Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday recipes. Enjoy!

SPICY GINGERBREAD CAKE

This is from One Green Planet. This dairy free, vegan recipe serves 12. While the recipe calls for peanut oil, I tend to stick with canola oil and olive oil at home. Canola would be the better choice (between canola and olive) for baking, but if you want to purchase a small bottle of peanut oil – or happen to have it on hand – go for it. Also, if you have (or want to buy) sugar-in-the-raw, use that. Otherwise, I would use plain granulated sugar.

Note: While the recipe doesn't say anything about preparing the pans, you might want to spray whatever pans or muffin tins you're going to bake this in with cooking spray.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 oz. fresh ginger, finely grated

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

3/4 cup sugar-in-the-raw

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup peanut oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water 2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp egg-replacement (such as ener-g egg)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel and chop the fresh ginger very fine with a sharp knife.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix molasses, corn syrup, sugar-in-the-raw and peanut oil.

In a separate bowl, using a whisk, combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt and black pepper.

Bring water to a boil and stir in baking soda. Add the hot water to the molasses mixture and mix, then stir in the freshly grated ginger.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture.

Mix the egg replacer with 3 Tbsp of water and add to the batter mixing until everything is combined.

Pour batter into desired cake pans or muffin cups and bake for about twenty minutes, or until the cake springs back to a gentle touch.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One time, my oldest son took the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it.

I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, even looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?” Never heard from him again.

Tomato sauce:

2 – 3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz. can tomatoes

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

1 or 2 – 10 oz. package tofu crumbles

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.

Cheese layer:

2 C sour cream

2 C cottage cheese

2 eggs

4 C mozzarella, grated

2 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 C Parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients together in large bowl.

Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.

ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES

This is from the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. It starts off, “Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving.” Serves 8.

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided

3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided

2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup apple juice

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

ENGINE 2 DIET VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

This was on a long-forgotten email list. But it comes originally from a cookbook titled The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. Personally, I'm considering picking up a copy for myself. Check it out!

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 head broccoli, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 package Silken Lite tofu

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 jars pasta sauce

2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin

1 cup raw cashews, ground

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.

Drain the silken tofu11 by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To Assemble:

Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 - 12 servings of sweet potato lasagna.

LOW-FAT VEGAN EGGPLANT LASAGNA

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian food expert. She writes, "A wonderful vegetarian lasagna recipe full of healthy spinach and eggplant. This vegetarian and vegan lasagna recipe uses no cheese, making it both vegan and dairy-free, as well as much lower in fat than a traditional lasagna." Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant, diced

2 10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 64 ounce jar pre-made tomato sauce

1 pound lasagna noodles

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Sautee the garlic for two minutes, then add the eggplant and stir. Cover the frying pan and cook until the eggplant is just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan with 2 cups of the tomato sauce, then cover the tomato sauce with 4 or 5 uncooked noodles. Cover this with a thin layer of sauce, then add the cooked eggplant and another thin layer of sauce. Add another layer of noodles followed by a thing layer of sauce, then the spinach and another thin layer of sauce. Add the remaining noodles and sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Noodles are cooked when they can be pierced with a fork.

Makes six servings of eggplant and spinach lasagna. Reprinted with permission from The Compassionate Cook Cookbook.

Nutritional information, per serving: Calories: 347, Calories from Fat: 41; % Daily Value: Total Fat: 4.6g, 7%, Total Carbohydrates: 65.8g, 22%, Dietary Fiber: 9.2g, 37%, Protein: 16.3g, Vitamin A 199%, Vitamin C 83%, Calcium 14%, Iron 32%

SPINACH, PEPPERS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES WITH PENNE RIGATE

This comes from the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 28. It starts off, “Fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach add bright color, flavor, and body to this Mediterranean-style dish.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less>

To view this online, click here.

2 1/2 cups penne rigate pasta (6 oz.)

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and sliced

10 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)

4 cups packed baby spinach leaves (8 oz.)

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until lightly browned.

Increase heat to high. Add roasted peppers, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, spinach, olives, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tomatoes soften and spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Add pasta and reserved pasta-cooking water; cover, and cook 3 minutes more, or until heated through.

nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 266; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 340 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan