Easy Broccoli Quiche

I looked through about 10 of my cookbooks for a quiche recipe, and only found one, and it was for Quiche Lorraine (has bacon). So I gave up and found one on the allrecipes site that got good reviews. It was super easy to make. I actually cooked it about 37 minutes instead of the recommended 30. Toby said that it was good, but could use some pizazz, like a different cheese or something. He also said it needed to cook a little longer. I think it’s a good basic recipe that you just need to tweak. And it fell apart when I put it on the plate.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Broccoli-Quiche/Detail.aspx

Chickpea Cutlets with Mustard Sauce

I decided to make these chickpea cutlets since that’s all anyone is talking about in vegan-food-blog-land. They were very easy to make- basically just mixing the ingredients together, forming into a patty, and frying (or baking). I doubled the recipe, which gave me 8 patties. I think next time I will take a fellow blogger’s advice and put it all in a food processor, instead of mixing by hand. I still had a few whole chickpeas in my patties (those things are surprisingly hard to mash!). Toby thought they were good, and mentioned other ways we could eat them (he mentioned with salsa, I am thinking marinara). I also made the Mustard Sauce that is also mentioned in the book (duh, it’s Veganomicon) as a companion for the cutlets. I also doubled this, and I shouldn’t have. We ended up with a vat of gravy. It had a good taste but was SUPER mustardy. I think next time I will use a different mustard, and maybe a little less of it. I served these cutlets and gravy with some buttermilk mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Chickpea Cutlets

(from the cookbook “Veganomicon: the Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

Makes 4 cutlets

1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
1/2 tsp lemon zest (I don’t have a zester, so I used a little lemon juice)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/4 t. dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for panfrying

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch teach one into a roughly 6 x 4-inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these too! Baking these patties gives them a toothsome chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat oven to 375°, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden-brown.

Mustard Sauce

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cup vegetable broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup sherry cooking wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp capers, with brine

Mix the cornstarch with the vegetable broth in a measuring cup and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic and thyme in the olive oil for about a minute.

Add the white wine and soy sauce, and raise the heat to high. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer, to reduce for about 4 minutes. Add the vegetable broth mixture, mustard, lemon juice, and capers. Stir often, using a whisk. Once the sauce is bubbling, lower the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes. The sauce should be on the thick side.

Let cool a bit before serving; this sauce tastes great just above room temperature.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

I happened to catch a bit of the show “The Barefoot Contessa” or whatever it’s called, last Friday night. She made a really good-looking mushroom lasagna and it looked so easy! So I googled the recipe and decided to try it tonight. It was super-easy to make, and it turned out great! It is definitely NOT low-fat, that’s for sure. There’s lots of butter and cheese. I didn’t tell Toby what we were having, but I thought it was kind of obvious that it was lasagna. He took one bite, and said it was good, and was it a variation on Shepherd’s Pie? What?? Um, no. I told him it was mushroom lasagna, and he said that there was no way that was pasta. What? But he said it was very good, and that I was really making some progress on my cooking! Instead of posting the recipe, I will just post the link. Oh, instead of using whole milk, I substituted plain Silk soy milk, and it turned out great.

http://tinyurl.com/256cm4

Vegetable Crumble

Ok, so you have to take the good with the bad sometimes. This one was bad. Although it was still edible. Which is weird. This little casserole was so dry! It needs a sauce or gravy or something. I think my problem was in the topping: I don’t think the flour and butter blended like they are supposed to. But, even if that turned out ok, it still would have been dry. Toby didn’t love it, although as he was getting his 2nd plateful, he said that it was strangely addictive. I won’t be making this one again.

Vegetable Crumble

(From the cookbook “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson)

1 pound potatoes, peeled and halved

2 tbsp butter

8 ounces leeks, chopped

1 pound carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 pound Brussels sprouts, sliced

salt and ground black pepper

for the cheese crumble

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I omitted this)

1 tsp English mustard powder

Add the potatoes to a pan of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, until just tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 more minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 10-cup ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain the potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Arrange them in an even layer on top of the other vegetables. To make the topping, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Alternatively, process in a food processor until combined. Add the bread crumbs and mix in the grated Cheddar, parsley and mustard powder. Spoon the mixture evenly on the vegetables and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 8.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Ok, so yesterday was a holiday, so that means no cooking. So for tonight’s dinner, I decided to make one of the first recipes in the cookbook “Vegetarian- the Best Ever Recipe Collection” by Linda Fraser. I always look at the recipe’s ingredients first, to make sure that they are easily bought, and that they aren’t too complicated to make, since I am a beginner cook! This one looked pretty simple, and I have to tell you, it was wonderful! We each had two bowls of it (along with a salad and some crusty bread). I think we will add this one to our dinner rotation.

