Great Cooking

Vegan Lentil Soup

by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Serious Eats

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pound dried brown lentils, picked over
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water or vegetable broth
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

 
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lentils and stir to combine. Add bay leaf, water (or broth) and a large pinch kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with lid slightly cracked, and cook until lentils are completely tender and falling apart, about 1 hour total, adding water as necessary (lentils should be completely covered at all times).

Using a hand blender, blend soup until as smooth as desired. Alternatively, transfer half of soup to a standing blender, blend until smooth, and fold back into remaining soup. Whisk in vinegar or lemon juice to taste, along with parsley (reserving some parsley for garnish). Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes about 2 quarts, serving 3 to 4

Vegetarian Lasagna

Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms
1 garlic clove, crushed
2/3 cup diced onion
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 pound frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 pound low-fat ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

To assemble:
4 cups vegetarian marinara sauce
9 to 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, cooked until al dente and drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 
Preheat oven to 350°F.

To prepare filling, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms, garlic and onion and sauté until soft. Add nutmeg, oregano, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, broccoli and cheeses.

To assemble, spread 1 cup marinara sauce on bottom of a rectangular baking pan. Add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping if needed. Top noodles with one-third of filling. Pour 1 cup marinara sauce over filling and sprinkle with one-third of Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering twice—noodles, filling, sauce and Parmesan cheese. Cover lightly with foil and bake 45 minutes or until center is hot.

Yield 8 servings

Here is a favorite and oh so tasty casserole recipe. I'll write it as printed then at the end tell you what I did differently to get slightly better results.

I actually have 2 Carrot recipes I will share, but my favorite one for now.

It is a complete vegetarian meal. The other is a side dish

Source: 365 Easy Casserole Recipes
Published by Cookbook Resouces LLC 2008

Its called:

Sunshine On the Table

Author's comment: "This is absolutely the prettiest casserole you will ever put on your table. It's not only pretty but very tasty as well. Delicious, delectable, savory, appetizing, classic and elegant. You will never want a simple buttered carrot again"

2 1/2 cups(275g) carrots, finely shredded
2 cups( 310g) cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups(265g) shredded cheese, cheddar
1 can (15 oz) creamed corn(425g)
1/4 cup(60 ml) half and half cream
2 TBSP(30g) butter, melted
2 TBSP(10g) dried minced onion

1. Preheat oven to 350 Farenheit(175C).

2. Combine all ingredients and 1/2 tsp(2ml) of each salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Spoon into a sprayed 3quart(3L)baking dish.

4. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until set.

Serves 6-8

What I did differently: I used cooked Brown Rice vs. the White Rice in the recipe and used only
1 cup of the rice instead of the 2 cups called for
I used 2 TBSP of Olive Oil vs. the butter
I used regular milk vs. Half and Half Cream
I used one can of regular corn(now I use frozen) vs. Creamed Corn
I added 1 cup of lowfat cottage cheese to boost the protein value.


There you have it. Sorry not for Vegans and cannot adjust to make Vegan(unless you know how).

The ingredient list is very simple, but trust me it IS very tasty. I think I added more pepper as well. Its been a while since I made.

Notes: they sell precooked brown rice at Costco and Trader Joe's. The cooked carrot flavor really comes through.

