Meatless Monday

It's Monday, time for a new week's worth of posts, starting with Meatless Monday. Here are today's six vegetarian recipes, including Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup and Vegetarian Lasagna. Enjoy!

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

This recipe, as well as the Vegetarian Lasagna, Angel Hair Pasta, and J's B-B-Q Gluten, are all from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

1 T vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1/4 – 1/2 lb. grated cheese

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!

Note: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One time, my oldest son took the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it.

I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, even looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?” Never heard from him again.

Tomato sauce:

2 – 3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz. can tomatoes

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

1 or 2 – 10 oz. package tofu crumbles

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.

Cheese layer:

2 C sour cream

2 C cottage cheese

2 eggs

4 C mozzarella, grated

2 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 C Parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients together in large bowl.

Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I had something similar to this at a restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important—unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.

1/4 C water

3 medium to large tomatoes

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 T oregano

1 lb. angel hair pasta

Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.)

In veggie pot, heat 1/4 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.)

Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)

J’s B-B-Q GLUTEN

This is from my oldest son. For the most part, the recipe is included exactly as he wrote it out for me, though I have changed a word or two. (This stuff is definitely good.)

Ingredients:

5 lb. whole wheat flour

2 onions

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

2 bottles of B-B-Q sauce

1 stick butter

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

Huge bowl

Directions

Take whole wheat flour, empty into Big Bowl. Add enough water to knead into dough ball. Knead really well. I repeat, knead really well. For at least 10 minutes.

Fill huge bowl with water, put dough ball under water for 2 hours. Pour off water. Knead doughball under cold running water for 10 minutes or more. Water should be clear. You are washing out the starch and bran. You know it’s ready when stringy and it sticks together and is bouncy.

Melt 1 stick butter and fry 2 chopped onions until clear. Dump onto Gluten. Add salt, paprika, and peanut butter. Mix with hands completely.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cooking pan with non-stick spray. Pinch off pieces bigger than a golf ball. Take piece and fold it and twist it and lay it down in pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip over and bake for 10 more. Pour B-B-Q sauce and bake 10 more minutes, then flip and pour more B-B-Q sauce and bake 10 more minutes. It’s done—enjoy.

(Xtra note—be careful when you first mix wheat and water. Don’t add too much water. Make a hard dough ball. It might take 20 minutes to knead it.)

VEGAN CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

This recipe comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian Food guide. She writes, “With just four ingredients plus a little salt and pepper to taste, this is a very simple and basic vegan cream of asparagus soup recipe. Be sure to use a vegan margarine to make sure your asparagus soup is completely vegan and dairy-free.”

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup water or vegetable broth

1 bunch fresh asparagus

2 tbsp vegan margarine

2 tbsp flour

1 3/4 cups soy milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Blanch asparagus in water or vegetable broth for just a few minutes until asparagus is tender, but not soft and overcooked. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set aside.

In a large soup pot, melt the margarine over medium-low heat, then add the milk and flour, stirring until a thick roux is formed. Remove from heat.

In a blender or food processor, add the asparagus, soy milk roux, asparagus cooking liquid and asparagus. Pulse a few times, until just blended, or until you have the desired consistency. I like to have a few pieces of whole asparagus in my soup, though you may prefer a smoother asparagus soup.

Return to the stove to reheat your soup, and season generously with salt and pepper.

Meatless Monday

I hope you had a good holiday weekend. One more holiday - New Year's - and 2016 will be history.

Since it's Monday, it means time for six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

This recipe, as well as the Vegetarian Lasagna, Angel Hair Pasta, and J's B-B-Q Gluten, are all from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

1 T vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1/4 – 1/2 lb. grated cheese

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!

Note: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One time, my oldest son took the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it.

I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, even looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?” Never heard from him again.

Tomato sauce:

2 – 3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz. can tomatoes

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

1 or 2 – 10 oz. package tofu crumbles

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.

Cheese layer:

2 C sour cream

2 C cottage cheese

2 eggs

4 C mozzarella, grated

2 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 C Parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients together in large bowl.

Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I had something similar to this at a restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important—unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.

1/4 C water

3 medium to large tomatoes

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 T oregano

1 lb. angel hair pasta

Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.)

In veggie pot, heat 1/4 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.)

Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)


SHOOFLY PIE

This comes from Sara Bonisteel in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sara wrote, “Shoofly pie is often thought of as the cake baked in a pie shell, or so wrote Jean Hewitt, The New York Times food writer who offered this recipe in the paper in 1965. This pie was served at a Pennsylvania Dutch luncheon hosted by the International Cuisine Group of the College Woman’s Club of Westfield, N.J., in the spring of that year. One of the organizers dug up the recipe from her mother’s ‘Housekeeper’s Scrap Book, 1896.’ There were four versions of the pie in the book; this was the one marked: ‘We like this one better.’” Yield: 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

To view this online, click here. Also, check out the Times tutorial “How to Make A Pie Crust”.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 single crust pie pastry (see recipe, which follows), rolled flat and placed in a 9-inch pie plate

Preparation

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Make the crumb topping: Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the consistency resembles cornmeal.

Combine molasses, water and baking soda and pour into pastry shell. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer, or until set and firm.

PIE PASTRY

This is from Craig Claiborne and Piere Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yield: Pastry for an 8- to 10-inch pie.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

8 tablespoons cold butter cut into half-inch cubes

1 tablespoon sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

Put the flour, butter and sugar into the container of a food processor. Start blending.

Gradually add enough water so that the dough can be gathered into a fairly cohesive ball.

If a food processor is not used, place the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cut it in with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the water, stirring quickly with a fork.

Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a round disk one-inch thick. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill for an hour or less.

Wednesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to get you through the day. Enjoy!

SLOW-COOKER CHOCOLATE MARBLE CHEESECAKE

This decadent dessert is from Grace Parisi, a New York City-based food writer, and posted on The Today Show's cooking e-newsletter. Grace wrote, “The beauty of using a slow cooker to make cheesecake is the steady, moist heat. Allowing the cheesecake to sit in the slow cooker for an hour after it's cooked (not on the "keep warm" setting, but off completely) ensures a gradual cooling which keeps the top from cracking. Don't let the size fool you—this little gem is rich beyond rich and can easily serve 6 people. And don't be tempted to use reduced or fat-free cream cheese—it won't cook properly and the texture won't be nearly as silky and luscious. Before starting, make sure your spring-form pan fits into your slow cooker. Some pans have a 1-inch lip and will only fit into round slow cookers. The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.” Cook Time: 3 hours 0minutes; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Yield One 6-inch cheesecake; Servings: 6 (and this is me speaking: that's 6 servings – preferrably so that you can SHARE WITH OTHERS!)

To view this yummy recipe online, click here..

Ingredients

2/3 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

2 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup full-fat vanilla yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup (4 ounces) chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Preparation

Tear a 2-foot length of aluminum foil and loosely crumple it into a long snake. Coil the snake and set it in the slow-cooker. This will elevate the cheesecake above the water. Add a 1/2-inch of water.

Spray a 6-inch spring-form pan with vegetable spray. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and press it into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan.

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and process until smooth. Add the yogurt and process until smooth.

Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a bowl and stir in the melted chocolate.

Pour half of the vanilla batter into the pan and dollop half of the chocolate batter. Repeat with the remaining batters.

Using a table knife, make a few swirls through the batter to create a marble effect. Don't swirl too many times.

Set the pan into the slow cooker and cover with a large, clean kitchen towel (this prevents condensation from dripping onto the cake)

Cook on high for 2 hours, until the cheesecake reaches 155° to 165° on an instant read thermometer. Turn off the slow cooker and let sit, covered for 1 hour. Carefully transfer to a rack to cool, then refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Carefully remove the ring and set the cake on a plate. Using a slightly moistened knife, cut into wedges, wiping the blade each time.

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Of course, now that I've mentioned jarred spaghetti sauce, I had to post my homemade version, right? This can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1/4 - 1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over a pound of hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!

NOTE: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

Note:If you want to make it vegan, leave the honey out and use grated vegan cheese.

SAUSAGE & KALE STUFFED SHELLS

This comes from the GE Appliances e-newsletter. It begins, “A hearty and delicious meal your family will eat any night of the week! We upped the nutrition on this classic Italian dish by adding leafy green kale to the traditional sausage and ricotta cheese filling.” Makes 8 – 10 servings (about 36 shells); Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 ounce box jumbo pasta shells

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian sausage, bulk or links with casing removed

1 heavy pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

1 bunch kale, roughly chopped (preferably Lacinato or Tuscan Kale)

2 cloves garlic, minced

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Freshly cracked pepper

Pinch kosher salt

6-7 cups marinara

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

In a medium non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and red pepper flakes; cook sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Add onion and saute with the sausage until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add chopped kale and continue to cook until kale softens, another 3-4 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, making sure not to brown garlic. Turn off heat and let sausage and kale mixture cool.

While your sausage mixture cools, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain noodles, and lay shells on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl mix ricotta, egg, oregano, basil, Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley. Stir in sausage and kale mixture. Season with freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of kosher salt, stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cover the bottom of a 13 x9 baking dish with 2-3 cups marinara. Fill each shell with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sausage kale mixture. Layer shells in the prepared baking dish and pour remaining marinara on top, making sure to cover each shell. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella, cover baking dish with aluminum foil bake for 30 minutes.

