Finally, Friday. Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Cornbread and Pinto Bean Shepherd's Pie and Cranberry-Nut Rugalach. Enjoy!
SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DEEP-DISH PIZZA
This recipe comes from Country Living, and begins, “Bake homemade pizza in a cast-iron skillet for irresistibly crispy crust.” Total Time: 40 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5-oz.) container baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c. ricotta
1 1/2 oz. Parmesan, grated (about 1/3 c.)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. crush red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. cornmeal
1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
6 oz. Fontina cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 c.)
1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
Fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees F with the rack in the lowest position. Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and garlic and cook until wilted and liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Cool skillet slightly and wipe clean.
Stir together ricotta, Parmesan, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle skillet with cornmeal. Stretch dough into a 12" round. Carefully press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the skillet.
Top dough with ricotta mixture, spinach, Fontina, and artichokes. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 24 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with basil and cut into wedges.
PER SERVING: protein: 32 g; fat: 32 g; carbohydrate: 67 g; fiber: 5 g; sodium: 1,186 mg; cholesterol: 74 mg; calories: 676.
CHOCOLATE-CRUSTED PUMPKIN PIE
This comes from the October 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 71. It starts off, "Tweak the holiday pie tradition with a chocolate crust and pumpkin filling that's thickened with cornstarch, not eggs." Makes 1 9-inch pie (serves 8)
This recipe can be viewed online here.
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 stick Earth Balance margarine, cubed
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 1/2 cups Oven-Roasted Pumpkin Purée or 1 15-oz. can puréed pumpkin
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
6 Tbs. Earth Balance margarine, melted
To make Crust: Pulse flour, cocoa, and confectioners’ sugar in food processor until combined. Add margarine, and process until mixture resembles sand. With processor running, add vanilla and 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water, and process until smooth dough forms. Chill 2 hours.
Roll out dough to 11-inch circle on floured work surface. Press into 9-inch pie pan. Chill 30 minutes.
To make Filling: Drain pumpkin in mesh strainer over bowl 30 minutes.
Combine almond milk and lemon juice in bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in bowl. Whisk in almond milk mixture, then pumpkin and margarine.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place Crust on baking sheet, top with parchment paper, and fill with dried beans to weigh down. Reduce oven heat to 350˚F, and bake Crust 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans, and bake 5 minutes.
Pour Filling into Crust, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until Filling is bubbling in center. Cool completely before serving.
nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 377; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 361 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 24 g; Vegan
BAKED RISOTTO WITH WINTER SQUASH
This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “This is not a classic stirred risotto, in which broth is added little by little, requiring the cook to stir and stir. Instead, the rice is tossed with squash and cheese then baked under a layer of bread crumbs until fragrant and browned on top. Welcome as a hearty meatless main course, it may also be served alongside a roasted chicken. Use any kind of hard winter squash, such as butternut, kabocha or Hubbard.” Time: 1 hour; Makes 6 to 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/2 pound winter squash
1 pound Carnaroli or Arborio rice
4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons for greasing dish
1 medium onion, diced, about 1 cup
1 medium leek, white and tender green part, diced, about 1 cup
Pinch of saffron (optional)
Salt and pepper
3 cups squash broth (see note) or chicken broth, hot
8 ounces Gruyère or Fontina, grated, about 2 loosely packed cups
1 cup fresh ricotta
4 ounces Parmesan, grated, about 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Preparation
Peel squash and cut into very thin slices, 1/16-inch thick. Then cut slices into flat 2-inch squares. (Reserve the scraps, including peels, to make squash stock if desired.)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice and let simmer for 8 minutes so it is parcooked, with the grains still hard in the center. Drain rice in a colander, rinse with cold water, then spread on a baking sheet to cool. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add leek and saffron, if using, and stir to coat. When leek is softened but still green, after 2 minutes, add squash, stir to coat and turn off heat. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add parcooked rice, hot broth, Gruyère, ricotta, Parmesan and lemon zest, mixing gently with a wooden spoon. Pour rice mixture into a buttered 3-quart baking dish.
Sprinkle top with bread crumbs, pressing down to smooth surface. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Tent with foil if necessary. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
CRANBERRY-NUT RUGALACH
Not sure if someone sent this to me on an emailing list, or if I simply sent it to myself so I wouldn't lose the recipe. Either way, it's originally from Weight Watchers. The points value is from 2007.
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 16
Preparation Time: 12 min; Cooking Time: 15 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
The recipe begins, “There's just one word for these flaky, traditional Jewish cookies filled with cranberries and nuts: Delicious! Try them for the Jewish New Year.”
Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped (coat knife with cooking spray before chopping to prevent sticking)
1/4 cup walnut halves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sugar, granulated
8 oz Pillsbury Reduced-Fat Crescent(s), or similar product
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
To make filling, combine cranberries, walnuts and granulated sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
Roll out crescent rolls on a lightly floured surface (use 1 tablespoon flour) to an 11-inch square. Separate along perforations into 8 triangles. Cut each in half lengthwise, making 16 long triangles. Spoon a generous teaspoon of filling onto each triangle, leaving bare pastry at top and bottom of triangle. Roll each triangle from wide end to narrow tip.
Spread out rolled wedges on prepared cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Move rugalach close together so they are just touching each other. Place powdered sugar in a sieve and dust over rugalach. Yields 1 cookie per serving. (Note: These cookies taste best served warm. Reheat for 5 minutes in a preheated 325°F oven. Do not microwave – it will toughen the dough.)
CORNBREAD AND PINTO BEAN SHEPHERD'S PIE
This comes from the January/February 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 30. It starts off, “Serve this dish with taco toppings (such as salsa, chile and bell peppers, radishes, and shredded lettuce) that can be sprinkled over each serving.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
2 14.5-oz. cans pinto beans, drained, 1 1/2 cups bean liquid reserved
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/2 cups), divided
2 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
3 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (1 1/2 cups), divided
6 Tbs. whole-grain cornbread and muffin mix, such as Arrowhead Mills
1 1/3 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt, divided
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbs. sugar
Place oven rack in top position, and preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Whisk reserved bean liquid with tomato paste in bowl.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups onion. Cover, and cook 4 minutes, or until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, and stir 10 seconds to coat onions. Stir in tomato paste mixture, 1 cup tomatoes, and then beans. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, 6 minutes, or until flavors blend and chili liquids thicken. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Meanwhile, combine cornbread mix, 1/3 cup yogurt, egg, sugar, and 1 Tbs. water in medium bowl.
Spread chili beans in prepared pie dish. Pour cornbread batter over beans, spreading with back of spoon. Bake 10 minutes, or until cornbread is set and golden.
Meanwhile, finely chop remaining 1/2 cup onion. Place in small bowl; mix in remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Divide shepherd’s pie among shallow bowls. Serve with tomato salsa and remaining 1 cup yogurt.
BAKED PUMPKIN PASTA
This recipe is from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking expert. Fiona wrote, "Break out of the mac and cheese mold with this delicious baked pumpkin pasta dish. Perfect for fall, this pumpkin pasta makes a great weeknight meal on cold evenings.” She also adds, “If you make this with fat-free ricotta, you'll save a further 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat, but you'll gain another 110mg of sodium.” Prep Time: 0 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
12 ounces uncooked penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup water reserved from pasta pot
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to directions on package, less 2 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water when done.
Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in zucchini and herbs, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese.
Empty drained pasta plus 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water into skillet and mix well.
Spoon pasta into a 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Per Serving: Calories 349, Calories from Fat 71, Total Fat 7.7g (sat 3.4g), Cholesterol 18mg, Sodium 168mg, Carbohydrate 54.4g, Fiber 5.2g, Protein 15.9g
Friday, February 9, 2018
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Thursday Recipes
Here are today's six recipes to help you through the day, including Rumplemayer’s Hot Chocolate and Black Bean-Quinoa Burgers. Enjoy!
ITALIAN GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS
This comes from Kraft and begins, “Discover these Italian Grilled Stuffed Peppers and bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen! These grilled stuffed peppers are delicious!”
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Servings: 6 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups water, divided
1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
2 cups frozen BOCA Veggie Ground Crumbles
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1-1/2 cups OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce, divided
1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 large each red, yellow and green pepper, cut lengthwise in half, seeded
Directions
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Bring 1-1/2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice; cover. Simmer 5 min. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Stir in crumbles, zucchini, seasoning and 1 cup each pasta sauce and cheese; spoon into peppers.
Place each filled pepper half on center of 12-inch-square sheet heavy-duty foil. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bring up foil sides. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the remaining water onto bottom of each foil packet. Double fold top and ends to seal packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
Grill 20 to 25 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and filling is heated through (160ºF).
ALMOND JOY ENERGY BITES
I found this on Runner’s World website in an article titled “18 No-Bake High-Protein Energy Bites for Easy Fueling.”
This particular recipe is from Ali at Gimme Some Oven. It begins, “These Almond Joy Energy Bites taste like the candy bar we all love, but are made with healthier ingredients and sweetened with dates.”
Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes.
To view this online, go to https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/almond-joy-energy-bites-recipe/
Ingredients:
12 oz. (about 2 cups, loosely-packed) Medjool dates (**see note below about types of dates and substitutions**)
2 cups almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
Directions:
Add dates and remaining ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Blend the mixture for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture has moved past the crumbly stage and begins to clump and stick to the sides of the food processor.
Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to measure out a tablespoon of dough (or your desired size) and roll it into a ball. If desired, roll the ball in a bowl of coconut flakes. Or just set it aside to eat as-is. Repeat with the remaining dough. (Alternately, you can flatten the dough into the bottom of an 8×8-inch parchment-lined baking dish, then cut it into bars.)
Store the energy bites in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
**I used Medjool dates in this recipe, which are already nice and soft. If you substitute another kind of date, you may need to soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first in order to soften then. (Then drain them before using.)
RUMPLEMAYER’S HOT CHOCOLATE
This is from Molly O’Neill in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “Hot chocolate is traceable to the Aztecs, who regarded the dark and bitter drink as a sacred brew. The hot cocoa that Columbus offered his patrons tasted “bitter, scummy and peppery,” according to Chantal Coady's account in “The Chocolate Companion,” which explains, no doubt, why they disliked it intensely. Sometime later, Cortez offered the same beverage to Charles V and his courtiers and succeeded in capturing their imagination with the addition, Ms. Coady writes, of some sugar and vanilla. This version, adapted from Rumplemayer's, a now-closed New York restaurant once known for its hot chocolate and pastries, falls into the latter camp; it is rich, sweet and smooth. It calls for real semisweet chocolate (we bet a mix of semisweet and bittersweet would be delightful, too) so there's none of the chalky aftertaste hot cocoa often leaves behind. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you wish, take it over the top.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 2 minutes.
This was featured in “Food; Loco for Cocoa,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
4 cups milk
6 tablespoons sugar
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Combine the milk, sugar and chocolate in a large saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.
Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Ladle the hot chocolate into 4 mugs, top with whipped cream and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
ITALIAN EGGPLANT RAGOUT
This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The meaty texture of eggplant makes it an ideal ingredient in vegetarian entrées, and its antioxidant content makes it a nutritional powerhouse. Eggplant is rich in a phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid, a potent free-radical scavenger that confers antiviral, antimicrobial, and cholesterol-lowering benefits. Prep tip: Salting the eggplant before cooking it draws out any bitter juices and helps the vegetable hold its shape when cooked.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, halved
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. capers
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
Scoop out center and seeds of eggplant halves. Cut eggplants into 3/4-inch dice. Toss with salt in bowl, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and pat dry.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplants. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, or until eggplants are tender but not mushy. Stir in capers and sugar, and cook 2 minutes more. Fold in parsley, and season with black pepper.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 197; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 5.5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 681 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 8 g; Yield: Serves 6
BLACK BEAN-QUINOA BURGERS
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Here's a delicious veggie burger you can whip up from scratch. Any steak seasoning (which is just a combination of herbs and spices) will work to give the patties a rich, hearty flavor. Stash a few in the freezer for busy weeknight meals. For super-easy cookouts, bake the patties ahead, then reheat them on the grill. Serve with your favorite burger fixings.” Makes 8 patties.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried steak seasoning
8 whole-grain hamburger buns
Instructions:
Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan, and season with salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.)
Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to sauté the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer 9 to 11 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 3/4 cup quinoa and remaining 3/4 cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/2 cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 215; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 438 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 5 g; Yield: Serves 8
ITALIAN GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS
This comes from Kraft and begins, “Discover these Italian Grilled Stuffed Peppers and bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen! These grilled stuffed peppers are delicious!”
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Servings: 6 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups water, divided
1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
2 cups frozen BOCA Veggie Ground Crumbles
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1-1/2 cups OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce, divided
1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 large each red, yellow and green pepper, cut lengthwise in half, seeded
Directions
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Bring 1-1/2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice; cover. Simmer 5 min. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Stir in crumbles, zucchini, seasoning and 1 cup each pasta sauce and cheese; spoon into peppers.
Place each filled pepper half on center of 12-inch-square sheet heavy-duty foil. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bring up foil sides. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the remaining water onto bottom of each foil packet. Double fold top and ends to seal packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
Grill 20 to 25 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and filling is heated through (160ºF).
ALMOND JOY ENERGY BITES
I found this on Runner’s World website in an article titled “18 No-Bake High-Protein Energy Bites for Easy Fueling.”
This particular recipe is from Ali at Gimme Some Oven. It begins, “These Almond Joy Energy Bites taste like the candy bar we all love, but are made with healthier ingredients and sweetened with dates.”
Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes.
To view this online, go to https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/almond-joy-energy-bites-recipe/
Ingredients:
12 oz. (about 2 cups, loosely-packed) Medjool dates (**see note below about types of dates and substitutions**)
2 cups almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
Directions:
Add dates and remaining ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Blend the mixture for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture has moved past the crumbly stage and begins to clump and stick to the sides of the food processor.
Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to measure out a tablespoon of dough (or your desired size) and roll it into a ball. If desired, roll the ball in a bowl of coconut flakes. Or just set it aside to eat as-is. Repeat with the remaining dough. (Alternately, you can flatten the dough into the bottom of an 8×8-inch parchment-lined baking dish, then cut it into bars.)
Store the energy bites in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
**I used Medjool dates in this recipe, which are already nice and soft. If you substitute another kind of date, you may need to soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first in order to soften then. (Then drain them before using.)
RUMPLEMAYER’S HOT CHOCOLATE
This is from Molly O’Neill in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “Hot chocolate is traceable to the Aztecs, who regarded the dark and bitter drink as a sacred brew. The hot cocoa that Columbus offered his patrons tasted “bitter, scummy and peppery,” according to Chantal Coady's account in “The Chocolate Companion,” which explains, no doubt, why they disliked it intensely. Sometime later, Cortez offered the same beverage to Charles V and his courtiers and succeeded in capturing their imagination with the addition, Ms. Coady writes, of some sugar and vanilla. This version, adapted from Rumplemayer's, a now-closed New York restaurant once known for its hot chocolate and pastries, falls into the latter camp; it is rich, sweet and smooth. It calls for real semisweet chocolate (we bet a mix of semisweet and bittersweet would be delightful, too) so there's none of the chalky aftertaste hot cocoa often leaves behind. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you wish, take it over the top.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 2 minutes.
This was featured in “Food; Loco for Cocoa,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
4 cups milk
6 tablespoons sugar
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Combine the milk, sugar and chocolate in a large saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.
Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Ladle the hot chocolate into 4 mugs, top with whipped cream and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
ITALIAN EGGPLANT RAGOUT
This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The meaty texture of eggplant makes it an ideal ingredient in vegetarian entrées, and its antioxidant content makes it a nutritional powerhouse. Eggplant is rich in a phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid, a potent free-radical scavenger that confers antiviral, antimicrobial, and cholesterol-lowering benefits. Prep tip: Salting the eggplant before cooking it draws out any bitter juices and helps the vegetable hold its shape when cooked.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, halved
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. capers
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
Scoop out center and seeds of eggplant halves. Cut eggplants into 3/4-inch dice. Toss with salt in bowl, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and pat dry.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplants. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, or until eggplants are tender but not mushy. Stir in capers and sugar, and cook 2 minutes more. Fold in parsley, and season with black pepper.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 197; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 5.5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 681 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 8 g; Yield: Serves 6
BLACK BEAN-QUINOA BURGERS
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Here's a delicious veggie burger you can whip up from scratch. Any steak seasoning (which is just a combination of herbs and spices) will work to give the patties a rich, hearty flavor. Stash a few in the freezer for busy weeknight meals. For super-easy cookouts, bake the patties ahead, then reheat them on the grill. Serve with your favorite burger fixings.” Makes 8 patties.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried steak seasoning
8 whole-grain hamburger buns
Instructions:
Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan, and season with salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.)
Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to sauté the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer 9 to 11 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 3/4 cup quinoa and remaining 3/4 cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/2 cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 215; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 438 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 5 g; Yield: Serves 8
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Baking!
Is there anything better than homemade bread, rolls, and biscuits? The fragrance fills the house, and when it comes from the oven - Wow! Here are six yummy bread (and biscuit) recipes to try your hand at. Enjoy!
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit”, and can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD
Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients:
1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)
About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.
Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
CINNAMON EGG BREAD
I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.
This changed version of the bread is now in my cookbook, 1 cup milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 eggs
1 cup warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 packages yeast
6 – 7 cups flour
3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted
2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar
Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.
Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.
Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.
Melt ¾ – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.
TROPICAL BANANA BREAD
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 1 loaf.
