Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. To help you through the weekend, here are six yummy recipes, including Broccoli Rabe Lasagna and Mississippi Mud Pie. Enjoy!

DUMP CAKE

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (18 oz) pkg. yellow cake mix

8 oz. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. butter (melted)

Directions

In a 9x13 pan mix cherry pie filling and pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple and cherry mixture, stir until just combined. Then sprinkle walnuts over top. Drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

HUNGARIAN CABBAGE WITH NOODLES

This recipe is from Barbara Rolek on The Spruce Eats. Barbara wrote, “This Hungarian comfort-food dish known as kaposztás tészta is a simple recipe to make, consisting of cabbage, onion, butter, egg noodles, salt, and pepper.

“Cabbage with noodles is a popular and easy dish common throughout Eastern Europe. In Poland, it's called kapusta z kluski or hałuski, in the Czech Republic, it's known as nudle s zelí, and Slovaks call it haluski (without the accent on the "L" as in Polish).

“This can be a strictly vegetarian dish, sometimes with added sautéed mushrooms, or can be enhanced with bacon or other smoked meat, and it makes a terrific side dish or main-course offering that holds up well on a buffet table. If this recipe doesn't tickle your fancy, there are many more Eastern European cabbage recipes to choose from.

Total: 50 mins; Prep: 20 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 large head cabbage (cored and shredded)

1 large onion (chopped)

8 ounces butter (2 sticks)

Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 pound medium Hungarian egg noodles (homemade or store-bought, cooked)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, sauté cabbage and onion in butter until golden brown and tender.

Season with salt and pepper.

Mix with cooked egg noodles. Adjust seasonings and rewarm if necessary to serve piping hot.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Add 1 cup sliced button, cremini or other mushrooms to the skillet with the cabbage and onion, and cook until they are all golden brown and tender.

Before serving, add 1 cup cooked, crumbled or diced bacon to the cabbage, onion, and noodles mixture.

After mixing the cabbage and onion with the noodles, add 1 cup chopped ham combining well and rewarm to serve hot.

More Hungarian Noodle Recipes

Basic Hungarian Noodle Dough Recipe: This egg dough can be transformed into thin noodles, wide noodles and everything in between.

Tarhonya or Grated Egg Noodles Recipe: These noodles are made by grating chunks of noodle dough instead of rolling and cutting. They are dried and used in soups or browned in butter as a side dish.

More About Hungarian Noodles

Hungarian egg noodles, known as Magyar tojasos teszta (MAHG-yahr toy-YAH-shohss TESS-tah) or metelt (MEH-telt), come in a staggering number of varieties, rivaled possibly only by Italian pasta.

Hungarians roll them, cut them, pinch them, grate them, and drop them. There's a noodle for every dish and a dish for every noodle.

Teszta is actually the Hungarian word for "dough" and metelt means "noodles," but they are used interchangeably.

When the word tojasos is added, we're talking about egg noodles, the pride of Hungarian cuisine. They are made with three simple ingredients—flour, eggs, and salt—and, in some kitchens, not even any salt.

No water or oil is added to authentic Hungarian noodle recipes because many cooks feel the addition of water creates longer drying times and increases the potential for the noodles to mold when stored.

COCONUT RED CURRY WITH TOFU

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, “This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.”

Yield: Serves 4; Time: 30 minutes

This was featured in “Curry and Coconut Milk Fire Up a Weeknight Basic”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016196-coconut-red-curry-with-tofu.

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu

1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil

1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced

2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup snow peas

Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish

Brown or white rice, for serving

Preparation

Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.

Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.

BROCCOLI RABE LASAGNA

This comes from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Broccoli rabe (sometimes spelled raab, or known as rapini greens) is one of the most delicious members of the mustard green family. The leaves, tender stems and broccoli-like buds have a distinctive pleasant bitterness when cooked. For this vegetarian lasagna, some of the cooked greens are puréed to make a garlicky pesto and the rest is coarsely chopped and added to the layers.” Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the Lasagna:

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

Salt and pepper

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.

Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and ?1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.

Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)

Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 prepared 9-inch chocolate crumb pie crust

1 cup Powdered sugar

1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ ® TOLL HOUSE ® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, cut up

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped nuts, divided (optional)

2 pints coffee ice cream, softened slightly, divided

1 garnish of whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Heat sugar, morsels, butter, cream & corn syrup in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted & mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool until slightly warm.

Drizzle 1/3 cup chocolate sauce in bottom of crust; sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts. Layer 1 pint ice cream, scooping thin slices with a large spoon; freeze for 1 hour. Repeat with 1/3 cup sauce, 1/4 cup nuts and remaining ice cream. Drizzle with remaining sauce; top with remaining nuts. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream before serving.

