|
ENTREES
Nesbitt's Rich Vegan LasagnaI have tried so many different vegan lasagna recipes, and it seems like they have always been missing something. Finally, I found a way to make a creamy, rich-tasting lasagna without any dairy products or substitutes. This lasagna, served with a salad and whole-grain bread sticks, makes a great meal.This recipe is very easy. You don't have to do everything at once and you can really do the steps in whatever order makes sense to you. Both the filling and, especially the sauce would benefit from being made the day before to allow the flavours to further develop. If you do the filling the day before, just be sure to take it out of the refrigerator a bit in advance to allow it to warm up and spread more easily. Sauce Ingredients: Filling Ingredients: To Make: Note: The amount of sauce and tofu mixture used for each layer varies with taste. I usually use layers of sauce and tofu mixture about 2-3 times as thick as the noodles. I have never used all of either for one lasagna. You may very well have sauce and/or tofu mixture left over at the end. Both can be frozen and used in a variety of ways. The sauce, as you may guess, can be used in the same way as any other kind of sauce - on pizza, spaghetti, polenta, etc. The tofu mixture can be an ingredient for twice-baked potatoes, a filling for calzones or stuffed shells, etc, etc, etc. Always be creative with your leftovers! Tofu Meat Balls1 large onion, finely chopped Sauté the vegetables and basil until tender, approximately 10 minutes. In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, walnuts and remaining ingredients. Mash the tofu and add it to the bowl, along with the sautéed vegetables. Stir well. (The mixture should be firm enough to form into 1 1/2" balls.) Place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes. Top with Italian Sauce. Zucchini Patties1 onion, diced Sauté onion in small amount of water. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then form into patties. Brown in oven on both sides. Serve plain, or with gravy. Sunflower Seed Patties1 cup raw wheat germ Mix all ingredients and form into patties. Bake at 350° for 10-20 minutes on each side. Serve these on a bun like a hamburger, or pour gravy over them. Potato Burgers1 large potato, peeled and diced Cook potato until tender. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Drain potato and mash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well. Form into patties. Brown on each side. Serve with Country Style Gravy. Nut Patties1 1/2 pound Brazil nuts or pecans, ground Mix ingredients together. Let stand 10 minutes. If mixture seems too thin, add some potato flour. Form into patties and bake at 350° for approximately 15-20 minutes. Then turn over and bake about 10-15 minutes more. Cover with gravy or Italian Sauce. Mushroom Burgers1 pound finely chopped mushrooms Use a food processor to grind the ingredients, but be careful not to puree everything. Let this sit for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Form six 5-inch by 3/4-inch patties and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Lentil Rice Patties2 cups cooked brown rice Sauté onion and garilc. Add all the ingredients in a bowl, and mix. Form into patties. Bake at 350° until both sides are brown, or brown in a small amount of olive oil. These are good to make ahead of time and lay them in a casserole dish with some Italian Sauce covering them. A tasty addition to this dish is to top with Cashew Pimiento Slicing Chese. Italian Rice Balls3 cups cooked brown rice Mix all ingredients. (If rice is hot, you do not need egg replacer.) Form into balls. Roll in bread crumbs. Brown in a little olive oil, or bake in 350° oven until brown. Falafels with Tahini Sauce3 cups canned garbanzo beans Puree garbanzo beans and liquid until smooth in blender. Transfer to large bowl and add all other ingredients except cracker crumbs or wheat germ. Mix well. Stir in enough cracker crumbs or wheat germ until it holds together. roll mixture into 11 2-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes per side or until lightly browned with a crispy, dry, cracked exterior. Be careful not to let the falafels dry out too much. The inside should be moist. Put the following fixings into pita bread with tahini sauce: lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and avacado. Option: add fresh, chopped cilantro. CASSEROLES & ENTREES Cabbage Rolls1 medium onion, finely chopped Sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes. (Optional: add shredded soy cheese. You can also add 1 pound fresh sliced mushrooms. Sauté with onion and garlic.) Add carrot and celery. Sauté briefly, then add water. Bring to boil and cover. