Meatless Monday

If it's Monday - and it looks like it is - then today's offerings are vegetarian recipes. Enjoy!

SORREL DRINK

From Vegetarian Times; June 2008, page 78. The recipe reads, “Red hibiscus flowers are a common ingredient in ruby-hued herbal tea bags, such as Celestial Seasonings' Red Zinger.”

Sorrel Drink:

3 C dried sorrel or red hibiscus flowers, or 5 Red Zinger tea bags

1 4-inch cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1/4 tsp. crushed allspice

2 3-inch pieces peeled fresh ginger

Simple Syrup:

1 C sugar

1 C water

To make Sorrel Drink: Bring all ingredients & 4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer 10 minutes. Cool, strain & chill.

To make Simple Syrup: Bring sugar & water to a boil in small saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar & simmer 1 minute. Cool.

Pour Sorrel Drink over ice. Serve with pitcher of Simple Syrup for guess to sweeten drinks to taste.

Per 1-cup serving: 33 cal; 0 g protein; 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 8 g crab; 0 mg chol; 0 mg sod; 0 g fiber; 8 g sugars; vegan

CURRIED POTATOES

From Vegetarian Times; June 2008, page 80. The recipe starts off, “Serve this dish on its own or with steamed rice.”

1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 medium onions, diced (3 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks

3 carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces (1 cup)

3 Tbs. Madras curry powder

1 15-oz. can black beans

3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded & finely chopped (1/4 cup)

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions & garlic & cook 5 – 7 minutes, or until onions are soft & translucent. Stir in potatoes, carrots & curry powder & cook 4 minutes.

Add beans & their liquid, tomatoes, broth, jalapeno chiles, vinegar & 1 cup water; season with salt & pepper. Cover & simmer 45 minutes or until potatoes are flaky & carrots are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Per serving: 282 cal; 9 g protein; 4 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat); 55 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 499 mg sodium; 10 g fiber; 9 g sugars; vegan

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA

This comes from page 66 of the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe starts off, “Yoga teacher and food blogger (theyogickitchen.blogspot.com) Candice Garrett came up with this recipe thanks to an abundance of butternut squash. “My family and I tried them in a host of recipes; the all-around favorite turned out to be pizza,” Garrett reports. “It seemed an unusual pairing and we were all delighted with the result.” She serves the pizza as an appetizer for company or as a main dish for family dinners.” Serves 6.

To view this recipe online, click here.

1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/8-inch thick

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

2 Tbs. Eden Selected Spanish extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Toss together squash, onion, oil, and rosemary in bowl. Spread in large baking dish, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender.

Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Divide pizza dough into 2 pieces, and shape each piece into 8-inch round. Place dough rounds on baking sheet, and top with squash mixture. Bake 13 to 17 minutes, or until crust is crisp. Drizzle pizzas with oil, scatter 1/4 cup spinach over each, and garnish each with 2 Tbs. shaved Parmesan.

nutritional information Per 1/3 pizza (2 slices): Calories: 295; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Sodium: 448 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 5 g

CHICKPEA SUCCOTASH WITH LEMONGRASS

This recipes comes from the January 1970 issue of Vegetarian Times and starts off, “Lemongrass brings out the flavors of tomatoes and herbs in a lightly cooked stew. Serve over whole grains.” It serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view online, click here.

2 stalks fresh lemongrass

1 large tomato (1 lb.)

2 tsp. olive oil

1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp.)

3/4 cup cooked chickpeas

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro

Trim and discard tough base and skinny top leaves of lemongrass stalks, then peel away tough outer layers. Crush inner white stems with mallet or rolling pin, then finely chop. (You should have 1 Tbs.) Transfer to small bowl, and cover with 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside.

Halve tomato through middle, and scoop seeds into strainer set over bowl. Press juice from seeds, then discard seeds. Set juice aside, and dice tomato flesh. (You should have 2 cups.)

Heat oil in large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add squash, ginger, and garlic, and sauté 3 minutes without browning. Stir in chickpeas, corn, diced tomato, lemongrass with liquid, and tomato juice, and season with salt and pepper (if desired). Cover, increase heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes, or until tomatoes just begin to soften. Stir in basil.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 108; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 83 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

BLACKBERRY CRISP WITH MAPLE-PECAN TOPPING

This recipe is from page 60 of the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Tangy blackberries have a great affinity for pecans and maple, but you could certainly make this crisp with blueberries or a combination of berries. Leftovers are delicious for breakfast!” Serves 8.

This recipe can be viewed online here.

5 Tbs. maple syrup, divided

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

6 cups fresh blackberries (1 3/4 lb.)

3 Tbs. sugar

16 Tbs. all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. salt, divided

2/3 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 Tbs. canola oil

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

Whisk together 2 Tbs. maple syrup and vinegar in bowl. Place blackberries in large bowl, and drizzle maple mixture over them. Add sugar, 3 Tbs. flour, and 1/8 tsp. salt to berries; toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Combine remaining 13 Tbs. flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in separate bowl. Drizzle oil and remaining 3 Tbs. maple syrup over dry ingredients. Use fingers to combine thoroughly until small clumps form. Arrange topping clumps over berries.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned and berry juices are bubbling just around edges of crisp.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 319; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 50 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 115 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 27 g; Vegan

ZUCCHINI AND CARROTS WITH FRESH HERBS

Yield: 6 servings

Serving size: 3/4 cup

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/768.shtml

Source: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Diabetic Meals

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/76.shtml

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, sliced

4 medium zucchinis, cut into julienne strips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place a steamer basket in 1/2 inch of water in a saucepan (water should not touch the bottom of the basket). Place carrots in the basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling.

Reduce heat and steam carrots 5 minutes. Add zucchini and steam 4 to 6 minutes or until carrots and zucchini are crisp-tender.

Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in carrots, zucchini, thyme, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 55; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 61 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Glycemic Index: 22, Glycemic Load: 1; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable