Meatless Monday

It's Meatless Monday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Tortilla Lasagna and Key Lime Poundcake. Enjoy!

ROASTED CORN QUESADILLAS

This comes from the September 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 48. It begins, "Grated mozzarella folded into the corn mixture helps hold these spicy-sweet quesadillas together. Cut into wedges and serve as an appetizer, or pair with a salad for a light meal." Makes 6 in 30 minutes or less.

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3 cups Roasted Confetti Corn

2 8-oz. balls fresh mozzarella, grated

6 8-inch flour tortillas

6 Tbs. cilantro leaves, divided, optional

1 1/2 cups prepared peach salsa

Combine Roasted Confetti Corn and mozzarella in bowl. Spread heaping 1/2 cup mixture on half of each tortilla, and sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cilantro (if using). Fold tortillas in half over filling.

Cook each tortilla in dry skillet over medium heat 2 minutes per side, or until mozzarella has melted and tortillas are crisp and brown. Serve with salsa.

nutritional information Per Per quesadilla: Calories: 502; Protein: 20 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 62 mg; Sodium: 678 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 18 g

TORTILLA LASAGNA

This is from the January/February 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 48. It begins, "This easy, crowd-pleasing dish is also a kid favorite. Toasting the tortillas before building the lasagna keeps them from getting soggy as the dish bakes. Feel free to mix things up with different beans, cheeses, or vegetables between the layers." Serves 8.

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6 8-inch fat-free flour tortillas

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. ancho chile powder

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

2 cups strained tomatoes, such as Pomì, divided

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium chayote, peeled and diced, or 2 medium zucchini, diced (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast tortillas on 2 baking sheets in oven 5 minutes, or until light brown, turning once.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in chili powder, ancho chile powder, and garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add 11/2 cups strained tomatoes, beans, chayote, corn, and 1/2 cup water, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until chayote is tender.

Coat 2-inch-deep x 8-inch round baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup strained tomatoes in bottom of pan. Set 1 toasted tortilla in pan; top with 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering 4 more times. Top with last tortilla, and spread remaining 1/4 cup strained tomatoes over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and cheese has melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges.

nutritional information Per Wedge: Calories: 226; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Sodium: 506 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 4 g

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT DROP COOKIES

This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Giada At Home. Total Time: 1 hr 1 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 35 min; Cook: 11 min; Yield:38 to 40 cookies

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-hazelnut-drop-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup plus 1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, at room temperature (recommended: Nutella)

Directions

For the cookies: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With the machine running, gradually add the flour until incorporated. Beat in the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop 12 balls of dough onto each baking sheet. Bake until the bottoms of the cookies flatten out slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. In batches, roll the cookies in the sugar until coated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

KEY LIME POUNDCAKE

This is from Kim Serverson in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kim wrote, “Susan Levin Turner has taught many Southerners, both professional chefs and home cooks, how to bake a proper cake. She has made cakes for politicians and celebrities, and turned out five when the chef Edna Lewis turned 76. “Cakes bring people together for celebrations and funerals and everything in between,” she said. Ms. Turner, who owns Food Glorious Food in Tallahassee, Fla., developed this recipe to combine Key limes, a flavor associated with South Florida, with poundcake, a staple in the more rural, agricultural parts of North Florida. She bakes hers in an old-fashioned large square poundcake pan, but the recipe has been adapted here for a loaf pan, which is a little easier to find and work with. She likes to coat the inside of the greased cake pan with sugar, which helps the cake slide from the pan and offers a little more crispness to the crust. This recipe uses flour instead for tenderness, but the sugar method offers a homey Southern touch. Or use a combination of both.” Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, more for flouring the pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups/297 grams granulated white sugar

4 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons lime zest

1 tablespoon Key lime juice

For the Glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup Key lime juice

2 tablespoons lime zest

Preparation

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Mix butter and cream cheese in bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer on medium speed, until blended; gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until light in color and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs about a quarter at a time, fully incorporating before adding the next.

Add lime zest and mix to incorporate. Add dry ingredients alternately with lime juice, beginning and ending with flour mixture and adding juice in two additions. Mix just enough to incorporate.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until just set in the middle. Check cake after 30 minutes; if top is browning too quickly, tent with foil. If the cake is not set in the middle after an hour, continue baking, checking middle at 5-minute intervals, until set.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes; loosen edges and turn out cake onto plate with raised edges to contain the glaze.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a glass bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended and a little fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on slow speed, gradually add confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated, then beat for 20 to 30 seconds.

Mix in the lime juice, then heat the mixture in a microwave oven for a minute or more until it is very warm and loose. Using a wooden skewer, poke several holes in the cake. Pour half the glaze over cake, let sit for 10 minutes, pour remaining glaze over cake and sprinkle with lime zest.

Tip

Recipe can be doubled to make 2 loaves or to fill a 10-by-4-inch tube pan. But a doubled recipe will overflow a smaller Bundt pan, and will almost overflow the bowl of a stand mixer. To mix a double recipe, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and lime zest and then transfer the batter to a larger bowl and use a hand mixer to combine the flour mixture and lime juice. The recipe for the glaze makes enough for 2 loaves or the round cake without being doubled.

ONE-SKILLET CHEESY ENCHILADA BAKE

This yummy recipes comes from The Baker Chick (otherwise known as Audra). If you haven’t signed up for her e-newsletter yet, I highly recommend doing so! Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 cup corn (I used frozen)

1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

3 cups enchilada sauce* (see Note)

10 corn tortillas, cut into quarters

3 cups shredded cheddar, or jack cheese

Instructions

Preheat over to 375F.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion in a little olive oil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and zucchini and continue to cook until soft and golden- another 5-10 minutes.

Add the beans, corn, and taco seasoning and stir to combine, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Transfer the bean mixture to a bowl. (No need to wipe out the skillet.)

Spread a layer of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan, and spread out 1/3 of the tortillas. Top with more sauce until tortillas are covered with a thin layer. Add half of the filling and half the cheese.

Repeat one more time, layering sauce, tortillas, more sauce, and more filling. Top with a final layer of tortillas and the remaining cheese.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Notes: *Audra wrote, “Enchilada Sauce from All Recipes. I doubled this recipe and it was perfect with a little extra. You could also use store bought.” I’ve added the recipe.

TEN MINUTE ENCHILADA SAUCE

This is the recipe from All Recipes. Time: 25 minutes; makes 6 servings.

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Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

1/4 cup New Mexico or California chili powder

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.

Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.