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, then stir in rice, Bragg's and nuts. Wash cabbage leaves carefully, and steam in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°, place 1/3 cup of filling on each leaf. Roll the leaf around it lengthwise into a fat little pocket, tucking in the sides as you roll. Place the rolls in a baking dish, pour marinara sauce over, and bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. Cashew Lentile Loaf1 cup lentils Cook lentils in water until soft. Cool and set aside. Sautê onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add carrots and celery. Simmer covered 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together lentils, vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into an oiled loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or until firm. Serve Country Style Gravy over top. Cashew Rice Casserole1 1/2 cups cashews, ground Mix all ingredients thoroughly and let stand 10 minutes. Consistency should be fairly thick. You may need to add more liquid or bread crumbs depending upon the texture. Place in a baking dish that has been lightly oiled or sprayed. Bake 40-50 minutes at 350°. Serve Country Style Gravy over top. Enchilada Casserole2 cans (16 oz.) kidney beans, undrained In a bowl mash kidney beans, onions, and seasonings. In a casserole dish, layer 4 corn tortillas, 1/2 of the beans, 1/3 of the cheese, 4 more tortillas, all tomatoes, remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serve with soy Sour Cream, chopped green onions, or chives and sliced olives. Harvest Nut Loaf2 1/2 cups celery, chopped Steam celery and onions. Combine remaining ingredients, folding in bread crumbs last. Place in loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray, and bake for 1 1/4 hours at 350°. Loaf may have to be covered with foil near the end of baking if top begins to get too brown. Tastes good served with Country Style Gravy. Layered Dinner6 potatoes, sliced Optional vegetables: mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, etc. Sauce3 cups tomato sauce Layer vegetables in a large casserole dish in order given. Use optional vegetables as desired. Mix ingredients of sauce together. Pour sauce over vegetables. Bake covered at 350° for about 1 1/2 hours. Peasant's PieTopping4 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed Mash potatoes with about 1/4 cup or so of soy milk Sauce2 cups Country Gravy, or Filling1 onion, coarsely chopped Steam vegetables (except spinach) about 15 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and 2 cups gravy. Spoon this filling into a 9" x 12" baking dish. Sprinkle with a small amount of paprika. Bake 30 minutes at 350°. Helpful Hints Polenta3 cups water Bring to a boil in large sauce pan first 3 ingredients. Gradually stir in a mixture of 1 cup cold water, 1 cup polenta. Continue boiling on medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Lower heat, cover, cook slowly for 10 minutes or more unto done. Stir a few times while cooking. Good plain or with your favorite sauce and vegetables on top or broiled the next day. Stuffed Grape Leaves1/4 cup olive oil Heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring until golden. Remove nuts and set aside. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in rice, dill, salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Stir gently to blend. Drain grape leaves and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Spread leaves, veined side up, on a flat surface. Cut off stems. Place 1 tablespoon of filling near stem end, fold sides in and roll up. Arrange filled leaves, seam side down, in a single layer, in a baking pan. Sprinkle with water and bake covered at 350° for 25 minutes. Sunshine Loaf2 cups raw carrots, grated Dilute peanut butter with milk. Mix nut butter with rice. Add carrots and remaining ingredients, using crumbled bread as necessary to make a thick consistency. Put into baking dish. Bake 45-55 minutes at 350°. Serve with your favorite gravy. Tofu Chicken1 pound firm tofu Break tofu into large chunks. If you are making sandwiches cut into strips 1/4" thick. Brown in a non-stick pan. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Sprinkle on rest of the ingredients, stirring to coat tofu evenly. Eat as is with rice and vegetables, make into sandwiches, of fill pita bread. You may eat this warm or cold. Tofu Turkey Roast5 pounds firm tofu, crumbled fine Mix all ingredients together except stuffing. Line an 11 3/4" colander with cheese cloth. Transfer tofu into colander. Press tofu evenly around all sides and bottom. Fold edges of cheese cloth over it. Place a bowl over the surface of the tofu and weigh it down with a heavy object to press the liquid from the tofu -- about one hour. Prepare your favorite stuffing recipe and set aside. After tofu has set 1 hour, hollow out tofu turkey within one inch thickness. Set hollowed out tofu aside. Pack in stuffing and cover with remaining tofu. Pat down so that surfaces are firm and flat. Place an oiled baking sheet on top of colander then flip turkey over. Remove cheese cloth. Baste with toasted sesame oil and Cover with foil and bake at 400° for 1 hour. Remove foil, baste again and return to oven to bake for approximately 1 more hour or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite gravy. cornbread Stuffing: Gravy: Sauté the onion in the oil until soft. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute more. Shake the flour, broth and water together in a jar and add this to the onions and mushrooms. Mix in the soy sauce and stir over medium heat until thick. Vegetable Casserole1/2 pound green beans, fresh Snap ends of beans and cut into 2" lengths. Combine with eggplant, onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper and potatoes in a large casserole. Chop tomatoes and add to casserole, along with olive oil, tomato paste, salt, basil, cayenne and honey. Stir gently. Cover casserole and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until vegetables are almost tender, removing lid and basting vegetables with juices about every 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and gently mix in zucchini. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Vegetarian PotpieDough: Filling: Steam carrots, potatoes and celery until tender. Add peas and set aside. Sauté onion in oil until soft and transparent. Stir in flour and oats. Add water, seasonings and bay leaves. Heat until mixture has thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in vegetables. Remove bay leaves. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Put some filling in the middle and fold in half. Crimp edges. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Or if using a pie dish, roll out half the dough and place in bottom of dish. Spoon in filling. Roll out remaining dough and place on top. Crimp edges and make slits on top. Bake for about 45-50 minutes at 350°, until the edges are slightly brown. Walnut Loaf2 cups bread crumbs Mix first 4 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put into casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350°. Serve with gravy. Zucchini Potato Casserole1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat Over low heat, cook bulgur wheat in water about 15 minutes. Steam onion and potatoes until almost done. Add zucchini and seasonings. Cook until tender. In a separate bowl, combine bulgur wheat, tomato paste and parsley. Press into the bottom of a casserole dish. Next, combine tofu and 1/2 of the cheese. Spread on the top of bulgur mixture. When vegetables are done, put them on next. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Country Style Gravy3 cups water Blend 1/2 cup water with cashews until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, except parsley. Pour into saucepan and stir while cooking until thickened. For chicken style gravy, omit salt and add 1-2 teaspoons vegetarian Chicken-like Seasoning. Garbanzo Loaf Mash with fork 5 or 6 cups cooked garbanzos Add ½ cup peanut butter 1 ½ cup bread crumbs 1 chopped onion 1 can chopped black olives Salt to taste ¼ cup sesame seeds Mix all ingredients together and top with sesame seeds. Bake @ 400 for 30 minutes. For tasty treat, thicken garbanzo juice for a yummy gravy! Mushroom Burgers 1 lb finely chopped mushrooms ½ cup ground sunflower seeds 1 cup cooked lentils 1½ cup fine ground oatmeal ½ cup tomato-vegetable juice ½ cup chopped celery 1 chopped onion 1 Tbs Egg Replacer Sea salt to taste Grind all ingredients in food processor; add mushrooms last & be careful not to puree. Let sit for 20 mins. Form patties; bake @ 350 for 25 mins, turning once. Tomato-Veggie-Pasta soup ½ cup whole wheat or vegetable pasta. (Catelli Healthy Harvest whole wheat elbow or Bistro vegetable fusili is good ) 1 medium can diced or stewed tomatoes ¼ cup dry textured vegetable protein- in ground style or small bits 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, (the kind with cubed carrots, peas, corn and green beans) ½ TBS. Olive oil 1-2 teaspoons
Nutritional Yeast ¼ tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. Basil (optional) Put 2 cups water on to boil in a 2 quart (or larger) saucepan. When boiling add the pasta and Textured vegetable protein and ½ tbs. Olive oil, and simmer until about half cooked stirring once or twice. Then add the frozen vegetables bring back to simmering and add seasonings and canned tomatoes. (If available, diced raw tomatoes can be used about 1 ½ cups. If fresh tomatoes are used, add ½ teaspoon sea salt) Bring back to simmer and turn off burner leaving soup to sit covered for a few minutes before serving. Stir well and serve with whole wheat pita bread. Sea salt can be added to taste Cashew/Chestnut Roast A great holiday dish! 2 Tbsp. olive oil or water 2 medium onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp. dried rosemary 1 tsp. dried thyme 1-1/4 cups cashews, ground 5 medium carrots, cooked and mashed 3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs 1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water 3 heaping Tbsp. whole wheat flour 3 to 4 Tbsp. water 1 cup chestnut puree 1/2 tsp. salt Heat the oil or water in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, and herbs until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the cashews, mashed carrots, bread crumbs, and bouillon. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the flour and water together to make a smooth paste, using more or less water as needed. Add this to the cashew mixture. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan or mold. Place the chestnut purée and salt in a food processor and blend until well mixed. Spoon half of the cashew mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spread the chestnut mixture on top of the cashew mixture, making sure the chestnut mixture stays clear of the sides. Then add the rest of the cashew mixture and press down. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is crisp on the outside. Allow the roast to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then serve with your favorite vegetarian gravy.
|
