Meatless Monday

It's Monday - the beginning of the work week, and time for six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

TUSCAN KALE AND WHITE BEAN STEW WITH BREADCRUMB TOPPING

This comes from the October 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, pagae 26. It begins, "This quick riff on an Italian classic gets multi-layered flavors from mushrooms, garlic, and a splash of lemon." Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 bunches Tuscan kale, stemmed, torn into bite-size pieces (8 cups)

1 15.5-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and 2 tsp. oil in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil and butter in large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms; increase heat to medium-high. Stir, cover pan, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until mushrooms are lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Uncover pan, add garlic, and stir 30 seconds. Add kale, and cook 2 minutes, or until wilted. Add beans, broth, and 3/4 cup water. Cover, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by about three-quarters. Stir in 1 tsp. lemon juice, and remove from heat. Add 1 more tsp. lemon juice, if desired.

Heat broiler to high. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over stew, and broil 3 minutes, or until topping is golden.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 321; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Cholesterol: 13 mg; Sodium: 373 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 3 g

SPANAKOPITA

This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 74. It begins, "Layers of phyllo make a crisp double crust for this classic Greek spinach pie." Serves 9.

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3 lb. frozen spinach, thawed

2 Tbs. plus 1/3 cup olive oil or melted butter, divided

2 medium onions, diced

8 green onions, sliced

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 large eggs

8 oz. low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (one-third 16-oz. pkg.)

Squeeze spinach dry with hands, and place in bowl. (You should have 4 cups.)

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté 10 minutes, or until browned. Add spinach, green onions, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes, or until mixture is dry. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Cool.Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs in small bowl. Stir eggs into spinach mixture, then fold in feta.

Place remaining 1/3 cup oil in bowl, and brush bottom and sides of 9-inch square baking pan with oil. Unroll phyllo, and keep under damp towel to retain moisture. Place 1 phyllo sheet in prepared pan, letting excess hang over short sides of pan. Brush phyllo sheet with oil. Place second phyllo sheet across first on pan, so excess hangs over long sides of pan; brush sheet with oil. Repeat crisscross layering with 4 more phyllo sheets.

Spread spinach mixture in phyllo crust.

Spread 1 phyllo sheet on work surface; brush with oil. Top with another phyllo sheet. Repeat brushing and layering with remaining 4 phyllo sheets. Place phyllo stack on top of spinach mixture. Trim edges with scissors so no more than 1 inch of phyllo hangs over edges. Discard excess. Roll edges over pie to seal. Brush top with oil, and score decorative diamond pattern over top with knife. Bake 1 hour, or until top is flaky and golden-brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per 1 3-inch square: Calories: 297; Protein: 14 g; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 23 g; Cholesterol: 71 mg; Sodium: 695 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 5 g

MINI WHOOPIE PIES

This comes from the November/December 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, pagae 62. It begins, "Want to win over the cookie lovers in your family? Make a batch of miniature whoopie pies! Kids will love the sweet marshmallow cream filling, while kids at heart can appreciate the tender chocolate cookies with a richer flavor than store-bought versions. The secret to their perfectly round shape is using a makeshift pastry bag made by snipping a corner from a resealable plastic bag." Makes 20 cookies.

To view this online, click here.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup marshmallow cream, such as Marshmallow Fluff

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream together sugar and butter with whisk until smooth and sugar begins to dissolve. Whisk in egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Add melted chocolate and cocoa, and mix until smooth. Stir in flour with wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Do not overmix.

Transfer batter to 1-gal. resealable plastic bag or pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Trim 1/2-inch tip from corner of resealable plastic bag (if using) with scissors. Squeeze 40 1-inch dollops of batter onto baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes, or until tops look dry and smooth. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble: Spoon 1/2 tsp. marshmallow cream on bottoms of 20 cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

nutritional information Per Per cookie: Calories: 101; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 9 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 10 g

DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL SORBET

This comes from the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, pagae 51, and begins, "The caramelized sugar syrup that is the base for this decadent chocolate sorbet adds to its depth and richness. There are very few ingredients for the recipe, so the quality of the chocolate and cocoa really count." Makes 1 quart.

To view this online, click here.

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped

Place sugar in large saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until sugar has melted and caramelized to rich amber color, stirring occasionally.

Stir in lemon juice (mixture will boil violently for several minutes). Slowly add 2 1/2 cups boiling water, and stir until hardened caramel is dissolved. Stir in cocoa powder and salt, and bring mixture to just under a simmer. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then blend smooth with immersion blender. Transfer to covered container, and refrigerate overnight.

Pour sorbet base into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 247; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 48 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 156 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 43 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

MARINATED VEGETABLE KABOBS

This comes from the February 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “To prevent burning, soak the wooden skewers in water while you assemble and prepare the other ingredients, or use metal skewers instead. Serve kabobs over freshly cooked rice, if desired.” Serves 4.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/marinated-vegetable-kabobs/.

Marinade

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. pesto

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. powdered garlic, or to taste

2 tsp. minced fresh savory or 1 tsp. dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Kabobs

8 large scallions

8 oz. Italian-seasoned baked tofu

1 small zucchini

1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded

16 white mushrooms, stems removed

8 cherry tomatoes

8 vegetarian “meatballs”

To make Marinade: Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, and stir well to combine. Set aside.

To make Kabobs: Trim green parts off scallions, and reserve for another use. Cut white parts into 8 1-inch-long pieces. Cut tofu into 8 squares. Cut zucchini into 8 1-inch-long pieces. Cut pepper into 8 1-inch pieces. Thread vegetables and “meatballs” onto skewers, beginning and ending with mushrooms to help anchor other ingredients. Arrange skewers in baking dish, and spoon marinade over top. Turn skewers to coat, making sure that all vegetables are well covered. Set aside 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450F. Uncover kabobs, if covered and chilled, and bring to room temperature.

Bake kabobs about 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, turning once.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 390; Protein: 20 g; Total Fat: 27 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Sodium: 350 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 6 g; Vegan

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE MEDLEY

This also comes from the February 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “In Provence, vegetables baked with olive oil are named for the earthenware dish, or tian, in which they are traditionally cooked. You can make the bottom layer overlapping rows of vegetables, or use only potatoes. Intermix the vegetables in the remaining layers— as many as three or four.” Serves 4.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/proven-al-vegetable-medley/.

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup minced fresh chervil or parsley

1 Tbs. minced fresh marjoram or 1 tsp. dried

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 large zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Oil 9×13-inch baking dish lightly, and set aside.

Combine garlic, basil, chervil and marjoram in bowl. Layer vegetables in baking dish in slightly overlapping rows. Drizzle each layer with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic-herb mixture, salt and pepper. Repeat until vegetables are used. Tamp down, and drizzle with any remaining olive oil. Cover dish tightly with foil.

Bake about 50 minutes, or until tender. Uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand about 30 minutes before serving.

Pour off juices from pan into saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until juices are reduced to a syrup, about 20 minutes. Spoon over vegetables. Cut into squares, and serve at room temperature.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 350; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Sodium: 30 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 8 g; Vegan