vegetarian recipes

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding

pumpkin bread pudding

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I promise – this is the last pumpkin related recipe I’ll be sharing with you….for awhile.  But the saver in me just had to post this. Let me explain.

As you may know, I like my twofers (recipes that can be used two different ways).  In October I posted my Pumpkin Rolls recipe (click:  Pumpkin Rolls) and strongly suggested making the whole recipe or even doubling it, then freezing the leftovers. At the time my reasoning was that you’d have ready-to-go homemade pumpkin rolls waiting patiently in the freezer for you to zap them warm when dinner could use a little something extra.

THEN I had a dessert epiphany! I asked myself (and I’m pretty sure it was aloud), “What if I substitute Pumpkin Rolls for the pound cake in my Mocha Bread Pudding recipe?” “Hmmm,” I replied to myself (again, aloud) as I imagined the blend of pumpkin, chocolate, coffee, and almonds. So without further ado, I baked the pudding and it was delicious!

Of course, being true to cooks everywhere, I wondered if there was something that would improve it. Butterscotch chips, in addition to the chocolate chips (or, in place of), came to mind. The beauty of this recipe is you can tailor it to suit everyone since the chips are sprinkled in the individual custard cups.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding can be baked in one larger dish rather than the 9 custard cups. But there’s a method to my madness! Two words:  portion control. When you have to scoop out a serving, we all know how easy it is to spoon a little more. With the cups, one cup = one serving. No guesswork. No sneaking a little extra.

NOTE:  For best results, Pumpkin Bread Pudding should be made the day before. This allows the pudding to properly set and its flavor will be markedly improved. This is a good dessert to serve company since it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to tidy the house and prepare the food.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING – makes 9 custard cup servings

  • 3 cups pumpkin rolls, torn into ¾”-ish pieces
  • 1¼ cups chips (I used milk chocolate chips)
  • 2½ tsp instant coffee crystals
  • 1 T water, boiling
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 cups milk (I used nonfat)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

The custard cups are going to bake in a water bath, so put the cups into a large casserole dish(es). Use as many casserole dishes as you need – as long as they fit on the same rack in the oven. I use 2 casserole dishes.

Preheat oven to 325º Fahrenheit.

Divide the pumpkin roll pieces amongst the 9 buttered custard cups. Sprinkle in the chips. (Here’s where you can tailor to the taste of your family).

Fill a teapot with water and turn the burner on high.  Boiling water is going to be poured into the casserole dishes around the cups so the pudding can steam.

In a small cup, mix the coffee crystals with 1 T of the boiling water.

Into the workbowl of your food processor (please tell me you have one!), put the almonds and sugar. Pulse the machine until the almonds are ground. Add in the milk, eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, nutmeg, and coffee. Blend.

Pour the mixture evenly into the custard cups. I  find there’s less spillage if I transfer the liquid from the workbowl into a container with a spout, then pour into the custard cups.

Pour the boiling (or, at least, very hot) water from the teapot into the casserole dishes, so that the water surrounds the custard cups, coming halfway up the sides. Carefully place in oven. Bake at 325º Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Remove cups from water bath, let cool, then refrigerate. Serve the next day for best results.

 

 

 

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Add-Ins Oatmeal Casserole: Cook Once, Serve…A LOT!!!

Oatmeal

Add-Ins Oatmeal Casserole

Anytime I find a recipe that saves me cooking AND washing up time, I’m all over it. And triple bonus if it’s healthy!

So when I found this Add-Ins Oatmeal Casserole, I tweaked it (of course) by adjusting the spices to suit my taste, and modified the topping to significantly lower the calories.  (Did you know walnuts have 800 calories per cup? YIKES!!!)

You may be wondering how an oatmeal recipe can save time.  Well, the beauty of this recipe is that you make it and then scoop out individual servings every time you want it. Just zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds – done! It tastes freshly made each time. Now I can have a hot and healthy breakfast or snack at the ready. Easy peezy!

