Spinach and Artichoke Turnovers with Ricotta and Mozzarella, from Gael

Spinach and Artichoke Turnovers with Ricotta and Mozzarella, from Gael

From Plated meal-delivery kit. Made on 7-8-19, good summer lunch. Kelly's friend Luly ate two all by herself!



1 packet cream cheese (maybe 2 T?)
1 ounce baby spinach
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces ricotta cheese
4 5-inch squares puff pastries
1/8 ounce parsley
1/4 pint cherry tomatoes
3 ounces baby arugula
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Recipe includes a recipe for a small accompanying salad.

1. Prepare ingredients

   Preheat oven to 400°F. Set cream cheese aside to soften at room temperature. Rinse all produce. Pat spinach dry with paper towel and roughly chop. Drain artichoke hearts, pat dry with paper towel (to keep moisture out of the filling), and roughly chop. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare filling

   In a large bowl, whisk 1 egg. Transfer half of egg to a small bowl and reserve for sealing turnovers. Add mozzarella, Parmesan, cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons ricotta to large bowl with egg and stir to combine. Stir in spinach and artichoke hearts (enlist a kitchen helper for this part). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper as desired.

3. Fill turnovers

   Add puff pastry squares to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Add ¼ cup filling to center of squares, leaving a 1-inch border. Lightly brush edges with some reserved egg (from small bowl), saving remainder for the next step. Gently fold 1 corner of eachpuff pastry square over filling to form a triangle, then gently press edges with your fingers to seal—this is another great task for a helper.

4. Bake turnovers

   Cut a small slit on top of turnovers so steam can escape, then brush over remaining egg. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 14-17 minutes.

5. Make balsamic dressing

   While turnovers bake, roughly chop parsley leaves, discarding stems. Halve tomatoes (you could also leave them whole to save time). Pat arugula dry with paper towel. In a separate large bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Add tomatoes and arugulato bowl with dressing, waiting to toss until ready to serve so the arugula stays crisp.

6. Plate turnovers

   Use the remaining downtime to get ahead on dishes or set the table. Once baked, let spinach and artichoke turnovers cool for 5 minutes, then divide between serving plates, along with salad. Garnish with parsley and dig in!

Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone, Gruyère, and Chives, from Gael

Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone, Gruyère, and Chives, from Gael

From Plated meal-kit service, made on 5-26-19, Memorial Day weekend. Yum! Such an easy risotto--all the wine goes in at once!

Comments from Plated: "Chef Giuseppe wows us with yet another luxurious risotto—this time featuring two forms of both mushrooms and cheese. He infuses warm broth with ground and dried porcini mushrooms, then roasts and sautés creminis for stirring into the finished dish. Nutty aged Gruyère adds richness, along with dollops of chive-laced mascarpone cheese."

10 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 shallots
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 teaspoons porcini mushroom powder
¾ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
3 packets unsalted butter
⅛ ounce chives
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Prepare ingredients and warm broth
Preheat oven to 425°F. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel and thinly slice. Peel shallots and mince. In a medium high-sided pan, combine bouillon cube, porcini mushroom powder (see recipe tip), and 3½ cups water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm until Step 4.

2. Roast mushrooms
Line a baking sheet with foil, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms, and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Arrange in a single layer, spacing apart, and roast until lightly brown and crisp, 15–18 minutes.

3. Sauté shallots and toast rice
While mushrooms roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add half of shallots; sauté, stirring, until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring, until toasted and translucent, 2–3 minutes. (Toasting the rice adds a delicious nutty flavor and prevents it from absorbing liquid too quickly).

4. Simmer risotto
Add white wine to pot with rice, still over medium-high heat, and simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, 1–2 minutes. Then, stir in warmed broth and ½ teaspoon salt, reserving pan. Increase heat under pot to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender, 15–20 minutes more (see recipe tip).

5. Sauté mushrooms
While risotto simmers, heat butter in pan from broth over medium-high heat. When butter is foamy, add remaining mushrooms and remaining shallots; sauté, stirring, until browned and tender, 10–12 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper as desired. Remove pot from heat. Meanwhile, rinse chives and thinly slice. In a small bowl, stir together half of chives and 1 tablespoon mascarpone to combine.

6. Plate mushroom risotto
To pot with risotto, stir in Gruyère, sautéed mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons plain mascarpone (save remainder for a snack) to combine. Divide mushroom risotto between serving bowls. Dollop over chive mascarpone. Top with roasted mushrooms and remaining chives. Dig in!

