Tuesday Recipes

Can you believe it's already October? Where did the summer go? Where did the year go? Some time in the next week or two, I'll be posting a few pumpkin and cranberry recipes; next month, it'll be recipes for Thanksgiving. December? Gift-giving recipes, including, but not limited to cookies.

In the meantime, here are today's six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

FAST FRENCH APPLE TART

This comes from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Slicing apples on a mandoline makes a pâtisserie-style apple tart a snap. The thin, even slices come out of the oven meltingly tender—not mushy.” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (1/2 17.3-oz. pkg.)

7 medium tart apples, peeled and cored

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup apricot jam

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 9-inch pie dish or fluted tart pan with cooking spray. Roll out puff pastry into 11-inch square on floured work surface. Press puff pastry into prepared pan, and trim excess dough from edges. Prick bottom all over with fork, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Slice apples into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (with hole in middle) using mandoline. Toss apple slices in lemon juice in bowl.

Place apple slices in overlapping concentric circles on puff pastry, starting from outside and working toward center. Make sure to cover holes in apple slices, and overlap each row by 1/3 inch to prevent apples from shrinking as they cook. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. sugar. Repeat layering and sprinkling process once more, and finish with a layer of apples. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F, and bake 30 to 40 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Bring jam and 2 Tbs. water to a boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 1 minute. Strain into small bowl. Brush over tart while jam is still hot.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 265; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 75 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 23 g; vegan

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA STEW WITH COUSCOUS

This also comes from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Prepared creamy soups like butternut squash, corn, and potato-leek make great bases for hearty stews that sneak an extra veggie serving past picky eaters.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium carrot, diced (3/4 cup)

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 Tbs. whole cumin seeds

1 bay leaf, crumbled

2 16-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained, divided

1 32-oz. container butternut squash soup, divided

1 1/2 cups couscous

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté carrot in oil 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes more, or until soft. Stir in cumin seeds and bay leaf.

Purée 3/4 cup chickpeas and 3/4 cup butternut squash soup in blender until smooth. Add to carrot mixture along with remaining chickpeas and soup. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, place couscous in heat-proof bowl, and stir in 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Cover, and let stand 3 to 5 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with fork. Divide couscous among 6 shallow bowls. Ladle chickpea stew around couscous in each bowl.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 480; Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 87 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 645 mg; Fiber: 11 g; Sugar: 11 g; Vegan

“BAKED” GRANOLA APPLES

This recipe, as well as the Good Morning Sweet Potato are from Runner's World, and are from the latest Runner's World cookbook. Both recipes can be found online by clicking here.

The recipe begins, “The secret behind getting these 'baked' apples on the table fast? Cooking them in the microwave, which quickly steams the fruit until perfectly tender. Braeburn, Cortland, or Rome varieties work just as well as Gala. Use a spoon or melon baller to core the halved apples. Top the finished dish with a dollop of yogurt for a protein and calcium boost.

“Cooked apples get topped with sugar and cinnamon, plus granola for extra carbs. If you like, add a dollop of yogurt to the finished dish for a protein boost.”

Ingredients

2 large crisp apples, such as Gala, halved and cored

2 tablespoons chopped dried tart cherries

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 teaspoons butter

1/2 cup granola

Instructions

In a microwavable dish, arrange the apple halves cut side up.

Top each apple half evenly with the tart cherries and brown sugar. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Dot evenly with the butter.

Cover the apples with a microwavable dome lid or microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes, or until the apples are tender.

Transfer the apples to serving bowls and sprinkle each apple half evenly with the granola. Drizzle any juices remaining in the cooking dish over the top. Serves 4.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 181; Carbs: 29 g; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 2 g; Total fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 4 g; Sodium: 38 mg

GOOD MORNING SWEET POTATO

This recipe begins, “Sweet potatoes for breakfast? Absolutely. These carb-packed vegetables are loaded with runner-friendly nutrients—and provide a welcome break from typical morning fare.

“The flavors in this recipe will remind you of Thanksgiving,” says Mark Bittman, Runner's World contributing food writer.”

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes, turning over once or twice, or until the center is soft.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the walnuts, maple syrup, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the nuts are coated and fragrant.

Slice open the top of the potato lengthwise, leaving the bottom intact. Mash the nut mixture on top. Serves 1.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 355; Carbs: 44 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 7 g; Total fat: 19 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 220 mg

APPLE RUTABAGA SOUP

This came from Brett Moore, About.com’s Gourmet Food expert. He wrote, “Here's a beautiful comfort soup from Chef Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington). Delicious and complex flavors with a velvety texture. Perfect for those cold winter days.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 quart good chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

CHEWY FUDGE BROWNIES

This comes from Alex Witchel in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Alex wrote, “These brownies must sit for some time before they reach their deeply fudgy peak. They are a perfect midweek recipe to yield a weekend's dessert, though in truth they'll be ready after only a night's rest. Once they've matured, you end up with a mystifying brownie that is firm to the bite yet melting in the mouth. Walnuts contribute crunch if you like that sort of thing. They are entirely optional.” Makes 24 brownies.

To view these online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

1 1/2 cups walnut halves (optional)

9 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking pan. If using walnuts, spread on a baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and cover pan until chocolate is melted, about 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla just until thick, creamy and beginning to lighten in color.

Whisk the butter and chocolate until smooth, then mix into the sugar-egg mixture just until well combined. Using a spatula, fold in the flour, using as few strokes as possible, until it disappears. Fold in the walnuts, if using. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking after 22 minutes to avoid over-baking. When the tip of a knife inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, but not liquid, remove brownies from the oven. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and leave in the pan for several hours or overnight before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.