Scallion & Ricotta Fritters

Here’s another recipe from the cookbook  I’ve been using all week: “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson. I left out the cilantro, since neither of us care for it. I LOVE ricotta cheese, and I really love anything with the word “fritter” in it. These were easy to make, and took no time at all to fry up. They are basically little pancakes. To me they tasted a little bit like mashed potatoes, which is a good thing. For a dipping sauce, I just served them with a little sour cream. With these we had some Quorn Gruyere Cutlets and some roasted asparagus. These were good! I bet you could really change these up now and then by adding different veggies and seasonings.

rating: 8

Scallion & Ricotta Fritters
(from the cookbook “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson)

generous 1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
6 tbsp self-rising flour
6 tbsp milk (I used Silk lite plain soymilk)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (I omitted)
sunflower oil, for frying
salt and ground black pepper

To garnish
cilantro sprigs
lime wedges

1. Beat the ricotta in a bowl until smooth, then beat in the egg and flour, followed by the milk to make a smooth, thick batter. Beat in the scallions and cilantro. Season well with pepper and a little salt.
2. Heat a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add spoonfuls of the mixture, in batches, to make fritters about 3 inches across. Fry for 4-5 minutes one each side, until set and browned. The mixture makes 12 fritters.
3. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve immediately. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Broiled Goat Cheese Salad

I love goat cheese, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. I first made the dressing. It really didn’t seem like enough dressing for 2 big salads (and it’s supposed to be for 4!), so I had Toby take a look at it. He agreed that it wouldn’t be enough, so he basically doubled it. As for the goat cheese, the plain-flavored goat cheese “log” in my grocery store was not vegetarian, so I got a flavored version that was. It was Mediterranean Herbs & Garlic-flavored. This recipe was super easy to make and it’s great! The little French bread pieces with the cheese baked on top = delicious. They could be eaten with a shoe and make it taste great! They were so good that today for lunch I made more! We enjoyed this salad with some egg-salad sandwiches.

rating: 9

Broiled Goat Cheese Salad

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

2 firm round whole goat cheese, about 2.5-4 ounces each

4 slices French bread

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 ounces read-to-serve salad greens

snipped fresh chives, to garnish (I omitted)

for the vinaigrette dressing

1/2 garlic clove

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar (used white vinegar)

1 tsp dry white wine

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1. To make the dressing, rub a large salad bowl with the cut side of the garlic clove. Combine the mustard, vinegar and wine in the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, then whisk in the oil, 1 tbsp at a time, to form a thick vinaigrette.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut the goat cheese in half across their width to make four “cakes”.

3. Arrange the bread slices in a broiler pan and toast them on one side under a hot broiler. Turn them over and place a piece of cheese, cut side up, on each slice. Drizzle with olive oil and broil until the cheese is lightly browned.

4. Add the leaves to the salad bowl and toss to coat them with the dressing. Divide the salad among four plates, top each with a goat cheese crouton and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Product Review: Veggie Chick’N Bites by It’s All Good

This is the second product we’ve tried by It’s All Good. We picked this up at an Earth Fare grocery store while we were out of town (Boone, NC). These are little fake chicken “cubes” that are in a light sauce (a “light provencale marinade”). I wasn’t sure what I would make with them, but yesterday I sort of improvised. I usually go to the grocery store on Monday mornings, but I had to spend the morning waiting on the plumber to come by, so there went the grocery store. I had to scrounge around the house for a dinner. I found a boxed pasta dish (Organic Cheddar & Herb Chicken by Annie’s Homegrown- you add your own chicken or FAKE chicken), so I thought maybe I could just use these little fake chicken cubes. All I had to do was warm the Veggie Chick’N Bites in a pan, then I added water and cream, then the pasta and the sauce packet that it comes with. The Annie’s box actually calls for milk, but I was out of my normal Silk (hello, it was grocery day!), so I had to use some cream that I had in the fridge. I was a little worried about how the sauce that the Veggie Chick’N Bites comes in would affect the taste, but it was great! I actually got a “wow!” out of Toby (and that’s saying alot!).  These were really good, and would buy them again if I ever see them in our grocery stores. With this we enjoyed a green salad.

rating: 8.5

http://itsallgoodfoods.com/

http://www.annies.com/home

Creamy Asparagus Soup

I tell ya, homeade soup doesn’t get much easier than this! This soup was SO flavorful that I didn’t need to add any salt or pepper to it! And guess what? Toby didn’t add any veggie stock or hot sauce to it either! This soup took no time to make, and once again I was able to use my immersion blender. LOVE it. This recipe made 4 bowls full, and that’s what we ate! With this we had some yeast rolls.

rating: 9.2

Creamy Asparagus Soup
(from the April 2003 issue of Shape magazine)

1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends removed and stalks cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion)
2 14.5-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (vegetarian “chicken” broth is what I used)
2 bay leaves
1 cup nonfat milk (I used Silk plain lite soy milk)
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, onion, and 1 can of broth. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, until asparagus is tender. Cut off asparagus tips and set aside.
2. In a blender, puree remaining asparagus mixture until smooth. Return puree to pan, add remaining broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add milk mixture to pan and simmer 2 minutes, until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
3. Place sour cream in a small bowl. Add a spoonful of asparagus mixture and stir to heat sour cream. Add sour cream mixture to saucepan along with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer 1 minute, to heat through. Remove bay leaves and discard. Ladle soup into bowls and top with reserved asparagus tips.

