Kale Lasagna Diavolo

From The Vegetarian Times

Makes 2 servings.

*1 tsp. olive oil, plus more for oiling pan

*1 8-oz bunch kale, stems removed

*1 15-oz pkg. fat-free ricotta cheese

*4 oz. chevre or goat cheese, softened

*2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

*2 cups prepared tomato puree

*1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

*6 lasagna  noodles, cooked and drained, or 6 no-cook lasagna noodles

*1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat 8-inch square baking pan with oil.

2. Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes.  Drain, and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Thoroughly wring out kale, then chop.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and set aside.

3. Mash together ricotta and chevre in bowl, and set aside.

4. Heat 1 tsp. oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic, and cook 15 seconds, or until fragant.  Add tomato puree and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes, or until thickened.

5. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in prepared baking pan.  Place 2 lasagna noodles on top of sauce.  Top with half of cheese mixture, half of kale, and 1/3 cup sauce.  Top with two more noodles, remaining cheese,  and remaining kale.  Top with remaining lasagna noodles, and cover with remaining sauce.  Spring with Parmesan, and bake 40 minutes, or until cheese has melted and lasagna is bubbly.

Winter Squash Soup

From Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home by Ina Garten
 
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
*1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or one pie pumpkin (roast, then puree the cooked pumpkin)
*1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
*3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (homemade preferred)
*2 teaspoons salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 cup half-and-half
*grated gruyere or croutons – for garnish

 
Heat oil and butter in pot on med-low heat, add the onions and cook over med-low heat for 10 minutes or until translucent.  Add the pumpkin puree, butternut squash, stock, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer over med-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is very tender.  Turn off heat, let it cool a little bit then process mixture through a food mill or use an immersion blender directly in the pot to process everything into liquid.  Add half and half and heat slowly.  Add garnishes as you wish.

Paula Deen’s Collard Greens

Subscriber Janet Lohr graciously shared this recipe from Paula Deen. She has adapted it to cabbage and mustard greens as well.

Ingredients

*1/2 pound smoked meat (I have used bacon, pork fat meat or seasoned ham and I have added some liquid smoke)
*1 TBSP House Seasoning (recipe for House Seasoning below)

*1 TBSP Seasoned Salt (I use Lawry’s)

*1 TBSP hot red pepper sauce (I have not used this – my kids would not like it!)

*1 large bunch of collard greens ( I have used as much as 2 family shares in one batch)

*1 TBSP butter

 

Directions

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to boil and add meat, house seasoning, seasoned salt and hot sauce (if you are using it).  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 1 hour.

Wash the collard greens thoroughly.  Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in your left hand and stripping the leaf down with your right hand.  The tender young leaves in the heart of the collards don’t need to be stripped.  Stack 6-8 leaves on top of one another, roll up, and slice into 1/2 – 1 inch-thick slices.  Place greens in pot with meat and add butter.  Cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When done, taste and adjust seasoning.

Note:  S far, I have used this same recipe for cabbage and mustard greeens.  The cabbage cooked for about the same amount of time if you like it fairly soft.  I also had to add some salt at the end.  The mustard greens only took about 4-5 minutes to cook.  I am sure you can use the same recipe for kale, but you may need to adjust the cooking time. 

House Seasoning

*1 cup salt (I only use kosher salt)

*1/4 cup black pepper

*1/4 cup garlic powder

 Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Asian Vegetable Rolls

from Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2 oz. thin rice noodles

1 cup bean sprouts

10 soft lettuce leaves

1 cup carrots, finely shredded

2-3 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cups cilantro leaves

8 rice paper wrappers (about 8” square)

Drop noodles into boiling water, remove from heat and let stand 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

Lay out noodles and vegetables in an assembly line. Heat a pan of water until it’s almost too hot to handle. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the hot water for 15-20 seconds, then take it out and lay it flat. Flatten out one lettuce leaf on top (this helps prevent other fillings from poking through the wrapper). Next, place a finger-sized bunch of noodles close to one side of the paper and roll that side over the noodles. Continue this same pattern for the vegetable fillings, laying each ingredient parallel to the noodles and rolling the paper over. After the mint and cilantro leaves have gone in, fold the ends of the wrapper in, then fold the remaining side over them to secure. Set roll on a platter, seam side down. Keep rolls moist until served, and separated so they don’t stick together (the wrappers will tear).

Serve whole or cut in half, with your choice of spicy dipping sauce. One simple option is to add a few tablespoons of rice vinegar and sesame oil to a half cup of soy sauce.

Green Tomato Pasta Sauce

From subscriber Mike Davis:

Cut 6-8 silces of bacon into 1 inch chunks, crisp them, then set aside on a paper towel to drain. Discard all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease.

Mix the reserved bacon grease with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sautee 3 cloves of minced garlic for about 30-60 seconds in grease/oil.

Add chopped green tomatoes (I used 5), red pepper flakes (to taste) and salt/pepper (to taste). Cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.

Add about 1/2 cup of dry white wine, then cook the sauce down until it is “saucey” (about 20 min) and thickens. 

Boil pasta.

Add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup pasta water, a tablespoon of cider vinegar, about 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and reserved bacon to the tomatoes. Mix with pasta and eat!!

Savory Swiss Chard Tart

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, ribs removed
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream and sour cream combined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• Handful raisins
• Handful toasted pine nuts
• 1 deep tart shell, pre-baked in a 9-inch springform pan or a frozen deep dish pie dough, thawed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saute pan and fry the shallots until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove to a plate. In the same pan, fry the bacon until it is crispy. Remove to the plate with the shallots. Divide the chard leaves from the ribs: chop the ribs quite small and shred the leaves. First, fry the ribs in the bacon fat until tender. (Cook’s Note: You may want to cover the pan for a few minutes to speed up the process.) Add the chard leaves to the pan, cover, and wilt, about 3 minutes.

Beat the eggs together with the creme fraiche, and season with salt, and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the shallots, bacon, chard stems and leaves, cheese, raisins, and pine nuts, to combine evenly. Taste, and season. Fill the tart shell with the vegetable mixture, and pour over the cream mixture. Bake until the tart has set, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven, and cool. Serve at room temperature.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

from The Grit Cookbook:

*4 pounds (4 jumbo) sweet potatoes

*2 tablespoons butter or vegan margarine

*1 teaspoon salt

*1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar

*1/8 teaspoon white pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a paring knife. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet in oven and roast at least 45 minutes, or until they are completely soft, beginning to caramelize, and knife glides through them with ease. Remove from oven and cool exterior of potatoes slightly by immersing in cool water. Remove peels and place potatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and stir, then whip together with electirc mixer on high speed. Blend until creamy and smooth. Serve immediately.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

If sweet potatoes are extremely large, roasting can be hastened by roasting them with an all-metal knife inserted into the center or each potato, to draw heat within.

For tropical sweet potatoes, add any or all of the following: 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 generous tablespoon pineapple or orange-pineapple juice concentrate, 1/2 cup coconut milk.

Cheesecake-Style Pumpkin Pie

from The Grit Cookbook:

*1 basic pie crust

*1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

*1/2 cup sugar

*1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

*2 cups pumpkin puree

*2 large eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten

*3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

*2 teaspoons brandy

*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

*pinch of salt

*pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

*very small pinch of freshly ground clove

 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a deep-dish pie pan with a basic pie crust.

With electric mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugars and beat until smooth. Combine all filling ingredients and blend until fully combined. Pour filling into crust. Place pie on a large cookie sheet.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until crust and top of filling are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

Yields 8 to 10 servings.

Walnut-Praline Pumpkin Pie

from Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining:

PASTRY

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

 

FILLING

3 large eggs

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk

 

NUT TOPPING

1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans, chopped

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

To make the pastry, in a food processor or in a bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and butter. Pulse or cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse or toss with a fork until blended. Add the ice water and process or mix just until the dough clings together in a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round 12 inches in diameter. Drape the pastry round over the rolling pin and carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Ease it into the dish, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the overhang to 1 inch, then fold the excess dough under the overhang and flute the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes or up to overnight.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Let the pastry shell cool on a wire rack until ready to fill.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and mix well. Stir in the pumpkin puree and half-and-half. Pour into the pastry shell. Bake for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, in a bowl, combine the nuts and brown sugar, mixing well.

After the pie has baked for 35 minutes, sprinkle the topping around the perimeter of the surface. Continue to bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, turn the oven to the broiler setting, and broil the pie for 30 seconds to caramelize the brown sugar. Watch the pie carefully to avoid scorching.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8-10.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

*1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
*1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
*5 tablespoons vegetable oil
*1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*1 medium onion, finely chopped
*2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
*2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
*2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*1/4 teaspoon turmeric
*1/4 teaspoon cayenne
*1/2 cup water

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.