Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Do you have any plans for the weekend? I have the usual: try to play catch-up on everything I've neglected during the week. Sound familiar? Of course, it does.

In the meantime, we still have to eat. To that end, here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Roasted Mushrooms With Smoky Pomegranate Sauce, Khoresh Rivas (Savory Rhubarb and Bean Stew), and Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

This recipe was posted by DWYATT on AllRecipes, and begins, "This was the first vegetarian recipe I ever made – green peppers stuffed with a mixture of brown rice, nuts, dried cranberries, tofu and cheese. Substitute soy cheese for the Parmesan to create a vegan delight."

Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes; Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes

View this online here.

Note: If you're like me and don't have cooking sherry around, feel free to replace it with with alcohol-free cooking sherry (if there is such a thing) or 3 tablespoons of water. Personally, it's been decades since I've had cooking wine/sherry/etc in my house, as well as non-cooking (drinking) alcohol. When I want to celebrate, say at New Year's, etc., I've found that there are plenty of non-alcoholic sparkling juices on the market.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice

6 large green bell peppers

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons cooking sherry

1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 cups extra firm tofu

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, core and seed green peppers, leaving bottoms intact. Place peppers in a microwavable dish with about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Microwave on high for 6 minutes.

In a small frying pan bring soy sauce, wine and Worcestershire sauce to a simmer. Add tofu and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Combine rice (after it has cooled), tofu, cranberries, nuts, cheese, salt and pepper; mix and pack firmly into peppers. Return peppers to the dish you first microwaved them in, and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine tomato sauce and brown sugar; heat until hot throughout. Spoon sauce over each serving.

BANANA MUFFINS WITH TART LEMON ICING

This came from a Weight Watchers email list maybe a decade or more ago. The points value is from then.

The recipe begins, “If the mouth-puckering lemon icing isn’t enough flavor for you, try adding 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour mixture.”

Servings: 18, 1 muffin per serving, Points: 3

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 large egg(s)

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup fat-free skim milk

4 large banana(s), ripe, mashed

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest, strips, or more to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin holes with paper liners.

Place sugar & 5 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl; cream with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed.

In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder & baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined & then fold in mashed bananas.

Spoon batter into muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and tester inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack and cool completely before icing.

Meanwhile, to make icing, combine powdered sugar, remaining tablespoon butter, lemon juice, zest, and remaining teaspoon of vanilla in medium bowl; beat with electric mixer until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins.

CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES

This comes from the Tablespoon newsletter. It begins, “Dulce de leche is the secret ingredients that gives these cookies their gooey hidden center.” Prep Time: 20 min; Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Servings: 9

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookies

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

Directions

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spoon 9 heaping teaspoons dulce de leche on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer 1 hour. Transfer remaining dulce de leche to covered container, and refrigerate for another use.

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour until well combined. Form dough into 9 balls. Flatten each ball into 2-inch round; place 1 frozen dulce de leche dollop on center of each round. Shape dough around dulce de leche, sealing to cover completely. In small bowl, mix sugar and apple pie spice. Roll each ball in sugar mixture. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

KHORESH RIVAS (SAVORY RHUBARB BEAN STEW)

This is from Naz Deravian on The New York Times cooking site. The recipe begins, "In Iranian cuisine, rhubarb is often used in savory dishes rather than in sweet ones. The hearty pinkish-red stalks, which cook down quickly and tenderize, provide just the right amount of tang to herb-based stews like khoresh rivas. Typically, this bright and flavorful dish is prepared with red meat, but hearty butter beans star in this vegetarian version. Fresh herbs are used in impressively large amounts in this cuisine, often holding their own as main ingredients. Mint and parsley are a common combination for the base of many stews. Gently frying the herbs separately before adding them to the stew concentrates their flavors, adding layers of depth. This stew tastes even better the next day. Serve khoresh rivas with rice and a side of plain yogurt."

Time: 1-1/2 hours; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023153-khoresh-rivas-savory-rhubarb-and-bean-stew.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus a pinch of granulated sugar, plus more to taste

A pinch of saffron threads (about 3/4 teaspoon)

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

3 large bunches parsley (about 12 ounces), tough stems trimmed, leaves and tender stems finely chopped (about 3 cups; see Tip)

2 large bunches mint (about 5 ounces), stems trimmed, leaves finely chopped (about 2 cups; see Tip)

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 (15-ounce) cans butter beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste

2 to 3 large red rhubarb stalks (about 8 ounces), cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

Cooked rice, for serving

Preparation

Bring a few tablespoons of water to a boil in a small pot. Let the boiling water stand for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop slightly while you grind the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl and the handle of a wooden spoon), grind a pinch of sugar with the saffron to a fine powder (you should have about 1/4 teaspoon total). Add 2 tablespoons of the hot water, gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use.

In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium. Add the parsley and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 8 minutes. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems too dry. Add the mint and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Keep in mind that mint burns very quickly. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use. (You’ll reuse this pan.)

In a large, deep sauté pan with a lid, or a Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the turmeric, stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, season well with salt and pepper, and cook, gently stirring without breaking the beans, until the flavors have mingled, about 5 minutes. Taste a bean and make sure it’s salted to your liking. The turmeric might feel overpowering at this point, but it will mellow as the stew simmers.

To the beans, add the parsley and mint mixture (keeping the pan handy), 2 cups water and half of the saffron water, and season with salt. Gently stir and bring to a rapid simmer. Partly cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, occasionally stirring, for 30 minutes, until the flavors have mingled and the oil rises.

