We're almost to the end of the week. Yay! Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Vegan Stir-Fried Garlic Tofu and Eggplant and Cheesecake-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies. Enjoy!
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
UPDATED IRISH STEW
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This stew tastes even better as leftovers, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. Serve it over mashed potatoes for a deliciously comforting meal. Traditional Irish stout is not vegan, but to find a beer that is, log on to veganconnection.com.”
Makes 2 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 small frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame
Preparation
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes more. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic, and thyme, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308; Carbohydrate Content: 36 g; Fat Content: 8.5 g; Fiber Content: 6 g; Protein Content: 23 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 384 mg; Sugar Content: 7 g
VEGAN STIR-FRIED GARLIC TOFU AND EGGPLANT
This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)
Anyway, Christine Gallary, Food Editor-at-Large at TheKitchn wrote, “Eggplant can be a polarizing vegetable. There are those who don't care for it, but I'm in the other camp. I love eggplant in any form, whether roasted, grilled, or even puréed into baba ganoush. But my absolute favorite? When eggplant is stir-fried with lots of garlic and coated with a glossy, savory sauce that I can spoon over a big bowl of steamed rice. I'm not vegan, but this recipe can lean that way if you can get your hands on vegetarian oyster sauce.
“There are a number of ways to make crispy tofu, but the method I turn to uses a nonstick pan, which ensures that the tofu browns nicely, but doesn't stick to the pan. Once the tofu browns, the pan is free to stir-fry the eggplant with garlic until it's nicely seared on the outside, but creamy on the inside. I love using Japanese or Chinese eggplants here since they're smaller and less bitter than their larger Italian counterparts.
“The sauce that holds everything together is a mixture of oyster sauce (vegetarian if you want to keep the dish vegan), soy sauce (or tamari), cornstarch, rice vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
“The finishing touch is a big handful of basil leaves. Sweet and slightly spicy Thai basil is the perfect choice here, although regular Italian basil will work beautifully too. I like this stir-fry heaped over steamed white or brown rice, but rice noodles would also work great.”
To view this online, click here. Serves 4.
For the sauce:
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons regular or vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the stir-fry:
1 (14- to-16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 pound eggplant, preferably Asian, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
Steamed rice, for serving
For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch is dissolved.
For the stir-fry: Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer on the paper towels to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu, spread into a single layer, and season generously with salt. Cook, flipping rarely, until golden-brown on at least 2 sides (be careful, it will splatter), about 10 minutes total. Remove to a clean plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the eggplant. Season with salt and stir-fry until charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the reserved tofu and stir to combine. Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine and dissolve the cornstarch, and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the sauce has thickened and coats the tofu and eggplant, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil leaves, and toss to combine. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten-free, look for oyster sauce labeled gluten-free and use tamari rather than soy sauce.
Vegetarian oyster sauce: Regular oyster sauce is usually made from oysters, but vegetarian oyster sauce, which is made from mushrooms, is a vegetarian and vegan alternative.
1-BOWL CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
This is from the Minimalist Baker, and begins, “Fluffy, tender, insanely delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread! Made in just 1 bowl, naturally sweetened, SO delicious!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour; Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
To view this online, click here.
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry and lightly packed in measuring cup)
3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)
1/3 cup almond flour (or almond meal, though I haven't tested it this way)
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping (I like Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs and let rest for 5 minutes. Then add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder, and whisk again.
Next add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and whisk to combine. Add grated zucchini (that's been squeezed of excess moisture) and stir to combine.
Add gluten-free flour, oat flour, and almond flour and whisk until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be thick and scoopable.
Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then transfer batter to the loaf pan and top with a few more chocolate chips (optional).
Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges feel semi-firm to the touch.
Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper. Texture is best when cooled completely. Will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 10 slices.
*Recipe adapted from my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 slice (of 10): Calories: 216; Fat: 10.8 g; Saturated fat: 7.1 g; Carbohydrates: 31.1 g; Sugar: 15 g; Sodium: 58 mg; Fiber: 4.1 g; Protein: 3.4 g
RED VELVET DOUGHNUTS
This is from Diana Rattry, Southern food expert for The Spruce. Diana wrote, “These red velvet doughnuts are as delicious as they are attractive. They make a wonderful treat for any time of the year, and the vibrant red color makes them an excellent choice for a Valentine's Day or Christmas morning.
“Glaze the doughnuts with a cream cheese frosting or plain vanilla icing and decorate them with red sugars or candies. These doughnuts will be an instant hit!”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 10 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 tablespoon red food coloring
4 tablespoons butter ( melted, cooled slightly)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Vanilla Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 tablespoons water (or more, as needed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
2 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk (or more, as needed)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Spray doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk or spoon to blend thoroughly.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk (or sour milk), red food coloring, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and vinegar.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until blended.
Spoon the batter into a small plastic food storage bag.
Cut a small corner from the bag and pipe the batter into the cavities of the doughnut pan, filling them about half full.
Bake standard size doughnuts for about 10 to 12 minutes. Bake mini doughnuts for about 6 minutes.
Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the cream cheese or vanilla icing to glaze or spread with the icing (see below).
The recipe makes about 10 standard baked doughnuts or about 16 to 18 mini baked doughnuts.
Vanilla Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sifted powdered sugar with the light corn syrup, melted butter, 1 tablespoon of water and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Beat the icing, adding more water in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the powdered sugar with the softened cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk.
Beat the icing, adding more milk in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
*Sour milk is a good buttermilk substitute. To make sour milk, put 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1/2-cup line. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. It might look curdled, but that's okay.
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.”
