Posts filed under 'Vegetarian'
As kitchen fate sometimes has it, the recipe intended for today’s post is not ready for primetime, so we looked to some of our previously published vegetarian recipes for this week’s Meatless Monday post. Shortly after Barr posted her broccoli pesto recipe, I tried it out on my family. It was a resounding success with my children as well.
From the Flavorista Archives, originally published on October 9th 2009:
From Barr:
As we are in seasonal transition, it is decidedly colder here in Colorado. My tastes have been for heartier fare. Here is a recipe to excite you about broccoli. As luck would have it, broccoli is the one vegetable that my most finicky eater likes. Of course the other two only "tolerate" it. This dinner was a huge hit with all three!
I highly recommend that you serve this on a ridged pasta, like rotini. We enjoyed it on wide fettuccine egg noodles. My favorite boxed pasta, Barilla Plus, adds to the "stealth health" appeal that this dinner has for moms.
This pesto could also be easily worked into a warm pasta salad with some white beans, lots of freshly chopped parsley and a splash of red wine vinegar.
Pasta with Broccoli "Pesto"
1 (14.5-oz.) box Barilla Plus Pasta
1 lb. steamed broccoli
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Juice from 1/2 large lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese (or Parmesan)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, more to taste
Put your pasta water on to boil. Set up your steamer and steam the broccoli.
Saute the diced onion in a little olive oil until soft. Place the still warm, steamed broccoli in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic clove and onion. Pulse until evenly chopped. Add the pasta water, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine. Transfer this mixture to a small mixing bowl. Stir cheese and olive oil into the mixture until evenly blended.
Once the pasta is cooked, place it in a warmed bowl and add the "pesto" and stir well. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Offer additional ground pepper and salt.
Recipe Note: To make this dinner gluten-free, substitute your favorite gluten-free pasta or toss the pesto with 1 lb. of oven roasted potatoes.
FMI on Meatless Monday click here.
March 8th, 2010
I developed this recipe for Hannaford fresh many moons ago and it has been in our regular meal rotation ever since. I finally remembered to snap its photo for Meatless Monday.
.jpg)
I love the straightfoward simplicity of this recipe. Ingredient-wise, it is uncomplicated. Flavor-wise, it sings with the bright notes of Thai cuisine. Mellow yellow tofu is greatly enhanced by the sour lime and the heat of the chilies. Sweet bell pepper and onion slices mingle with fresh ginger and crunchy peanuts (or cashews). The whole dish is finished with a generous dose of aromatic, peppery basil. My mouth is watering, just writing about it. Quite frankly, this is the dish that made me embrace tofu.
Sweet and Sour Spicy Thai Stir Fry
Be sure to really press the water out of the tofu, this not only helps it to crisp up in the pan, but also helps it to absorb the flavors of the piquant sauce.
1 cup jasmine rice
1 2/3 cups water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce (or soy sauce)
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp.chili garlic sauce, more to taste
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
2/3 cup roasted peanuts (or cashews)
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Add rice to a medium saucepan, rinse, and drain, keeping rice in pan. Add water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for exactly 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Do not remove lid. Set aside.
While rice is cooking, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add tofu and cook until it’s lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
In same pan, add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. When hot, add chili garlic sauce and ginger. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vegetables. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes.
Re-whisk sauce. Add sauce, peanuts and tofu to the vegetables. Bring sauce to a simmer and heat the tofu through, about 3 minutes. Add basil to the stir fry and stir well to combine. Remove lid from rice and fluff with a fork. Divide rice and tofu among four plates. Serve immediately.
Adapted from Hannaford Fresh Magazine, May/June 2008
March 1st, 2010
"This tastes like restaurant soup!" announced Marco with enthusiasm and I knew I had a hit on my hands. While we often eat vegetarian meals, participating in Meatless Mondays has required that I get more organized about it. We’ve got a few dandies coming up the pike so be sure to check back each Monday, if not more often 
Despite the fact that it feels like spring around these parts (Maverick spent Saturday morning at the shore), I am still craving winter favorites like rich soups to warm the evenings when sunset is still coming too quickly.
