I hope your Thanksgiving was good, even if it was different during these strange times.
Ours is usually good. For my take on Thankgiving, check out Another Thanksgiving Come and Gone, followed by Yesterday's Meal - Another memory in the making. Then, check out Thanksgiving Stories and Meals. The point is, we all have memories of different holidays. Even if those memories aren't the fireworks-and-tons-of-merriment kind, but more subtle, they're still there for the making.
Okay, enough reminiscing. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Veggie Chili Cornbread Casserole and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Enjoy!
LISBON CHOCOLATE CAKE
This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “On my first day in Lisbon, I became a statistic: I lost all my credit cards to a talented thief on the No. 28 tram. After ‘the incident,’ I wanted to leave Lisbon, but instead, my husband Michael and I decided to tackle our must-taste list. It was on our last day in Lisbon that we tasted the cake at Landeau Chocolate. It was intense, but not overwhelming; truly chocolate, but somehow each layer’s chocolateness was different. I returned home and made this cake, my version of the cake that cured my pickpocket blues. It’s a dense-but-not-heavy, brownielike cake topped with a whipped chocolate ganache (think: mousse) and a substantial dusting of cocoa. Because this cake is completely about the chocolate, choose one you love.”
Time: About 1 hour, plus cooling; Yield: One 9-inch cake (about 10 servings.
This recipe was featured in “The Chocolate Cake That Saved My Vacation”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020555-lisbon-chocolate-cake.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into chunks, plus more for greasing the pan
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, chilled
For the Ganache:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Sift together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.
Put the 1/2 cup butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Scatter dark chocolate on top, and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the pan, and stir in the sugar. One by one, energetically stir in the eggs, beating for 1 minute after the last egg is added. The mixture will look like pudding. Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the cake pan, and give the pan a couple of good raps against the counter to settle the batter.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a tiny streak of chocolate). Transfer to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake. Peel off the paper, invert the cake and cool to room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan.
Make the ganache: Pour 1 1/4 cups cream into a small saucepan; refrigerate the rest. Scald the cream over medium heat, turn off the heat and stir in the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate until fully incorporated. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk it, then refrigerate again for 10 minutes. Repeat chilling and whisking steps until the ganache is thick enough to make tracks when you stir, 50 to 60 minutes.
Cut two 3-by-16-inch pieces of parchment or foil, and crisscross them in the cake pan. Carefully return the cake to the pan.
Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream until it holds medium peaks.
Using a whisk, gently beat the ganache until it’s soft and spreadable. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Spread over the cake, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or cover and keep for up to 2 days). The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.
To finish, put the cocoa powder in a fine-mesh strainer, and shake it over the top of the cake. Run a table knife along the sides of the pan. Using the parchment or foil handles, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Discard the strips. Cut the cake using a long knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut.
MAQUE CHOUX
This is from Gabrielle Hamilton at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Gabrielle wrote, "This classic Cajun side dish is a sweet, hot, juicy, milky, buttery combination of corn, onions and peppers. It’s often cooked in rendered bacon fat and enriched with heavy cream, but this version relies upon only butter and a little water in their place, which allow the ingredients’ flavors to sing more clearly. While it is commonly understood that Fat Equals Flavor, there is a point at which too much fat actually masks complexities in flavors and dulls their vibrancy. Try the maque choux this way and see if you notice how bold and lively it tastes. If you miss the smokiness that bacon imparts, try instead a pinch of smoked paprika stirred in at the end."
Yield: About 1 generous quart; Time: 20 minutes
This was featured in "This Cajun Corn Dish Screams ‘Summer’", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021176-maque-choux.
Note: I highly recommend reading the article ("featured in" link, above). I read it in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, June 21. Interesting reading.
Ingredients
3 fresh ears of corn, shucked
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 red onion, cut into small dice
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
Kosher salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 small poblano pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 small serrano chile, very thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika (optional)
Preparation
Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef’s knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the “milk” of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers’ sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn’t cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some “body” and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing — those buttery juices make a nice cook’s treat.
Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.
QUICK AND EASY GAME TIME NACHOS
This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Serve up these Quick and Easy Game Time Nachos while you and your family get your game on this fall. Stir Old El Paso™ Taco Seasoning Mix into your cheese to add some flavor and serve up over crispy corn tortilla chips with tomatoes and cilantro. Salty, crunchy, cheesy and spicy, all in one bite. These nachos are always a winner for your game day fun."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Makes 8 servings
You can view this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/quick-and-easy-game-time-nachos.
Ingredients
6 oz light prepared cheese product, cut into cubes (from 16 oz loaf)
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz)
3 tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Old El Paso™ 40% Less-Sodium taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)
3 oz baked bite-size tortilla chips (about 64 chips)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
In 1-quart saucepan, heat cheese product, Cheddar cheese, milk and taco seasoning mix over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.
Meanwhile, arrange chips on large serving platter. Pour warm cheese mixture over chips. Top with tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
For a fun presentation, vary the color of tortilla chips you use. Choose among red, green white, yellow and blue tortilla chips.
SPICY PUMPKIN AND COLLARDS
This is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
You can view this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/spicy-pumpkin-and-collards-recipe-2108870.
Ingredients
2 2-to-3-pound sugar pumpkins
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 pound frozen chopped collard greens, thawed
Kosher salt
1 cup evaporated milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice off the top 1 1/2 inches of the pumpkins and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, chile pepper, thyme and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions and collard greens, add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the greens are slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, the cheddar cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Put the pumpkins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and fill evenly with the collard greens mixture.
Toss the remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs with the parmesan. Sprinkle over the filling. Add 1 inch of boiling water to the baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pumpkins are tender, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until browned and bubbly on top, about 30 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then scrape the pumpkin flesh and serve with the collards.
VEGGIE CHILI CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
This comes from Taylerand20 at Allrecipes. Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Additional Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Servings: 10
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/270846/veggie-chili-cornbread-casserole/.
Ingredients
Chili:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
Cornbread:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
Garnish:
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Mix to combine and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Pour in broth and lime juice; stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring chili to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk milk and egg together in a large bowl until well combined.
Combine cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add jalapeno and stir to incorporate into the cornbread batter.
Remove Dutch oven from the stove. Pour batter over the chili in the Dutch oven. Use a spatula to cover chili completely and smooth the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Garnish cornbread casserole with sliced jalapeno and cilantro.
SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO
This is from Katherine Gillen, a contributor to PureWow. She wrote, "There are nights when we want to pull out all the stops on a fancy mac and cheese, and there are nights when we’ll do almost anything to not make dinner. Spaghetti aglio e olio is for those nights. Our version of the traditional Neapolitan pasta dish takes just 20 minutes to make (and calls for only five ingredients).
"A few tips come dinnertime: One, you’ll want to use a good quality olive oil, since it’s one of the stars of this recipe. And two, cook the oil-garlic mixture in a large, high-sided skillet (or better yet, a Dutch oven) so you’re free to toss vigorously when you add the noodles. It’ll make achieving a glossy sauce *that much* easier."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.purewow.com/recipes/spaghetti-aglio-e-olio.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 ounces long strand pasta (such as spaghetti, bucatini or linguine)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more as needed
Finely grated Parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley and flaky salt, to garnish (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes less than the package directions). Use a liquid measuring cup to reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is sizzling and golden, about 3 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer the pasta from the water directly into the olive oil and garlic mixture. Add about 1/2 of the reserved pasta water, and cook, tossing vigorously, until the sauce lightly coats the pasta. (You can add more pasta water as needed.)
Divide the pasta among four bowls, and garnish with more pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, parsley and flaky salt, if using.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Sides
Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I've come up with a Sides post. These offerings include Spiced Almonds, Sweet Potato Puree with Candied Pecans, and Mulled Apple-Cranberry Cider. Enjoy!
Note: Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I'll be taking the day off, but will be back on Friday with more food recipes to check out. Hopeo you have a good (and safe) Thanksgiving.
DIY CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL
This recipe was from an article on healing foods, titled Cranberries by Maria Lissandrello in the November/December 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and can be found online here. This one starts off, “One of the biggest complaints about bottled cranberry juice is the high sugar (and low cranberry) contest: a 1-cup serving contains more than 130 calories – beating out a sugary soft drink! For an easy homemade version that delivers a higher concentration of cranberry juice and a lot less sugar, follow these steps:
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. agave nectar
2-inch cinnamon stick
4 cups boiling water
Directions
Mix unsweetened cranberry juice with the agave nectar in a heatproof, 1-quart measuring cup.
Add the cinnamon stick to the mixture.
Stir in the boiling water. Cool, and enjoy.
SPICED ALMONDS
This is from page 48 of the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Tapas-style almonds are traditionally deep-fried in oil, but this recipe gets the same crunchy results from oven roasting.” This vegan, gluten-free recipe makes 2 cups.
Ingredients
4 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups blanched whole almonds
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Warm oil in small saucepan over low heat. Add paprika and cumin, and stir 1 minute to blend and release flavors. Remove from heat when mixture just begins to bubble. Transfer to medium bowl, and stir in almonds.
Transfrer almonds to parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Aprinkle immediately with salt, and transfer to wire rack. Let dry at least 2 hours before serving.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 233 cal; 8 g protein; 21 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 8 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 131 mg sodium; 4 g fiber; 2 g sugars
SPICY PUMPKIN PIE
Servings: 8
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/154.shtml
Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=154
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) pastry shell
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs; beaten
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 tsp Salt
3 tbsp liquid cal-free sweetener
1 pinch ground cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
Light vanilla ice cream
Directions
Prick pastry shell with a fork. Bake in 450F oven for 8 min.
Stir together pumpkin, egg, milk, sweetener, sugar and seasonings. Pour into partially baked pie shell.
Bake in 350F oven for 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool slightly and then refrigerate.
Cut into 8 wedges and serve each with 2 tbsp light vanilla ice cream.
