Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. To that end, here are six vegetarian recipes to try out this weekend, including Vegan French Onion Soup and Maple Sriracha Roasted Vegetables. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN POT PIE

This is from Aida Mollenkamp at the Food Network.

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Inactive Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/vegetarian-pot-pie-recipe-1945008.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 small heads fennel, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)

12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)

1 small russet potato, peeled and diced small (about 2-1/2 cups)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium mushroom broth

1 cup whole milk

\1 cup frozen baby green peas

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

1/4 cup parsley

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 large egg yolk

7 ounces store-bought puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Melt butter over medium heat in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add fennel, onions, and carrots, and cook until just soft and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and potato, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring rarely, until mushrooms have let off water and are shrunken, about 6 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook until raw flavor is gone, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add broth and milk, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add peas, herbs, and vinegar, and stir to coat. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn filling into an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.

Whisk egg together with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt until evenly mixed. Set aside.

\With kitchen shears, cut dough to fit over the baking dish. Place dough over filling and tuck into the edges of the dish. Brush dough with egg wash and cut slits in the top to vent. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

CAULIFLOWER KUGEL

This is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "Using cauliflower in a savory kugel is a nice, slightly lighter change from the usual potatoes. Adding both red onions and scallions give this a sweet and fresh flavor, while smoked paprika lends smokiness and depth. While this is perfect to serve at a Seder, it’s also great as a meatless main all year long."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/774540571-cauliflower-kugel. While you're there, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, more as needed

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), leaves trimmed

1 large red onion, peeled and halved

2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon plus a pinch fine sea salt

4 large eggs

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, making sure to grease the corners and up the sides (use a little more oil if needed). Put the baking dish in the oven to heat while you prepare the cauliflower.

Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower in half through the stem. Cut one half into bite-size florets and dice the stem into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the other cauliflower half cut side down on the cutting board, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (these are to decorate the top).

Use a box grater set over a bowl to shred the onion, saving any juices.

Add the scallions, paprika, all the salt and eggs to the onions. Whisk until foamy. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil until combined. Stir in cauliflower florets and stem pieces.

Pour the mixture into the hot baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the decorative cauliflower slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top, taking care to coat the cauliflower. Bake until the kugel is firm and the cauliflower is lightly golden at the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This is from the Food Network kitchen, and begins, "This sweet potato casserole is sprinkled with a nutty crumb topping to create a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the creamy and soft mashed sweet potatoes down below. The filling gets an extra special pumpkin pie(ish) treatment with brown sugar and vanilla for a deep caramel flavor. (In fact, leftovers can be heated up and topped with a scoop of ice cream just like pie.) Want to make ahead for Thanksgiving or another special holiday? Not a problem. The casserole ingredients can be mixed and transferred to a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake but leave off the topping. Store it separately at room temperature in an air-right container and sprinkle it on right before baking."

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/sweet-potato-casserole-3364945.

Ingredients

Filling:

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the baking dish

3 to 4 large sweet potatoes (about 1-3/4 pounds), peeled and cubed

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Special equipment: a 2-quart baking dish

For the sweet potatoes: Add 1-3/4 pounds peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash the sweet potatoes.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

Whisk together the butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

CORNBREAD

This is from Yewande Komolafe in The New York Times cooking newsletter. For this recipe, Yewande wrote, "This easy skillet cornbread comes together with just a handful of ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand. It’s a firm-crumbed but light quick bread that can hold its own as a side slathered with salted butter, or it can be used as a base for cornbread dressing. The buttermilk gives the toasted corn flavor a pleasant tartness — full-fat buttermilk is preferred, but low-fat will do in a pinch."

Total Time: 1-1/2 hours; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This was featured in "These Thanksgiving Recipes Aren’t Just Side Dishes. They’re My Memories." and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022722-cornbread.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing the pan

1-1/2 cups medium-coarse yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups buttermilk, preferably full-fat

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch skillet or cast-iron pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until incorporated. Fold in the melted butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top.

Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sides pull away cleanly from the skillet, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and serve warm or room temperature, or reserve to make cornbread dressing.

MAPLE SRIRACHA ROASTED VEGETABLES

This is from Kikkoman.

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/recipes/maple-sriracha-roasted-vegetables/.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Kikkoman® Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup red onion, coarsely chopped

For Serving

1/2 teaspoon flaky salt

Directionos

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oil, maple syrup and sriracha. Add brussels sprouts, carrots and red onion. Mix well to coat.

Spread vegetables evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve hot topped with flaky sea salt.

VEGAN FRENCH ONION SOUP

When I was growing up, my dad used to make French Onion Soup. This was usually done on Sundays, frequently when my grandparents were visiting, and especially around holidays. So, of course, I had to check out this recipe.

This absolute yumminess is from Nicole, creator of Oh My Veggies. (Hint: If you've never visited Oh My Veggies, I highly recommend visiting. Great site!

Anyway, this recipe begins, "This Vegan French Onion Soup is comfort food at its finest. Tender onions are simmered in a savory broth, topped with cheesy toast, and baked to perfection."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://ohmyveggies.com/vegan-french-onion-soup/. While you're at it, you might want to sign up for emails from the site. Also, Nicole has a couple of cookbooks for sale (Weeknight One-Pot Vegan Cooking; Vegan Christmas Cookbook), and you can see about buying them when you visit the site. (I plan to buy 'em after Christmas.)

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

4 yellow onions thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1-1/2 cups white wine such as Chardonnay

6 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

4 slices baguette

1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4).

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until they are lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Remove the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the soup into four ovenproof serving dishes. Top each bowl with a slice of baguette, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup (30 g) of the vegan cheese shreds. Place the bowls in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegan cheese is melted and the baguette is slightly toasted.