Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Taco Zucchini Lasagna and Katharine Hepburn's Brownies. Enjoy!

ULTRA-EASY POT PIE

This comes from page 43 of the March 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “You can have all of the ingredients on hand for this pot pie and whip it up any time you need a hot, satisfying meal.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 1/3 cups prepared vegan creamy potato-leek soup

1/2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

2 10-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

1 sheet vegan puff pastry, from 17.3-oz pkg., thawed

Position oven racks in middle and bottom positions, and preheat oven to 450˚F.

Whisk 2 Tbs. cold water into cornstarch in medium saucepan. Whisk in soup, rosemary, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in vegetables, then spread mixture in 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Unfold puff pastry, and place over vegetable mixture; allow pastry to drape over pie pan. Trim pastry edges with scissors or sharp knife so that it fits tightly in pan. Prick pastry all over with fork or knife. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until puff pastry is puffed and golden.

nutritional information Per Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 373; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 607 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan

PEANUT BUTTER BARS WITH SALTED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

This is from Nancy Fuller of The Food Network’s Farmhouse Rules.

Total: 1 hr 10 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/peanut-butter-bars-with-salted-chocolate-ganache.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for baking dish

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Kosher salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional

Directions

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, stir to combine the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Place the chocolate and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mixture and refrigerate until the chocolate is cooled and set, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.

Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt. Cut into squares to serve.

KATHARINE HEPBURN'S BROWNIES

This came in a recent New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “Much like its author, this recipe is a no-fuss classic. It calls for just 1/4 cup of flour, which yields an incredibly rich and gooey brownie, and it's super easy to make. So easy, in fact, that baking a batch of these might just become part of your weekend routine.” Time: about 45 minutes; makes 12 brownies

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.

Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.

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

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.

Per serving: Calories 558; Fat 24 g (Saturated 11 g); Cholesterol 42 mg; Sodium 656 mg; Carbohydrate 68 g; Fiber 9 g; Protein 17 g

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP WITH ROASTED TOMATOES & PEPPERS

This comes from Seattle's Macrina Bakery. The recipe starts off, “This soup is a perfect comfort food on a drizzly Seattle day. We like to serve it in our cozy café with a few slices of crostini topped with goat cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil. It is pictured here with our Rustic Potato Roll. French green lentils are usually available in specialty shops and some supermarkets. If you can’t find French green lentils at your favorite market, you can substitute regular lentils.” Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

10 garlic cloves

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1-1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1-1/2 Tbsp ground coriander seeds

1-1/2 cups French green lentils*

8 to 10 cups vegetable stock

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

*Available in specialty shops and some supermarkets.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and core the tomatoes, then cut them into 12 pieces each. Combine chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a bowl and toss together. Pour tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and roast on center rack of oven for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Place 7 of the garlic cloves and another 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until cloves are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to keep the cloves from sticking to the pan. Transfer cooked garlic cloves to a small bowl and mash into a paste. Set aside.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add diced onion, red bell peppers and celery. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat to sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally. The onions will become translucent. Finely dice the 3 remaining garlic cloves and add to the soup pot along with the cumin and coriander. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 1 minute or until garlic smells sweet but is not brown.

Add roasted tomatoes, mashed garlic, lentils and 8 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook soup for 45 to 50 minutes or until lentils are tender, adding more stock if needed. If foam gathers on the surface of the soup, remove it with a spoon. Before serving, add parsley and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.

TACO ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

This comes from Linday Funston on Delish, and begins, “So flavorful, you won't even notice the noodles are gone.”

Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 - 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. ricotta

1/2 c. sour cream, plus more for drizzling

1 large egg

1/3 c. salsa

3 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 c. shredded Cheddar

2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 8 minutes more. Drain fat.

In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, and egg. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large baking or casserole dish, spread a thin layer of salsa. Top with a layer of zucchini noodles, sour cream mixture, ground beef, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with zucchini noodles.

Bake until noodles are tender and cheese is bubbly, 25 minutes.

Drizzle with sour cream, garnish with cilantro, and serve.