Main Dishes

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ONE-DISH “TURKEY” FEAST- Something Different For Thanksgiving!

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I’m not sure how it came to pass that American Thanksgiving became firmly linked with turkey, but people don’t feel like they’ve celebrated properly without it. Of course, this is a dilemma for vegetarians.

Fortunately, there are some good imitation turkey products out there – and some NOT good ones, too. My favorite is Worthington’s Smoked Turkey Roll. This 4 lb log comes frozen and can be a little tricky to find. I’ve had luck at Adventist Book Stores and some natural food stores. It, also, can be purchased on Amazon.

Turkey fake color bkgBut let’s be honest. A slice of fake turkey is NOT the same as a slice of the real thing. So I decided to create a layered Thanksgiving pie, incorporating the fake turkey into the bottom layer with the dressing, thus giving the essence of turkey flavor. Layer  with other traditional Thanksgiving dishes of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy – and you’ve got yourself a vegetarian Thanksgiving.

By the way, if you’re not a fan of turkey, real or fake, then leave it out completely. It will make a delicious and very pretty side dish.

WARNING:  Make sure you tell people this is NOT a dessert.  It’s so pretty, my husband took a bite, thinking it was a pie (probably because I originally called it Thanksgiving Pie), and spit it out. Very disconcerting to expect pastry crust, cream filling, and cherries, getting instead , “turkey”/stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

ONE-DISH “TURKEY” FEAST

  • 8 oz whole cranberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (I use dark)
  • 1 cup onions, chopped small
  • 1 cup celery, chopped small
  • 7 T butter, divided
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 lb imitation turkey
  • 5 cups herbed bread cubes (I used Mrs. Cubbison’s)
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (I used my homemade VEGETABLE STOCK)
  • 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4″ slices
  • MUSHROOM GRAVY (you don’t have to use my recipe – but it’s delicious & super easy)

Make the cranberry sauce ahead of time to give it time to thicken. In a saucepan combine the cranberries, water, and brown sugar. Bring to boil, and let simmer UNcovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Refrigerate when cooled.

Preheat oven to 350º fahrenheit.

In a large pot melt 4 T butter. Add in onions and celery. Sauté until onions become translucent – about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Note:  I used herbed bread cubes. You can use plain ones and add your own herbs to the cooked onions and celery.

While onions are cooking, cut the fake turkey into 3/4″ cubes and pulse in food processor 12 times to form crumbs.

Cook potatoes in salted water until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, add 3 T butter, and 1 tsp salt. Mash. Add milk, if needed so they’re not too dry. Cover to keep warm.

When onions are done, turn off flame and mix in crumbled “turkey”, bread cubes, 1 tsp salt, and vegetable stock. Stir several minutes to moisten the bread cubes – add in extra stock (or water), if needed. (The mixture will need to stick together.) Pat firmly into a greased 10″ x 7½” casserole dish or a 10″ pie pan. (or any other size equivalent).

Cover with foil and bake at 350º F for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.

Spread mashed potatoes on “turkey”/stuffing layer. Top with cranberry sauce.

Pass the gravy separately.

Note: This dish can be created with Thanksgiving leftovers – just to perk up those bits and bobs.

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SAAG PANEER -Surprisingly Simple!

fullsizerender-20SAAG PANEER is one of my favorite dishes to order when we go to Indian restaurants. And, as it turns out, it’s quite easy to make.

One thing to bear in mind when shopping for the spinach is to buy the amount specified in the recipe – 20 ounces. It may look like enough to feed an army, but spinach wilts down tremendously when cooked.

I recommend making the paneer cheese ahead of time – even a day or two – before serving. This gives the cheese plenty of time to drain.

NOTE: In reading through the directions, you may be tempted to skip the separate cooking steps and just throw everything into the pot at once. Don’t! The onions take longer to cook than the jalapeño and garlic, which takes longer than the tomato. Cooking things in stages allows the ingredients to end up at their peak of flavor.

