My Vegetarian Recipe of the Day

For those of you who are celery fans here is a recipe for vegetarian celery soup that sounds like it should be good…

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick celery
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 dessertspoonful of meal, pepper and salt, a tiny bit of butter.

1. Cut the celery into pieces.
2. Set the celery over the fire with 4 pints of water.
3. Let the mixture cook until it’s extremely tender.
4. Rub it through a sieve.
5. Return to the saucepan, add pepper and salt to taste.
6. Smooth the meal with part of the milk, add the rest and thicken the soup.
7. Boil all the ingredients for 2-3 minutes before serving.

This is a slightly updated version of 7 Layer Dip from Food Network.  It’s slightly more complicated but still pretty easy.  My mother-in-law actually heats 7 Layer Dip in the oven to melt the cheese and serves it with rice as a tasty main dish.  You could also layer these ingredients over chips and pop them in the oven to make tasty nachos.  

Six Layer Dip 

2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups lowfat shredded Cheddar
2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
1 jalapeno, stemmed, finely chopped, (with seeds for more heat)
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and some stems, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced Baked tortilla chips, for dipping

On a cutting board, smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic, beans, chili powder, water, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole or gratin dish, or in individual sized dishes, as desired.Scatter the cheese over the beans. Halve and seed the avocados, then mash with the jalapeno and another teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Spread a layer of the avocado over the cheese, and then scatter the lettuce on top.

Mix the yogurt with the cilantro and then spread over the lettuce. Add a layer of tomatoes and finally scatter the scallions on top. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and serve with baked chips.

This recipe comes from a great cookbook: The Golden Door Cookbook. The Golden Door Cookbook is based on foods served at the Golden Door Spa in southern California. The recipes are interesting and unique and delicious. BUT they tend to be more gourmet. By that I mean that they usually have extensive ingredient lists and aren’t always the simplest recipes to make. This recipe is an exception to that. While it does have a fairly long ingredient list, it is pretty simple to assemble. If you like, the dip could be prepared alone and served with potato chips or some other “dipper”.

Potato Skins with Ricotta-Sundried Tomato Dip

Dip

2 T. sliced, soaked dry-packed sundried tomatoes (these are the sundried tomatoes that come in a bag, rather than packed in oil– see note on soaking at bottom of recipe*)
1 T. reserved tomato soaking water
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 T. minced shallots
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. dried basil
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, reserved soaking water, ricotta, shallots, vinegar, basil and pepper and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let come to room temperature before serving.

*To rehydrate dry-packed sundried tomatoes, soak them in warm water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and slice. Be sure to reserve 1 T. of the soaking water for the recipe.

Potato Skins

About 20 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. celery salt
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed (a little over 2 1/2 lbs.)

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the rosemary sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the potatoes. Set aside.

Using a small, sharp knife, slice off a 1/4 inch thick slice from all four sides of each potato. (Save the peeled potatoes for another use.) Blot the cut sides of the potato skins dry with paper towels and arrange them, skin sides down, on the rosemary. Sprinkle the cut sides evenly with the spice mixture. Spray with vegetable oil spray, or brush with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and spray with the vegetable oil spray again (or brush again with olive oil). Return to the oven and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and beginning to puff. Serve with the dip.

Green bean casserole is an easy enough solution for the vegetarians in your family, but what if you have a vegan coming for dinner? This green bean casserole should help them feel right at home while avoiding any animal products.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

1 can French cut green beans
1.5 canisters vegan French fried onions (or make your own*)
1.5 cups soymilk
1 cube veggie bouillon (make sure this is vegan)
2-3 tablespoon corn starch (or potato starch) mixed with 2-3 tablespoon cold water to use as a thickener
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms (button, crimini, portabella, whatever)
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon each of garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sage, marjoram, thyme,
or whatever seasoning you enjoy

Heat soy milk and veggie bouillon in a saucepan, stirring until bouillon cube disintegrates. Do not boil or scald the soy milk. Just heat it. Sauté onions and mushrooms in the oil in a skillet. Add salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices.

Mix the starch and water well, and pour into the soymilk/bouillon. Stir well, because this will thicken quickly. Quickly add the can of green beans and the sautéed veggies, and stir well.

Pour that mixture into a casserole dish or pan and top with rFrench fried onions. Bake in oven at about 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Remove. Eat. Enjoy.

* French Fried Onions

3 large onions, sliced into thin rings
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour (can use gluten free)
oil (for frying)
salt

Soak the onions in the milk for 5 minutes. Heat the oil in a large skillet or deep fryer. Take a handful of onions and run them through the flour with a fork to coat.
Fry in batches in the oil, stirring as needed to brown evenly. Drain on paper towels and season to taste. Store in an air-tight container.

