meat-free recipes

Hello there, I made a vegetable lasagne this past weekend -  for the vegetables I used: onions, sweet pepper, carrot, mushrooms - and I wanted to use spinach - but had no spinach - so instead used dandelions....

I gathered dandelions from my garden, knowing they have not been sprayed with weedkiller (a good reason not to harvest from a public place). I washed carefully. The leaves raw are rather indifferent, lettucey. However, when cooked in the lasagne some of the larger (older) leaves had a bitter twang.

Dandelions are supposed to be a particularly good source of nutrients - better than spinach infact.

So next time you run out of spinach - try dandelion! I would only suggest a few leaves mixed with other vegetables. The sweetness of the cheese sauce helped to balance the bitterness.

Here's a recipe for my 'foolproof' cheese sauce. It is cooked in the microwave. This means you don't have a sticky saucepan to wash up! It is cooked in the jug you might use to serve. I don't often use a microwave but this is one of those recipes that works well. Use a suitable jug.

flour, butter, a coffee mug of milk (about 200ml), grated, cheese, seasoning

Put one heaped dessert spoonful of flour and a large knob of butter into the jug. Heat this for 20 seconds, or until the butter is melted. Whisk together with a tiny splash of milk to make a thick paste. Now add just a little more milk to make a slightly thinner paste and cook this for 20 seconds. Whisk again and then add the rest of the milk. Cook this for 1 min, being careful to watch in case it boils over. Continue to whisk and heat a little at a time, until the sauce is the right thickness. Then add as much grated cheese as you like - you can add a large handful for really cheesy sauce or just a little. Also, add pepper, herbs such as oregano, basil, any of your choice. Zap for a few more seconds to melt the cheese, if necessary. The trick is to add the milk a little at a time and then you get no lumps! I make this sauce at least once a week and it works, lump free and yummy! This is the sauce I use for lasagne. I also serve it with other pasta, with cauliflower for cauliflower cheese and so on...

Fixins
1x small onion, chopped
3 x fat garlic cloves, chopped
1 x small carrot, sliced
splash of olive oil
dash of chilli powder
2 x bay leaves
1 x tin chopped tomatoes
about 1 cup red wine
1/2 squeezed lemon
about 30-50g chopped black olives (optional, not normally canon Bec recipe but if you have them and like them, adds a further element of chunk)

Method
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic and carrot for about 5 min on medium heat. Add the bay leaves, chilli powder and wine, bring to the boil. When boiling turn down to the lowest heat, add the tin of chopped tomatoes, black olives and lemon juice. Put the lid on and simmer for about 1/2 hour, stirring from time to time. Can be left to simmer as long as you like - if you cook it longer, it will be less chunky but have a stronger flavour. However, half an hour is good enough for me! Remove the bay leaves and discard.

This makes a good amount of sauce for pasta. For a bolognaise, stir in some cooked vegemince before serving, or add soya mince about 10 minutes before serving.

Much tastier than anything you can get in a jar! Also go crazy with herbs - oregano is obv good (I didn't have any in the house last night), basil, etc.

I'm making this right now... super easy. smells good. The recipe below is how I altered it. The original recipe is at the source.



just over half a pkg. cream cheese, softened (about 5 oz)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pkg. cubed cooked Quorn Chik'n Cutlets (meatless)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh onion
about 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
about 1/2 cup frozen peas
about 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 (8-oz.) cans Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
olive oil to brush on outside of stuffed crescents
parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened margarine; beat until smooth. Add other ingredients; mix well.
2. Separate dough into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops of stuffers with olive oil; sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

source: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=12362

This is a popular dish in my family at holiday gatherings. Very, very simple.

1 can (12 oz) Corn kernels
1 cup Sour cream
1 can (12 oz) Creamed corn
1/2 cup Butter melted
1 8.5 oz. Jiffy Corn muffin mix
1 cup Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all of the ingredients, except for the cheese.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes in glass casserole dish.
4. Remove and add the cheddar cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted.

source

I had this at Thanksgiving and it was DELICIOUS. If you eat dairy, it's tasty with about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a stick of butter added at the end.

