Cauliflower Marranca

This is my adapted version of a wonderful casserole or stovetop dish that I found long ago in my older version of The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking). It's been a longtime favorite, and it's very adaptable. Broccoli or green beans can replace the cauliflower, pasta or another grain can stand in for the rice....

3 cups cooked brown rice (1 1/2 cups uncooked in 3 cups water)

1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 large head cauliflower, broken into same-size pieces
1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves (1 1/2 teaspoons) crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen basil
salt and pepper

2 1/2 cups grated cheese of your choice

1 ) Begin cooking rice.

2 ) Saute mushrooms and onion in butter until soft and delicious. Add the lemon juice and stir a bit. Dump into bowl.

3 ) Saute cauliflower in oil with garlic and basil until nearly tender. Salt and pepper as you wish. Dump into the bowl with the mushrooms.

4 ) Add the rice when it is done.

5 ) Add the cheese and mix well. Taste for seasonings.

6 ) Either bake at 350 for 30 minutes OR heat on the stove for about 10 minutes or until hot.

Serve with a salad and bread. A chocolate dessert wouldn't hurt either!

Christmas Toffee...the Easy Way!

I LOVE toffee...except that fooling with the thermometers and cold water trials and STILL getting the texture wrong frustrates me to no end. This recipe simplifies all that by using the microwave, with the color as clue to doneness.

It makes most of a cookie sheet full of toffee, which lasts an hour or so at our house!

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts



1 ) Put the stick of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Use the wrapper to grease the top inside edge of the bowl to keep the mixture from sticking. Add the sugar, salt and water.

2 ) Cook on high for about 6 to 7 minutes. After this point, stir every 30 seconds until it is golden brown, about the color of a Heath bar. This will usually be only a minute or so, but can be as long as 5 minutes more. Watch carefully..it can burn quickly!

3 ) Pour mixture onto a buttered cookie sheet. Don't scrape the bowl. That can crystallize the candy. If you do wish to scrape it, pour that bit of candy onto a separate buttered pan.

4 ) Sprinkle on chocolate chips, wait a minute, then spread them around. Sprinkle with nuts.

5 ) Let cool, then break into pieces and eat.

This candy travels well, so it is perfect for mailing or including in gift baskets!

Almost Olive Garden Vegetable Soup

This is a family favorite, much requested and happily eaten by all. Great with fresh bread and a salad. It also lends itself to many variations.


* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1 cup finely chopped white onion (about 1 small onion)
* 1/2 cup frozen cut green beans or 1 can green beans
* 1/2 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
* 4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves) or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 6 cups water
* 1-2 cups leftover vegetables that seem right for this soup
* 1 chicken substitute bullion cube, it you have it
* 1 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
* 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 small can tomato paste
* 1 cup carrot, finely chopped or shredded
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1/4 cup fresh
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 cup small shell pasta or alphabets or broken fettuccini or whatever

1 ) Heat the oil in your soup pot. Add the onion, celery and garlic. Simmer gently for several minutes.

2 ) Add the vegetables, beans, water, bullion cube, tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes to half an hour.

3 ) Add the pasta and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese to top. A few croutons wouldn't hurt either!


This can also be made in a crockpot. Put all but the noodles in at the beginning of the day and let it cook. Just remember to add the pasta about 20 minutes before serving.

Faux Swiss Steak

This is adapted from a recipe that I found at Recipezaar.com. It got rave reviews from nearly everyone in the family. My husband thought that it was a Morningstar Farms product, only better. Since MSF burgers are now nealy $1 each, I am very happy to have found this recipe!

The bullion cubes without animal products can be found  at natural food stores or even in the natural food sections at Kroger. They're also available at Amazon.

1/2 pound mushrooms, grated or run through a food chopper

1 medium onion, likewise chopped

1 not-quite-chicken or beef bullion cube (if you have it)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 cups uncooked oatmeal

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1 ) Mix all of the above thoroughly.Let sit while you stir up the topping.

1 cup light sour cream

1 can mushroom soup

1/4 cup water

2 ) Heat frying pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put a bit of oil in. Make mushroom mixture into small patties and fry until golden.

3 ) Put fried patties into a greased baking pan, preferably 9" x 11". Pour sauce over patties and bake at 375 for about 1/2 an hour, until the top is browning.

Serves 6 or so. If you'd like to make it a little more quickly, microwave the sauce while you fry the burgers. That will cut cooking time by about 10 minutes.