I will confess that my husband, who has eaten the same oatmeal every single morning of our married life, is not a lover of this recipe. He claims it’s not that he doesn’t like it, it’s just he prefers his routine, same old-same old oatmeal. What can I say? He’s an extreme creature of habit. Thank goodness I’m one of his habits!

NOTE:  Change the add-ins to what you prefer or have in the house. Next time, I’m going to throw in some diced apple.

ADD-INS OATMEAL CASSEROLE

  • 2 cups dry oatmeal  (I used the quick cooking kind)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp each ginger, cardamon, nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ salt (regular or sea salt)
  • 1½ cup carrots, shredded
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 2 eggs
  • 2¼ cups milk (I used nonfat cow’s milk. You can also use almond milk.)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 T coconut oil
  • ½ cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, coconut oil, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. This is the topping.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, carrots, and raisins.

In yet another bowl beat together the eggs, then whisk in the milk and vanilla. Stir this into the oatmeal mixture. Pour into a buttered 8″ x 10″ casserole dish. Sprinkle on the topping evenly.

Bake uncovered at 325º Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

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Pumpkin Rolls – Perfect Bread For Fall!

Pumpkin Biscuits

Pumpkin Rolls

It’s Autumn in my part of the world, and that means one thing:  every conceivable food and drink becomes pumpkin flavored.

When I was a kid, the only pumpkin food was pie. But over the years, pumpkin has made an appearance in ice cream, tea, pancakes, coffee, cereal, butter, and on and on. Generally, I’m not one to jump on the pop culture food bandwagon (don’t get me started on Greek yogurt!), but I have a pumpkin roll recipe that’s adds a little seasonal festivity into a meal without being in-your-face PUMPKIN.

Now, don’t panic people, but these rolls are yeast based.  No doubt, while experienced bakers are shrugging their shoulders and murmuring ‘so what?’, newbies hearing the word ‘yeast’, are running to the refrigerated tubes of pre-made dough.

I’ve said it before, using yeast is a snap – especially if you have a food processor. No food processor? Go to a thrift shop, save up your pennies, or put it on your Christmas wish-list. A food processor will cut down on cooking time which, in turn, will encourage you to cook from scratch more often.

This recipe makes about 20 rolls, depending on how big you cut them. You may be tempted to half the recipe, thinking 20-ish rolls too many. Well, I wouldn’t be true to my self-proclaimed title of Queen of Freeze if I didn’t advise you to make the entire recipe (or even double it!) and freeze the leftovers. Next time you want homemade Pumpkin Rolls, just zap them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Besides saving money, I LOVE to save time.

NOTE:  While munching on a Pumpkin Roll, it occurred to me that chocolate frosting would really enhance its yummy-ness. (Of course, adding  chocolate to pretty much anything guarantees thumbs up from this chocoholic.) The frosting turned the dinner rolls into a delectable morning pastry.

Chocolate frosted Pumpkin Rolls

Chocolate frosted Pumpkin Rolls

PUMPKIN ROLLS – makes about 20, depending on how big you cut them

  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup milk (I used nonfat – use what you have)
  • 1½ tsp dry yeast
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp granulated sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin (fresh or canned)
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • ¼ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Combine water and milk, then heat to approximately 105º Fahrenheit. Stir in yeast and let proof for about 5 minutes.

In the workbowl of your food processor (or large mixing bowl)  put 3 cups of flour (note that you won’t be using all the flour at this time), the sugars, pumpkin, butter, salt, and spices.

When the yeast liquid is foamy, turn on the food processor. Then slowly pour in the liquid through the pour spout. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. Run the machine for 45 seconds to knead. If you’re not using a food processor, knead by hand for 10 minutes. (I wouldn’t be surprised if sticky dough on your hands and working the dough for 10 minutes convinces you to get a food processor!)