Add the rest of the saffron water, the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes. Taste as the stew simmers and season as needed. Add more water to the stew if necessary to make it juicier, or remove the lid to reduce the liquid. There should be plenty of liquid to spoon over rice, but it shouldn’t be soupy. The stew can be made 1 day in advance up to this point.

Meanwhile, wipe clean the reserved pan from the herbs. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add the rhubarb and cook until the color deepens on each side, about 2 minutes per side. You’re not fully cooking the rhubarb here; it should maintain its shape and still have a slight bite to it, as it will finish cooking in the stew.

Gently place the rhubarb pieces in the stew, increase the heat to medium-low and cook, partly covered, until the rhubarb is tender and releases its tangy flavor, about 10 minutes. Don’t stir the rhubarb; you want it to maintain its shape and not turn mushy. Taste the stew as it simmers; add more lemon juice for extra acidity, if needed, and more sugar for balance, if you like. Serve over rice.

Tip

You can pulse the herbs in a food processor in batches to quickly chop them.

ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH SMOKY POMEGRANATE SAUCE

This yumminess is from Alexa Weibel in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Alexa wrote, "For the very best roasted mushrooms, this recipe employs a steam-roast method, which allows the mushrooms to caramelize and crisp while retaining a surprising amount of moisture. They’re tossed on a sheet pan with olive oil, poultry seasoning and granulated onion for flavor, then covered tightly with foil and set in the oven to steam in their own juices until tender. Finally, they’re broiled just until their edges crisp, and their natural essence becomes more concentrated with deep nutty notes. An easy pan sauce made with pomegranate juice, peppercorns and ancho chile provides a burst of tanginess and brilliant color — and it is easily made vegan with the use of vegan butter."

Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This was featured in "The Best Vegetarian Thanksgiving Looks as Good as It Tastes", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023635-roasted-mushrooms-with-smoky-pomegranate-sauce.

Ingredients

For the Mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon granulated onion

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 pounds oyster mushrooms, torn into small clusters, or other mushrooms (see Tip)

6 small fresh rosemary sprigs

For the Pomegranate Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan alternative

1 large shallot, minced

1 dried ancho chile, torn into big pieces, seeds and stem discarded

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed using the flat side of a knife

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1 teaspoon vegetable stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon), optional

2 cups pomegranate juice

Preparation

Heat the oven to 425 degrees and set a rack closest to the broiler.

Prepare the mushrooms: In a small bowl, stir together the poultry seasoning, granulated onion, salt and pepper. Lightly brush 2 large sheet pans with olive oil to coat. Divide the mushrooms among sheet pans. Drizzle each batch with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then gently toss to coat. Sprinkle the mushrooms evenly with the spice blend and toss to coat again. Tuck the rosemary sprigs among the mushrooms, wrap tightly with aluminum foil and set both sheet pans in the oven to tenderize the mushrooms, about 25 minutes.

While the mushrooms steam, prepare the pomegranate sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium until melted. Stir in the shallot, chile, garlic and peppercorns. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock concentrate (if using), then pour in the pomegranate juice and cook over medium-high, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is the consistency of maple syrup and thick enough to coat a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing on the solids to extract any liquid. You should have about 1/2 cup sauce, which will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

After the mushrooms have steamed, heat the broiler to high. Pull the mushrooms from the oven and remove the foil. Working with 1 sheet pan at a time, return the mushrooms to the rack nearest the broiler and cook, uncovered, until browned and caramelized at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes.

Discard rosemary and season mushrooms to taste. Arrange the mushrooms on a serving platter. Drizzle lightly with pomegranate sauce, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

TipYou also can use a mix of mushrooms that total 3 pounds and are prepared so they’re all about the same size. If using fresh shiitakes, stem and halve them. If using creminis, trim and quarter them.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

This is from Grace Elkus in thekitchn. For this recipe, Grace wrote, "As a lifelong vegetarian, veggie chili has always been one of my go-to meals. Thanks to creamy beans, tender vegetables, and stewed tomatoes, it provides all the hearty satisfaction of a meat-heavy dish, sans the meat.

"Whether you’re already a member of the veggie chili fan club and need a new go-to recipe, or you’re trying it out for the very first time, this easy recipe is for you."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes to 50 minutes; Serves: 8 to 10

To view this online, go to https://www.thekitchn.com/vegetarian-chili-266017. There's also quite a bit of good info to make sure your veggie chili is as good as it gets.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 large bell peppers, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (do not drain)

2 (4-ounce) cans roasted green chiles, undrained

3 (15- to 15.5-ounce) cans beans, such as pinto, black, kidney, cannellini, or garbanzo, drained and rinsed

1 to 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

Serving suggestions: sliced avocado, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro leaves and tender stems, pickled red onion, sliced jalapeño, sliced radishes

Equipment

Large pot

Fine-mesh sieve or strainer

InstructionsHeat the oil. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the veggies. Add the onion, bell peppers, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the spices. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to coat veggies.

Add the tomatoes, chiles, beans, and broth. Add the tomatoes and their juices, green chiles, beans, and 1 cup of the broth. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 to 40 minutes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat as needed and simmer uncovered until the chili thickens to your liking, 30 to 40 minutes. If you prefer a looser chili, add up to 1 cup more broth.

Stir in the corn. Add the corn and stir to combine.

Serve with toppings of your choice. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and serve with the toppings of your choice.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.