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, ½ tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! Time to Celebrate having made it through another week. To help you celebrate the weekend, here are six yummy recipes, including Cheese & Bean Enchiladas and Mississippi Mud Pie. Enjoy!

DUMP CAKE

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (18 oz) pkg. yellow cake mix

8 oz. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. butter (melted)

Directions

In a 9x13 pan mix cherry pie filling and pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple and cherry mixture, stir until just combined. Then sprinkle walnuts over top. Drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

HUNGARIAN CABBAGE WITH NOODLES

This recipe is from Barbara Rolek on The Spruce Eats. Barbara wrote, “This Hungarian comfort-food dish known as kaposztás tészta is a simple recipe to make, consisting of cabbage, onion, butter, egg noodles, salt, and pepper.

“Cabbage with noodles is a popular and easy dish common throughout Eastern Europe. In Poland, it's called kapusta z kluski or hałuski, in the Czech Republic, it's known as nudle s zelí, and Slovaks call it haluski (without the accent on the "L" as in Polish).

“This can be a strictly vegetarian dish, sometimes with added sautéed mushrooms, or can be enhanced with bacon or other smoked meat, and it makes a terrific side dish or main-course offering that holds up well on a buffet table. If this recipe doesn't tickle your fancy, there are many more Eastern European cabbage recipes to choose from.

Total: 50 mins; Prep: 20 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 large head cabbage (cored and shredded)

1 large onion (chopped)

8 ounces butter (2 sticks)

Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 pound medium Hungarian egg noodles (homemade or store-bought, cooked)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, sauté cabbage and onion in butter until golden brown and tender.

Season with salt and pepper.

Mix with cooked egg noodles. Adjust seasonings and rewarm if necessary to serve piping hot.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Add 1 cup sliced button, cremini or other mushrooms to the skillet with the cabbage and onion, and cook until they are all golden brown and tender.

Before serving, add 1 cup cooked, crumbled or diced bacon to the cabbage, onion, and noodles mixture.

After mixing the cabbage and onion with the noodles, add 1 cup chopped ham combining well and rewarm to serve hot.

More Hungarian Noodle Recipes

Basic Hungarian Noodle Dough Recipe: This egg dough can be transformed into thin noodles, wide noodles and everything in between.

Tarhonya or Grated Egg Noodles Recipe: These noodles are made by grating chunks of noodle dough instead of rolling and cutting. They are dried and used in soups or browned in butter as a side dish.

More About Hungarian Noodles

Hungarian egg noodles, known as Magyar tojasos teszta (MAHG-yahr toy-YAH-shohss TESS-tah) or metelt (MEH-telt), come in a staggering number of varieties, rivaled possibly only by Italian pasta.

Hungarians roll them, cut them, pinch them, grate them, and drop them. There's a noodle for every dish and a dish for every noodle.

Teszta is actually the Hungarian word for "dough" and metelt means "noodles," but they are used interchangeably.

When the word tojasos is added, we're talking about egg noodles, the pride of Hungarian cuisine. They are made with three simple ingredients—flour, eggs, and salt—and, in some kitchens, not even any salt.

No water or oil is added to authentic Hungarian noodle recipes because many cooks feel the addition of water creates longer drying times and increases the potential for the noodles to mold when stored.

COCONUT RED CURRY WITH TOFU

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, “This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.”

Yield: Serves 4; Time: 30 minutes

This was featured in “Curry and Coconut Milk Fire Up a Weeknight Basic”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016196-coconut-red-curry-with-tofu.

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu

1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil

1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced

2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup snow peas

Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish

Brown or white rice, for serving

Preparation

Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.

Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.

BROCCOLI RABE LASAGNA

This comes from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Broccoli rabe (sometimes spelled raab, or known as rapini greens) is one of the most delicious members of the mustard green family. The leaves, tender stems and broccoli-like buds have a distinctive pleasant bitterness when cooked. For this vegetarian lasagna, some of the cooked greens are puréed to make a garlicky pesto and the rest is coarsely chopped and added to the layers.” Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the Lasagna:

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

Salt and pepper

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.

Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.

Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)

Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 prepared 9-inch chocolate crumb pie crust

1 cup Powdered sugar

1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ ® TOLL HOUSE ® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, cut up

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped nuts, divided (optional)

2 pints coffee ice cream, softened slightly, divided

1 garnish of whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Heat sugar, morsels, butter, cream & corn syrup in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted & mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool until slightly warm.

Drizzle 1/3 cup chocolate sauce in bottom of crust; sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts. Layer 1 pint ice cream, scooping thin slices with a large spoon; freeze for 1 hour. Repeat with 1/3 cup sauce, 1/4 cup nuts and remaining ice cream. Drizzle with remaining sauce; top with remaining nuts. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream before serving.