Leftover Veggie Quiche

I am always looking for a good quiche recipe. This one really calls for any leftover veggies that you have in your fridge. I had some portobello mushrooms and some red new potatoes that I needed to use, so that’s what I did. This was my first time using a refrigerated pie crust (I usually use a frozen one). I browned the mushrooms in a little olive oil first before I used them. For the potatoes, I quartered them, and roasted them in the oven with some olive oil until they were tender. For the milk, I used Silk lite plain soy milk, and the cheese was some I had on hand (shredded mild cheddar and shredded Italian blend). The verdict? Eh, this was kind of bland. Not sure what I could do to jazz it up. Toby suggested adding broth to it. He likes to add veggie broth to pretty much everything. I don’t know, I think I’ve made quiche better than this. I will continue on my search for the best quiche. With this, we had a green salad.

rating: 6

Leftover veggie Quiche
(from the April 1, 2009 issue of Woman’s Day magazine)

1 refrigerated pie crust
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 1/4 cups leftover veggies
1 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll a refrigerated pie crust into a 9″ pie plate; flute edge. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese on bottom; top with 1 1/4 cups leftover veggies.
2. Mix in large bowl milk, eggs, flour, cayenne, and nutmeg; pour into crust.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top. Bake 50 minutes or until center is firm and top is golden. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature.

Product Review: Veggie Beef Skewers by It’s All Good

We were in Boone, NC this past weekend for a mini-college reunion, and we passed by a grocery store called Earth Fare. I know of them but have never been in one. I always like to look in different grocery stores to see if they have any vegetarian food/products that I’ve never heard of. Well, sure enough, they did! I have never heard of this brand of veggie food: It’s All Good (http://itsallgoodfoods.com/). I bought the four meat substitutes that they had, and this is the first one we tried. I decided to try them in a dish I’ve made before, called “Chicken & Black Bean Tostadas”. I figured that I would just cut up the veggie beef and put it on top of the finished tostada. I didn’t realize that the veggie beef is indeed on a skewer, so that was kind of nice and different. I just sprayed a pan with some olive oil, and heated the four skewers a little on each side. The verdict? They were good. Toby liked them more than I did. I liked the texture, but I think what I didn’t love was the flavor, which on the box says it is a chipotle barbeque sauce. If these came in a different flavor, I would try them again. The Earth Fare store is alot like Whole Foods, and I know they are a chain as well.

rating: 7

http://peppertree.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/chicken-black-bean-tostadas/

Product review- Lightlife Smart Tenders

Are these new to you? They are new to me! I got the two flavors the store had: Lemon Pepper and Savory Chick’n. There are 6 tenders in each package, so I knew I would need more than one. It says that preparing them in a skillet is the prefered method, so that’s what I did. I sprayed a little olive oil in the pan, and fried them until they were a little brown on each side. The verdict? They are good! Both of us preferred the Lemon Pepper, but they were both good. It says that you can serve these on a bed of rice, wrap them in your favorite pita, or toss into a fresh salad. I just served them as is (with some honey mustard dipping sauce), some homemade mashed potatoes, a salad, and a roll. Good stuff!

rating: 9

www.lightlife.com

Product Review- poachpod

I love eggs and use them all the time in cooking. I can make fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes, boiled eggs, egg salad, etc. But I have only poached eggs a couple of times, and I always have to google “how to poach an egg” before I attempt it. I’ve heard that you need alot of water, I’ve heard you need very little water. I’ve heard you need some vinegar, I’ve heard you don’t need vinegar. So you can see where my frustration and hesitation with the poached egg lies. Toby has been asking for eggs benedicts lately (we used to go out for breakfast alot when we lived in DC (pre-baby), and one place we frequented offered like 10 different kinds of vegetarian eggs benedicts!), so I knew I needed to conquer the poached egg once and for all. And then I saw them: poachpod- a flexible silicone cooking tool for poaching eggs, baking and molding- floats in water during cooking. They come two in a package, and last night I finally gave them a try. The recipe I am posting I actually didn’t make, but rather used as inspiration. I didn’t want to deal with dried beans (that is another hill I need to climb), so I made a soup with garlic, 2 cans of Great Northern Beans, a bunch of Swiss Chard, veggie stock, homemade croutons, and poached eggs. I put the croutons and poached egg in the bowl, then poured the soup on top. The verdict? The soup was good! And the poachpods? Could it BE any easier?? The directions are: To poach an egg: evenly oil the poachpod. Bring about 1 1/2″ of water to a boil in a saute pan, reduce to a simmer, crack an egg into the poachpod and float in the water. Cover pan with a lid and cook in simmering water 4-6 minutes or to desired firmness. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poachpod from the water. For oiling the poachpod, I just sprayed it with a little Pam. As for the time, I set my oven timer to 6 minutes, and the eggs were perfect! I am very picky about my poached eggs- I don’t like any runny white AT ALL, but the yellow can be runny. And that’s exactly what I got! I handwashed them afterwards, but it says they are dishwasher-safe. I got them at my grocery store (Bloom) for about $8. Love them.

