Monday Recipes

It's Monday again, time to get the week started. Did you get everything done over the weekend that you wanted to? I know I didn't! Well, there's always next weekend.

In the meantime, here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Smoky Mac & Cheese and Cherry-Cola Dump Cake. Enjoy!

ROMAINE SALAD WITH AVOCADO "CAESAR" DRESSING

This comes from Vegetarian Times (July/August 2005 issue, page 58), and begins, "This salad is wonderful as is, but for a delicious variation, try adding roasted corn and roasted red peppers." Serves 6

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/romaine-salad-with-avocado-caesar-dressing/.

Ingredients

Avocado "Caesar" Dressing

1 tsp. whole cumin seeds

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1 ripe medium-sized Hass avocado, peeled and pitted

Salad

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into strips

12 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (bagged or fresh)

1 medium-sized tomato, seeded and diced

Preparation

To make Avocado “Caesar” Dressing: In skillet, toast cumin seeds, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Using spice grinder or mortar and pestle, pulverize; set aside.

Put cumin, lime juice, oil, mustard, garlic, salt, 1/4 cup water and avocado into food processor, and purée until smooth; add water, if needed. Season with pepper and cayenne.

To make Salad: Line plate with paper towel. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tortilla strips, and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer strips to paper towels, and drain. Sprinkle with salt.

Toss lettuce with tomatoes and dressing in large bowl. Transfer mixture to individual plates, and top with tortilla strips.

THAI GREEN BEAN CURRY WITH PINEAPPLE AND SWEET POTATOES

This comes from Vegetarian Times. This begins, "This Thai-inspired dish features sweet potatoes blended into the sauce and as bites in the bowl." The note adds, "Blending part of the sweet potatoes into the broth of this vegan green bean curry yields a rich, creamy base without using a lot of coconut milk."

Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/thai-green-bean-curry-with-pineapple-and-sweet-potatoes/.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

3 large shallots (1/2 cup)

1-1/2 Tbs. red curry paste

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (2-1/2 cups)

3/4 lb. green beans

3/4 cup light coconut milk

Basil or cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preparation

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, and sauté 5 minutes. Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger, and sauté 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add 2-1/2 cups water and reserved pineapple juice. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sweet potato chunks, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Blend mixture in saucepan with immersion blender or in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan, add remaining 1-1/2 cups sweet potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pineapple chunks, green beans, and coconut milk; cover; and simmer 7 to 10 minutes, or until green beans are crisp-tender. Garnish with basil, and serve.

BLUEBERRY DROP BISCUITS

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients

1 cup blueberries

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold shortening

1 cup cold milk

Directions

Butter a baking sheet. Wash drain and dry the blueberries. In a medium bowl combine the blueberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the shortening in to the mixture with a pastry blender. Add the milk stirring with a fork. Add the blueberries. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the biscuits with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Serve hot with butter.

CREAM CHEESE DANISH HEART

Years ago, when my better half and I first got cable, I was channel-surfing, something most of us have done occasionally. I ran across a baking show on PBS called Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone. I fell in love with the show, and watched it almost every time it was on. (Unfortunately, it only ran from 1999 to 2001.)

Anywho, this recipe was featured on his show; you might even find it in one of his many cookbooks (and yes, I’m planning to pick up a copy of at least one or two of said cookbooks).

Makes 1 heart.

Ingredients

Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 large egg

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 (8-ounce) pack cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 drops red food coloring

Directions

In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, sour cream and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator; roll to 16- x 8-inch rectangle. Spread evenly with Cream Cheese Filling (directions below). Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal. Form a large heart; pinch ends together. Place on greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut 1/3 through heart at 1-inch intervals, alternating from side to side to resemble a braid. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from sheet; cool on wire rack. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze (directions below).

Cream Cheese Filling: In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

Powdered Sugar Glaze: In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Add food coloring; stir until well blended.

SMOKE MAC & CHEESE

This is originally from I Heart Cheese, by Mihaela Metaxa-Albu, and reprinted on Taste for Life. You can view this online at https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/main-course/smoky-mac-cheese.

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter, divided

2 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

1 tbsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2-1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups smoked Cheddar, shredded

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 lb mini penne pasta (gluten-free if needed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour and stir until the mixture turns golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the paprika and nutmeg. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a gentle boil and then immediately lower the heat. Simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon, stir in the cheese and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside.

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a plate.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender yet firm to the bite, according to the package directions (see Tips below). Drain well. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss well to coat.

Divide among six 1-1/4 cup ramekins or oven dishes. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Alternatively, you can use a 9 x 13–inch baking dish. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Notes

Give standard mac and cheese an upgrade! This wonderfully smoky, uber-cheesy mac and cheese makes itself at home with any barbecued meat.

Smoked Cheddar gives lusciously creamy cheese sauce a bold flavor, which is further enhanced by the smoked paprika.

Fold the sauce with bite-size, al dente penne pasta and top with freshly toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs for a delicious crunch.

Tips

Undercook the pasta! If the package says 6 to 8 minutes for al dente, go for 5 to 6 minutes. This way, when baked with the sauce it won’t become overcooked and mushy.

Make sure to use a gluten-free flour blend with tapioca or cornstarch, as this helps thicken your sauce better than regular flour.

CHERRY-COLA DUMP CAKE

This yumminess comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Super easy to prepare: Just mix devil's food cake mix with cola and pour over cherries. Bake for one hour and voila!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 9

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 jar (16 oz) maraschino cherries with juice (without stems)

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ devil’s food cake mix

1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, “dump” cherries with cherry juice.

In medium bowl, mix cake mix and carbonated beverage. “Dump” mixture over cherries.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting and serving cake.

Expert Tips

Serve with whipped cream and additional cherries.

You could substitute cherry pie filling in place of the maraschino cherries and juice.