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, 1/2 tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

Monday Recipes

Here are six yummy recipes to help you start your week off just right, including Cheese and Bean Enchiladas and Lemon-Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches. (Do I have your attention yet?) Enjoy!

JOLLOF RICE

This is from Yewande Komolafe in the The New York Times cooking email. Yewande wrote, “A successful batch of jollof rice requires a few key ingredients (tomatoes, peppers, onions, a few herbs, spices and some stock) and a perfect sauce-to-rice ratio, so the cooked grains remain separate. I have found that the best, no-fuss way to do this is in the oven. Jollof is typically made with long-grain rice, though in Nigeria, parboiled rice is the norm. Most jollof is prepared over an open flame or on a stovetop. Missing from this oven version is the slightly smoky flavor you get from the little bits of rice that have browned on the bottom of your pan, but that’s nothing a pinch of smoked paprika can’t fix. Serve with braised goat or other stewed meats, and a side of fried plantains.”

Note: Okay, this is me writing. Obviously, for this blog, I'm adding that, if you're a vegetarian (like I am), you might not be serving this with any meat. But that said, it would be fantastic with any vegetarian stews or chilis, anything that you might otherwise serve over noddles, rice, crackers, etc.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours

This was featured in “Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes” and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020288-jollof-rice.

Ingredients

For the Obe Ata:

1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1/2 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red habanero chile, stemmed

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

For the Jollof Rice:

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

3 cups parboiled long-grain rice (such as Carolina Gold or Uncle Ben’s Original), basmati or jasmine rice (about 1 1/4 pounds)

5 fresh thyme sprigs

1 fresh bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation

Prepare the obe ata: Working in batches if needed, combine all the obe ata ingredients except the canola oil in a blender and purée on high until smooth. The liquid from the can of tomatoes should suffice, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the purée going. (You should have about 3 cups of purée.)

Heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced by about a third of its original volume, 18 to 20 minutes. (It should make about 2 cups. Obe ata can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Prepare the rice: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the 1/2 cup canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove half the onions to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and smoked paprika, if using, and toast, stirring occasionally, until turmeric is fragrant and tomato paste has deepened to a dark red color, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the obe ata sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. The habanero oils love to disperse in the air, so you may want to turn on your stovetop fan or open a window while simmering the obe ata. Stir in the rice, thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and cover with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until rice is just tender, 35 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, covered (no peeking) for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the reserved sautéed onions. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Serve warm.

TUMBLE-JUMBLE STRAWBERRY TART

This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “I first had a strawberry tart like this one more than 10 years ago at the Paris cafe La Palette, and I’ve been making my own version of it ever since. It’s simply a crust slicked with some jam and then topped with an abundance of berries; whipped cream or crème fraîche is optional. The recipe is straightforward, but the construction is genius. You bake the crust, which is both crisp and tender, to a beautiful golden color and then set it aside. (Use the scraps of dough to make cookies; sprinkle with sugar before baking.) When you’re ready for dessert, you cut and finish only as many servings as you need, ensuring that the crust will always have great texture and the berries will always be fresh and bright. You could use a store-bought crust, but there are so few components in this dessert, it’s good to make each one count.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling and cooling.

This was beautifully featured on “My Summer Jam: An Update of the French Fruit Tart”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020343-tumble-jumble-strawberry-tart.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1/2 cup strawberry jam

1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled

Granulated sugar, as needed (optional)

Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Put the flour, both sugars, salt and lemon zest, if you’re using it, in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Scatter the butter on top; pulse the butter into the dry ingredients until you’ve got a bowlful of curds. At first the dough will look like cornmeal, but it will change as you go, so work in long pulses — you might need as many as 20 — and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often.

Whisk the yolk and vanilla together, and add in three additions, pulsing after each. Pulse just until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl; it should form moist clumps and hold together when pinched. Turn it out onto a counter, knead it into a compact ball and flatten it into a disk between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.

Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. If it’s cold enough, fit it into a 9- to 9½-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, prick the bottom with a fork and trim the top even with the pan’s rim; if it’s not cold, chill it until it’s workable. Refrigerate the crust in the pan for at least 1 hour (or cover and freeze up to 2 months; bake straight from the freezer).

Heat oven to 400. Place the dough in its pan on a baking sheet, cover with a piece of buttered foil or parchment and fill with rice.

Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil or paper and rice. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden, another 8-10 minutes. Let cool, at least 30 minutes.

