Monday Recipes

Here we are, the second Monday of 2022. Hope your weekend was good, though, if it was like mine, it wasn't long enough. Oh, well, there's always next weekend!

In the meantime, here are six vegetarian recipes to get your week started off just right, including Crispy Tofu in a Sweet and Sour Sauce (which happens to be vegan) and Red and Yellow Tomato Salsa. Enjoy!

CORNMEAL CREPES

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 76-77), and begins, "The key to these crêpes is having your pan at the right temperature—too high and the crêpes will burn; too low and they’ll never brown." Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/cornmeal-crepes/

Ingredients

2 cups plain soymilk

2 Tbs. arrowroot

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil plus more for pan

3 Tbs. chili powder

2 Tbs. finely chopped scallions

Preparation

Put soymilk, arrowroot, cornmeal, flour, salt and 2 Tbs. oil in blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Let batter rest about 20 minutes, or until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Stir in chili powder, 1/2 cup water and scallions.

Lightly oil 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet using paper towel. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Ladle in 1/4 cup batter, tipping pan in circular motion so batter covers entire surface. Cook 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until crêpe bubbles and becomes golden around edges. Loosen edges with spatula, and flip crêpe. Cook about 10 seconds on second side. Slide crêpe onto plate, and cover to keep warm.

Repeat, lightly oiling pan between crêpes, until batter is used up. If batter thickens, add water to thin.

To serve, place crêpe on plate, golden side down. Spoon 1/3 cup beans in middle, and fold all 4 edges toward center, forming square with open center. Put dollop of guacamole and salsa on each crêpe. Alternatively, fold crêpe into quarters, and serve alongside beans, guacamole and salsa.

REFRIED BLACK BEANS

Serves 4; Vegan

This recipe begins, “Because refried black beans are so versatile and can be enjoyed plain or as a filling for enchiladas, tacos, burritos or omelets, they are a must in your stock of recipes. If you’re cooking the beans from scratch, start with 1 1/2 cups dry beans; also, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid to use instead of the stock. Add a little water or stock to the beans when you rewarm them.”

Ingredients

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 small onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 tsp. chili powder, preferably chipotle

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups cooked beans

1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock or bean cooking liquid

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Preparation

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and jalapeño, and cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until onions are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Increase heat to medium. Add 1 cup beans, 1/3 cup stock and salt. Using potato masher or back of spoon, mash beans into liquid. Continue cooking until liquid evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Add 1 more cup beans and 1/3 cup stock, and mash and cook again, stirring. Repeat, mashing and cooking and stirring, until liquid is absorbed and beans hold together, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice, and adjust salt to taste.

RED AND YELLOW TOMATO SALSA

Serves 4; Vegan

This begins, “Using two different colored tomatoes and adding flecks of red onion takes this basic salsa recipe from simple to spectacular. Try it as well with heirloom tomato varieties for even more color and flavor.”

Ingredients

2 medium-sized tomatoes, 1 yellow and 1 red, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

Preparation

Combine tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, scallion, cilantro, red onion and lime juice in small bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and let salsa sit at least 15 minutes to blend. Taste, and adjust salt, if necessary.

GREAT GUACAMOLE

Serves 4; Vegan

The recipe begins, “Extra green and packed with flavor, this is a version of a classic you won’t forget. Blend it to a creamy consistency in a food processor, or keep it chunky by mashing the chiles, green onions and chopped cilantro with the avocados.”

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 to 3 serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation

Mash avocados and lime juice in mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste, and adjust salt if necessary.

CONFETTI RICE

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 76-77), and begins, "This colorful rice contains carrots, corn and chayote, a green-skinned Mexican vegetable similar in shape and size to a pear. But the flesh is pale, crisp and fine-textured with a flavor that is a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini. Look for chayotes (also called mirliton) in the produce section of large supermarkets. If you cannot find them, use zucchini instead." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/confetti-rice/.

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

3/4 cup peeled, finely chopped chayote

2/3 cup fresh corn kernels

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water

Preparation

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Stir in rice, chayote, corn and carrot, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes.

Stir in stock, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Season with salt, and serve.

CRISPY TOFU IN A SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

This is from One Green Planet, an animal-friendly website. This recipe begins, "There are many ways to turn plain, uninteresting tofu into a culinary masterpiece. My preferred method is rather simple, and it’s ideal for those occasions when I want to get dinner on the table in under half an hour: fry or bake until crispy, then combine with a sauce of my choice. The sauce here is of an umami variety, which works well with the chewy, crispy tofu." Serves 2

To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/crispy-tofu-in-a-sweet-and-sour-sauce-vegan/.

Ingredients

1 (10-oz) block extra-firm tofu, pressed if necessary and cut into triangles

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, grated

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

3 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Chopped scallions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the tofu triangles on the lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until a light brown color.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and carrot, sautéing for 4 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onion is translucent.

Make the sauce by stirring together the tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, lemon juice and tomato paste. In a separate bowl, whisk together ¼ cup (60 ml) of water and the cornstarch.

When the tofu is ready, pan fry it for 5 minutes, rotating each triangle frequently. Pour the sauce into the frying pan and stir well to coat all the tofu cubes. Allow to simmer lightly for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in the cornstarch slurry and continue to stir until the sauce thickens.

During the last minute of cooking, stir in the sesame seeds, garnish with scallions and serve with a side of your choice.

Note: It’s important to get as much water as possible out of the tofu. Depending on the brand you use, pressing may be necessary. You can also freeze it overnight to get a firmer and chewier texture.