Nutritional Information Per Serving; Calories: 173; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1-1/2 Fat, 1 Dairy, 1/2 Fruit
CRANBERRY TART WITH NUT CRUST
This is from The Kitchn, one of my favorite email newsletters. Serves 6. Makes one 9-inch tart.
To view online, click here.
Ingredients
For the pie:
4 cups (16 ounces) fresh (or defrosted) whole cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup golden syrup
Zest of 1/2 unwaxed lemon
For the crust:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup nut flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Directions
In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and golden syrup over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling. Add the cranberries and lemon zest and turn over several times to coat evenly with the sugar mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the dough: If using a food processor, combine the dry ingredients in the processor bowl and pulse to combine. Drop in the butter pieces and pulse several times until the consistency of oatmeal. If preparing by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter pieces and cut in with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of oatmeal.
Continue preparing the dough by adding the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto the counter and gather up and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a rough 9-inch circle. Carefully transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and then form a lip around the edge by turning the pan while gently pinching the lip between your left thumb on the outside and right thumb and forefinger on the inside. Chill the prepared pan for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
When ready to bake, remove the prepared pan from the refrigerator and prick the bottom a few times with the tines of a fork. Line the bottom of the tart shell with pie weights or a layer of parchment paper and uncooked beans. Bake for 10 minutes or until crust begins to show some drying and browning.
Remove the tart shell from the oven and pour the cool cranberry mixture into the shell, spreading it out from the middle so as not to drip on the lip of the crust. Drizzle any remaining sugar mixture from the pan throughout the shell, again avoiding the lip of the tart.
Bake for another 30 minutes, or until crust deepens in color and the filling is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully remove the outer ring, and serve while still warm, or at room temperature. Top with a scoop of ice cream, or a dollop of cream.
CHOCOLATE-CRUSTED PUMPKIN PIE
This comes from the October 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 71. It starts off, "Tweak the holiday pie tradition with a chocolate crust and pumpkin filling that's thickened with cornstarch, not eggs." Makes 1 9-inch pie (serves 8)
This recipe can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 stick Earth Balance margarine, cubed
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 1/2 cups Oven-Roasted Pumpkin Purée or 1 15-oz. can puréed pumpkin
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
6 Tbs. Earth Balance margarine, melted
Directions
To make Crust: Pulse flour, cocoa, and confectioners’ sugar in food processor until combined. Add margarine, and process until mixture resembles sand. With processor running, add vanilla and 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water, and process until smooth dough forms. Chill 2 hours.
Roll out dough to 11-inch circle on floured work surface. Press into 9-inch pie pan. Chill 30 minutes.
To make Filling: Drain pumpkin in mesh strainer over bowl 30 minutes.
Combine almond milk and lemon juice in bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in bowl. Whisk in almond milk mixture, then pumpkin and margarine.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place Crust on baking sheet, top with parchment paper, and fill with dried beans to weigh down. Reduce oven heat to 350˚F, and bake Crust 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans, and bake 5 minutes.
Pour Filling into Crust, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until Filling is bubbling in center. Cool completely before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 377; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 361 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 24 g; Vegan
SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH CANDIED PECANS
This comes from the November 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 52. It starts off, This recipe straddles the line between luscious side dish and low-key dessert. To bring the dish to a potluck, keep the candied pecans crunchy by packing them separately and sprinkling them on the dish just before serving.
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
1 1/2 cups raw pecan halves
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
2 Tbs. raw organic cane sugar
Sweet Potato Purée
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk, warmed
Directions
To make Candied Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet, and toast 4 minutes.
Transfer pecans to large bowl, and stir in maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir in sugar until pecans are thoroughly coated. Return to baking sheet, and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, or until pecans look dry. Cool. Transfer to food processor, and pulse several times, or until pecans resemble chunky crumble. Transfer to small bowl, and set aside.
To make Sweet Potato Purée: Preheat oven to 400°F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Toss together sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and coconut oil in large bowl. Transfer sweet potatoes to prepared baking sheet, and roast 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Purée sweet potatoes and coconut milk in food processor until creamy. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and spread in 2-qt. casserole. Sprinkle Candied Pecans over top.
nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 285; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 23 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 15 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
MULLED APPLE-CRANBERRY CIDER
This comes from Weight Watchers. Unfortunately, it was sent to me a number of years ago (try 2006) and while I tried to find the link for it on the WW site, I couldn’t locate it. If anyone reading this can shed light on this, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.
This begins, “This hot drink is perfect for chilly autumn nights. Curl up with a good book and indulge.”
Ingredients
3 cup apple cider
3 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp orange zest
3 average cinnamon stick
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes and then strain into mugs. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Note: Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I'll be taking the day off, but will be back on Friday with more food recipes to check out. Hopeo you have a good (and safe) Thanksgiving.
DIY CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL
This recipe was from an article on healing foods, titled Cranberries by Maria Lissandrello in the November/December 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and can be found online here. This one starts off, “One of the biggest complaints about bottled cranberry juice is the high sugar (and low cranberry) contest: a 1-cup serving contains more than 130 calories – beating out a sugary soft drink! For an easy homemade version that delivers a higher concentration of cranberry juice and a lot less sugar, follow these steps:
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. agave nectar
2-inch cinnamon stick
4 cups boiling water
Directions
Mix unsweetened cranberry juice with the agave nectar in a heatproof, 1-quart measuring cup.
Add the cinnamon stick to the mixture.
Stir in the boiling water. Cool, and enjoy.
SPICED ALMONDS
This is from page 48 of the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Tapas-style almonds are traditionally deep-fried in oil, but this recipe gets the same crunchy results from oven roasting.” This vegan, gluten-free recipe makes 2 cups.
Ingredients
4 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups blanched whole almonds
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Warm oil in small saucepan over low heat. Add paprika and cumin, and stir 1 minute to blend and release flavors. Remove from heat when mixture just begins to bubble. Transfer to medium bowl, and stir in almonds.
Transfrer almonds to parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Aprinkle immediately with salt, and transfer to wire rack. Let dry at least 2 hours before serving.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 233 cal; 8 g protein; 21 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 8 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 131 mg sodium; 4 g fiber; 2 g sugars
SPICY PUMPKIN PIE
Servings: 8
View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/154.shtml
Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=154
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) pastry shell
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs; beaten
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 tsp Salt
3 tbsp liquid cal-free sweetener
1 pinch ground cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
Light vanilla ice cream
Directions
Prick pastry shell with a fork. Bake in 450F oven for 8 min.
Stir together pumpkin, egg, milk, sweetener, sugar and seasonings. Pour into partially baked pie shell.
Bake in 350F oven for 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool slightly and then refrigerate.
Cut into 8 wedges and serve each with 2 tbsp light vanilla ice cream.
Nutritional Information Per Serving; Calories: 173; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1-1/2 Fat, 1 Dairy, 1/2 Fruit
CRANBERRY TART WITH NUT CRUST
This is from The Kitchn, one of my favorite email newsletters. Serves 6. Makes one 9-inch tart.
To view online, click here.
Ingredients
For the pie:
4 cups (16 ounces) fresh (or defrosted) whole cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup golden syrup
Zest of 1/2 unwaxed lemon
For the crust:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup nut flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Directions
In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and golden syrup over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling. Add the cranberries and lemon zest and turn over several times to coat evenly with the sugar mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the dough: If using a food processor, combine the dry ingredients in the processor bowl and pulse to combine. Drop in the butter pieces and pulse several times until the consistency of oatmeal. If preparing by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter pieces and cut in with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of oatmeal.
Continue preparing the dough by adding the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto the counter and gather up and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a rough 9-inch circle. Carefully transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and then form a lip around the edge by turning the pan while gently pinching the lip between your left thumb on the outside and right thumb and forefinger on the inside. Chill the prepared pan for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
When ready to bake, remove the prepared pan from the refrigerator and prick the bottom a few times with the tines of a fork. Line the bottom of the tart shell with pie weights or a layer of parchment paper and uncooked beans. Bake for 10 minutes or until crust begins to show some drying and browning.
Remove the tart shell from the oven and pour the cool cranberry mixture into the shell, spreading it out from the middle so as not to drip on the lip of the crust. Drizzle any remaining sugar mixture from the pan throughout the shell, again avoiding the lip of the tart.
Bake for another 30 minutes, or until crust deepens in color and the filling is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully remove the outer ring, and serve while still warm, or at room temperature. Top with a scoop of ice cream, or a dollop of cream.
CHOCOLATE-CRUSTED PUMPKIN PIE
This comes from the October 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 71. It starts off, "Tweak the holiday pie tradition with a chocolate crust and pumpkin filling that's thickened with cornstarch, not eggs." Makes 1 9-inch pie (serves 8)
This recipe can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 stick Earth Balance margarine, cubed
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 1/2 cups Oven-Roasted Pumpkin Purée or 1 15-oz. can puréed pumpkin
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
6 Tbs. Earth Balance margarine, melted
Directions
To make Crust: Pulse flour, cocoa, and confectioners’ sugar in food processor until combined. Add margarine, and process until mixture resembles sand. With processor running, add vanilla and 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water, and process until smooth dough forms. Chill 2 hours.
Roll out dough to 11-inch circle on floured work surface. Press into 9-inch pie pan. Chill 30 minutes.
To make Filling: Drain pumpkin in mesh strainer over bowl 30 minutes.
Combine almond milk and lemon juice in bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in bowl. Whisk in almond milk mixture, then pumpkin and margarine.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place Crust on baking sheet, top with parchment paper, and fill with dried beans to weigh down. Reduce oven heat to 350˚F, and bake Crust 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans, and bake 5 minutes.