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed
8 oz can crushed pineapple, very well drained
1/2 cup toasted pecans pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch metal loaf pan with flour-added cooking spray.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, using high speed of an electric mixer; add eggs, one by one, beating 30 seconds after each egg. Beat in vanilla and bananas. Stir in pineapple. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture in three parts - mixing (not beating) with a spoon. Stir in pecans. Transfer to loaf pan.
Set loaf pan on a cookie sheet and place on center rack of oven and bake for 60 minutes or until loaf appears done and a wooden skewer inserted in center.
TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CARAWAY
This is a traditional bread to make around St. Patrick's Day, but I could eat Irish Soda Bread any time. This is from the March 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Pricking the surface of the unbaked loaf is an old Irish tradition to let the fairies out.” Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. caraway seeds
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Preheat oven to 425F. Spray round 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine flour, caraway seeds, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk baking soda into buttermilk. Make a well in center of flour. Pour buttermilk mixture into well, and stir to blend, using large spatula or wooden spoon. Dough should be soft but not sticky; if still sticky, work in 1/4 cup flour at a time until dough holds together.
Scrape dough into cake pan. Lightly flour hands, and pat dough flat. Using sharp knife, cut deep cross on top. Prick each quarter three or four times with fork.
Bake bread 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan, and cool slightly on rack. Serve warm with butter.
nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 200; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Sodium: 500 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 5 g
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit”, and can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD
Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients:
1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)
About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.
Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
CINNAMON EGG BREAD
I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.
This changed version of the bread is now in my cookbook, 1 cup milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 eggs
1 cup warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 packages yeast
6 – 7 cups flour
3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted
2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar
Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.
Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.
Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.
Melt ¾ – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.
TROPICAL BANANA BREAD
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 1 loaf.
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed
8 oz can crushed pineapple, very well drained
1/2 cup toasted pecans pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch metal loaf pan with flour-added cooking spray.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, using high speed of an electric mixer; add eggs, one by one, beating 30 seconds after each egg. Beat in vanilla and bananas. Stir in pineapple. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture in three parts - mixing (not beating) with a spoon. Stir in pecans. Transfer to loaf pan.
Set loaf pan on a cookie sheet and place on center rack of oven and bake for 60 minutes or until loaf appears done and a wooden skewer inserted in center.
TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CARAWAY
This is a traditional bread to make around St. Patrick's Day, but I could eat Irish Soda Bread any time. This is from the March 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Pricking the surface of the unbaked loaf is an old Irish tradition to let the fairies out.” Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. caraway seeds
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Preheat oven to 425F. Spray round 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine flour, caraway seeds, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk baking soda into buttermilk. Make a well in center of flour. Pour buttermilk mixture into well, and stir to blend, using large spatula or wooden spoon. Dough should be soft but not sticky; if still sticky, work in 1/4 cup flour at a time until dough holds together.
Scrape dough into cake pan. Lightly flour hands, and pat dough flat. Using sharp knife, cut deep cross on top. Prick each quarter three or four times with fork.
Bake bread 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan, and cool slightly on rack. Serve warm with butter.
nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 200; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Sodium: 500 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 5 g
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Easy Mushroom Stroganoff [Vegan] and Meatless-Ball Subs. Enjoy!
LEMONY BEET YOGURT
This, as well as the Curry Mango recipe, comes from the October 2015 issue of Runner's World, page 52. (The first two yogurt recipes were posted yesterday, and can be viewed by clicking here.) The article, “Greek Currency,” by Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D., starts off, “Savory or sweet mix-ins punch up the nutritional profile of Greek yogurt. Use 3/4 cup plain, preferably low-fat.”
This one begins, “Beets are a leading source of nitrates, compounds that have been shown to improve exercise endurance. Walnuts provide heart-healthy omega-3 fats.”
To view this and the next recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably lowfat
1/2 cup diced cooked beets
2 teaspoons chopped dill
Sprinkle of lemon zest
Pinch of salt
Chopped walnuts
Instructions
Stir the beets, dill, lemon zest, and salt into yogurt. Top with walnuts.
Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 198; Carbs: 16 g; Fiber: 3 g; Protein: 17 g; Total fat: 8 g; Saturated fat: 2.5 g; Sodium: 268 mg
CURRY MANGO YOGURT
This one begins, “This sweet-and-savory combo provides cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. Cashews offer magnesium, which improves muscle strength.”
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably lowfat
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Pinch of cayenne
1/2 cup diced mango
1/4 cup diced avocado
Chopped cashews
Lime zest
Instructions
Stir curry powder and cayenne into yogurt. Top with mango, avocado, cashews, and lime zest.
Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 276; Carbs: 26 g; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 17 g; Total fat: 13 g; Saturated fat: 4 g; Sodium: 63 mg
MEATLESS-BALL SUBS
1 package Meatless Balls (see note)
1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce
4 hoagie rolls
cheese slices
Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.
Makes 4 meatless ball subs.
Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.
EASY MUSHROOM STROGANOFF [VEGAN]
This vegan recipe comes from One Green Planet, and begins, “This simple mushroom stroganoff will never disappoint. White Button mushrooms are sautéed with onion, garlic, and a splash of white wine and savory sauces. Vegetable broth is slowly poured over the mushrooms once they are tender, followed by flour to create a gravy sauce. You have the option of either stirring the pasta into the pan or dishing out the pasta and topping it with the stroganoff. Either way you do it, a garnish of fresh herbs is a must.” Serves 4 to 6, and is dairy-free and vegan.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound White Button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Up to 1 cup of water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
A healthy splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegan yogurt
Olive oil
1-2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Smoked paprika, sprinkled liberally
Roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish
1 package noodles, cooked according to package instructions
Preparation
In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat a healthy splash of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant, anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Season with salt.
Add the mushrooms and sauté. The mushrooms will brown and release a lot of liquid. At this point, cook the noodles according to their package instructions.
Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the good brown bits. Next, add in the Dijon mustard and a healthy splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Allow the mixture to reduce down, scraping the pan periodically.
Spoon a minimum of 1 tablespoon or up to 2 tablespoons flour over the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms until the flour has been incorporated into the oils/liquid/onions. Slowly add the water or vegetable broth, l at your discretion, depending on how saucy you want the stroganoff to be.
Allow for the mixture to warm through and thicken.
Add the coconut yogurt and paprika and stir until fully incorporated.
By this point, the noodles should be done. The dish can be served with the sauce ladled over the noodles, or the noodles can be added into the pan and mixed through with the mushrooms.
Garnish with parsley and more paprika.
CLASSIC WALDORF SALAD
This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, “Created in the 1890s at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, and noted in Cole Porter’s 1934 tune 'You’re the Top,' Waldorf Salad was once the be-all and end-all of culinary elegance.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Salad
3/r cup broken walnut pieces
4 10-inch celery stalks, cut into 3/8-inch dice (2 cups)
2 red-skinned apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)
1 cup halved red grapes
12 Boston lettuce leaves
Dressing
1/2 cup light or vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
To make Salad: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, or until light brown and fragrant. Cool.
Combine celery, apples, grapes, and toasted walnuts in large bowl.
To make Dressing: Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, and parsley in bowl. Toss with Salad. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
To serve, arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each plate. Top each with 1 cup Salad.
nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 188; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 176 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 12 g; Gluten-Free
PERSIAN JEWELED RICE
This is from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking email. David wrote, “This dish is called jeweled rice because it is golden and glistening, laced with butter and spices and piled with nuts and gem-colored fruits. In Iran, it is typically served at weddings or other celebrations. Great platters of it appear at banquets. It also goes beautifully with a weeknight roast chicken.
“You will probably need to do a little shopping to make this traditional dish. But it is well worth it, and most good supermarkets can supply what you require.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes.
This was featured in “Buried Beneath Jewels, an Aromatic Treasure” and can be viewed online here..
Ingredients
2 cups best-quality Basmati rice
Kosher salt
Unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons in total
1 large onion, diced small
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
Large pinch ground cinnamon
Large pinch ground cardamom
Large pinch ground allspice
Large pinch ground black pepper
Large pinch ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup golden raisins or currants
1/3 cup dried imported barberries or goji berries, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained (or use 1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries)
1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/3 cup roughly chopped pistachios
Preparation
Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice — you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.
LEMONY BEET YOGURT
This, as well as the Curry Mango recipe, comes from the October 2015 issue of Runner's World, page 52. (The first two yogurt recipes were posted yesterday, and can be viewed by clicking here.) The article, “Greek Currency,” by Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D., starts off, “Savory or sweet mix-ins punch up the nutritional profile of Greek yogurt. Use 3/4 cup plain, preferably low-fat.”
This one begins, “Beets are a leading source of nitrates, compounds that have been shown to improve exercise endurance. Walnuts provide heart-healthy omega-3 fats.”
To view this and the next recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably lowfat
1/2 cup diced cooked beets
2 teaspoons chopped dill
Sprinkle of lemon zest
Pinch of salt
Chopped walnuts
Instructions
Stir the beets, dill, lemon zest, and salt into yogurt. Top with walnuts.
Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 198; Carbs: 16 g; Fiber: 3 g; Protein: 17 g; Total fat: 8 g; Saturated fat: 2.5 g; Sodium: 268 mg
CURRY MANGO YOGURT
This one begins, “This sweet-and-savory combo provides cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. Cashews offer magnesium, which improves muscle strength.”
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably lowfat
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Pinch of cayenne
1/2 cup diced mango
1/4 cup diced avocado
Chopped cashews
Lime zest
Instructions
Stir curry powder and cayenne into yogurt. Top with mango, avocado, cashews, and lime zest.
Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 276; Carbs: 26 g; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 17 g; Total fat: 13 g; Saturated fat: 4 g; Sodium: 63 mg
MEATLESS-BALL SUBS
1 package Meatless Balls (see note)
1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce
4 hoagie rolls
cheese slices
Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.
Makes 4 meatless ball subs.
Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.
EASY MUSHROOM STROGANOFF [VEGAN]
This vegan recipe comes from One Green Planet, and begins, “This simple mushroom stroganoff will never disappoint. White Button mushrooms are sautéed with onion, garlic, and a splash of white wine and savory sauces. Vegetable broth is slowly poured over the mushrooms once they are tender, followed by flour to create a gravy sauce. You have the option of either stirring the pasta into the pan or dishing out the pasta and topping it with the stroganoff. Either way you do it, a garnish of fresh herbs is a must.” Serves 4 to 6, and is dairy-free and vegan.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound White Button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Up to 1 cup of water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
A healthy splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegan yogurt
Olive oil
1-2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Smoked paprika, sprinkled liberally
Roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish
1 package noodles, cooked according to package instructions
Preparation
In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat a healthy splash of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant, anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Season with salt.
Add the mushrooms and sauté. The mushrooms will brown and release a lot of liquid. At this point, cook the noodles according to their package instructions.
Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the good brown bits. Next, add in the Dijon mustard and a healthy splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Allow the mixture to reduce down, scraping the pan periodically.
Spoon a minimum of 1 tablespoon or up to 2 tablespoons flour over the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms until the flour has been incorporated into the oils/liquid/onions. Slowly add the water or vegetable broth, l at your discretion, depending on how saucy you want the stroganoff to be.
Allow for the mixture to warm through and thicken.
Add the coconut yogurt and paprika and stir until fully incorporated.
By this point, the noodles should be done. The dish can be served with the sauce ladled over the noodles, or the noodles can be added into the pan and mixed through with the mushrooms.
Garnish with parsley and more paprika.
CLASSIC WALDORF SALAD
This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, “Created in the 1890s at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, and noted in Cole Porter’s 1934 tune 'You’re the Top,' Waldorf Salad was once the be-all and end-all of culinary elegance.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Salad
3/r cup broken walnut pieces
4 10-inch celery stalks, cut into 3/8-inch dice (2 cups)
2 red-skinned apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)
1 cup halved red grapes
12 Boston lettuce leaves
Dressing
1/2 cup light or vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
To make Salad: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, or until light brown and fragrant. Cool.
Combine celery, apples, grapes, and toasted walnuts in large bowl.
To make Dressing: Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, and parsley in bowl. Toss with Salad. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
To serve, arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each plate. Top each with 1 cup Salad.
nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 188; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 176 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 12 g; Gluten-Free
PERSIAN JEWELED RICE
This is from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking email. David wrote, “This dish is called jeweled rice because it is golden and glistening, laced with butter and spices and piled with nuts and gem-colored fruits. In Iran, it is typically served at weddings or other celebrations. Great platters of it appear at banquets. It also goes beautifully with a weeknight roast chicken.
“You will probably need to do a little shopping to make this traditional dish. But it is well worth it, and most good supermarkets can supply what you require.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes.
This was featured in “Buried Beneath Jewels, an Aromatic Treasure” and can be viewed online here..
Ingredients
2 cups best-quality Basmati rice
Kosher salt
Unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons in total
1 large onion, diced small
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
Large pinch ground cinnamon
Large pinch ground cardamom
Large pinch ground allspice
Large pinch ground black pepper
Large pinch ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup golden raisins or currants
1/3 cup dried imported barberries or goji berries, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained (or use 1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries)
1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/3 cup roughly chopped pistachios
Preparation
Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice — you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.
Taco Tuesday
It's Taco Tuesday, time to check out six yummy vegetarian taco recipes to help you through the day, including Spicy Thai Tacos and Chard and Sweet Corn Tacos. Enjoy!
VEGGIE TACOS WITH AVOCADO TOMATILLO SALSA
This is from Jeanine and Jack at Love & Lemons. This wonderful recipe begins, “I know – another taco recipe already? Well, I like tacos. I’m sure you do too because you are here after all. In all honesty, these were originally going to become enchiladas until I stopped short. Which is why they’re in a baking pan. Plus, it was a convenient way to get floppy tacos to stand up for the photo.”
Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 30 mins; Total time: 40 mins; Serves: serves 2-3
To view this recipe (with yummy photos and interesting chatter online, click here.
Ingredients
1 small Japanese eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped summer squash (yellow, pattypan, or zucchini)
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
6 corn or flour tortillas
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 avocado, diced
handful of cilantro
1 serrano pepper, sliced (optional)
crumbled cotija cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Avocado Tomatillo Sauce:
1/3 cup store-bought or homemade tomatillo salsa
1/4 cup pepitas
1/2 avocado
handful of spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
squeezes of lime, to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped eggplant, squash, red pepper and tomatoes onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and roast until golden brown around the edges 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a food processor, blend together the tomatillo salsa, pepitas, avocado, spinach, olive oil, lime juice and pinches of salt and pepper, to taste. Chill until ready to use.
Assemble the tacos with the black beans, roasted vegetables, diced avocado, cilantro, serrano, cotija (if using), and a generous scoop of the avocado tomatillo sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Store extra sauce in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Vegan: skip the cotija cheese
Gluten free: use corn tortillas
SNAPPY TACOS
This is another good taco recipe from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "Just two of these tacos provide nearly all the soy protein of the daily FDA recommendation of 25 grams." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12-oz. pkg. soy crumbles, plain or taco-flavored
1/4 cup dark beer (see Note
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup salsa, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 taco shells
Garnishes: See my note under Toppings for the Tasty Black Beans & Corn Tacos, above.
Note: If you - like me - don't have dark beer (or any beer, for that matter), I suggest simply increasing the low-sodium vegetable broth to 3/4 cup
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 1⁄4 cup onion and 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat and mix in soy crumbles, beer and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano and jalapeños, stirring until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved crumbles, salsa and cilantro and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
Spoon 1⁄4 cup filling into each taco shell. Top with some or all garnishes and serve hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 302; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 633 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: g
POTATO TACOS
Potato Tacos? Sure, why not? This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "These tasty tacos are spicy! Feel free to reduce the amount of chipotle if you prefer milder flavor." Serves 2.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 medium potato, baked and diced
1 to 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chipotle, cumin and oregano and stir 30 seconds. Add potato, toss well to coat and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Divide potato mixture among tortillas and serve hot, garnished with condiments as desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 226; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 181 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 0 g
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS
This is from Martha Rose Schulman, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “These sweet and spicy tacos can be filled with chard of any color, or other greens like beet greens or amaranth. I used Swiss chard for these tacos, but other greens like beet greens or amaranth will work. I don’t recommend strong-tasting cruciferous greens like kale, though. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow, and do include the stalks if they’re nice and wide. Don’t skimp on the garlic. As for the salsa, you can choose between fresh or cooked tomato salsa, or use a salsa verde made with tomatillos. They all work well. A quarter cup of filling is plenty for each taco.”
Yield: 8 tacos, serving 4; Time: 15 to 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Vegetarian Taco Night” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
Salt to taste
1 medium white, red or yellow onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn
Freshly ground pepper
8 warm corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (but not too salty a feta)
Salsa of your choice
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem chard and wash leaves in 2 rinses of water. Rinse stalks and dice them if they are wide and not stringy.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add chard leaves. Blanch for a minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Take chard up by the handful and squeeze out excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, diced chard stalks and corn kernels. Continue to cook, stirring often, until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until ingredients are combined nicely and chard is tender but still bright. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Heat tortillas. Top with vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of salsa.
Tip
Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet.
CHICKPEA TACOS
This comes from the March 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It begins, “Turns out, tacos don’t have to be hot to be delicious. The chickpea-avocado mash used as a filling here is prepared and served at room temperature. (It makes a great sandwich spread as well.) Because the fat content of taco shells can vary, look for brands that contain approximately 6 grams or fewer per shell.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
8 corn taco shells
2 cups baby salad greens
1 cup prepared salsa (medium or hot)
1/2 cup nondairy sour cream
Place avocado in small bowl, and mash with fork. Stir in chickpeas, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Set taco shells in napkin-lined basket. Place salad greens, salsa, and sour cream in separate bowls, and set out alongside chickpea-avocado mash.