SAAG PANEER – makes about 1 quart

  • 1½ quarts whole milk
  • 2½ cups buttermilk, divided
  • 1/2 T salt
  • 20 oz fresh spinach leaves
  • 3 T butter
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cardamon
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 jalapeño, finely minced (remove seeds and ribs)
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 14 oz tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
  • 1/2 cup cashews, toasted, divided

To make the paneer cheese, heat whole milk just to a boil. Stir in 1½ cups buttermilk and 1/2 T salt. Remove from heat. Let sit 10 minutes to coagulate. Line a colander with 3 layers of cheesecloth and set in sink. Pour in milk and let drain 15 minutes. Bring the 4 corners of the cheesecloth together to form a sack. Gently twist to expel more liquid. Finally, hang the bag for several hours to complete the draining process. To do this, tie corners together, insert some sort of stick (such as a long wooden spoon), and rest the ends on something tall enough to allow the sack to hang freely. Be sure to place a container underneath to catch the liquid unless you’re doing this over the sink.

Thoroughly wash spinach – it can be very muddy. Place in a large bowl (you may need to do this in batches), cover with a plate, and microwave for 3 minutes. Discard liquid.

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter. Add in cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Stir over medium heat for 30 seconds to bloom spices. Add in onions and 3/4 tsp salt. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add in the jalapeño and garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add in tomatoes and cook 3 more minutes.

Chop 2/3 cup of the cooked spinach – I use my kitchen shears for this. Set aside.

Into a food processor or blender put the unchopped spinach, half of the cooked tomato mixture, 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup of the cashews. Pulse several times to purée. Pour back into saucepan with the other half of the tomato mixture. Add in the chopped spinach and remaining 1 cup of buttermilk. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook 5 minutes to heat through.

Cube the paneer cheese into 1/2″ pieces. Stir into the spinach mixture.

Serve over rice, topped with cashews.

 

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BEEF-LIKE BISCUIT CASSEROLE – Better Than The Real Thing!

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Fake meats (or “faux” for you fancy people) have not only expanded my cooking repertoire dramatically, but they also help keep me from falling off the vegetarian wagon.  When you grow up eating meat, AND really like the taste, it’s sometimes hard to resist. Fake meats have talked me off the ledge many times when I was tempted by a burger commercial.

There are quite a few really good imitation products out there now. Yes, there are some real duds, but search around and you probably can find ones that you like. They’re so common now that even the average supermarket carries, at least, a brand or two.

All that being said, I limit my use of these foods to once or twice a week – they are a processed food, after all.

Beef-like Biscuit Casserole is a kid favorite. It’s, also, one of mine. The recipe calls for making a biscuit dough. If this idea fills you with fear, then buy a tube of biscuit dough in the refrigerated section. But, honestly, it’s really very simple and I recommend giving it a go.

BEEF-LIKE BISCUIT CASSEROLE

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 50g (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • 12 oz fake ground beef (I use Morningstar Grillers Crumbles)

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  • 425g (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 T fresh basil, chopped  (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 223g (1¾ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 56g (4 T) butter, cold
  • 1 egg
  • 125g (1/2 cup) milk (any kind – I use nonfat)
  • 120g (4 oz) medium cheddar, shredded
  • 17g (1/4 cup) Parmesan cheese, shredded

Early in the day I try to remember to remove the Crumbles from the freezer to thaw so it cooks faster. Don’t worry if you don’t – it’ll still cook if it’s frozen.

Heat oil in a 10″ skillet and sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the fake ground meat, 1/2 tsp salt, oregano, dried basil (if using fresh, don’t put this in yet), and tomato sauce. Bring to simmer, cover, and let cook 10 minutes. Stir now and then, particularly if fake meat is frozen. If using fresh basil, stir it in after the 10 minutes cooking time, to retain its flavor.

Remove lid from skillet, and skillet from heat. Let cool while you prepare the biscuits. (Deep breath!)

