Baked Chiles Rellenos with Smoky Tomato Sauce

I have been a subscriber of Vegetarian Times for about a year and a half now. It was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law, to help me find more vegetarian recipes for my husband.

Since then, I have tried a few recipes, but decided recently to make a list of ones I really wanted to try. This was the first one I chose. Chiles Rellenos is a popular Mexican dish that my Dad always ordered, and I liked to get a bite. This recipe from VT October 2010 has less calories as it is packed with lots of veggies and cheese and baked. It is a very spicy dish- you may want to handle the poblano peppers with gloves, as my hand was burning after pulling all the seeds out. Despite that, it was a very tasty dish. Be sure to serve with rice and sour cream.

Ingredients:

Chiles Rellenos-

6 large poblano chiles
2 t. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded low fat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 large egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt

Sauce-

2 t. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained

1.) To make Chiles Rellenos: Roast and peel chiles.* Cut 3-inch slit in each chile, and remove seeds with a spoon.
2.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add zucchini and corn, and cook 5 minutes more. Season with salt, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in cheese.
3.) Stuff each chile with 1/2 cup zucchini mixture. Secure closed with toothpicks.
4.) Whisk egg with 1/2 cup water in bowl. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate.
5.) Dip chiles in egg wash. Coat with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet, and bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
6.) To make Sauce: Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder, and cumin, and cook 4 to5 minutes, or until onion is soft and spices are fragrant. Add tomatoes, and simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer to a blender, add chipotle chile, and blend on low speed until sauce is smooth.

Serve chiles rellenos with sauce, cilantro, lime wedges, and sour cream.

*To roast and peel chiles-

Stove top: place 1 poblano directly on grate of gas burner with flame turned to high. Roast until charred on all sides, turning with tongs. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let steam 15 minutes. Rub off skin.

Asian Tofu with Asparagus and Edamame

Tofu is often looked upon as a bland and tasteless food, but if using the right ingredients and cooking properly, tofu becomes a delicious and healthy meal.

This recipe uses a flavorful Asian sauce to coat the crispy pieces of tofu, and tastes wonderful atop brown rice with some asparagus and edamame.

Pasta with Leeks, Sage, and White Beans

Martha Stewart recipes almost never fail- this one was excellent. The flavors of the sage, leeks and chicken broth pair together nicely with the white beans, and create a sauce that coats the pasta. I omitted the heavy cream to make it healthier, and didn't miss it at all.

This is a great dish for a rainy spring night.


Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 pound leeks (1 bunch), sliced
coarse salt and pepper
2 cans (15 1/2 oz.) cannellini beans
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1/2 t. sage
12 oz. fettuccine
2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan
parsley

1.) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add the leeks, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the leeks are softened, about 10 minutes.
2.) Add the beans, chicken broth and sage; with a potato masher (or fork), mash 1/3 of the beans.
3.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, but is still soupy, about 10 minutes.
4.) Cook the pasta, drain, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.
5.) Add lemon juice to the sauce, and stir in the parmesan. Add your pasta, and toss to combine.
6.) Serve with parsley.

*6 servings

Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread Topping

I'm always looking for new and interesting chili recipes, and this one sounded different as it had the cornbread baked right on top, instead of serving it alongside the chili.

This is a Nigella Lawson recipe, the first recipe of hers I have tried. Overall, the chili was very good- though very spicy, which is when the cornbread came in handy for toning down the heat. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was that she had you put cinnamon in the cornbread. This made it far too sweet for my liking, so I would omit this next time. Otherwise, this was a tasty and satisfying meal.

Find the recipe here.

Irish Vegetable Stew

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

My sister and I made an Irish dinner tonight to celebrate. However, with a mother who eats little meat, and my sister who has to eat gluten-free, it was a bit difficult to come up with a dish to make. The traditional corned beef and cabbage and cottage pie was out, so some investigating online was necessary.

I was happy with the Irish stew recipe I found on vegsource.com, but I don't think was quite as "Irish" a meal as we had hoped. So, we went to our local Trader Joe's and added Irish sausages and soda bread to the side.

The stew itself was very good, healthy, with lots of cabbage, potatoes and carrots in a broth, and we served it over rice to help soak up the extra broth. I would make this again, it didn't take long, a lot of chopping and simmering mostly.

I'd say this meal worked well for St. Pat's Day, but would be perfect for a cold winter night.

Vegetable Kabobs

Kabobs are a fun way to eat dinner- fun to make too! You can choose any vegetables you like, even add meat or seafood if you wish, and have fun threading them on the skewers.