To serve, let each person build their own taco by filling each shell with 1/4 cup chickpea-avocado mash, some greens, salsa, and sour cream.
nutritional information Per Serving (2 tacos): Calories: 402; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 800 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
VEGGIE TACOS WITH AVOCADO TOMATILLO SALSA
This is from Jeanine and Jack at Love & Lemons. This wonderful recipe begins, “I know – another taco recipe already? Well, I like tacos. I’m sure you do too because you are here after all. In all honesty, these were originally going to become enchiladas until I stopped short. Which is why they’re in a baking pan. Plus, it was a convenient way to get floppy tacos to stand up for the photo.”
Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 30 mins; Total time: 40 mins; Serves: serves 2-3
To view this recipe (with yummy photos and interesting chatter online, click here.
Ingredients
1 small Japanese eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped summer squash (yellow, pattypan, or zucchini)
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
6 corn or flour tortillas
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 avocado, diced
handful of cilantro
1 serrano pepper, sliced (optional)
crumbled cotija cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Avocado Tomatillo Sauce:
1/3 cup store-bought or homemade tomatillo salsa
1/4 cup pepitas
1/2 avocado
handful of spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
squeezes of lime, to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped eggplant, squash, red pepper and tomatoes onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and roast until golden brown around the edges 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a food processor, blend together the tomatillo salsa, pepitas, avocado, spinach, olive oil, lime juice and pinches of salt and pepper, to taste. Chill until ready to use.
Assemble the tacos with the black beans, roasted vegetables, diced avocado, cilantro, serrano, cotija (if using), and a generous scoop of the avocado tomatillo sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Store extra sauce in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Vegan: skip the cotija cheese
Gluten free: use corn tortillas
SNAPPY TACOS
This is another good taco recipe from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "Just two of these tacos provide nearly all the soy protein of the daily FDA recommendation of 25 grams." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12-oz. pkg. soy crumbles, plain or taco-flavored
1/4 cup dark beer (see Note
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup salsa, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 taco shells
Garnishes: See my note under Toppings for the Tasty Black Beans & Corn Tacos, above.
Note: If you - like me - don't have dark beer (or any beer, for that matter), I suggest simply increasing the low-sodium vegetable broth to 3/4 cup
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 1⁄4 cup onion and 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat and mix in soy crumbles, beer and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano and jalapeños, stirring until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved crumbles, salsa and cilantro and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
Spoon 1⁄4 cup filling into each taco shell. Top with some or all garnishes and serve hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 302; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 633 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: g
POTATO TACOS
Potato Tacos? Sure, why not? This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "These tasty tacos are spicy! Feel free to reduce the amount of chipotle if you prefer milder flavor." Serves 2.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 medium potato, baked and diced
1 to 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chipotle, cumin and oregano and stir 30 seconds. Add potato, toss well to coat and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Divide potato mixture among tortillas and serve hot, garnished with condiments as desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 226; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 181 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 0 g
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS
This is from Martha Rose Schulman, in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “These sweet and spicy tacos can be filled with chard of any color, or other greens like beet greens or amaranth. I used Swiss chard for these tacos, but other greens like beet greens or amaranth will work. I don’t recommend strong-tasting cruciferous greens like kale, though. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow, and do include the stalks if they’re nice and wide. Don’t skimp on the garlic. As for the salsa, you can choose between fresh or cooked tomato salsa, or use a salsa verde made with tomatillos. They all work well. A quarter cup of filling is plenty for each taco.”
Yield: 8 tacos, serving 4; Time: 15 to 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Vegetarian Taco Night” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
Salt to taste
1 medium white, red or yellow onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn
Freshly ground pepper
8 warm corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (but not too salty a feta)
Salsa of your choice
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem chard and wash leaves in 2 rinses of water. Rinse stalks and dice them if they are wide and not stringy.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add chard leaves. Blanch for a minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Take chard up by the handful and squeeze out excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, diced chard stalks and corn kernels. Continue to cook, stirring often, until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until ingredients are combined nicely and chard is tender but still bright. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Heat tortillas. Top with vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of salsa.
Tip
Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet.
CHICKPEA TACOS
This comes from the March 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It begins, “Turns out, tacos don’t have to be hot to be delicious. The chickpea-avocado mash used as a filling here is prepared and served at room temperature. (It makes a great sandwich spread as well.) Because the fat content of taco shells can vary, look for brands that contain approximately 6 grams or fewer per shell.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
8 corn taco shells
2 cups baby salad greens
1 cup prepared salsa (medium or hot)
1/2 cup nondairy sour cream
Place avocado in small bowl, and mash with fork. Stir in chickpeas, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Set taco shells in napkin-lined basket. Place salad greens, salsa, and sour cream in separate bowls, and set out alongside chickpea-avocado mash.
To serve, let each person build their own taco by filling each shell with 1/4 cup chickpea-avocado mash, some greens, salsa, and sour cream.
nutritional information Per Serving (2 tacos): Calories: 402; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 800 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
Monday, February 5, 2018
Monday Heart-Healthy Recipes
A few years ago, I ran across a website called Healing Heart Foundation. Besides having quite a few good tips for a healthy heart, a page with resource links, and a discussion section, the foundation also has a recipe section full of yummy, heart-healthy recipes. Here are six of them to get you started, including Sloppy Joes and Chili's Southwestern Vegetable Soup. Enjoy!
Note: I definitely recommend checking out Healing Heart Foundation's website. It's a good place to start off when looking for heart-healthy tips and recipes.
PRONTO PERSONAL PIZZA
A snack or a full meal in minutes
4 whole-wheat pita (pocket) breads
2 oz fat free soy cheese (see note below)
4 T soy or rice parmesan cheese, grated
4 T pasta sauce (any low fat spaghetti sauce)
1 tomato
4 slices of veggie pepperoni (or other veggie 'meats')
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/2 C mushrooms
1 C vegetables, in small pieces (your favorites)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread 1 T pasta sauce on each pita. Place a layer of sliced soy cheese to cover the entire pita, then sprinkle on 1/4 soy parmesan on each. Add layers of mushrooms, veggies, soy 'meats', thinly sliced tomato, and then very thinly sliced onion on top.
Bake for about five to ten minutes, or until veggies are tender and the bottom of the pita bread is as crisp as desired. (The bread is fully baked, so this pizza only needs to be heated until the veggies are ready. For a quicker pizza, precook the veggies in a microwave or steamer.)
4 pizzas, each 167 calories: 6% from fat (1.3 g), 79% from carbohydrates (35.1 g), 15% from protein (6.7 g). Sodium 248 mg, Fiber 6.5 g.
Healing Heart Hint
"Fat free soy or rice cheese is available in mozzarella, jack, swiss, cheddar, jalapeno-jack and American styles. Mozzarella or jack makes a more typical pizza," according to the website.
Meatless and fat free pepperoni slices as well as Canadian bacon, salami, sausage and other favorites are available in most larger health food stores.
Because these are fat free, they should not be on top of the pizza, where they will dry out during baking.
Substitute or add whatever makes this pizza each person's favorite.
SLOPPY JOES
You'd never know it's meatless
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 2 C celery, chopped
1 t balsamic vinegar (other vinegar can be used)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 t dried minced garlic or garlic powder)
1 T chili powder (will not make it too hot)
2 T cumin
2 1/2 C tomato sauce (or a 6 oz can tomato paste + 1 C tomato juice + 1 C water)
1 T prepared yellow mustard
1 T ground dry mustard
1 T brown sugar
1 t black strap molasses
1 1/2 cups dry TVP granules
1 1/2 C boiling water
optional spicy version: 1 to 3 t hot sauce or roasted chilies
Saute onion and celery in balsamic vinegar and a little water on medium heat. Add more water if needed. Add garlic, peppers and spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over whole wheat buns, rice or pasta.
Adding a can of chili beans makes a very filling dish, changing it slightly to Sloppy Josés.
6 servings, each: Calories 152, Fat 1.85 g. (10% cff), Carbohydrate 19.86 g., Protein 17.44 g
COLCANNON
A traditional old-world dish of creamed kale, leeks and potatoes
4 medium or 3 large potatoes
3 1/2 C chopped kale (one bunch)*
3 leeks
1 onion
1/3 C non-fat Soy Moo or any low-fat soy or rice milk
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut up the potatoes and steam until soft (potatoes can be microwaved in a bowl with a little water for about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, chop the onion and saute in a non-stick pan with a little water (no oil). Chop and wash the kale, and when the onion is soft, add the kale to the skillet; cover and let the kale steam in the water that stays on the leaves after washing. When the potatoes are done, drain if necessary and mash (with or without the skin, as you prefer). Mix in the soy or rice milk, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, combine with the kale and onions, and serve. 3 large or 4 medium servings
* If kale is hard to find, most greens (mustard, turnip, collard), boy choy or choy sum can be used. Green or red cabbage is also a traditional colcannon ingredient.