Serves 4
6-7 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped (Yukon Gold would be perfect)
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock or water (or 2 cups stock and 2 cups water)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Water for sautéing the onions and garlic (makes it fat-free)

1. Heat a couple tablespoons of water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. (You can use a tablespoon of oil instead, but sautéing the veggies in water keeps it a fat-free soup.)
2. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add small amounts of stock or water if the pan gets too dry.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes, ginger, pepper, salt and enough stock and/or water to cover the vegetables.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the carrots and potatoes are soft and easily pieced with a fork.
5. Transfer to a food processor, and puree the soup until creamy. Return the pureed soup to a pot to heat up. Add salt as needed.

Serving Suggestions and Variations
-Whenever you substitute dried herbs in a recipe that calls for fresh, the conversion is simple. Reduce tablespoons to teaspoons; e.g., two tablespoons of fresh oregano equals two teaspoons dried. Ginger, however, is an exception to this interchangeable rule. If a recipe calls for fresh ginger, you cannot substitute it with ground. So, stick with fresh ginger for this recipe.
-Non-dairy sour cream: Wildwood or Tofutti brand sour creams are both delicious. You can find them at Whole Foods or other large health food stores. (Or ask your grocer to carry them.) If you want to make your own, simply add one 12-ounce box of silken tofu to a blender or food processor along with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
-Serve hot, garnished with a sprig of parsley.
-Always err on the side of caution. Add just a pinch of salt at first, and add more as needed.

source

Recipe mostly courtesy of Deborah Madison in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

( Recipe behind the cut. )

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces Morningstar Farms Veggie Breakfast Sausage Links
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup 1% milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Microwave "sausage" for 3 minutes. Cut into small pieces and add to the bowl with mushrooms. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.
4. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. 5. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.
6. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Yield: 12 servings

You can also substitute mushrooms and veggie sausage with other vegetables of your choice.

source

850g sweet potatoes, peeled and par-boiled
1 onion, sliced
3 small sweet tomatoes, sliced
Basil
Stock cube dissolved in about 300ml water
Cheese, grated (I used some blue cheese too)

- When the parboiled sweet potatoes have cooled slightly, slice and put half of them in the bottom of a greased ovenproof dish.
- Add the tomatoes, onions and basil, then add the rest of the sweet potatoes.
- Pour the stock over.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

[This would probably be nice with veg and gravy for a celebration meal, e.g. for Christmas or similar occasion]

400g canned chickpeas, drained
1 tsp yeast extract
125g breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp vegetable stock
250g puff pastry

1. Mash the chickpeas (or put in blender if you have one) and combine with the breadcrumbs and yeast extract.
2. Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes in a large saucepan or wok.
3. Stir in the chickpea mixture.
4. Add the wine, stock, seasoning, and bind together. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Roll out the pastry to form a rectangle approximately 14" x 12".
6. Shape the chickpea mixture into a long sausage shape in the middle of the pastry.
7. Wrap the pastry around it, and place the whole thing seam-side down on a dampened baking tray.
8. Cook for 20-25 minutes.

1.25kg waxy potatoes (I used Desiree), sliced thinly
1 leek, chopped fairly finely
1 red pepper, diced
1 carrot, grated
225g full fat soft cheese (eg Philadelphia, regular or 'lite' versions)
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp Cheddar

- Brush an 8" flan tin with oil.
- Heat oil in frying pan and cook potato slices until softened and browned (I found it easiest to cook them in batches). Drain on kitchen paper, then spread in base of tin.
- Fry leek over a medium heat until soft (I suggest you do this in a separate pan while cooking the potatoes).
- Add the pepper and carrot to the leeks and cook until the vegetables have softened.
- Beat the eggs together with the soft cheese and the Cheddar. Stir in the veg, and season to taste.
- Spoon the mixture over the potato base.
- Cook 20-25 minutes, until set (i.e. not sloppy, but not rock-hard either)
- To go with this, I microwaved a few slices of readymade polenta, and then added a dollop of cranberry jelly.