Pour Filling into Crust, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until Filling is bubbling in center. Cool completely before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 377; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 361 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 24 g; Vegan
SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH CANDIED PECANS
This comes from the November 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 52. It starts off, This recipe straddles the line between luscious side dish and low-key dessert. To bring the dish to a potluck, keep the candied pecans crunchy by packing them separately and sprinkling them on the dish just before serving.
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
1 1/2 cups raw pecan halves
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
2 Tbs. raw organic cane sugar
Sweet Potato Purée
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk, warmed
Directions
To make Candied Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet, and toast 4 minutes.
Transfer pecans to large bowl, and stir in maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir in sugar until pecans are thoroughly coated. Return to baking sheet, and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, or until pecans look dry. Cool. Transfer to food processor, and pulse several times, or until pecans resemble chunky crumble. Transfer to small bowl, and set aside.
To make Sweet Potato Purée: Preheat oven to 400°F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Toss together sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and coconut oil in large bowl. Transfer sweet potatoes to prepared baking sheet, and roast 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Purée sweet potatoes and coconut milk in food processor until creamy. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and spread in 2-qt. casserole. Sprinkle Candied Pecans over top.
nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 285; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 23 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 15 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
MULLED APPLE-CRANBERRY CIDER
This comes from Weight Watchers. Unfortunately, it was sent to me a number of years ago (try 2006) and while I tried to find the link for it on the WW site, I couldn’t locate it. If anyone reading this can shed light on this, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.
This begins, “This hot drink is perfect for chilly autumn nights. Curl up with a good book and indulge.”
Ingredients
3 cup apple cider
3 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp orange zest
3 average cinnamon stick
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes and then strain into mugs. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Thanksgiving Recipes - Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Since Thanksgiving is this Thursday, today's double post are a few more Thanksgiving recipes to add to your holiday line-up. Of course, these can be enjoyed any time, including Fork-and-Knife Roasted Vegetables and Holiday Bread Cornucopia. Enjoy!
Note: Since Thanksgiving is Thursday, I'll be taking Thursday off. However, I will attempt to post a double-blog on Wednesday, then be back on Friday. Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful.
THANKSGIVING POT PIE
This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'" Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Note: The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of red wine. If you're like me and don't normally have wine (or any alcohol) around the house, no problem. I tend to use water in place of it. So don't let the red wine keep you from trying this recipe if you don't have it around; simply use water. Of course, someone's liable to think, "You can't do that!" Yes, I can, and so can you.
Ingredients
Filling
2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk
3 Tbs. red wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Filling:
Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.
Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.
To make Crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan
EASY CRANBERRY SAUCE
This comes from One Green Planet's newsletter. The recipe states, “My Easy Cranberry Sauce is not very sweet. It has a tangy tartness and makes a beautiful side dish for your holiday table.”
To view this and other cranberry recipes, click here.
Ingredients
12 oz. Bag of fresh or frozen cranberries, with 1/2 cup set aside
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 Tbs. Water or orange juice
Directions
Set aside 1/2 cup cranberries in a bowl. Put the rest of the cranberries into a saucepan. Add sugar, orange zest and water or orange juice and cook over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and cranberries soften, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until cranberries burst, about another 10 minutes. Reduce heat back to low and add in the cranberries you set aside. Add more sugar if you want, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool (you can refrigerate it if you like your cranberry sauce cold) before serving.
CARROT CORNBREAD
This comes from the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 65. The Chef is Isa Chandra Moskowitz of Modern Love in Omaha, Nebraska, and the recipe begins, “'This cornbread is the essence of autumn in Nebraska, with a warm orange hue that shines a little brighter at the Thanksgiving table than your average cornbread. It’s perfect for sopping up gravy and sauces,' says Moskowitz. Carrot purée keeps a simple cornbread recipe moist and gives it a gorgeous color." And what do I say about this recipe, which serves 12? Yum!
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/carrot-cornbread/
Ingredients
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup refined coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Steam carrots in steamer 15 minutes, or until very tender. Transfer to food processor, and purée until smooth. Cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Stir together almond milk and cider vinegar in measuring cup. Set aside to curdle.
Whisk 1 cup carrot purée with maple syrup in large bowl. Whisk in coconut oil, then almond milk mixture.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in separate bowl. Fold cornmeal mixture into carrot mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden and firm to touch. Cool. Cut into 12 squares, and serve.
nutritional information Per Per slice: Calories: 170; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 220 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 9 g; Vegan
HOLIDAY BREAD CORNUCOPIA
Both this and the Fork-and-Knife Roasted Vegetables can be found on page 54 of the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "This cornucopia is easy to make using poster board and foil, and the result looks like a centerpiece created by a professional baker. Fill it with hot roasted vegetables, or use it as a bread basket for your holiday feast. The cornucopia can be made a day ahead." Serves 12
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/holiday-bread-cornucopia/.
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
2 0.25-oz. pkg. dry yeast
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (2 lb.), plus more for flouring work surface
1 Tbs. plus 1 pinch salt, divided
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to coat bowl
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter, optional
Directions
Dissolve sugar in 2 cups warm water. Stir yeast into sugar-water mixture, and let stand 5 minutes.
Pulse flour and 1 Tbs. salt in bowl of food processor, or combine in stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add yeast mixture and oil, and process 1 minute, or beat with mixer 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough forms smooth, sticky ball that hits against sides of food processor or mixing bowl.
Rub large bowl with oil, place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour in warm place. Punch down dough, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and have small glass of water ready. Halve poster board so you have one 20- x 15-inch piece; shape poster board into cone, and tape to hold. Trim open edge of cone so it stands flat on baking sheet. (Trimmed cone should be 7 inches wide at mouth and 15 inches long.) Smoothly cover outside of cone with foil, turning edges in, as necessary. Fill cone with crumpled parchment paper or foil to keep cone from collapsing. Stand cone on prepared baking sheet, and coat foil with cooking spray.
Roll out one-third of dough to 20- x 6-inch rectangle. (Keep remaining dough in refrigerator so it won’t get too soft.) Cut dough into four 20- x 11/2-inch strips. Wrap 1 dough strip around wide base of cone on baking sheet, wetting ends, and pressing ends together to seal so you have a ring of dough. Wet end of second dough strip, press end onto first strip, and wrap around cone, overlapping first dough strip by one-third to one-half of strip width. Wet end, and press to hold in place. Continue wrapping third and fourth dough strips around cone, working your way up to narrow end. Repeat with remaining dough until cone is completely wrapped in overlapping strips of dough. When finished, braid three strips of dough, and wrap around base (wide end of cone). Lay cone on its side on prepared baking sheet, best-looking side up.
Beat egg with 1 Tbs. water and remaining pinch of salt in small bowl. Brush egg wash all over cornucopia.
Bake cornucopia 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove cornucopia from oven. Carefully remove crumpled parchment paper from inside of cone, then gently pull cone away from sides of cornucopia with tongs, and remove. Return cornucopia to oven, and bake 20 minutes more, or until inside of cornucopia is dry and beginning to brown. Brush hot cornucopia with melted butter, if using. Cool.
nutritional information Per Per serving: Calories: 338; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 53 g; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Sodium: 584 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: less than 1 g
FORK-AND-KNIFE ROASTED VEGETABLES
This recipe begins, "Winter squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts make a colorful roasted vegetable assortment that’s enhanced with a little sweetness and spice. (The food stylist used colorful cauliflower varieties and heirloom squash for even richer hues.) Spoon the vegetables into the Holiday Bread Cornucopia or pile on a platter, and serve with the Essence-of-Thanksgiving Gravy." Serves 8
Ingredients
2 small acorn squash, 1 small kabocha, or 1 red kuri squash (skin left on), cut into 3-inch wedges (3 lb.)
1 small head cauliflower, separated into large florets (1 lb.)
24 cremini or button mushrooms (12 oz.)
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved
2 small onions, cut into quarters, stem ends left intact
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. spicy seasoning mix, such as barbecue rub or Cajun seasoning
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
Toss together squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and onions with 1/4 cup oil. Spread on prepared baking sheets, and roast 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown. Flip vegetables with tongs, and roast 10 to 15 minutes more.
Stir together remaining 1/4 cup oil, honey, vinegar, and garlic.
Remove baking sheets from oven. Flip vegetables, and daub with honey mixture, sprinkle with seasoning mix, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Return vegetables to oven, and roast 5 minutes. Flip vegetables once more, daub with honey mixture, and sprinkle with seasoning mix. Roast 5 minutes more, or until glistening and browned.
nutritional information Per Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 229; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 100 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 6 g; Gluten-Free
ESSENCE-0F-THANKSGIVING GRAVY
This also comes from the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 56. It begins, "This savory sauce tastes like Thanksgiving because the long simmer time concentrates the classic fall flavors of onions, celery, mushrooms, and fragrant herbs. The gravy is thinner than most so that it can easily be drizzled over the Fork-and-Knife Roasted Vegetables." Makes 3 cups.
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/essence-of-thanksgiving-gravy/.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 large onions, quartered and sliced (4 cups)
1/2 bunch celery, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine, optional
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs marjoram
2 sprigs rosemary
Directions
Heat butter and oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and mushrooms, and season with salt, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Uncover, add garlic, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft and most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until flour begins to brown. Stir in wine (if using), and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 cups water, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Strain gravy through fine-mesh sieve. Rewarm, if necessary.
nutritional information Per Per 1/4 cup: Calories: 53; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 16 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 1 g
Note: Since Thanksgiving is Thursday, I'll be taking Thursday off. However, I will attempt to post a double-blog on Wednesday, then be back on Friday. Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful.
THANKSGIVING POT PIE
This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'" Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Note: The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of red wine. If you're like me and don't normally have wine (or any alcohol) around the house, no problem. I tend to use water in place of it. So don't let the red wine keep you from trying this recipe if you don't have it around; simply use water. Of course, someone's liable to think, "You can't do that!" Yes, I can, and so can you.
Ingredients
Filling
2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk
3 Tbs. red wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Filling:
Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.
Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.
