Cauliflower Pasta Casserole

(a variation of a recipe called Cauliflower Cheese Pasta, from Jean Paré's pasta cookbook)

2 c pasta, any kind but spaghetti
boiling water
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
5 tb butter
3 tb white flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 c milk
1 c grated cheddar cheese
2 c coarsely chopped cauliflower
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2 tb butter

Preheat oven to 350F.
Boil pasta and set aside. Steam cauliflower at medium heat about 8 minutes or until tender, in a half-inch of boiling water. Drain both and mix together. (You can cook them together in one pot as long as your cauliflower is coarsely enough chopped). Sauté onion, pepper and mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter in another pot, then add to the pasta and cauliflower and set aside.
Melt 3 tb butter in pot, add salt, pepper and flour, stir over medium heat and add milk. Stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens; add grated cheese. Mix with veggies and put into greased casserole dish.
Melt 1 tb butter and stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of mixture in casserole and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
If you have no bread crumbs handy, sprinkle top of casserole with chili powder.
Double this recipe if you have teenagers.

Winter Vegetable Medley

This stew recipe, with very minor variations, has been taken from Slow Cooker, by Linda Doeser

2 tb oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 bunches celery, chopped, leaves reserved
2 tb chopped fresh parsley
1 tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 and ¼ c vegetable stock
salt and pepper

Heat oil in lg, heavy pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add carrots, parsnips and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil.

Transfer veggies to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours or until tender. Garnish with a few of the reserved celery leaves.

Variation:
For a more substantial dish, sprinkle thinly shaved Parmesan cheese over each portion or drizzle with 2 tb heavy cream.

To use dried cilantro and parsley instead of fresh, cut amount by 2/3. I’ve sometimes substituted turnip for parsnips. When there is no vegetable stock on hand, I use a teaspoon of miso paste with water instead.

Baking powder biscuits are delicious with this stew but why wouldn’t dumplings be equally so?

The Quintessential Quesadilla

4 c grated cheddar
1 pkg whole wheat soft tortillas
chopped green pepper
chopped onion
chopped mushrooms
sliced olives
salsa
sour cream

Lay tortilla on cookie sheet sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Put a thin layer of cheese under a sprinkling of veggies, and add another thin layer of cheese before laying a second tortilla on top. Press down gently. Bake at 375F for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into pie-shaped wedges, and serve with salsa and sour cream. You can add just about any vegetable to these, but keep things chopped small and the layer thin, otherwise the quesadillas won't hold together very well.

Sista's Spinach Salad

Bowlful fresh spinach leaves
2 green onions, chopped
a chunk of cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
2 boiled eggs, grated
1 c fresh chopped mushrooms
fake bacon bits

Dressing:
¼ c oil
2 tb red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar (optional)
½ tsp dill
1 tsp dry mustard
1 clove minced garlic

Greek Salad

1 long English cucumber, diced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ green pepper, chopped
4 black olives, sliced, or 8 whole
lettuce (optional), torn into bite-size pieces

Combine first 5 ingredients.

Mix in separate container:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp oregano

Toss with salad. Add:

½ c feta cheese, crumbled or diced.

Toss again, and serve.

Easy Egg Foo Yung

Make the gravy first, and set it aside:

1 and ½ tsp cornstarch
½ c vegetable broth (or 1 tsp miso paste in water)
¼ tsp sugar
1 tsp soya sauce
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in small pot and heat over medium heat till thick, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Then:

10 eggs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil (or brown a handful of sesame seeds in 1 tsp veg oil before sautéeing veggies)
1 c diced onion
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 c diced celery
2 c mung bean sprouts
3 green onions, chopped
1 c water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 tbsp soya sauce
½ tsp cornstarch

Whisk first four ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil in ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add next three ingredients and sauté three minutes, till onion is tender. Add last three ingredients and sauté two minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Whisk cornstarch and soya sauce in small glass. Add to the frying pan, mix well with veggies and heat 1 minute. Pour egg mixture evenly over veggies and cook about 4 minutes, or until edges are firm.

Place frying pan under broiler on middle rack of oven. Cook until top begins to brown, about three minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes; drizzle with gravy just before serving.

Serve with brown rice or buttered toast.

Good-as-Gold Granola

16 c rolled oats
3 c unsweetened coconut
3 c wheat germ
3 c nuts and seeds (sunflower, sesame, walnuts, almonds - mixed, or whatever is on hand)
1 and 1/3 c vegetable oil
2 c honey
1/2 c water
1 tbsp salt
3 tsp vanilla
3 c raisins

Stir vanilla and salt into wet ingredients and pour over dry ingredients (except raisins) in a large bowl. Mix well and spread onto two cookie sheets or large pans (cake pans, roasters have high sides and are thus less messy) and bake at 300F for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or more often if you smell burning. When oats are lightly browned, remove granola from oven and cool before adding raisins. Store in airtight container.

This cereal is very filling and chewy, but if you’re going to be a vegetarian you need a handy and nutritious staple like this in your kitchen. Preferably one with lots of protein – so don’t skimp on the nuts.

In my household there are three adults eating this granola regularly and this recipe lasts us about three weeks. If you live alone or are trying homemade granola for the first time, think about halving the measured amounts given. The granola can be kept in the freezer, too.