What I love about this recipe is that it can be made year-round, either on a grill or baked in the oven. To serve, simply place the kabobs over rice, couscous, or orzo.

Ingredients:

olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder
oregano
half an onion (any kind), cut in pieces
grape tomatoes
small white mushrooms
1/2 a green pepper, cut in pieces
1/2 a red pepper, cut in pieces
soy meatballs- 3 per skewer

1.) Preheat your oven to 450.

2.) Grease a baking dish.

3.) Thread cut vegetables and soy meatballs onto the skewers, putting a mushroom at both ends to hold everything in place.

4.) Once the skewers are complete, place in the baking dish, then sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.

5.) Bake for 25 minutes, turning the skewers once, or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

Hoisin Tofu and Almonds

Another tofu recipe! This one is similar to ones I've made before, but uses lots of hoisin (as the title indicates) and has the crunchy addition of almonds. I found this recipe on a vegetarian blog, which I will now be frequenting quite often, veggienumnum.com

This was a good dish, but I would bake the tofu first. Normally that is what I do, but I thought I'd try it again in a pan, and it just proves to be too soft and mushy, often breaking apart and not staying in chunks. It also didn't get as crispy as I had hoped. So from now on- bake that tofu!

Ingredients:

10 1/2 oz. firm tofu
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, sliced
5 shallots, sliced
5 1/4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, diced
2 1/2 oz. almonds

Sauce-

1 T cornstarch
1 T soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce

Batter-

1 egg white
1 teaspoon salt
1 T cornstarch
1 T hoisin sauce


1.) Cut the tofu into chunks and soak in the stock for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the stock, and drain the tofu well on paper towels.

2.) To make the sauce, blend the cornstarch with the reserved stock, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce in a medium pot. Bring the sauce to a boil, stir, until it turns dark in color and has thickened; 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3.) To make the batter, lightly whisk the egg white, then mix in the cornstarch, salt and hoisin sauce to form a light batter. Toss the drained tofu in the batter to coat well.

4.) In a large frying pan, add oil and fry tofu til crisp and golden. Drain the tofu. Add the veggies and fry. Add the tofu and toss til heated through. Add the sauce and combine well. Finally, add almonds.

*You can serve this as is, or over rice or noodles.

Asparagus Stir Fry

I've been wanting to try this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.com.blog for quite some time. It combines one of my favorite (but for some reason rarely eaten) vegetables, asparagus, with tofu. It has an Asian flair, lots of spice, and intense flavor. Definitely will make again!

Ingredients:

a couple big pinches of fine grain sea salt
toasted sesame oil
8 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into slices pencil thick
4 green onions, thinly sliced
scant 1 T freshly grated ginger (peeled)
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut in 1 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 big handful toasted cashews, chopped a bit
a few handfuls of spinach, kale, or chard
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 T hoisin sauce
1 small handful each of fresh slivered mint and fresh slivered basil

1.) Have all the ingredients prepped. Heat a splash of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium-high heat. Alternately, you can do this in a large nonstick dry pan. When hot, add tofu and cook until golden, a few minutes. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.

2.) Add another (generous) splash of oil to the pan, and as soon as it's hot, add onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt. Stir fry for a minute, then add garlic, cashews, and spinach/kale/chard. Stir fry another minute, until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice, and the hoisin sauce. Cook for 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while. Remove from the heat, and stir in the mint and basil.


*I made a few changes to this recipe:

-I baked the tofu to get it crispy. I did this by wrapping the tofu in paper towels and putting it between two plates to get as much liquid out as possible. I then sliced it into strips and put it on a baking sheet. I baked it for 30 minutes at 375, turning the pieces halfway through the baking time. Once they had cooled a bit, I then diced them and had them ready to add to the recipe.

-I used almonds instead of cashews, and skipped the mint and used dried basil.


This was a delicious recipe. As I said earlier, it is spicy. Next time, I will for sure cut back on the red pepper flakes, probably just 1/8 teaspoon. Otherwise, this was a nice change from our typical meals- and very healthy!

Blueberry and Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

Two recipes today! Both use buttermilk as I had to buy a small container to make my husband's birthday cake last week, and needed ways to use it up. Hence, my first recipe: blueberry and banana buttermilk pancakes.

I used Joy of Cooking's basic pancake recipe, and followed their instructions for substitutions and additions for buttermilk pancakes.

Pancakes for dinner is a treat, and to make them taste even better, I added a lot of good for you fruit that we had around the apartment. This made about eight pancakes, and they were just as light and fluffy as promised. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1.) Whisk all the above ingredients together in a large bowl.