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cookies:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling at a time onto the parchment so that you have 12 dollops. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Make the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Coat your hands generously with confectioners' sugar and scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough into your hand. Put one of the frozen cream cheese dollops in the middle of the dough and place another tablespoon of the dough on top of the cream cheese. Shape the dough around it to completely enclose the cream cheese, and then roll to coat in the confectioners' sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese, coating your hands in confectioners' sugar as needed.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and can be easily lifted with a spatula, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
Showing posts with label Apple Ginger Crisp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple Ginger Crisp. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Friday, November 15, 2019
Friday Recipes
It's Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six recipes to help take you there, including Updated Irish Stew and Apple Ginger Crisp. Enjoy!
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED PUMPKIN BREAD
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Everyone's favorite fall quick bread hides a decadent surprise inside -- a rich swirl of cheesecake.”
Total: 3 hr 45 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 1 loaf; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Swirl:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
Pumpkin Bread:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
For the cheesecake swirl: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and egg in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined; set aside.
For the pumpkin bread: Generously spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin puree in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
Reserve 1 cup of the pumpkin batter. Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter, then put the reserved cup pumpkin batter in a line down the center of the pan. Insert the tip of a paring knife into the batter and drag it through and up to swirl 5 to 6 times.
Bake until the top is cracked and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert onto a platter or cake stand and flip upright. Let cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE
This is from Sheela Prakash on TheKitchn. Sheela wrote, “What if I told you that you could have a rich and creamy bowl of mac and cheese while also packing in over a pound of cauliflower? Sounds like a trick, right? No so fast! This recipe does just that, thanks to a base of cheesy cauliflower sauce.”
Serves 8
To view this online, click here.
For the cauliflower cheese sauce:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the macaroni and cheese:
1 pound dry cavatappi pasta or medium pasta shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 400°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
Make the cauliflower cheese sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and boil for 5 minutes to infuse water.
Add the cauliflower and cook until very fork tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet or medium bowl out of the water, leaving the herbs and garlic behind in the pot (do not drain the pot).
Place 1/2 of the cauliflower in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the blender along with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Blend until very smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the purée to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, 3/4 cup of cooking liquid, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil; transfer to the same bowl.
Add the cheddar, Gruyère, mustard, salt, and pepper into the purée and whisk to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed; set aside.
For the macaroni and cheese: Bring the pot of infused water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package instructions until just al dente. Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; set aside.
Drain the pasta, discard the herbs and garlic cloves, and add the pasta to the bowl of cauliflower sauce. Stir gently until the pasta is entirely coated.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top, followed by the grated Parmesan.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If the pasta becomes bubbly before the top is golden, you can run the dish under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp the topping.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Return to room temperature, sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top, and proceed with baking.
Freezing: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be also be covered tightly with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake, frozen and covered, at 350°F, for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and bake until the topping is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING
This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.
Total: 2 hr 49 min; Prep: 4 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.
GLAZED CARROTS WITH ORANGE AND GINGER
This comes from Mark Bittman at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “When carrots are cooked, it’s often a sad affair. They are boiled to death and presented almost as an apology. Yet when they’re treated with the respect they deserve, even ordinary supermarket carrots can be among the most reliable and enjoyable of vegetables, especially from fall through spring. This braise-and-glaze technique can be varied at will and can also be used with other roots, like beets, turnips and radishes. Once you have the hang of the technique, changing the flavorings is a snap. Try substituting a mixture of half balsamic vinegar, half water or soy sauce similarly diluted for the orange juice, adding a few cloves of peeled garlic with the carrots. Or add a half cup or so of chopped onions, shallots, scallions or leeks, or of chopped pitted dates or raisins, dried currants or even dried tomatoes.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes
This was featured in “Versatile Carrots, Repectfully Braised” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled if necessary, cut into 1/4-inch coins or sticks
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced or grated peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley, dill, mint, basil or chervil leaves for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and garnish in a saucepan no more than 6 inches across. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to coat, then adjust heat so mixture simmers. Cover.
Cook, more or less undisturbed, until carrots are tender and liquid is almost gone, 10 to 20 minutes. Uncover and boil off remaining liquid, then add lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot or within an hour or two, garnished with herbs, if you like.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
UPDATED IRISH STEW
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This stew tastes even better as leftovers, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. Serve it over mashed potatoes for a deliciously comforting meal. Traditional Irish stout is not vegan, but to find a beer that is, log on to veganconnection.com.”
Makes 2 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 small frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame
Preparation
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes more. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic, and thyme, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308; Carbohydrate Content: 36 g; Fat Content: 8.5 g; Fiber Content: 6 g; Protein Content: 23 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 384 mg; Sugar Content: 7 g
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED PUMPKIN BREAD
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Everyone's favorite fall quick bread hides a decadent surprise inside -- a rich swirl of cheesecake.”
Total: 3 hr 45 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 1 loaf; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Swirl:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
Pumpkin Bread:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
For the cheesecake swirl: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and egg in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined; set aside.
For the pumpkin bread: Generously spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin puree in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
Reserve 1 cup of the pumpkin batter. Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter, then put the reserved cup pumpkin batter in a line down the center of the pan. Insert the tip of a paring knife into the batter and drag it through and up to swirl 5 to 6 times.
Bake until the top is cracked and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert onto a platter or cake stand and flip upright. Let cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE
This is from Sheela Prakash on TheKitchn. Sheela wrote, “What if I told you that you could have a rich and creamy bowl of mac and cheese while also packing in over a pound of cauliflower? Sounds like a trick, right? No so fast! This recipe does just that, thanks to a base of cheesy cauliflower sauce.”
Serves 8
To view this online, click here.
