Monday Recipes

It's Monday, time to get the work week started. Today's meatless recipes include Make-Ahead Egg Spinach and Feta Wraps and Lemony Orzo with Asparagus & Garlic Bread Crumbs. Enjoy!

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

This yummy recipes is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Yield: 12 to 16 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-1925596.

Ingredients

8 baking potatoes, washed

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 sticks salted butter

1 cup bacon bits (fry your own!)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup Cheddar or Jack cheese (or a mix of both), plus more for topping

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

3 green onions, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub them with the canola oil and bake for 1 hour, making sure they're sufficiently cooked through.

Slice the butter into pats. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the bacon bits and sour cream. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F.

With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small rim of potato intact for support. Lay the hollowed out potato shells on a baking sheet.

Smash the potatoes into the butter, bacon and sour cream. Add the cheese, milk, seasoned salt, green onions and black pepper to taste and mix together well. (IMPORTANT: If you plan to freeze the twice-baked potatoes, do NOT add the green onions.)

Fill the potato shells with the filling. I like to fill the shells so they look abundant and heaping. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and pop 'em in the oven until the potato is warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.

BUSH'S® BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS

This comes from (you guessed it) Bush's Best. The recipe, which couldn't be easier, begins, "For a quick and hearty lunch, these Black Bean and cheese quesadillas with salsa are perfect.

"These recipes were created with our vegetarian friends in mind. However, we recommend reading each label to make sure every ingredient suits your dietary needs. Please also remember that product formulations can change, so if you ever have any questions, make sure to contact the product manufacturer!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 6 minutes; Total Time: 21 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://bushbeans.com/en_US/recipe/black-bean-and-cheese-quesadillas.

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz) BUSH'S® Seasoned Black Beans, drained

1 cup salsa

2 cups shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

Mash one can of beans.

Mix in remaining can of beans, salsa.

Spread mixture evenly on 4 tortillas; top with cheese.

Cover with remaining tortillas.

Heat skillet & cook quesadillas 2 minutes.

Cut into wedges & serve with salsa & sour cream on the side.

SPICY TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

This is from Taste For Life. Prep Time: 25 minutes; Makes 4 servings. Recipe Source: Complete Book of Thai Cooking, by Linda Stephen

To view this online, go to https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/veggie/spicy-tofu-with-vegetables.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

12 oz firm tofu, patted dry, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

3 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut in matchstick pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips

1 C sliced asparagus or green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp lime juice

2 1/2 tsp fresh red chilies, chopped

2 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add tofu and stir-fry for 4 minutes, turning carefully, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Add remaining oil to wok. Add shallots and garlic. Stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add carrot, red pepper, and asparagus or green beans. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add soy sauce, lime juice, chilies, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Return tofu to wok. Cook for 1 minute, or until combined and heated through.

VEGAN MEATBALLS

This wonderful recipe is from Love & Lemons. If you've never checked out the site, I highly recommend that you do. Talk about great recipes...Wow! This recipe begins, "The BEST vegan meatballs! Made with mushrooms, walnuts, and black beans, they're crisp on the outside, tender in the middle, and full of savory flavor."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Serves: 4 to 6

To view this online, go to https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-meatballs/.

Ingredients

16 ounces mixed cremini and shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, grated

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1-1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup whole rolled oats

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Avocado oil, for the pan

Marinara sauce, for serving (for store bought, we love Rao's)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until slightly shriveled around the edges.

In a food processor, place the walnuts, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, fennel seed, cumin, paprika, and sage. Pulse until coarsely ground, then add the roasted mushrooms, black beans, oats, olive oil, tomato paste, flaxseed, tamari, and balsamic vinegar. Pulse until the mixture is well-combined but still has a few larger bean and mushroom chunks remaining.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the panko. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the mixture, then use your hands to roll it into balls.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with avocado oil. Add the vegan meatballs and cook, rotating the balls as they brown, until browned all around, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the vegan meatballs are firm and lightly crisp around the edges.

Serve with marinara.

