Meatless Monday

Here are today's six vegetarian recipes for your Meatless Monday. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

This is from Molly O'Neil in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “This humble dessert would never win a beauty contest when pitted against a towering layer cake swirled with frosting, but what it lacks in looks, it makes up in flavor and simplicity of preparation. The cake itself is light yet moist and soaks up the juice released by the strawberries and rhubarb while baking. Sliced almonds add a gentle crunch. It can be a bit tricky to unmold, so don't forget to line the pan with parchment and grease it generously with butter.” Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes; makes 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

The topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons for greasing the pan

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 pint strawberries (about 12 ounces), stemmed, hulled and halved

3 cups rhubarb, trimmed, cut across into 1/4-inch-thick slices, blanched for 2 minutes and drained well

The cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round pan (at least 2 inches deep) with parchment paper and grease the parchment with 1 to 2 teaspoons softened butter. To make the topping, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar to the remaining butter and cook until the sugar is melted, stirring until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Scatter the almonds over the brown-sugar mixture. Arrange the strawberries over the almonds in concentric circles, cut-side up. Top with the rhubarb and set aside.

To make the cake, using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the vanilla with the milk. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.

Spread the batter over the fruit in the pan. Bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center, about 1 hour. (Cover the cake with foil if the top browns too much before the cake is done.) Remove the cake from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a cake plate. Replace any fruit that sticks to the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GLAZED LEMON COCONUT BARS

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. It starts off, “Coconut and freshly grated lemon peel add zing to an all-time favorite bar.” Prep time: 15 min; Start to finish: 1 hr 50 min; Makes: 12 bars

Bars

1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flaked coconut

1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart mix

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup fat free egg product

Lemon glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 350F.

In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly.

Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.

Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients.

Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.

Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.

In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over bars.

Cool completely, about 1 hour.

For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

TOFU AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

This comes from the April/May 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 40. It begins, “Olive oil–poached garlic gives tofu a deep, mellow flavor, while miso and vinegar provide a cheese-like tang.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

6 oz. jumbo pasta shells

12 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 16-oz. block firm tofu, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

2 Tbs. unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. white miso

5 oz. baby spinach leaves (6 cups)

1 24-oz. jar prepared pasta sauce

2 Tbs. chopped Kalamata olives, optional

2 Tbs. chopped green olives, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and drain again, then place on clean kitchen towel to cool and dry.

Bring garlic and olive oil to a simmer in small skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until garlic is soft and golden. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Crumble tofu into bowl of food processor, and blend with vinegar, lemon juice, miso, garlic, and oil until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl.

Heat large saucepan over medium heat. Add spinach and 2 Tbs. water, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until leaves are wilted. Transfer to strainer, and squeeze out excess liquid. Roughly chop, and stir into tofu mixture.

Spoon 2 Tbs. filling into each pasta shell, and place in single layer in large baking dish. Cover with pasta sauce, sprinkle with olives (if using), and bake 45 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per 3 stuffed shells: Calories: 343; Protein: 13 g; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 562 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 11 g; Vegan

THREE-BEAN SOUP

This is one of my favorite quick meals that I usually only fix on weekends, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

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

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

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.

Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.

Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.

Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars

BAKED ZITI

This was originally posted on April 2, 2010. Great for a yummy, easy meal. One of my inventions - though there are variations of this floating around.

What to fix when you've just gotten home from work and you want something good, hot and with a minimum amount of effort? Baked Ziti fits the bill on all three counts. And if you're like me, chances are you have all the makings in your cupboard and fridge.

Here's what it takes:

16 ounce box of ziti
26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar-full of water
2 C shredded cheese

Okay, I can hear you asking, "What brand of spaghetti sauce? What type of sauce? And the cheese...Cheddar? Mozzarella? Can it be the stuff already shredded and in a bag or does it have to be a block of cheese that I grate and measure?" Here's the good part: Use what you have.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Take a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Dump the dried ziti into the pan. (No, no, do NOT cook the ziti first. Dump the ziti uncooked straight from the box.) Pour the spaghetti sauce into the pan and add one jar-full of water into the pan. Stir to mix. Add most of the shredded cheese, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of cheese. Stir to mix. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes for a total time of 40 minutes.

Serve with a salad and possibly garlic bread.

See? Simple, hot, good and with at minimum amount of energy. What could be better for an after-work or weekend dinner?

BAKED VEGETABLE MEDLEY

This is from the January 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 22. It begins, “The crust for this vegetable-filled pie may be made from ready-made, store-bought dough that you roll out and fit into a pie plate. Or, for a no-fuss meal, start with a premade frozen pie crust. This is a meal-in-a-slice, calling only for a light dessert of fruit and nuts.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

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

One 9-inch unbaked frozen pie shell

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 large leek, thinly sliced

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 bunch kale, shredded

2/3 cup chunky seasoned tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts, drained

6 oz. smoked tofu, cut into thin strips

1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Reserve strips of leek for garnish.

Bake pie shell until golden, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from oven, and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-ium heat. When hot, sauté leek and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add kale and tomato sauce, stirring often, and cook until kale wilts and leeks are translucent. Add artichoke hearts.

Fill baked pie shell, and arrange tofu pieces decoratively on top. Sprinkle grated cheese over top, and bake 5 minutes more. Increase oven temperature to broil, and heat until cheese browns, about 1 minute.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 420; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 510 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 3 g