We're half-way through the week. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Hard Rock's Cole Slaw and Starbuck's Frappucino. Enjoy!
The first four recipes are from the Healing Heart Foundation.
MOCK TUNA-PASTA MELT
An easy casserole favorite
8-oz. package baked marinated tofu (any flavor), finely diced
2 large stalks celery, finely diced
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 C ketchup
1 T sweet pickle relish (sour pickle relish may be used if preferred)
1 t Dijon mustard
3 oz non-fat soy cheddar cheese, grated or finely diced
10 oz. whole wheat pasta elbows (or any small fancy pasta)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add pasta. Boil until almost tender, but not soft (about 3/4 of regular cooking time). Rinse with cool running water to stop cooking, drain. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. Gently mix together all other ingredients except cheese, addding in the cooked pasta and sprinkle soy cheese on top. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt.
6 servings, each 184 calories: 6% from fat (1.4 g), 78% from carbohydrates (41.5 g), 16% from protein (8.8 g). Sodium 208 mg, Fiber 7.1 g.
Healing Heart Hint
Baked tofu is available in most health food stores. You can bake regular low-fat tofu after marinading (soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc) overnight in a moderate oven for 25 to 50 minutes, or until it starts to become firm.
If baked tofu isn't desired or available, rehydrated TVP flakes or dried bean curd will work as an excellent 'tuna' substitute
For a 'gourmet' touch, bake as above for 20 minutes, then place in hollowed-out tomatoes and bake 5 minutes more before serving.
Again, check out the Healing Heart Foundation at http://heart.kumu.org for more recipes and hints.
HARD ROCK'S COLE SLAW
"Our very low-fat taste-alike," according to the web site.
1 1/3 C fat-free mayonnaise
3 T white vinegar
3 T granulated sugar
2 T soy milk or rice milk
dash salt
8 C chopped cabbage (1 head)
1/2 C shredded carrot
Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until smooth with a hand or electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic or ceramic container (don't use metal).
8 servings, each 96.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.04 g), 82% from carbohydrates (22.4 g), 14% from protein (3.92 g). Sodium 76 mg, Fiber 4 g.
Healing Heart Hint
To bring out the full flavors, keep one or two days in the refrigerator before serving.
For variety (but not like the Hard Rock Cafe's slaw), try adding golden or brown raisins, poppy seeds or chopped chestnuts.
For a kimchi-style slaw add garlic and chili paste.
HARD ROCK CAFE'S BAR-B-Q BEANS
The low-fat vegetarian clone of HRC's famous beans
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium pinto beans (with liquid)
2 T water
2 t cornstarch
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C white vinegar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T diced onion
1 t prepared mustard
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 C soy imitation bacon bits
Preheat oven to 350° F. Empty the cans of pinto beans and liquid in a casserole dish. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every half hour. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.
6 servings, each 337 calories: 10% from fat (2.6 g), 70% from carbohydrates (42.6 g), 20% from protein (11.8 g). Sodium 638 mg, Fiber 4 g.
STARBUCK'S FRAPPUCINO
Make this popular frozen delight at home, without the caffeine buzz(or with it)
1 1/2 cups strong cold decaffeinated coffee
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat soy or rice milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes
Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses.
2 - 16 oz servings, each 191 calories: <1% from fat (0.029 g), 99% from carbohydrates (47.7 g), 1% from protein (0.24 g). Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 0 g.
Again, all these and more can be found at http://heart.kumu.org/.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings
To view this yumminess, click here.
Ingredients
1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
24 ounces club soda
8 ounces orange juice
Ice ring, garnish
Orange slices, garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.
Showing posts with label Creamy Vegan Mayo-Free Potato Salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creamy Vegan Mayo-Free Potato Salad. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Bloomin’ Apples. Enjoy!
FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER CUP PIE
This comes from Diana Rattry, Southern Cooking guide for The Spruce. Diana wrote, “This awesome frozen peanut butter cup pie is the perfect dessert or weekend treat for a hot summer day. The classic graham cracker pie shell and simple cream cheese and peanut butter filling take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to prepare; just mix, freeze, and enjoy!
“To make this even easier, use a store-bought deep-dish graham cracker pie shell. An oreo or chocolate cookie crust would be an excellent choice as well.
“Freeze the peanut butter cups to make chopping them much easier.”
Prep Time: 14 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Yield: 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sweetened condensed milk using a liquid measuring cup
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup chopped peanut butter cups, frozen for easier chopping, plus more for garnish if desired
Sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping, for garnish
Warm chocolate syrup or chocolate sauce, for garnish
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers with melted butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar or granulated sugar. Mix well and press firmly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cover and refrigerate the crust to chill for at least 1 hour.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar. Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. Fold in the whipped topping until blended, and then fold in the chopped peanut butter cups.
Fill the chilled graham cracker pie shell with the peanut butter mixture.
Cover the pie tightly and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the filling is firm.
Set the frozen pie out at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with reserved chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.
Tips:
If possible, freeze the pie for several hours or overnight before serving.
Give the pie about 10 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly before slicing.
If desired, bake the crust in a preheated 400 F oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely and chill slightly before filling.
Make this peanut butter sauce to drizzle over the pie along with the chocolate syrup.
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch.
Serve one pepper half as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish for a higher protein meal.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
RICOTTA-BASIL STUFFED TOMATOES
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Summer favorites zucchini, corn, and basil get baked in tomato shells for a light-yet-satisfying entrée.”