To make Crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan
EASY CRANBERRY SAUCE
This comes from One Green Planet's newsletter. The recipe states, “My Easy Cranberry Sauce is not very sweet. It has a tangy tartness and makes a beautiful side dish for your holiday table.”
To view this and other cranberry recipes, click here.
Ingredients
12 oz. Bag of fresh or frozen cranberries, with 1/2 cup set aside
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 Tbs. Water or orange juice
Directions
Set aside 1/2 cup cranberries in a bowl. Put the rest of the cranberries into a saucepan. Add sugar, orange zest and water or orange juice and cook over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and cranberries soften, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until cranberries burst, about another 10 minutes. Reduce heat back to low and add in the cranberries you set aside. Add more sugar if you want, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool (you can refrigerate it if you like your cranberry sauce cold) before serving.
CARROT CORNBREAD
This comes from the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 65. The Chef is Isa Chandra Moskowitz of Modern Love in Omaha, Nebraska, and the recipe begins, “'This cornbread is the essence of autumn in Nebraska, with a warm orange hue that shines a little brighter at the Thanksgiving table than your average cornbread. It’s perfect for sopping up gravy and sauces,' says Moskowitz. Carrot purée keeps a simple cornbread recipe moist and gives it a gorgeous color." And what do I say about this recipe, which serves 12? Yum!
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/carrot-cornbread/
Ingredients
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup refined coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Steam carrots in steamer 15 minutes, or until very tender. Transfer to food processor, and purée until smooth. Cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Stir together almond milk and cider vinegar in measuring cup. Set aside to curdle.
Whisk 1 cup carrot purée with maple syrup in large bowl. Whisk in coconut oil, then almond milk mixture.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in separate bowl. Fold cornmeal mixture into carrot mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden and firm to touch. Cool. Cut into 12 squares, and serve.
nutritional information Per Per slice: Calories: 170; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 220 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 9 g; Vegan
HOLIDAY BREAD CORNUCOPIA
Both this and the Fork-and-Knife Roasted Vegetables can be found on page 54 of the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "This cornucopia is easy to make using poster board and foil, and the result looks like a centerpiece created by a professional baker. Fill it with hot roasted vegetables, or use it as a bread basket for your holiday feast. The cornucopia can be made a day ahead." Serves 12
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/holiday-bread-cornucopia/.
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
2 0.25-oz. pkg. dry yeast
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (2 lb.), plus more for flouring work surface
1 Tbs. plus 1 pinch salt, divided
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to coat bowl
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter, optional
Directions
Dissolve sugar in 2 cups warm water. Stir yeast into sugar-water mixture, and let stand 5 minutes.
Pulse flour and 1 Tbs. salt in bowl of food processor, or combine in stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add yeast mixture and oil, and process 1 minute, or beat with mixer 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough forms smooth, sticky ball that hits against sides of food processor or mixing bowl.
Rub large bowl with oil, place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour in warm place. Punch down dough, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and have small glass of water ready. Halve poster board so you have one 20- x 15-inch piece; shape poster board into cone, and tape to hold. Trim open edge of cone so it stands flat on baking sheet. (Trimmed cone should be 7 inches wide at mouth and 15 inches long.) Smoothly cover outside of cone with foil, turning edges in, as necessary. Fill cone with crumpled parchment paper or foil to keep cone from collapsing. Stand cone on prepared baking sheet, and coat foil with cooking spray.
Roll out one-third of dough to 20- x 6-inch rectangle. (Keep remaining dough in refrigerator so it won’t get too soft.) Cut dough into four 20- x 11/2-inch strips. Wrap 1 dough strip around wide base of cone on baking sheet, wetting ends, and pressing ends together to seal so you have a ring of dough. Wet end of second dough strip, press end onto first strip, and wrap around cone, overlapping first dough strip by one-third to one-half of strip width. Wet end, and press to hold in place. Continue wrapping third and fourth dough strips around cone, working your way up to narrow end. Repeat with remaining dough until cone is completely wrapped in overlapping strips of dough. When finished, braid three strips of dough, and wrap around base (wide end of cone). Lay cone on its side on prepared baking sheet, best-looking side up.
Beat egg with 1 Tbs. water and remaining pinch of salt in small bowl. Brush egg wash all over cornucopia.
Bake cornucopia 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove cornucopia from oven. Carefully remove crumpled parchment paper from inside of cone, then gently pull cone away from sides of cornucopia with tongs, and remove. Return cornucopia to oven, and bake 20 minutes more, or until inside of cornucopia is dry and beginning to brown. Brush hot cornucopia with melted butter, if using. Cool.
nutritional information Per Per serving: Calories: 338; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 53 g; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Sodium: 584 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: less than 1 g
FORK-AND-KNIFE ROASTED VEGETABLES
This recipe begins, "Winter squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts make a colorful roasted vegetable assortment that’s enhanced with a little sweetness and spice. (The food stylist used colorful cauliflower varieties and heirloom squash for even richer hues.) Spoon the vegetables into the Holiday Bread Cornucopia or pile on a platter, and serve with the Essence-of-Thanksgiving Gravy." Serves 8
Ingredients
2 small acorn squash, 1 small kabocha, or 1 red kuri squash (skin left on), cut into 3-inch wedges (3 lb.)
1 small head cauliflower, separated into large florets (1 lb.)
24 cremini or button mushrooms (12 oz.)
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved
2 small onions, cut into quarters, stem ends left intact
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. spicy seasoning mix, such as barbecue rub or Cajun seasoning
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
Toss together squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and onions with 1/4 cup oil. Spread on prepared baking sheets, and roast 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown. Flip vegetables with tongs, and roast 10 to 15 minutes more.
Stir together remaining 1/4 cup oil, honey, vinegar, and garlic.
Remove baking sheets from oven. Flip vegetables, and daub with honey mixture, sprinkle with seasoning mix, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Return vegetables to oven, and roast 5 minutes. Flip vegetables once more, daub with honey mixture, and sprinkle with seasoning mix. Roast 5 minutes more, or until glistening and browned.
nutritional information Per Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 229; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 100 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 6 g; Gluten-Free
ESSENCE-0F-THANKSGIVING GRAVY
This also comes from the November 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 56. It begins, "This savory sauce tastes like Thanksgiving because the long simmer time concentrates the classic fall flavors of onions, celery, mushrooms, and fragrant herbs. The gravy is thinner than most so that it can easily be drizzled over the Fork-and-Knife Roasted Vegetables." Makes 3 cups.
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/essence-of-thanksgiving-gravy/.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 large onions, quartered and sliced (4 cups)
1/2 bunch celery, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine, optional
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs marjoram
2 sprigs rosemary
Directions
Heat butter and oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and mushrooms, and season with salt, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Uncover, add garlic, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft and most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until flour begins to brown. Stir in wine (if using), and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 cups water, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Strain gravy through fine-mesh sieve. Rewarm, if necessary.
nutritional information Per Per 1/4 cup: Calories: 53; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 16 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 1 g
Taco Tuesday
It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Yay!
For anyone who doubts that tacos can be meatless, today's offerings should help dispel those doubts. Check out the Chili-Lime Mushroom Tacos, the Stand 'N Stuff™ Breakfast Tacos, or any of the other tacos in today's post. Enjoy!
BREAKFAST BURRITOS [VEGAN]
This is from Robin Browne on One Green Planet, and begins, "If you're looking for a hearty, protein-packed, and filling dish, you gotta try these vegan breakfast burritos. Use your favorite gluten-free tortillas and load them up with roasted garlicky potatoes, cheezy tofu, avocado lime crema, and your go-to salsa! These vegan burritos are bound to bring a smile to anyone's face."
One Green Planet is a great website that is earth-friendly, animal-friendly, and (yes) people-friendly. I highly recommend the site. Give it a look…
For this recipe, Cooking Time is 40 minutes; Serves 4
To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/breakfast-burritos-vegan/.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Potatoes:
4 cups cubed potatoes (roughly 1" cubes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the Tofu Scramble:
7 ounces extra firm tofu
2 teaspoons oil of choice
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon juiced
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of green onion
For the Avocado Lime Creme:
1 ripe avocado
1 lime, juiced (1 1/2 Tbsp juice)
1 garlic clove
Other
4 large tortilla wraps
salsa of choice
Prepartion
Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut 2-3 medium potatoes (I used Russet) into small cubes and then toss them in the oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
While the potatoes are baking start on the tofu. I suggest pressing the tofu for a few minutes to remove the excess water. Wrap the tofu in a towel and place a heavy object on it for a few minutes. Then heat a pan over medium heat and add the oil to it.
Crumble the tofu in the pan, and further break it down using a spatula. Add in the garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Mix. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Toss in the green onion and set aside.
Prepare the avocado lime creme by adding the avocado, lime juice and garlic to a food processor, process until smooth. Set aside.
Begin to assemble the breakfast wraps once the potatoes are done.
It's best to heat each tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them so that rolling the tortillas is easier and they are less likely to crack.
Add potatoes, tofu, avocado-lime creme and salsa to each wrap. You should easily have enough for 4 wraps and some potatoes left behind (but these are perfect on the side).
All these ingredients can be stored in containers in the fridge for leftovers. I suggest reheating before eating.
MUSHROOM CHICHARRON TACOS
This some from Jocelyn Ramirez in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Jocelyn wrote, "This simple recipe calls for pan-searing meaty oyster mushrooms so they become as perfectly crispy and golden as chicharrón. Paired with fresh pico de gallo, these mushrooms feel satisfying with their natural umami savoriness. This quick dish tastes like juicy carniceria tacos that balance the richness of fried meat with the acidic punch of salsa."
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 40 minutes
This can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022424-mushroom-chicharron-tacos.