Take off aluminum foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbling.

Chef's Notes:

For a week where you need to get dinner on the table for your family fast, simply divide the recipe into two smaller baking dishes and place one in the freezer before baking. When ready, remove the pan from the freezer and bake for 45 - 50 minutes at 375 degrees F.

SPICY SAUSAGE, POTATO & KALE SOUP

It's amazing some of the places you can find really yummy recipes. This also comes from the GE Appliances e-newsletter. This makes 6 – 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Crushed red pepper

2 large bunches of kale, stemmed and chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced

8 cups chicken stock

Directions

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing (if it's in a casing) and add it to the skillet. Cook until the sausage is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into smaller pieces. Transfer the sausage to a plate.

Add butter to the skillet and let it melt, then add the onions and garlic. Saute until the garlic and onions begin to soften and then add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped kale to the onions and garlic. If it seems too much for the pan, work in batches until the kale is wilted down. Once the kale is fully cooked and wilted down, sprinkle in the nutmeg.

Next add the potatoes, sausage and chicken stock. Cook until the stock begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer until the potatoes are soft and cooked.

ROASTED CHICKEN PROVENCAL

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “This is a recipe I picked up from Steven Stolman, a clothing and interior designer whose 'Confessions of a Serial Entertainer' is a useful guide to the business and culture of dinner parties and general hospitality. It is a perfect dinner-party meal: chicken thighs or legs dusted in flour and roasted with shallots, lemons and garlic in a bath of vermouth and under a shower of herbes de Provence. They go crisp in the heat above the fat, while the shallots and garlic melt into sweetness below. You could serve with rice, but I prefer a green salad and a lot of baguette to mop up the sauce.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Make 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence

1 lemon, quartered

8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled

4 to 6 medium-size shallots, peeled and halved

1/3 cup dry vermouth

4 sprigs of thyme, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.

Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.

Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.

Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

Weekend Recipes

It's finally Friday; time for the weekend! Here are six recipes to help out with this weekend's meals. Enjoy!

CHEESY MEXICAN SKILLET CASSEROLE

This comes from The Baker Chick. While her emailing list one one that I've been on for a relatively short time, I still recommend signing up. This casserole recipe serves 6. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rice (any variety, quinoa would be great too)

1 medium or large onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 lb. of ground beef (or turkey)

1- 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed

1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 cup of sour cream or full fat greek yogurt

1 cup of grated cheese, (I used cheddar)

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)

lime wedges & tortilla chips for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Add the beef and break apart with a spoon, stirring until browned and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and stir well to combine.

Add the beans, rice, and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Stir in the sour cream and top with the grated cheese and jalapeños. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and some tortilla chips on the side.

INDIAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Serves: 4

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/274.shtml

Ingredients

3 medium-size cucumbers

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

Directions

Peel cucumbers, cut in half, discard seeds and slice thinly. Mix remaining ingredients together , add cucumbers and stir together.

Nutritional Information Per Serving : Calories: 37; Protein: 3 g; Sodium: 46 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

THREE-BEAN SOUP

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

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

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

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

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

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

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

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

Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.

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

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

ITALIAN TOMATO & BREAD SOUP

This comes from another of my favorite emailing lists. (Yes, I do subscribe to a few. I've left some for a variety of reasons; others, like those in today's blog, I've found and stuck with because I like/love them.) This one is from Seattle's Macrina Bakery. I know I've said this before on this blog, but if I'm ever fortunate enough to take a touring-the-U.S. road trip, this is one of the places in Seattle that I'll have to stop in and check out the bakery.

Ingredients

8 medium-sized ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup pure olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

2 1/2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano

4 cups (about 6 oz) day-old white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cups chicken stock

Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish

Coarse sea salt, for garnish

Preparation

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place a handful of ice cubes in a medium bowl and fill it halfway with cold water; this will be an ice bath to “shock,” or stop, the cooking of the tomatoes after they are blanched.

