My Vegetarian Recipe of the Day

Lasagna is a perfect meal for the holidays. It can be prepared ahead of time and reheated for parties or family dinners. This one is a non-traditional winter inspired acorn squash creation from Martha Stewart. When I make this I plan to double it and use a 9×13 pan or my lasagna pan, but this size would be perfect for a buffet, if you’re serving lots of other dishes.

Acorn Squash Lasagna

Olive oil, for baking dish
4 cups Acorn Squash Purée or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash purée, thawed
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 no-boil lasagna noodles (half of an 8-ounce package) (You could also use regular noodles— just prepare them according to the package ahead of time.)

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash purée with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

3. Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.

This may seem like an odd Holiday recipe. There’s nothing terribly “holiday” about it. BUT it is super fast. It can be completely done by the time the pasta boils. So, since the holidays sometimes get a bit crazy, I thought it would be good to post at least one meal that is elegant, delicious and so easy that you don’t even have to think about it. I think this recipe would go great on a buffet, in case you have a holiday party, but want to do something other than cook all week long.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup walnuts, toasted and cooled
3/4 c. shredded Romano cheese
3 cloves garlic
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 lb. shaped pasta (I tend to use bowtie)
red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook pasta, according to directions on bag.

Toast walnuts at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

Throw all ingredients, except pasta, into food processor and process for about 1 minute, until thick and creamy— but don’t process it so long that the cream starts to turn to butter Add to the pasta, stir until combined and serve.

**If you don’t have a food processor, you could probably do this in a blender, but I haven’t tried that, so your results may vary.

In our house, we have to make cornbread stuffing and bread dressing. I have a hard time getting past Thanksgiving without cornbread stuffing, and my husband prefers bread dressing (I like both, to be honest, but I’d probably skip the bread dressing every once in a while, if not for my husband). This is a good basic bread stuffing. You can add fresh herbs, instead of dried, add more vegetables to the onions and celery, throw in some cranberries or pecans— whatever your family likes. It’s also easy enough to turn into a vegan recipe, if you have some vegan bread on hand.

Herbed Bread Stuffing

10 cups (1-inch) cubes day old bread (1 lb) (any type will do— I usually use whole wheat)
3 medium onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
2 cups not chicken broth or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Toast bread in a large shallow baking pan in middle of oven until just dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Cook onions, celery, and herbs in butter or margarine in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until celery is softened, about 10 minutes. Stir together bread, vegetables, broth, and salt and pepper to taste, then cool completely, uncovered.

I can hear you thinking, “It’s great that you’ve given us a dessert and a side, but come on WE could have figured that out! What about the more difficult vegetarian Thanksgiving items? What about a main dish? What about stuffing? Can stuffing be made without meat-based broth?”

Well, the answer is “yes”. Several years ago I went to Thanksgiving, and there were THREE cornbread dressings there. My sister in law made hers with sausage, so that was a no go for my family. My aunt was bringing my grandmother’s recipe, complete with turkey giblets. And I had to bring a third because, well, what else was I going to do? If I wanted cornbread dressing, I had to make my own. I emailed my aunt to get my grandmother’s recipe. My aunt was absolutely positive it could not be made without giblets and chicken broth. Well, you know what? By the end of the meal, both of my aunts wanted the recipe. Since I never write anything down, I can’t share the exact recipe with you, but I’ll share the recipe I’m going to make this year. Hopefully, it will be as good.

Vegetarian cornbread dressing

Cornbread, use your favorite recipe (I use Hodgson Mills cornbread mix to prepare one pan)
7 slices oven-dried wheat bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers (I suppose you could use some healthier choice, but I usually use the saltines)
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups no chicken broth by Imagine
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
cayenne pepper, to taste (optional, but this really does make the dressing— you just need a small amount)
5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried wheat bread slices, and saltines; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the broth, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, poultry seasoning and cayenne. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

It’s actually acting like it may become fall this year in South Texas. This is the time of year I always begin to doubt it and then, what do you know, it gets down in the 50s one night and, just like that, summer is gone. When that happens, I can retire my salads and start making soups, stews and chilis. This recipe is an adaptation (not mine) of a recipe from Alex Jamieson’s “The Great American Detox Diet”. It’s perfect for cool autumn evenings. It also freezes well, so you can put some in the freezer for another night. And vegetarian chili is a breeze to make, if you use canned or made ahead beans. You can literally have dinner on the table in 30 minutes, or less.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-can diced tomatoes
4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing to stir occasionally. Add the tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges and cilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.