Makes 8 servings.
Click here to view online.
Ingredients
8 large beefsteak tomatoes
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. plus 4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini plus 24 very thin zucchini slices
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice tops off tomatoes, and scoop pulp out of centers to make stuffable tomato shells; set aside. Discard half of tomato pulp; remove seeds from and finely chop remaining half of pulp.
Whisk together eggs and ricotta in medium bowl until smooth. Stir in red onion, basil, 2 Tbs. Parmesan, and garlic. Add corn, diced zucchini, and chopped tomato pulp; stir until combined.
Fill tomatoes just to top with 1/2 cup ricotta mixture. Sprinkle each tomato with 1/2 tsp. Parmesan, and top each with 3 zucchini slices and tomato top. Place in large baking dish.
Bake 45 minutes, or until filling is puffed up and tops are browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To freeze and enjoy later: Cool stuffed tomatoes completely, then place in foil-lined baking pan. Wrap tightly in foil, then in plastic wrap, and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw tomatoes completely. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes, or until filling is hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 130; Carbohydrate Content: 18 g; Cholesterol Content: 65 mg; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 3 g; Protein Content: 9 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 151 mg; Sugar Content: 10 g
BLOOMIN’ APPLES
This is from Lena Abraham on Delish. The recipe begins, “Forget onions, bloomin' apples are the true snack hero.”
Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 green apples
4 chewy caramel squares
Lemon wedge
Ice cream, for serving
Caramel, for drizzling
Directions
Preheat oven to 375° and grease a medium baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon.
Slice off the top of each apple then use a melon baller (or a teaspoon) to scoop out the core. Using a paring knife, make three circular cuts in the apple. Place the apple cut side-down on a cutting board and slice crosswise.
Place cut apples in a small baking dish. Fill each apple with two caramel squares then brush melted butter mixture on top. Bake until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream and drizzle with caramel.
FAVORITE PUMPKIN GRANOLA
This is from Lindsay on her food blog, Pinch of Yum. I absolutely love Pinch of Yum, and highly recommend it. Go ahead and check it out, and sign up for her emails. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “Pumpkin Granola that is both salty and sweet! Made with REAL PUMPKIN along with oats, coconut, almonds, pistachios, maple syrup, cinnamon, and olive oil. My favorite fall granola! ♡ Adapted from the Last Granola Recipe by my friend The Faux Martha.”
Ingredients
6 cups rolled oats
1 heaping cup sliced almonds
1 heaping cup pistachios (or other nuts)
1 heaping cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup olive oil
1 cup maple syrup
2-3 teaspoons salt (see notes)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
This can be viewed online http://pinchofyum.com/pumpkin-granola/>here.
author: lindsay prep time: 10 mins cook time: 30 mins total time: 40 minutes yield: 9 cups (about 18 half-cup servings)
Instructions
Prep the Pumpkin Granola: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together (oats, almonds, pistachios, coconut). Whisk the wet ingredients and spices together (pumpkin, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon). Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Bake the Pumpkin Granola: Spread the granola into a large nonstick jelly roll pan or cake pan – I do this on two separate pans or in two batches. Bake for 15 minutes; stir; bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest – it should start to crisp up.
Eat and love: Store in a plastic zip-top bag for a week or so. Serve with granola, fruit, or just with good ol’ milk.
Notes
Salt: Yup. 2-3 teaspoons salt is not a typo. This recipe, as written, is meant to be salty! I love it that way. I make mine with 2 1/2 or 3 teaspoons salt, and it gives it an awesome salty-sweet bite, but if you’re not into the salty-sweet thing, you can definitely reduce that amount. Either way, be aware that the unbaked granola “batter” will taste very salty, and fear not – that saltiness mellows out beautifully after you bake it.
Bake times: There is a fine line between perfectly toasted / caramelized and straight up burned pumpkin granola. I found that the 30 to 40 minute mark was my cut-off in our smaller studio oven, whereas in my larger oven at home I got away with about 45 minutes. I had several batches that I popped back in the oven for an extra five minutes and they went from browned to burned really quickly, so beware. That being said, even if you get a little extra browning (not burning, just browning) around the edges, I think that actually tastes really nice once mixed with the rest of the granola. Was that overall just super helpful?
Pro Tip: Sprinking raw or brown sugar and a tiny bit of extra salt over the top of the granola as it cools is never a bad idea.
Other add-ins that work well: pecans, walnuts, chia seeds. But be advised that the pecans and walnuts both burn pretty easily so I would suggest adding them towards the end of the baking time. The pistachios seem to be able to handle the heat a bit more, so I found that it worked just fine to add them with all the other ingredients.
FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER CUP PIE
This comes from Diana Rattry, Southern Cooking guide for The Spruce. Diana wrote, “This awesome frozen peanut butter cup pie is the perfect dessert or weekend treat for a hot summer day. The classic graham cracker pie shell and simple cream cheese and peanut butter filling take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to prepare; just mix, freeze, and enjoy!
“To make this even easier, use a store-bought deep-dish graham cracker pie shell. An oreo or chocolate cookie crust would be an excellent choice as well.
“Freeze the peanut butter cups to make chopping them much easier.”
Prep Time: 14 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Yield: 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sweetened condensed milk using a liquid measuring cup
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup chopped peanut butter cups, frozen for easier chopping, plus more for garnish if desired
Sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping, for garnish
Warm chocolate syrup or chocolate sauce, for garnish
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers with melted butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar or granulated sugar. Mix well and press firmly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cover and refrigerate the crust to chill for at least 1 hour.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar. Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. Fold in the whipped topping until blended, and then fold in the chopped peanut butter cups.
Fill the chilled graham cracker pie shell with the peanut butter mixture.
Cover the pie tightly and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the filling is firm.
Set the frozen pie out at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with reserved chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.
Tips:
If possible, freeze the pie for several hours or overnight before serving.
Give the pie about 10 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly before slicing.
If desired, bake the crust in a preheated 400 F oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely and chill slightly before filling.
Make this peanut butter sauce to drizzle over the pie along with the chocolate syrup.
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch.
Serve one pepper half as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish for a higher protein meal.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
RICOTTA-BASIL STUFFED TOMATOES
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Summer favorites zucchini, corn, and basil get baked in tomato shells for a light-yet-satisfying entrée.”
Makes 8 servings.
Click here to view online.
Ingredients
8 large beefsteak tomatoes
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. plus 4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini plus 24 very thin zucchini slices
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice tops off tomatoes, and scoop pulp out of centers to make stuffable tomato shells; set aside. Discard half of tomato pulp; remove seeds from and finely chop remaining half of pulp.
Whisk together eggs and ricotta in medium bowl until smooth. Stir in red onion, basil, 2 Tbs. Parmesan, and garlic. Add corn, diced zucchini, and chopped tomato pulp; stir until combined.
Fill tomatoes just to top with 1/2 cup ricotta mixture. Sprinkle each tomato with 1/2 tsp. Parmesan, and top each with 3 zucchini slices and tomato top. Place in large baking dish.
Bake 45 minutes, or until filling is puffed up and tops are browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To freeze and enjoy later: Cool stuffed tomatoes completely, then place in foil-lined baking pan. Wrap tightly in foil, then in plastic wrap, and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw tomatoes completely. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes, or until filling is hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 130; Carbohydrate Content: 18 g; Cholesterol Content: 65 mg; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 3 g; Protein Content: 9 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 151 mg; Sugar Content: 10 g
BLOOMIN’ APPLES
This is from Lena Abraham on Delish. The recipe begins, “Forget onions, bloomin' apples are the true snack hero.”
Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 green apples
4 chewy caramel squares
Lemon wedge
Ice cream, for serving
Caramel, for drizzling
Directions
Preheat oven to 375° and grease a medium baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon.
Slice off the top of each apple then use a melon baller (or a teaspoon) to scoop out the core. Using a paring knife, make three circular cuts in the apple. Place the apple cut side-down on a cutting board and slice crosswise.
Place cut apples in a small baking dish. Fill each apple with two caramel squares then brush melted butter mixture on top. Bake until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream and drizzle with caramel.
FAVORITE PUMPKIN GRANOLA
This is from Lindsay on her food blog, Pinch of Yum. I absolutely love Pinch of Yum, and highly recommend it. Go ahead and check it out, and sign up for her emails. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “Pumpkin Granola that is both salty and sweet! Made with REAL PUMPKIN along with oats, coconut, almonds, pistachios, maple syrup, cinnamon, and olive oil. My favorite fall granola! ♡ Adapted from the Last Granola Recipe by my friend The Faux Martha.”
Ingredients
6 cups rolled oats
1 heaping cup sliced almonds
1 heaping cup pistachios (or other nuts)
1 heaping cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup olive oil
1 cup maple syrup
2-3 teaspoons salt (see notes)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
This can be viewed online http://pinchofyum.com/pumpkin-granola/>here.
author: lindsay prep time: 10 mins cook time: 30 mins total time: 40 minutes yield: 9 cups (about 18 half-cup servings)
Instructions
Prep the Pumpkin Granola: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together (oats, almonds, pistachios, coconut). Whisk the wet ingredients and spices together (pumpkin, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon). Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Bake the Pumpkin Granola: Spread the granola into a large nonstick jelly roll pan or cake pan – I do this on two separate pans or in two batches. Bake for 15 minutes; stir; bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest – it should start to crisp up.
Eat and love: Store in a plastic zip-top bag for a week or so. Serve with granola, fruit, or just with good ol’ milk.
Notes
Salt: Yup. 2-3 teaspoons salt is not a typo. This recipe, as written, is meant to be salty! I love it that way. I make mine with 2 1/2 or 3 teaspoons salt, and it gives it an awesome salty-sweet bite, but if you’re not into the salty-sweet thing, you can definitely reduce that amount. Either way, be aware that the unbaked granola “batter” will taste very salty, and fear not – that saltiness mellows out beautifully after you bake it.
Bake times: There is a fine line between perfectly toasted / caramelized and straight up burned pumpkin granola. I found that the 30 to 40 minute mark was my cut-off in our smaller studio oven, whereas in my larger oven at home I got away with about 45 minutes. I had several batches that I popped back in the oven for an extra five minutes and they went from browned to burned really quickly, so beware. That being said, even if you get a little extra browning (not burning, just browning) around the edges, I think that actually tastes really nice once mixed with the rest of the granola. Was that overall just super helpful?
Pro Tip: Sprinking raw or brown sugar and a tiny bit of extra salt over the top of the granola as it cools is never a bad idea.
Other add-ins that work well: pecans, walnuts, chia seeds. But be advised that the pecans and walnuts both burn pretty easily so I would suggest adding them towards the end of the baking time. The pistachios seem to be able to handle the heat a bit more, so I found that it worked just fine to add them with all the other ingredients.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Minestrone Soup and Rhubarb Ice Cream With a Caramel Swirl. Enjoy!
BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings
To view this yumminess, click here.
Ingredients
1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
24 ounces club soda
8 ounces orange juice
Ice ring, garnish
Orange slices, garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.
MINESTRONE SOUP
Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/23.shtml
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 medium carrot, finely diced
1/4 stalk celery, finely diced
2/3 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons leeks, finely diced
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) frozen spinach, chopped
3/4 cup white beans, cooked
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and leek and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and white beans. Return the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Serve immediately and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1 cup): Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat
RHUBARB ICE CREAM WITH A CARAMEL SWIRL
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This ice cream is chock-full of sweet bits, but with enough satiny frozen custard to savor between the chunks. To keep the rhubarb from freezing into tooth-breaking fruity ice cubes, stew it with plenty of sugar, which keeps the fruit soft. The technique works with any summer fruit, though it’s especially nice with rhubarb, or gooseberries for that matter, both of which need a lot of sugar to tame their squint-inducing acid content. But you can substitute strawberries, apricots, cherries, peaches or plums as the summer fruit season progresses, adjusting the sugar depending upon the sweetness of the fruit.”
Yield: One scant quart
This was featured in “Rhubarb, It Turns Out, Can Be a Sweetie”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
1 and 3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, whisk together the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla bean seeds and its pod. Simmer gently until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and return mixture to a bare simmer.
Place the yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture. Scrape the custard back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 1 cup sugar. Simmer until rhubarb is just tender and has begun releasing its juices, but has not started to fall apart, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to a bowl. Continue to simmer the juices until syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb. Cool completely.
In a clean, dry and preferably nonstick skillet, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt and lightly color, sprinkle in 2 more tablespoons and start swirling pan to help evenly distribute sugar. Add the final 2 tablespoons and cook, swirling pan until all the sugar has melted. Let cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar syrup caramelizes and turns dark brown. Pour in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons water (stand back; it may splatter). Simmer, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula until smooth. Cool completely.
Pour the custard base into an ice cream machine and churn. Add rhubarb compote for the last minute of churning.
Scrape a quarter of the caramel into the bottom of a freezer-proof quart container. Top with a quarter of the ice cream. Repeat layering until all of the caramel and ice cream has been used, ending with the ice cream. Freeze until firm for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
KEY LIME PIE POPS
This was on the TODAY website, and starts off, “Turn your favorite summer pie into an easy creamy lime and graham cracker frozen treat.
“Technique tip: You don't need fancy ice pop molds to make these pops. Try using basic tools you already have in your kitchen, such as small paper cups, a loaf pan, large ice cube trays or even empty yogurt containers.
“Swap option: To give these pops a chocolaty twist, swap 16 chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.”
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6 graham crackers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup heavy cream, very cold
Twelve 3-ounce paper cups
12 wooden craft sticks
Preparation
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime zest and juice.
Add the cream, then increase the speed until mixture is thick and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among the cups (about 5 tablespoons per cup). Top with the graham mixture and lightly press down to flatten.
Transfer the cups to a small, rimmed baking sheet and push a craft stick halfway down into each cup. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
When ready to serve, peel the cups away from the pops.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE AND APPLES
This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food expert. Jolinda wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan recipe for acorn squash stuffed with vegetarian sausage and apples. Use store-bought vegetarian sausage to make this fall entree for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion meal. Stuffed acorn squash makes a very presentable centerpiece for a vegetarian of vegan meal. It's filled with a bread stuffing with plenty of fresh herbs, including sage and thyme - it's these herbs which will fill your kitchen and your entire home with that fabulous Thanksgiving aroma as it bakes.
“If you're looking for a gluten-free stuffed squash recipe, try using a quinoa stuffing instead of bread.
“This vegetarian and vegan stuffed acorn squash recipe serves four, but the portions are generous, so plan on it serving 6-8 if you're serving it as a side dish.”
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 4 as a main, 6 - 8 as a side.
Ingredients
1 package vegetarian sausage (use Gimme Lean brand)
2 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 Tbsp fresh sage OR 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried
6 oz plain stuffing cubes, OR 8 cups toasted bread crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 medium apple, any kind, diced
1/3 cup apple cider
2 large acorn squash, cut in half, with seeds removed
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Lightly brown the vegetarian sausage in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil, breaking it up and crumbling it with a spatula as it browns, just as you would with a meat sausage. Set aside.
Bring water and olive oil to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Stir in onion, celery, sage, and thyme. Cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in stuffing cubes, salt and pepper, applesauce, apple cider, and the browned sausage, mixing to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.
Divide the stuffing evenly among the acorn squash halves. Arrange the halves in a roasting pan and pour water around (not on) the squash to 1 inch.
Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan with olive oil spray. This will prevent it from sticking to the stuffing. Cover the pan tightly, tending slightly with the sprayed side down.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings
To view this yumminess, click here.
Ingredients
1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
24 ounces club soda
8 ounces orange juice
Ice ring, garnish
Orange slices, garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.
