Roasted Brussels Sprouts — Ina Garten

  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.v

Eggplant Mushroom Quiche Sherry Golden

1 pre-baked crust

1 small onion
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped coarse
1 garlic clove minced
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
3 eggs
3/4 c. milk or cream
1 cup seasoned eggplant puree
1/4 c, grated parm. or romano cheese
2 tbsp tomato paste
pepper to taste
a grating of fresh nutmeg
about 1/4 c. tomato sauce
grated cheese–parm and or mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375.  Have the pre-baked crust ready
Saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in butter.  Add the basil and oregano and saute for a few minutes more.  Let cool slightly.

Place this in a blender or food processor along with the eggs, milk or cream, seasoned eggplant puree, grated cheese, tomato paste, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Puree then pour this mixture into the prebaked crust and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the surface of the pie, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Make a 9-10 inch quiche.

Second pie, used too much tomato sauce which made the filling soft, tasted fine but not as pretty not did it hold together.

2nd quiche

 

 

Seasoned Eggplant Puree Sherry Golden

This puree is an excellent way to process and preserve eggplants when they are abundant and beautifully firm.  Freeze the puree in 1 cup portions.  Use in sauces for pasta, as a filling for crepes, and in the superb Eggplant Mushroom Quiche.

2 medium eggplants
salt
1 medium onion
2-3 garlic cloves
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
2-3 tbsp water, use as little as possible

Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Salt both side sand lay them on paper towels for 30 min to drain. Pat them dry and cut into cubes

In a large saute pan saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is softened.  Add the eggplant cube and saute until the eggplant begins to color.  Add the basil and water.  Stir, cover and steam until the eggplant is tender.  Puree in a food processor or blender

-OR-

Peel eggplant and cook on grill under done.

In a large saute pan saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is softened.  Add Add the basil and water.  Stir and cook for a few minutes.  Puree in a food processor or blender

Seitan Scaloppine with Lemon Sauce

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth (or other vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons tahini or cashew butter

1 tablespoon unbleached flour
1 lemon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
10 green olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
1 1/4 cups No-Chicken Broth or veggie broth
2-3 tablespoons white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper
additional vegetable broth, as necessary

Tear off 4 – 6 pieces of aluminum foil about 10 inches long. (See tips below for a foil-free way of making the scaloppine). Begin heating water in a steamer. In a large bowl, mix the vital wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and basil. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the broth and tahini (or cashew butter). Stir the wet mixture into the dry until well blended. Knead gently 10 times. Quickly divide dough into 4 equal pieces.

Take a piece of dough and shape and flatten it into a thin oval cutlet. Place it on a sheet of foil, a little higher than center. Fold the bottom of the foil over to meet the top, and then fold the two edges over about 1/2 inch to form a seam. Continue folding the foil by half inches until it reaches just above the cutlet. Flatten the cutlet down a little more, and then fold the left and right edges in the same way until the packet is snug around the cutlet. Repeat with all pieces of dough.

Place the packets flat into the steamer and cover. Steam for 25 minutes. Keep packets sealed until you’re ready to use them.
 

 

Spray a non-stick skillet (or some other non-iron skillet) with olive oil. Begin heating it as you prepare a plate containing the fl

our sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, unwrap each cutlet and lightly dredge each side in the flour and then place in the skillet. Cook until brown and then turn over and brown other side. Remove to a plate.

(If you’d rather not use any oil at all, skip the flouring of the cutlets and just brown them alone. Your sauce may not thicken unless you add a little flour to it later.)
Add the garlic and lemon slices to the pan. Cook until the lemon slices have softened, 2-3 minutes, and then remove them from the pan, leaving the garlic. Add the olives, broth, wine, and lemon juice and cook on medium heat until the liquid starts to reduce. Remove the garlic, add salt and pepper to taste, and return the cutlets to the pan. Turn them over to

coat with the sauce. Simmer briefly to warm them through, and if the sauce becomes too thick, add a little broth to thin. Stir in the parsley, and remove the cutlets to plates. Spoon some sauce over each cutlet and garnish with lemon slices.

 

Tips for Moister Cutlets:

I found two different tricks that resulted in a cutlet that was a little moister.  Unfortunately, one of them requires an extra step, simmering the seitan in broth for a few minutes after it comes out of the steamer.  If you’d like to do this, just put the cutlets in a skillet, add broth to about halfway over them, and simmer, turning, for 3-5 minutes.  The cutlets will absorb a lot of the broth, so be ready to add more as necessary.  Once they’re done, remove them from the broth and proceed with the recipe.

No extra step is required for the other technique; in fact, it’s simpler than the original recipe, though you will need a large steamer and plates that will fit inside it.  Instead of wrapping the cutlets in foil, place them on the largest plate that will fit in your steamer.  (If you have a double-level steamer, you can place two cutlets on smaller plates on each level.) Cover with an inverted plate of the same size, to keep water from dripping directly onto your cutlets.  Steam for 25 minutes.  Your cutlets will be a little lighter in color but will have a moister texture.   This is my preferred way of making these cutlets!