If you’re serving 6, cover the bottom of the crust with a layer of jam, and then cut the tart into wedges. (Otherwise, cut the number of wedges you need, and spread each portion with jam.) Halve or quarter as many berries as you’d like — be generous — and if you want, toss with a little granulated sugar. Place each wedge of crust on a plate, and spoon over berries, letting them tumble where they might. If you’d like, top each serving with whipped cream, or pass the cream at the table.

CHEESE AND BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, 1/2 tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

LEMON-GINGERBREAD ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

This was posted on the Vegetarian Times web site on MAY 1, 2017, and begins, “These ice cream sandwiches will become a year-round favorite.” Makes 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. each ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground black pepper and salt

8 Tbs. (1 stick) soy margarine, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 pints lemon sorbet

4 cups vanilla soy "ice cream"

Preparation

Put molasses in heatproof bowl. Sprinkle baking soda over top. Add boiling water; whisk with fork.

Blend flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper and salt in large bowl. Cream margarine and brown sugar in another bowl. Add molasses mixture; beat until soft dough forms. Divide in half, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Put 1 dough ball between 2 sheets wax paper. Roll into 8 1/2 x 12 1/2-inch shape; remove top wax paper. Using sharp knife, trim dough edges; cut dough into 12 2x4-inch rectangles. Prick with fork. Transfer on wax paper to cookie sheet; chill 30 minutes.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Transfer rectangles from wax paper to cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but still soft to the touch. Transfer to wire rack, and cool completely.

Meanwhile, scoop sorbet and ice cream into large bowl; blend with wooden spoon. Freeze 20 minutes or longer, or until mixture is firm.

When completely cool, spread 1/2 cup frozen lemon filling onto bottom of one cookie. Pat filling down with spatula. Place second cookie on top (pricked side up), and gently press down. Scrape away any filling that spreads past edges, and use it to fill in corners. Smooth edges. Repeat with remaining cookies. Wrap sandwiches in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

HONEY BEE AMBROSIA

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

4 medium oranges

1 medium banana

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup flaked coconut

Pare oranges. Cut crosswise into thin slices. Place in serving bowl. Peel bananas. Cut thin slices. Place in the bowl with oranges. Toss fruits. Blend orange juice, honey & lemon juice. Pour over fruits. Sprinkle with coconut.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This also comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 Servings. 1 Serving size = 1 cup. 1 cup fettuccine alfredo provides a 1/2 serving of Benecol®

2 tbsp. Benecol® Regular spread

4 to 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1/4 cups skim milk

3 tbsp flour

4 ounces fat free cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 cups hot cooked fettuccine noodles (about 1/2 pound uncooked)

Heat Benecol & garlic slowly over low heat, 5 to 7 minutes, allowing full flavor of garlic to be released into Benecol.

Meanwhile, combine milk, flour, cream cheese, & Parmesan cheese in blender; then puree until smooth.

Add pureed mixture to Benecol® and garlic. Increase heat to medium-low and whisk continuously until mixture has thickened. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Toss with fettuccine noodles.

Monday Recipes

Here are six yummy recipes to help get your week started off just right, including Cheese & Bean Enchiladas and Cherry Dream Pie. Enjoy!

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BARS

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Ethereal and ready to melt in your mouth, chocolate mousse bars are easy to make and even easier to eat. With so few ingredients, it’s important to use a chocolate you would be perfectly happy to snack out of hand. The instant espresso powder is optional but adds depth to this simple dessert. To cut beautiful, neat slices, use a long sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped clean before each cut.”

Yield: 24 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling.

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019316-no-bake-chocolate-mousse-bars.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

18 whole graham crackers (about 9 1/2 ounces)

8 tablespoons (1 stick), melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:

1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2 1/4 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

STRAWBERRY 'ICE CREAM' CAKE

Of course, it does help to have the occasional dessert, right? This one, from page 80 of the March 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, starts off, “Sssshhh … don’t tell kids this delicious dessert is actually just good-for-them yogurt and fruit with a few graham crackers and waffle cones thrown in for crunch.” I'm not telling, if you're not! Serves 12.

To view this yummy recipe online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/strawberry-ice-cream-cake/.

15 full graham crackers

5 waffle cones

1 20-oz. bag whole frozen strawberries

1 32-oz. container honey-flavored Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. honey

Line 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

Pulse graham crackers in food processor with 1 to 2 tsp. water until crumbly and moist. Transfer to bowl.

Pulse waffle cones in food processor until crumbly. Transfer to separate bowl.

Bring strawberries to a simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft and liquid starts to fill bottom of pan. Cool completely.

Stir together yogurt and honey. Set aside.