Ginger-Tomato Sauce With Carrot Matchsticks, Over Rigatoni, from Gael

Ginger-Tomato Sauce With Carrot Matchsticks, Over Rigatoni, from Gael

--From May 2016 Vegetarian Times, made this 5/18/16 and enjoyed it. It's not an especially saucy sauce--best to toss the noodles in it rather than just try to spoon it over the rigatoni.

2 T olive oil
4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 1/4 t grated fresh ginger
28 oz can fresh peeled tomatoes, crushed well by hand (I would suggest re
1/3 c fresh basil leaves

Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium-high. Add carrots, season with salt (I used a little garlic and a little red pepper and Italian herbs too). Cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until carrots are crisp-tender and slightly browned. Stir in ginger, tomatoes, and a handful of basil leaves.

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cook 10-12 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender. Stir in more basil. Toss with rigatoni.

Can add sausage if you like.

Zucchini Carbonara Sauce on Spaghetti, from Gael

Zucchini Carbonara Sauce on Spaghetti, from Gael

Via May 2016 Vegetarian Times. Gael made it May 16, 2016 for a simple Monday-night dinner. A little bland, but you can spice it up how you like, and we ate the whole big bowl full.

3 T pine nuts (Gael recommends more pine nuts to serve alongside, you'll want more)
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 c whipping cream
3 T grated Parmesan plus more for topping
Small zucchini peeled into small strips with a vegetable grater
8 oz spaghetti.

Cook spaghetti and drain, Save a small amount of the pasta water.
Toast pine nuts in small skillet until browned. Transfer to plate to cool.
Whisk together egg, egg yolk, cream and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in zucchini and 3 T pine nuts (reserving some extra for top). Toss with 2-3 T of pasta water to obtain desired sauce consistency

Shaved Brussels Spout Salad

Shaved Brussels Spout Salad, by Gael

Serves: 4
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

1.5 lb Brussels sprouts
3 T olive oil
1/4 c sliced almonds
lemon zest
1.5 T lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic (I used minced)
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T honey
2 t Dijon mustard
1/2 T thyme leaves (I left these out)
1/2 pear, thinly sliced
6 oz shaved Pecorino-Romano cheese (Parmesan would also work)

1) Preheat oven to 375. Pull off outer layer of sprouts, reserving leaves. Then slice each sprout thinly. Toss sliced sprouts into one bowl, outer leaves in another.

2) Take bowl with outer leaves, add 1 T olive oil and salt to taste. Roast on baking sheet until crispy, about 10 mins. I put them on foil, some did get brown.

3) Combine almonds with 1/2 T olive oil and some salt. Stir. Spread on separate baking sheet. When leaves are out of oven, turn oven down to 350. Toast almonds 10 mins or until lightly brown.

4) Make dressing. In blender, combine lemon zest, juice, garlic, vinegar, honey and mustard. Stream in 1.5 T olive oil. When emulsified, add thyme leaves (I skipped thyme). Pulse 2-3 times.

5) Before serving, mix the sliced sprouts and the roasted leaves. Toss the mix with the dressing. Put some of the mix on plates, Serve with small cups of the pear slices, cheese shavings and nuts and let everyone top their own salad.

--Shape Magazine, Jan/Feb 2015

Made this Jan. 21, 2015 along with Roasted Pork Chops With Sweet Potatoes and Apples for me, Dan and Rob. We really liked it. Unusual to have a salad where the shaved Brussels sprouts replace the lettuce.

Ravioli in a light vegetable broth, from Gael

Ravioli in a light vegetable broth, from Gael

From Vegetarian Times, Oct. 2011. Made with the cherry tomato and tapenade tartlets. Delicious and fast!

4 c vegetable or chicken broth
1 lb fresh ravioli or tortellini (about 30)
1-2 carrots, grated
6 button mushrooms,sliced thinly
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp fines herbes (or whatever herbs you like)
12 fresh basil leaves

Bring broth and 1 c water to boil. Add ravioli/tortellini and cook accoding to package till al dente. Remove pasta to plate w slotted spoon.
Reduce heat to med-low. Add carrots, mushroom, green onions, garlic and fines herbes. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
Ladle broth into bowls. Divide ravioli among bowls. Sprinkle w basil.

