It's Monday, time to get back to work after a holiday weekend. Here are six vegetarian recipes to help you out, including Mexican Pasta and Vegetarian Pot Pie. Enjoy!
CRISPY HALLOUMI WITH TOMATOES AND WHITE BEANS
This is from Nargisse Benkabbou in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Nargisse wrote, "This vibrant vegetarian dish combines savory broiled halloumi, juicy cherry tomatoes and creamy white beans for a satisfying one-pan meal. When broiled, the halloumi becomes golden and crispy on the outside while staying soft and chewy on the inside, adding a deliciously hearty texture to each bite. Highly adaptable, this recipe allows for any canned, creamy white bean that you have on hand, like butter beans or navy beans, and thyme can be used in place of oregano. With a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of honey and fresh herbs, this recipe is perfect for a quick, meatless weeknight dinner that feels special."
I had seen several recipes over the past year or so featuring halloumi, and had no idea what it was. This recipe got me interested enough to Google it. Turns out it's a type of cheese that lends itself well to grilling, etc., and has an interesting taste. Now I'm seriously wanting to try it, and will no doubt use this recipe as a starting point. Thanks, Nargisse!
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026520-crispy-halloumi-with-tomatoes-and-white-beans. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, great guides, and more. You might even find a new food to try!
Ingredients
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, butter beans or navy beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 lemon
Crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.
In a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength.
Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze the lemon half over the pan and add a light drizzle of honey. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with bread if desired.
VEGETARIAN POT PIE
This is from Aida Mollenkamp at the Food Network.
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Inactive Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/vegetarian-pot-pie-recipe-1945008.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small heads fennel, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)
1 small russet potato, peeled and diced small (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium mushroom broth
1 cup whole milk
\1 cup frozen baby green peas
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
1/4 cup parsley
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 large egg yolk
7 ounces store-bought puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Melt butter over medium heat in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add fennel, onions, and carrots, and cook until just soft and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and potato, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring rarely, until mushrooms have let off water and are shrunken, about 6 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook until raw flavor is gone, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add broth and milk, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add peas, herbs, and vinegar, and stir to coat. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn filling into an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.
Whisk egg together with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt until evenly mixed. Set aside.
\With kitchen shears, cut dough to fit over the baking dish. Place dough over filling and tuck into the edges of the dish. Brush dough with egg wash and cut slits in the top to vent. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
CAULIFLOWER KUGEL
This is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "Using cauliflower in a savory kugel is a nice, slightly lighter change from the usual potatoes. Adding both red onions and scallions give this a sweet and fresh flavor, while smoked paprika lends smokiness and depth. While this is perfect to serve at a Seder, it’s also great as a meatless main all year long."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Yield: 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/774540571-cauliflower-kugel. While you're there, 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
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, more as needed
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), leaves trimmed
1 large red onion, peeled and halved
2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon plus a pinch fine sea salt
4 large eggs
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, making sure to grease the corners and up the sides (use a little more oil if needed). Put the baking dish in the oven to heat while you prepare the cauliflower.
Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower in half through the stem. Cut one half into bite-size florets and dice the stem into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the other cauliflower half cut side down on the cutting board, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (these are to decorate the top).
Use a box grater set over a bowl to shred the onion, saving any juices.
Add the scallions, paprika, all the salt and eggs to the onions. Whisk until foamy. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil until combined. Stir in cauliflower florets and stem pieces.
Pour the mixture into the hot baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the decorative cauliflower slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top, taking care to coat the cauliflower. Bake until the kugel is firm and the cauliflower is lightly golden at the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
MEXICAN PASTA
This is from allrecipes, and was submitted by someone named Mimi. The recipe begins, "Mexican pasta is a great vegetarian dish with a kick!"
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Serves: 4
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21518/mexican-pasta/.
Ingredients
1/2 pound seashell pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/4 cup salsa
cup sliced black olives
1-1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook onions and bell pepper in oil until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Stir in corn and heat through. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, salsa, olives, seasoning mix, and salt and pepper and cook until thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes.
Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.
VEGAN FRENCH ONION SOUP
When I was growing up, my dad used to make French Onion Soup. This was usually done on Sundays, frequently when my grandparents were visiting, and especially around holidays. So, of course, I had to check out this recipe.
This absolute yumminess is from Nicole, creator of Oh My Veggies. (Hint: If you've never visited Oh My Veggies, I highly recommend visiting. Great site!
Anyway, this recipe begins, "This Vegan French Onion Soup is comfort food at its finest. Tender onions are simmered in a savory broth, topped with cheesy toast, and baked to perfection."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://ohmyveggies.com/vegan-french-onion-soup/. While you're at it, you might want to sign up for emails from the site. Also, Nicole has a couple of cookbooks for sale (Weeknight One-Pot Vegan Cooking; Vegan Christmas Cookbook), and you can see about buying them when you visit the site. (I plan to buy 'em after Christmas.)
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
4 yellow onions thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1-1/2 cups white wine such as Chardonnay
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
4 slices baguette
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4).
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until they are lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Remove the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Spoon the soup into four ovenproof serving dishes. Top each bowl with a slice of baguette, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup (30 g) of the vegan cheese shreds. Place the bowls in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegan cheese is melted and the baguette is slightly toasted.
VEGAN REUBEN BURGERS
Recently, I was looking through old folders on my computer, seeing what I could delete, what to save, that sort of thing. We all need to do that periodically, right?
I stumbled across one folder that read "recipes from different sources" that had another folder inside called "more recipes from online." (Okay, you with me so far?) One of those recipes was labeled "How to Make Vegan Reuben Burgers (Recipe)" that had been posted in the Broward Palm Beach New Times waaaay back on November 7, 2014. Yikes!
The article (with recipe) was posted by Hannah Sentenac. (Sorry for the delay in posting this, Hannah!) The article starts off, "I was putting ketchup on some breakfast potatoes the other day when I noticed an intriguing recipe staring at me from the back of the Heinz bottle: Reuben Burgers.
"Needless to say, they weren't vegan. Nor were they healthy. Nonetheless, I was inspired to veganize them, and the end result was magically delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I knew I had to share."
And the recipe? Yum
You can view this online at https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/how-to-make-vegan-reuben-burgers-recipe-6905451.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sauerkraut
2 slices of rye bread (toasted)
2 slices Creamy Original Field Roast Chao Cheese (or dairy-free cheese of choice)
1/3 package Trader Joe's Beefless Ground Beef (or meatless crumbles of choice)
2 TBS Tofutti Sour Cream
2 TBS Heinz ketchup
Instructions:
Heat up the beefless beef in a skillet over medium heat for two or three minutes. Add the Tofutti Sour Cream and the Heinz Ketchup and stir until mixed.
Remove from heat and spoon mixture over pre-toasted slice of rye bread.
Top with Chao cheese and allow to melt (you can also pop it in the microwave for a few seconds -- Chao cheese is super melty). Then, spoon sauerkraut on top.
Top with remaining slice of rye bread. Cut in half. Eat. NOM NOM NOM.