LEMONY ORZO WITH ASPARAGUS AND GARLIC BREAD CRUMBS

This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "Every spoonful of this pasta has a happy jumble of lemony orzo, grassy asparagus, garlicky bread crumbs, fresh herbs and salty Parmesan. The pasta and thinly sliced asparagus cook together in the same pot, then rest in a lemony dressing while the garlic bread crumbs are toasted, so the pasta has time to absorb as much flavor as possible."

Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021068-lemony-orzo-with-asparagus-and-garlic-bread-crumbs. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

Salt and black pepper

1 cup orzo

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 1/4-inch thick)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed (from about 1 large lemon)

1/2 cup panko or homemade bread crumbs

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/2 cup fresh dill, mint or parsley leaves (or any combination), torn if large

Preparation

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente according to package directions. Two minutes before the orzo is done, add the asparagus. Drain the orzo and asparagus. Wipe out and reserve the pot.

While the orzo and asparagus cook, make the dressing: In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons oil and the lemon zest and juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the drained orzo and asparagus and toss to coat. Set aside while you toast the bread crumbs.

In the reserved pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the panko and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Stir the Parmesan and herbs into the orzo, taste, then season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired. Top with the toasted bread crumbs and more Parmesan if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKE-AHEAD EGG, SPINACH AND FETA WRAPS

This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "Packed with protein, enough baby spinach to make Popeye proud, and punchy umami from sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, these wraps are ideal for make-ahead breakfasts. Feel free to customize by adding herbs like dill, parsley or cilantro, or a small handful of chopped roasted red peppers or pitted olives. The frittata-like egg mixture is baked in the oven in a baking pan and sliced into rectangles to fit easily on lavash wraps or burrito-size flour tortillas. If you don’t want to make wraps, you can simply serve the tender frittata by itself."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: 5 wraps

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026810-make-ahead-egg-spinach-and-feta-wraps. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up forThe New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

Cooking spray or neutral oil, as needed

1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, plus 3 tablespoons oil from the jar (see Tip)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

5 to 6 ounces baby spinach (5 to 6 cups packed)

10 large eggs

1/2 cup/3 ounces crumbled feta

5 lavash wraps (about 10-by-12 inches) or burrito-size flour tortillas, at room temperature (see Tip)

Cream cheese, fresh goat cheese or flavored soft cheese, such as Boursin, optional

Preparation

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, making sure to spray the sides well. (Alternately, you can lightly brush with neutral oil.) Line the baking pan with parchment paper with overhang on at least two sides and spray the parchment paper with oil. Heat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center position.

In a large skillet, heat the sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt, add the sundried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary, and cook, stirring frequently, just until wilted. (You don’t want the spinach to release any liquid.) Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind you will also season the eggs. Remove from the heat.

Add the eggs to a large bowl, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and beat with a whisk or a fork until combined. Add the spinach mixture to the eggs and mix to combine. (Wipe out the skillet and set aside.) Transfer the egg mixture to the baking pan, spreading it out evenly. Top with the feta cheese and bake until the eggs are fully set and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Slide the frittata onto the cutting board. Slice the frittata widthwise into 5 equal rectangles (each about 2-1/2 inches wide). Place a lavash wrap on a work surface and spread with cream cheese, if using. Place a slice of frittata on the lavash, leaving a 2-inch border from the bottom. Bring the sides of the lavash in and then fold up the bottom, rolling up the lavash like a flat burrito. Repeat with the remaining lavash and frittata.

Heat the same skillet over medium. Spray each lavash wrap lightly with oil on both sides. Place seam side down on the pan and cook until the lavash is warmed through and slightly golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Take care not to cook too long so the lavash doesn’t get crispy.) Slice in half, on the diagonal if you like, and serve. (To make ahead, wrap the pan-cooked egg wraps in foil and keep in the fridge for 3 days, or the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet over low heat, or in the oven at 350 degrees.)

Tips

Instead of sun-dried tomato oil, you can substitute olive oil.

Cold lavash is harder to wrap and can tear, so be sure to take the lavash out of the fridge for a few minutes before wrapping.