Cut a 1-inch X at the base of each tomato, then remove the top core. Gently drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and bring the water back up to a boil. Cook until the skin at the X in the base of the tomatoes peels away easily. This might take only a few seconds or possibly up to a few minutes, depending on the tomatoes’ ripeness (the riper they are, the more quickly their skins will loosen). With a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out and place them into the cold-water bath. Cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the skins from the tomatoes and discard. Halve the tomatoes and discard the seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and put in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pour the pure olive oil into a medium soup pot over low heat. When the oil is warm, add the crushed garlic. Cook gently for 1 minute (avoid burning the garlic), then add the basil and oregano and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the bread cubes and toss so they absorb the oil and herbs. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, tossing regularly to lightly brown the bread cubes. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to medium, releasing their juices. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and bring the soup back to a simmer, cooking for about 20 minutes to slightly reduce the stock and develop flavor. This is a typical rustic soup, so there is no need to puree, but do use a potato masher or slotted spoon to break up any large chunks. Ladle your bread soup into a shallow soup bowl and top it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

CALZONES

Years ago, when we first got cable, I was channel-surfing and stumbled across a cooking show, called Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 3 calzones.

Dough:

1 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour blended with 1 1/2 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

no-stick cooking spray

Filling:

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

3 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into strips

3 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese pizza sauce, optional

Combine warm water & sugar with yeast in medium-sized mixing bowl. Allow yeast to soften for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and knead until smooth. Add oil & salt and gradually blend in remaining flour to make firm dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board & knead until smooth & satiny.

Spray large bowl with no-stick cooking spray. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap, then a damp towel. Allow to rise in warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until dough is almost doubled.

Spray large baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.

Knead down dough & divide into 3 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 9-inch circle. Place 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 Parmesan cheese, & 1/3 prosciutto on each circle of dough. Top with chives & garlic. Moisten edges & fold over to enclose filling, pressing edges firmly together.

Place on baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, & allow to rise in warm, draft-free place until dough feels light, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375-degree oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until calzone is browned. Remove from oven and brush with oil. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm with pizza sauce, if desired.

Friday Food

Enjoy

HERBED ZUCCHINI PIE

This comes from Tablespoon.com, and starts off, “Use up summer's favorite vegetable in this crowd-pleasing, savory veggie pie.” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 2 hr. 0 min; Servings: 12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 zucchini

2 onions

1 Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Pie Crust (from box), softened as directed on box

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

With sharp knife or mandolin, slice zucchini and onions; place on large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over vegetables. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll pie crust in bottom of 11-inch quiche dish; press in bottom and up side of dish. Set aside.

Remove vegetables from refrigerator; squeeze out excess liquid. (Squeeze with hands or press with back of spoon with vegetables in strainer.) Arrange vegetable slices in quiche dish.

In separate medium bowl, lightly beat eggs, milk, cheese and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over zucchini slices.

Bake 45 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. Store in refrigerator.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY BANANA CUSTARD PIE

Also from Tablespoon.com, this starts off, “Peel open a new version of homemade banana pie. Warm caramel topping adds a special touch.” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 4 hr. 0 min; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup Original Bisquick™ mix

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, if desired

Caramel topping, warmed, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9-inch glass pie plate with shortening or spray with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix bananas and lemon juice; set aside.

In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except whipped topping, walnuts and caramel topping until blended. Add banana mixture; stir until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Spread pie with whipped topping; sprinkle with walnuts. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

This comes from The Baker Chick. Yield: 8 – 12 pancakes, depending on size.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

3 eggs separated

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup milk

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Blueberry Sauce:

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup water

juice of a lemon

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar

1 tablespoon of corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

zest of 1 lemon

instructions

First make the sauce:

In a small saucepan combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until boiling.

Add the cornstarch/water mixture and without breaking the berries- carefully stir it in. Cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat, stirring until sauce is thick. Fold in lemon zest.

For the pancakes:

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, milk, lemon juice and zest. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and flour over the ricotta mixture and gently fold in.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter and then add the rest, gently folding until smooth and airy.

Spoon a little less than 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto a hot skillet or griddle (either use nonstick or add spray or butter before each batch.) Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Serve pancakes with butter and blueberry sauce.

GRILLED TOMATO AND OLIVE PIZZA

This comes from page 20 of the June 2015 issue of Taste For Life, a magazine I picked up from Rollin' Oats Market & Cafe in St. Pete, Florida. Prep Time: 35 minutes; Serves 4. Originally from Summer Cooking by the Chicago Tribune staff.

1/2 pt cocktail or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

3 Tbsp each: pitted, drained kalamata olives; chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 package unbaked pizz dough, stretched into 12-inch round, or prepared (12-inch) pizza crust; see Note

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese

2 Tbsp each: torn basil leaves; shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat grill to high.

Combine tomatoes, onion, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste ina bowl, tossing with your hands to coat. Brush remaining 1 tablesppon of oil over both sides of crust.

Place dough over direct heat on grill. Cook until puffy, about 2 minutes. Turn over. Cook 2 minutes. Move crust to a cooler part of the grill. Top with tomato-olive mixture. Sprinkle parsley, dontina, and basil over top.