MINESTRONE SOUP
Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/23.shtml
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 medium carrot, finely diced
1/4 stalk celery, finely diced
2/3 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons leeks, finely diced
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) frozen spinach, chopped
3/4 cup white beans, cooked
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and leek and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and white beans. Return the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Serve immediately and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1 cup): Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat
RHUBARB ICE CREAM WITH A CARAMEL SWIRL
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This ice cream is chock-full of sweet bits, but with enough satiny frozen custard to savor between the chunks. To keep the rhubarb from freezing into tooth-breaking fruity ice cubes, stew it with plenty of sugar, which keeps the fruit soft. The technique works with any summer fruit, though it’s especially nice with rhubarb, or gooseberries for that matter, both of which need a lot of sugar to tame their squint-inducing acid content. But you can substitute strawberries, apricots, cherries, peaches or plums as the summer fruit season progresses, adjusting the sugar depending upon the sweetness of the fruit.”
Yield: One scant quart
This was featured in “Rhubarb, It Turns Out, Can Be a Sweetie”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
1 and 3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, whisk together the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla bean seeds and its pod. Simmer gently until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and return mixture to a bare simmer.
Place the yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture. Scrape the custard back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 1 cup sugar. Simmer until rhubarb is just tender and has begun releasing its juices, but has not started to fall apart, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to a bowl. Continue to simmer the juices until syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb. Cool completely.
In a clean, dry and preferably nonstick skillet, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt and lightly color, sprinkle in 2 more tablespoons and start swirling pan to help evenly distribute sugar. Add the final 2 tablespoons and cook, swirling pan until all the sugar has melted. Let cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar syrup caramelizes and turns dark brown. Pour in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons water (stand back; it may splatter). Simmer, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula until smooth. Cool completely.
Pour the custard base into an ice cream machine and churn. Add rhubarb compote for the last minute of churning.
Scrape a quarter of the caramel into the bottom of a freezer-proof quart container. Top with a quarter of the ice cream. Repeat layering until all of the caramel and ice cream has been used, ending with the ice cream. Freeze until firm for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
KEY LIME PIE POPS
This was on the TODAY website, and starts off, “Turn your favorite summer pie into an easy creamy lime and graham cracker frozen treat.
“Technique tip: You don't need fancy ice pop molds to make these pops. Try using basic tools you already have in your kitchen, such as small paper cups, a loaf pan, large ice cube trays or even empty yogurt containers.
“Swap option: To give these pops a chocolaty twist, swap 16 chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.”
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6 graham crackers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup heavy cream, very cold
Twelve 3-ounce paper cups
12 wooden craft sticks
Preparation
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime zest and juice.
Add the cream, then increase the speed until mixture is thick and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among the cups (about 5 tablespoons per cup). Top with the graham mixture and lightly press down to flatten.
Transfer the cups to a small, rimmed baking sheet and push a craft stick halfway down into each cup. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
When ready to serve, peel the cups away from the pops.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE AND APPLES
This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food expert. Jolinda wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan recipe for acorn squash stuffed with vegetarian sausage and apples. Use store-bought vegetarian sausage to make this fall entree for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion meal. Stuffed acorn squash makes a very presentable centerpiece for a vegetarian of vegan meal. It's filled with a bread stuffing with plenty of fresh herbs, including sage and thyme - it's these herbs which will fill your kitchen and your entire home with that fabulous Thanksgiving aroma as it bakes.
“If you're looking for a gluten-free stuffed squash recipe, try using a quinoa stuffing instead of bread.
“This vegetarian and vegan stuffed acorn squash recipe serves four, but the portions are generous, so plan on it serving 6-8 if you're serving it as a side dish.”
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 4 as a main, 6 - 8 as a side.
Ingredients
1 package vegetarian sausage (use Gimme Lean brand)
2 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 Tbsp fresh sage OR 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried
6 oz plain stuffing cubes, OR 8 cups toasted bread crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 medium apple, any kind, diced
1/3 cup apple cider
2 large acorn squash, cut in half, with seeds removed
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Lightly brown the vegetarian sausage in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil, breaking it up and crumbling it with a spatula as it browns, just as you would with a meat sausage. Set aside.
Bring water and olive oil to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Stir in onion, celery, sage, and thyme. Cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in stuffing cubes, salt and pepper, applesauce, apple cider, and the browned sausage, mixing to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.
Divide the stuffing evenly among the acorn squash halves. Arrange the halves in a roasting pan and pour water around (not on) the squash to 1 inch.
Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan with olive oil spray. This will prevent it from sticking to the stuffing. Cover the pan tightly, tending slightly with the sprayed side down.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Monday Recipes
It's Monday, exactly one week until Labor Day. While summer might technically be around for almost another whole month, Labor Day usually signals the end of summer around the U.S. (Sorry for reminding everyone of that!). But over the next week, I'll be posting several recipes to help you enjoy the Labor Day weekend.
In the meantime, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Minted Yogurt Parfait. Enjoy!
FRUIT-GRANOLA CRUMBLE
This recipe and the next (Minted Yogurt Parfait) are found in an article on Prevention, titled “11 Recipes with Fresh Blueberries.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.
Servings: 6
3 C fresh blueberries
4 thinly sliced fresh peaches (about 1 1/4 lb or 4 c) or 1 lb frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1/3 C sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C granola (without dried fruit), large pieces broken apart
1/2 C walnut halves, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
Heat oven to 375°F.
