Food Delicious Vegetarian Cooking

In this case, because it is a risotto, it is going to be porridge-like, but the brown rice means that it will be more toothsome than not, even after an hour of cooking.

 

Mushroom Ragu with Mashed Cauliflower

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes

Over medium-high heat, saute the onions in the oil and butter until lightly golden. Add the mushrooms; cook until the mushrooms begin to give up their liquid and dry slightly. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the pan is relatively dry and there are brown bits on the bottom; deglaze with the red wine, making sure to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce. Add the can of tomatoes; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened. Adjust the seasoning; serve.

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp. whole milk ricotta
1 tbsp. heavy cream
salt and pepper


Steam the cauliflower in the microwave with a tbsp of water for abut 3 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. Let the cauliflower cool slightly. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ricotta and heavy cream. Add the cauliflower, salt, and pepper; process until smooth. Adjust the seasoning; serve underneath the ragu.

 

Last night's dinner got some attention elsewhere, so I thought I'd post the recipe here.

Tofu Buffalo Wings

1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into small rectangles, about 1/2 inch thick all around
several tablespoons of oil suitable for frying
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp or so nutritional yeast
Frank's Red Hot to taste

Dry the tofu out in the microwave by spreading the tofu pieces on a paper towel lined plate; microwave for 4-5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. The tofu should just be turning yellow at the edges. Heat the oil over medium-high heat; use a pan that the tofu will not stick to. Fry up the tofu until it is golden brown, flipping to brown both sides. Drain the fried tofu on to paper towels. While it is draining, discard the extra oil and turn down the stove to medium. Add the tofu back to the pan and toss with the soy sauce. Cook until the soy sauce is evaporated; add the nutritional yeast, tossing to coat the pieces of tofu thoroughly. Once the tofu is coated, cook on both sides for a couple of minutes to set the coating. Finally, toss the breaded tofu with as much Frank's Red Hot as you like. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

I usually serve this alongside greens and a quinoa pilaf, or with mashed cauliflower.

 

Snowy's Very Veggie Chili

1 large onion, diced
1 red Bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili garlic paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups TVP, rehydrated
1 can tomato paste
Salt and pepper

In a large saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the onions in a couple tablespoons of oil until lightly golden. Add the Bell pepper; continue to cook until the pper softens. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, mixing well, and cook until the zucchini and mushrooms are giving up their liquid; salt the vegetables now so they will give up more liquid. Add the garlic. Once the pan begins to dry, lower the heat to medium, scoot some of the vegetables out of the way, and add the spices to the clear space in the pan, toasting them lightly until fragrant. Stir well, then add the chili garlic paste, tomatoes, TVP, and tomato paste. Depending on how dry the TVP is after being rehydrated, liquid may need to be added depending on personal preference. Adjust the seasoning. The chili can continue to simmer to allow the flavors to meld in the saute pan or Dutch oven, or it can be moved to a slow cooker, where it can continue to cook for up to several hours.

 

Tofu Parmesan

1 block tofu, cut lengthwise into half-inch pieces--about 12 rectangles
1 egg
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
pinch of salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella
tomato sauce of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the microwave, dry out the tofu for 4-5 minutes on a plate lined with paper towels until the tofu is just starting to yellow. Meanwhile, scramble the egg in a shallow dish and combine the nutritional yeast, parmesan, and salt in another shallow dish. Line a 9x11 Pyrex with parchment paper. Once the tofu is dry, dredge it through the egg and then the nutritional yeast/parmesan mixture to coat. Place the tofu into the baking dish; it should all fit without touching. After coating all of the pieces, bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Flip the tofu over; return to the oven, lowering the heat to 350, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the tofu is perfectly golden brown. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake until the cheese is done to your liking.

We served it over a vegetable ragout of onions, mushrooms, and peppers along with mashed cauliflower, and topped it with tomato sauce. It would also work well on a sandwich.

 

White Lasagna


a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and butter
about 2-3 cups mushrooms, chopped (I used chantarelles, but creminis or others would certainly work)
1/4 cup medium-dry sherry (such as Amontillado)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning or any seasoning blend containing thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary
1 large onion, large dice
1 package frozen spinach, defrosted and well-drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe of Bechamel (see below)
2 cups of mozzarella
1 box of no-cook lasagna noodles