Ingredients
For the Pico de Gallo:
1 large beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped (seeded if desired)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
Coarse kosher salt
For the Mushroom Tacos:
18 ounces oyster mushrooms (from 2 to 3 medium clusters)
1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Black pepper
12 corn tortillas
Preparatioin
Make the pico de gallo: Combine the tomato, avocado, jalapeños, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl and season with salt. Gently fold together. Set aside to allow flavors to marry while the mushrooms cook.
Make the tacos: Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-size pieces, leaving some mushroom tops whole. To make sure the mushrooms become crisp, cook in two batches: Heat a large cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high and coat with half of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add half of the mushrooms in a single layer without crowding the skillet. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate, then repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. Return the first batch to the skillet, and add the cumin and salt, and season with pepper. Stir well, then remove from the heat.
While the mushrooms are cooking, warm the tortillas on a comal or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until soft and pliable. Wrap them in a dish towel to keep them warm until ready to serve. Divide the mushrooms and pico de gallo among the warm tortillas. Serve immediately.
CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS
This is from Martha Rose Shulman on The New York Times cooking site. Martha wrote, "These sweet and spicy tacos can be filled with chard of any color, or other greens like beet greens or amaranth. I used Swiss chard for these tacos, but other greens like beet greens or amaranth will work. I don’t recommend strong-tasting cruciferous greens like kale, though. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow, and do include the stalks if they’re nice and wide. Don’t skimp on the garlic. As for the salsa, you can choose between fresh or cooked tomato salsa, or use a salsa verde made with tomatillos. They all work well. A quarter cup of filling is plenty for each taco."
Yield: 8 tacos, serving 4; Time: 15 to 20 minutes
This was featured in "Vegetarian Taco Night", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016744-chard-and-sweet-corn-tacos.
Ingredients
1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
Salt to taste
1 medium white, red or yellow onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn
Freshly ground pepper
8 warm corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (but not too salty a feta)
Salsa of your choice
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem chard and wash leaves in 2 rinses of water. Rinse stalks and dice them if they are wide and not stringy.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add chard leaves. Blanch for a minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Take chard up by the handful and squeeze out excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, diced chard stalks and corn kernels. Continue to cook, stirring often, until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until ingredients are combined nicely and chard is tender but still bright. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Heat tortillas. Top with vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of salsa.
Tip
Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet.
CALIFORNIA TACOS
This is from WhirledPeas on AllRecipes. It begins, "These tacos are full of fresh vegetables and lime. They're quick and easy to make and they manage to be both healthy and very budget-friendly!"
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235121/california-tacos/.
Ingredients
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 dash green pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste (Optional)
Directions
Mix tomatoes, avocados, onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, and garlic together in a bowl. Drizzle lime juice over tomato mixture; toss to coat.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Arrange tortillas, 2 at a time, in hot oil; cook until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove tortillas using tongs and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Spoon 2 tablespoons black beans and 2 tablespoons cooked rice onto each crisp tortilla; top with tomato mixture. Garnish tacos using remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and green pepper sauce.
STAND 'N STUFF BREAKFAST TACOS
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Tacos for breakfast? Absolutely! The Old El Paso® Stand 'n Stuff soft taco shells make the perfect vessel to hold your breakfast favorites."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/stand-n-stuff-breakfast-tacos.
Ingredients
6 eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
6 Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/3 cup Old El Paso™ Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
Preparation
In large bowl, beat eggs with whisk. Add half-and-half and salt; beat well. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook about 7 minutes, scraping cooked eggs up from bottom of skillet occasionally, until mixture is firm but still moist. Gently fold in beans and green onions, stirring to combine.
Heat tortillas as directed on package. Divide egg mixture evenly among tortillas. Top with Toppings. If desired, garnish with dark green tops of green onions.
Expert Tips
Complete this fabulous meal with a delicious fresh fruit salad.
CHILI-LIME MUSHROOM TACOS
My mother loved mushrooms, so I’m sure she would have loved this, as well as the Mushroom Chicharrón Tacos.
This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Greg Fontenot (The Woodlands, Texas), "I used to make this dish with beef, but substituting with portobella mushrooms turned it into my family's vegetarian favorite. It's quick, nutritious, low fat and tasty."
Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes: 4 servings
View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-mushroom-tacos/.
Ingredients
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
8 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Remove stems from mushrooms; if desired, remove gills using a spoon. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-in. slices.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, red pepper and onion until mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, seasonings, lime zest and juice; cook and stir 1 minute. Serve in tortillas; top with cheese.
Health Tip: Making these tacos with lean ground beef adds almost 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a good reason for a meatless taco Tuesday!
For anyone who doubts that tacos can be meatless, today's offerings should help dispel those doubts. Check out the Chili-Lime Mushroom Tacos, the Stand 'N Stuff™ Breakfast Tacos, or any of the other tacos in today's post. Enjoy!
BREAKFAST BURRITOS [VEGAN]
This is from Robin Browne on One Green Planet, and begins, "If you're looking for a hearty, protein-packed, and filling dish, you gotta try these vegan breakfast burritos. Use your favorite gluten-free tortillas and load them up with roasted garlicky potatoes, cheezy tofu, avocado lime crema, and your go-to salsa! These vegan burritos are bound to bring a smile to anyone's face."
One Green Planet is a great website that is earth-friendly, animal-friendly, and (yes) people-friendly. I highly recommend the site. Give it a look…
For this recipe, Cooking Time is 40 minutes; Serves 4
To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/breakfast-burritos-vegan/.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Potatoes:
4 cups cubed potatoes (roughly 1" cubes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the Tofu Scramble:
7 ounces extra firm tofu
2 teaspoons oil of choice
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon juiced
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of green onion
For the Avocado Lime Creme:
1 ripe avocado
1 lime, juiced (1 1/2 Tbsp juice)
1 garlic clove
Other
4 large tortilla wraps
salsa of choice
Prepartion
Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut 2-3 medium potatoes (I used Russet) into small cubes and then toss them in the oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
While the potatoes are baking start on the tofu. I suggest pressing the tofu for a few minutes to remove the excess water. Wrap the tofu in a towel and place a heavy object on it for a few minutes. Then heat a pan over medium heat and add the oil to it.
Crumble the tofu in the pan, and further break it down using a spatula. Add in the garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Mix. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Toss in the green onion and set aside.
Prepare the avocado lime creme by adding the avocado, lime juice and garlic to a food processor, process until smooth. Set aside.
Begin to assemble the breakfast wraps once the potatoes are done.
It's best to heat each tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them so that rolling the tortillas is easier and they are less likely to crack.
Add potatoes, tofu, avocado-lime creme and salsa to each wrap. You should easily have enough for 4 wraps and some potatoes left behind (but these are perfect on the side).
All these ingredients can be stored in containers in the fridge for leftovers. I suggest reheating before eating.
MUSHROOM CHICHARRON TACOS
This some from Jocelyn Ramirez in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Jocelyn wrote, "This simple recipe calls for pan-searing meaty oyster mushrooms so they become as perfectly crispy and golden as chicharrón. Paired with fresh pico de gallo, these mushrooms feel satisfying with their natural umami savoriness. This quick dish tastes like juicy carniceria tacos that balance the richness of fried meat with the acidic punch of salsa."
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 40 minutes
This can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022424-mushroom-chicharron-tacos.
Ingredients
For the Pico de Gallo:
1 large beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped (seeded if desired)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
Coarse kosher salt
For the Mushroom Tacos:
18 ounces oyster mushrooms (from 2 to 3 medium clusters)
1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Black pepper
12 corn tortillas
Preparatioin
Make the pico de gallo: Combine the tomato, avocado, jalapeños, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl and season with salt. Gently fold together. Set aside to allow flavors to marry while the mushrooms cook.
Make the tacos: Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-size pieces, leaving some mushroom tops whole. To make sure the mushrooms become crisp, cook in two batches: Heat a large cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high and coat with half of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add half of the mushrooms in a single layer without crowding the skillet. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate, then repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. Return the first batch to the skillet, and add the cumin and salt, and season with pepper. Stir well, then remove from the heat.
While the mushrooms are cooking, warm the tortillas on a comal or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until soft and pliable. Wrap them in a dish towel to keep them warm until ready to serve. Divide the mushrooms and pico de gallo among the warm tortillas. Serve immediately.
CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS
This is from Martha Rose Shulman on The New York Times cooking site. Martha wrote, "These sweet and spicy tacos can be filled with chard of any color, or other greens like beet greens or amaranth. I used Swiss chard for these tacos, but other greens like beet greens or amaranth will work. I don’t recommend strong-tasting cruciferous greens like kale, though. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow, and do include the stalks if they’re nice and wide. Don’t skimp on the garlic. As for the salsa, you can choose between fresh or cooked tomato salsa, or use a salsa verde made with tomatillos. They all work well. A quarter cup of filling is plenty for each taco."
Yield: 8 tacos, serving 4; Time: 15 to 20 minutes
This was featured in "Vegetarian Taco Night", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016744-chard-and-sweet-corn-tacos.
Ingredients
1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
Salt to taste
1 medium white, red or yellow onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn
Freshly ground pepper
8 warm corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (but not too salty a feta)
Salsa of your choice
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem chard and wash leaves in 2 rinses of water. Rinse stalks and dice them if they are wide and not stringy.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add chard leaves. Blanch for a minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Take chard up by the handful and squeeze out excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, diced chard stalks and corn kernels. Continue to cook, stirring often, until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until ingredients are combined nicely and chard is tender but still bright. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Heat tortillas. Top with vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of salsa.
Tip
Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet.
CALIFORNIA TACOS
This is from WhirledPeas on AllRecipes. It begins, "These tacos are full of fresh vegetables and lime. They're quick and easy to make and they manage to be both healthy and very budget-friendly!"
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235121/california-tacos/.
