Monday Recipes

Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to start your week off. Enjoy!

BROCCOLI RABE LASAGNA

This comes from David Tanis, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Broccoli rabe (sometimes spelled raab, or known as rapini greens) is one of the most delicious members of the mustard green family. The leaves, tender stems and broccoli-like buds have a distinctive pleasant bitterness when cooked. For this vegetarian lasagna, some of the cooked greens are puréed to make a garlicky pesto and the rest is coarsely chopped and added to the layers.” Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the Lasagna:

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

Salt and pepper

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.

Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and ?1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.

Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)

Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

I know that some people will tell me that I can't post this recipe during the spring, because pumpkin is a fall flavor, and, in some ways, they're right. I tend to think of pumpkin as a fall-ish flavor, since pumpkins seem to be ready for harvest in the late summer and early autumn. But with canned pumpkin so readily available (for the most part), and the fact that I love the flavor of pumpkin, I figured I'd post this now. It's from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 2 dozen.

1 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

3 Tbls sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine pumpkin, butter, and eggs, and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in chopped apple, and spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

BLUEBERRY-RICOTTA PANCAKES

This comes from WebMD, and begins, “Serve these light pancakes with our Chunky Blueberry Sauce, maple syrup or honey. Sprinkling the berries on top of the cooking pancakes ensures even distribution. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven, if desired, while cooking the rest.” Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen; not thawed

Instructions

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk ricotta, egg, egg white, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Brush a large nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and place over medium heat until hot. Using a generous 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, pour the batter for 2 pancakes into the pan, sprinkle blueberries on each pancake and cook until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil, batter and berries, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS

This comes from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Pierre wrote, “Finding a 30-minute dish that's elegant enough for a dinner party is no simple task, but this warm-weather pasta is one to fit the bill. It is gleefully easy to put together. Just toss slices of blanched asparagus with a tangle of cooked fettuccine slicked with butter. Shower with grated Parmesan and serve.” Time: 25 minutes; make 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 fresh asparagus spears, about 1/2 pound

10 ounces fresh fettuccine or 3/4 pound dried fettuccine

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Cut off tough ends of asparagus spears. Cut each on the bias into 1-inch lengths. There should be about 1 1/2 cups. Rinse well and drain.

Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Drop the fettuccine into salted boiling water. Let cook to desired degree of doneness (cooking time will range from about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for fresh pasta to 9 minutes or more for dried). Reserve 2 tablespoons cooking water. Drain the pasta.

Heat the butter in the pot in which the pasta was cooked. Add the asparagus pieces and the fettuccine. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of cooking water and basil. Toss to blend. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese on the side.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

This comes from the April 2002 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Here's a satisfying tomato sauce that will add a hearty, wholegrain flavor to any pasta or lasagna dish.” Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/bolognese-sauce/.

8 oz. whole-grain tempeh

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari

28-oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 cup tomato purée

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 small bay leaf

Using your hands, crumble tempeh into fine pieces. Set aside.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 15 seconds. Stir in tempeh, 1 cup water and tamari. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until liquid is reduced and tempeh begins to sizzle.

Add remaining ingredients to tempeh mixture and mix well. Cover and simmer sauce 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 181; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Sodium: 358 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Vegan

ANYTIME BLACK FORREST BLIZZARD

This was in the September 2012 issue of Runner’s World, page 50. Contributing chef Pam Anderson comes up with quite a few really yummy recipes. This recipe starts off, “Plain Greek yogurt has roughly twice the protein and half the sugar of plan traditional yogurt. Cherries contain antioxidants that help reduce postrun inflammation. ‘To add crunch, stir in Famous Chocolate Wafers,’ says Anderson.”

I doubt that Pam is reading this, but if she is, all I can say is: Keep it up, please!

1 heaping cup frozen, dark sweet cherries

1 frozen banana, cut into chunks

1 C chocolate soymilk

1/4 C Greek yogurt

2 tsp honey or agave syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 Famous Chocolate Wafers, crumbled

Place all the ingredients – except the Famous Chocolate Wafers – in a blender; process until creamy smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top each with a portion of crumbled Famous Chocolate Wafers. Serves two.