3 servings, each: Calories 262, Fat 1.2 g. (4% cff), Carbohydrate 57.6 g., Protein 8.3 g.
CHILI'S SOUTHWESTERN VEGETABLE SOUP
Our clone of the national restaurant's popular soup
7 C vegetable broth
1 C canned dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 C fresh or frozen cut green beans
1 C canned, frozen or fresh yellow corn kernals
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 C diced onion, Spanish if available1/2 C tomato sauce
6 corn tortillas, chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
dash garlic powder
Garnish:
1 cup grated non-fat soy cheddar and/or soy jack cheese blended
1 cup crumbled baked corn tortilla chips
Combine all the soup ingredients and chopped corn tortillas in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the soup has thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved. If salt-free broth is used, add salt to taste near the end of cooking.
To serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups into a bowl. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated cheddar/jack cheese blend over the top of the soup, and then a heaping tablespoon of crumbled corn tortilla chips over the cheese.
6 servings, each 209 calories: 9% from fat (2.0 g), 61% from carbohydrates (29.9 g), 10% from protein (14.6 g). Sodium 320 mg, Fiber 5.6 g.
Healing Heart Hint
If baked corn tortilla chips are not available, preheat oven to 325 F. and place yellow corn tortillas on the wire rack. Bake until they begin to turn a darker color, about ten minutes, but remove immediately, as they will burn if left in the oven any longer. After they are cooled, the chips can be crumbled for the recipe above or eaten alone or with salsa as a low-fat treat.
To make non-fat crispy taco shells, place each tortilla so that it is centered over two of the wires on the rack, placing the edges of the torillas under the other wires. Bake as above - they will curl around in an upside-down 'U' shape to make perfect taco shells.
Instant Creme of Tomato Soup
A country-style low-sodium, vegan version
8 oz can of 'no sodium added' tomato sauce
1/2 C non-fat plain soy or rice milk
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of dried basil
pepper to taste
1 t powdered onion
salt-reduced soy sauce, tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste
Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer 3 minutes, but do not boil.
One 12 oz serving, 99.3 calories: 1% from fat (0.07 g), 82% from carbohydrates (20.15 g), 17% from protein (4.3 g). Sodium 66 mg, Fiber 3.4 g.
Healing Heart Hint
For those on a very low sodium diet, this soup can be made without any added salt. A small amount of salt enhances this recipe, but it will still be very low sodium compared to traditional tomato soups. Each teaspoon of low-salt soy sauce or tamari will add 100 mg of sodium per 12 oz serving.
Onion powder can be made with dried chopped onions in a coffee mill.
This recipe, thickened with a little corn starch or whole wheat flour, can be used as a pasta sauce or over vegetables, rice or potatoes.
For tomato-rice soup, mix in 1/2 C cooked brown rice.
RICE TREATLOAF
A meatloaf alternative from whole grain rice
1 3/4 C cooked brown rice
1/4 C cooked wild rice
1 C celery, finely chopped
2 T salt-reduced tamari or soy sauce
1 cup low-fat 'lite' soy or rice milk
2 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T dried)
1 t dried basil
2 C whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/2 t sage
1/4 t paprika
1 1/2 C onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely or pureed
1/4 t black pepper
1 T egg replacer
Add egg replacer to 1/4 C soy or rice milk and beat with a fork until foamy. Place all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Fold in foamy liquid mixture. Press firmly into a nonstick loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool and turn upside-down on serving plate to remove from pan (separating edges at the side of pan with a knife often helps). Serve with mushroom gravy, ketchup or barbeque sauce.
8 servings, each 157 calories: 9% from fat (1.6 g), 78% from carbohydrates (31.1 g), 12% from protein (4.9 g). Sodium 337 mg, Fiber 2.2 g.
Healing Heart Hint
This loaf can also be used as a stuffing. Small squares of whole wheat bread can be substituted for breadcrumbs. Do not pack the pan as firmly and break apart when cool.
If desired, any variety of vegetables can be added. Peas, chopped bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli are just a few suggestions.
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, adding 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.
Note: I definitely recommend checking out Healing Heart Foundation's website. It's a good place to start off when looking for heart-healthy tips and recipes.
PRONTO PERSONAL PIZZA
A snack or a full meal in minutes
4 whole-wheat pita (pocket) breads
2 oz fat free soy cheese (see note below)
4 T soy or rice parmesan cheese, grated
4 T pasta sauce (any low fat spaghetti sauce)
1 tomato
4 slices of veggie pepperoni (or other veggie 'meats')
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/2 C mushrooms
1 C vegetables, in small pieces (your favorites)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread 1 T pasta sauce on each pita. Place a layer of sliced soy cheese to cover the entire pita, then sprinkle on 1/4 soy parmesan on each. Add layers of mushrooms, veggies, soy 'meats', thinly sliced tomato, and then very thinly sliced onion on top.
Bake for about five to ten minutes, or until veggies are tender and the bottom of the pita bread is as crisp as desired. (The bread is fully baked, so this pizza only needs to be heated until the veggies are ready. For a quicker pizza, precook the veggies in a microwave or steamer.)
4 pizzas, each 167 calories: 6% from fat (1.3 g), 79% from carbohydrates (35.1 g), 15% from protein (6.7 g). Sodium 248 mg, Fiber 6.5 g.
Healing Heart Hint
"Fat free soy or rice cheese is available in mozzarella, jack, swiss, cheddar, jalapeno-jack and American styles. Mozzarella or jack makes a more typical pizza," according to the website.
Meatless and fat free pepperoni slices as well as Canadian bacon, salami, sausage and other favorites are available in most larger health food stores.
Because these are fat free, they should not be on top of the pizza, where they will dry out during baking.
Substitute or add whatever makes this pizza each person's favorite.
SLOPPY JOES
You'd never know it's meatless
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 2 C celery, chopped
1 t balsamic vinegar (other vinegar can be used)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 t dried minced garlic or garlic powder)
1 T chili powder (will not make it too hot)
2 T cumin
2 1/2 C tomato sauce (or a 6 oz can tomato paste + 1 C tomato juice + 1 C water)
1 T prepared yellow mustard
1 T ground dry mustard
1 T brown sugar
1 t black strap molasses
1 1/2 cups dry TVP granules
1 1/2 C boiling water
optional spicy version: 1 to 3 t hot sauce or roasted chilies
Saute onion and celery in balsamic vinegar and a little water on medium heat. Add more water if needed. Add garlic, peppers and spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over whole wheat buns, rice or pasta.
Adding a can of chili beans makes a very filling dish, changing it slightly to Sloppy Josés.
6 servings, each: Calories 152, Fat 1.85 g. (10% cff), Carbohydrate 19.86 g., Protein 17.44 g
COLCANNON
A traditional old-world dish of creamed kale, leeks and potatoes
4 medium or 3 large potatoes
3 1/2 C chopped kale (one bunch)*
3 leeks
1 onion
1/3 C non-fat Soy Moo or any low-fat soy or rice milk
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut up the potatoes and steam until soft (potatoes can be microwaved in a bowl with a little water for about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, chop the onion and saute in a non-stick pan with a little water (no oil). Chop and wash the kale, and when the onion is soft, add the kale to the skillet; cover and let the kale steam in the water that stays on the leaves after washing. When the potatoes are done, drain if necessary and mash (with or without the skin, as you prefer). Mix in the soy or rice milk, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, combine with the kale and onions, and serve. 3 large or 4 medium servings
* If kale is hard to find, most greens (mustard, turnip, collard), boy choy or choy sum can be used. Green or red cabbage is also a traditional colcannon ingredient.
3 servings, each: Calories 262, Fat 1.2 g. (4% cff), Carbohydrate 57.6 g., Protein 8.3 g.
CHILI'S SOUTHWESTERN VEGETABLE SOUP
Our clone of the national restaurant's popular soup
7 C vegetable broth
1 C canned dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 C fresh or frozen cut green beans
1 C canned, frozen or fresh yellow corn kernals
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 C diced onion, Spanish if available1/2 C tomato sauce
6 corn tortillas, chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
dash garlic powder
Garnish:
1 cup grated non-fat soy cheddar and/or soy jack cheese blended
1 cup crumbled baked corn tortilla chips
Combine all the soup ingredients and chopped corn tortillas in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the soup has thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved. If salt-free broth is used, add salt to taste near the end of cooking.
To serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups into a bowl. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated cheddar/jack cheese blend over the top of the soup, and then a heaping tablespoon of crumbled corn tortilla chips over the cheese.
6 servings, each 209 calories: 9% from fat (2.0 g), 61% from carbohydrates (29.9 g), 10% from protein (14.6 g). Sodium 320 mg, Fiber 5.6 g.
Healing Heart Hint
If baked corn tortilla chips are not available, preheat oven to 325 F. and place yellow corn tortillas on the wire rack. Bake until they begin to turn a darker color, about ten minutes, but remove immediately, as they will burn if left in the oven any longer. After they are cooled, the chips can be crumbled for the recipe above or eaten alone or with salsa as a low-fat treat.