For the cauliflower cheese sauce:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the macaroni and cheese:
1 pound dry cavatappi pasta or medium pasta shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 400°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
Make the cauliflower cheese sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and boil for 5 minutes to infuse water.
Add the cauliflower and cook until very fork tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet or medium bowl out of the water, leaving the herbs and garlic behind in the pot (do not drain the pot).
Place 1/2 of the cauliflower in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the blender along with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Blend until very smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the purée to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, 3/4 cup of cooking liquid, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil; transfer to the same bowl.
Add the cheddar, Gruyère, mustard, salt, and pepper into the purée and whisk to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed; set aside.
For the macaroni and cheese: Bring the pot of infused water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package instructions until just al dente. Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; set aside.
Drain the pasta, discard the herbs and garlic cloves, and add the pasta to the bowl of cauliflower sauce. Stir gently until the pasta is entirely coated.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top, followed by the grated Parmesan.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If the pasta becomes bubbly before the top is golden, you can run the dish under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp the topping.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Return to room temperature, sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top, and proceed with baking.
Freezing: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be also be covered tightly with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake, frozen and covered, at 350°F, for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and bake until the topping is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING
This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.
Total: 2 hr 49 min; Prep: 4 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.
GLAZED CARROTS WITH ORANGE AND GINGER
This comes from Mark Bittman at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “When carrots are cooked, it’s often a sad affair. They are boiled to death and presented almost as an apology. Yet when they’re treated with the respect they deserve, even ordinary supermarket carrots can be among the most reliable and enjoyable of vegetables, especially from fall through spring. This braise-and-glaze technique can be varied at will and can also be used with other roots, like beets, turnips and radishes. Once you have the hang of the technique, changing the flavorings is a snap. Try substituting a mixture of half balsamic vinegar, half water or soy sauce similarly diluted for the orange juice, adding a few cloves of peeled garlic with the carrots. Or add a half cup or so of chopped onions, shallots, scallions or leeks, or of chopped pitted dates or raisins, dried currants or even dried tomatoes.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes
This was featured in “Versatile Carrots, Repectfully Braised” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled if necessary, cut into 1/4-inch coins or sticks
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced or grated peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley, dill, mint, basil or chervil leaves for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and garnish in a saucepan no more than 6 inches across. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to coat, then adjust heat so mixture simmers. Cover.
Cook, more or less undisturbed, until carrots are tender and liquid is almost gone, 10 to 20 minutes. Uncover and boil off remaining liquid, then add lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot or within an hour or two, garnished with herbs, if you like.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
UPDATED IRISH STEW
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This stew tastes even better as leftovers, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. Serve it over mashed potatoes for a deliciously comforting meal. Traditional Irish stout is not vegan, but to find a beer that is, log on to veganconnection.com.”
Makes 2 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 small frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame
Preparation
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes more. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic, and thyme, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308; Carbohydrate Content: 36 g; Fat Content: 8.5 g; Fiber Content: 6 g; Protein Content: 23 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 384 mg; Sugar Content: 7 g
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday End-of-Year Recipes
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so I wanted to get a few more end-of-year recipes in here to help you into the next year. Here are today's six recipes, including Caramel Cappuccino Shake and Winter Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto. Enjoy!
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”
Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)
7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)
5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
CHEF'S NOTES:
You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.
My notes: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.
Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.
CHERRY-MALLOW CAKE
This recipe is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list and begins, “This cake is a snap to make because you use a mix. As the marshmallows melt, they rise to the top and make a glaze.”
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes; Serves: 15
Ingredients
4 cups miniature marshmallows, (about 3/4 of a 10-1/2 ounce package; you can use vegetarian marshmallows, which I highly recommend)
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay the marshmallows evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the marshmallows. Spoon the cherry filling evenly over the cake batter.
Remove pan from oven and cool on wire racks.
After the cake is cool, cut into squares.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO SHAKE
This is from an old (10+ year old) Weight Watchers email. The points are from 2006.
The recipe begins, “It's hard to believe this luscious shake is nearly fat-free. You can easily double the recipe and share some with the rest of the family.”
POINTS® Value | 4; Servings | 2; Preparation Time | 8 min;Cooking Time | 0 min; Level of Difficulty | Easy
Ingredients
1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp instant espresso, powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup lite whipped topping
2 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping
Instructions
Blend yogurt, milk, espresso powder and cinnamon on high. Pour into two glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and 1 tablespoon caramel topping.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”
Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)
7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)
5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
CHEF'S NOTES:
You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.
My notes: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.
Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.
CHERRY-MALLOW CAKE
This recipe is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list and begins, “This cake is a snap to make because you use a mix. As the marshmallows melt, they rise to the top and make a glaze.”
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes; Serves: 15
Ingredients
4 cups miniature marshmallows, (about 3/4 of a 10-1/2 ounce package; you can use vegetarian marshmallows, which I highly recommend)
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay the marshmallows evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the marshmallows. Spoon the cherry filling evenly over the cake batter.
Remove pan from oven and cool on wire racks.
After the cake is cool, cut into squares.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO SHAKE
This is from an old (10+ year old) Weight Watchers email. The points are from 2006.
The recipe begins, “It's hard to believe this luscious shake is nearly fat-free. You can easily double the recipe and share some with the rest of the family.”
POINTS® Value | 4; Servings | 2; Preparation Time | 8 min;Cooking Time | 0 min; Level of Difficulty | Easy
Ingredients
1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp instant espresso, powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup lite whipped topping
2 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping
Instructions
Blend yogurt, milk, espresso powder and cinnamon on high. Pour into two glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and 1 tablespoon caramel topping.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Ginger!