Calories per serving: 273; Carbs: 54 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 4 g

Meatless Monday Recipes

Hope everyone here is safe, after the weekend's cold weather (if you're in the eastern United States). Maybe we should all remember this next August when we're complaining about the heat!

Here are today's six recipes. Enjoy!

CABBAGE WITH TOMATOES, BULGUR AND CHICKPEAS

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “This recipe is based on a Greek dish made with red cabbage. I’ve used both green and red cabbage, and I like it both ways. It’s a comforting vegan dish that works as an entree or a side.” Time: 40 minutes; Serves 6.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013499-cabbage-with-tomatoes-bulgur-and-chickpeas.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 medium head green or red cabbage, finely shredded

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, cider vinegar or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 cups water

1 cup coarse bulgur

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preparation

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and the paprika. Cook, stirring, until the onion is thoroughly tender and infused with paprika, three to four minutes.

Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring, for three minutes or until it begins to wilt. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the cabbage is thoroughly tender.

Stir in the dill and the water, and bring a to a boil. Add the bulgur and chickpeas. Stir to combine. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Tip: Advance preparation: Since this is good served at room temperature, you can make it several hours ahead. Reheat if desired. It will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

QUICK PUMPKIN-SAGE PASTA

Pumpkin is one of those foods I absolutely adore. Pasta ranks right up there, too. This yummy recipe comes from Tara Parker-Pope, also from The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Tara wrote, “The vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon is giving Well readers a sneak peek at her new cookbook, “Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes." This is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin. It whips up as quickly as you can boil pasta and really captures the taste of autumn.” Time: about 30 minutes; makes 2 servings.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015470-quick-pumpkin-sage-pasta.

Ingredients

4 ounces whole-wheat pasta

3/4 cup vegetable broth

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Vegan Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until thoroughly warm, about 5 minutes.

Taste, adding more sage if desired, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and let sauce rest for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to merge and sauce to thicken slightly.

Toss cooked pasta with pumpkin sauce and taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with vegan Parmesan if desired.

Tip:For a one-pot meal, prepare sauce in the same pot used to cook pasta, setting the pasta aside as you make the sauce.

STRAWBERRY VANILLA BEAN RAW VEGAN CHEESECAKE

This was posted in a recent The Kitchn's e-newsletter, and is from Sift & Whisk, a really cool blog put out by a blogger named Maria. I've looked through her blog, and it's really pretty cool!

Anyway, Maria wrote, “This vegan and gluten-free dessert uses cashew cream in place of cheese in its filling and requires no baking! Perfect for summer, whether you're vegan or not.” Prep Time is 5 hours (as is the Total Time), and it serves 12. To view it online, go to http://siftandwhisk.com/blog/strawberry-vanilla-bean-raw-vegan-cheesecake/. Also, you might want to sign up for updates from Maria's blog. (I have!)

For The Crust

1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates

1 1/2 cups raw almonds

For The Filling

3 cups (400 grams) raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight then drained

juice of 2 lemons (almost 1/2 cup)

2/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 cup agave nectar

1 vanilla bean

For The Fruit Topping

2 cups strawberries, tops removed

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Instructions

Soak dates in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain. Pulse in food processor until the dates form a paste. Remove from food processor and place in a bowl. Pour almonds into the food processor bowl (it doesn't need to be clean), and pulse until finely chopped. Add the date paste back to the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.

Press the crust evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Combine cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, coconut milk, and agave nectar in a blender. Start on low speed, then gradually increase to the highest speed. Blend until very smooth and no chunks of nuts remain. Scrape the seeds from your vanilla bean into the blender and blend on low speed until the seeds have distributed throughout the mixture.

Pour the filling into the crust and return to the freezer while you make the fruit puree.

Clean your food processor bowl, then add the strawberries and agave nectar to the bowl. Process until smooth.

Pour over the top of the cashew cream layer of the cheesecake, and very gently spread it across the top with a rubber or offset spatula. Alternatively, you can "marble" the top by drizzling the fruit puree over the top, then run a knife through the surface to create a design.

Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Let thaw for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (The longer you allow the cheesecake to thaw, the messier your cuts will be, but the creamier the texture. I like to cut when the cheesecake is still frozen, then allow each slice to thaw for 10-20 minutes.)

BARLEY-STUFFED RED PEPPERS

This comes from the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 21. It begins, “Baked, stuffed bell peppers make an ideal budget main course but usually require lengthy cooking time. This speedy version calls for steaming the red peppers to soften them before you fill them to the brim with zesty barley-mushroom stuffing.” Serves 3 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/barley-stuffed-red-peppers/.

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley

3 cups vegetable or mushroom broth

3 large red bell peppers

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 Tbs. minced garlic

6 oz. presliced portobello mushrooms, cubed

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Hot pepper sauce to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parsley sprigs for garnish

Combine barley and 2 cups vegetable broth in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice tops off red peppers, and remove seeds and inner membranes. Reserve tops for later use. Place peppers on steaming rack over boiling water, and cover saucepan. Steam peppers for about 15 minutes, or until tender but not soft. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley and any remaining cooking liquid, and stir until grains are coated with oil. Add mushrooms and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth, and sauté mixture for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms soften and liquid absorbed. Stir in feta, lemon juice, parsley, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Stand peppers upright, and spoon barley mixture into them. Fill each pepper, and serve with tops over the filling or propped alongside. Garnish with parsley and serve.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 460; Protein: 14 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 62 g; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Sodium: 900 mg; Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 13 g

BAKED VEGETABLE MEDLEY

This also comes from the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 22. It begins, “The crust for this vegetable-filled pie may be made from ready-made, store-bought dough that you roll out and fit into a pie plate. Or, for a no-fuss meal, start with a premade frozen pie crust. This is a meal-in-a-slice, calling only for a light dessert of fruit and nuts.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/baked-vegetable-medley/.

One 9-inch unbaked frozen pie shell

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 large leek, thinly sliced

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 bunch kale, shredded

2/3 cup chunky seasoned tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts, drained

6 oz. smoked tofu, cut into thin strips

1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Reserve strips of leek for garnish.

Bake pie shell until golden, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from oven, and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-ium heat. When hot, sauté leek and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add kale and tomato sauce, stirring often, and cook until kale wilts and leeks are translucent. Add artichoke hearts.

Fill baked pie shell, and arrange tofu pieces decoratively on top. Sprinkle grated cheese over top, and bake 5 minutes more. Increase oven temperature to broil, and heat until cheese browns, about 1 minute.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 420; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 510 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 3 g

CORN AND HOMINY CHOWDER

This also comes from the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 25. It begins, “This hearty main-course soup banishes chills on a winter day and makes a perfect partner for quesadillas or hot corn bread and a simple salad of sliced tomatoes.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/corn-and-hominy-chowder/.

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 3/4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed

1 to 2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

6 large white mushrooms (3 oz.), wiped clean

1 3/4 cups creamed corn

1 cup soymilk

4 oz. diced mild green chiles

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 oz. shredded Pepper Jack cheese or soy cheese for garnish

1/2 avocado, diced for garnish

1/2 red bell pepper, diced for garnish

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Add hominy and chili powder, and cook through. Slice mushrooms lengthwise, including cap and stem. Stir into hominy mixture, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine creamed corn and soymilk in large saucepan, and heat over medium heat until mixture boils. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in green chiles, onion mixture, and salt and pepper. When soup returns to a boil, remove from heat and serve, garnishing each portion with shredded cheese, avocado and red bell pepper.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

This comes from the April 2002 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Here's a satisfying tomato sauce that will add a hearty, wholegrain flavor to any pasta or lasagna dish.” Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/bolognese-sauce/.

8 oz. whole-grain tempeh

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari

28-oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 cup tomato purée

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 small bay leaf

Using your hands, crumble tempeh into fine pieces. Set aside.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 15 seconds. Stir in tempeh, 1 cup water and tamari. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until liquid is reduced and tempeh begins to sizzle.

Add remaining ingredients to tempeh mixture and mix well. Cover and simmer sauce 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 181; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Sodium: 358 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Vegan