If you have a food processor, place flour, 1/2 tsp salt, baking powder, and pepper in the workbowl. Pulse a couple of times to mix. Cut butter into 4 or 5 pieces and add to workbowl. Pulse about 7 times to break up the butter so the mixture becomes cornmeal-like.

If you don’t have a food processor, put flour, salt, pepper, and cut-up butter in a bowl. Using 2 knives, cross-cut until mixture resembles cornmeal (a pastry cutter won’t work – the cold butter will just bend the tines…been there, done that!).

In medium sized bowl, beat egg and milk together. Add in flour mixture and gently stir until blended. Empty dough onto floured surface and, with floured hands, knead dough 10 times. Don’t over-knead or the dough will toughen.

Preheat oven to 400º F / 200°C

Divide dough in half. Take one half and cut it into 1/4″ slices. Lay them out on the bottom of an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish. With fingers, press the dough pieces together so they cover the entire bottom of dish.

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Sprinkle on half the cheddar cheese.

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Spread “meat” sauce evenly on top.

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Sprinkle on remaining cheddar and the Parmesan.

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Flatten the remaining biscuit dough with your hands or a rolling pin to about 1/4″. Cut dough into several pieces – the number and shape is up to you. Lay them out on top of casserole.

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Bake at 400º F / 200°C, uncovered, for 20 minutes – until biscuits are golden.

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Let set for about 10 minutes before serving.

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EGGPLANT POLENTA – Super Easy!

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My boys grew up watching me cook up a storm on a daily basis. I baked whole wheat bread (sadly, quite often the slices kind of fell apart as you ate it – this was before I understood about gluten), juiced 400 lbs of organic apples every fall, and made pasta and baked goods from scratch.

To my chagrin, they showed no interest in learning how to cook. Until now. Yay! Both my sons have finally grasped the benefit to health and pocketbook by cooking from scratch. Last night my oldest made a delicious, fast, and easy polenta topped with eggplant and Parmesan.

Thus, the student becomes the teacher.

Of course, like all cooks, I made a couple of changes. As it’s zucchini overload season, I decided to incorporate this prolific squash into the recipe (one can only eat so much zucchini bread!). Also, I exchanged Fontina cheese for most of the Parmesan. It has a nice melty property.

NOTE: With a little forethought, you can shave half an hour off the cooking time for the polenta. All you need to do is combine the cornmeal and water the night before (or even the morning of) and let it soak (just soak – no cooking yet) until you’re ready to make dinner. This step takes seconds and you save half an hour!

EGGPLANT POLENTA – makes about 4-6 servings

  • 1 cup medium grind cornmeal
  • 4 cups water
  • 1¼ tsp salt, divided
  • 28 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb eggplant, unpeeled & cut into 3/4″ cubes
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into quarter moons
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Soak cornmeal and water the night before or the morning of preparing this dish. This will expedite cooking dramatically. If you don’t do this, you’ll just have to allow more cooking time – it could take an hour to absorb the water and be soft enough to eat.

Either way, cook the cornmeal, its water, and 1/2 tsp of the salt uncovered over a medium flame, bringing it to a boil. Then decrease heat to medium/low. Stir often, but not continuously (unless you have nothing better to do).

While the polenta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium flame in large skillet. When it shimmers (the sign for when it’s hot enough), add in the eggplant, zucchini, and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté for about 7 minutes, stirring often, until browned. Turn off heat.

Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds with the heat off (this prevents scorching the garlic). Turn the heat back to medium, and stir in the tomatoes (with its juice) and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook another 2 minutes to thicken a bit.

To serve: On either individual plates or a large platter, layer the polenta, topped with Fontina, the eggplant mixture, fresh basil, and then sprinkle with Parmesan. Let set a few minutes so the Fontina gets nice and gooey!

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CHILI SPOONBREAD – Creamy Goodness!

chili spoonbread1 textNever heard of spoonbread? Neither had I, but I saw it on America’s Test Kitchen and it looked delicious. A popular dish in the southern United States, it’s kind of a cross between cornbread and a soufflé.