Wild Mushroom Soup

(from the cookbook “Vegetarian- The Best Ever Recipe Collection” , by Linda Frase, 2001

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 leeks, thinly sliced

2 shallots, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

8 ounces fresh wild mushrooms (couldn’t find these, so I substituted regular button mushrooms)

5 cups vegetable stock

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2/3 cup heavy cream

salt and fresh ground pepper

sprigs of fresh thyme, to garnish (I skipped this)

Put the dried porcini in a bowl, add 1 cup warm water and let soak for 20-30 minutes. Lift out of the liquid and squeeze over the bowl to remove as much of the soaking liquid as possible. Strain all the liquid and reserve to use later. Finely chop the porcini. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the sliced leeks, chopped shallots and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not colored. Chop or slice the fresh mushrooms and add to the pan. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the porcini, soaking liquid, dried thyme and salt and pepper. Lower the heat, half-cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return the processed soup to the soup remaining in the pan, stir in the cream and heat through. Check the consistency and add more stock if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with thyme sprigs. Serves 4.

Mashed potatoes

I know, I know, but I have never made mashed potatoes from scratch. I usually use the powdered fake stuff, and I think it tastes just fine, but I didn’t have a chance to go to the grocery store (it snowed alot!), so I had to scrounge around and make something with what I had on hand. These mashed potatoes were actually really easy to make (they take longer than the instant, though). Toby said they were good, especially after he added his Creole Seasoning (he adds that to everything!). We ate these with a faux-chicken sandwich (I used Quorn) and sweet peas.

Mashed Potatoes

(from the Better Homes & Gardens NEW Cookbook, 10th Edition, 1989)

3 medium potatoes (1 lb)

2 tbsp margarine or butter

milk

salt and pepper

Peel and quarter potatoes. Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 20-25 minutes or till tender. Drain. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Add margarine and salt and pepper to taste. Gradually beat in enough milk (2-4 tbsp) to make light and fluffy. Serves 4.

Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding

Toby said that he wanted me to make something with eggs, so I was thinking maybe a quiche. While I was looking for a good quiche recipe, I found this one for bread pudding that sounded interesting. It was super easy to make, but I think I should have let it cook a little longer. Toby is not a huge spinach fan, so I didn’t put in the whole 10 ounces it calls for. He said that it was good, not too spinachy, but his least fave thing about it was the bread. I think, if I make it again, I will use a firmer bread, like a French bread or something.

Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding

(from the cookbook “Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes- Vegetarian Meals”)

6 large eggs

2 cups lowfat milk (I used Silk)

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

pinch ground nutmeg

1 pkg (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

8 slices firm white bread, cut into 3/4″ pieces

Preheat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. With rubber spatula, stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread. Pour mixture into lightly greased 13″x9″ ceramic or glass baking dish. Bake bread pudding until browned and puffed, and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Remove bread pudding from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

A really good slaw

Tonight I decided to make another “new” side dish, instead of an entree. I made “faux” crab cakes (made with zucchini), shoe string french fries, and slaw. I got the slaw recipe off the back of the bag of cabbage! I bought a bag of “Fresh Express” angel hair cole slaw (which was just a bag of fine shredded cabbage). It was so easy to make, and I let it sit in the fridge while I made the rest of dinner. Toby said he really liked it, and when he went back for seconds, he ate it all! There was no more left for me! So that means it was good.

Steve’s Memphis-style Dressing

1/4 mayonnaise

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground celery seed

bag of shredded cabbage

Pour cider vinegar into a bowl, then add sugar. Stir to dissolve. In a separate bowl, add mayonnaise and ground celery seed together. Stir in vinegar mix. Whisk until smooth. Toss with Fresh Express Angel Hair Cole Slaw and enjoy!

Broccoli Casserole

I decided to make a side dish instead of a main course. These dish was very easy to make and turned out well. I will be eating some for lunch today! With this we had mashed potatoes and gravy and a faux-chicken sandwich (Quorn). I got the recipe from a cookbook my mom gave me (used to be hers).

Broccoli Casserole I

(from the cookbook “Cooking with Class”, which was put together by Charlotte Latin Schools, Inc. This particular recipe was submitted by Hazel Harris)

2 pkgs. (10-ounces) frozen chopped broccoli

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup minced fresh onion

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

2 beaten eggs

cheese cracker crumbs (I substituted smushed up Ritz crackers with melted butter)

Cook broccoli 5 minutes in boiling water, drain and put in colander and steam over boiling water 10 minutes. Mix mushroom soup, mayonnaise, onion, cheese, eggs and broccoli. Put into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese cracker crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. This is better is made up and refrigerated a day before it is baked. Serves 8.

African Peanut Soup

I decided to try this recipe that I printed out from the allrecipes.com site over a year ago. I tasted it before I added the peanut butter, and I wasn’t so sure I would like it, but boy, afterwards, man!! This soup is delish. Try it.

African Peanut Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with liquid

8 cups vegetable broth or stock

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

2/3 cup extra crunch peanut butter

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well-blended, and serve.