262 calories per bowl (w 5 ravioli)

Garlicky spinach lasagna, from Gael

Garlicky spinach lasagna, from Gael

--from Rachael Ray magazine, Oct. 2011

Rachael's Tip: WIDE EGG NOODLES: They rarely clump together, are quick to cook and have a solid bite, so they're a natural substitute for traditional pasta. (Plus, you probably have some in your pantry right now!) The toasted breadcrumbs add a buttery crunch to the top.

Ingredients

For the lasagna:

1 1/2 lbs. baby spinach

4 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

8 oz. wide egg noodles

2 cups Creamy White Sauce

6 oz. fresh goat cheese

4 tbsp. prepared pesto

1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. EVOO

For the Creamy White Sauce

2 tbsp. butter

½ cup finely chopped shallots

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk warmed

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

For the lasagna:
In a large saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a simmer. Add the spinach in batches, stirring until wilted; cook until all of it is tender. Drain and let cool. Squeeze out excess moisture and chop.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper; remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles, stirring often, until al dente. Drain— but do not rinse—and return to the saucepan. Stir in the white sauce to coat.
Lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Layer in half of the noodles and press with a spatula.
Dot with half of the goat cheese, spread the spinach on top and press down. Stir 3 tbsp. pesto into the remaining noodles and spoon over the spinach. Dot with the remaining cheese. Cover snugly with foil and bake until hot and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining 1 tbsp. pesto with the EVOO. Drizzle the lasagna with the pesto oil and sprinkle with the crumbs.
For the Creamy White Sauce:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk; bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and ½ each salt and pepper.

Cherry Tomato and Olive Tapenade Tartlets, from Gael

Cherry Tomato and Olive Tapenade Tartlets, from Gael

--From Vegetarian Times, Oct. 2011. Made these to go with tortellini soup in Sept. 2011. Very good--Rob ate 3!--but Gael thinks they'd be way better with homade tapenade. Also, it's expensive to buy.

Tip: Thaw the puff pastry first or you won't be able to roll it out well.

Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. herbes de Provence
1/2 17.3-oz. pkg. puff pastry, thawed
6 tsp. black olive tapenade
9 tsp. prepared hummus

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425"F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
2. Toss cherry tomatoes with oil and herbes de Provence in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.
3. Cut puff pastry into 6 3 1/2-inch rounds, and transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. Prick rounds with fork.
4. Spread each puff pastry round with 1 tsp. tapenade, then 1 1/2 tsp. hummus. Top each tartlet with 8 cherry tomato halves. Bake tartlets 20 min, or until crusts are browned on bottom and edges. Serve warm or at room temp.

Serving Size: makes 6 servings

Number of Servings: 6

Chili-glazed Tofu with Asparagus and Rice, from Gael

Chili-glazed Tofu with Asparagus and Rice, from Gael

Fabulous vegetarian main course from Cooking Light for when asparagus is in season. The key is to cook the tofu long enough that it crisps up and then cook it in the sauce enough that it picks up the chili glaze.

First, make rice or couscous, whatever you like.
Chop up a bunch of asparagus. Shred a carrot.

Drain a box of extra-firm tofu and slice it into 9 thin slices, lengthwise. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them, flip, sprinkle on the other side.

 Make sauce; Combine 1 T sugar, 2 T rice vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, 1 t bottled minced ginger (I had to look for this in a good store), 1 T garlic-chili sauce (I use Siracha, also called rooster sauce) in small bowl.

Heat  1 T peanut oil over medium. Add tofu slices, cook 3-5 minutes per side or until browned.

Add sauce to pan. Cook 20 seconds or so, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when tofu appears to have a nice glaze.

Combine the rice or couscous you made with chopped asparagus, shredded carrot, 1/2 t salt and 1 t sesame oil.

Serve yourself a serving of the rice mixture and gently lay some slices of tofu on top. Can add  more soy sauce or Siracha if you like.

Black bean and rice enchiladas, from Gael

Black bean and rice enchiladas, from Gael

     1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies

1/4 cup picante sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups cooked brown rice (I used boxed Spanish rice)

8 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed (I used whole-wheat)

1 cup salsa

1 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese

optional: canned enchilada sauce

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens. Add rice (Rob doesn't like rice in Mexican food so I kept half of the mix rice-free); cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.               

Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. (I also added some cheese inside each tortilla.) Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon salsa over each tortilla. (My salsa was pretty solid so I filled it out with some canned enchilada sauce) Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.               