rating: soup- 8

rating: Poachpod-9.5

Cellini Bean Soup
(from the May 2009 issue of Yoga Journal magazine)

1/2 pound dried cellini or cannellini beans, soaked (I used 2 cans of Great Northern beans)
water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch green chard
salt
6 slices day-old hearty bread, cut from a large loaf, crusts removed
1/3 cup plus 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
4 poached eggs (optional)

1. Put the beans and their soaking water in a stockpot and add cold water, if needed, to cover the beans by 1 inch. Put the garlic on a piece of cheesecloth, gather the corners, and tie the bundle securely. Add garlic to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and slowly cook the beans, uncovered, until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add water to pot as necessary to keep the beans submerged. Gently stir the beans once or twice.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Remove chard leaves from stems, reserving stems, and tear leaves into 1-2″ pieces. Slice stems on the diagonal into matchstick-size pieces. Generously salt the water, add the chard leaves,and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove leaves with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with stems. When chard is cool, squeeze gently to remove water and set aside.
4. Tear bread into small pieces and toss in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toast bread in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven until crisp and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let bread cool in the pan.
5. When beans are tender, season with salt and pepper. Remove cheesecloth from pot and unwrap garlic. Process half the soup in a blender. Add the garlic cloves and 1/3 cup olive oil to the blender. Puree until smooth.
6. Adjust the liquid remaining in the pot for thinner or thicker soup. Add the pureed beans to the pot and set over medium heat. Add the chard and stems. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle soup with the bread, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season with pepper.

Potato Scallion Soup with Fried Matzo Dippers

Here’s another ingredient I have never cooked with before: matzo! I try to make one soup a week, and I am so glad that I found this soup! The soup was really easy to make, and boy, was it delicious! I was very hesitant about the fried matzo dippers, but they were super easy as well, and really added a special something to the dish. Matzo sheets, if you are as unfamiliar with them as I was, are kind of like big crackers. This recipe calls for the unsalted, so I guess you can get them salted as well. For the dippers, you basically rinse off the matzo sheets, crumble them up in a bowl, add the milk, eggs, and salt/pepper, then fry them like a pancake. I didn’t think it would really turn out, but sure enough, about 5 minutes, they were brown on the bottom and totally flippable. Toby said the soup was great, and he thought the matzo dippers was quiche! We both had 2 bowls full (I even gave Liam a little bowl of it- it is a little on the thick side, so he had no problem eating it himself), and I couldn’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today. Yay- matzo!

rating: 9.2

Potato Scallion Soup with Fried Matzo Dippers
(from the magazine “Everyday with Rachael Ray”

6 tbsp butter
6 bunches scallions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
4 large baking potatoes (about 2 1/4 lbs), cut into small cubes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used vegetable broth)
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
5 sheets unsalted matzo
5 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk (I used Silk Lite plain)
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used dried)

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, wine, and 1/2 tsp salt; bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover partially and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Using a blender, puree the soup. Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream; season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
3. Rinse each sheet of matzo under running water, then break into small pieces and add to a large bowl. Stir in the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Transfer the matzo mixture to the skillet, patting it down in an even layer. Cover and cook until golden-brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
5. Hold a flat cookie sheet over the skillet and carefully invert the matzo pancake onto it. In the skillet, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Slide the pancake into the skillet and cook until golden-brown on the other side, about 5minutes. Slide onto a cutting board and cut into 8 wedges.
6. Sprinkle the parsley on the soup and serve with the fried matzo dippers.

Spaghetti with Roasted Asparagus

I rarely cook with whole wheat pasta, and I know it’s SO much better for you than the regular stuff, so I thought I would try this recipe. Maybe this wasn’t the right recipe to get me on board the whole wheat pasta train. However, I DID leave out a few ingredients, so maybe they would have made a difference in taste, I don’t know. I left out the red pepper flakes and the grated lemon zest. Once I had everything all mixed together with the pasta, I tasted it. It had NO taste. So I added in a heap of shredded Parmesan, and voila! Taste!It was still kind of bland, though. With this, we enjoyed a green salad and some garlic bread.

rating: 6

Spaghetti with Roasted Asparagus
(from the March/April 2009 issue of Weight Watchers magazine)

1 1/4 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried (I used dried)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I omitted)
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (I omitted the zest)
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a broiler pan or large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the asparagus in the pan and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Roast until lightly charred in sports and tender, 12-14 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired.
3. Mix the oil, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a microwavable cup; microwave on high just until warm and fragrant, 30-40 seconds. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the salt.
4. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the spaghetti, asparagus, and the oil mixture in a bowl with enough of the reserved liquid to evenly moisten the spaghetti and asparagus.

serving= scant 1 1/4 cup
points per serving=5