Egg Roll Casserole

It's been a while since my last post, and things have changed and people have grown. We have four grandchildren now, and only two college kids at home, and there's no problem getting anyone to eat, as long as it's vegan for our youngest. When we all get together the house is full and the laughter is plentiful. This recipe is usually found at our family gatherings because Renee loves it, and so do several other family members! It's even vegan!




Egg Roll Squares for Renee


These take a bit more time and effort than many of the other things in this blog, but mastering the art of phyllo (or Fillo) dough is a great way to spend time. It’s usually found in the frozen desserts area of the store, near the puff pastry.

A food processor is nice for this recipe. It’s also possible to use the phyllo and filling to make regular egg rolls.


½ a one-pound package of phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the fridge

1 Tablespoon oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 ½ cups shredded Chinese cabbage, or packaged broccoli slaw

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

½ cup chopped water chestnuts

¼ cup chopped onion

1 minced clove garlic, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ teaspoon ground ginger, or ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted


1 ) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil at medium temperature. Add vegetables and stirfry briefly.

2 ) Add seasonings and stir. Let this mixture simmer for a few minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Cool a bit while you set up for the phyllo.

3 ) Divide phyllo sheets in half. Brush a 9 x 11 inch pan with butter, then lay a phyllo sheet in

the pan. Brush it with a bit of butter (a small amount all over, not puddles!), the add another sheet. Do this until you have used half of the sheets. Be sure to work quickly, and keep your phyllo sheets covered while you work so they don’t dry out.

4 ) Dump vegetable mixture onto the phyllo assembly. Begin layering the remaining sheets of phyllo and the last of the butter on to the top of the veggies. You may need a bit more butter.

5 ) Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Serve with brown rice and fried tofu with hoisin sauce.

Thanksgiving Roast for Kourtney

Kourtney is a friend of my sons whom I've been very happy to come to know.  She asked for one of my Thanksgiving main dishes, so here goes: it's much less trouble than it looks! I'm pretty sure that I have a picture to scan somewhere in the archives, so hopefully I'll find that and post it soon.

I'll skip my usual format on this one, since it might get a bit long. The results are beautiful, and it can be made the day before and cooked a bit longer. This recipe is for a smaller version which feeds 4 to 6. Double everything and cook about 20 minutes longer if you're expecting more hungry people.

PART 1 : The Base

1 package Morningstar Farms or Boca Chik Patties, or four homemade seitan pieces of about the same size

Lay these on your greased baking sheet. Top with Gravy :



PART 2 : The Sauce

In a microwavable bowl, stir together 3 cups of cold water and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch until the lumps are gone. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce and a few shakes each of garlic salt, pepper, and thyme. Microwave this for 2 minutes. Stir well, then microwave for a minute more; stir again, microwave another minute until the gravy is mostly clear and a bit bubbly.

Pour about 1 cup of the gravy over the chik patties. On to :


PART 3 : The Stuffing

You can use any stuffing here. To keep it simple, buy a bag of stuffing mix, moisten as directed and add your choice of sauteed onion, mushrooms, celery, water chestnuts, etc.  Or go all the way and make your own:

Dry 6 cups of  bread, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes more or less, on the counter overnight.  Use a mixture of breads if you have them around.

Saute 1 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1 cup chopped mushrooms in a bit of oil or margarine. Add  a drained, chopped can of water chestnuts if you wish. 

Add the saute to the bread cubes along with 1 teaspoon sage and some dashes of salt and pepper. Mix 1 cup of hot water and a tablespoon of soy sauce and pour over the stuffing. Mix well and mound over the base.

Top with the rest of the gravy.


PART 4 : The Topper

This is what will set your Thanksgiving Roast apart and insure your place in the Pantheon of Vegetarian Cookery.

Choose Puff Pastry or Phyllo (Fillo) Dough. They're usually located near the frozen pies and desserts at the grocery.

For Puff Pastry: Let the pastry thaw in its' package for half an hour or so, while you make the rest of the stuff. When it's time, unwrap it and lay it on a clean counter that's been dusted with a bit of cornstarch. Roll it out to make a large rectangle (or two, if you need it to cover your roast entirely). Pick up your piece  and gently lay it over your roast. Shape it a bit to the form of the roast, then cut along the edges and remove the excess. If your want to make a grand entrance, cut the scraps into clever shapes and use a few drops of  milk to attach them to the roast.Cut a few decorative slits in the top to let out steam.

