Meatless Monday

Another Meatless Monday...Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to start your week off. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN CHILI CASSEROLE

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food. Jolinda wrote, “A southwestern-style vegetarian chili casserole recipe made from pre-made or canned vegetarian chili, hominy, and topped with crushed corn chips. It won't take long to get this simple chili casserole into the oven and on to the table.”

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Ingredients

1 onion, chopped small

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

approx. 2 cups corn tortilla chips, crushed and divided

1 15 ounce can vegetarian chili

1 15 ounce can pinto or navy beans

1 15 ounce can hominy

1 4 ounce can mild green chilies, sliced

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sautee the onion, garlic, and cumin in olive oil until onions are soft, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside. In a large casserole dish, add half the crushed corn chips, then the chili, pinto or navy beans, homini and green chilies. Add garlic and onions mixture. Sprinkle the cheese and remaining corn chips over the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

BLACK BEAN TOSTADAS WITH KIWIFRUIT SALSA

This comes from the January/February 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 56, and begins, “Marinating onions in lime juice for just 15 minutes develops the flavors of a quick-stir fruit salsa. Taste the jalapeño before you add it to the salsa; fresh chiles can vary in heat and intensity.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

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1/2 cup chopped white onion, plus 1/3 cup minced white onion, divided

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/4 tsp. salt

3 medium kiwifruit, peeled and diced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeño chile

3 dried New Mexico chiles, seeded and cut into small pieces

2 tsp. olive oil

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, liquid reserved

4 tostada shells

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Toss together chopped onion, lime juice, and salt in bowl. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in kiwifruit, cilantro, and jalapeño.

Grind dried chiles to fine particles (like sugar) in spice mill or coffee grinder; set aside.

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add minced onion, cover, and cook 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, and 2 1 /2 tsp. ground chiles. Mash beans, leaving some whole for texture. Cook 5 minutes, or until mixture is thickened, but moist, stirring often.

Place 1 tostada shell on each plate. Divide bean mixture among tostadas, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top each with 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup salsa; dust with ground chiles. Serve with remaining salsa.

nutritional information Per Tostada: Calories: 241; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 325 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 13 g; Gluten-Free

WARM RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH SWEET POTATOES

This recipe comes from the November/December 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 40, and begins, “Crisp-tender, just-cooked cabbage serves as a warm salad base for seasoned sweet potatoes. To build a meal around this dish, chef Michael Anthony suggests adding ‘a few other dishes, like roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips, for a variety of textures and to give the meal depth and a sense of progression.’” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

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1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (2 cups)

1 Tbs. butter

1/8 tsp. light brown sugar

4 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

2 Tbs. toasted pine nuts

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 medium head red cabbage, quartered and shredded (6 cups)

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Combine sweet potato, butter, brown sugar, and 11/2 cups water in small saucepan, season with salt and pepper, if desired, and bring to a boil. Simmer 12 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender, and most of water has evaporated. Add 2 Tbs. oil, parsley, raisins, pine nuts, lemon juice, and vinegar, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, or until all remaining liquid has evaporated.

Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over high heat. Add cabbage and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes, or until cabbage wilts, stirring often.

Remove garlic cloves. Transfer cabbage to serving bowl, and top with sweet potato mixture.

nutritional information Per Per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 199; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 9 g; Gluten-Free

CARROT SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK

This recipe, also from the November/December 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 41, begins, “This simple recipe is chef Michael Anthony’s go-to soup for out-of-town guests, because it satisfies their taste for the exotic when they visit New York City.” Serves 4.

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4 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 small onion, halved and diced (1 cup)

1/2 small fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

1 1/2 lb. carrots, sliced

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup minced radishes

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Add carrots, and cook 5 minutes, lowering heat (if necessary) to prevent browning.

Add broth (or water) and orange juice, and simmer soup 10 minutes, or until carrots are just tender. Add coconut milk, season with salt and pepper, if desired, and simmer 10 minutes more.

Transfer soup to blender, and process until satiny smooth. Serve hot or cold, drizzled with remaining 2 Tbs. oil and sprinkled with radishes.

nutritional information Per Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 307; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 240 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 17 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

SWISS EASTER RICE TART

This comes from Florence Fabricant in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. I know, it’s an Easter rice tart, and Easter has passed, but it still looks yummy. Besides, there’s no reason not to have it any other time!

Anyway, Florence wrote, “This is a custard tart, with rice, lemon and almonds in the filling, which is served only at Easter in Switzerland. ‘It was called gâteau de Pâques and I remember it very well,’ said Gray Kunz, the chef who was born in Singapore but grew up in Geneva and Bern. ‘There would be a bunny in icing sugar stenciled on top.’ Nick Malgieri, the baking teacher and author, based this somewhat lighter recipe on several he found in Switzerland.” Time: 2 hours; makes 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and more for dusting

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, in 11 slices

1/2 cup long-grain rice

3 cups milk

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground in food processor

3 large eggs

Confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the baking powder in food processor. Pulse to blend. Add 10 tablespoons butter and pulse 3 to 4 times, until butter is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons cold water. Pulse 4 times. Dough will not come together. Turn dough out on lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, half fill a 3-quart saucepan with water, bring to a boil, stir in rice, lower heat to medium and cook until rice is soft, about 15 minutes. Drain rice and return it to saucepan. Add milk, remaining butter, 1/2 cup sugar and remaining salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has thickened almost to a risotto consistency, about 25 minutes.

Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice and water 10 minutes, to cool mixture to tepid. Purée in food processor. Pour into a bowl and add lemon zest. Mix ground almonds with 1 tablespoon flour and add to bowl. Stir in eggs one at a time.

Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pastry from refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface. Lightly dust top with flour. Use a rolling pin to press down on dough to soften it. Roll out disk to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly into pan. Trim edges flush with pan. Pour filling into pastry.

Bake about 35 minutes, until filling is set and golden. Cool on a rack. Dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES

This recipe, from page 55 of the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, begins, “These sandwich cookies are held together by a rich (and ridiculously easy) chocolate filling.” Makes 24 sandwiches.

To view this recipe online, click here.

Cookies

2 cups smooth natural-style peanut butter

4 oz. Earth Balance margarine (1 stick)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain soymilk or almond milk

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Filling

1/2 cup coconut creamer or soy creamer

8 oz. vegan chocolate chips (1 1/4 cups)

To make Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.

Cream peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar, cane sugar, and vanilla 2 to 3 minutes with electric mixer, or until smooth. Beat in soymilk and 1/4 cup water.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and peanuts in separate bowl. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, and beat just until dough forms.

Scoop 1 Tbs. dough onto prepared baking sheets 2 to 3 inches apart. Make crisscross pattern on top of each Cookie by pressing down with fork. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges of Cookies begin to brown. Cool on baking sheet.

To make Filling: Heat creamer in top half of double boiler over medium heat until steaming. Pour hot creamer over chocolate chips in bowl, and let stand 30 seconds. Mix creamer and chocolate with wooden spoon until chocolate is melted, then whisk until smooth.

Spread 2 tsp. Filling on flat sides of 24 Cookies. Top with remaining Cookies.

nutritional information Per Cookie sandwich: Calories: 344; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 18 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 304 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 18 g; Vegan