Recently, a family member brought home a piece of ginger, and wondered how best to use it. Today's post is in response to that, and includes Mint-Green Tea Coolers and Ginger-Peach Sorbet. Enjoy!
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding tofu/cashews.
HOMEMADE GINGER TEA
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats Jolinda wrote, “Wondering how to make a simple and easy homemade ginger tea? Why go out and buy stale old tea bags when you can easily make your own fresh and homemade ginger tea at home using fresh ginger? Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that's great for digestion.
”Here's how to make the tastiest and most soothing and healing ginger tea you've ever had! There's really no comparison.
“This healing ginger tea recipe actually comes from the raw food and natural health retreat center I used to work at in Thailand, where we served it to our guests bright and early every single morning, seven days a week. The secret to the perfect healing ginger tea? Lots and lots of fresh ginger, simmered for a long time to bring out the flavor, and the lime, which compliments the ginger perfectly, and plenty of natural agave nectar or honey for a refined sugar-free sweetener (or you might prefer it unsweetened, depending on your health goals - It's still delicious, I promise!). Try this simple ginger tea for an immune system boost or for an invigorating way to start the morning.
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 servings of ginger tea
To check this out online, click here.
Ingredients
About 2 inches of fresh raw ginger (use more or less, depending on how strong you want it!)
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar, to taste)
Optional: 1/2 lime (juiced, or to taste)
Directions
First, prepare the fresh ginger by peeling it and slicing it thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.
Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. You really can't over do it, so feel free to add as much ginger and simmer it for as long as you want.
Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.
The secret to making a really flavorful ginger tea is to use plenty of ginger-more than you think you will need-and also to add a bit of lime juice and honey to your ginger tea. You will also probably want to add more honey than you think you will need as well.
Enjoy your hot ginger tea! A homemade ginger tea is excellent in soothing stomach aches and in aiding digestion.
MINT-GREEN TEA COOLERS
This is from Diabetes Self-Management, and can be viewed online here.
Yield: 2 servings.
Ingredients
2 bags green tea
4 thin slices fresh ginger (about 1 inch)
7 or 8 large fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
2 cups boiling water
2 cups crushed ice
Directions
Place tea bags, ginger, and mint leaves in teapot or 2-cup heatproof measuring cup. Add boiling water; steep 4 minutes. Remove tea bags, ginger and mint leaves; discard. Cool tea to room temperature.
Pour 1 cup crushed ice into each of two tall glasses. Divide tea between glasses.
Tip: Squeeze a lime wedge (about 1/8 of a lime) into each cooler before serving.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 3 calories, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 1 mg, Fiber: 1 g
GINGER-PEACH SORBET
This is from page 46 of the July/August 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe states, “Fresh peaches, lightly cooked with a bit of sugar and fresh, spicy ginger, play double duty. Pulse the frozen cubes in the food processor with a splash of Prosecco and you have a light, flaky sorbet. Thaw the cubes, omit the prosecco, and use the mixture as a topper for ice cream or angel food cake.” Serves 6.
6 very ripe medium peaches (3 lb.)
1/4 cup sugar
4 1/4-inch-thick coins fresh ginger
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
6 Tbs. Prosecco or white wine
Score X on bottom of each peach. Place in bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Remove skins and pits, and chop.
Bring peaches, sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until peaches are soft.
Remove ginger, transfer peach mixture to food processor, and blend until smooth. Cool.
Pour cooled sauce into 6 1/2-cup silicone molds or muffin pan cups. Press plastic wrap over surface of molds to seal out air. Freeze 4 hours, or until completely solid, then transfer to freezer bag to store.
To make sorbet: Pulse frozen cubes and Prosecco in food processor until smooth. Transfer to freezer-safe container, and freeze until ready to serve.
nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 121; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: less than 1 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 25 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding tofu/cashews.
HOMEMADE GINGER TEA
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats Jolinda wrote, “Wondering how to make a simple and easy homemade ginger tea? Why go out and buy stale old tea bags when you can easily make your own fresh and homemade ginger tea at home using fresh ginger? Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that's great for digestion.
”Here's how to make the tastiest and most soothing and healing ginger tea you've ever had! There's really no comparison.
“This healing ginger tea recipe actually comes from the raw food and natural health retreat center I used to work at in Thailand, where we served it to our guests bright and early every single morning, seven days a week. The secret to the perfect healing ginger tea? Lots and lots of fresh ginger, simmered for a long time to bring out the flavor, and the lime, which compliments the ginger perfectly, and plenty of natural agave nectar or honey for a refined sugar-free sweetener (or you might prefer it unsweetened, depending on your health goals - It's still delicious, I promise!). Try this simple ginger tea for an immune system boost or for an invigorating way to start the morning.
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 servings of ginger tea
To check this out online, click here.
Ingredients
About 2 inches of fresh raw ginger (use more or less, depending on how strong you want it!)
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar, to taste)
Optional: 1/2 lime (juiced, or to taste)
Directions
First, prepare the fresh ginger by peeling it and slicing it thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.
Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. You really can't over do it, so feel free to add as much ginger and simmer it for as long as you want.
Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.
The secret to making a really flavorful ginger tea is to use plenty of ginger-more than you think you will need-and also to add a bit of lime juice and honey to your ginger tea. You will also probably want to add more honey than you think you will need as well.
Enjoy your hot ginger tea! A homemade ginger tea is excellent in soothing stomach aches and in aiding digestion.
MINT-GREEN TEA COOLERS
This is from Diabetes Self-Management, and can be viewed online here.
Yield: 2 servings.
Ingredients
2 bags green tea
4 thin slices fresh ginger (about 1 inch)
7 or 8 large fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
2 cups boiling water
2 cups crushed ice
Directions
Place tea bags, ginger, and mint leaves in teapot or 2-cup heatproof measuring cup. Add boiling water; steep 4 minutes. Remove tea bags, ginger and mint leaves; discard. Cool tea to room temperature.
Pour 1 cup crushed ice into each of two tall glasses. Divide tea between glasses.
Tip: Squeeze a lime wedge (about 1/8 of a lime) into each cooler before serving.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 3 calories, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 1 mg, Fiber: 1 g
GINGER-PEACH SORBET
This is from page 46 of the July/August 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe states, “Fresh peaches, lightly cooked with a bit of sugar and fresh, spicy ginger, play double duty. Pulse the frozen cubes in the food processor with a splash of Prosecco and you have a light, flaky sorbet. Thaw the cubes, omit the prosecco, and use the mixture as a topper for ice cream or angel food cake.” Serves 6.
6 very ripe medium peaches (3 lb.)
1/4 cup sugar
4 1/4-inch-thick coins fresh ginger
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
6 Tbs. Prosecco or white wine
Score X on bottom of each peach. Place in bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Remove skins and pits, and chop.
Bring peaches, sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until peaches are soft.
Remove ginger, transfer peach mixture to food processor, and blend until smooth. Cool.
Pour cooled sauce into 6 1/2-cup silicone molds or muffin pan cups. Press plastic wrap over surface of molds to seal out air. Freeze 4 hours, or until completely solid, then transfer to freezer bag to store.
To make sorbet: Pulse frozen cubes and Prosecco in food processor until smooth. Transfer to freezer-safe container, and freeze until ready to serve.
nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 121; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: less than 1 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 25 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Friday Recipes
Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Winter Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto and Sweet Potato Casserole. Enjoy!
APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING
This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.
Total: 2 hr 49 min; Prep: 4 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
SCOTTO CHEESE LASAGNA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “This delectable lasagna makes great use of convenience products so that you've can put the dish together in just 15 minutes! While it bakes you can throw together a salad, and you've got a fabulous dinner for very little work.”
Serves: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 container (32 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
Prego® Tomato Basil & Garlic Italian Sauce or 5 cups Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce
12 lasagna noodle, cooked and drained
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 package (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Mozzarella and Garlic Loaf
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the ricotta and the eggs in a medium bowl.
Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 1/3 cups ricotta mixture, 1/4 of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove the lasagna from the oven. Let the lasagna stand for 1 hour.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. for the bread. Bake the bread according to the package directions.
Cut the bread into 2-inch diagonal slices. Serve the bread with the lasagna.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
This is from Marian Burros in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Marian wrote, “This version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish forgoes the traditional marshmallow topping for a generous sprinkle of brown sugar, butter and pecans. You get crunchy, soft and sweet all in one glorious bite.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 2 hours
This was featured in “On Thanksgiving, What's a Chef to Do?” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
4 medium-large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened slightly
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preparation
To make the casserole, heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until very tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, scoop out flesh and mash until smooth. You should have about 4 cups. Using a hand mixer, mix in brown sugar, orange juice, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Place in a casserole dish.
To make the topping, combine the butter, brown sugar and pecans. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING
This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.
Total: 2 hr 49 min; Prep: 4 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
SCOTTO CHEESE LASAGNA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “This delectable lasagna makes great use of convenience products so that you've can put the dish together in just 15 minutes! While it bakes you can throw together a salad, and you've got a fabulous dinner for very little work.”
Serves: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 container (32 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
Prego® Tomato Basil & Garlic Italian Sauce or 5 cups Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce
12 lasagna noodle, cooked and drained
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 package (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Mozzarella and Garlic Loaf
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the ricotta and the eggs in a medium bowl.
Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 1/3 cups ricotta mixture, 1/4 of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove the lasagna from the oven. Let the lasagna stand for 1 hour.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. for the bread. Bake the bread according to the package directions.
Cut the bread into 2-inch diagonal slices. Serve the bread with the lasagna.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
This is from Marian Burros in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Marian wrote, “This version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish forgoes the traditional marshmallow topping for a generous sprinkle of brown sugar, butter and pecans. You get crunchy, soft and sweet all in one glorious bite.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 2 hours
This was featured in “On Thanksgiving, What's a Chef to Do?” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
4 medium-large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened slightly
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preparation
To make the casserole, heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until very tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, scoop out flesh and mash until smooth. You should have about 4 cups. Using a hand mixer, mix in brown sugar, orange juice, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Place in a casserole dish.
To make the topping, combine the butter, brown sugar and pecans. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Saturday Recipes - End of Year
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so I wanted to get a few more end-of-year recipes in here to help you into the next year. Here are today's six recipes, including Caramel Cappuccino Shake and Winter Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto. Enjoy!
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”
Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)
7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)
5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
CHEF'S NOTES:
You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.
My notes: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.
Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.
CHERRY-MALLOW CAKE
This recipe is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list and begins, “This cake is a snap to make because you use a mix. As the marshmallows melt, they rise to the top and make a glaze.”
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes; Serves: 15
Ingredients
4 cups miniature marshmallows, (about 3/4 of a 10-1/2 ounce package; you can use vegetarian marshmallows, which I highly recommend)
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay the marshmallows evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the marshmallows. Spoon the cherry filling evenly over the cake batter.
Remove pan from oven and cool on wire racks.
After the cake is cool, cut into squares.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO SHAKE
This is from an old (10+ year old) Weight Watchers email. The points are from 2006.
The recipe begins, “It's hard to believe this luscious shake is nearly fat-free. You can easily double the recipe and share some with the rest of the family.”
POINTS® Value | 4; Servings | 2; Preparation Time | 8 min;Cooking Time | 0 min; Level of Difficulty | Easy
Ingredients
1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp instant espresso, powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup lite whipped topping
2 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping
Instructions
Blend yogurt, milk, espresso powder and cinnamon on high. Pour into two glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and 1 tablespoon caramel topping.
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
This comes from GE Appliances, and begins, “Don't let risotto intimidate you! With a little bit of time and patience you can enjoy this delicious dish. The creamy risotto is combined with sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage and rosemary for a perfect dish to usher in the cool days of fall.”
Makes 6 servings in 40 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (see my note)
7-1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (see my note)
5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauti pan. Add squash. Sauti for about 5 minutes, then cover; cook on medium heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is glossy and begins to turn translucent on the edges, about 5 minutes. Mix in sage and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stir until it is absorbed. Add a large ladleful of the hot chicken stock (about 1/2 cup) reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the chicken stock to the rice 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is creamy but is still slightly firm when tasted, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
CHEF'S NOTES:
You can cut up your own squash or use pre-cubed butternut squash from your favorite grocery store. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2" cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.
My notes: If, like me, you don’t have alcohol around your house, feel free to use either non-alcohol white wine or just plain water.
Also, the recipe also called for chicken stock. I substituted that for vegetable stock.
CHERRY-MALLOW CAKE
This recipe is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list and begins, “This cake is a snap to make because you use a mix. As the marshmallows melt, they rise to the top and make a glaze.”
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes; Serves: 15
Ingredients
4 cups miniature marshmallows, (about 3/4 of a 10-1/2 ounce package; you can use vegetarian marshmallows, which I highly recommend)
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay the marshmallows evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the marshmallows. Spoon the cherry filling evenly over the cake batter.
Remove pan from oven and cool on wire racks.
After the cake is cool, cut into squares.
LENTIL & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE
This recipe, from Dana, whose blog, Minimalist Baker, is absolutely wonderful. This recipe begins, “A colorful take on classic shepherd's pie with lentils, vegetables, and a fluffy sweet potato topping. You'll love this 10-ingredient plant-based meal!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour 35 mins; Serves: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
3 large (or 5 small) organic sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed + peeled and roughly chopped into big chunks
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegan butter // if avoiding oil, omit or sub vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) maple syrup (depending on sweetness of potatoes)
Filling
1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Mushrooms (optional)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
Pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
Once cooked, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash until smooth (see photo). Add coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the sweetness of sweet potatoes, add a bit of maple syrup to taste (optional). Loosely cover and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
If adding (optional), add portobello mushrooms to a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Top with balsamic vinegar, oil (optional), salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss to combine and let marinate for 5 minutes.
Next heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized - about 4-5 minutes.
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
(If adding mushrooms) while lentils cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of oil and the mushrooms with their marinade. Spread into an even layer and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together. Drain off any extra vegetable stock (there shouldn't be much). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Transfer the lentil mixture to your oven-safe baking dish and top with portobello mushrooms (optional) then mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt (and more thyme if desired).
Set on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and the edges are bubbling.
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 servings calculated with 3 Tbsp of oil total, and without the baked mushrooms or optional maple syrup.
*Recipe adapted from my 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/9th of recipe Calories: 273 Fat: 5.7 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Carbohydrates: 43.6 g Sugar: 13.8 g Sodium: 409 mg Fiber: 13.8 g Protein: 12.6 g
WINTER VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “The easy-to-make basil pesto adds great flavor to this hearty soup, featuring carrots, potatoes, turnips and leeks. Best of all, it's ready in less than an hour.”
Serves: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
5 1/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Easy Basil Pesto
Directions
Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery and 1 3/4 cups broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for the Easy Basil Pesto. Stir the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf and red pepper in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve topped with the Easy Basil Pesto.
Easy Basil Pesto: Place 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 cup reserved broth in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with Italian bread sticks. For dessert serve lemon bars.
CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO SHAKE
This is from an old (10+ year old) Weight Watchers email. The points are from 2006.
The recipe begins, “It's hard to believe this luscious shake is nearly fat-free. You can easily double the recipe and share some with the rest of the family.”
POINTS® Value | 4; Servings | 2; Preparation Time | 8 min;Cooking Time | 0 min; Level of Difficulty | Easy
Ingredients
1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp instant espresso, powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup lite whipped topping
2 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping
Instructions
Blend yogurt, milk, espresso powder and cinnamon on high. Pour into two glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and 1 tablespoon caramel topping.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Vegan Stir-Fried Garlic Tofu and Eggplant and Cheesecake-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies. Enjoy!
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
UPDATED IRISH STEW
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This stew tastes even better as leftovers, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. Serve it over mashed potatoes for a deliciously comforting meal. Traditional Irish stout is not vegan, but to find a beer that is, log on to veganconnection.com.”
Makes 2 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 small frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame
Preparation
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes more. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic, and thyme, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308; Carbohydrate Content: 36 g; Fat Content: 8.5 g; Fiber Content: 6 g; Protein Content: 23 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 384 mg; Sugar Content: 7 g
VEGAN STIR-FRIED GARLIC TOFU AND EGGPLANT
This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)
Anyway, Christine Gallary, Food Editor-at-Large at TheKitchn wrote, “Eggplant can be a polarizing vegetable. There are those who don't care for it, but I'm in the other camp. I love eggplant in any form, whether roasted, grilled, or even puréed into baba ganoush. But my absolute favorite? When eggplant is stir-fried with lots of garlic and coated with a glossy, savory sauce that I can spoon over a big bowl of steamed rice. I'm not vegan, but this recipe can lean that way if you can get your hands on vegetarian oyster sauce.