Ingredients
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 dash green pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste (Optional)
Directions
Mix tomatoes, avocados, onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, and garlic together in a bowl. Drizzle lime juice over tomato mixture; toss to coat.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Arrange tortillas, 2 at a time, in hot oil; cook until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove tortillas using tongs and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Spoon 2 tablespoons black beans and 2 tablespoons cooked rice onto each crisp tortilla; top with tomato mixture. Garnish tacos using remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and green pepper sauce.
STAND 'N STUFF BREAKFAST TACOS
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Tacos for breakfast? Absolutely! The Old El Paso® Stand 'n Stuff soft taco shells make the perfect vessel to hold your breakfast favorites."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/stand-n-stuff-breakfast-tacos.
Ingredients
6 eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
6 Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/3 cup Old El Paso™ Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
Preparation
In large bowl, beat eggs with whisk. Add half-and-half and salt; beat well. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook about 7 minutes, scraping cooked eggs up from bottom of skillet occasionally, until mixture is firm but still moist. Gently fold in beans and green onions, stirring to combine.
Heat tortillas as directed on package. Divide egg mixture evenly among tortillas. Top with Toppings. If desired, garnish with dark green tops of green onions.
Expert Tips
Complete this fabulous meal with a delicious fresh fruit salad.
CHILI-LIME MUSHROOM TACOS
My mother loved mushrooms, so I’m sure she would have loved this, as well as the Mushroom Chicharrón Tacos.
This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Greg Fontenot (The Woodlands, Texas), "I used to make this dish with beef, but substituting with portobella mushrooms turned it into my family's vegetarian favorite. It's quick, nutritious, low fat and tasty."
Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes: 4 servings
View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-mushroom-tacos/.
Ingredients
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
8 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Remove stems from mushrooms; if desired, remove gills using a spoon. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-in. slices.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, red pepper and onion until mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, seasonings, lime zest and juice; cook and stir 1 minute. Serve in tortillas; top with cheese.
Health Tip: Making these tacos with lean ground beef adds almost 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a good reason for a meatless taco Tuesday!
Monday, November 22, 2021
Thanksgiving Recipes
Happy Monday! Hope your weekend was good.
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I'll be posting food over the next few days that can be used for your Thanksgiving meal - including tacos tomorrow for Taco Tuesday stuff that, while you can eat at any time, can also be used as extras on your Thanksgiving table.
So, without any more chit-chat, here are today's six recipes to help you through the day while getting ready for Thursday, including Ginger Pumpkin Pie and Roasted Green Bean Bundles. Enjoy!
Note: I'll be taking Thursday off to spend time with family, but will be back on Friday. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving is wonderful and peaceful.
CLASSIC MASHED POTATOES
This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Mashed potatoes are very forgiving, and with a good masher, hot potatoes and enough butter and salt, cooks can accommodate religionists of the fluffy style and partisans of the creamy and dense. Be openhanded with salt and butter but stingy with milk, which will flatten out the bright, earthy potato taste. (And for everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: about 45 minutes.
This was featured in “The Secret? It’s Not the Potatoes” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Salt
2 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 6 large potatoes), preferably a combination of russet (baking) potatoes and large Yukon Golds, or all Yukon Golds
4 tablespoons butter, more for dotting
1/3 cup whole milk
Preparation
In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Peel and quarter potatoes and keep in cold water until ready to cook. (This can be done up to 4 hours in advance.) Add potatoes to boiling water and boil about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance. (It is better to overcook than to undercook.)
In a saucepan or a microwave oven, heat butter and milk together until butter melts and mixture steams. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using an extruding masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Lightly mix in about half of hot butter mixture, just until blended. Taste for salt and add more butter mixture until seasoned to your liking.
Stop here for fluffy potatoes. For creamy potatoes, keep stirring potato mixture, using a sturdy spoon to press it against sides and bottom of pot. Mix until dense and thick. For whipped potatoes, use a stand mixer to mash hot potatoes just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add all the butter mixture and salt to taste, pulsing machine in short bursts at medium speed. When light and creamy, stop mixing immediately. (Potatoes can quickly become sticky.)
To keep hot until ready to serve, transfer to serving bowl, dot top with butter, cover tightly and keep in a warm place, like the back of the stove. Potatoes will stay hot for at least 30 minutes. To keep longer, place covered bowl in a pan holding about an inch of gently simmering water. Before serving, mix well.
Tip:
This recipe can be doubled, tripled and more.
BLOTKAKE (NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE)
This also comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Blotkake, layered spongecake covered with drifts of whipped cream and fruit, is a dessert that Norwegians are passionate and possessive about. It is a traditional sweet finish for any festive meal, whether a long, dark winter lunch or a long, sunlit summer dinner. ‘Scandinavians really value lingering and feasting at the table,’ said Maren Waxenberg, a Norwegian-American cook who lives in New York City and serves this cake at Thanksgiving.
“Cloudberries are a protected crop in Norway and are rarely available fresh in the United States, but raspberries are a good substitute.”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The American Thanksgiving” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Filling and Frosting:
3 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons cloudberry, raspberry or blackberry preserves
1/3 cup cloudberry or raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord), or berry juice of your choice
12 ounces fresh raspberries or blackberries, for decorating (optional)
Preparation
Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer) until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Sift cake flour and baking powder into a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture in 2 additions.
Pour batter into pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Make the frosting and filling: Beat whipping cream, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to a separate bowl and stir in preserves.
Use a serrated knife to slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Arrange top layer of the cake cut-side-up on a platter. Poke a few holes in the cake layer with a toothpick, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the liqueur or juice.
Spread half the whipped cream and preserves mixture over the cake layer, then arrange middle layer on top. Poke holes in the middle layer with a toothpick and sprinkle with another 1/3 of the liqueur or juice. Top with remaining whipped cream and preserves mixture.
Arrange the bottom cake layer on top of the stack, cut-side-down. Poke more holes and sprinkle with remaining liqueur or juice. Frost top and sides of cake with the whipped cream, using a pastry bag to pipe on stars or other designs, if you'd like. Decorate with fresh berries.
GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
Kathy Kingsley, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. For this, she wrote, “Flavored with fresh ginger and honey, this pumpkin pie is sure to become one of your go-to holiday recipes.” Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 85 minutes; Yield: Serves 8
Note: When Kathy posted this, it was before about.com split into the .dash channels. Unfortunately, it was one of the recipes that didn't transfer over. But it's yummy enough that I wanted to post it, along with giving a nod to Kathy Kingsley for coming up with this yumminess.
Ingredients
Pastry
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
Pumpkin Filling
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Honey Whipped Cream
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream, chilled
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Make the pastry dough: Combine the flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, and butter in a food processor and pulse on/off until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube, and process just until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.
Press the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disc, about 1-inch thick.
On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Turn the edges under, and crimp or flute the crust. Set the pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Brush about teaspoon of the egg around the edge of the crust.
Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, sugar, ginger, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the eggs, and mix until well blended. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the edges become too dark during baking, carefully cover them with foil strips (see Recipe Notes). Set the pie on a wire rack to cool. If not serving right away, cover and chill.
When ready to serve, make the honey whipped cream. Put the cream into a medium bowl. Add the honey and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Serve the pie topped with the whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
• To make a foil collar to prevent edges of pie from browning too much, fold a 12-inch-long piece of foil into a strip with 3-inch-high sides. Stand the strip on the oven rack around the pie dish. Secure the overhang with a paper clip. The collar doesn't have to touch or cover the crust to protect it.
SKILLET PUMPKIN CORNBREAD
This comes from Judy Kim on Delish. Judy wrote, “”Pumpkin bread goes the savory route.” Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 6 servings.
Note: According to the footnote with the recipe, “Judy Kim is a NYC-based food stylist, recipe developer, and photographer. She also writes recipes for her website The Judy Lab.” If you’ve never been to her sit, I highly recommend doing so. Very nice site!
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 c. pumpkin purée
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Grease 10" cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon butter, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, brown sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour in cornmeal mixture and whisk together. Transfer to skillet and bake 25 to 30 minutes. (Test doneness by pricking center with a toothpick—it should come out clean.) Immediately spread remaining tablespoon butter all over.
Cool for 5 minutes and serve immediately.
GARLICKY GREEN BEANS WITH CRISPY ONIONS
This also comes from Judy Kim on Delish. Judy wrote, “Crispier and quicker than mushy casserole.” Total Time: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 6 servings
Note: Judy had 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Since this is a vegetarian blog – I am, after all, a vegetarian (99.9% of the time, anyway), I changed the chicken broth to vegetable broth. Judy, if you're reading this, I hope you're not offended.
Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
1 large onion, thinly sliced using a mandoline
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
kosher salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. Grated Cheddar
Directions
Heat a large pot with 2" oil over medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl separate onions into rings and toss with flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shake onions and discard excess flour. When oil is hot but not smoking, add handful of onions; fry until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with additional batches.
Meanwhile in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat melt butter with garlic. Add green beans and chicken broth; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir and cover with lid to steam; cooked until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle cheese all over and cover with lid until melted.
Top with crispy onions and serve immediately.
ROASTED GREEN BEAN BUNDLES
This recipe comes from the November 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 58. It starts off, “These individual bundles of seasoned, roasted green beans will impress guests and make serving a cinch.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.
This can be viewed online here.
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Tbs. garlic-flavored olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
Lemon slices, for garnish, optional
Hawaiian salt, black salt, or fleur de sel, for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and red onion, and blanch 3 minutes. Drain, then pat vegetables dry with paper towels.
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add beans and onion slices; toss to coat.
Group beans and onion slices into 8 bundles (about 10 to 15 beans each), and tie each bundle with 8-inch piece of kitchen twine. Place bundles tie side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until bean ends begin to brown. Flip bundles with spatula so tie side is up, and bake 7 to 10 minutes more, or until all bean tips are brown. Transfer bundles to serving plate, and garnish with lemon slices and Hawaiian salt, if using.
nutritional information Per Bundle: Calories: 35; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 80 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I'll be posting food over the next few days that can be used for your Thanksgiving meal - including tacos tomorrow for Taco Tuesday stuff that, while you can eat at any time, can also be used as extras on your Thanksgiving table.