Place dough in a greased bowl, smoosh it down, then flip it. This will grease both sides of the dough. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for an hour.

Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface. Roll into a square ¾” thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice dough into individual rolls. Place them on a greased or nonstick cookie sheet, cover with a tea towel, and let rise 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350º Fahrenheit oven for 25 minutes.

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Carrots And Pistachio Nuts In Cointreau Sauce

Carrots & Pistachio Nuts in a Cointreau Sauce

Carrots & Pistachio Nuts in a Cointreau Sauce

Someone gave my husband a huge bag of pistachio nuts.  Now that’s the kind of thing I do NOT need hanging around my house, taunting me with their salty, crunchi-liciousness (I made that word up.) What’s worse is they’re shelled, so all I have to do is reach in and grab a handful.

Of course, the wheels in my head started cranking, looking for ideas to use up these bad boys. My immediate thought was to a carrots and pistachios recipe I’ve had since before I was married. It’s so good that my friend Deno (who has the will power to actually eat ONE potato chip), was sneaking extra helpings. But over the years I’ve rarely made this dish because I hate shelling the pistachio nuts (yes, I’m lazy).

Now that I have access to a pound of shelled pistachios, Carrots & Pistachio Nuts in a Cointreau Sauce will be a common side dish in our home for weeks to come…at least, until the pistachios are gone.

I stream-lined the original recipe (again – lazy) by steaming the carrots, rather than boiling them in butter and water then reducing the cooking liquid. To make up for the lost butter, I just added more to the Cointreau sauce.

CARROTS & PISTACHIO NUTS IN COINTREAU SAUCE

  • 2 cups carrots cut in ½”- 1″ pieces
  • 1½ T butter
  • 2 T Cointreau (option:  use orange juice if you don’t want the alcohol)
  • 2 T pistachio nuts, salted & shelled
  • ½ tsp salt

Steam the carrots until a fork can just pierce them. Don’t overcook! It only takes about 5 minutes.

While the carrots are steaming, melt butter in a saucepan.  Add Cointreau, salt, and pistachio nuts. Sauté 1 minute.

Gently stir the sauce and carrots together. DONE! An elegant side dish that’s a snap to make!!!

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Italian Flag Lasagna: It’s Worth Saluting!

Italian Flag Lasagna

Italian Flag Lasagna

When one walks around with a surname like ‘Antonini’, there’s a certain expectation of Italian-ness. It probably comes from all the vowels. Even though there’s actually not a drop of Italian blood coursing through my veins (I married into the name), I have adopted some of the mannerisms:  talking with my hands, being emotional, and cooking lots of pasta.

The latter (cooking pasta) is what caused me to say, “hmmmm!” when I spied my friend Rose’s Facebook photo of the Italian Flag Lasagna she made. Rose is a fabulous cook so I always pay attention when she talks food.  Her dish had 6 layers:  green, white, red….green, white, red.

As cooks the world over know, we always feel obligated to tweak recipes and make them our own. So, of course, when I decided to pay homage to my husband’s people by making my version of Italian Flag Lasagna, that’s what I did with Rose’s recipe.

The first change was making the lasagna 3 thick layers of green, white, and red – so it’s more flag-like. Then I bulked up the green filling with broccoli and the red with fake ground beef, so the layers wouldn’t collapse. The white layer of ricotta, egg, and Romano cheese would be fine on it’s own.

By now you may know that I’m a wee bit picky (some might say ‘neurotic’) about what I feed my family.  I like to make as much from scratch as I can so I know what’s in our food. I’m also on the frugal side (some might say ‘cheap’) so cooking from scratch saves me money. Always a bonus!

