pound loaf
This was featured in "Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread.
Ingredients
3-1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
Generous 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed
Preparation
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This is from Sam Sifton at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Sam wrote, "Homemade biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. They make a great Thanksgiving side. And if you've never made them before, you'll be delighted to know that biscuits are easy to make. Really. Discover more ideas for the big day in our best Thanksgiving recipes collection."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This was featured in "A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013741-all-purpose-biscuits. While you're at it, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter. I highly recommend doing so, if you haven't already. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat two more times. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter (or even a glass, though its duller edge may result in slightly less tall biscuits). Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
Ingredients
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD
Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the local PBS station. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients
1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)
About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.
Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.
CORNBREAD
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Our quick Cornbread recipe is not only made from scratch but is melt-in-your-mouth good. No matter if you're serving it as a side at a barbeque, alongside chili or even as a breakfast option, you can't go wrong with homemade Cornbread. With only four simple steps, our easy Cornbread recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. This is all thanks to the golden brown, crispy edges and incredible flavor. You'll knock our Cornbread recipe out of the park."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round cake pan with the cooking spray.
In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted.
In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, milk and egg with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once; stir just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Pour batter into the pan; use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl. Spread batter evenly in pan and smooth top of batter.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Ground cornmeal is available in different grinds, from fairly fine to very coarse. A finer grind is good for baking a cake-like bread, while coarser grinds (like for grits or polenta that are often cooked into a spoonable hot cereal) can offer more texture and bite to our Cornbread recipe. Consider using a mixture of fine and coarse meals for a crumblier, more bread-like product.
Not all cornmeal is yellow; switch things up with a white or New Mexican blue cornmeal in our easy Cornbread recipe.
Mix a spoonful of clover honey or grated orange peel into softened butter to slather on the warm bread.
Bake the batter in a round or square baking pan or try a small cast-iron skillet, muffin tin, or in a heavy corn stick pan. Like for all quick breads, just grease the bottom of the pan or muffin cups so the bread can climb up the sides easily as it rises. For a corn stick pan completely grease the grooves so the sticks slide out without sticking.
To that end, here are six homemade bread recipes to help you through the day, including Egg Cinnamon Bread and Magic Caterpillar Peanut Butter Bread. Not to worry, no caterpillars were hurt making this bread. Enjoy!
NO-KNEAD BREAD
This is from Jim Lahey and adapted by Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipes, Mark wrote, "Here is one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading. It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort — only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf. (We've updated the recipe to reflect changes Mark Bittman made to the recipe in 2006 after publishing and receiving reader feedback. The original recipe called for 3 cups flour; we've adjusted it to call for 3-1/3 cups flour.) In 2021, J. Kenji López-Alt revisited the recipe and shared his own tweaked version."
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours resting time; Yield: One 1-1/2-pound loaf
This was featured in "Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread.
Ingredients
3-1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
Generous 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed
Preparation
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This is from Sam Sifton at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Sam wrote, "Homemade biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. They make a great Thanksgiving side. And if you've never made them before, you'll be delighted to know that biscuits are easy to make. Really. Discover more ideas for the big day in our best Thanksgiving recipes collection."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This was featured in "A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013741-all-purpose-biscuits. While you're at it, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter. I highly recommend doing so, if you haven't already. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat two more times. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter (or even a glass, though its duller edge may result in slightly less tall biscuits). Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
Ingredients
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD
Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the local PBS station. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients
1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)
About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.
Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.
CORNBREAD
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Our quick Cornbread recipe is not only made from scratch but is melt-in-your-mouth good. No matter if you're serving it as a side at a barbeque, alongside chili or even as a breakfast option, you can't go wrong with homemade Cornbread. With only four simple steps, our easy Cornbread recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. This is all thanks to the golden brown, crispy edges and incredible flavor. You'll knock our Cornbread recipe out of the park."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round cake pan with the cooking spray.
In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted.
In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, milk and egg with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once; stir just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Pour batter into the pan; use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl. Spread batter evenly in pan and smooth top of batter.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Ground cornmeal is available in different grinds, from fairly fine to very coarse. A finer grind is good for baking a cake-like bread, while coarser grinds (like for grits or polenta that are often cooked into a spoonable hot cereal) can offer more texture and bite to our Cornbread recipe. Consider using a mixture of fine and coarse meals for a crumblier, more bread-like product.
Not all cornmeal is yellow; switch things up with a white or New Mexican blue cornmeal in our easy Cornbread recipe.
Mix a spoonful of clover honey or grated orange peel into softened butter to slather on the warm bread.
Bake the batter in a round or square baking pan or try a small cast-iron skillet, muffin tin, or in a heavy corn stick pan. Like for all quick breads, just grease the bottom of the pan or muffin cups so the bread can climb up the sides easily as it rises. For a corn stick pan completely grease the grooves so the sticks slide out without sticking.
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