Cover grill. Cook until cheese melts, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover. Cook until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Remove from grill; cut into wedges.

Note: If you are using a prepared crust, follow directions on the package for cooking instructions.

Per serving: Calories: 227; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Fiber: 1 g; Total fat: 19 g (sat. fat: 4 g; mono: 12 g; poly: 2 g); sodium: 270 mg; Vitamin K; calcium

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

This recipe, as well as the Vegetarian Lasagna are from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

1 T vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1/4 – 1/2 lb. grated cheese

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over hot spaghetti. Better the next day - if any is left!

Note: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

Meatless Monday

It's another meatless Monday, which, of course, means vegetarian food. Many long-time blog readers (for this blog, anyway) may have heard me mention that, as a vegetarian (or mostly so), I have an easier time coming up with meatless meals. Add meat, and it seems too easy to fall into the old ways of "meat-starch-and-veggie" dinner. And while that might be fine once in a while (with, maybe, a veggie burger in place of the meat), it still feels stifling.

Okay, so now that that's out of the way, here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH WHITE BEAN SAUCE

This comes from AccentHealth.com, which helps educate patients. Not a bad site to check out. This recipe makes 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

One medium-size cauliflower, cut into three to four, 1-inch-thick whole slices (about 6 ounces per slice), plus remaining florets

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup marinara sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet, and brush the “steaks” and florets with 2 teaspoons of the oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Roast until lightly caramelized and the cauliflower is almost cooked through, about 18 minutes. Gently flip over each “steak” and floret and brush with 1 more teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, and roast until well caramelized and the cauliflower stems are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium-size skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic, and cook 30 to 60 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Mix in the beans, marinara sauce, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Top the cauliflower with the beans and serve. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 190 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated), 330mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 12g fiber, 10g protein, 120% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 15% iron

WILD RICE SALAD

This is also from AccentHealth.com, and makes 8 servings. The recipe states, "One cup of my nutty, crunchy salad has a day’s worth of vitamin C, and it’s also loaded with vitamin A." It can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice

1/2 bunch kale, washed, stemmed, leaves removed and cut into thin ribbons (about 2 1/2 packed cups)

1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 celery stalk, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Crumbled feta cheese, optional

Directions

Cook the wild rice according to package directions. When done, drain, place in a large bowl, and stir occasionally until the rice is cooled.

When cool, stir in the kale, bell pepper, green onions, parsley, pecans, cranberries, and celery. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir into the rice mixture.

Season with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to eat. Add feta cheese as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cup): 150 calories, 12g fat (1.5g saturated), 90mg sodium, 12g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 2g protein, 60% vitamin A, 100% vitamin C

GRILLED SALAD PIZZA

This is from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, "The oven broiler "grills" greens to wilt them into a crisp-tender topping." Makes 1 12-inch pizza.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp.)

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 recipe Chewy Pizza Dough (click here for dough recipe)

3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup arugula

1 cup sliced romaine lettuce

1 head red endive, halved and sliced (1 cup)

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh fennel

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Shaved Parmesan for garnish, optional

To make Vinaigrette:

Whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, and garlic. Whisk in oil, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Let rest 30 minutes.

To make Pizza:

1. Prepare Chewy Pizza Dough, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Place pizza on middle rack in oven, and preheat oven to 350°F with pizza in oven. Once oven reaches 350°F, bake 25 minutes, or until bottom is crisp and brown. Remove from oven, and adjust setting to broil.

2. Brush crust with 3 Tbs. Vinaigrette. Toss arugula, lettuce, endive, fennel, and onion with remaining Vinaigrette. Top pizza with arugula mixture, and place under broiler 2 to 3 minutes, or until greens begin to wilt. Serve garnished with Parmesan curls.

nutritional information Per Slice (1/8 pizza):Calories: 254; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Sodium: 344 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 4 g; Gluten-Free

BLACK BEAN AND CHILE POSOLE

This comes from the March 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 69. It starts off, "The garnishes for this hearty Mexican stew make for a fun meal that lets everyone at the table customize their serving according to taste. STORE/SERVE: Ladle cooled posole into two 2-quart containers, and refrigerate three days or freeze up to three months. Thaw, if necessary, then warm in saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to simmer. Serve with garnishes." Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Posole

2 4- to 5-inch dried pasilla chiles

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts cut into 2-inch chunks

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 15-oz. cans white hominy, rinsed and drained

2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

Garnishes (optional)

4 cups plain tortilla chips

2 small avocados, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, chopped

2 limes, sliced into wedges

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

hot sauce

To make Posole: Place pasilla chiles in large bowl, and cover with 3 cups boiling water. Let soak 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain chiles, and reserve liquid. Pull open chiles, and gently scrape out and discard seeds. Purée chiles in food processor with 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid. (Press purée through sieve if bits of skin remain, and discard solids.) Stir chile purée into remaining soaking liquid.