To make non-fat crispy taco shells, place each tortilla so that it is centered over two of the wires on the rack, placing the edges of the torillas under the other wires. Bake as above - they will curl around in an upside-down 'U' shape to make perfect taco shells.
Instant Creme of Tomato Soup
A country-style low-sodium, vegan version
8 oz can of 'no sodium added' tomato sauce
1/2 C non-fat plain soy or rice milk
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of dried basil
pepper to taste
1 t powdered onion
salt-reduced soy sauce, tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste
Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer 3 minutes, but do not boil.
One 12 oz serving, 99.3 calories: 1% from fat (0.07 g), 82% from carbohydrates (20.15 g), 17% from protein (4.3 g). Sodium 66 mg, Fiber 3.4 g.
Healing Heart Hint
For those on a very low sodium diet, this soup can be made without any added salt. A small amount of salt enhances this recipe, but it will still be very low sodium compared to traditional tomato soups. Each teaspoon of low-salt soy sauce or tamari will add 100 mg of sodium per 12 oz serving.
Onion powder can be made with dried chopped onions in a coffee mill.
This recipe, thickened with a little corn starch or whole wheat flour, can be used as a pasta sauce or over vegetables, rice or potatoes.
For tomato-rice soup, mix in 1/2 C cooked brown rice.
RICE TREATLOAF
A meatloaf alternative from whole grain rice
1 3/4 C cooked brown rice
1/4 C cooked wild rice
1 C celery, finely chopped
2 T salt-reduced tamari or soy sauce
1 cup low-fat 'lite' soy or rice milk
2 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T dried)
1 t dried basil
2 C whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/2 t sage
1/4 t paprika
1 1/2 C onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely or pureed
1/4 t black pepper
1 T egg replacer
Add egg replacer to 1/4 C soy or rice milk and beat with a fork until foamy. Place all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Fold in foamy liquid mixture. Press firmly into a nonstick loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool and turn upside-down on serving plate to remove from pan (separating edges at the side of pan with a knife often helps). Serve with mushroom gravy, ketchup or barbeque sauce.
8 servings, each 157 calories: 9% from fat (1.6 g), 78% from carbohydrates (31.1 g), 12% from protein (4.9 g). Sodium 337 mg, Fiber 2.2 g.
Healing Heart Hint
This loaf can also be used as a stuffing. Small squares of whole wheat bread can be substituted for breadcrumbs. Do not pack the pan as firmly and break apart when cool.
If desired, any variety of vegetables can be added. Peas, chopped bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli are just a few suggestions.
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, adding 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.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Friday Recipes
It's Friday, end of the work week. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Creamy Chick’n & Rice. Enjoy!
CURRIED STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
From page 68 of the October 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Curry and winter squash pair well in fall dishes like this gorgeous stuffed squash.” Serves 4, and can be viewed online here.
2 spaghetti squash (1 1/2 lb. each)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 small red onion, sliced (1 cup)
6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeño chile
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbs. thinly sliced basil, optional
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pierce squash in several places with knife. Microwave 3 minutes on high power to soften. Slice off ends, and stand squash upright. Cut straight down length of squash. Remove seeds with spoon. Place halves cut side down on rimmed baking sheet, and add 11/2 cups water to cover surface. Bake 30 minutes, or until squash yields when pressed.
Cool squash cut side up 10 minutes. Scrape squash halves with fork to release strands.
Transfer strands to large bowl, and stir in chickpeas, onion, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, and jalapeño.
Whisk together coconut milk and curry powder in bowl; stir into squash mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Fill squash shells with mixture, and return to baking sheet, cut side up. Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with basil (if using).
nutritional information Per Squash half: Calories: 270; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 210 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 19 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES
I’ve always loved brussels sprouts (unlike the first President Bush; sorry!). And onions? Cranberries? Definitely on all of the above.
This recipe comes from Diana Rattray, About.com’s Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “The combination of ingredients in this dish might make you think fall or winter, but don't wait for a holiday dinner to enjoy these delicious roasted vegetables.
“Change things up a bit by using raisins instead of the cranberries. Toasted walnuts would be great as well. See the tips and variations for more ideas.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 Servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound butternut squash
3 to 4 cups Brussels sprouts
1 medium onion
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecan halves
Preparation
Heat the oven to 425° F.
Oil a large rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet pan) or two smaller jelly roll pans.
Peel the butternut squash and, using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibers. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Put about 4 cups of cubes into a large bowl.
Trim the stem ends off of the Brussels sprouts and removed loose, damaged, and yellow leaves. Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
Add them to the bowl with the squash cubes.
Peel the onion and cut it into 1-inch chunks or thick slices. Add to the bowl with the squash and Brussels sprouts.
Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and gently toss or stir to coat them thoroughly with the oil.
Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet and then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder, if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes and then turn the vegetables. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are browned around the edges and are tender.
Meanwhile, toast the pecan halves. Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring, until the pecans begin to brown and smell aromatic.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large bowl. Add the dried cranberries and pecan halves and toss gently to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
Replace the butternut squash with the same amount of cubed acorn, Hubbard, or buttercup squash.
Feel free to omit the onion.
Replace about 1 cup of the butternut squash with parsnips sliced into strips about 1/2-inch-by-2-inches.
Drizzle the roasted vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup; add the pecans and cranberries and toss gently to combine.
Replace the toasted pecans with toasted slivered almonds or walnuts.
Use raisins or golden raisins instead of dried cranberries.
PORTOBELLO PATTY MELTS
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This is a traditional patty melt in all ways save the fact that the beef has been swapped out for roasted portobello-mushroom caps. It otherwise hews closely to the recipe served at Tiny Naylor’s drive-in restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and to the ones used in coffee shops and diners across the country. But those mushrooms! Roasted in the oven in a marinade of oil, balsamic vinegar, soy and garlic, they take on immense flavor and density, and provide a terrific foil to the caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and butter-griddled rye bread.” Yield: Serves 4; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “The Crispy Decadence of the Patty Melt” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 slices seeded rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese, approximately 1/2 pound
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
8 clean portobello caps
Preparation
Caramelize onions. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over high heat. When it foams, add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Do not stir immediately. Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir frequently over high heat for 5 minutes or so, or until the onions have released some liquid and started to become translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for what will seem like a very long time, until the onions are fully melted and dark golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove onions, and set them and the skillet aside. (You can caramelize the onions a day ahead of time and reheat slowly when you’re ready to cook.)
Take a small baking dish, and put into it olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and minced clove of garlic. Add portobello caps, then cover with foil, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, turning once.
Set the skillet to medium heat, and put four pieces of rye bread into the butter that remains from cooking the onions. Top each piece with a slice of cheese, then two portobello caps, then some of the caramelized onions, and finally another slice of cheese and another slice of rye. Use the spatula to press down on the packages, and after about a minute or so, carefully turn over each patty to begin to brown the other side. (You may need to add the additional butter.) Cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Slice in half before serving.
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Can he come up with some good recipes?! Definitely! This has to be one of my favorites, when it comes to biscuits. For this one, Sam wrote, “Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit”, and can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
LENTIL AND RICE STUFFED SQUASH
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: halved zucchini
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/783.shtml
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown basmati rice
1/3 cup French green lentils
2 cups fat-free vegetable broth
3 large summer squash (about 2-2 1/2 lb.), halved
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 whole scallions, chopped
3 cups escarole, rolled up and sliced thin
1-2 Tbsp. finely-chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Combine the rice, lentils and vegetable broth in a deep saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until the rice and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
If using yellow squash, cut off the necks. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the squash 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. When completely cooled, pat the squash dry and set aside.
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until hot. Sauté the onion 3 minutes. Add the garlic and scallions. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the escarole and pepper flakes (if using). Cook until the escarole is wilted and bright green, about 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the rice mixture. Mix in the dill and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a baking dish just large enough to hold them, arrange the squash. Spoon in the filling, generously mounding it. Sprinkle on the feta. Pour 1/2 cup water into the baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is soft, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate, covered in foil, until ready to use. Reheat before serving.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 173; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 240 mg; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Exchanges: 2 Bread/Starch, 1 Reduced-Fat Milk, 1 Fat
CREAMY CHICK’N AND RICE
This comes from Allyson Kramer, About.com’s Vegan Food expert. Allyson wrote, “You don't have to be an omnivore to appreciate a delicious dish of comforting "chick'n" and rice. Just like the traditional version, this vegan friendly recipe is chock full of creamy sauce as well as toothsome vegetables and tofu for texture. A perfect pick me up for a chilly evening!