Prior to this recipe, I had never blended tofu into a soup but I wanted to up the nutritional ante of this vegan soup. I did not want to use beans because it would have masked the sweet potato flavor with beany notes.
I am happy to report that it worked famously and tasted so yummy that Marco will never know about the tofu (wink, wink). FYI - Sneaking tofu into Marco’s soup or calling anything vegan falls under "what he doesn’t know will make him healthier" category.
Now onto the soup, thick and aromatic, bright with sweet potatoes and accented with Indian flavors like ground corriander, fresh ginger and coconut milk, this bowl of orange-yellow goodness is a winner.
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Serves 6
To speed up the process, prep the sweet potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate them until needed for making the soup. This soup doubles easily and freezes well.
2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
3 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne, more to taste
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice or 2 Tbsp. lime juice
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 (1-lb) pkg. silken tofu
1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (light or regular)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook the sweet potatoes (boil, microwave, bake – your choice). To bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and cook until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool for a few minutes. Remove and discard skin.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and ginger. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, curry powder, ground coriander and cayenne. Cook and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the brown sugar and lemon juice. Add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Cut the cooked sweet potatoes into bite size chunks. Add the sweet potatoes, tofu and coconut milk. Stir well. Cook for 10 -15 minutes to heat through and so that the flavors mingle. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, puree the soup in batches in either a food processor or a blender.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with a scant Tbsp. cilantro.
FMI on Meatless Mondays, click here.
February 22nd, 2010
We are joining the Meatless Monday Movement. Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health is behind the effort. Eating vegetarian is good for your body and good for the planet. Both of our families eat a fair amount of vegetarian meals so it seems like a perfect fit. If you are not ready to jump on board, simply give it some consideration.
Served over simple brown rice or even roasted potatoes, this is a great "meatless" dish. When planning to prepare tofu, it is essential to press the water out. This allow for maximum absorption of the marinade. Try and marinate the tofu for at least 8 hours. It can sit in the marinade for 2 days. The onions are really good grilled and served alongside.
Tofu/Marinade/Sauce
1 lb. fresh firm tofu, pressed for several hours or overnight, sliced in half then into triangles, about 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
8 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano and basil
1 small onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1/3 lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/3 cup clementine or tangerine juice (about 3 clementines)
1 tsp. clementine zest
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
For Garnish:
1/4 freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 freshly sliced scallions
Place your tofu onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Fold some of the parchment over the top of the tofu and then place a heavy skillet or pot on top. If you have some canned beans then place them on top of the pot. This will allow a lot of the water to release from the tofu which allows for the maximum amount of marinade to penetrate.
On the same night make your marinade. Heat the oil over a medium flame. Once slightly hot, add the garlic slices and cook until you can just begin to smell the aroma. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Whisk the zest and all the liquid together into the cooled oil and garlic. Add the herbs, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Let sit overnight, refrigerated. The next morning, remove the weights from the tofu. Slice it in half on the diagonal and then into triangles. Slice the onion and layer the onion and tofu into a glass or non-reactive dish. Pour the marinade over making sure that all the pieces are covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
Remove the tofu and onion slices from the marinade. Place the marinade into a shallow saute pan and allow to reduce over medium low heat until the sauce is thick. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender stick or in a regular blender.
Grill the tofu for about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with several spoonfuls of sauce on top.
FMI on Meatless Mondays click here.
February 15th, 2010
Family friends of ours, the Scottos, have a terrific restaurant in New York called Fresco By Scotto. They are regular guests on The Today Show and a recent segment reminded me how much I love their first cookbook, Fresco. If you are in NYC make Fresco a destination. Marion is an amazing, gracious host and the food is wonderful too.
Hands down, this is my favorite recipe from the Fresco cookbook. With a cup a soup and a salad it makes a perfect winter meal. I have offered a vegetarian option at the end of the original recipe.
