Monday Recipes

Here are today's six yummy vegetarian recipes to get your week started just right, including Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake and Weeknight General Tso's Tofu. Enjoy!

LOW CALORIE SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Kimberly Eggleston, a nutritionist on The Spruce. Kimberly wrote, “You wouldn't think that lasagna could be a lean and delicious dish until you have tried this low-calorie spinach lasagna recipe. You can see from the ingredient list that it doesn't even take a whole lot of ingredients to make up this yummy dish. And the ingredients that are included are relatively lean. Instead of fatty sausage and beef, the bulk of this lasagna filling is part skim mozzarella, low-fat cottage cheese, and spinach which give the lasagna nice texture and color. There aren't too many calories coming from those ingredients!

“Another great thing about his spinach lasagna is that this lasagna recipe is so easy to throw together about an hour and fifteen minutes before dinner. Yes, that's only a little over one hour before dinner, and the majority or that time is the lasagna cooking, which frees you up to do other things.

“And there is no need to precook the noodles. You will add water to the dish once you have layered the lasagna together, using uncooked dry noodles. Then the water will cook the noodles during baking time resulting in perfectly al dente noodles when it is finished. One less pot to wash when it is all finished is certainly worth it.”

Total Time: 70 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 60 mins; Yield: 8 Servings; Per Serving Calories: 304

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.), divided

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups jarred marinara sauce

1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To begin with, prepare the cheese and spinach filling for the lasagna.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, 3/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella, pepper, oregano, and salt. Use large spoon to gently stir together the mixture until it is well combined.

Next, spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place 3 of the uncooked noodles in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, and use a large spoon or a spatula to gently spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, trying to cover all the noodles.

Next, over the cheese and spinach mixture, spread 2/3 cup of the marinara sauce, and then top the layer of marinara sauce with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times. End with the last three noddles, topped with 2/3 cup of sauce and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Now that the lasagna is assembled, pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan gently and slowly, allowing the water to fill in the gaps slowly so that it does not overflow. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil.

Place the covered lasagna in the preheated oven, and bake for 1 hour. Once the lasagna is done cooking, remove it from the oven, and loosely uncover the dish while the lasagna cools. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving in order to allow the lasagna to become far easier to cut.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

This is from Kraft, and begins, “Follow this Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe — you won't be disappointed! This velvety soup with chopped broccoli and creamy cheeses is a real crowd favorite!”

Prep Time: 30min.; Total Time: 30min.; Servings: 5 servings, about 1 cup each.

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked, drained

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions

Cook and stir onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat 3 to 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Whisk in flour until blended.

Stir in milk; cook on medium heat 2 min., stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE

This is from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “This luscious cheesecake will be your new pumpkin obsession.”

Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed

3/4 c. ginger snaps, crushed

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

kosher salt

3 (8-oz.) bars cream cheese, softened

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 c. pumpkin puree

1/4 c. sour cream, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice, plus more for garnish

Warm caramel, for garnish

whipped cream, for garnish

Chopped, toasted pecans, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° with a rack in the middle position. Grease an 8” springform pan with cooking spray.

Make crust: In a large bowl, add cookie and graham cracker crumbs. Stir in butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. Press crust into bottom of pan.

Meanwhile, make cheesecake batter: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined, then beat in flour, pumpkin spice, and ¼ tsp. salt. Pour cheesecake mixture over crust.

Double-wrap outside of pan in aluminum foil, making sure to cover the bottom. Place pan in a large baking dish, place the baking dish in the oven, and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the pan. Bake until only slightly jiggly in center, 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes.

With oven door propped open, turn oven off and let cool 1 hour in the oven. Remove from water bath and discard foil, then refrigerate cheesecake until cooled completely, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Garnish with a layer of caramel and a few dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle all over with pecans and more pumpkin pie spice.

WEEKNIGHT GENERAL TSO’S TOFU

This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)

Anyway, Christine Gallary, Food Editor-at-Large at TheKitchn wrote, “If you're tempted to order takeout tonight from your favorite Chinese restaurant, squash that urge and try this sweet and spicy tofu stir-fry instead. This dish comes together in the same amount of time it takes to steam rice, and the tofu gets browned and crispy without all the fuss of deep-frying.”

To view this online, click here. Serves 3 to 4.

For the stir-fry:

1 pound firm tofu, drained

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt

8 ounces fresh or frozen broccoli florets

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

Toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Steamed rice, for serving

For the sauce:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons chili-garlic paste, such as sambal oelek

1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in a single layer on the paper towels; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu in a single layer and season generously with salt. Cook undisturbed until golden-brown on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and set the broccoli aside.

Flip the tofu with tongs and cook until a second side is golden-brown, about 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Remove the tofu to a clean plate and set aside.

Add the bell pepper and ginger to the pan and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and tofu. Stir the sauce again, making sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved, and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce fully coats the tofu and vegetables and thickens, about 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and serve over rice.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GARLIC ROASTED POTATOES

This is from Ina Garten of The Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa.

Total: 1 hr 10 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 pounds small red or white potatoes

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE

This is from Sheela Prakash on TheKitchn. Sheela wrote, “What if I told you that you could have a rich and creamy bowl of mac and cheese while also packing in over a pound of cauliflower? Sounds like a trick, right? No so fast! This recipe does just that, thanks to a base of cheesy cauliflower sauce.”

Serves 8

To view this online, click here.

For the cauliflower cheese sauce:

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the macaroni and cheese:

1 pound dry cavatappi pasta or medium pasta shells

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 400°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Make the cauliflower cheese sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and boil for 5 minutes to infuse water.

Add the cauliflower and cook until very fork tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet or medium bowl out of the water, leaving the herbs and garlic behind in the pot (do not drain the pot).

Place 1/2 of the cauliflower in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the blender along with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Blend until very smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the purée to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, 3/4 cup of cooking liquid, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil; transfer to the same bowl.

Add the cheddar, Gruyère, mustard, salt, and pepper into the purée and whisk to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed; set aside.

For the macaroni and cheese: Bring the pot of infused water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package instructions until just al dente. Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; set aside.

Drain the pasta, discard the herbs and garlic cloves, and add the pasta to the bowl of cauliflower sauce. Stir gently until the pasta is entirely coated.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top, followed by the grated Parmesan.

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If the pasta becomes bubbly before the top is golden, you can run the dish under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp the topping.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Make ahead: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Return to room temperature, sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top, and proceed with baking.

Freezing: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be also be covered tightly with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake, frozen and covered, at 350°F, for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and bake until the topping is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.