Salting tip: salt the mushrooms just as they begin to give up their liquid, as this will help them give up more. Salt the onions immediately, so they'll lose their liquid and brown faster.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms until they give up their liquid and begin to stick to the pan. Deglaze with a bit of the sherry. Add the Italian seasoning, stirring until the dried herbs are softened up. Set aside in a bowl. After wiping out the pan, add a little more butter/oil, then add the onion to the pan, sauteeing over medium-high heat, stirring only occasionally so the onions will turn golden brown and soft. When they are sticking to the pan, deglaze with the remainder of the sherry and season with a few grinds of pepper. Combine with the mushrooms in the bowl. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the spinach, ricotta, egg, parmesan and garlic, along with 1/4 cup of the Bechamel and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella. Process until smooth and well-combined. Using a 9x11 greased casserole dish, put about 1/4-1/2 cup of the Bechamel in the bottom, smoothing it out. Layer the lasagna noodles on top, leaving room for the noodles to expand as they cook. On top of this, layer the mushroom and onion mixture. On top of the mushrooms and onions, layer about 1/2 cup or more of the Bechamel. It should be fairly wet. Add a bit of mozzarella cheese. Layer more noodles. On top of the noodles, layer the ricotta and spinach mixture. Layer more noodles. Wet these with a bit of the Bechamel before adding another layer of the mushroom/onion mixture; pour another 1/2 cup of Bechamel on top. Add another layer of noodles. On top of this, pour the remainder of the Bechamel, and top with the rest of the mozzarella. Wrap in foil; bake for 45 minutes covered at 350 degrees; remove the foil, bake for another fifteen minutes, until golden-brown on top. No-cook noodles require at least an hour of time in the oven to cook.

Bechamel
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup flour
4 cups liquid (I like to use a mixture of milk, heavy cream, and no-chicken broth), heated up
Salt and pepper

Over medium heat, melt the butter and oil together. Add the flour. Cook together until light golden brown, only a couple of minutes. Add the liquid slowly, whisking the entire time, until well-combined. Bring to a simmer; the liquid will not be at its full thickness until it simmers. Adjust seasoning. This recipe results in a fairly liquidy Bechamel meant for this lasagna. You can also add an egg to the Bechamel to add richness; temper the egg first.

 

This recipe is extremely finicky. It takes about 4 hours of semi-hands on time from start to finish, but the end product is sooo worth it.

Vegetarian Shoyu Ramen

2 sheets kombu
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 large carrots, cleaned and cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, cleaned and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, whites sliced and the green tops reserved
2 tbsp. to 1/4 cup soy sauce
ramen noodles (I use Hakubaku - Ramen Noodles)

Suggested toppings:
Aburaage (deep fried tofu skins), deoiled (see note)
toasted nori
Soft-boiled eggs, sliced in half
shichimi togarashi
chili paste
spinach

Set the kombu to soak in about 2 cups of cold water 8 hours or so before beginning the recipe. If you forget this step, begin to soak the kombu at the time you start the broth; as the broth takes 2-3 hours to finish, enough flavor will be extracted from the kombu in that time period.

In a large, dry enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat, place the onion cut side down. Let the onion sit until it is beginning to char. Turn, and char another side of the onion. Once the onion is charred, add the carrot and celery; bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer over low heat, and let it cook without covering for half an hour or so, until it is reduced. Add another cup of water. Continue to cook uncovered for another half an hour; let it reduce until is is about half its original volume.

Transfer the kombu to a saucepan over low heat and bring it to a bare simmer; turn off the heat and let it continue to soak until the kombu is extremely flexible. Meanwhile, rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in about 2 cups of boiling water, reserving the soaking liquid. Once the shiitakes are rehydrated, slice them into strips and set aside.

Carefully remove the solids from the large pot of broth and discard them. Add the reserved shiitake mushroom liquid, the tops from the green onions, the sliced creminis, and the liquid from the soaked kombu (the kombu can be set aside to make second dashi later, or it can be discarded; kombu keeps well in the freezer). Let this continue to simmer until the cremini mushrooms are softened. Add the soy sauce. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Once the broth is ready, begin to cook the noodles if they are not precooked. Cook the noodles in a separate pot of water until just al dente. Portion out into serving bowls. Top with the broth, garnish with your choice of toppings, then serve.

Note: for the fried tofu skins, follow the directions for deoiling here:Inarizushi (sushi in a bean bag) Redux: Cooking your own inarizushi skins | Just Hungry If you want to season them, I suggest using about a tablespoon of mirin and a tablespoon of soy sauce, then tossing the sliced skins in the mixture.

 

Wow, this thread hasn't gotten any attention in several months.

Here's an easy recipe to make with early spring greens.