Sausage and Leek Tart with a Fennel Crust
Makes one 10 to 11-inch tart
Fennel Tart Dough
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup of butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 tsp kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Place the flour, butter, fennel seeds and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10 times or until the mixture resembles crumbs. In a smaller bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp. of water with the eggs.
With the food processor running, add the egg mixture through the feeding tube. Pulse 8 tie or just until the dough comes together. Remove from the bowl, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about one hour. Let the dough stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling it out and fitting it into your favorite tart pan.
Time Saver: If you find that you like this crust, double the recipe and freeze one ball of dough for future use.
Filling:
2 large onions or 2 lbs. leeks, sliced thinly
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb. shredded Fontina cheese (or Gruyere)
12 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick and drained on paper towels
(I used large cherry tomatoes as could not find any good plum tomatoes. I used 1 pint but 2 would have been better.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet and cook sausage for 7 minutes. Break up the meat while it cooks. Drain and set aside. Discard the fat. Heat remaining oil and saute the onions until they get nice and soft. Add the garlic and cook for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool
Combine the eggs and cream and mix well. Add the parsley. Set aside.
Spread the onions or leeks over the tart shell bottom. Spread the sausage meat on top. Cover the meat with the cheese. Now place the tomatoes on top in a nice pattern, layering them just so they overlap slightly. Carefully pour the egg mixtue over. Place tart pan onto a cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Let the tart cool slightly before you cut it to serve.
Go Veg!
I decided to make this tart vegetarian as we are trying to cut back on our meat consumption 3 to 4 nights a week. So instead of the sausages and heavy cream, I used 1 cup ricotta cheese with about 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil. It worked great, but I confess to preferring the one with sausage better!
February 2nd, 2010
My brother-in-law, Jock, introduced me to this recipe over a year ago. It wasn’t until Mo and I were at the Shapiro’s holiday party for the Communications Strategy Group, that I too fell in love with this wonderful lasagne. Steven’s wife Tracey throws the best holiday party. She used the Denver based caterer Kristen Hanson. Everything was delicious but no one could stop talking about the lasagne.
When I got home I quickly checked my Everyday Italian book but it wasn’t there, however it is on the Food Network’s site. Michael Chiarello had one posted there too, but his is a little more complex. Giada’s features crumbled amaretti cookies, which makes this dish unique. I made a few alterations which included adding mushrooms and caramelized onions and removing the basil just because I didn’t have any. For Giada’s recipe click here.
I followed her recipe exactly except for a few things. I used whole wheat flour for my bechamel sauce (white sauce) as this gives it a nutty flavor. Additionally I added:
1 lb. sliced Shitake mushrooms, sauteed with 2 chopped garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp. dried thyme.
3 onions, sliced and caramelized (You can use Kimberly’s slow cooker method featured on the French Onion Soup or use Tracey’s method in her Israeli Couscous)
I layered the mushrooms and onions together between sheets of fresh pasta. Giadia uses the no-boil variety. I think making it with fresh is better but if you’re pressed for time use the no boil sheets.
My layers were as follows:
Bechamel, lasagne sheet, butternut squash puree and cheeses, lasgane sheet, bechamel, mushrooms, onions, and parmesan cheese, lasagne sheet, butternut squash and cheeses, final lasagne sheet and bechamel and cheese. So the 3 layers were 2 butternut squash and one onion and mushroom. Delicious!
Being pressed for time one night, I used the frozen butternut squash. I defrosted sauteed it with 1 diced yellow onion it then pureed it in the food processor with the basil and ameretti cookies which shaved off a bit of time. I know there is even canned butternut now so that might be another way to try it, either way, this recipe is really good.I served it with some grilled asparagus. It’s light, delicate, yet flavorful. Perfect with a glass of white wine.
PS from Kimberly: Stay tuned for Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagne, the pictures have not made it out of the camera yet. Clearly lasagne is perfect fare for cold winter nights.
February 1st, 2010
Previous Posts