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional) - I always put in vanilla!

2.) Whisk the wet ingredients in another bowl.

3.) Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently mix them together until just incorporated. (You will have a very thick batter.)

4.) Heat up your pan or griddle, add butter or spray to prevent sticking, and spoon about 1/3 cup batter for each pancake.

5.) Once you have poured the batter, add as many slices of banana and blueberries to each pancake as you wish. I found it to be easier to just add them to the batter as I went because I could then make sure each pancake got plenty of fruit.

6.) Serve with quality maple syrup and enjoy!

Huevos Rancheros My Way

My take on huevos rancheros!

Ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas
refried black beans
your favorite salsa
eggs
shredded cheddar cheese
avocado (optional)

Take a whole wheat tortilla and put it in a hot pan with a bit of oil to prevent it from sticking. Let it brown and crisp up a bit on both sides, then place it to the side. Scramble eggs. While those are cooking, heat up your refried black beans and dice your avocado. To assemble, put a tortilla on a plate, spread a layer of refried black beans, salsa, and then top with scrambled eggs. Put the shredded cheddar on top of the eggs and let the cheese melt. Top with diced avocado if desired, and serve!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I had such a taste for stuffed mushrooms- had to try these! They were delish- both the husband and I loved them. Super quick and easy to make, not to mention healthy, these are staying on our go-to dinner list!

Ingredients:

portobello mushrooms
olive oil
spinach
feta cheese

1.) Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and scrape the gills out with a spoon.

2.) Place the mushrooms on a greased baking sheet and put a little olive oil inside the caps.

3.) Bake the mushrooms for 10 minutes, at 350 degrees F.

4.) Pull out the mushrooms and fill them with spinach and feta cheese. Put back into the oven and bake until the cheese melts.


* I served these with green beans and potatoes.

Spinach Enchiladas

When looking for recipes this week, I found myself really wanting to make enchiladas- I think it was after watching either a Bobby Flay throw down or Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Mexican food. So I went searching for vegetarian enchiladas for both my hubby and I, and found this recipe from Emeril.

They were delicious! Full of spinach and cheese with a little bit of spiciness from the poblano peppers. These were definitely not low calorie though, so next time I'll have to find a recipe that tones it down a bit. But, it's Emeril and he always has to take it up a notch!

Chicago-Style Stuffed Spinach Pizza

One of the many things I miss about living in Chicago is the pizza. I think one of the requirements to be a Chicagoen is to love the buttery crust, gooey cheese, abundance of delicious fillers (sausage, spinach, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and chunky tomato sauce (always on top!) that makes up the deep dish pizza that Chicago is known for serving.
My favorite place to get it is Lou Malnati's, and when I go back home I try to get it as much as possible, because Southern Ohio certainly cannot produce deep-dish pizza. Which means it came to this: I had to finally pull out the long recipe for Chicago Deep Dish Pizza that I had copied a couple years ago.

I don't know if I ever really intended to make it myself- I figured I'd probably always live in the Chicago area and wouldn't need to make my own, but God stepped in and next thing I knew I was in Portsmouth where only thin crust pizzas were provided.

A fair warning: this recipe takes time. The dough is very sticky and hard to shape and form into the pan. It takes time to make the pizza sauce and prepare the filling. BUT- it is totally, 100%, worth it in the end. This is awesome pizza.

It isn't Lou Malnati's, or Giordanos, or Unos, but for a girl who misses one of her favorite comfort foods- it does the job perfectly.

Sadly, I do not know where I got this recipe from. Just trust me when I say it's good!

Ingredients:
Crust-
2 envelopes (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4-6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sauce-
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with puree
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper

Filling-
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Romano cheese2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Crust- Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a large bowl; set aside to stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in oil Stir in four cups of flour and salt til smooth. Stir in remaining flour as needed until a stiff dough forms. Knead on lightly floured work surface until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put dough into a greased bowl, and turn to coat the top. Let rise, covered, in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
2. Sauce- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook two minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick, about 30 minutes.

3. Filling- Set aside 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can. Mix the spinach with the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
4. Punch down the dough and let it rest 10 minutes. Roll 2/3 of the dough into a 16-inch circle. Fit the dough into a lightly oiled 14-inch pizza pan, at least two inches deep. Let the dough overhang the edges of the pan.

5. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over the bottom crust. Spoon the spinach filling into the center of the crust, and smooth it to evenly cover the surface. Roll the remaining dough into a 14-inch circle. Place the dough over the filling. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together; trim off excess dough. Pour the sauce over the top crust.

6. Bake until sides of pizza are nicely golden and the top crust is firm, 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
*Serves 6-8 people.