So, without any more chit-chat, here are today's six recipes to help you through the day while getting ready for Thursday, including Ginger Pumpkin Pie and Roasted Green Bean Bundles. Enjoy!
Note: I'll be taking Thursday off to spend time with family, but will be back on Friday. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving is wonderful and peaceful.
CLASSIC MASHED POTATOES
This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Mashed potatoes are very forgiving, and with a good masher, hot potatoes and enough butter and salt, cooks can accommodate religionists of the fluffy style and partisans of the creamy and dense. Be openhanded with salt and butter but stingy with milk, which will flatten out the bright, earthy potato taste. (And for everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: about 45 minutes.
This was featured in “The Secret? It’s Not the Potatoes” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Salt
2 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 6 large potatoes), preferably a combination of russet (baking) potatoes and large Yukon Golds, or all Yukon Golds
4 tablespoons butter, more for dotting
1/3 cup whole milk
Preparation
In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Peel and quarter potatoes and keep in cold water until ready to cook. (This can be done up to 4 hours in advance.) Add potatoes to boiling water and boil about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance. (It is better to overcook than to undercook.)
In a saucepan or a microwave oven, heat butter and milk together until butter melts and mixture steams. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using an extruding masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Lightly mix in about half of hot butter mixture, just until blended. Taste for salt and add more butter mixture until seasoned to your liking.
Stop here for fluffy potatoes. For creamy potatoes, keep stirring potato mixture, using a sturdy spoon to press it against sides and bottom of pot. Mix until dense and thick. For whipped potatoes, use a stand mixer to mash hot potatoes just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add all the butter mixture and salt to taste, pulsing machine in short bursts at medium speed. When light and creamy, stop mixing immediately. (Potatoes can quickly become sticky.)
To keep hot until ready to serve, transfer to serving bowl, dot top with butter, cover tightly and keep in a warm place, like the back of the stove. Potatoes will stay hot for at least 30 minutes. To keep longer, place covered bowl in a pan holding about an inch of gently simmering water. Before serving, mix well.
Tip:
This recipe can be doubled, tripled and more.
BLOTKAKE (NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE)
This also comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Blotkake, layered spongecake covered with drifts of whipped cream and fruit, is a dessert that Norwegians are passionate and possessive about. It is a traditional sweet finish for any festive meal, whether a long, dark winter lunch or a long, sunlit summer dinner. ‘Scandinavians really value lingering and feasting at the table,’ said Maren Waxenberg, a Norwegian-American cook who lives in New York City and serves this cake at Thanksgiving.
“Cloudberries are a protected crop in Norway and are rarely available fresh in the United States, but raspberries are a good substitute.”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The American Thanksgiving” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Filling and Frosting:
3 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons cloudberry, raspberry or blackberry preserves
1/3 cup cloudberry or raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord), or berry juice of your choice
12 ounces fresh raspberries or blackberries, for decorating (optional)
Preparation
Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer) until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Sift cake flour and baking powder into a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture in 2 additions.
Pour batter into pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Make the frosting and filling: Beat whipping cream, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to a separate bowl and stir in preserves.
Use a serrated knife to slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Arrange top layer of the cake cut-side-up on a platter. Poke a few holes in the cake layer with a toothpick, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the liqueur or juice.
Spread half the whipped cream and preserves mixture over the cake layer, then arrange middle layer on top. Poke holes in the middle layer with a toothpick and sprinkle with another 1/3 of the liqueur or juice. Top with remaining whipped cream and preserves mixture.
Arrange the bottom cake layer on top of the stack, cut-side-down. Poke more holes and sprinkle with remaining liqueur or juice. Frost top and sides of cake with the whipped cream, using a pastry bag to pipe on stars or other designs, if you'd like. Decorate with fresh berries.
GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
Kathy Kingsley, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. For this, she wrote, “Flavored with fresh ginger and honey, this pumpkin pie is sure to become one of your go-to holiday recipes.” Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 85 minutes; Yield: Serves 8
Note: When Kathy posted this, it was before about.com split into the .dash channels. Unfortunately, it was one of the recipes that didn't transfer over. But it's yummy enough that I wanted to post it, along with giving a nod to Kathy Kingsley for coming up with this yumminess.
Ingredients
Pastry
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
Pumpkin Filling
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Honey Whipped Cream
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream, chilled
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Make the pastry dough: Combine the flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, and butter in a food processor and pulse on/off until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube, and process just until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.
Press the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disc, about 1-inch thick.
On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Turn the edges under, and crimp or flute the crust. Set the pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Brush about teaspoon of the egg around the edge of the crust.
Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, sugar, ginger, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the eggs, and mix until well blended. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the edges become too dark during baking, carefully cover them with foil strips (see Recipe Notes). Set the pie on a wire rack to cool. If not serving right away, cover and chill.
When ready to serve, make the honey whipped cream. Put the cream into a medium bowl. Add the honey and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Serve the pie topped with the whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
• To make a foil collar to prevent edges of pie from browning too much, fold a 12-inch-long piece of foil into a strip with 3-inch-high sides. Stand the strip on the oven rack around the pie dish. Secure the overhang with a paper clip. The collar doesn't have to touch or cover the crust to protect it.
SKILLET PUMPKIN CORNBREAD
This comes from Judy Kim on Delish. Judy wrote, “”Pumpkin bread goes the savory route.” Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 6 servings.
Note: According to the footnote with the recipe, “Judy Kim is a NYC-based food stylist, recipe developer, and photographer. She also writes recipes for her website The Judy Lab.” If you’ve never been to her sit, I highly recommend doing so. Very nice site!
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 c. pumpkin purée
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Grease 10" cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon butter, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, brown sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour in cornmeal mixture and whisk together. Transfer to skillet and bake 25 to 30 minutes. (Test doneness by pricking center with a toothpick—it should come out clean.) Immediately spread remaining tablespoon butter all over.
Cool for 5 minutes and serve immediately.
GARLICKY GREEN BEANS WITH CRISPY ONIONS
This also comes from Judy Kim on Delish. Judy wrote, “Crispier and quicker than mushy casserole.” Total Time: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 6 servings
Note: Judy had 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Since this is a vegetarian blog – I am, after all, a vegetarian (99.9% of the time, anyway), I changed the chicken broth to vegetable broth. Judy, if you're reading this, I hope you're not offended.
Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
1 large onion, thinly sliced using a mandoline
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
kosher salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. Grated Cheddar
Directions
Heat a large pot with 2" oil over medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl separate onions into rings and toss with flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shake onions and discard excess flour. When oil is hot but not smoking, add handful of onions; fry until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with additional batches.
Meanwhile in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat melt butter with garlic. Add green beans and chicken broth; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir and cover with lid to steam; cooked until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle cheese all over and cover with lid until melted.
Top with crispy onions and serve immediately.
ROASTED GREEN BEAN BUNDLES
This recipe comes from the November 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 58. It starts off, “These individual bundles of seasoned, roasted green beans will impress guests and make serving a cinch.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.
This can be viewed online here.
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Tbs. garlic-flavored olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
Lemon slices, for garnish, optional
Hawaiian salt, black salt, or fleur de sel, for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and red onion, and blanch 3 minutes. Drain, then pat vegetables dry with paper towels.
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add beans and onion slices; toss to coat.
Group beans and onion slices into 8 bundles (about 10 to 15 beans each), and tie each bundle with 8-inch piece of kitchen twine. Place bundles tie side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until bean ends begin to brown. Flip bundles with spatula so tie side is up, and bake 7 to 10 minutes more, or until all bean tips are brown. Transfer bundles to serving plate, and garnish with lemon slices and Hawaiian salt, if using.
nutritional information Per Bundle: Calories: 35; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 80 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
Friday, November 19, 2021
Friday Recipes
It's Friday, time to Celebrate (wouldn't you agree?).
I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend. Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Anise-Almond Biscotti. Enjoy!
THREE-BEAN SOUP
While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”
Ingredients
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.
Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.
Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.
Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars
HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH
This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
Ingredients
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
6 oz. ground soy “meat”
6 large eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.
Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.
Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.
THANKSGIVING POT PIE
While it's called Thanksgiving Pot Pie, you can pretty much cook this anytime. This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”
Ingredients
Filling
2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk
3 Tbs. red wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Filling:
Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.
Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.
To make Crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan
PUMPKIN MUFFINS
This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.
Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.
Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.
RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES
This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)
2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
2 Tbs. capers
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.
Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.
Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars
ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI
Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. whole anise seeds
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Directions
Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.
Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.
Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.
Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars
I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend. Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Anise-Almond Biscotti. Enjoy!
THREE-BEAN SOUP
While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”
Ingredients
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.
Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.
Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.
Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars
HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH
This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
Ingredients
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
6 oz. ground soy “meat”
6 large eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.
Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.
Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.
THANKSGIVING POT PIE
While it's called Thanksgiving Pot Pie, you can pretty much cook this anytime. This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”
Ingredients
Filling
2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)
2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk
3 Tbs. red wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Directions
To make Filling:
Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.
Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.
To make Crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan
PUMPKIN MUFFINS
This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.
Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.
Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.
RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES
This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)
2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
2 Tbs. capers
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.
Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.
Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars
ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI
Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. whole anise seeds
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Directions
Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.
Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.
Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.
Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Thanksgiving Recipes
Since next Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S., today's post deals with Thanksgiving recipes.
Many here in the U.S. tend to think along the lines of turkey for autumn and winter holidays, with other dishes around the turkey. But if someone's a vegetarian, that leaves the turkey out. For a number of years, a friend of mine, Kevin, would kid me about buying a tofurky; my response was to offer to invite him to partake in the stuff.
"Ha! No way!" was his response.
