Meatless Monday

It's Monday, which means it's Meatless Monday. Here are today's six vegetarian recipes to try your hand at. Enjoy!

TOFU AND SPINACH TART

This comes from the February 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This variation of Greek spanakopita calls for a single layer of puff pastry rather than two of phyllo. Be sure to squeeze the spinach dry.” Serves 6.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/tofu-and-spinach-tart/.

3/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

1 1/2 lb. fresh prewashed spinach, partially wilted or 2 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach

1 lb. firm tofu, well drained

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup currants or raisins

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese, optional

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Chop well-squeezed spinach coarsely, and put into mixing bowl. Press tofu between layers of paper towels to remove liquid. Crumble into bowl. Add onion, garlic, currants, feta cheese, if using, lemon juice, 3 Tbs. olive oil, salt, oregano and pepper. Toss well.

Spread mixture over breadcrumbs. Arrange red pepper strips on top. Roll out puff pastry to fit top of pan. Brush with remaining oil.

Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 530; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 34 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 810 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 12 g

CATALAN-STYLE VEGETABLES WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

This also comes from the February 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “For a lovely color contrast, add cooked frozen peas before serving this dish. It’s delicious over rice or pasta.” Serves 4.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/catalan-style-vegetables-with-romesco-sauce/

Romesco Sauce

1/3 cup slivered blanched almonds

4 cloves garlic

1 roasted water-packed red bell pepper, rinsed

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

Cayenne to taste

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, well drained

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

Roasted Vegetables

2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large eggplant or 4 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large sweet onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 375F.

To make Romesco Sauce: Put almonds, garlic, roasted bell pepper, salt and cayenne pepper into blender or food processor; process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients, and blend until thick and creamy.

To make Roasted Vegetables: Put vegetables in 9×13-inch baking dish; toss with oil, salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from oven. Turn vegetables, stir in chickpeas and return to oven to heat through, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with Romesco Sauce.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 500; Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 29 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 50 g; Sodium: 760 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 13 g; Vegan

MASHED RED POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND PARMESAN

This was sent in by MizzNezz in the Food e-newsletter. MizzNezz wrote, “The potatoes are ready in our garden, and this is the first recipe I reach for! These are SO good!!” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 1⁄2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons butter

1⁄2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Put potatoes and garlic in large pan.

Cover with water.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Drain well.

Mash with the butter, milk, and salt.

Stir in the parmesan cheese.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Baking a chocolate babka is no casual undertaking. The Eastern European yeast-risen coffee cake has 14 steps and takes all day to make. But the results are worth every sugarcoated second – with a moist, deeply flavored brioche-like cake wrapped around a dark fudge filling, then topped with cocoa streusel crumbs.

“If you want to save yourself a little work and love Nutella, you can substitute 1 1/2 cup of it for the homemade fudge filling. Also note that you can make this over a few days instead of all at once. Babka freezes well for up to 3 months, so if you need only one loaf now, freeze the other for later.” Makes 2 loaves.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1/2 cup whole milk

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus a pinch

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowls and pans

For the Fudge Filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Pinch kosher salt

6 ounces/170 grams extra bittersweet chocolate, preferably between 66 and 74 percent cocoa, coarsely chopped

8 tablespoons/1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Streusel:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the Syrup:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.

In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.

Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.

Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).

Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.

Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.

Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.

Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.

When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food expert. Jolinda write, “Lentil soup is one of those recipes that should be in every cook's repertoire. Lentils are available in most grocery stores and are high in protein, healthy and very cheap. This vegetarian lentil soup recipe uses plenty of seasonings to perk up the soup, including thyme, bay leaves and a bit of lemon juice to brighten all the flavors. Enjoy this traditional and warming dish!

“I always recommend using sea salt or kosher salt for the best flavor, and this recipe is no exception. Trust me, it makes a difference.

“This lentil soup is vegetarian, vegan, low-calorie and low-fat, and with all those lentils, it's also surprisingly high in protein, with nearly 19 grams per serving. If you use a fresh homemade vegetable broth, this recipe is also gluten-free.” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: 4 servings of lentil soup

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tsp vegetable oil (canola oil, sunflower oil or any kind of cooking oil)

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, sliced

4 cups vegetable broth (or use a combination of water and vegetable bouillon cubes)

1 cup dry lentils (you want regular brown lentils - NOT red lentils to make this soup!)

1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

dash salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp lemon juice (optional, but delicious)

Preparation

In a large pot, sautee the onions and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until onions turn clear.

Add the vegetable broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and a dash of sea salt or kosher salt and black pepper (you can always add more later when you taste the soup).

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook your soup until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving.

The lemon juice is optional, but it just helps to bring out all the other flavors a bit more.

Taste, and and season with a bit more salt and pepper to taste, or, serve as is and allow everyone to season as they prefer.

Makes 4 servings of lentil soup.

REDUCED-FAT VEGAN SWEET POTATO PIE

Also from the vegetarian blog. Jolinda Hackett writes, "It's classic. It's old-fashioned. It's vegan (if you use vegan margarine instead of butter and use a vegan pastry crust), and it's a reduced-fat and dairy-free dessert. What's not to love about this sweet potato pie recipe?"

Ingredients:

Pastry crust for a 9-inch double crust pie (make sure it's vegan, if necessary)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2-1/4 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon butter or cold vegan soy butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare a pie plate. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one layer of the pastry, then set aside.

Combine one cup of water and the salt in a large saucepan. Add sweet potatoes; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are just barely tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes.

Drain sweet potato slices and rinse with cold water until cool to touch. Drain the sweet potatoes well then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

Add white sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and pumpkin pie spice to the sweet potatoes and toss gently with a spatula until slices are evenly coated. Spoon sweet potatoes into prepared pastry-lined pie plate. Dot the top of the sweet potatoes with butter or vegan margarine.

Place the top pastry over the filling and crimp top and bottom pastries together to make a sealed decorative edge, then cut three or four small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake the pie in oven until crust is browned and sweet potatoes are tender when pierced, about 50 minutes. If edges of crust start to brown too quickly, drape lightly with strips of foil.

Cool pie on wire rack at least 1 hour. Sweet potato pie can be served warm or cool.

Try it with a whole wheat pastry crust.