Notes: I did not have a pizza pan. I used a 8 1/2 inch spring form pan. This worked wonderfully. I worked the dough up the sides of the pan to form the crust. What was nice about this was that once I was done baking (I baked it 30 minutes), I could release the spring form pan side, and easily slide the pizza onto the cutting board. If you have a pizza pan, go ahead and use that, but I preferred the spring form.

Black Bean Burgers

My Dad and sister visited last week, and we wanted to make some special meals for them. We love black bean burgers, and normally just buy them at the grocery store and pop them in the microwave, but this past 4th of July we sampled my brother-in-law's homemade version and loved them. Since then, I was determined to make them myself.

I found a great recipe here. They were easy to make for a weeknight dinner, and had great flavor. While flipping them over on the baking sheet to bake the other side, they did start to break a bit, but once they baked longer, they seemed to hold together pretty well.

We topped them with pepper jack cheese, and served them with fresh corn on the cob and homemade potato salad made by my sister. Perfect for a summer meal!

Mexicali Chop with Crunchy Tortilla Strips

One of my favorite things to order when going out to eat is a nice big salad. Some people may think that a salad doesn't qualify as a main course, but to me, give me a bowl full of lettuce, chopped chicken, veggies, shredded cheese, and dressing and I am one happy girl.

We've been going through a heat wave in Southern Ohio, staying the in the low 90s, and lots of humidity. So when I came across a recipe for a Mexican style salad in my new Vegetarian Times, I knew I had to try it out.

This salad is minus the meat (obviously), but for meat lovers you can easily add chicken, steak, shrimp, etc. This salad reminded me of one of my favorite main course salads that I often get at Cheesecake Factory. The crunch tortilla strips put this over the top and added a little spiciness. The dressing was what made this salad though- without it, it would be just lettuce, beans, and veggies.

So try this out next time you need something light on a hot summer's night!


Tortilla Strips:

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
3 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon maple crystals or sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
pinch cayenne pepper

Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced (8 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1 avocado, diced (1 cup)
3 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)
1 cucumber, seeded and diced (1 cup)
1 cup, fresh or frozen, thawed corn kernels
3/4 cup cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed, drained, and sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1.) To make Tortilla Strips: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush oil on tortillas. Cut in half, then cut into 1/8-inch wide strips. Spread on baking sheet. Combine chili powder, maple crystals, and salt in bowl. Sprinkle chili powder mixture over strips. Bake 15 minutes, or until crisp. Cool.

2.) To make Dressing: heat oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar, and salt in saucepan 2 to 3 minutes over low heat, or until garlic begins to sizzle.

3.) Blend remaining Dressing ingredients with garlic oil in blender until smooth.

4.) Toss together all Salad ingredients with Tortilla Strips and 1/4 cup Dressing.

Potato, Zucchini, and Carrot Pancakes

My aunt sent me this recipe from April 2009's Better Homes and Gardens. I had tried making potato pancakes once before- learned the hard way that you don't want a lot of oil in the pan or else everything will break apart. So after that important lesson, I wanted to try making potato pancakes (with the addition of veggies this time) again.

I was also very happy to use the shredding disc for my food processor. I've always used my blade in the processor for cookie dough or pesto, and had fun watching all the veggies I stuck in the feed tube become shreds in the bowl below.

I've also never baked eggs before- or eaten sunny side up, so this was another new experience. Hubby and I (mostly me) were a bit worried about the eggs not being fully cooked, so I stuck them in longer then the recipe directed and the yolk became almost hard boiled. Still delicious though!

I had fun with this recipe, but found that the pancakes cooked quick, so next time would cook on lower heat and watch them more carefully.

This recipe suggest serving the pancakes alongside spring greens.

Ingredients:

nonstick cooking spray
1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 11/4 cups)
1 1/2 lb baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 4 cups)
1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat two small baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2.) Drain zucchini in a colander; press to squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, potatoes, carrot, flour, 1 of the eggs, thyme, salt, and pepper.

3.) In extra-large nonstick skillet over heat half of the oil over medium heat. To make a pancake, spoon about a 1-cup portion of potato mixture into skillet; evenly press and round edges with back of spatula to form a pancake. Cook two pancakes at a time, 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.
4.)With the back of a wooden spoon or a 1/4-cup measure gently press each pancake, slightly off-center, to make a 3-inch-diameter depression, deep enough to hold an egg. Pour one egg in each nest. (Crack the egg into a cup first, then pour it into the nest, just in case you have a bad egg.) Place pancakes with eggs in oven, being careful not to tilt baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. Transfer pancakes to serving plates.