              

Pupusas with Curtido, from Gael

Pupusas with Curtido, from Gael
From April 2011 Vegetarian Times

Serves 8

Curtido

• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 jalapeño chile, finely diced, optional
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Pupusas

• 4 cups masa harina, such as Maseca
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetarian refried black beans
• 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
• 8 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. To make Curtido: Pour 4 cups boiling water over cabbage, carrot, onion, and jalapeño in bowl. Steep 5 minutes; drain.

2. Bring vinegar, 1/2 cup water, salt, sugar, and oregano to a boil in saucepan. Pour over cabbage mixture. Cover, and cool.

3. To make Pupusas: Combine masa harina, cumin, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Stir in 3 cups warm water, adding more, if needed, to form soft dough. Cover, and let stand 30 minutes.

4. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Roll dough into 16 balls. Make indentation in centers; fill 8 balls with 1 Tbs. refried beans; fill remaining 8 balls with 1 Tbs. cheese. Fold edges over fillings, and roll into balls once more. Press into 4-inch disks. Place on prepared baking sheet.

5. Heat 2 tsp. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 Pupusas at a time to skillet; cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning once. Serve with Curtido.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (2 pupusas plus 1/4 cup curtido): Calories: 304, Protein: 9g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 48g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 806mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 2g

Indian-Spiced Lentils with Spinach and Rhubarb, from Gael

Indian-Spiced Lentils with Spinach and Rhubarb, from Gaelfrom Vegetarian Times, July 2011

Serves 6

• 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 2 Tbs. yellow mustard seeds
• 2 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• 3 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped (11/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 lb. fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/4-inch slices, or 1/2 lb. frozen sliced rhubarb, thawed
• 6 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Cover skillet, and cook

2 minutes, or until seeds begin to pop. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until popping stops, shaking skillet often. Remove from heat, stir in ginger and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and set aside.

2. Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and raisins; sauté 10 minutes, or until onions begin to brown. Stir in lentils and 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 25 minutes. Stir in rhubarb and remaining 1/2 cup broth; cook 6 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and cook mixture 6 minutes more. Stir mixture to incorporate rhubarb and spinach leaves, then stir in spice mixture. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 250, Protein: 11g, Total fat: 6g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 41g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 130mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugars: 13g

Muffuletta sandwiches, from Gael

Muffuletta sandwiches, from Gael

Gael made these on July 17, 2011, from a recipe sent in by a reader to Vegetarian Times. Delicious and light! This recipe made way more olive salad than we could use in sandwiches, so we had a lot left over. You can easily spread it on crackers or bread.

6 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drain, save liquid
1 chopped ripe tomato
1/2 c diced red onion (optional, I left out since Rob hates raw onion)
1/2 c roasted red pepper (jarred, can be hard to find but most stores have it)
1 small can chopped black olives
1 small jar green olives

Throw all ingredients in food processor, including liquid from artichoke hearts. Pulse till chopped fine.

Spread hummus (storebought or homemade) in a pita. Add relish. Can sprinkle wheat germ on hummus if you like the crunch.

Open-Faced Veggie Sandwiches, from Gael

Open-Faced Veggie Sandwiches, from Gael

• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil


• 1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced


• 2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced


• 1 large onion, sliced


• 1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced


• 1 medium green pepper, sliced


• 1/4 cup mayonnaise


• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard


• 4 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick), toasted


• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced


• 4 slices Muenster cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the oil, garlic, salt, oregano and basil. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer to two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.


• Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard; spread over toast. Place on a baking sheet. Top with vegetable mixture, tomato and cheese. Broil 6-8 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

From Taste of Home online. Made these for Rob June 30, 2010 and we both loved them. Nice to have meatless options. Good use of summer veggies.

Asparagus and Parmesan Tart, from Gael

Asparagus and Parmesan Tart, from Gael

From a supplement in the Seattle Times newspaper, May 2011. I made this and Rob and I about ate the whole thing, it was so good. The photo in the paper shows the asparagus very artfully laid out--ours wasn't so fancy but still tasted great.

1 T olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 4-5 inch pieces
1 14-ounce sheet puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
1/2 c ricotta
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 t sea salt
fresh pepper to taste
1 large egg yolk mixed with 3/4 t water

Preheat oven to 450.
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add shallot and saute 1 minute.
Add asparagus and cook over medium-high heat until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Roll out pastry to a 10 x 16 inch rectangle on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. (I used foil.) transfer pastry and paper to a baking sheet.
Spread ricotta evenly on pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon asparagus mixture evenly over ricotta. Sprinkle cheese over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Brush edge of tart with egg and water mixture. Bake until pastry is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve slightly warm. Cut into 8 pieces.