Mix blueberries and peaches in 8" x 8" pan.
Combine sugar, flour, ginger, and salt and then stir into fruit. Top with granola and walnuts and dot with butter.
Bake until fruit is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
NUTRITION (per serving) 310 cal, 5 g pro, 55 g carb, 6 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 280 mg sodium
MINTED YOGURT PARFAIT
Servings: 4
2 1/2 C fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest (from 1 orange), optional
1/4 C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 C vanilla frozen yogurt
Toss together blueberries, mint, honey, orange zest (if using), and 3 tablespoons of the pecans in bowl.
Spoon about half of the berry mixture into 4 glasses.
Top each with 2 tablespoons of the frozen yogurt.
Divid remaining berries among the glasses and top each with 2 more tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
NUTRITION (per serving) 180 cal, 4 g pro, 32 g carb, 3 g fiber, 6 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 30 mg sodium
KIWI-BLUEBERRY TART
This was found in an article on Prevention, titled “11 Recipes with Fresh Blueberries.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.
SERVINGS: 4
2 store-bought pie doughs
4 mini tart pans
2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups quartered sliced kiwifruit
1/4 cup blueberries
Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll 2 store-bought pie doughs and cut into 4 circles (5 1/2" diameter).
Press into 4 mini tart pans with removable bottoms (about 4 3/4" diameter). Prick with fork and freeze until firm, 10 minutes.
Line tart shells with foil and pie weights (or dried beans) and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights and bake until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Let cool completely.
Stir together 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream and 1 Tbsp light brown sugar. Remove shells from pans and top evenly with sour cream mixture, 1 1/4 cups quartered sliced kiwifruit, and 1/4 cup blueberries.
NUTRITION (per serving) 308.2 cal, 3.7 g pro, 36.6 g carb, 1.9 g fiber, 18 g fat, 8.5 g sat fat, 276.4 mg sodium
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.
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch or serve one pepper half as a side dish.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
In the meantime, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Minted Yogurt Parfait. Enjoy!
FRUIT-GRANOLA CRUMBLE
This recipe and the next (Minted Yogurt Parfait) are found in an article on Prevention, titled “11 Recipes with Fresh Blueberries.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.
Servings: 6
3 C fresh blueberries
4 thinly sliced fresh peaches (about 1 1/4 lb or 4 c) or 1 lb frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1/3 C sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C granola (without dried fruit), large pieces broken apart
1/2 C walnut halves, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
Heat oven to 375°F.
Mix blueberries and peaches in 8" x 8" pan.
Combine sugar, flour, ginger, and salt and then stir into fruit. Top with granola and walnuts and dot with butter.
Bake until fruit is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
NUTRITION (per serving) 310 cal, 5 g pro, 55 g carb, 6 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 280 mg sodium
MINTED YOGURT PARFAIT
Servings: 4
2 1/2 C fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest (from 1 orange), optional
1/4 C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 C vanilla frozen yogurt
Toss together blueberries, mint, honey, orange zest (if using), and 3 tablespoons of the pecans in bowl.
Spoon about half of the berry mixture into 4 glasses.
Top each with 2 tablespoons of the frozen yogurt.
Divid remaining berries among the glasses and top each with 2 more tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
NUTRITION (per serving) 180 cal, 4 g pro, 32 g carb, 3 g fiber, 6 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 30 mg sodium
KIWI-BLUEBERRY TART
This was found in an article on Prevention, titled “11 Recipes with Fresh Blueberries.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.
SERVINGS: 4
2 store-bought pie doughs
4 mini tart pans
2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups quartered sliced kiwifruit
1/4 cup blueberries
Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll 2 store-bought pie doughs and cut into 4 circles (5 1/2" diameter).
Press into 4 mini tart pans with removable bottoms (about 4 3/4" diameter). Prick with fork and freeze until firm, 10 minutes.
Line tart shells with foil and pie weights (or dried beans) and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights and bake until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Let cool completely.
Stir together 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream and 1 Tbsp light brown sugar. Remove shells from pans and top evenly with sour cream mixture, 1 1/4 cups quartered sliced kiwifruit, and 1/4 cup blueberries.
NUTRITION (per serving) 308.2 cal, 3.7 g pro, 36.6 g carb, 1.9 g fiber, 18 g fat, 8.5 g sat fat, 276.4 mg sodium
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.
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch or serve one pepper half as a side dish.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Granny’s Chocolate Cake. Enjoy!
SOY GOOD SMOOTHIE
This recipe, as well as the next one (Mango Madness), is from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. Both are originally from The Editors of Prevention.
This one begins, “Skipping breakfast can leave you starving mid-morning—and reaching for the junk food temptations. Instead, sip this on-the-go soy smoothie.”
Servings: 1
1 cup calcium-fortified vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup corn flakes cereal
1 frozen banana, sliced
Combine the milk, blueberries, cereal, and banana in a blender for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 350; Protein: 9 g; Carbs: 74 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 44 g; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.1 g; Sodium: 192 mg
MANGO MADNESS
This recipe begins, “Take advantage of a ripe mango’s disease-fighting ability with this delicious smoothie recipe.”
Servings: 2
1 can (8 oz) juice-packed pineapple chunks
1 cup fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt
1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1 ripe banana, sliced
Crushed or cracked ice
Combine the pineapple (with juice), frozen yogurt, mango, and banana. Blend until smooth.