That being said, doing everything yourself takes time. For my Italian Flag Lasagna, I made the pasta, pesto, marinara sauce, and bought fresh spinach that I washed, de-stemmed, and chopped in the food processor. Not gonna lie: it was work. But if you choose, you don’t have to do any of that. You can purchase lasagna noodles, pesto, frozen chopped spinach, and marinara sauce. While it’s probably tastier to make the spinach/pesto and marinara layers from scratch, the main feature of this recipe is that it looks like the Italian Flag – and you can still get the ‘wow’ factor from store-bought ingredients.

As the self-proclaimed Queen of Freeze, next time I prepare Italian Flag Lasagna, I’m going to make several batches of both the spinach/pesto and marinara fillings, then freeze them in portion sized containers. That way in future, all I’ll have to do is make the noodles and ricotta filling.

THIS IS IMPORTANT (you can tell because I used all caps):  For best results, make Italian Flag Lasagna the day before serving. After baking, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The layers will then solidify. To serve, slice into serving sizes, and microwave until warm. If you don’t do this, the layers won’t be as pert, and you’ll lose the flag effect.

ITALIAN FLAG LASAGNA – makes a 10″ x 7″ x 2″ lasagna

– Spinach/Pesto Filling

  • 9 cups packed fresh spinach (or 1¼ cups frozen chopped spinach)
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1¾ cups broccoli, chopped and blanched
  • 2/3 cup pesto (recipe below)

Chop spinach in a food processor by pulsing several times, or use kitchen scissors.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent. Add in spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted and liquid is extracted. Turn off burner and tilt skillet, pushing the solids uphill so the liquid can drain. Mix together the drained spinach, broccoli, and pesto.

– Pesto – makes 2 cups (freeze what you don’t need!)

  • 5 cups fresh basil, pack down the basil when you measure
  • 12 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 T lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
  • 1 cup + 2 T Romano cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup + 2 T pine nuts, toasted
  • Put all ingredients in a blender.  Depending on your blender, you will probably have to start and stop quite often in order to reposition the ingredients. Be very careful not to press down with an implement (such as a wooden spoon) while the blender is running. As tempting as it is, I’ve had to throw out a few batches of pesto when the wooden spoon went too far down and got caught in the blades. Wood chips in pesto = not good!

– Ricotta Filling

  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup Romano cheese, shredded
  • 1 egg

Beat egg in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the ricotta and Romano.

– Marinara Sauce

  • 4 cups Roma tomatoes, drained and chopped (I used canned, removing the stem end and any flaws)
  • ½ T olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic, pressed
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 1¼ cups fake ground beef (I use Morningstar Griller Crumbles)

In a skillet heat olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent.  Add in the tomatoes, oregano, and wine.  Bring to boil, then lower flame and simmer sauce uncovered until it thickens (about 20 minutes). Stir in the imitation ground beef and simmer another 5 minutes.

– Cheeses

  • 1 cup Romano cheese, shredded
  • 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

– Noodles

NOTE:  If purchasing lasagna noodles, you’ll need 11 noodles.

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ T olive oil
  • water, as needed

Into a food processor put the eggs, flour, and olive oil. Blend until most of the flour is incorporated. Add water one tablespoon at a time until you can form a ball with your hands, but dough is not wet. Roll dough into 8 balls, 2 of them should be about 2″ in diameter. Let rest in covered food processor 30 minutes.

Start boiling the water to cook the pasta. Run the two large dough balls through the pasta machine working your way to #5 setting.  They should be about 5″ wide and VERY long.  These pieces will form the bottom layer and will run up the sides.  The extra length is to wrap around the lasagna to form the top layer.

– Assembly

Grease the sides of the lasagna pan. Spoon some of the liquid part of the marinara sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread to cover. Boil one of the long pasta strips about 1 minute. Remove and drop into bowl of cold water. Put the other long strip into the boiling water. While that’s cooking, take the cooled strip and cover one side and half the bottom of the pan. Remove the other strip, put in cold water, and lay that one on the other side.

Spread the spinach/pesto filling evenly on the pasta. Top with ½ cup shredded Romano.

Prepare 2 more pasta balls. Roll them to #5, making them 3″ wide. Boil them together 1 minute, drop into cold water, and layer them on the spinach/pesto filling.

Spread the ricotta filling evenly on top.

Prepare 2 more pasta balls as above. Layer on top of ricotta filling.

Spread the marinara filling evenly on top. Top with the remaining ½ cup Romano.

If the bottom pasta strips are long enough that they can fully cover the marinara layer, you don’t need to use the last 2 pasta balls. Prepare them, if needed. Wrap the bottom strips around the marinara filling.

Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese, cover with foil (making sure it doesn’t touch the cheese). Bake at 350º Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Beer And “Sausage” Sliders = HOME RUN!!!

BEER & 'SAUSAGE' SLIDERS

BEER & ‘SAUSAGE’ SLIDERS

It’s that time of the year again! The BIG GAME is coming up and the gang is getting together to watch.

You may be wondering to which game I’m referring. Sport’s Widows the world over know: no matter where you are or what time of year it is, there is ALWAYS a Big Game.

Snacks are a must. I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of rule that when you watch a sporting event, you must eat.  Just watch the commercials before a championship game – enthusiastic friends cheering their team on, as they consume vast quantities of food and drink.

Just as sports and food are a natural combination, so are beer and sausage. So I created a slider using beer bread as the bun, and imitation sausage patties as the insides.  (This IS a vegetarian cooking blog, after all!) I also throw in some jalapeño jack cheese for good measure.

These sliders are so tasty even my carnivorous brother raved about them. I decided not to enlighten him about the sausage being fake – why rock the boat! One thing I really like about these sliders is the beer bread, sausage, and cheese bond together as they bake, so you don’t have to worry about them falling apart.  This feature makes them perfect for grab-and-go eating.

If you’d like to see my video on how to make these, click on  BEER & “SAUSAGE” SLIDERS.

NOTE:  Beer & “Sausage” Sliders freeze well, so make extra!

BEER & “SAUSAGE SLIDERS – makes 12 sliders

  • 350 ml (12 fl oz) bottle beer at room temperature (any kind is fine, just make sure you like the flavor since it will be prominent)
  • 30 g (3 T) granulated sugar
  • 416 g (3 cups) self-rising flour
  • 12 imitation sausage patties (I LOVE Morningstar brand!)
  • optional:  12 cheese squares (1″ x  1″ x ¼”) (I use jalapeño jack, but you can use any kind)

Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit.

Bake the sausage patties for a total of 15 minutes, flipping them after 7 minutes. This can be done ahead of time.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Pour in the beer and stir until the flour is incorporated. No need to knead. (Yes, pun intended!)

Put a rounded tablespoon of the batter on the bottom of each greased muffin cup. Add the cheese squares, if using, and smoosh them into the batter to spread it out. Layer on the cooked “sausage” (reminder: quotation marks = fake). Then top with the rest of the batter. There’s exactly enough batter for 12 sliders, so divvy it up accordingly.

Pop them in the already heated 375º Fahrenheit oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from pan and serve!

These Beer & “Sausage” Sliders are not only great for snacking, but for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, too!  You’re welcome.

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The Ultimate Comfort Food: Mac and Cheese!

Homemade MACARONI & CHEESE, served with steamed broccoli and roasted carrots.

Homemade MACARONI & CHEESE, served with steamed broccoli and roasted carrots.

Much to my children’s amazement, I was once a child myself.  So I know first-hand that kids are creatures of habit. Example: If you give a child a cookie after dinner as a treat “just this once”, they will translate that to mean they will get a cookie after dinner “forever”. The battling will begin, and logic will never prevail because in their minds, they ALWAYS get a cookie after dinner.

When I embarked on motherhood I was determined to make it as easy on myself as possible. So I made everything from scratch – baby food, bread, pasta, yogurt, soups, and macaroni & cheese.

What’s that you say? Cooking from scratch doesn’t sound easy to you? First of all, it’s easier than you think – it just takes practice. Second of all, I would rather spend a few extra minutes preparing healthy food so my kids (aka, creatures of habit)  were used to what ‘the real thing’ tastes like. I knew in time they’d eat packaged and fast foods, but I was hoping that by then they would find those foods (laden with sugar, salt, preservatives, and additives) abhorrent.

I wish I could report that things went according to plan. Well, you can’t fight city hall, nor the big food companies.  These people know what they’re doing. My children loved all the junk foods the minute they tried them. And what’s not to like? The sole purpose of these foods is to taste good, thereby ensuring repeat business. (Walking down the chips aisle in the supermarket is the ultimate test of my will-power.)

Macaroni and cheese is standard fare to serve children.  Sadly, most kids only know the boxed kind, with its fake, orange colored cheese.  That’s all I knew growing up – my mother gravitated like a magnet to boxed, canned, and frozen foods. While she enjoyed good food, preparing it held little interest to her.

If your history with macaroni and cheese is with the boxed kind, you may feel like homemade is missing something…and it is. Check out the ingredients list on the package and you’ll see what – and they’re all unpronounceable. Stick with it and you’ll learn to appreciate homemade macaroni and cheese.  To cop the slogan from the old Coke commercial:  it’s the real thing!

NOTE: You can toss in cashews, cauliflower, peas, chopped spinach, etc.  This is a great (sneaky) way to add vegetables to the little ones’ diets. Also, change the cheese to suit your taste.  Try a jalapeño jack to spice things up. Or use up those odd bits of cheese you have in the fridge that you can’t bear to throw out because they’re still perfectly good. (Waste not, want not!!!)

MACARONI AND CHEESE

  • 173g (6 oz) dried elbow macaroni pasta (I use the large size)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp dry mustard
  • 1 T water
  • 250ml (1 cup) milk (I use nonfat)
  • 209g (3½ cups) (7.25 oz) cheese, shredded (I use medium cheddar)
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 egg, beaten

Boil the pasta until it’s almost soft – it will continue to cook in the oven with the other ingredients.

While the pasta is cooking put all but 33g (½ cup) (1 oz) of the shredded cheese in a bowl.  Stir the water, salt, and dry mustard together in a small bowl, then pour over cheese. Add in the milk and stir together. (I ‘rinse’ the mustard liquid bowl with the milk into the cheese so I can get every bit.)

When pasta is done, drain and return it to the cooking pot.  Blend in the butter and egg – do this on a cool surface (you don’t want to cook the egg). Transfer the pasta into an 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Pour the milky cheese over the pasta, then sprinkle the reserved ½ cup cheese on top.

Bake uncovered at 180°C (350ºF) for 40-45 minutes, until browned. Let set about 10 minutes before serving.

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Armenian Salad

Armenian Salad

Armenian Salad

Anyone raised in an Armenian home, like I was, knows that food is a central part of our world. Family gatherings were abuzz with endless food preparation and overlapping conversations.

We were a traditional group – men cooked the shish kabab and women did everything else. Whoops, I almost forgot – the men did suggest it was time for leftovers as soon as the last plate was dried and put away.

Generally speaking, Armenian foods are labor intensive. Dolma, lahmajoun, boereg, and kufte take quite a bit of time to produce, especially for a large family with hearty appetites. But, believe it or not, there are one or two dishes that are easy, nonfat, and meatless – something that’s sure to tug at your vegetarian heartstrings.

Armenian Salad is a favorite, particularly during the summer when bounty from the garden (or your local farmer’s market) can be chopped, tossed, and chilled in no time.  The flavor of these few ingredients awakens your mouth with an explosion of freshness – a perfect foil to the heaviness of many Armenian dishes.