When it looks as you wish it to, place the roast into a 350 degree oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned.

With Phyllo, it's pretty much the same as Puff Pastry, except that you must thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then on the counter for twenty minutes or so before using. Keep the sheets that you are not using covered while you work. Peel off a sheet or two to cover the roast, drape it over, then brush with melted butter or margarine. Add more sheets, alternating with butter, until you have seven or eight layers of soon-to-be-crunchy goodness. Top with a last layer of butter and bake as above.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't as much as it looks. You can make the stuffing and the sauce simultaneously a day or two before, and the topping really only takes about ten or fifteen minutes at the most. The slices look and taste delicious!

Be sure to take pictures!

Mushrooms in Parmesan Sauce over Toast or Rice

This is delicious! Found it in an older cookbook long ago....I think it was The apartment vegetarian cookbook. I now make it pretty much from memory, since my copy deteriorated into a pile of sauce-covered pages long ago.

1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
A bit of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup water or stock
1/2 cup ketchup or catsup or whatever it is...
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 ) Saute onions and mushrooms in butter on medium heat until soft.

2 ) Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add water and soy sauce a bit at a time until smooth. Cook a few minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring often. Stir in ketchup.

3 ) Slowly stir in Parmesan. Turn heat to low and let sit a few  minutes. Serve over toast or rice.

Yes, the ketchup sounds weird. But it's so good! Also works with chili sauce, spaghetti sauce, and even salsa!

Tater Tot Casserole for Lily

I served this for Lily, Joe, Eddie, Angie, Jason, and the normal householders here last week. Don't think Paul had any, but we never know...

Enough Tater Tots to cover the bottom of your pan (Hash browns can be used in a pinch)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup sour cream (light works fine)
A bit of salt, pepper and nutmeg

1 1/2 cup corn flakes
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

1 ) Spray or grease a 7 x 11 inch pan or its equivalent. Arrange your tots on the bottom. If you'd like to save cooking time, microwave this for about 8 minutes while you stir up the filling and topping.

2 ) Stir together the soup, cheese, sour cream and seasonings. Try not to eat too much...it's pretty good!
Dump this on top of the tots.

3 ) Mix together the corn flakes and the butter or margarine. Dump on the top of the filling. Bake for 1/2 an hour - longer if you left the tots frozen - at 375 degrees.

This is easy to make ahead. If you don't have corn flakes, use broken crackers - saltines or cheesy ones - or even rice krispies.

Favorite Recipes from Around the Interweb

Yes, I have a long list of recipe blogs in my bookmarks, and even more individual recipes bookmarked. I could have cheated and just copied the recipes and posted them as my own. Or possibly changed a few ingredients to make me feel a bit less guilty.

But instead, here are a few recipes that seem to be well accepted these days.

At least by some of us!

Taco Bell Sauce

This gets two thumbs up from everyone, especially the boys, who hate salsa because of the chunkiness. I actually get regular requests for this. It takes about three minutes to makes, and it's much cheaper than buying the Real Thing. Tastes much like it, though. So when you run out of the little bags that you swiped from the restaurant, try this. You'll have to make up your own cute sayings.



Bibim Gutsu

Okay, so this is really more of a grown-up treat. Charlie and I had something like it at a Korean restaurant in Dayton, and I found this approximation that I could sort of do at home. It tastes so good, though!


Crackers!

There's something about paying $3.89 for a box of fairly stale crackers that drives me to experimentation...and here are the recipes to experiment with. Simple and delicious!

Pasta Pie

A delicious way to clean out the fridge! This recipe is very adaptable, and lends itself to that burst of creativity that sometimes comes when your refrigerator is full of little plastic tubs...or not.

4 to 5 cups of cooked pasta

1 small to medium onion

1 bell pepper, if you like

1 to 2 cups of mushrooms, if you like

1 large carrot, chopped

1-2 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice, leftover if available

2 tomatoes or 3/4 to 1 cup crushed or diced canned tomatoes

Garlic salt and pepper

4 eggs

6-8 ounces of cheese - cheddar or mozzarella or Italian blend

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 tablespoons Parmesan

1 tablespoon parsley

Italian seasoning mix as you wish

1 ) Saute the onions in a bit of oil. Add the pepper, mushrooms, carrot, and other veggies and saute until the onion and carrot are fairly soft. Stir in the pasta. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

2 ) In a bowl, stir the eggs. Add the seasonings and cheeses.

3 ) Grease a 7 x 1 pan or an angelfood cake pan. Dump in the pasta/veggie mixture. Dump the egg/cheese mixture over the top.

4 ) Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned on top. If you've used the cake pan, let sit a few minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife and demold onto a plate. It looks beautiful that way! Such a classy end for leftovers!

Making Faux Meat with Wheat Gluten - The Basic Recipe

I always thought that making fake meat was difficult. It's not, but it does take time to boil. Here is a very simple recipe that will start you on your way to making your own. Since the kind in the freezer section of most grocery stores is now up to about four dollars for ten ounces, the homemade kind is really cheap, too!

Basic Recipe - for three or four servings. Doubles or triples easily.

1/2 cup cool water
1/2 cup wheat gluten (you can find this in bags or boxes in the natural foods section, or in bulk at places like Whole Foods.)

Mix these thoroughly, then knead for about three minutes until fairly smooth. Cut into pieces that are very small versions of the shape that you want - they will expand a lot during cooking.

In a dutch oven, cover the pieces with water. Add:

2 vegetable or not-chicken or beef bullion cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or other seasoning mix


Bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently. Then dip in seasoned flour and fry or use in a recipe that calls for chicken or meat.

Pirogi Casserole

Love pirogies, but want to make them in a different format? Need to take them potlucking or deliver them to someone who's had a new baby? Then this recipe is for you.


12 lasagna noodles, cooked
8 medium potatoes, peeled, halved and cooked in boiling water until tender
4 large onions, sliced thinly
1/3 cup butter or margarine
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cup shredded cheddar or provolone cheese


1 ) Saute onions in 3 tablespoons of the butter until tender, then turn heat to very low and allow to caramelize a bit while you finish the rest.

2 ) Drain potatoes. Microwave milk, 3 tablespoons butter and salt for 45 seconds, then add to potatoes. Beat well with mixer or masher until well-smashed. Stir in pepper and ½ cup cheese.

3 ) Grease 3 qt baking dish. Stir about ¼ of the mashed potatoes into the onions, then spread it onto the bottom of the pan. Top with three lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the potato mash. Repeat the noodle/potato layer until it's gone.

4 ) Bake at 350, covered for 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Heat for 5 more minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serve with something green, and maybe something with tomatoes. Yum!

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 nearly $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.

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)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 cups uncooked oatmeal

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

1-2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

salt and pepper

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

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.

Cheese Millet Casserole

This recipe came from one of the first cookbooks That my husband and I ever bought...The Apartment Vegetarian Cookbook. It looked interesting, but it was this recipe that sold us. It is very good! It's been simplified and streamlined a bit over the years. I  also use quite a bit less butter than the original.

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup raw millet
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2-1 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk

1. In a saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter. Saute the millet until it turns a bit brown. add salt and water. Bring o a boil, then lower heat and simmer until millet is tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add milk, sage, and grated cheese.Stir over low heat until melty - or microwave it to avoid burning. Stir in the cooked millet.
3. Turn into an oiled casserole and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until it begins to brown on top. Or, refrigerate until close to mealtime, then bake for about half an hour.

Our Favorite Pasta Sauce - Pasta Alfredo/ Carbonera

This is definitely our family's most-requested pasta sauce. I realize that it's supposed to be Fettuccini Alfredo or Spaghetti Carbonara, but when all I have is macaroni or bowties, they do just fine...
It originally came from the  Recipes from the Heart Cookbook from Pampered Chef, but it's been adapted a bit since then. It is very fast. It can be made on the stove if you choose, just be sure to keep the heat low.


Serves 6 to 8
The sauce can be finished while the water heats and the noodles cook
1 pound pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1) Cook 1 pound of pasta, any shape except the very small. Meanwhile...
2) Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter or margarine in the microwave. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt and 2 tablespoons of flour.
3) Measure 2 cups of milk and begin stirring into the butter a little at a time to prevent lumps. A whisk is handy here!
4) Microwave for two minutes, then stir. Microwave for one minute, then stir. Microwave for a minute at a time, stirring in between, until milk mixture is thick. This should only take four minutes or so total.
5) Add 3 tablespoons of light cream cheese. (no fat and regular work well also.) Stir well, then add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
6) Taste for the correct amount of garlic sauce and add more if you like. Sprinkle on a bit of pepper and parsley if you choose. Add Bacon bits or cooked non-meat 'bacon' strips, crumbled, to make Carbonara.


That's it! Fast, easy and simple!