With the blender running, gradually drop in enough ice to bring the level up to 4 cups. Blend until the ice is pureéd.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 251; Protein: 6.5 g; Carbs: 60 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 50 g; Total fat: 0.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.2 g; Sodium: 68 mg
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch or serve one pepper half as a side dish.
GRANNY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This cake recipe was adapted from the chef Larry Forgione, who served his grandmother's cake recipe at his restaurant An American Place. The dessert proved so popular that every time he tried to take it off of the menu, he said his customers threatened to riot. It's a perfect proportion of crumb to buttercream, ideal for birthdays or other celebrations where layer cake is required.”
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Butter and flour for preparing pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
q/w teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
Chocolate frosting (see recipe, which follows)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. Dust pans with flour, and shake out excess.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 2 or 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake layer comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto other racks and peel off the paper. Invert again, and let cool completely on the racks. Frost with chocolate frosting.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
This is also from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Here is a buttercream frosting like your grandmother might have made. Pair it with chocolate cake for a rich birthday treat.”
Yield: 2 cups; Time: 20 minutes.
This was also featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preparation
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with 1/3 cup water and the cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and let cool.
Add confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until smooth, and then chocolate. Use immediately.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
SOY GOOD SMOOTHIE
This recipe, as well as the next one (Mango Madness), is from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. Both are originally from The Editors of Prevention.
This one begins, “Skipping breakfast can leave you starving mid-morning—and reaching for the junk food temptations. Instead, sip this on-the-go soy smoothie.”
Servings: 1
1 cup calcium-fortified vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup corn flakes cereal
1 frozen banana, sliced
Combine the milk, blueberries, cereal, and banana in a blender for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 350; Protein: 9 g; Carbs: 74 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 44 g; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.1 g; Sodium: 192 mg
MANGO MADNESS
This recipe begins, “Take advantage of a ripe mango’s disease-fighting ability with this delicious smoothie recipe.”
Servings: 2
1 can (8 oz) juice-packed pineapple chunks
1 cup fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt
1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1 ripe banana, sliced
Crushed or cracked ice
Combine the pineapple (with juice), frozen yogurt, mango, and banana. Blend until smooth.
With the blender running, gradually drop in enough ice to bring the level up to 4 cups. Blend until the ice is pureéd.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 251; Protein: 6.5 g; Carbs: 60 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 50 g; Total fat: 0.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.2 g; Sodium: 68 mg
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.
"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."
Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)
To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
PreparationHeat oven to 350F.
Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.
Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch or serve one pepper half as a side dish.
GRANNY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This cake recipe was adapted from the chef Larry Forgione, who served his grandmother's cake recipe at his restaurant An American Place. The dessert proved so popular that every time he tried to take it off of the menu, he said his customers threatened to riot. It's a perfect proportion of crumb to buttercream, ideal for birthdays or other celebrations where layer cake is required.”
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Butter and flour for preparing pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
q/w teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
Chocolate frosting (see recipe, which follows)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. Dust pans with flour, and shake out excess.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 2 or 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake layer comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto other racks and peel off the paper. Invert again, and let cool completely on the racks. Frost with chocolate frosting.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
This is also from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Here is a buttercream frosting like your grandmother might have made. Pair it with chocolate cake for a rich birthday treat.”
Yield: 2 cups; Time: 20 minutes.
This was also featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preparation
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with 1/3 cup water and the cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and let cool.
Add confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until smooth, and then chocolate. Use immediately.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Monday Recipes
Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Hard Rock's Cole Slaw and Starbuck's Frappucino. Enjoy!
The first four recipes are from the Healing Heart Foundation.
MOCK TUNA-PASTA MELT
An easy casserole favorite
8-oz. package baked marinated tofu (any flavor), finely diced
2 large stalks celery, finely diced
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 C ketchup
1 T sweet pickle relish (sour pickle relish may be used if preferred)
1 t Dijon mustard
3 oz non-fat soy cheddar cheese, grated or finely diced
10 oz. whole wheat pasta elbows (or any small fancy pasta)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add pasta. Boil until almost tender, but not soft (about 3/4 of regular cooking time). Rinse with cool running water to stop cooking, drain. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. Gently mix together all other ingredients except cheese, addding in the cooked pasta and sprinkle soy cheese on top. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt.
6 servings, each 184 calories: 6% from fat (1.4 g), 78% from carbohydrates (41.5 g), 16% from protein (8.8 g). Sodium 208 mg, Fiber 7.1 g.
Healing Heart Hint
Baked tofu is available in most health food stores. You can bake regular low-fat tofu after marinading (soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc) overnight in a moderate oven for 25 to 50 minutes, or until it starts to become firm.
If baked tofu isn't desired or available, rehydrated TVP flakes or dried bean curd will work as an excellent 'tuna' substitute
For a 'gourmet' touch, bake as above for 20 minutes, then place in hollowed-out tomatoes and bake 5 minutes more before serving.
Again, check out the Healing Heart Foundation at http://heart.kumu.org for more recipes and hints.
HARD ROCK'S COLE SLAW
"Our very low-fat taste-alike," according to the web site.
1 1/3 C fat-free mayonnaise
3 T white vinegar
3 T granulated sugar
2 T soy milk or rice milk
dash salt
8 C chopped cabbage (1 head)
1/2 C shredded carrot
Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until smooth with a hand or electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic or ceramic container (don't use metal).