As is my usual practice, I followed the recipe the first time I made it. It was good, but I doubted I’d ever make it again (even though it was pretty simple). Then I spied the leftover CHILI CON QUESO from a previous blogpost. Hmmm! I wondered if it could be incorporated into the spoonbread to kick it up a notch.

Oh, yeah! Worked like a charm. Turned out to be a wonderful twofer bonus: improved the spoonbread, AND made use of the Chili Con Queso before I could grab the Doritos and scarf down the lot….uh, just so it wouldn’t go to waste.

NOTE: This recipe calls for 3 whole eggs and 1 egg white. As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I feel it my duty to suggest you beat the unused yolk with a tablespoon of water and freeze this for future use as an egg wash or to use in a recipe that calls for egg yolks only.

CHILI-CHEESE SPOONBREAD – makes 4 individual servings

  • 157g (1 cup) fine-grind cornmeal (Bob’s Red Mill makes this)
  • 561g (2¼ cups) milk (any kind – I use nonfat)
  • 2 raw cobs of fresh corn (white or yellow) OR 170g (1.5 cups) frozen or canned corn
  • 56g (4 T) butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup chili con queso  OR 63g (1/3 cup) red salsa
  •                                               57g (2 oz) Jack cheese, shredded
  •                                               57g (2 oz) med. cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 tsp cream of tartar

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal and milk. This will soften the cornmeal so it’s not so gritty. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Butter 4  1¼ cup soufflé dishes.

If you don’t happen to have chili con queso, make it by combining the salsa and cheeses in a saucepan over a low flame, until the cheese is melted. Cool. (You can do this ahead of time.)

Remove the husk and silk from the corn cobs, then wash and dry them. Next (this may sound daunting, but I promise you it’s not) holding each cob at an angle, remove the kernels by running a sharp knife down the sides. It’s easiest to begin a couple of inches from the top and work downwards, away from you. Then flip the cob, and remove the bit that was at the top in the same manner. You’ll get about 3/4 cup of corn from each cob – I found that amazing.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook corn over medium flame, until it begins to brown – about 15 minutes. Stir often.

Then add in salt, sugar, and cornmeal/milk mixture. Cover and let steep 10 minutes.

Bring corn mixture to a simmer and stir until it thickens – about 5 minutes. Shut off flame and stir in the chili con queso.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and let cool 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C {400ºF) in middle position.

Stir the yolks together in a small bowl, then mix into the batter once it’s cooled for 20 minutes (you don’t want to cook the egg yolks).

Using an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until stiff peaks form.

Spoon about 1/3 of beaten whites into the batter and whisk in – you don’t have to be excessively gentle with this just yet.

Once those whites are incorporated, pour the rest of whites into the batter and very gently whisk them in by dipping the whisk into the batter then lifting it out. OR, you can use a rubber spatula and fold the whites in. These whites are going to cause the batter to rise, so you don’t want to deflate them by stirring too vigorously.

Divide batter amongst the 4 soufflé dishes and put in preheated 200°C (400°F) oven. (It’s easier to manage if you place the dishes on a cookie sheet.)

IMMEDIATELY TURN OVEN DOWN TO 180C° / 350º F°

Bake for 20-22 minutes, if you like a creamy center (I do!). If you jiggle the soufflé dish, the center should wobble. But, if you want the center cooked like the sides (more bread-like), then bake another 2 minutes – the center won’t jiggle.

If there are leftovers, store Chili Spoonbread in the soufflé bowls. Then microwave about 1 minute 15 seconds when ready to eat.

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PESTO TRAPANESE – Presto Pasta!

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PESTO TRAPANESE should be called PESTO TRAPAN-EASY!  It’s one of the fastest homemade meals you’re likely to come across. The time it takes to boil the pasta water and cook the spaghetti noodles, is the time it takes to make this dish. Impossible, you say?! Not at all. While the pasta is cooking, you prepare the pesto. It’s that fast.

