Vegetarian Blog for the Lazy

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4-inch piece celery stalk, finely chopped
• 4-inch piece carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2 cups vegetable stock or vegetarian faux-chicken flavored stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup French green lentils, picked over, rinsed, then drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, cut into strips
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• optional- add feta cheese & cucumber

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, mustard seed and fennel seed and saute until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the stock, water, lentils, thyme and bay leaf. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the lentils to a large bowl and discard the bay leaf.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. (Discard any remaining liquid or reserve for another use.) Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil.

Add the vinaigrette, parsley, salt and pepper to the lentils and toss gently to mix and coat evenly. Serve cold or warm.

• Button Mushrooms
• 1 Large Onion
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
• 3 Tablespoons Butter

Use Mushroom Stroganoff Sauce to top Baked Potatoes, Toast, Rice or Egg Pasta

Melt butter in pan and add chopped onion until onion is soft, add sliced mushrooms until browned, add Mustard and remove heat. Stir in sour cream & chopped parsley. Add Mushroom Stroganoff Sauce to top Baked Potatoes, Toast, Rice or Egg Pasta.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium zucchini
• 3 cups toasted bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Parmesan cheese for topping, optional swiss cheese topping

Preparation:

Wash zucchini and cut off ends; do not peel. Cook zucchini in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just tender. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; remove pulp with spoon; place zucchini shells in a large baking pan or jelly roll pan. Combine zucchini pulp, toasted bread crumbs, cheese, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and the beaten eggs. Fill zucchini shells with mixture and dot with butter. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese (and optional swiss cheese) and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a medium brown crust forms on top.

• 1 Can of whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 Can of red kidney beans, only 1/2 drained
• 1 Can of pinto beans (or black beans), drained
• 2 Cups of shredded sharp chedder
• 1/2 Cup of green onions, sliced (about 2-3 stalks)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 package (8 1/2 oz. of cornbread mix)
• butter for greasing the pan
• Any toppings you like, such as cilantro, hot sauce, avocado or tortilla chips

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the cornbread. Pour into a greased 2 quart baking pan or casserole dish. Make corn bread according to the directions, and pour on top – spreading evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cornbread is firm and golden brown.

• Flour Tortillas
• 1T  vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 3T chunky peanut butter
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups yams, cooked
• 1 cup black beans, cooked and drained

toppings:

• salsa
• light sour cream
• 4 stalks of green onion, chopped
• a small bunch of cilantro, chopped
• crushed & salted peanuts (for texture)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add garlic an onion until tender and translucent.

Stir in peanut butter, yams and black beans, mashing. Add spices and mix. Cook until all ingredients are cooked well, while stirring to prevent burn.

Serve in warmed tortillas and topped with salsa, lots of sour cream, green onions, crushed peanuts and lots of chopped cilantro.

This can easily be made vegan, as it was in the orginal recipe by Ryan Splint in the vegan cookbook, “Hot Damn and Hell Yeah“. Also this can be made into a patty, panko breaded & lightly fried and served as such.

Choose 3 cans of any beans you like – white, kidney, black-eyed peas, pinto, garbanzo etc. I like the combo of  kidney beans, garbanzo beans and green beans.

Drain and mix together in a large bowl Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper for a low-fat, high-protein, cheap meal. Other nice toppings can be a can of corn, fresh spinach, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or chunks of fresh avocado.

• Buns (I like the SF Bay Area local bread, Semifreddi Challah Burger Buns)
• 2 slices (per sandwich) of Provolone Cheese
• small bunch of chopped cilantro
• small bunch of alfalfa sprouts
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 heirloom tomato

Cut the buns in half and toast with 2 slices of Provolone cheese on one side of the bun until the cheese begins to bubble and the bread is browned. Mix the Sriracha and the mayonnaise together to create the Sriracha Aioli and then spread it on the toasted bun. Top with tomato, alfalfa sprouts and chopped cilantro.

• 1 large, crisp apple, cut into bite-sized wedges
• 1 lemon, juice only
• a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
• a couple splashes of olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• a scant tablespoon of maple syrup
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
• 12 ounces (3/4 pound) fresh brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons
• optional- 4 ounces extra-firm wildwood brand tofu cut into tiny-inch cubes

Soak the apples in a bowl filled with water and the juice of one lemon, remove seeds.

Cook the tofu in large hot skillet with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, wait a few seconds, now stir in the maple syrup, and cook another 30 seconds or so. Drain the apples, and add them to the skillet, cooking for another minute. Scrape the apple and tofu mixture out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.
Stir the apple mixture back into the skillet alongside the brussels sprouts 1/2 of the pine nuts – gently stir to combine. Remove from heat and enjoy immediately sprinkled with the remaining pine nuts. This isn’t a dish you want sitting around, the flavors change dramatically after ten minutes or so, and I think that is part of the reason brussels sprouts get a bad rap. Even I don’t like them after they’ve been sitting around.

Serves 2 – 3 as a main, 4 as a side

From 101 cookbooks.com

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 small celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium turnip, chopped
• 2 cups green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
• 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or even better a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups vegetable broth ( I like the Better Than Bouillon vegetable base)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until nearly translucent, then add the garlic. Don’t let the garlic brown and saute another couple of minutes.

Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sauteing for just a minute or two; the extra tablespoon of olive oil is if you need it for the rest of the veggies. Remember you’re not cooking them, just sauteing them for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sauteing.

Now add the tomatoes and broth and cook on low until flavors mature together and potatoes soften. Serve with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese and a crusty bread.

Serves 6 as entree, 1o as side course

• 4 slices thick-cut fresh sourdough bread
• 1 ball (1 pound) fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 plum tomatoes or 1 heirloom tomato, cut into thick slices
• 1 cup fresh basil & cilantro pesto (see below)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Basil & Cilantro pesto:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• optional – 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.

If you have a panini press, turn it on to warm up; otherwise, set a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Assemble sandwich by smearing insides of bread slices with pesto. Arrange a layer of sliced tomato and season with a few turns of fresh pepper. Layer the mozzarella slices over the top and then place another piece of bread on top to make the sandwich. Drizzle olive oil over skillet’s surface and place sandwiches on the hot skillet or panini press.

If using a skillet, place another heavy skillet over the top to form a “press”. Turn after 2 to 3 minutes and replace weight. The sandwich is ready when golden brown and mozzarella has melted around the edges. Also, if you want to make this lighter you can bake the sandwich until the cheese gets nice and melted and the bread turns toasted brown.