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

Tuesday Recipes

Here are today's six yummy recipes to try. Enjoy!

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.

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

I know that some people will tell me that I can't post this recipe during the spring, because pumpkin is a fall flavor, and, in some ways, they're right. I tend to think of pumpkin as a fall-ish flavor, since pumpkins seem to be ready for harvest in the late summer and early autumn. But with canned pumpkin so readily available (for the most part), and the fact that I love the flavor of pumpkin, I figured I'd post this now. It's also from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 2 dozen.

1 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

3 Tbls sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine pumpkin, butter, and eggs, and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in chopped apple, and spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

LINGUINE WITH LEMON SAUCE

This comes from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. All you need is pasta, a lemon, a knob of butter, a generous pour of heavy cream and a hunk of the best Parmesan you can get your hands on.” Time: About 20 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving

1/2 pound fresh or dried linguine

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side

Preparation

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.

Heat the butter in a skillet and add the lemon zest.

Drop the linguine into the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Add the cream to the butter and lemon zest mixture. Add the pasta and lemon juice and stir until just heated through. Add the Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on the side.

Tip: If fresh linguine is purchased in 9-ounce weight, use this in lieu of the half pound.

CRAB CAKES BALTIMORE-STYLE

This recipe also comes from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. This one begins, “This is a classic crab cake inspired by those that were served at Obrycki's Crab House, a rollicking fish restaurant in a former row house on East Pratt Street in Baltimore. They are simply delicious.” Time: 15 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup crushed Saltine crackers

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley sprigs

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound crab meat, lump preferred, shell and cartilage removed

1/2 cup finely ground fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, celery, saltines, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, scallions, salt and pepper, and blend well. Add the crab meat, folding it in lightly without breaking it up.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape them into hamburger-like patties. Dredge them lightly in the bread crumbs.

Heat approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the crab cakes 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, using the remaining 2 tablespoons oil if necessary. Drain on paper towels immediately. Serve the crab cakes with this French Creole-inspired remoulade sauce.

ARROZ CON POLLO

This is from Melissa D’Arabian of The Food Network show Ten Dollar Dinners. Total Time: 1 hr 25 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 10 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/arroz-con-pollo-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

One 3 1/2-to-4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces and skin removed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken stock

1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions

Combine the salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne in a plastic gallon bag. Shake until the mixture is well combined.

Pat the chicken dry and place in the bag with the spice mixture. Shake the bag, making sure the chicken is well coated.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate, using tongs.

Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook the vegetables over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook until the rice begins to turn gold in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, combine the stock, tomato sauce and remaining teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups water and the stock mixture to the skillet and stir to make sure the rice is covered in liquid. Nestle the chicken in the rice, adding any juices from the plate. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Let the skillet stand covered, about 10 minutes before serving.

30-MINUTE PIZZA PASTA SKILLET

This comes from the Tablespoon e-newsletter, and begins, “Ready, set, go! Pizza flavors wrap up a skillet meal in just 30 minutes!” Prep Time: 30 min; Total Time: 30 min; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

2 oz. (1/2 cup) sliced pepperoni, chopped

1 (14-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (2 cups)

3/4 cup water

7 oz. (2 cups) uncooked ready-cut spaghetti

1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Add pepperoni; cook 1 minute. Drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce, water and uncooked spaghetti. Bring to a boil; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until spaghetti is of desired doneness, stirring occasionally.

Add olives; stir gently to mix. Arrange pepper strips over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.