Tomato-Kale Soup

2 tbsp. butter
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups of no-chicken broth
1 head of kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Saute the onion in a enamel cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the edges are beginning to brown. Salting the onion at the beginning of the cooking process will help the browning along. Add the carrot and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the onion is browner and the carrot is just starting to caramelize. Add the celery; stir. Turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic as well as the Italian seasoning. Once the herbs look wet, add the can of diced tomatoes and the 4 cups of no-chicken broth. Return the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil before turning down to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for at least half an hour; add more water or broth if needed. Finally, before serving, add the kale and cook the soup at a simmer until the kale is tender and bright green. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

 

Cabbage Roll Casserole

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and leaves separated
2 tbsp. oil
1 onion, diced
2 zucchini, diced
8 medium cremini mushrooms, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar tomato sauce of your choice (I use Classico tomato basil as it's low in sugar)
2 cups rehydrated TVP
salt
pepper

In an enameled Dutch oven, saute the onion over medium-high heat until browned. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, cooking until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Turn down the heat and add the garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring well to combine. Continue to cook until the dried herbs look wet. Add the diced tomatoes, half of the jar of tomato sauce, and the TVP; mix well and bring to a low simmer. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Let the mixture simmer together for about ten minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Meanwhile, on a plate, layer the cabbage leaves with paper towels, alternating. Microwave the cabbage until softened, approximately a minute. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Grease a square Pyrex well. Layer some of the softened cabbage leaves on the bottom of the Pyrex. Ladle some of the filling mixture from the Dutch oven on to the leaves. Layer on some of the cabbage leaves. Continue on, layering the filling and cabbage leaves, until both are used up, concluding with a layer of cabbage leaves. Pour the remainder of the tomato sauce from the jar over the top. Tent the top with foil, and bake in a 400 oven until the center reads 165 on a thermometer (about 30 minutes).

 

I would think that the red onion might overpower the green beans and ginger; red onion tends to be a lot sharper. If you're looking for a different flavor with more color, try shallots instead. She also mentions in the head note that if you want the green beans cooked more, you should blanch them first. If you still want to use red onions, I'd recommend soaking them in cold water before cooking. It removes some of the bite.

 

So, I was inspired by this recipe, Bottomless Pot of Bibimbap | The Splendid Table but it seemed like there were a lot of extra steps for a dish that is supposed to be relatively easy to put together. I eliminated a few of them, made some substitutions, and voila, I came up with my own take on a dish that is meant to be versatile. I skipped the typical rice, too.

Snowy's Bibimbap

1 package of tofu, drained and cut into rectangular slices about half an inch thick
Half a head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a zucchini, julienned
gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
kimchee
4 eggs, fried overeasy

Tofu Marinade (optional)
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil


In the microwave, cook the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels for 5 minutes on high. Meanwhile, arrange the thinly sliced cabbage on another plate, also lined with a paper towel. While the tofu is cooking, prepare the other vegetables you will need for the bibimbap and steam the broccoli; lay them out on a plate, alternating by color for the most visual impact. If using, mix the marinade in a small bowl. When the tofu comes out of the microwave, baste it with the marinade and let it sit on the plate for several minutes until it looks as if the marinade is mostly absorbed. Microwave the thinly sliced cabbage for 2 minutes until just wilted; toss with 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil. Once the tofu has absorbed the marinade, lightly fry it until golden brown, then fry the eggs.

To assemble the bibimbap:
Layer assorted vegetables of choice on top of a bed of the wilted cabbage. Top with gochujang and kimchee. On top of that, layer the tofu and the fried eggs. Admire your handiwork and what a beautiful dish it is--then mix it all together and eat!

 

I've made this twice now, with some adjustments for my own tastes. I'll write up my version of the recipe when I get to a computer, but if you like Chipotle sofritas, it's a good copycat. Chipotle Sofritas - Chipotle Mexican Grill's Braised Sofritas Copycat Recipe | ChefDeHome.com

 

Gluten-free Caulilower Cake

 

Since I didn't see this until now (no TFP at work, for obvious reasons), what did you end up doing with it? I usually like it in alfredo sauce.

 

For dinner last night, I served a shepherd's pie consisting of a lentil-mushroom filling and a sweet potato top. It's heavily modified from this recipe Recipe: Lentil, Mushroom & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie — Vegan Recipes From The Kitchn | The Kitchn

2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
1 cup Arborio rice
2 tbsp. sherry
approximately 3 cups veggie broth, more as needed
2 sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled, mashed, seasoned with salt and pepper

Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until softened over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, seasoning, and mushrooms; continue to cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Add the lentils and rice; stir. Deglaze the pan with the sherry; cook long enough for the alcohol to evaporate before adding enough broth to cover everything in the pan. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cover with a
well-fitting lid. Let simmer, checking every ten minutes or so to stir and add liquid as necessary. The filling is done when the lentils are tender but still slightly toothsome, about 30 minutes. It should not be soupy. Let it stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a buttered, square casserole. Cover with the mashed sweet potato. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.