ARMENIAN SALAD

  • 4 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I use Roma tomatoes)
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • ½ cup scallions, thinly sliced, using white and green part
  • 2 cucumbers, skinned, seeded, and chopped
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
  • 2 tsp salt

Toss everything together and chill briefly.  The longer it sits, the soupier it gets, so lessen the chill time by using cold ingredients.

 

 

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Nutty “Meat”loaf

NUTTY "MEAT"LOAF

NUTTY “MEAT”LOAF

Every time I make Nutty “Meat”loaf, I ask myself why I don’t make it more often – it’s THAT good!

For those of you new to my site, you might be wondering why a vegetarian cooking blog has a recipe for “meat”loaf.  First of all, welcome!  Second, look carefully – there are quotation marks around the word meat.  That’s my special code for “not real meat”. Often times I’m using purchased imitation (aka, fake) meat. But in this case, the “meat” is a cornucopia of ingredients that individually are good, then blend together symbiotically to create a delectable dish, even tastier than the sum of its parts. (Whoa – creative moment!)

What I love about Nutty “Meat”loaf is that, unlike other veggie loafs, it has a meaty bite to it. This is helpful for those of you still weaning yourself from your carnivorous ways. Temptations lurk everywhere – like a siren beckoning the hapless sailor (Have I mentioned I write poetry?), enticing us with adverts for burgers, chicken, and steak.  We must fight these tactics with creative vegetarian dishes so satisfying, we won’t miss the meat.

Nutty “Meat”loaf is another weapon in my arsenal of recipes  to combat the proverbial fall off the vegetarian wagon. (How did I veer from poetry to battle so quickly?) But be warned: this is NOT one of those 30 minute recipes – the prep can take as long as 30 minutes (unless your rice is already cooked), cooking time is 60 minutes, and then it needs to set for about 15 minutes.  But I beg you – don’t be daunted! This recipe is worth the time. And, if you like, you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and set the ‘delay bake’ button on your oven (if you have this feature). Just make sure you’re home when the loaf is done so it doesn’t overbake.

NOTE:  I highly recommend using Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Medley (and, no, they’re not paying me to say that) for the rice. I’ve used other rices before in this recipe, but I love the taste and texture of this blend best. It’s a combination of long grain brown rice, black barley, and daikon radish seeds.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: This Nutty “Meat”loaf makes crazy good sandwiches the next day. (Crazy. Nutty. Get it?)

NUTTY “MEAT”LOAF 

  • 1/3 cup (53g) uncooked rice
  • 1 cup (250ml) water
  • ¾ cup (65g) walnuts, finely chopped, lightly toasted
  • ¼ cup (40g) cashews, finely chopped, lightly toasted
  • 1 cup (112g) onion, chopped
  • 1 T butter
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • 2 common mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 oz  fresh shittake mushrooms, finely chopped (or ½ oz dried – make sure you soak them in water)
  • ¼ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried marjoram
  • ¼ tsp dried sage
  • 2 eggs
  • 118g (½ cup) cottage cheese (I use lowfat)
  • 170g (6 oz) medium cheddar cheese, shredded (or use whatever cheese you have on hand)

Cook the rice in water. Cool. This can be done ahead of time.

Sauté onions in the butter for a few minutes. Add in the salt, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Continue sautéing until liquid is released from the mushrooms and then is reduced but not gone. Cool. (This can be done ahead of time, too.)

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs.  Add in the rice, cottage cheese, nuts, onions, and cheese. MAKE SURE YOU’VE INCLUDED ALL THE INGREDIENTS (I have a tendency to forget something, then have to remix everything.) Pour into an oiled loaf pan. An 8″ square pan works, too.

Bake at 375º Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Let set for at least 15 minutes.

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When Is Dessert Not A Dessert? When It’s A Yogurt Shake!

 

Yogurt Shake

Yogurt Shake

Hold onto your hats, Ladies and Gents: I have a recipe so yummy you’ll swear it’s a dessert!!!

(Insert trumpet fanfare.)

YOGURT SHAKES!!!!