“There are a number of ways to make crispy tofu, but the method I turn to uses a nonstick pan, which ensures that the tofu browns nicely, but doesn't stick to the pan. Once the tofu browns, the pan is free to stir-fry the eggplant with garlic until it's nicely seared on the outside, but creamy on the inside. I love using Japanese or Chinese eggplants here since they're smaller and less bitter than their larger Italian counterparts.
“The sauce that holds everything together is a mixture of oyster sauce (vegetarian if you want to keep the dish vegan), soy sauce (or tamari), cornstarch, rice vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
“The finishing touch is a big handful of basil leaves. Sweet and slightly spicy Thai basil is the perfect choice here, although regular Italian basil will work beautifully too. I like this stir-fry heaped over steamed white or brown rice, but rice noodles would also work great.”
To view this online, click here. Serves 4.
For the sauce:
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons regular or vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the stir-fry:
1 (14- to-16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 pound eggplant, preferably Asian, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
Steamed rice, for serving
For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch is dissolved.
For the stir-fry: Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer on the paper towels to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu, spread into a single layer, and season generously with salt. Cook, flipping rarely, until golden-brown on at least 2 sides (be careful, it will splatter), about 10 minutes total. Remove to a clean plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the eggplant. Season with salt and stir-fry until charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the reserved tofu and stir to combine. Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine and dissolve the cornstarch, and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the sauce has thickened and coats the tofu and eggplant, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil leaves, and toss to combine. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten-free, look for oyster sauce labeled gluten-free and use tamari rather than soy sauce.
Vegetarian oyster sauce: Regular oyster sauce is usually made from oysters, but vegetarian oyster sauce, which is made from mushrooms, is a vegetarian and vegan alternative.
1-BOWL CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
This is from the Minimalist Baker, and begins, “Fluffy, tender, insanely delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread! Made in just 1 bowl, naturally sweetened, SO delicious!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour; Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
To view this online, click here.
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry and lightly packed in measuring cup)
3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)
1/3 cup almond flour (or almond meal, though I haven't tested it this way)
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping (I like Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs and let rest for 5 minutes. Then add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder, and whisk again.
Next add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and whisk to combine. Add grated zucchini (that's been squeezed of excess moisture) and stir to combine.
Add gluten-free flour, oat flour, and almond flour and whisk until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be thick and scoopable.
Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then transfer batter to the loaf pan and top with a few more chocolate chips (optional).
Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges feel semi-firm to the touch.
Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper. Texture is best when cooled completely. Will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 10 slices.
*Recipe adapted from my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 slice (of 10): Calories: 216; Fat: 10.8 g; Saturated fat: 7.1 g; Carbohydrates: 31.1 g; Sugar: 15 g; Sodium: 58 mg; Fiber: 4.1 g; Protein: 3.4 g
RED VELVET DOUGHNUTS
This is from Diana Rattry, Southern food expert for The Spruce. Diana wrote, “These red velvet doughnuts are as delicious as they are attractive. They make a wonderful treat for any time of the year, and the vibrant red color makes them an excellent choice for a Valentine's Day or Christmas morning.
“Glaze the doughnuts with a cream cheese frosting or plain vanilla icing and decorate them with red sugars or candies. These doughnuts will be an instant hit!”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 10 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 tablespoon red food coloring
4 tablespoons butter ( melted, cooled slightly)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Vanilla Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 tablespoons water (or more, as needed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
2 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk (or more, as needed)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Spray doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk or spoon to blend thoroughly.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk (or sour milk), red food coloring, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and vinegar.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until blended.
Spoon the batter into a small plastic food storage bag.
Cut a small corner from the bag and pipe the batter into the cavities of the doughnut pan, filling them about half full.
Bake standard size doughnuts for about 10 to 12 minutes. Bake mini doughnuts for about 6 minutes.
Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the cream cheese or vanilla icing to glaze or spread with the icing (see below).
The recipe makes about 10 standard baked doughnuts or about 16 to 18 mini baked doughnuts.
Vanilla Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sifted powdered sugar with the light corn syrup, melted butter, 1 tablespoon of water and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Beat the icing, adding more water in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the powdered sugar with the softened cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk.
Beat the icing, adding more milk in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
*Sour milk is a good buttermilk substitute. To make sour milk, put 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1/2-cup line. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. It might look curdled, but that's okay.
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.”
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cookies:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling at a time onto the parchment so that you have 12 dollops. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Make the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Coat your hands generously with confectioners' sugar and scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough into your hand. Put one of the frozen cream cheese dollops in the middle of the dough and place another tablespoon of the dough on top of the cream cheese. Shape the dough around it to completely enclose the cream cheese, and then roll to coat in the confectioners' sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese, coating your hands in confectioners' sugar as needed.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and can be easily lifted with a spatula, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
APPLE GINGER CRISP
This comes from GE Appliances. Makes 6 - 8 servings in 10 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, preferably maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well), melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
For the topping, combine flour, granola (maple-pecan preferably), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and ginger; mix well and set topping aside.
In large bowl, toss apples together with sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
In the same pan used for the butter and ginger, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a separate container and set aside.
Return pan to low heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are translucent and soft. About ten minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture, toss well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Put the skillet into the oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
UPDATED IRISH STEW
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This stew tastes even better as leftovers, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. Serve it over mashed potatoes for a deliciously comforting meal. Traditional Irish stout is not vegan, but to find a beer that is, log on to veganconnection.com.”