Halve leek chunks, and thinly slice into matchsticks.

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano, and sauté 1 minute. Add hominy, black beans, tomatoes with juice, chile liquid, and 6 cups water; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place Garnishes (if using) in bowls; pass around table when ready to serve.

nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving (without garnishes): Calories: 176; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 588 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

This recipe, as well as the Vegetarian Lasagna are from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T oil

1 T oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

1 T vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1/4 – 1/2 lb. grated cheese

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!

Note: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

Midweek Recipes

Since I'm running waaaay late today, I'm combining several previous blogs in today's blog. This first one is from Monday, September 8, 2014, on cutting up onions. The rest are from other days throughout the blog. Enjoy!

A while back, I overheard someone mention that she wasn't sure the best way to cut up onions for recipes. It's one of those things that many of us know how to do, but obviously others are a little confused about it. If you haven't grown up seeing something done, it can be a little confusing.

Sooo...here's my crash course on chopping onions.

Last night, I cooked vegetarian chili. (I'll post that in my Meatless Monday, in a few minutes.) For that, I tend to use both a red AND a yellow/white onion; since it's easiest to see the steps on the red onion, that's which one I'll be cutting up for this. (It works the same way for the white onion.)

So, here we've got both the red and yellow onions:



You'll notice that both onions have a head and tail (or think of them as north and south poles). We're going to started there.

Okay, with a sharp knife, cut off both ends/"poles" from the onions.



Then slice through the papery-outer layers of the onion, as well as maybe the first layer of the onion, from end to end.



After you've pulled that off, cut the onion in half, from end to end.



Then cut each half along parallel to the first cut.



Now, cut the half parallel to where the ends were.



Now, cut each half length-wise, from end to end.



Here are both halves cut up.



Each onion is layered like this, so use the same way of cutting up an onion, and you'll have diced onions, every time.

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

Two of the cookies recipes in today’s offerings come from my mom’s mom, Lillian Longmuir Hallock. While both of my grandmothers’ places always smelled wonderful from all the great food they cooked, Grandma Hallock’s cookies were something to really look forward to.

When I was growing up, my family (parents, sister, brother and I) lived in New York (state, not city). I’d been home sick with the flu, while my sister had gone to school. By late afternoon, the skies turned grey. My grandmother had come to our house with a batch of her peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies. After my sister got home from school, just ahead of the rain, my grandmother regaled us over stories of her youth while we had tea and cookies. One of her stories entailed being introduced to one of her teacher’s friends, whose stage name happened to be Buffalo Bill Cody. So I’m always reminded of that when I bake either cookie recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES







This was one of my grandmother's recipes, along with the oatmeal cookie recipe that follows. You can find them in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.

1/2 C butter

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1 1/4 C flour

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter & peanut butter together. Add sugar gradually & cream thoroughly. Add egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Sift flour, soda, baking powder & salt together & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough well, then form into balls the size of walnuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour, making criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES



Another one of my grandmother's recipes. When it came to baking, cookies were her specialty. You can also find these in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking

1 C flour

1 C brown sugar

3 C quick cooking oatmeal (NOT the instant oats!)

1 C butter or margarine

1/4 C boiling water

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour & brown sugar. Add oatmeal; stir. Melt butter; add to dry ingredients. Mix baking soda into boiling water; add to other ingredients, stirring well. Place batter into loaf pan, lined with aluminum foil & place in freeze for several hours. Slice & bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookie dough, taken from the freezer; showing first cuts before baking



Then cut down the center, like so:



Placed on parchment paper-covered baking sheet, for easier handling



Texas Chili

One of my dad’s recipes. Note: Actually, it is the one he said he found in the airline magazine. Whenever Dad fixed this, he’d have to make 2 batches of chili: this for those brave enough to try it, another for everyone else, somewhat cooler.

A funny anecdote: Dad had been involved in Civil Defense when we lived in New York. He had a friend who was also in C.D. who swore that since he'd grown up in New Mexico, he could eat anything spicy hot without it bothering him; in fact, the hotter it was, the better he liked it.

One evening, Larry and his wife came to dinner. Dad had invited them, fixing up a batch of this chili, along with the milder batch. Larry was served the hot stuff. Next time Dad went to a C.D. meeting, he overheard Larry state, "I can eat anything hot - except John S's chili!" Be forewarned!