Every year I try a new latke recipe. We all love the potato latkes, but for eight nights it can get a bit old. I’m thinking of trying this recipe for this year.

Sweet Potato Latkes with Sugared Pecans

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 egg
1 T vanilla
1 T cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
Up to 2 T potato flour (regular flour will do if you don’t have potato flour or potato starch)
1/3 c brown sugar; packed
Oil
Sour cream or powder sugar for dusting
Sugared Pecans (recipe below)

Parboil potatoes in boiling water until slightly tender but firm (or microwave for a couple of minutes). Refrigerate potatoes until cold. Remove skin and shred into bowl. Add egg; vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and potato flour. Mix until well blended. Coat bottom of 10″ non-stick skillet with 2 T. oil. Shape latkes into 2 1/2 ” patties. Cook until brown on both sides and transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Add oil as needed to remaining batches. *Pipe dollop of sour cream with pastry bag on top for each latke. Top with Sugared Pecans.*

*OPT. Sugared Pecans

1 c. whole pecans
1 egg white
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

Put pecans in ziplock bag with egg white. Shake until coated. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Add to the ziplock bag– shake until coated. Bake at 400F 9 to 12 min. Cool.

The great thing about Hanukkah for vegetarians is the traditional dish is not chicken, not turkey, but fried pancakes called latkes. The bad thing about Hanukkah for my waistline is the traditional dish is fried pancakes called latkes The most traditional latkes are potato, but there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of variation. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll share some of my favorites and some I want to try. This first recipe falls into the second category. Chickpeas should make for a somewhat more substantial latke, allowing it to become the main dish, if you like, rather than sitting on the side. Someone described this latke as a cross between a latke and a falafel– sounds good to me.

Chickpea and Potato Latkes

18 ounces white potatoes, about 3 medium
3/4 cup chopped leek, white and pale green parts only
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2-1/4 cups drained canned garbanzo beans/chickpeas; about 1-1/2 15-ounce cans
3 large garlic cloves
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons plus additional all purpose flour
vegetable oil (for frying)

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain; refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Peel potatoes; grate coarsely into large bowl. Mix in leek and cilantro.

Blend garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and baking powder in processor until almost smooth. Stir into potato mixture. Mix in 3 tablespoons flour.

Using floured hands, shape 2 rounded tablespoons mixture into ball; flatten into 1/2″-thick disk, about 2″ in diameter. Place on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture, forming about 24 fritters. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Cover and refrigerate.)

Pour enough oil into 2 heavy large skillets to reach depth of 1/4″. Heat over medium heat until sprinkle of water sizzles in oil. Coat each fritter with flour. Fry fritters until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels; drain.

The usual cranberry salads often contain jello or marshmallows. While you can find vegetarian alternatives to these, I find that a hassle. They are not found at stores conveniently located to me. So, when I found this recipe that includes neither, I was thrilled. And it’s really tasty, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Whipped Cream Cranberry Salad

2 (12 ounce) packages fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans
1 pint heavy whipping cream (or one carton non-dairy whipped topping–decrease sugar to 1/2 c. if using this)

Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor; put in a large, non-metal bowl and mix in the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Whip the cream until stiff (skip this step if using non-dairy topping). Add the pineapple and nuts to the cranberries, mix well. Fold in whipped cream; refrigerate until ready to serve.

*** If you like, you can stir in marshmallows with the whipped cream. Vegan marshmallows are available. Also, kosher marshmallows are made with fish gelatin, which may be acceptable to some.

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’ll make a confession. I’m not that great at cooking gravy. In fact, in the past I’ve made gravy that tasted a bit like, well, chalk. I remember, growing up, my Dad could just whip up gravy. No recipe. Just a few pan drippings, some water, some flour, some seasoning and voila! Clearly, gravy making is not genetic. Now, throw in the fact that now I’ve got to make gravy without pan drippings, and you can see what a problem I’m faced with. Fortunately, Simply Organics makes just add water vegetarian mushroom gravy mix but, although it will do in a pinch and definitely doesn’t taste like chalk, it’s not exactly the most fabulous gravy in the world, either. Enter, the vegetarian mushroom gravy recipe…

I recently discovered that there are, indeed, such things as gravy recipes (really I’ve known that all along, I just thought “who needs a recipe for gravy”). Clearly, I do. Last week, I made mashed cauliflower and, since I hadn’t been able to find Simply Organics’ mix the last time I was at the store, I was in need of a vegetarian gravy to go along with it. I found this recipe on epicurious.com that includes exotic mushrooms, and since I didn’t want to spend a fortune making gravy, I adapted it. The finished product was beyond edible– it was downright fantastic, if I do say so myself!