White Bean and Eggplant Gratin
(Edited 2012, for less salt, oil & time.) Category: Veggies Yield: Six Servings
Ingredients:
navy beans - 1 can (8 oz.).
sage, fresh - 2 sprigs, crushed w/fingers.
bay leaves - 2, crushed w/fingers.
garlic cloves - 2, peeled but left whole.
garlic cloves - 3, finely minced.
olive oil, extra virgin - 3 Tbls.
thyme, fresh - 2 sprigs, crushed w/fingers then finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried.
onions, yellow - 2 large, sliced into ¼ inch thick rings.
tomatoes, Italian plum - 1 can (1 lb., 12 oz.), w/juice.
eggplant, large globe - 1, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes.
bread crumbs - 1 C.
Directions:
Drain beans then rinse to lessen amount of salt. Place beans in a large sauce pot w/lid, cover with 4 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil with half the sage, the bay leaves, & the whole garlic cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower heat to lowest setting. Simmer for ½ hour. Set aside to cool. When cool remove the bay leaves & whole garlic cloves.
Meanwhile, in a wide skillet w/lid, warm 2 Tbls. of the oil, add the rest of the sage & thyme, then add the sliced onions rings, & chopped garlic. Stir, cover & cook slowly over medium heat while you peel and cut the eggplant. Add the eggplant to the onions, stirring well to combine; then cover & cook over medium heat for 10 minutes (stir occasionally) while you are chopping the *tomatoes; keep the tomato juice (remove seeds if you wish).
*To prepare juicy canned tomatoes, place them in a small mixing bowl, then, using two knives, slide the blades across each other as if they were scissors till tomatoes are in desired sized chunks.
Add tomatoes with their juice, to the skillet stirring to combine, cover & continue cooking another 5 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a very large mixing bowl. Drain & reserve the broth from the beans. Add beans to the bowl of veggies. Stir till everything is evenly mixed. Taste. If a stronger flavor of sage & thyme is desired, add more, rubbing the herbs between your fingers first. The mixture needs to be well seasoned.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Use cooking spray to lightly oil a very large casserole dish w/lid. (It should be large enough to hold 8 cups.) Pour in the beans & vegetables. There should be enough to come halfway up the sides of the dish. If more is needed, add some of the broth from the beans. In the now empty mixing bowl toss the bread crumbs with the remaining oil & spread them over the top of the mixture in the casserole dish.. Bake the gratin until it is hot & bubbling, & the crust is browned, about 15 minutes.

Swiss Chard, Potato, and Chickpea Stew
from Food and Wine

For Chard:
1 pound swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped

For Potatoes:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds baking potatoes (about 3), peeled and sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

2 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 19-ounce can)
3 cups canned low-sodium vegetable broth or homemade stock
1 cup water
2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges
   

FOR CHARD: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chard and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

FOR POTATOES: In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the potatoes and onion and saute, stirring frequently, until the potatoes start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

TO SERVE: Add the cooked chard, chickpeas, broth, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve the stew garnished with the hard-cooked eggs.

Serves 4

VEGETABLE TIP: Swiss chard is available with either reddish or light-green stalks. The red variety has a slightly stronger flavor, but the two are generally interchangeable.

WINE RECOMMENDATION: A cozy cold-weather stew, with its earthbound flavors, begs for a similarly rustic, full-bodied white wine. A white Côtes-du-Rhône from the warm and sunny south of France will fill the bill nicely.

Source: "Vegetarian Celebrations" by Nava Atlas

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1/2 cup minced celery
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried summer savory
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups canned (or cooked navy beans)
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a deep heavy saucepan. Add the onion and celery; saute over moderate heat until they are golden. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar & seasonings. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the beans.

Add a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Simmer, covered, over very low heat, for 45 minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings & serve hot.

Yield: 6 servings

Vegetarian Pizza

12" pizza crust
1 cup grated low fat mozzarella cheese, divided
8 oz. mixed vegetables
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced thin
1 medium green pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cover pizza dough with 1 cup sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup
mozzarella cheese. Layer with mixed vegetables, mushrooms and onion.
Add remaining sauce over vegetables. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2
cup mozzarella and then the Swiss cheese. Spread pineapple chunks
over the vegetables. Layer both red and green peppers on top.
Sprinkle entire top surface with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in
preheated 500 F oven for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and
stringy. Remove from oven and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes before
slicing.

Serves 8

There are numerous versions of Apple Brown Betty, each having a slightly different character, depending on additions, alterations, and regional inflections. Crumbs used are often bread crumbs combined with butter, but sometimes crushed cookies or graham cracker crumbs are used. In this recipe, I've found that graham cracker crumbs are a nice complement to the sour cherries. If you can't find dried sour cherries, use dried cranberries or dried sweet cherries.

One 24-ounce jar unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
1/2 cup sugar (vegan granulated sweetener)
1 teaspoon cardamom (or use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg)
2 medium-sized apples or pears, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
12 medium graham cracker squares, crushed into fairly uniform crumbs (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 Tablespoon soy margarine, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the applesauce, dried cherries, sweetener, and cardamom. Set aside. In another bowl combine the apples or pears and lemon juice. In a 2-quart casserole, spread 1/3 of the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 of the applesauce mixture, and 1/2 of the apples or pears and lemon juice blend. Repeat layers. You will have 1/3 of the graham crackers left. Combine this with 1 Tablespoon melted soy margarine for a browned and crispier topping, if desired. Sprinkle the last of the graham cracker crumbs over the top and press down lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.