Press graham cracker crumbs on bottom of prepared springform pan. Spread half of yogurt, then half of strawberries, then half of crumbled waffle cones in pan. Repeat layering, ending with a sprinkling of waffle cones. Freeze at least 3 hours, or until frozen. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

nutritional information Per Per slice: Calories: 250; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Sodium: 107 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 25 g

TEXAS POTATO SALAD

This is from Derrick Riches, a former writer for The Spruce Eats. Derrick wrote, “If you haven't tried a Texas-style potato salad, you're missing out. Think German potato salad meets traditional potato salad with a touch of Southwestern flair. A must try at your next cookout!”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 18 minutes; Total Time: 38 minutes; Yield: serves 4-6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Pickled Jalapeños:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 large jalapeño (seeded and finely chopped)

For the Potatoes:

8 medium poatoes (Yukon gold, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks)

For the Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sea salt (more if needed)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (coarse ground)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or chipotle chili powder)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons pickling juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Assembly:

2 stalks celery (washed and diced)

2 green onions (green part only, washed and chopped)

1/4 cup cilantro (leaves, washed and chopped)

2 eggs (hard-boiled, cut into medium chunks)

Directions

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this potato salad dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Pickled Jalapeños:

Gather the ingredients.

In a small glass or plastic bowl, add rice wine vinegar, mustard seed, salt, and diced jalapeño. You can use serrano peppers if you prefer.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Make the Potatoes:

Gather the ingredients.

Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt to water as it begins to bubble.

Peel and cut Yukon potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to pot and boil for 15-18 minutes. Potatoes are done when easily pierced by a fork. Make sure they are still firm and not mushy.

Once potatoes are cooked through, drain and add to an ice bath (a large bowl with cold water and 1 cup of ice), for several minutes. This halts the cooking process and cools the potatoes.

Make the Dressing

Gather the ingredients.

Add mustard, mayonnaise, salt, sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, vinegar, pickling juice, chili powder, and garlic powder to bowl.

Combine and taste for salt content. Remember that potatoes tend to need a little more salt, so add 1/2 teaspoon more if necessary.

Assemble the Potatoes

Gather the ingredients.

Drain potatoes from ice bath.

Add to bowl along with celery pickled jalapeños, cilantro, egg, and green onions.

Using large spoon, gently combine with salad dressing.

Scoop potato salad into serving dish, top with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, ½ tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

ROASTED SQUASH CHILI MAC

This is from Rachael Ray of The Food Network show Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day.

Total: 1 hr 40 min; Active: 20 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, plus more for the casserole dish

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced (or look for diced raw butternut squash in the produce department)

EVOO, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 pound rigatoni, penne or macaroni with ridges

2 tablespoons chili powder, such as Gebhardt's, or a blend of ancho or chipotle

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, made into a paste

1 fresh chile pepper, such as Fresno or jalapeno, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups shredded sharp yellow Cheddar

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

One 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded pepper jack or other hot-pepper melting cheese

Ingredients

Watch how to make this recipe.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

Put the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Toss to combine. Roast until the edges are browned, 17 to 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to just shy of al dente, 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic and chile pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add the Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted.

Combine the squash, chili-cheese sauce and beans, then transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the pepper jack cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.

CHERRY DREAM PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

1 graham cracker pie crust

3 egg yolks

1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1/3 C. lemon juice

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling chilled

whipped topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk & lemon juice. Pour into prepared crust; bake 8 minutes. Cool. Chill 3 hours or overnight. Prior to serving, top with pie filling. Garnish with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. To help you through the weekend, here are six yummy recipes, including Broccoli Rabe Lasagna and Mississippi Mud Pie. Enjoy!

DUMP CAKE

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (18 oz) pkg. yellow cake mix

8 oz. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. butter (melted)

Directions

In a 9x13 pan mix cherry pie filling and pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple and cherry mixture, stir until just combined. Then sprinkle walnuts over top. Drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

HUNGARIAN CABBAGE WITH NOODLES

This recipe is from Barbara Rolek on The Spruce Eats. Barbara wrote, “This Hungarian comfort-food dish known as kaposztás tészta is a simple recipe to make, consisting of cabbage, onion, butter, egg noodles, salt, and pepper.

“Cabbage with noodles is a popular and easy dish common throughout Eastern Europe. In Poland, it's called kapusta z kluski or hałuski, in the Czech Republic, it's known as nudle s zelí, and Slovaks call it haluski (without the accent on the "L" as in Polish).

“This can be a strictly vegetarian dish, sometimes with added sautéed mushrooms, or can be enhanced with bacon or other smoked meat, and it makes a terrific side dish or main-course offering that holds up well on a buffet table. If this recipe doesn't tickle your fancy, there are many more Eastern European cabbage recipes to choose from.