(Insert cheers and applause.)

It all started years ago when my children were very young. They were adorable. They were smart…And (big sigh!) they were picky eaters.

My challenge was to find healthy foods that they would actually eat.  I was bound and determined not fall prey to Tired Mom Syndrome.  Never heard of it?  That’s because I just made up the term.  But the symptoms of TMS are well known: exhaustion due to chronic chauffeuring, cleaning, cooking, refereeing, helping with homework, and on and on.  So when mealtime comes around, all we want is for them to eat.

Tired Moms often go for the easy fix: fish sticks, tater tots, Happy Meals, boxed mac ‘n cheese, and peanut butter in which sugar, oil, and salt have been added.  These foods (and I use the term loosely) taste great – which is all they’re meant to do. A cycle develops wherein the kids have gotten used to preservative filled, sugar laden, nutritionless (I made that up, too) meals and refuse to eat the healthy foods over which mom labors. It becomes a math equation: hungry child = cranky child = cranky adults = junk food = happy child.

So I looked for ways to apply the substitution principle (See what I’m doing?  I’m keeping the math metaphor going!) by replacing “junk food” with “healthy food”.  NOT AN EASY TASK!

One food I desperately wanted my children to eat was yogurt. My Armenian father made it when I was growing up, and I carried on the tradition – although I make mine in a thermos as opposed to the oven, where he did. Click on YOGURT MADE IN A THERMOS to watch my video. Yogurt is a multifaceted superfood. Studies have shown that people who regularly eat yogurt live longer and healthier.

However, unlike store bought,  homemade yogurt has a bite to it, so it takes some getting used to. This is something for which kids have no patience. Sadly, touting the health benefits of foods falls on deaf little ears, followed by “I wanna go to McDonalds!”

So I started making yogurt fruit smoothies as our evening beverage BUT, since perception is everything, I called them Yogurt SHAKES. My kids were quite familiar with the word “shake” – associating it with other words such as “ice cream”, “dessert”, and “delicious”. No need to bother them with facts. (We moms sometimes have to be a little sneaky…. but the kids will thank us later.)  Continuing with my crafty ways, I did make a point to leave the word “yogurt” – I wanted them to have positive thoughts about it.

One of the things I love about Yogurt Shakes is that they’re an easy way to fulfill those pesky daily fruit requirements. If you’re adventurous, you can even throw in spinach or kale. (I’m not that brave. I live by the motto: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!) Use any fruit you like but, unless you have an aversion or allergy, a banana is a must. There’s something magical about the interaction between the ice cubes and a banana that produces a creamy shake instead of one filled with annoying ice chunks.

Yogurt Shakes are made in a blender. If you have one of those jet-engine blenders (like I do), you’ll have no problem getting a creamy chunk-free shake. But if you have a cheapy one (I have one of those, too), you might want to invest in an inexpensive ice crusher….or a hammer and a sturdy plastic bag, and break up the ice cubes before putting them in the blender. Even with a banana, the motor just isn’t powerful enough to completely purée  the ice. If you don’t mind the odd ice chunk, don’t worry about it.

Although I occasionally change up the fruit, this is my go-to Yogurt Shake recipe.  I always add a packet per person of Emergen C – I’ve found it not only enhances the flavor, but it’s another way to add vitamins into our diets.

YOGURT SHAKE – for 1 person

  • 1 large spoonful nonfat plain yogurt
  • 4 strawberries
  • 1 large handful blueberries
  • 1 banana
  • splash pomegranite juice
  • splash orange juice
  • optional: 1 packet pomegranite-cranberry Emergen C
  • about 6 ice cubes – more ice cubes will yield a thicker shake

Mix everything in the blender on medium/high.  Serve immediately.

Yogurt Shakes are easy, nonfat, frosty, creamy, and nutritious. But more importantly, they’re something you and your children can enjoy guilt free.  How often does THAT happen?!