For those of you who make your own pasta (like I do), the time is only slightly longer. I’ll prep the pesto ingredients (which only takes about 5 minutes), THEN put the water on to boil. While the water is heating up, I roll out the pasta dough. Generally, by the time the pasta is made, the water is at a full boil. Perfect!

PESTO TRAPANESE – serves about 3-4 (depending on how hungry people are)

  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 2½ cups sweet cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 T deli-sliced jalapeño peppers (I use ‘tamed’ spice level – but if you want more kick, go to ‘hot’)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality)
  • 1/2 cup (+ extra for sprinkling) Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 lb spaghetti noodles

Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil.

While water is heating, toast the almonds, wash the tomatoes and basil, and measure the salt, red pepper flakes, jalapeños, olive oil, and parmesan. Chop basil.

When pasta goes in the boiling water, put the almonds, tomatoes, basil, salt, flakes, and jalapeños in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to break up ingredients. Then let machine run continually as you slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify the pesto. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Drain pasta when cooked, then return to empty pot. Stir in pesto and the 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve, sprinkling on extra Parmesan, if you like.

 

 

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GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

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Making Potato Gnocchi from scratch sounds scarier than it really is. Honestly! Basically, all you have to do is make mashed potatoes, roll them into ropes, cut them into 1″ pieces, and boil them. You can even get the kids involved…or your spouse.

The potatoes need to be lump-free, so you’ll need either a ricer or a food mill. Another tool that is nice, but not essential, is a gnocchi board (see photo) to form the ridges. A fork will work if you don’t have one. (The ridges help hold the sauce.)

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A huge bonus to making gnocchi is they freeze well so, as long as you’re at it, you may as well make extra for those days when you lack the desire, time, energy, and desire (it bears mentioning twice!) to cook.

I’ve included a Brown Butter Sage Sauce recipe below, but you can top gnocchi with pesto, pink sauce, or anything you fancy.

POTATO GNOCCHI

  • 1.5 lbs (approximately) russet potatoes
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Peel and chop potatoes in thirds. Boil in salted water until easily pierced with a fork. Drain.

Immediately put the hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill. Stir in the salt and flour first, then the egg. (Adding the flour first cools down the potatoes a bit to prevent cooking the egg.)

Empty the potato mixture onto a well floured board and knead the dough for about 30 seconds to get it to stick together.

Have ready a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and, if you’re going to be eating immediately, start the water boiling in a large pot.

Pull off kiwi sized (it really doesn’t matter if it’s not exact) hunks of potato dough and, on a well floured board, roll into a rope 1/2″ in diameter. If your rope is too long for your board, use a smaller hunk for the rest. Slice into 1″ segments. Form ridges by rolling each one along a gnocchi board or the backside of a fork, going towards the tip of the tines. The ridges help the sauce to adhere to the gnocchi. Place them on the cookie sheet, not touching. Continue until all dough is done.

When the water is fully boiling, drop in desired amount of gnocchi. Once they’ve all floated to the top, turn off heat and let them sit in water for 30 seconds. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the sauce. Save the gnocchi water to add to the sauce, as needed – the water will extend the sauce, and the flour will thicken it.

NOTE: If you don’t want to cook the gnocchi immediately, place cookie sheet in freezer. When gnocchi are frozen, store them in portion sized containers.

BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE – for 2-3 servings

  • 4 T butter
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

NOTE: Prepare the sauce just before cooking the gnocchi.

Melt butter in a 10″-12″ skillet over medium-high flame, swirling until butter turns amber and becomes aromatic (about 1½-2 minutes). Remove pan from burner and add in sage and shallots, stirring for 1 minute off-heat (the residual heat is enough to cook the sage and shallots). Blend in salt and lemon juice. Cover to keep warm.

Spoon cooked gnocchi directly into sauce. Add gnocchi water, if needed to expand the sauce.

Top with a grated hard cheese such as Pecorino-Romano, if you like.

 

 

 

 

 

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QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT – Get Ready For Summer!