Total: 50 mins; Prep: 20 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 large head cabbage (cored and shredded)

1 large onion (chopped)

8 ounces butter (2 sticks)

Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 pound medium Hungarian egg noodles (homemade or store-bought, cooked)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, sauté cabbage and onion in butter until golden brown and tender.

Season with salt and pepper.

Mix with cooked egg noodles. Adjust seasonings and rewarm if necessary to serve piping hot.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Add 1 cup sliced button, cremini or other mushrooms to the skillet with the cabbage and onion, and cook until they are all golden brown and tender.

Before serving, add 1 cup cooked, crumbled or diced bacon to the cabbage, onion, and noodles mixture.

After mixing the cabbage and onion with the noodles, add 1 cup chopped ham combining well and rewarm to serve hot.

More Hungarian Noodle Recipes

Basic Hungarian Noodle Dough Recipe: This egg dough can be transformed into thin noodles, wide noodles and everything in between.

Tarhonya or Grated Egg Noodles Recipe: These noodles are made by grating chunks of noodle dough instead of rolling and cutting. They are dried and used in soups or browned in butter as a side dish.

More About Hungarian Noodles

Hungarian egg noodles, known as Magyar tojasos teszta (MAHG-yahr toy-YAH-shohss TESS-tah) or metelt (MEH-telt), come in a staggering number of varieties, rivaled possibly only by Italian pasta.

Hungarians roll them, cut them, pinch them, grate them, and drop them. There's a noodle for every dish and a dish for every noodle.

Teszta is actually the Hungarian word for "dough" and metelt means "noodles," but they are used interchangeably.

When the word tojasos is added, we're talking about egg noodles, the pride of Hungarian cuisine. They are made with three simple ingredients—flour, eggs, and salt—and, in some kitchens, not even any salt.

No water or oil is added to authentic Hungarian noodle recipes because many cooks feel the addition of water creates longer drying times and increases the potential for the noodles to mold when stored.

COCONUT RED CURRY WITH TOFU

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, “This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.”

Yield: Serves 4; Time: 30 minutes

This was featured in “Curry and Coconut Milk Fire Up a Weeknight Basic”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016196-coconut-red-curry-with-tofu.

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu

1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil

1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced

2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup snow peas

Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish

Brown or white rice, for serving

Preparation

Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.

Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.

BROCCOLI RABE LASAGNA

This comes from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “Broccoli rabe (sometimes spelled raab, or known as rapini greens) is one of the most delicious members of the mustard green family. The leaves, tender stems and broccoli-like buds have a distinctive pleasant bitterness when cooked. For this vegetarian lasagna, some of the cooked greens are puréed to make a garlicky pesto and the rest is coarsely chopped and added to the layers.” Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the Lasagna:

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

Salt and pepper

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.

Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and ?1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.

Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.

Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)

Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 prepared 9-inch chocolate crumb pie crust

1 cup Powdered sugar

1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ ® TOLL HOUSE ® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, cut up

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped nuts, divided (optional)

2 pints coffee ice cream, softened slightly, divided

1 garnish of whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Heat sugar, morsels, butter, cream & corn syrup in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted & mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool until slightly warm.

Drizzle 1/3 cup chocolate sauce in bottom of crust; sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts. Layer 1 pint ice cream, scooping thin slices with a large spoon; freeze for 1 hour. Repeat with 1/3 cup sauce, 1/4 cup nuts and remaining ice cream. Drizzle with remaining sauce; top with remaining nuts. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream before serving.

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, ½ tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

Mexican Recipes

Mexican food seems to be one of those groups that people either love or hate (at least the people I've spoken with).

Fortunately, most people I know love (or at least seriously like) Mexican food. For that group, today's offerings include Black Bean Breakfast Burrito with Plantains and Mango Salsa and Mexican Chocolate-Zucchini Bread. Enjoy!

CHIPOTLE ASPARAGUS QUESADILLAS

This comes from the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 34. It begins, “Canned chipotles in adobo sauce lend mellow, smoky heat to quesadillas. Leftover chipotles (there are usually four or five in a can) can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future use.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Quesadillas

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)

1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 tsp. dried oregano

4 8-inch sprouted-grain tortillas

Chipotle Spread

3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise

2 tsp. minced, drained chipotles in adobo sauce

1 Tbs. lime or lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F.

To make Quesadillas: Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, onion, oil, and oregano in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on large baking sheet, and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, to make Chipotle Spread: blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.

Spread 1 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Spread on one side of each tortilla, spreading all the way out to edges. Top with 2/3 cup filling on one half of each tortilla, then fold over tortillas, pressing edges together to enclose filling and form half-moons.

Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.

nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 273; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 235 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan

BLACK BEAN BREAKFAST BURRITO WITH PLANTAINS AND MANGO SALSA

This comes from the March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It begins, “Ripe plantains have a starchy consistency like potatoes, but with more fiber.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 cups sliced ripe plantains (2 medium)

1 lime, juiced and zest grated (2 Tbs. juice and 1 tsp. zest)

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup prepared mango salsa, plus more for serving, optional

4 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed

Combine plantains, lime juice, and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover pan, and simmer 20 minutes, or until plantains are very soft. Mash with fork or potato masher, and stir in lime zest. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Combine beans and salsa in small saucepan; warm over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread heaping 1/4 cup plantains on bottom half of each tortilla, leaving 2-inch border. Top with 1/2 cup bean mixture. Fold sides of tortilla over filling, then roll from bottom up. Serve with additional salsa, if using.

nutritional information Per Burrito: Calories: 349; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 72 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 779 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 18 g; Vegan

MINI CHURRO DOUGHNUT HOLES

This yummy recipe is from Old El Paso, and begins, “This DIY version of fair food goes bite-size and gets an added flavor boost from caramel.”

By Pillsbury Kitchens

Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Canola oil for deep-frying

1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated Original biscuits

Caramel sauce, if desired

Instructions

Fill 3-quart saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat over medium heat to about 350°F. Line plate with paper towels; set aside.

In small bowl, stir together cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar; set aside.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit into 2 rounds; place on cutting board. Using very small doughnut-hole cutter or mouth of an empty bottle, cut out mini-sized doughnut holes.

When oil is hot, carefully drop a few of the doughnut holes into oil at a time. (See Tip.) Using slotted metal spoon or kitchen spider, continuously turn holes over and over until golden brown. Remove from oil; place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately place holes in sugar mixture; coat completely. Serve doughnut holes immediately drizzled with caramel sauce.

Expert Tips

The safest way to fry is to bring your hand close to the oil and gently drop in the dough versus quickly dropping and splashing the oil.

To prep ahead by a few hours, you can cut the dough and store it in a zipper-topped plastic bag in the fridge.

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, ½ tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

For the Tortillas and Assembly:

2 cups vegetable oil

8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Kosher salt

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack

3/4 cup sour cream or crema

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.

Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE-ZUCCHINI BREAD

This comes from Deb Wise on MyRecipes. She wrote, “Got a boatload of zucchini? A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. This decadent twist spices up classic zucchini bread with cocoa powder, cinnamon, a rich chocolate glaze, and roasted pepitas. Easy-to-make, incredibly moist, and intensely chocolatey, this Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Bread is sure to be a new favorite.”

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; Yield: Serves: 10 (serving size: 1 slice)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-chocolate-zucchini-bread.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

1 2/3 cups (about 7 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. roasted and salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), divided

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped

1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Place eggs in a large bowl; lightly whisk. Add granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in grated zucchini.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl just until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pepitas into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top with spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of pan to loosen bread. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.

Combine cream and bittersweet chocolate in a medium-size microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM until chocolate melts, about 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar, and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled bread. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas.

Monday Recipes

It's Monday, the beginning of a new week. Today's recipes are sure to start your week off just right, and include Simple Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna and Fabulous Vegan Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Icing. Enjoy!

TOMATO SOUP CAKE

This came from Carroll Pellegrinelli on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, “Tomato Soup Cake you say? Yuk. That’s what I thought about this cake. It’s not like that at all. First of all, you can’t even taste or smell any tomatoes. Secondly, if you enjoy spice cakes, you’ll enjoy this one too. The cream cheese frosting makes it taste even better.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 24 pieces (24 servings)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon*

1/2 teaspoon cloves*

1 1/2 teaspoon allspice*

1 10 ounce can tomato soup

1/2 cup butter (melted or vegetable oil)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (or water)

For the Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup/4 ounces butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. (325 degrees F. for a dark or glass pan). Grease an 13 x 9 baking pan. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground all spice in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Set the bowl aside. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato soup, melted butter, eggs and milk. Mix completely. Add the soup mixture to the flour mixture and mix until completely combined. Carefully, pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the cake for at least 40 minutes or until it is tested done. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.

Once the cake is completely cool, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Add the butter until the mixture is even fluffier. Slowly add the milk. Be sure to mix each time the milk is added. Add the vanilla and continue to mix the frosting. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue to add the sugar until all of it is used. If the frosting seems too dry, add a tablespoon of milk at a time. Frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting. If you don’t want that much frosting, the excess can be frozen for a later use.

*Feel free to substitute nutmeg for one of the spices you don't happen to have.

ORANGE BREAD

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh or frozen orange juice.

