Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Thanksgiving Pot Pie. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Thanksgiving Pot Pie. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend!

In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes, including Hearty Sweet Potato Hash and Rigatoni with Braised Vegetables. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, 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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Ingredients

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Wednesday Recipes - Halloween Food

Today's deals with Halloween recipes, since Halloween is tomorrow. Here are six cool (and yummy) recipes to help you through the day, including Spooky Ghost Cupcakes and Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting. Enjoy!

LIZARD LOUNGE TEA

This comes from my e-cookbook, titled Off the Wall Cooking, found on Amazon.com.

My oldest son spent several summers traveling the country, both singly and with friends. Several times, he wound up at the Rainbow Gathering, where he hooked up with a group of friends. Most of them had grown up in hot areas of the country, so they nicknamed themselves lizards; their area of the camp site was the lizard lounge. They would cook up their version of iced tea, which they would barter for other commodities. Everyone asked what their secret ingredient was.

This is a scaled down version. I found that cranberry herb tea or cranberry-apple herb tea works very nicely with this, but any herbal tea can be used.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple cider

4 – 5 herbal tea bags

Directions

Place cider in a large pan or teakettle and bring to a boil. Place herbal tea bags into a large container and pour the boiled cider over the tea bags. Let steep for 15-30 minutes and cool. Very good.

SPOOKY GHOST CUPCAKES

This is from The Baker Chick. It makes 20 cupcakes, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seven Minute Frosting:

3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

mini & regular chocolate chips for the face!

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tins with liners, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Make a small well in the middle of the bowl and add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together and then incorporate the dry until smooth and lump-free.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool while you make the frosting.

Frosting:

Place egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. In a small saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water.

On medium-high heat cook the sugar mixture until boiling. At that point- turn the mixer on medium high speed to get the egg whites to soft peaks. When the sugar mixture has reached 230F, slowly pour it down the side of the bowl in a steady stream while the mixture continues to run.

Beat on medium-high for about 7 minutes or until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and stiff glossy peaks have formed. Add the vanilla right before you finish beating the frosting.

Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes right away (it gets a bit firm otherwise.) and decorate with the chocolate chips!

Notes:

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

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.”

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

GINGERBREAD

This recipe is from a no-longer-remembered emailing list. I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever sent it to the list got it from ARM & HAMMER, since it mentions A&H baking soda. The recipe begins, "Sweeten the season with our gingerbread. This simple recipe is the perfect holiday dessert, especially when topped with yogurt or fresh fruit. Just grab a fresh box of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda- an important ingredient for great baking and prepare a treat for the whole family." The person who sent it to the emailing list ends this with, "I LIKE MINE TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF COOL WHIP!"

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

Directions

Sift together flour, Baking Soda, ginger and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in egg thoroughly; blend in molasses. Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Beat thoroughly. Stir in water. Turn into greased and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Makes one 8-inch square cake. Cut into 16 servings.

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH CARDAMOM CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. He wrote, "I love the taste of warm gingerbread, especially around the holidays. Cardamom is a wonderfully fragrant spice that goes well with gingerbread. If you don't care for cardamom, you can substitute allspice or cinnamon. Reprinted with permission from The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices by Katie Luber and Sara Engram (McMeel 2009)." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Makes 12 cupcakes

To view this online, click here.Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dried lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 12 standard-size muffin cups or line them with paper cups. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and the baking soda until dissolved. Stir the baking soda water into the molasses mixture.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon zest, and salt into a small bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until the batter is combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of one or two of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cardamom and beat until fluffy and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cupcakes.