3 balls ground beef suet

4 slices bacon, cut up

2 lbs. stew beef, cut small

2 lbs. chopped chuck

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Bernudea onions, chopped

1 T paprika

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne

6-9 T chili powder

2-4 walnut-size pieces suet

1 can beef broth

1 tsp. oregano

3 cans measured water

3/4 tsp. cumin

6 C tomatoes & juice

1 2/3 T salt

1 1/2 lbs. drained kidney beans

In heavy pot place 3 balls suet with bacon. Cook out fat. Add & brown beef & chopped chuck. After browning, add garlic. Cook lightly. Add remainder of spices. In another pot, heat 2-4 pieces of suet. Add onions. Cook until almost burned. Add to meat pot. Deglaze pot with meat broth. Add water, tomatoes & juice. Mash tomatoes into chili. Cover & simmer slowly 1 1/2-2 hours. Uncover. Cook down for about 1/2 hour, adding kidney beans. Serves 6-8.

Super Chili

One of my inventions.

2 C pinto beans

4 C water

4-8 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 onions, chopped

2 T chili powder

6 oz. can tomato paste

2 T oil or butter

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 lb. bacon, chopped

28 oz. can tomatoes (undrained)

1 tsp. oregano

1 T chili powder

Soak beans in water for several hours. Drain & place in 4 C water. Add 2-4 cloves gar-lic, 1 onion & 1 T chili powder. Bring to boil, stir, reduce heat, cover & simmer several hours, or until soft & creamy. Add tomato paste & 1 T chili powder & water as needed. Stir, cover & let simmer 30 more minutes. While beans are simmering, brown 1-3 onions, 2-4 cloves garlic & ground beef in butter. Add to beans. Cook bacon & add to beans. Add tomatoes, oregano & 1 T chili powder. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours. Great for anyone who likes good, hot chili. Better the next day.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

This is from Runner's World. Apparently, it was in the December 1999 issue and repeated after someone mentioned it in a letter in the February 2000 issue. I'm always amazed at the great food coming out of there!

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon soybean or olive oil

1 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 or 2 19-once cans of beans (kidney, pinto, or white)

1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté the onion, pepper & garlic in oil over medium heat. Add the tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Add the beans, stewed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serves 4.

From Runner’s World, December, 1999/letters Feb. 2000

REWORKED VEGETARIAN CHILI

I've fixed this recipe probably several hundred times, easily. I started off with the above Runner's World recipe; it slowly morphed into this recipe.

Note: I have a habit of buying anywhere from 16 to 20 (or more) peppers of varying colors at the same time, then chopping them all up, putting them into several containers, and freezing them. When I put them into the containers, they're not separated by color, but, rather, dumped in together. This way, I end up with containers with red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers all thrown in together. Then, whenever I need cut up peppers, I end up with a colorful bunch of peppers in whatever I'm putting them in. If you prefer, you can buy one or two peppers as needed (like for this recipe) and cut it up at that time. You can use whichever color bell pepper you want; if I'm out of frozen peppers, and am planning to buy only one or two for this recipe, I usually go with the green peppers, since they're usually the cheapest.

Also, with the onions, I usually try to have both yellow and red onions on hand; when I do, I use one of each in this recipe. Finally, for the cans of beans, I lean toward one can of black beans and one can of either Navy or Great Northern beans, both of which are white. Between the multi-colored peppers, two different kinds of onions, and different colored beans, it makes for a more colorful chili. But if you only have two cans of white, red or black beans, that's fine, too.

2 T olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 peppers, chopped

16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

2 19-once cans of beans, drained

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Note: For cutting up onions, check here.

Sauté the onion, peppers & garlic in oil over medium heat.

Add tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned. While this is cooking, peel and cut the carrots. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.

Make sure to stir periodically to keep chili from burning



YUM!

Wednesday Recipes

Finally, the middle of the week. Here's to half-way to the weekend, and good food. Enjoy!

CHILI-TOPPED POTATOES

This comes from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, “It takes just 30 minutes to transform ordinary baked potatoes into a delicious main course, filled with chili-seasoned beef, cheddar cheese and green onions.” Serves: 4 servings (1 potato each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients1 pound Ground Beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

4 hot baked potato, split

shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped green onion

Directions

Cook the beef and chili powder in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the picante sauce in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the beef mixture over the potatoes. Top with the cheese and onion.

Tip: To bake the potatoes, pierce the potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH for 15 minutes or bake at 400°F. for 1 hour or until tender.