 

Kale and Chickpea Stew — Emeril

  • 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole yellow-mustard seeds
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained
  • 5 cups vegetable stock or canned low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 pound kale, stems removed, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
  • Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup julienned red bell pepper, for garnish

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat ghee over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and yellow mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute longer. Add sweet potatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth, kale, and salt and increase heat to medium-high. As soon as stew begins to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes longer.

Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with chopped cilantro and red bell pepper. Serves 4 to 6

One Pot Curried Cauliflower Rice


from Everyday Food and Evil Chef Mom
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1 1/2 pieces
salt and pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 cups of basmati rice
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained-I PREFER 1 c peas
2 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream, I used coconut milk
chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium high. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in spots. This might need to be done in batches.

Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 teaspoons of oil and onions to pot; cook, stirring occasionally , until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Add rice, curry powder, and chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated, about 2 minutes. Add broth and cream and bring to a boil. Scatter cauliflower over the top (do not stir to combine) Cover and bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Chickpea Burgers with Tahini Sauce


• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 1 yellow or red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons tahini –  I substituted hummus
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs – I used 1-2 tbsp!!
• 4 buns or pita pockets

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until thick and pasty. (You may mash them by hand, but it is a little more labor- intensive and time- consuming.) Transfer to a medium- size bowl.
3. To the bowl, add the onion, garlic, parsley, tahini (hummus), cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and baking powder. Slowly add the bread crumbs until the mixture holds together. Add more bread crumbs, as needed. Shape into patties.
4. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Using a spatula, flip each patty over, and cook for 10–12 minutes more until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Alternatively, you may fry the patties with a little oil in a pan on the stovetop.
5. While the burgers are cooking, make the tahini sauce, below.

Tahini Sauce
• One 6-ounce container plain nondairy yogurt (I used 3/4 cup Wildwood Soy Yogurt)
• 1 to 2 tablespoon tahini –  I substituted hummus
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, tahini (hummus), cucumber, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes, and serve with the chickpea burgers, along with lettuce, tomato, and onion on a bun or in a pita pocket.

Creamy Lemon Pasta With Spinach And Peas

1 cup frozen peas
¾ cup cream
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes — I used less maybe 1/4 tsp.
2 garlic cloves — peeled and smashed
4 cup baby spinach — stems removed
1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 teaspoon lemon juice
1 lbs dried pasta — such as farfalle or casarecce, cooked
Freshly grated Parmesan

Simmer peas, cream, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a skillet over low heat for 5 minutes, covered. Add spinach and cook until wilted, uncovered, stirring as necessary. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and juice, season with salt to taste. Toss with cooked pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan

Easy and very tasty!!

Eggplant Parm Stacks — LSQ

Ready in half the time it takes to make traditional eggplant Parmesan, this inventive version is stacked with fresh herbs and melted-cheese goodness. Yields 4 servings

1 eggplant (1 1/4 pounds total), sliced crosswise 1/3-inch thick (12 slices total) Coarse salt
4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan — I use Romano cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 cups Basic Italian Tomato Sauce
1 pound fresh mozzarella, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick (12 slices total)
Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle Parmesan for garnish

Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with oven rack in center position.

Brush eggplant slices with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Grill 8-10 minutes, flipping once, until charred and soft.

hint–put on gas grill, so much easier and less messy!!

In a medium bowl combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, pepper, herbs, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.

Place 4 slices grilled eggplant on parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, and slices of mozzarella. Repeat with two more layers. Drizzle with olive oil.  I found that stacks of four layers fell over in the over despite skewers.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a garnish of olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Stew — Deborah Madison

A wonderful and filling stew. We often serve it with an Herb Pilaf and Broccoli with a Paprika-garlic Sauce for a very complete meal. Mushroom Stew adapted from The Savory Way by Deborah Madison Serves 4

Notes: I thought the sauce was too sweet, next time add less sugar. To reduce the sweetness I added garlic, 1 tbsb. fish sauce, more tofu and some swiss chard.

The Sauce
2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar–use less
3/4 cup (~200 ml) dry red wine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

The Vegetables
1 1/4 lb. (~1/2 kilo) mushrooms (combination of chantrelle, oyster, shitake, domestic button)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
salt
1 large red bell pepper,
diced 1/4 lb. (~125 mg) tofu cut into small cubes
chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Halve or quarter the larger fresh mushrooms. Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, add the onion, salt lightly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are transparent. Add the mushrooms and the peppers and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to color; then add the sauce. Add the tofu and simmer slowly until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 40 minutes. Serve in soup plates with rice or noodles and garnish with cilantro or parsley.