286 calories per slice.

Garlicky Mushroms, from Gael

Garlicky Mushroms, from GaelDelicious side dish or filling for crepes. Gael made these May 11, 2011 as part of an all-vegetarian dinner. From June 2011 Vegetarian Times magazine.

2 T olive oil
10 cloves sliced garlic
40 large button mushooms, quartered
2 c dry white wine (I subbed water, but it took a long time to cook off)
2 T chopped parsley or dill

Heat oil in skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute or until transparent.

Add mushrooms and cook 10 minutes without stirring.

Add wine and cook 15 minutes or until liquid had evaporated and mushrooms are browned. Stir in parsley or dill and cook 2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper if desired

69 calories per 1/2-cup serving. Serves 8.

Salt and vinegar potato bites, from Gael

Salt and vinegar potato bites, from Gael
What a fabulous little side dish, and only 89 calories per half-cup.

6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (3 c)
2 T vegetable oil
1 c malt vinegar
3 T sugar

Soak potatoes in large bowl of cold water 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry

Preheat oven to 425. Toss potatoes with oil on baking sheet and spread in single layer. Roast 45 minutes or until golden and crisp, turning 2-3 times. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook at least 20 minutes or until liquid is reduce by half (this takes a while, I am impatient but it is MUCH better if you wait for it to thicken into a syrup. Stir occasionally.

Serve malt sauce on side for dipping or drizzle over potatoes.

Serves 8. 89 calories per half-cup. From March 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Sauteed garlic asparagus, from Gael

Sauteed garlic asparagus, from Gael

2 T butter or margarine
1 bunch asparagus
3 chopped cloves garlic (I used jarred)

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.       

Season however you like--I used a little salt and a little MSG.

Gael made this on 4-10-11 with mushroom risotto. Rob wasn't excited about it until he tasted it and then he loved it.  The asparagus overshadowed the risotto by far and was a real hit!

Pad Thai, from Gael

Delicious! This is what a lot of people think of when they think of when they think of Thai food. Made on 2-26-11 from Betty Crocker Vegetarian Cookbook. We loved it! Tried to buy Thai noodles at an Asian market but it was Saturday afternoon and the lines were out the door. Fortunately my regular grocery store has them.

4 c water
6-8 oz rice stick noodles (look in ethnic food section of store)
1/3 c lime juice
3 T packed brown sugar
3 T Thai fish sauce (or soy, but find the fish sauce in store...it doesn't taste fishy in this dish and really makes it)
3 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar or white vinegar
3/4 t cayenne pepper
3 T veg oil, separated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium shallot, finely chopped, or 1/4 c chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
3 c fresh bean sprouts (optional)
4 green onions, sliced

In 3 quart saucepan, heat 4 c water to boiling. Remove from heat. Add noodles, push underwater if needed. Soak 3-5 minutes or until soft but firm. Drain and rinse in cold water.

In small bowl, mix lime juice, 1/3 c water, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper, 1 T oil, set aside.

In nonstick skillet heat 2 T oil. Add garlic and shallot. Cook 30 seconds, stir constantly. until until they begin to brown. Stir in eggs, cooking and stirring 2 minutes until scrambled but moist.

Stir in noodles and sauce. Increase to high, cook 1 minute, tossing until sauce thickens. Add peanuts, sprouts, green onions. Garnish with more chopped peanuts and green onions.

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas, from Gael

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas, from Gael No meat needed! These are DELICIOUS! We made them first on 2-20-11 and immediately declared they belonged in our regular recipe rotation!

1/2 onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper (any color OK), sliced, stemmed, seeded
sliced portabella mushrooms (about 2)
2 T fajita or taco seasoning
Tortillas

Fajita/taco toppings as desired--sour cream, guac, salsa, hot sauce, cheese

In pan over medium-high heat, sauté onion and yellow bell pepper in olive oil until onion has lightly caramelized. Transfer sautéed vegetables to bowl.


Place mushrooms in same pan and cook until tender. Drain liquid from pan and add mushrooms to bowl.

Toss vegetables with fajita seasoning mix. Assemble fajitas