The burgers can also be fried and served on a bun, or covered with sauces of your choice. They're very versatile!



This is perfect with Potatoes Romanoff!

Mexican Pizza

This isn't very Mexican, but it's very requested at our house. No pizza night is complete without it! It's also fast and easy.

1 unbaked pizza crust - homemade, store bought, mix, swiped from a neighbor's counter - whatever!
1 14 - 16 ounce can of refried beans
1 12 - 24ounce bottle of your favorite salsa, taco sauce, picante sauce, etc.
2 - 4 cups cheese - cheddar, Mexican blend, etc.

1 ) Spread the beans on the crust. Pour on as much sauce as you like. Don't skimp! Let the crust rise if needed.

2 ) Bake at 400 (or whatever temp is recommended) until the edges are getting a bit golden and the bottom is nearly done.

3 ) Top with cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and maybe a bit browned.

4 ) Remove from the oven. Cut.  If you like, put out bowls of chopped lettuce, olives, salsa, peppers, etc to top the slices.

Cauliflower Quiche

My husband loves this so much that he once recommended it to a restaurant that he sold bread to. It was on their menu for several years. It is absolutely delicious and very sophisticated.

1 pie crust

1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/2 medium cauliflower, separated into florets and steamed until nearly tender

1/2 cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

few shakes of pepper

1 ) Mix mayo, milk, cheese, eggs and seasonings in a blender or mixer.

2 ) Put cauliflower into crust, then dump egg mix on top.

3 ) Bake at 375 for 30 - 40  minutes, until set.

Boston Roast

This is from Nikki and David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.

It's been adjusted a bit over the years, as usual. It's a nice dish for a Sunday dinner, with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans.

1 cup soft bread crumbs

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked beans or 1- 16 ounce can vegetarian refried beans

1 teaspoon grated onion or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt, less if the beans are salted

pepper

1/2 cup ketchup, catsup, or whatever

1 ) Preheat oven to 350. Shred bread, cheese and mash beans in that order to save utensils.

2 ) Combine everything but ketchup , dump in a greased casserole, and pour ketchup over the top.

3 ) Bake for about 40 minutes.

Mushrooms Newburg

Another favorite from The Vegetarian Epicure. 

When Charlie and I lived in Atlanta, we sometimes visited a small veggie restaurant  that served one main dish a day. The first time, this was the menu item that we tried, and we loved it! I was quite happy to find that it was from a cookbook that I had!

It's been edited a bit, of course!

1 1/2 lbs. mushrooms, whatever type except dried

2 tablespoons butter or margarine  or olive oil

3 tablespoons (or more) chopped onion


3 tablespoons wine or sherry, if you have it


Sauce:



2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons water

salt, pepper, nutmeg

toast, rice or egg noodles


1 ) In a skillet, melt 2 T of butter, then add the whole mushrooms and onion. Saute them until nearly tender. Add the alcohol if you choose to.

2 ) Sprinkle the flour onto the mushrooms. Stir gently, then slowly add the milk. Stir and heat until the sauce thickens a bit.

3 ) Beat the yolks with the water, then add to the milk-mushroom sauce.

4 ) Heat a bit, then add seasonings to taste.

5 ) Serve over toast, rice or noodles.

This feeds four or five people.

Potatoes Romanoff

This is a delicious and easy one from The Vegetarian Epicure, a late '70s cookbook that was the first veggie cookbook that I remember buying. It's still a favorite!

I've modified the recipe a bit over the years, of course, mainly to lower the fat content. This serves eight, but it can be easily halved.

6 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and cubed - or used leftover baked or boiled potatoes

2 cups lowfat cottage cheese

1 cup lowfat sour cream

1-2 cloves pressed garlic, or 1/2 -1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon grated onion or onion powder (optional)

1 cup (or more) grated cheddar cheese

paprika

1 ) Mix the cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, onion, and salt.

2 ) Gently stir in the potatoes.

3 ) Dump into a greased casserole.  Top with cheese and paprika.

4 ) Bake at 350 for half an hour.

Oatmeal Soup

 This is a creamy, delicious soup , ideal for a first course on an autumn or winter night....

1/2 cup rolled oat
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups stock
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup milk or soymilk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper

1. In a heavy, dry saucepan, toast the oats over medium heat until they are medium brown. Watch carefully and stir often! Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the stock , oatmeal and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes or so.
3. Add the milk, soy sauce and salt. Taste and add a bit of pepper if you like.