“This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and frozen as well. To thaw, simply warm in a saucepan (along with a touch of nondairy milk) until it reaches the desired temperature.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 6 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Rice:
2 cups brown rice
2 teaspoons veggie bouillon (I like Edward & Son’s brand)
5 cups water
For the Sauce:
1 cube or teaspoon chick'n flavored veggie bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 block extra firm silken tofu (add an extra 1/2 block of silken tofu + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast + 1/2 cube more bouillon if you want the dish to be extra creamy)
For the Tofu:
1 block extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced sage
Salt to taste
For the Veggies:
2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 cup asparagus, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
Salt to taste
Preparation
To drain the tofu: Wrap the tofu in an absorbent towel and place a plate on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a heavy can or similar item on top of plate to weigh it down. Wait about 20 minutes before starting step two.
Begin cooking rice according to package directions. Add 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon to the water that you are cooking the rice in.
Prep your veggies and spices by washing, chopping, etc., and then place them in large frying pan over medium-low heat.
Cover and cook until carrots are soft. No need to add any oil. Salt if desired, and set aside when they are finished cooking.
Slice your tofu about 1/2 inch thick. Mix olive oil and sage together and brush onto tofu while it is on the grill or before placing into the oven. Lightly salt and cook. I used my George Foreman Grill to cook my tofu. Feel free to roast the tofu at 375 on a lightly greased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, or until firm. When tofu is browned on both sides, remove from heat. Let cool and cut into bite sized pieces.
Make sauce by combining all “sauce” ingredients into a food processor. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
Once the rice is finished cooking, combine everything together with the rice in the pot. Warm on low heat if needed. Serve hot.
CURRIED STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
From page 68 of the October 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Curry and winter squash pair well in fall dishes like this gorgeous stuffed squash.” Serves 4, and can be viewed online here.
2 spaghetti squash (1 1/2 lb. each)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 small red onion, sliced (1 cup)
6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeño chile
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbs. thinly sliced basil, optional
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pierce squash in several places with knife. Microwave 3 minutes on high power to soften. Slice off ends, and stand squash upright. Cut straight down length of squash. Remove seeds with spoon. Place halves cut side down on rimmed baking sheet, and add 11/2 cups water to cover surface. Bake 30 minutes, or until squash yields when pressed.
Cool squash cut side up 10 minutes. Scrape squash halves with fork to release strands.
Transfer strands to large bowl, and stir in chickpeas, onion, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, and jalapeño.
Whisk together coconut milk and curry powder in bowl; stir into squash mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Fill squash shells with mixture, and return to baking sheet, cut side up. Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with basil (if using).
nutritional information Per Squash half: Calories: 270; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 210 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 19 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES
I’ve always loved brussels sprouts (unlike the first President Bush; sorry!). And onions? Cranberries? Definitely on all of the above.
This recipe comes from Diana Rattray, About.com’s Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “The combination of ingredients in this dish might make you think fall or winter, but don't wait for a holiday dinner to enjoy these delicious roasted vegetables.
“Change things up a bit by using raisins instead of the cranberries. Toasted walnuts would be great as well. See the tips and variations for more ideas.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 Servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound butternut squash
3 to 4 cups Brussels sprouts
1 medium onion
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecan halves
Preparation
Heat the oven to 425° F.
Oil a large rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet pan) or two smaller jelly roll pans.
Peel the butternut squash and, using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibers. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Put about 4 cups of cubes into a large bowl.
Trim the stem ends off of the Brussels sprouts and removed loose, damaged, and yellow leaves. Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
Add them to the bowl with the squash cubes.
Peel the onion and cut it into 1-inch chunks or thick slices. Add to the bowl with the squash and Brussels sprouts.
Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and gently toss or stir to coat them thoroughly with the oil.
Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet and then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder, if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes and then turn the vegetables. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are browned around the edges and are tender.
Meanwhile, toast the pecan halves. Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring, until the pecans begin to brown and smell aromatic.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large bowl. Add the dried cranberries and pecan halves and toss gently to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
Replace the butternut squash with the same amount of cubed acorn, Hubbard, or buttercup squash.
Feel free to omit the onion.
Replace about 1 cup of the butternut squash with parsnips sliced into strips about 1/2-inch-by-2-inches.
Drizzle the roasted vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup; add the pecans and cranberries and toss gently to combine.
Replace the toasted pecans with toasted slivered almonds or walnuts.
Use raisins or golden raisins instead of dried cranberries.
PORTOBELLO PATTY MELTS
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This is a traditional patty melt in all ways save the fact that the beef has been swapped out for roasted portobello-mushroom caps. It otherwise hews closely to the recipe served at Tiny Naylor’s drive-in restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and to the ones used in coffee shops and diners across the country. But those mushrooms! Roasted in the oven in a marinade of oil, balsamic vinegar, soy and garlic, they take on immense flavor and density, and provide a terrific foil to the caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and butter-griddled rye bread.” Yield: Serves 4; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “The Crispy Decadence of the Patty Melt” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 slices seeded rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese, approximately 1/2 pound
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
8 clean portobello caps
Preparation
Caramelize onions. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over high heat. When it foams, add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Do not stir immediately. Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir frequently over high heat for 5 minutes or so, or until the onions have released some liquid and started to become translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for what will seem like a very long time, until the onions are fully melted and dark golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove onions, and set them and the skillet aside. (You can caramelize the onions a day ahead of time and reheat slowly when you’re ready to cook.)
Take a small baking dish, and put into it olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and minced clove of garlic. Add portobello caps, then cover with foil, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, turning once.
Set the skillet to medium heat, and put four pieces of rye bread into the butter that remains from cooking the onions. Top each piece with a slice of cheese, then two portobello caps, then some of the caramelized onions, and finally another slice of cheese and another slice of rye. Use the spatula to press down on the packages, and after about a minute or so, carefully turn over each patty to begin to brown the other side. (You may need to add the additional butter.) Cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Slice in half before serving.
ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS
This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Can he come up with some good recipes?! Definitely! This has to be one of my favorites, when it comes to biscuits. For this one, Sam wrote, “Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “A Quest for New York’s Perfect Biscuit”, and can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
LENTIL AND RICE STUFFED SQUASH
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: halved zucchini
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/783.shtml
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown basmati rice
1/3 cup French green lentils
2 cups fat-free vegetable broth
3 large summer squash (about 2-2 1/2 lb.), halved
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 whole scallions, chopped
3 cups escarole, rolled up and sliced thin
1-2 Tbsp. finely-chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Combine the rice, lentils and vegetable broth in a deep saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until the rice and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
If using yellow squash, cut off the necks. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the squash 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. When completely cooled, pat the squash dry and set aside.
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until hot. Sauté the onion 3 minutes. Add the garlic and scallions. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the escarole and pepper flakes (if using). Cook until the escarole is wilted and bright green, about 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the rice mixture. Mix in the dill and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a baking dish just large enough to hold them, arrange the squash. Spoon in the filling, generously mounding it. Sprinkle on the feta. Pour 1/2 cup water into the baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is soft, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate, covered in foil, until ready to use. Reheat before serving.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 173; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 240 mg; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Exchanges: 2 Bread/Starch, 1 Reduced-Fat Milk, 1 Fat
CREAMY CHICK’N AND RICE
This comes from Allyson Kramer, About.com’s Vegan Food expert. Allyson wrote, “You don't have to be an omnivore to appreciate a delicious dish of comforting "chick'n" and rice. Just like the traditional version, this vegan friendly recipe is chock full of creamy sauce as well as toothsome vegetables and tofu for texture. A perfect pick me up for a chilly evening!
“This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and frozen as well. To thaw, simply warm in a saucepan (along with a touch of nondairy milk) until it reaches the desired temperature.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 6 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Rice:
2 cups brown rice
2 teaspoons veggie bouillon (I like Edward & Son’s brand)
5 cups water
For the Sauce:
1 cube or teaspoon chick'n flavored veggie bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 block extra firm silken tofu (add an extra 1/2 block of silken tofu + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast + 1/2 cube more bouillon if you want the dish to be extra creamy)
For the Tofu:
1 block extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced sage
Salt to taste
For the Veggies:
2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 cup asparagus, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
Salt to taste
Preparation
To drain the tofu: Wrap the tofu in an absorbent towel and place a plate on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a heavy can or similar item on top of plate to weigh it down. Wait about 20 minutes before starting step two.
Begin cooking rice according to package directions. Add 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon to the water that you are cooking the rice in.
Prep your veggies and spices by washing, chopping, etc., and then place them in large frying pan over medium-low heat.
Cover and cook until carrots are soft. No need to add any oil. Salt if desired, and set aside when they are finished cooking.
Slice your tofu about 1/2 inch thick. Mix olive oil and sage together and brush onto tofu while it is on the grill or before placing into the oven. Lightly salt and cook. I used my George Foreman Grill to cook my tofu. Feel free to roast the tofu at 375 on a lightly greased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, or until firm. When tofu is browned on both sides, remove from heat. Let cool and cut into bite sized pieces.
Make sauce by combining all “sauce” ingredients into a food processor. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
Once the rice is finished cooking, combine everything together with the rice in the pot. Warm on low heat if needed. Serve hot.
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