So, if you’re looking for a great vegetarian mushroom gravy to accompany your nut loaf, or mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes– here it is! And since even I made it turn outright, you know it’s easy. Because of the corn starch, it has a slightly more gelatinous texture. If you want something thicker, consider thickening it with flour, instead. Also, I made it with mushroom broth, but for Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about using vegetable stock for a richer flavor.

Easy Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

1 pound sliced button mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 cups mushroom broth
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used a couple teaspoons of dried, since I didn’t have fresh, and it worked out just fine)

Slice mushrooms. In a 10-inch heavy non-stick skillet cook garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add mushrooms and soy sauce and sauté mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown.
Add wine and vinegar and boil until liquid is evaporated. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to skillet with sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season gravy with salt and pepper. Gravy may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. When reheating gravy, add water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.

I love this recipe. It always gets rave reviews. You can use it as a side, or in place of your trusty pumpkin pie. Either way, it’s delicious! Use canned or fresh sweet potatoes. If you’re using canned sweet potatoes with syrup, either leave out the sugar, altogether, or cut it to 1/4 cup.

Praline Sweet Potatoes

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/3-1/2 cup sugar (depending on your desire for sweetness– I use turbinado)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 pint heavy cream
1/4 pound butter

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Butter one 2 quart casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cream. Blend well, and spread evenly in casserole dish.
Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Mix until crumbly, and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

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.

You may be asking yourself– is this really a THANKSGIVING vegetarian recipe? Well, you could certainly use it for other times of the year, but I think it would make a great side on a Thanksgiving table. I bet even the non-vegetarians would like it. It reminds me of the squash casserole with cream of mushroom soup and water chestnuts– only a little healthier, I think, and with a little kick. You could also serve this as a main dish, and if you’re going for a fancy Thanksgiving dish, you could use this as a stuffing for zucchini (you’d want to chop the squash, instead of slice– or maybe even puree). Just put it into hollowed out zucchini, instead of a casserole, put a bit of the cheese on top and cook as directed.

Mexican Squash Casserole

2 yellow squash, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 medium onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons oil
4 ounces green chile, chopped
2 cups red corn or yellow corn sliced off the cob (or frozen if fresh is unavailable)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup Monterey Jack Chesse grated
1 teaspoon cumin

Lightly sauté the squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until just soft. Toss with the remaining ingredients. Place in a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Even my children, who can be a bit suspicious of unfamiliar food, liked this recipe. It’s a savory dish, but it almost has a dessert feel to it. I had never eaten carnival squash before preparing this recipe, but I’ll definitely be trying it again. I think this would be excellent prepared in small individual pie crusts for breakfast, brunch or dinner– or even as an appetizer. Prepared without the crust, it could even be a low carb addition to a meal. I think I roasted the squash because it was easier. And I made mine in a pie crust in a pie pan– it will fit in a pie pan, by the way. And I skipped the nuts– but other than that I followed the recipe exactly as written

Carnival squash quiche

2 cups Carnival Squash (or any other variety of Winter Squash) peel and cube
1 cup Cottage Cheese
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 cup Nuts chopped

In a pan with a small amount of water, cook the squash for about 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain. In a blender, mix together cottage cheese and eggs till smooth. Add squash, milk, and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Pat cooked rice on the bottom of a 10 x 6 x 2 inch casserole dish. Pour squash mixture on top. Bake at 350° F for 40-45 minutes or until set. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

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.

This is a fun little fruit salad, perfect for the 4th of July.

Layered Fruit Flag Salad
16 oz. pineapple tidbits in juice
2 med. bananas sliced
6 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 c. frozen whipped topping or whipped cream
3 T. powdered sugar (optional)
4 c. cubed cantaloupe, well drained
3 c. blueberries

Drain pineapple, reserving juice in small bowl. Pat pineapple dry with paper towels to remove any excess liquid. Toss banana slices in pineapple liquid; drain well. Reserve 18 to 20 strawberries for flag stripes; cut remaining strawberries into quarters.

In medium bowl, mix yogurt, whipped cream and powdered sugar until smooth.

In ungreased 13×9 glass baking dish, layer cantaloupe and quartered strawberries. Reserve 50 blueberries for flag stars. Layer remaining blueberries over strawberries. Top with bananas and pineapple. Press fruit lightly to make a smooth top. Spread yogurt mixture evenly over fruit. If desired, at this point, salad can be covered and refrigerated up to 4 hours.

Up to 1 hour before serving, complete the salad. Sprinkle reserved blueberries in corner to resemble stars on flag. Cut reserved strawberries into quarters. Arrange strawberries in rows to resemble stripes of flag.

(Note: I don’t worry about layering the fruit. I just dump it all in the bowl. It’s going to be covered with the topping, anyway, so no one can really see any effort you put into layering. Also, it works without adding the yogurt to the whipped cream, but it’s a little harder to spread.)