Tag Archives: vegetarian

Carrot Pasta Sauce

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Carrot Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce is one of my favorites. Most people don’t think of carrots when they think of pasta sauce, but maybe they should.

It’s a simple sauce that packs a lot of flavor.

The process is easy. Just cook carrots, and few other ingredients in stock, until the carrots are really tender. Most of the liquid  cooks off. Puree, then toss the sauce with pasta, rice, or even with veggies or meats.

It is a pretty color, too. You might even get kids to eat carrots, this way.

Here is the recipe.

 

Carrot Pasta Sauce

1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. cream, half and half or evaporated milk
1T. fresh dill or 1 t. dried

Hot cooked pasta

Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, carrots and stack and cook until carrots are very tender. Much of the liquid should have evaporated by then. Place mixture in blender and add cream or milk, mixing until smooth. Add dill and adjust seasonings, tossing over hot pasta to serve. I sometimes top with some shredded Parmesan cheese, too.
Variations: Use sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash or even peas for different tastes.

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Baked Eggplant

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Baked Eggplant

I love eggplant prepared in a lot of different ways. I must say, this preparation is one of my favorites. I think it is because it reminds me of my parents.

My mother used to bread and bake eggplant this way. My dad loved it- and he was not a big eggplant fan. I guess pretty much anything tastes better when breaded. She would top the eggplant with some cheese and sometimes with some marinara sauce.

I cut the eggplant in slices, but you could also cut them in strips and serve like French fries, if you prefer.

One of the problems  with eggplant is about how much oil it will absorb when cooking. If you fry these slices in a skillet- they will soak up the oil like a sponge. I prefer to bake the eggplant, with a drizzle of oil. They come out crispy, but not greasy.

They make a nice side dish or even main dish. I topped mine with fresh tomato sauce and Asiago cheese.   Mozzarella was what my mom used. I often use Parmesan cheese or a Pecorino Romano.

Baked Eggplant

1 large eggplant or 2 medium

salt

1 egg

1/2 c. milk or half and half

pepper

1 T. Tuscan seasoning* recipe follows or use another blend of Italian herbs

1 t. garlic powder

about 1 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. Asiago cheese, or more

Peel and slice eggplant. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse and pat dry. Prepare egg wash by mixing the egg with the milk or half and half, pepper, a little more salt, Tuscan seasoning and garlic powder. Place in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. One slice at a time, dip eggplant in egg wash, then in the bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Drizzle with the oil and bake for about 25 minutes. Turn slices after 15 minutes and continue baking until eggplant slices are golden brown and tender. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes longer. Serve as is, or with a marinara sauce. Serves 3-4.

 

*Tuscan Seasoning

½ c. dried basil

½ c. dried oregano

½ c. dried marjoram

3 T. dried minced onion

2 T. dried minced garlic

2 T. dried rosemary

2 T. dried parsley

1 t. crushed red pepper

 

 

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Basque Soup

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Basque Soup

Basque Soup

We made this soup in class last night. This is a vegetarian soup that should satisfy most carnivores. It is made with butter beans, tomatoes, corn and onions. Add vegetable broth and some milk and you have a rich and filling bowl of soup in no time at all. You can also make this soup vegan- we did in class last night- by using almond  milk in place of the dairy milk.

Basque Soup

1 c. chopped onions

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. flour

3 c. milk*

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can whole kernel corn, undrained

3-4 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups water and 1T. paste-type vegetable soup base

or 3-4 cups vegetable broth

pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce to taste

shredded mild cheese, optional

 Sauté onions and celery in oil until tender. Stir in flour until smooth and add milk, stirring to keep lumps from forming. Stir over medium heat until milk has thickened and begins to boil. Stir constantly as mixture simmers for an additional minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese and bring up to a simmer. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, if desired. Serves 8-10.

Note: You can use almond, rice or soy milk in place of the dairy milk, if you like.

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Spicy Bean “Burgers”

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Spicy Bean "Burger"

Spicy Bean “Burger”

While I like veggie burgers- well, some of them- I am not crazy about the name. For me burgers are made from meat. Still, I guess if I say veggie burger at least people know what I am talking about. I prefer to call them veggie patties. I like to eat veggie patties that are not too processed and are made with ingredients I can find in my own kitchen. These bean “burgers” are actually pretty good. They are easy to make, taste good and provide a nutritious meal at a reasonable cost.

Spicy Bean “Burgers”

1 (14-15ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 sweet pepper, chunked

1/2 onion, cut into wedges

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 egg

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste

1/2 cup bread crumbs

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is not sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side. Makes 4.

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Pantry Vegetable Soup

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Pantry Vegetable Soup

Pantry Vegetable Soup

I’ve been using stuff up and not going to the grocery store for almost 3 months now. Sometimes it takes some creative thinking to put an interesting meal together. When in doubt I can always make a good pot of soup. Soup comes easy to me. I grew up with a Mom who really knew how to make great soup. Can’t make a pot of soup without remembering her. I wanted to make a vegetable soup today so I looked around to see what I had on hand and ended up with this. Started with the basics, onion, celery, carrots. Then I added home canned tomatoes and pinto beans. Threw in some dried zucchini and dried mushrooms, too. I had a little  broccoli in the freezer so I tossed that in as well. Some basil from the freezer, dried herbs and some other seasonings and it was good to go. Here is the recipe but this is the sort of soup that can be adjusted according to what you have around.

Pantry Vegetable Soup 

2 T. oil

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 c. chopped cabbage

3 cloves minced garlic

1 pint jar canned tomatoes- or a 14.5 oz. can

6 c. water

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained- I used a p[int jar of home canned beans

1/2 c. dried mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced dried zucchini

2 T. vegetable soup base – I use home made-

1 c. chopped broccoli

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

dried and frozen herbs to taste- I used Tuscan seasoning and a frozen cube of basil with olive oil.

Heat oil in soup pot and add the onion, cooking until golden. Add remaining ingredients, except the herbs, and cook, covered, until veggies are tender and dried veggies are re-hydrated. This will take about 30 minutes. Add herbs and let simmer 10 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4-6.

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Peanut Soup

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Peanut Soup

Peanut Soup

I taught a vegetarian cooking class yesterday at the Nature Center for the University of Mount Union. One of the dishes we had was a peanut soup. Rich and flavorful it was a big hit with the students. I think you will like it, too. A different way to eat peanut butter for a lot of us. You could use almond butter or cashew butter instead of the peanut butter, if you like.

Peanut Soup

2 c. chopped onions

1 T. oil

cayenne pepper to taste

1 t. grated fresh ginger

1 c. chopped carrots

1 c. chopped sweet potatoes

1 c. chopped white potatoes

5 c. vegetable stock or water

1 c. tomato sauce

1 c. smooth peanut butter

1 c. chopped green onions

Sauté onions in oil until tender. Add seasonings and carrots and sauté 3 minutes more. Add potatoes and stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return to pot and add tomato sauce and peanut butter. Warm gently and serve with green onions on top. Serves 6-8.

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