Makes 2 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 small frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame
Preparation
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes more. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic, and thyme, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308; Carbohydrate Content: 36 g; Fat Content: 8.5 g; Fiber Content: 6 g; Protein Content: 23 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 384 mg; Sugar Content: 7 g
VEGAN STIR-FRIED GARLIC TOFU AND EGGPLANT
This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)
Anyway, Christine Gallary, Food Editor-at-Large at TheKitchn wrote, “Eggplant can be a polarizing vegetable. There are those who don't care for it, but I'm in the other camp. I love eggplant in any form, whether roasted, grilled, or even puréed into baba ganoush. But my absolute favorite? When eggplant is stir-fried with lots of garlic and coated with a glossy, savory sauce that I can spoon over a big bowl of steamed rice. I'm not vegan, but this recipe can lean that way if you can get your hands on vegetarian oyster sauce.
“There are a number of ways to make crispy tofu, but the method I turn to uses a nonstick pan, which ensures that the tofu browns nicely, but doesn't stick to the pan. Once the tofu browns, the pan is free to stir-fry the eggplant with garlic until it's nicely seared on the outside, but creamy on the inside. I love using Japanese or Chinese eggplants here since they're smaller and less bitter than their larger Italian counterparts.
“The sauce that holds everything together is a mixture of oyster sauce (vegetarian if you want to keep the dish vegan), soy sauce (or tamari), cornstarch, rice vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
“The finishing touch is a big handful of basil leaves. Sweet and slightly spicy Thai basil is the perfect choice here, although regular Italian basil will work beautifully too. I like this stir-fry heaped over steamed white or brown rice, but rice noodles would also work great.”
To view this online, click here. Serves 4.
For the sauce:
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons regular or vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the stir-fry:
1 (14- to-16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 pound eggplant, preferably Asian, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
Steamed rice, for serving
For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch is dissolved.
For the stir-fry: Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer on the paper towels to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu, spread into a single layer, and season generously with salt. Cook, flipping rarely, until golden-brown on at least 2 sides (be careful, it will splatter), about 10 minutes total. Remove to a clean plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the eggplant. Season with salt and stir-fry until charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the reserved tofu and stir to combine. Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine and dissolve the cornstarch, and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the sauce has thickened and coats the tofu and eggplant, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil leaves, and toss to combine. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten-free, look for oyster sauce labeled gluten-free and use tamari rather than soy sauce.
Vegetarian oyster sauce: Regular oyster sauce is usually made from oysters, but vegetarian oyster sauce, which is made from mushrooms, is a vegetarian and vegan alternative.
1-BOWL CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
This is from the Minimalist Baker, and begins, “Fluffy, tender, insanely delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread! Made in just 1 bowl, naturally sweetened, SO delicious!”
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hour; Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
To view this online, click here.
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry and lightly packed in measuring cup)
3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)
1/3 cup almond flour (or almond meal, though I haven't tested it this way)
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping (I like Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs and let rest for 5 minutes. Then add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder, and whisk again.
Next add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and whisk to combine. Add grated zucchini (that's been squeezed of excess moisture) and stir to combine.
Add gluten-free flour, oat flour, and almond flour and whisk until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be thick and scoopable.
Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then transfer batter to the loaf pan and top with a few more chocolate chips (optional).
Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges feel semi-firm to the touch.
Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper. Texture is best when cooled completely. Will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 10 slices.
*Recipe adapted from my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 slice (of 10): Calories: 216; Fat: 10.8 g; Saturated fat: 7.1 g; Carbohydrates: 31.1 g; Sugar: 15 g; Sodium: 58 mg; Fiber: 4.1 g; Protein: 3.4 g
RED VELVET DOUGHNUTS
This is from Diana Rattry, Southern food expert for The Spruce. Diana wrote, “These red velvet doughnuts are as delicious as they are attractive. They make a wonderful treat for any time of the year, and the vibrant red color makes them an excellent choice for a Valentine's Day or Christmas morning.
“Glaze the doughnuts with a cream cheese frosting or plain vanilla icing and decorate them with red sugars or candies. These doughnuts will be an instant hit!”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 10 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 tablespoon red food coloring
4 tablespoons butter ( melted, cooled slightly)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Vanilla Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 tablespoons water (or more, as needed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Icing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
2 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk (or more, as needed)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Spray doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk or spoon to blend thoroughly.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk (or sour milk), red food coloring, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and vinegar.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until blended.
Spoon the batter into a small plastic food storage bag.
Cut a small corner from the bag and pipe the batter into the cavities of the doughnut pan, filling them about half full.
Bake standard size doughnuts for about 10 to 12 minutes. Bake mini doughnuts for about 6 minutes.
Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the cream cheese or vanilla icing to glaze or spread with the icing (see below).
The recipe makes about 10 standard baked doughnuts or about 16 to 18 mini baked doughnuts.
Vanilla Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sifted powdered sugar with the light corn syrup, melted butter, 1 tablespoon of water and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Beat the icing, adding more water in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the powdered sugar with the softened cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk.
Beat the icing, adding more milk in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.
*Sour milk is a good buttermilk substitute. To make sour milk, put 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1/2-cup line. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. It might look curdled, but that's okay.
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.”
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cookies:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling at a time onto the parchment so that you have 12 dollops. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Make the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Coat your hands generously with confectioners' sugar and scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough into your hand. Put one of the frozen cream cheese dollops in the middle of the dough and place another tablespoon of the dough on top of the cream cheese. Shape the dough around it to completely enclose the cream cheese, and then roll to coat in the confectioners' sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese, coating your hands in confectioners' sugar as needed.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and can be easily lifted with a spatula, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
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