But if you're forgoing the turkey, and not up for tofurky, there are plenty of foods to fix. Check out the Duchess Potatoes, the Harvest Pot Pies, or any of the other yummy vegetarian holiday recipes. Enjoy!
Note: Next week, I'll be posting more Thanksgiving recipes for your enjoyment.
THREE SISTERS CASSEROLE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, "A Native American expression, 'three sisters' refers to the practice of growing beans, corn, and squash together. This filling casserole can be frozen for an upcoming party or made fresh for dinner. Serve with Pumpkin Seed Pesto."
Serves 6.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/three-sisters-casserole/.
Ingredients
Polenta topping
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Filling
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice (1 cup)
1 lb. kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (2 cups)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
Preparation
To make Polenta Topping: Whisk together cornmeal, chili powder, salt, and 4½ cups water in double boiler, or in large metal bowl over barely simmering water. Cook 40 minutes, or until polenta is thick and stiff, stirring 3 or 4 times. Remove from heat.
To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add bell pepper, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often.
Stir in squash, tomatoes, garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup water and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Stir in beans and corn, and cook 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
Coat 8- x 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups polenta over bottom of prepared dish. Spoon squash mixture over polenta. Smooth remaining polenta (about 2 1/2 cups) over top.
Score casserole into 6 squares with knife. Brush top with remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until heated through and top is lightly browned.
PUMPKIN SEED PESTO
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 62. It begins, "This pesto is elegant and flavorful. Try it as an alternative to salsa on nachos. Pumpkin seed oil is stocked with other specialty oils in many supermarkets, but you can substitute olive oil in a pinch."
Makes 1 serving
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-seed-pesto/.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seed oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
Preparation
Toast pumpkin seeds in large skillet over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes, or until puffed and golden, stirring constantly.
Transfer seeds to food processor. Add remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Serve with Three Sisters Casserole, or store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.
DUCHESS POTATOES
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 67. It begins, "Mashed potatoes usually have to be made just before serving, but this ingenious dish lets you mash them a day ahead, then shape into swirls. If you don’t have a pastry bag, shape with an ice cream scoop."
Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/duchess-potatoes/.
Ingredients
3 lb. russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cubed
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped chives
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring potatoes and enough water to cover to a boil in pot. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and mash until smooth. Stir in butter and sour cream, then egg yolks and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe 8 swirled ovals onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges begin to brown, or refrigerate until ready to use.
HARVEST POT PIES
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 68. It begins, "To turn this tasty dish into an even more elegant entrée, decorate it with delicate leaves made with scraps of puff pastry."
Makes 8 servings
View this online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/harvest-pot-pies/.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
12 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb. butternut squash, cubed
5 small red potatoes, sliced
1/2 lb. green beans, halved
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 17.3-oz pkg. vegan frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
Preparation
Heat oil in pot over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic and thyme. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes more, or until mushrooms begin to brown. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes, or until liquid evaporates.
Add squash, potatoes, green beans, corn and 5 cups water. Cover, and simmer 7 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch with 1/2 cup liquid from vegetable mixture. Stir cornstarch mixture into vegetables. Simmer 1 minute, or until thickened. If making ahead, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut 4 circles from one puff pastry sheet. Repeat with remaining sheet. Cut 1-inch hole in center of each circle. Cut leaves from dough scraps, then chill tops and leaves 15 minutes. Adhere leaves to tops by brushing with water. Bake 15 minutes, or until brown and puffy. Store cooled tops up to 2 days in airtight container.
Reheat filling, and warm tops in oven, if needed. Ladle filling into small pie dishes or ramekins. Top with crusts, and serve.
PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 70. It begins, "It took us four tries to get this recipe just right, but the result—a rich, creamy, pumpkin-flavored cheesecake laced with spice and swirled with chocolate—is truly spectacular."
Makes 24 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-chocolate-swirl-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
1 - 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 8-oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 & 1/2 Tbs. ground ginger
1 - 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make Chocolate Crust:
Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press into prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl in microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds to heat evenly. Set aside. Blend cottage cheese in food processor 3 minutes, until smooth. Add Neufchâtel cheese, brown sugar, eggs and flour, and process until smooth. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, and process 1 minute, or until smooth.
Whisk 1 cup cream cheese batter into melted chocolate. Pour remaining batter into crust. Spoon dollops of chocolate mixture onto batter, and swirl with knife.
Bake cheesecake 1 & 1/2 hours, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely on wire rack, then chill well before unmolding and serving.
MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH MAPLE SYRUP
This is from Taste For Life. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/quick/mashed-sweet-potatoes-with-maple-syrup.
Ingredients
5 lbs red-skinned sweet potatoes
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt vegan margarine in microwave or over stovetop. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and stir until combined.
Drain potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Mash with a hand mixer or potato masher until smooth. Stir in maple syrup mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Many here in the U.S. tend to think along the lines of turkey for autumn and winter holidays, with other dishes around the turkey. But if someone's a vegetarian, that leaves the turkey out. For a number of years, a friend of mine, Kevin, would kid me about buying a tofurky; my response was to offer to invite him to partake in the stuff.
"Ha! No way!" was his response.
But if you're forgoing the turkey, and not up for tofurky, there are plenty of foods to fix. Check out the Duchess Potatoes, the Harvest Pot Pies, or any of the other yummy vegetarian holiday recipes. Enjoy!
Note: Next week, I'll be posting more Thanksgiving recipes for your enjoyment.
THREE SISTERS CASSEROLE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, "A Native American expression, 'three sisters' refers to the practice of growing beans, corn, and squash together. This filling casserole can be frozen for an upcoming party or made fresh for dinner. Serve with Pumpkin Seed Pesto."
Serves 6.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/three-sisters-casserole/.
Ingredients
Polenta topping
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Filling
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice (1 cup)
1 lb. kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (2 cups)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
Preparation
To make Polenta Topping: Whisk together cornmeal, chili powder, salt, and 4½ cups water in double boiler, or in large metal bowl over barely simmering water. Cook 40 minutes, or until polenta is thick and stiff, stirring 3 or 4 times. Remove from heat.
To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add bell pepper, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often.
Stir in squash, tomatoes, garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup water and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Stir in beans and corn, and cook 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
Coat 8- x 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups polenta over bottom of prepared dish. Spoon squash mixture over polenta. Smooth remaining polenta (about 2 1/2 cups) over top.
Score casserole into 6 squares with knife. Brush top with remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until heated through and top is lightly browned.
PUMPKIN SEED PESTO
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 62. It begins, "This pesto is elegant and flavorful. Try it as an alternative to salsa on nachos. Pumpkin seed oil is stocked with other specialty oils in many supermarkets, but you can substitute olive oil in a pinch."
Makes 1 serving
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-seed-pesto/.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seed oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
Preparation
Toast pumpkin seeds in large skillet over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes, or until puffed and golden, stirring constantly.
Transfer seeds to food processor. Add remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Serve with Three Sisters Casserole, or store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.
DUCHESS POTATOES
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 67. It begins, "Mashed potatoes usually have to be made just before serving, but this ingenious dish lets you mash them a day ahead, then shape into swirls. If you don’t have a pastry bag, shape with an ice cream scoop."
Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/duchess-potatoes/.
Ingredients
3 lb. russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cubed
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped chives
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring potatoes and enough water to cover to a boil in pot. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and mash until smooth. Stir in butter and sour cream, then egg yolks and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe 8 swirled ovals onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges begin to brown, or refrigerate until ready to use.
HARVEST POT PIES
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 68. It begins, "To turn this tasty dish into an even more elegant entrée, decorate it with delicate leaves made with scraps of puff pastry."
Makes 8 servings
View this online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/harvest-pot-pies/.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
12 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb. butternut squash, cubed
5 small red potatoes, sliced
1/2 lb. green beans, halved
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 17.3-oz pkg. vegan frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
Preparation
Heat oil in pot over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic and thyme. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes more, or until mushrooms begin to brown. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes, or until liquid evaporates.
Add squash, potatoes, green beans, corn and 5 cups water. Cover, and simmer 7 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch with 1/2 cup liquid from vegetable mixture. Stir cornstarch mixture into vegetables. Simmer 1 minute, or until thickened. If making ahead, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut 4 circles from one puff pastry sheet. Repeat with remaining sheet. Cut 1-inch hole in center of each circle. Cut leaves from dough scraps, then chill tops and leaves 15 minutes. Adhere leaves to tops by brushing with water. Bake 15 minutes, or until brown and puffy. Store cooled tops up to 2 days in airtight container.
Reheat filling, and warm tops in oven, if needed. Ladle filling into small pie dishes or ramekins. Top with crusts, and serve.
PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 70. It begins, "It took us four tries to get this recipe just right, but the result—a rich, creamy, pumpkin-flavored cheesecake laced with spice and swirled with chocolate—is truly spectacular."
Makes 24 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-chocolate-swirl-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
1 - 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 8-oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 & 1/2 Tbs. ground ginger
1 - 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make Chocolate Crust:
Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press into prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl in microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds to heat evenly. Set aside. Blend cottage cheese in food processor 3 minutes, until smooth. Add Neufchâtel cheese, brown sugar, eggs and flour, and process until smooth. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, and process 1 minute, or until smooth.
Whisk 1 cup cream cheese batter into melted chocolate. Pour remaining batter into crust. Spoon dollops of chocolate mixture onto batter, and swirl with knife.
Bake cheesecake 1 & 1/2 hours, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely on wire rack, then chill well before unmolding and serving.
MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH MAPLE SYRUP
This is from Taste For Life. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/quick/mashed-sweet-potatoes-with-maple-syrup.
Ingredients
5 lbs red-skinned sweet potatoes
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt vegan margarine in microwave or over stovetop. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and stir until combined.
Drain potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Mash with a hand mixer or potato masher until smooth. Stir in maple syrup mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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