A butternut squash arrived in my CSA box recently, and I thought “Hmmm. What am I supposed to do with this thing?” So, I cut it in half and roasted it, scooped out the insides, put them in the refrigerator and then waited for a week to find a recipe. I found this one and, honestly, the hardest part of the recipe was cutting the squash in half. (I’ve since read that you can use an ice pick or a skewer to poke holes in the butternut squash and then just roast it whole, which I’m going to try next time.)

Butternut Squash Casserole

1 butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon brown sugar (I think I left this out)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup crushed crackers (I used whole wheat Ritz)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut squash in half and discard seeds. Roast or boil squash until soft. Scoop out soft insides. In a large bowl, mash the softened squash. Mix in the mayonnaise, onion, egg, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together crackers, Parmesan and butter. Sprinkle over the squash mixture. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the topping is lightly brown.

I really liked Sherpherd’s Pie a lot when I was growing up. It’s a great winter food, somewhere between a stew and a casserole. I prefer mine deep dish, although you can make smaller ones in a pie pan.

2½ T olive or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c onion, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
6 c mixed vegetables, finely chopped
Some possibilities: – bell peppers – carrots – celery – corn – green beans – leeks – mushrooms – peas – spinach – zucchini
1 c vegetable stock or water
1 t soy sauce or Bragg’s Aminos
pepper
2 to 2½ c mashed potatoes (I think you could also successfully substitute mashed cauliflower, but if you really need comfort food, maybe you should just allow yourself the carbs)

Directions Heat 2 T oil over medium heat, add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add onion and continue sautéing until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently. (If you need to make the mashed potatoes, start them now).
Add stock and vegetables, bring to boil, cover, lower heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add soy sauce and pepper, taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Preheat oven to 350.

Use remaining ½ t oil to grease casserole. Put vegetables in it, then cover with a layer of mashed potatoes.

Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

For a more substantial dish, you can add/substitute things like pre-cooked tofu, lentils, or seitan.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe at All Recipes. I really like it, but you do need to use a very sharp cheddar, and I think it works well with a pepper jack, as well. In fact, a lot of times I leave out the mozzarella and just use jack and cheddar. It can be a bit bland, if you don’t add enough salt. I’m also trying to figure out how to make it a bit creamier— perhaps some sour cream? Now, after that ringing endorsement, I know you’re just dying to try this recipe But it really is one of my standby recipes, and everyone always enjoys it a lot! It’s very flexible, though, so don’t feel like you can’t work with it and adapt it to your family’s tastes.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart milk (works best if warmed, but I’ve made it many times without)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
5 ounces cubed Cheddar cheese (I find grated works better for all the cheeses)
5 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in warm milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Mix in salt, pepper, and cayenne, and stir frequently until sauce thickens.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cheddar, mozzarella, and jack. Combine pasta with sauce and stir well. Pour into baking dish. Use paprika to make a decorative pattern on top. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until top is the desired crispiness. Let rest 20 minutes before serving.

***After experimenting around, I have found that sprinkling a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top gives it a bit of crunch and also adds a bit more flavor.

I love chicken and dumplings, which creates a problem, since I no longer eat chicken. But this recipe makes a wonderful substitution. I may even like it better than the original.

Vegetarian chicken and dumplings

For the Soup:
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine or butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 cups vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, diced
1 lb. faux chicken, torn into small pieces (try Worthington brand Chickette or Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chick’n Strips) or you can use white button mushrooms halved, if you don’t want to use a meat substitute
1 bay leaf

For the dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. milk (or soy milk)
2 T. oil or melted butter or margarine
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Place the margarine, onion, and celery for the soup in a large saucepan and sauté until the vegetables are soft.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil.
Add the carrots, faux chicken, and bay leaf.

Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the chopped fresh parsley. Stir just to moisten dry ingredients and drop by tablespoon directly into the boiling broth. Cover tightly. Return to the boil. Reduce heat without lifting cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

Our family has had a cold running through it for the past couple of weeks. Colds and illnesses make me long for something that just tastes warm and good and comforting— you know, comfort food. Usually, for me this means casseroles or something made with cream of mushroom soup, perhaps with some potatoes thrown in for good measure. It also means a lot of recipes that are now off limits, as many of the recipes contain meat. Over the years, I’ve worked out some acceptable substitutes, and I’ll be looking for recipes that I haven’t tried, too, and sharing them all here with you over the next couple of weeks.