8 servings, each 96.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.04 g), 82% from carbohydrates (22.4 g), 14% from protein (3.92 g). Sodium 76 mg, Fiber 4 g.
Healing Heart Hint
To bring out the full flavors, keep one or two days in the refrigerator before serving.
For variety (but not like the Hard Rock Cafe's slaw), try adding golden or brown raisins, poppy seeds or chopped chestnuts.
For a kimchi-style slaw add garlic and chili paste.
HARD ROCK CAFE'S BAR-B-Q BEANS
The low-fat vegetarian clone of HRC's famous beans
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium pinto beans (with liquid)
2 T water
2 t cornstarch
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C white vinegar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T diced onion
1 t prepared mustard
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 C soy imitation bacon bits
Preheat oven to 350° F. Empty the cans of pinto beans and liquid in a casserole dish. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every half hour. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.
6 servings, each 337 calories: 10% from fat (2.6 g), 70% from carbohydrates (42.6 g), 20% from protein (11.8 g). Sodium 638 mg, Fiber 4 g.
STARBUCK'S FRAPPUCINO
Make this popular frozen delight at home, without the caffeine buzz(or with it)
1 1/2 cups strong cold decaffeinated coffee
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat soy or rice milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes
Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses.
2 - 16 oz servings, each 191 calories: <1% from fat (0.029 g), 99% from carbohydrates (47.7 g), 1% from protein (0.24 g). Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 0 g.
Again, all these and more can be found at http://heart.kumu.org/.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings
To view this yumminess, click here.
Ingredients
1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
24 ounces club soda
8 ounces orange juice
Ice ring, garnish
Orange slices, garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.
The first four recipes are from the Healing Heart Foundation.
MOCK TUNA-PASTA MELT
An easy casserole favorite
8-oz. package baked marinated tofu (any flavor), finely diced
2 large stalks celery, finely diced
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 C ketchup
1 T sweet pickle relish (sour pickle relish may be used if preferred)
1 t Dijon mustard
3 oz non-fat soy cheddar cheese, grated or finely diced
10 oz. whole wheat pasta elbows (or any small fancy pasta)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add pasta. Boil until almost tender, but not soft (about 3/4 of regular cooking time). Rinse with cool running water to stop cooking, drain. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. Gently mix together all other ingredients except cheese, addding in the cooked pasta and sprinkle soy cheese on top. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt.
6 servings, each 184 calories: 6% from fat (1.4 g), 78% from carbohydrates (41.5 g), 16% from protein (8.8 g). Sodium 208 mg, Fiber 7.1 g.
Healing Heart Hint
Baked tofu is available in most health food stores. You can bake regular low-fat tofu after marinading (soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc) overnight in a moderate oven for 25 to 50 minutes, or until it starts to become firm.
If baked tofu isn't desired or available, rehydrated TVP flakes or dried bean curd will work as an excellent 'tuna' substitute
For a 'gourmet' touch, bake as above for 20 minutes, then place in hollowed-out tomatoes and bake 5 minutes more before serving.
Again, check out the Healing Heart Foundation at http://heart.kumu.org for more recipes and hints.
HARD ROCK'S COLE SLAW
"Our very low-fat taste-alike," according to the web site.
1 1/3 C fat-free mayonnaise
3 T white vinegar
3 T granulated sugar
2 T soy milk or rice milk
dash salt
8 C chopped cabbage (1 head)
1/2 C shredded carrot
Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until smooth with a hand or electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic or ceramic container (don't use metal).
8 servings, each 96.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.04 g), 82% from carbohydrates (22.4 g), 14% from protein (3.92 g). Sodium 76 mg, Fiber 4 g.
Healing Heart Hint
To bring out the full flavors, keep one or two days in the refrigerator before serving.
For variety (but not like the Hard Rock Cafe's slaw), try adding golden or brown raisins, poppy seeds or chopped chestnuts.
For a kimchi-style slaw add garlic and chili paste.
HARD ROCK CAFE'S BAR-B-Q BEANS
The low-fat vegetarian clone of HRC's famous beans
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium pinto beans (with liquid)
2 T water
2 t cornstarch
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C white vinegar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T diced onion
1 t prepared mustard
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 C soy imitation bacon bits
Preheat oven to 350° F. Empty the cans of pinto beans and liquid in a casserole dish. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every half hour. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.
6 servings, each 337 calories: 10% from fat (2.6 g), 70% from carbohydrates (42.6 g), 20% from protein (11.8 g). Sodium 638 mg, Fiber 4 g.
STARBUCK'S FRAPPUCINO
Make this popular frozen delight at home, without the caffeine buzz(or with it)
1 1/2 cups strong cold decaffeinated coffee
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat soy or rice milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes
Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses.
2 - 16 oz servings, each 191 calories: <1% from fat (0.029 g), 99% from carbohydrates (47.7 g), 1% from protein (0.24 g). Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 0 g.
Again, all these and more can be found at http://heart.kumu.org/.
CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD
This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”
Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes
1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)
3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)
1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp Hot mustard
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)
1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)
1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)
2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)
Instructions
Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.
Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)
Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)
Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
Notes
Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.
BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings
To view this yumminess, click here.
Ingredients
1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
24 ounces club soda
8 ounces orange juice
Ice ring, garnish
Orange slices, garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.
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