Meatless Monday

If it's Monday, it's time for another Meatless Monday. Enjoy!

CURRIED CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

From the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It starts off, "Curry powder lends a spicy twist to this soothing standby." Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

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1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 Tbs. olive oil

6 celery stalks, diced (3 1/2 cups)

1 large leek, white part halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)3/4 tsp. salt

2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced (2 cups)

1 Tbs. curry powder, such as Madras

1 14-oz. can light coconut milk

2 Tbs. rice

2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/4 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds on baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add celery, leek, and salt; cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables start to soften. Stir in apples and curry powder; cook 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, rice, broth, and 21/2 cups water. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft when pierced with a fork.

Purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot, and stir in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle celery leaves and almonds on top.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 146; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 307 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

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.

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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.

QUINOA-STUFFED PEPPERS

This is from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking expert. She writes, “These quinoa-stuffed peppers make a nice low-fat meatless entree or side dish. Quinoa is a wonderful option for those who can't eat gluten, plus it makes a nice change from rice or meat-filled peppers. To make 1 cup of cooked quinoa, you'll need 1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed, then cooked in 1 cup of water or broth for extra flavor. Make sure your broth is gluten free if you are feeding this to someone who has a gluten problem.

“I like my peppers to be yielding but still have something of a bite to them. If you prefer your peppers to be softer still, bake them for 10 minutes or so longer.” Prep Time: 0 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Serves 4

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Ingredients

2 large red or yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stem intact

2 tsp canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, diced

1 1/2 cups diced cremini mushrooms

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Steam or simmer bell peppers in a large pot for 5 minutes until slightly soft.

Heat oil in medium skillet and gently sauté onions, garlic and carrots on medium-low heat until softened.

Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Stir in cooked quinoa. Add broth, spinach and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.

Scoop one fourth of the quinoa mixture into each bell pepper half, packing firmly.

Place peppers in a baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with 1/2 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until filling is hot.

Per Serving: Calories 198, Calories from Fat 38, total Fat 4.2g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 50mg, Carbohydrate 33.3g, Fiber 6.7g, Protein 6.6g

BAKED PUMPKIN PASTA

Another recipe from Fiona Haynes, who writes, "Break out of the mac and cheese mold with this delicious baked pumpkin pasta dish. Perfect for fall, this pumpkin pasta makes a great weeknight meal on cold evenings.” She also adds, “If you make this with fat-free ricotta, you'll save a further 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat, but you'll gain another 110mg of sodium.” Prep Time: 0 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6

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12 ounces uncooked penne pasta

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried sage

1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup water reserved from pasta pot

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to directions on package, less 2 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water when done.

Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in zucchini and herbs, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Stir in canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese.

Empty drained pasta plus 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water into skillet and mix well.

Spoon pasta into a 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Per Serving: Calories 349, Calories from Fat 71, Total Fat 7.7g (sat 3.4g), Cholesterol 18mg, Sodium 168mg, Carbohydrate 54.4g, Fiber 5.2g, Protein 15.9g

CORNBREAD AND PINTO BEAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

This comes from the January/February 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 30. It starts off, “Serve this dish with taco toppings (such as salsa, chile and bell peppers, radishes, and shredded lettuce) that can be sprinkled over each serving.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

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2 14.5-oz. cans pinto beans, drained, 
1½ cups bean liquid reserved

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/2 cups), divided

2 1/2 Tbs. chili powder

3 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (1 1/2 cups), divided

6 Tbs. whole-grain cornbread and muffin mix, such as Arrowhead Mills

1 1/3 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt, divided

1 large egg

1 1/2 Tbs. sugar

Place oven rack in top position, and preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Whisk reserved bean liquid with tomato paste in bowl.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups onion. Cover, and cook 4 minutes, or until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, and stir 10 seconds to coat onions. Stir in tomato paste mixture, 1 cup tomatoes, and then beans. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, 6 minutes, or until flavors blend and chili liquids thicken. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Meanwhile, combine cornbread mix, 1/3 cup yogurt, egg, sugar, and 1 Tbs. water in medium bowl.

Spread chili beans in prepared pie dish. Pour cornbread batter over beans, spreading with back of spoon. Bake 
10 minutes, or until cornbread is set and golden.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining 1/2 cup onion. Place in small bowl; mix in remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Divide shepherd’s pie among shallow bowls. Serve with tomato salsa and remaining 1 cup yogurt.