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Last week I wrote about CHOCOLATE WACKY CAKE after being asked to use and critique a coconut balsamic vinegar. I know vinegar, particularly balsamic, sounds like a crazy ingredient for a chocolate cake, but it’s amazing – try it, and thank me later.

This week I’m posting about about QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT, which also calls for vinegar. It’s an easy recipe, and excellent to add to your repertoire for when your friends come calling with bags of eggplant from their garden.

NOTE: You can substitute rice or sorghum for the quinoa.

QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT

  • 1 large eggplant, or 2-3 smaller ones
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 c quinoa, raw
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic, pressed
  • 1 T fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 lb Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup hard cheese (such as Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino-Romano), grated
  • 2 T pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 T parsley, chopped

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Score each half by making slashes diagonally through pulp, half an inch apart. Do the same going the opposite way. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T CUT THROUGH THE SKIN! Brush a liberal amount of olive oil on cut sides, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant cut side down. Bake on lowest rack at 400º for 40-50 minutes, until softened. Drain by laying the eggplant cut side down, on a terry cloth towel that’s topped with a couple of layers of paper towels.

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Sauté onion in the 1 T olive oil. Add garlic, basil, cinnamon, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 30 seconds only, then stir in cooked quinoa, tomatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, pine nuts, and vinegar.

Turn eggplant cut side up, and smash down pulp with a spoon to make eggplant into a bowl. Divide the quinoa filling between the eggplant halves, compacting and mounding it.

Top with remaining cheese and return eggplant to parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400º in the upper third of oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese browns.

Sprinkle on fresh basil and serve.

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TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE: OoLaLa!

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Throughout our marriage, my husband’s dinner choice for special occasions has always been Coquilles St. Jacques á la Parisienne (scallops in a white wine sauce).

Being a vegetarian, once I discovered fake (or, ‘faux’, since we’re talking French here) meats, Skallops and its like were substituted. These worked well since real scallops taste kind of fake anyhow.

Don’t get me wrong, I love imitation products – at least, SOME of them (you have to experiment). They talk you off the ledge when you crave your mom’s chicken casserole or spaghetti with meat sauce. Also, they allow you to revive those recipes you thought were unusable in the vegetarian world. BUT…they are a processed food and, as such, I try and limit them to once or twice a week.

So, I decided to try extra firm tofu in place of the fake scallops. It actually works quite well. True, tofu doesn’t have the chew of imitation scallops, but it blends quite well with the mushrooms and white wine sauce, and makes a tasty alternative. I added in diced pimentos for a little extra flavor and color. (Quel horreur!)

The final change I made (which you don’t have to) is replacing the high fat, calorie laden puff pastry shells usually used to contain the St. Jacques, with mini-Yorkshire puddings. The recipe for my Mini-Yorkies will be in next week’s blogpost.

TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE – makes about 3 cups

  • 1 block extra-firm tofu
  • 175g (3/4 cup) vermouth
  • 261g (2 cups) mushrooms (5 oz), chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 30g  (1/4 cup) shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 T butter
  • 30g (4 T) flour
  • 183g (3/4 cup) milk (I use half cream, half nonfat milk – don’t judge!)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • 45g (1/2 cup) (2 oz) Emmentaler Swiss cheese, grated
  • 44g (2 oz jar) diced pimentos, drained
  • 4 puff pastry shells or mini Yorkshire puddings

Remove tofu from package and extract liquid by sandwiching it between 2 plates for 30 minutes, at least. Pour off water periodically. Cut into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes.

Into a skillet place the tofu, vermouth, mushrooms, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and shallots. Top with about 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame to simmer, cover skillet, and cook 5 minutes.

With slotted spoon, remove the tofu and mushrooms to a bowl. Boil down liquid to 1 cup. Remove bay leaf and discard.

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Turn off heat and carefully mix in flour to make a paste. It’s best to use a flat-headed wooden spoon for this to mash out all lumps. This is the only chance you have to get rid of lumps – once you add liquid, they’re there for good. When the roux (paste) is perfectly smooth, cook it over a low heat for 1 minute.

Turn heat to medium and pour milk and reduced vermouth liquid into the roux. Stir often until sauce begins to thicken. Turn off heat. Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of this sauce into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so they don’t curdle. Turn the flame to medium again under the saucepan, and pour the yolk mixture back into the sauce, stirring constantly until thick – about 1 minute.

NOTE: You never introduce egg yolks directly into a hot liquid – they’ll cook. Rather, you temper the yolks by slowly introducing a small amount of hot liquid into them, and then pouring them into the sauce.

Add the lemon juice, cheese, and pimento to the sauce. Taste and season, if needed. (I never do.)

Blend the tofu mixture and sauce together in the skillet – off heat.

Bake the puff pastry shells or mini-Yorkshire puddings. Just before they’re done, heat up the tofu mixture. If using puff pastry shells, remove the center holes and doughy bits inside; if using the Yorkies, split open. Pour the heated TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE on top and serve.

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EGGPLANT INVOLTINI – A New Favorite!

eggplant involtini text

I’d never heard of involtini before recently marathon-watching American’s Test Kitchen. (LOVE that show!)

Involtini is a food (such as eggplant or a meat) that’s sliced thin and rolled around a stuffing. They demonstrated a quick and easy version of Eggplant Involtini, which I immediately tried. Fabulous! Naturally, I tweaked the recipe a bit.

It’s fast enough for a weeknight dinner, and special enough for company. A perfect recipe to add to your repertoire.

NOTE: I followed America’s Test Kitchen suggestion to peel the eggplant. But since the skin contains the antioxidant nasunin, I also tested a version without peeling to see if there was a need for this step. Result: leave the peel alone! The Eggplant Involtini tasted delicious both ways – so why bother with the extra work?!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Buy eggplants no more than 1 day before usage – they don’t keep well.

EGGPLANT INVOLTINI – makes about 10 rolls

  • 2 long (about 8″) eggplants
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 T additional olive oil
  • 1  28-oz (793g) can whole tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp (or 1/2 tsp for the adventurous) dried pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 18g (2 T) red wine
  • 37g (1/2 cup) pecorino-romano cheese, shredded
  • 32g (about 1 slice) hardened bread (I used whole wheat and pita – both worked)
  • 240g (1 cup) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 9g (1/4 cup) chopped fresh basil (don’t use dried!)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • extra pecorino-romano and basil to sprinkle on top

Cut top and bottom off eggplants. In order to keep eggplants steady as you slice them, cut off about 1/3″ from one side in the bulbous area. Lay this cut end down.

Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2″ wide slabs – there will be 4-5, depending on how fat the eggplants are.

Lay slices on a very large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush eggplant with some of the 1/3 cup olive oil, then salt and pepper. Turn slices over, then brush again with olive oil, and salt and pepper. You may not use up all of the oil.

Bake in a preheated 375° fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

While eggplant is baking, cut up whole tomatoes into small pieces (remove the stem end, and any skin or blemishes), saving the juice. In a very large skillet over medium flame, heat the 1 T olive oil. Add in garlic, oregano, dried pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp salt. Sauté 1 minute – don’t let garlic burn. Pour in the tomatoes and juice, and wine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce flame. Let cook 15 minutes.

FINAL NOTE – I PROMISE: If you like this dish, double or triple (or more) the marinara sauce and freeze in portions for future use.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the pecorino-romano, ricotta, basil, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt. Break bread slice into small pieces. Grind them into crumbs in a blender or food processor. Add bread crumbs to cheese mixture.

After eggplant has been out of the oven for 5 minutes, carefully flip each piece. Put about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the wider end of the eggplant strips. Roll up eggplant and place in skillet with the marinara sauce, seam side down. Continue with each slice.

Cover skillet and, over medium flame, heat the Eggplant Involtini for 5 minutes. While that’s cooking, turn on broiler, placing rack about 5″ from top element.

Broil for 5 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with additional pecorino-romano and basil.