Directions

Mix together. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 350 degrees 50-55 min.

While cake is still warm, make glaze:

2 tbsp. orange juice and 1/4 c. sugar.

Pour over warm cake.

VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH TORTILLA CRISPS

This is from Anna Watson Carl on Delish. Anna wrote, “Those homemade tortilla chips, though…”

Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 corn tortillas

1/4 c. Country Crock Original

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and brush all over with Country Crock Original. Bake until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through, about 6 minutes, then season with salt. Once cool, break each into pieces.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons Country Crock Original in pot over medium-high heat, and cook onion and peppers until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook 2 minutes more, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and juices, crushing tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon.

Add beans to pot along with 2 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in cilantro.

Ladle chili into 4 bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with crispy tortillas.

SIMPLE VEGETARIAN SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Vicki Shata Retelny, RDN, at VeryWellFit. She wrote, “There's nothing like lasagna to soothe a craving for a creamy, dreamy meal. With a foundation of vitamin C-rich tomato sauce, which is loaded with the carotenoid lycopene, this Italian classic takes on a healthy bend with a good dose veggies nestled in its layers.

“Chock full of leafy green spinach, this dish is good for your brain health, as eating a serving of veggies each day has shown to fend off cognitive decline. Spinach is also loaded with iron and calcium ​for a total body wellness boost.​“

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 65 minutes; Servings: 9 (1 cup each)

To view this online, go to https://www.verywellfit.com/vegetarian-spinach-lasagna-4144632.

Ingredients

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles

2 28-ounce cans tomato sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves

Preparation

Preheat the oven the 350F.

On the stovetop over medium heat, pour the tomato sauce into a saucepan. Add salt, oregano, and garlic. Bring to a light boil, lower the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.

On the bottom of a 9x13 pan put a layer of tomato sauce. Place a layer of noodles on top, covering the bottom of the pan. Spread ricotta cheese on top of the noodles, top with spinach, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and coat with a small ladle full of sauce. Repeat the layers until you get to the top of the pan. Sprinkle the final layer with mozzarella cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Make this dish higher in fiber with whole wheat noodles, although they may only be available in the boil variety. Add other vegetables such a sliced carrots, zucchini, or eggplant. For an alternative green, use baby kale or arugula. Spread pesto between the layers or incorporate it into the tomato sauce for a rich, nutty flavor.

If you want to add meat, add cooked, diced chicken breast or ground turkey to the sauce. For a non-dairy twist, use vegan cheese in lieu of ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Cooking and Serving Tips

To save time use no-boil lasagna noodles—they're quick and easy to assemble. Plus, the part-skim ricotta cheese and mozzarella reduce the fat but still offer good-quality protein.

This dish can be assembled and placed, uncooked and covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Simply heat and serve the next day. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

FABULOUS VEGAN FUDGE CAKE WITH BITTERSWEET ICING

This recipe, from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 66, begins, “'I’ve tried vegan cake recipes in the past, but didn’t like the sour taste of the vinegar that is usually used to activate the leavening,' says single mom and café manager Shelly Platten. 'I tinkered with some recipes that didn’t use vinegar to come up with a fudgy, satisfying cake.'” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour

1 2/3 cups Florida Crystals organic cane sugar, divided

1 1/3 cups Chatfield’s cocoa powder, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk vanilla soymilk, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk together 2/3 cup soymilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup water in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold onto plate.

3. Warm remaining 2/3 cup cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining 1/3 cup soymilk, and cook 1 minute, or until smooth. Spread icing over warm cake, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

from the September 2012 issue, p.66

nutritional information

Per Slice:

Calories: 525; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 67 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 315 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 43 g

CHEESE & BEAN ENCHILADAS

This is from MyDailyMoment.com, and begins, “Ole! Ole! Life without Mexican is boring! Spice up your dinner with this bean and cheese enchilada recipe. It will leave you saying Cha, Cha Cha!”

Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 large corn tortillas

1 teaspoon oil

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions

3 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 2/3 cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 can, drained

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups tomato puree or sauce (1 10.75 oz. can)

2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Soften tortillas if needed by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Cook onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Drain beans and mash. Add 2 tbsp. of the chili powder, ½ tsp. of the garlic powder, 3 tbsp. of the tomato puree or sauce, and the mashed beans and cottage cheese to the onions and green pepper. Mix well. Place 3 tbsp. of the bean and cheese mixture on each tortilla. Roll tortillas up and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remainder of tomato puree, remainder of the garlic powder, and all the onion powder. Stir well. Pour the seasoned tomato puree or sauce over the enchiladas, and top with Monterey jack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese on top is melted. Ready in 50 min.