Makes 4 servings.

Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

A vegetarian version of Beef Stroganoff- portobello mushrooms are meaty and filling and work well with replacing beef in this dish. Perfect for a cold winter night, but also good when you just crave some good old comfort food! This cooks pretty quickly, and is fairly healthy. I substituted plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream to cut fat.

Ingredients:

8 ounces dried egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pound Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

1.) Bring water to a boil, cook the noodles, drain, and set aside.

2.) While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook them until they are limp and browned. Remove the mushrooms and onions to a bowl, and set aside.

3.) In the same skillet, stir in the vegetable broth, being sure to stir the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring the broth to a boil and cook until it is reduced by one third. Reduce the heat to low and return the mushrooms and onions to the skillet.

4.) Remove the pan from the heat. Stir together the sour cream and flour; blend into the mushrooms. Return the pan to the burner and continue cooking over low heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles.

Jop Chai

I've had this recipe for quite some time, and when looking through my recipe boxes for some new things to cook this week, I decided it was time to try it. I was a bit hesitant as it's an Asian dish with a soy product (both of these things my husband doesn't like- though he'll tolerate the former.) I also was eager to just try something completely different, and thought it'd be good to expand our taste buds.

I'm happy to report that it was excellent- be sure you get the bean thread noodles, or the dish will have an entirely different taste and texture. I also added green onions to this, as I had some I was trying to use up. This is accompanied nicely with green tea.

Jop Chai (recipe taken from Moosewood Simple Suppers)

Ingredients:

4 oz. bean thread noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups thinly sliced red bell peppers
8 oz. veggie crumbles

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1.) Soak bean thread noodles in hot tap water to cover until soft, about 15-20 minutes. When soft, drain and cut the noodles into 4-5 inch lengths, then toss them with dark sesame oil or vegetable oil.

2.) When the noodles soak, heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and add the onions and garlic, saute 2 minutes.

3.) Add the cabbage and saute a couple of minutes.

4.) Stir in the red bell peppers and continue to saute until veggies are crisp-tender.

5.) Add the veggie crumbles and cook about 2 minutes.

6.) Combine the sauce ingredients and add to the vegetables.

7.) Add the drained noodles and cook 2-3 minutes, until the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce. Serve hot.

Vegetarian Chili

This is an easy chili recipe from Linda Rosensweig's "New Vegetarian Cuisine" cookbook. You can cut back on the chili powder to make it less spicy, or add more for an extra kick. It's best to serve this chili with something (like cornbread), as it can be pretty spicy.

Also, you can vary your ingredients- I use this as a basic chili and add or take out what I want. I have never made it with tofu as I think there are plenty of other ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped sweet red peppers
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces firm tofu, well drained and squeezed dry between paper towels
1 tablespoon unbleached flour
1 tablespoon chili powder1 teaspoon coca powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can (14 1/2 oz) low-sodium stewed tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar1 1/4 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1.) In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the scallions, red peppers, green peppers, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender.

2.) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden.

3.) Add the flour, chili powder, cocoa powder and ground pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with their liquid) and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until slightly thick.

4.) Stir in the beans and cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes.

White Pizza with Broccoli and Mushrooms

This is a great take on a white pizza-full of lots of healthy vegetables, and a nice garlicky flavor. It's not your average pizza, but it's nice to deviate from the norm. This recipe calls for store bought pizza dough- but I made my own, following the basic pizza dough recipe in Joy of Cooking. I added a bit of oregano to the dough for a little extra flavor.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons margarine or butter, divided (I always use butter over margarine)
6 oz. mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
8 oz. broccoli florets (3 cups)1 tablespoon all-purpose flour1 cup low-fat milk
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 13.8 oz. package refrigerated pizza dough

1.) Place pizza stone or baking sheet in center of oven, and heat to 425 degrees.

2.) Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 4-7 minutes, or until beginning to brown, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and 1/3 cup water. Cover tightly, and steam broccoli in skillet 3-4 minutes, or until tender. (Broccoli will be a vibrant green color when done.)

3.) Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook 2 minutes, or until pale golden, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, garlic, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan until sauce is smooth and cheese is melted.

4.) Shape pizza dough. Remove pizza stone/baking sheet from oven and place dough on it.

5.) Spread white sauce over dough to within 1/2 inch of edge, and top with broccoli mixture. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over top. Return to oven, and bake 18-20 minutes, or until edges of pizza are golden and center is hot and bubbly. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

(This recipe is courtesy of the April 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.)