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

KEY LIME WHITE CHOCOLATE COOLERS

This comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com's Home Cooking expert. She writes, “Key Lime and white chocolate make an amazing combination that is refreshingly cool, no matter the season. This variation of meltaway cookies is perfect for kitchen gifts and ships well. Macadamia nuts are optional or substitute your favorite nuts.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 27 minutes; Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, cut into cubes

1 Tablespoon fine-grated lime zest (use a microplane)

1 teaspoon key lime juice

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (optional)

Additional confectioners' powdered sugar for coating (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, corn starch, and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter, key lime juice, and key lime zest until smooth.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture and begin mixing on low speed. Once mixture begins to get thick, increase speed to thoroughly mix until combined, scraping down sides. The mixture will look crumbly at first, but resist the urge to add any liquid. Be patient. The dough will eventually come together and get thick and smooth. Scrape batter from beaters. Mix in white chocolate chips and optional macadamia nuts with a large spoon.

Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour to firm up. (It is important that the dough be very cold before going into the oven or they will spread.) When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Compress and roll dough into 1-inch balls (see Notes). Place 1-1/2 inches apart on lined baking sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until bottom edges just barely begin to turn brown. Do not over-bake. Let cool on baking sheets for at least 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool.

Pour powdered sugar into a bowl. Roll key lime cookies in powdered sugar to cover. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

• Do not make these any larger than 1-1/2 inches in diameter. They should be about the diameter of a quarter. If you make them any larger, you will have a mess on your hands.

• You can replace the white chocolate chips with finely chopped nuts (ie. all nuts and no chocolate) if you wish, or all white chocolate chips. Because these cookies retain their shape and are not crumbly, they make perfect kitchen gifts for shipping.

CROWD-PLEASING TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

Another recipe from FamilyTime.com. This one starts off, “You won't believe how easy it is to make this classic casserole featuring that favorite combination of tuna, noodles, peas and cream of mushroom soup. This version serves 8, so everyone can dig in!” Serves: 8 (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped pimiento

2 cups Birds Eye® Sweet Garden Peas

2 cans (12 ounces each) tuna, drained

1/2 of a 12-ounce package medium egg noodles, (about 4 cups), cooked and drained

2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

DirectionsHeat the oven to 400°F.

Stir the soup, milk, pimientos, if desired, peas, tuna and noodles in a 2-quart casserole. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl.

Bake the tuna mixture for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Stir the tuna mixture. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown.

Easy Substitution: You can substitute Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup for the Cream of Mushroom Soup.

REWORKED VEGETARIAN CHILI

I've fixed this recipe probably several hundred times, easily. This is a take-off on a recipe I'd found in Runner's World, which I've listed in several posts on this blog (with full credit).

Note: I have a habit of buying anywhere from 16 to 20 (or more) peppers of varying colors at the same time, then chopping them all up, putting them into several containers, and freezing them. When I put them into the containers, they're not separated by color, but, rather, dumped in together. This way, I end up with containers with red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers all thrown in together. Then, whenever I need cut up peppers, I end up with a colorful bunch of peppers in whatever I'm putting them in. If you prefer, you can buy one or two peppers as needed (like for this recipe) and cut it up at that time. You can use whichever color bell pepper you want; if I'm out of frozen peppers, and am planning to buy only one or two for this recipe, I usually go with the green peppers, since they're usually the cheapest.

Also, with the onions, I usually try to have both yellow and red onions on hand; when I do, I use one of each in this recipe. Finally, for the cans of beans, I lean toward one can of black beans and one can of either Navy or Great Northern beans, both of which are white. Between the multi-colored peppers, two different kinds of onions, and different colored beans, it makes for a more colorful chili. But if you only have two cans of white, red or black beans, that's fine, too.

Tofu, straight from the package



Crumbled



2 T olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 peppers, chopped

16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

2 19-once cans of beans, drained

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Note: For cutting up onions, check here.

Sauté the onion, peppers & garlic in oil over medium heat.

onions, peppers and garlic



Add tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned. While this is cooking, peel and cut the carrots. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.

Chili, cooking



Make sure to stir periodically to keep chili from burning



YUM!

SLOW COOKER BEEF RAGU WITH MUSHROOMS AND PEPPERS

I've been receiving ivillage.com newsletters for years. This was in one of them, in "Easiest Homemade Dinner Ever! 5-Ingredients Recipes for Your Slow Cooker." This recipe originates with Jessica Fisher's blog Good Cheap Eats. Prep time: 5 minutes; cooking time: 4 hours; Yields 8 servings

To view it online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 to 1 whole bell pepper, chopped

4 cups Red Sauce or other favorite spaghetti sauce

Instructions

Place the items in the order listed in the crock of a 4-quart slow cooker.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

Serve over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.

To freeze: store cooled meat mixture in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat on the stovetop.