Thursday Recipes

The weather here in Florida is still pretty wet, thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine. So, everyone who's reading this here in the not-so-Sunshine State, stay safe, and, if you can stay inside (unless you've been instructed to evacuate). Fortunately, we should have better weather this weekend. (Yay, weekend! Hurry up and get here!)

Okay, that said, here are today's six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

TOMATO AND MINT TABBOULEH

Yield: 12 side-dish servings

Source: The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/695.shtml

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups bulgur wheat

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 pound ripe tomatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium cucumber (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 green onions, chopped

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

In medium bowl, combine bulgur, lemon juice, and boiling water, stirring to mix. Let stand until liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

To bulgur mixture, add tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint, oil, salt, and pepper, stirring to mix. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors or up to 4 hours.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 87; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 157 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread

PEACH ICE CREAM

This is from Julia Reed in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This easy ice cream is meant to evoke hazy memories of a summer spent luxuriating on a front porch, cold glass in hand, waiting as your ice cream maker does the churning work for a late-afternoon treat. Use the best peaches you can find — the flavor of this depends directly on the fruit. You can also use mangoes or strawberries, or other stone fruits. Use your imagination, but let the ice cream maker do most of the work.” Yield: 1 1/2 quarts, 6 to 8 servings; Time: About 1 hour, plus freezing.

This was featured in “Food; Frozen Assets” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 pounds ripe peaches

1 1/4 cups sugar (or more, as needed)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream

1 2-inch piece of vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

Preparation

Peel peaches over a large bowl to catch the juice. Halve and pit them and chop roughly. Place in the bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar, the salt and lemon juice and let them sit for 30 minutes.

While peaches macerate, put cream and remaining sugar in saucepan with vanilla bean or vanilla. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to keep from scorching, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Discard vanilla bean.

Pour cream over peaches and mix thoroughly. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. (This will depend on the peaches.) Refrigerate until chilled.

Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions until set but not quite hard. (If serving immediately, freeze harder.) Pack the ice cream into a bowl or mold to completely solidify. When it has hardened, dip mold into hot water or wrap in a hot towel and invert onto a serving platter. Or, simply scoop and serve.

BUTTERSCOTCH PEACHES

This is from Celia Barbour in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Celia wrote, “I make a peach-butterscotch sauce that I dreamed up to impress my children, whose love for me, though unwavering, I am nonetheless constantly trying to cement with food. The result was delectable. We ate the sauce straight from the pot. We ate it from the serving dish. And we ate what was left for dessert that night, poured over Ronnybrook vanilla ice cream with chewy gingersnaps from Hawthorne Valley on the side. My children’s adoration of me was unaffected by the butterscotch, but their energy level definitely got a boost from all the sugar.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “Ode to the Peach: A Cook Baffled, and Then at Peace” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

6 medium or 5 large ripe peaches

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla ice cream

Almond biscotti, gingersnaps or other cookies

Preparation

Fill a large bowl with ice and water, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place peaches in boiling water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice water. When cool, drain and pat dry.

Working over a bowl to catch the juice, peel skins from peaches, squeezing as much juice as possible from the skins. Slice each peach into 10 to 12 slices, and set aside with juice; discard skin and pits.

In medium skillet over low heat, melt butter. Raise heat to medium-high and cook butter until it foams, subsides, foams again and begins to brown. As soon as butter is nut-brown, add the peaches with juices. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, then place skillet over low heat to keep warm.

In medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cream, sugar, honey and salt. Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely melted. Raise heat to medium and let boil without stirring until it turns a rich golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (Because of honey and cream it will appear to turn pale brown before it has caramelized; wait until it has darkened noticeably, thickened and reduced before proceeding.) Carefully pour contents of skillet into saucepan; it will boil and spatter; stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add vanilla or other flavoring. Serve warm or at room temperature over ice cream, with cookies on the side.

ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES

From the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. The recipe starts off, "Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving." Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided

3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided

2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup apple juice

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

VEGETABLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

This came from the Food Network's Magazine several years ago.

Prep Time: 25 min; Cook Time: 41 min; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 servings

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegetable-shepherds-pie-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 bunch baby turnips, halved or quartered if large

6 cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped (stems reserved)

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup chopped veggie burgers or vegetarian protein crumbles

2/3 cup milk or half-and-half

Grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; season with salt, cover and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stovetop casserole dish or shallow enamel pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, turnips and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables brown, 8 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the potatoes to the casserole dish. Lower the heat and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Tie the parsley stems with twine and add to the casserole. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons butter and the chopped veggie burgers and warm through, 5 minutes. Remove the parsley stems and stir in the chopped parsley. Keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the milk; season with salt and pepper and spoon over the casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired. Broil until golden brown, 5 minutes.

PATATAS BRAVAS

This is from page 48 of the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Patatas bravas means ‘fierce potatoes,’ and hot smoked Spanish paprika gives the sauce for this roasted spuds an addictive bite. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes, or serve in a bowl along with toothpicks for dunking the potato wedges.” This vegan, gluten-free recipe serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

1 1/2 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

3 tsp. minced garlic, divided

1 tsp hot smoked paprika, or more to taste

3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss potatoes with 2 Tbs. oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; cover tightly with foil; and roast 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue roasting 12 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom. Carefully turn potatoes, and roast 8 minutes more, or until browned. Sprinkle 1 tsp. garlic over potatoes, and transfer to serving dish.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tsp. garlic, and sauté 30 seconds, or until just fragrant. Add paprika, sauté 10 seconds, then stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve potatoes with sauce.

Per 1-cup serving: 172 cal; 3 g protein; 7 g total fat (less than 1 g saturated fat); 23 g carb; 0 mg chol; 49 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; less than 1 g sugars