Category Archives: VEGETARIAN RECIPES

CREAMY MAC AND CHEESE

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There is just nothing better than a big old serving of mac and cheese with your name on it. I mean really, is there any other food that feels as good in your mouth or makes your taste buds as happy as super cheesy, extra creamy mac and cheese? I think not! So when I decided that I wanted a mac and cheese recipe that was reasonably inexpensive to prepare, contained no meat (bacon, prosciutto, etc.) and could be prepared ahead of time and not lose all its wonderful cheesy goodness, I decided to turn to the internet, my favorite recipe source. I found several recipes that looked good, but the one I liked the best was on the Taste of Home website. I made a few minor changes here and there but frankly, this is the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted. I love that it can be made ahead. I also love that it is vegetarian.

And I know, Patti cooking with Velveeta! It doesn’t happen often, but even processed cheese has its uses once in awhile. And this is one of those times when you just have to bite the bullet and put that bright yellow box of Velveeta in your cart. I usually cover it up while I do the rest of my shopping. Then when I check- out, I pretend it jumped into my cart of its own accord. Then when the clerk asks me if I want it returned to the shelves I say something like “oh no, that’s ok, I don’t want to cause any inconvenience for anyone”. I’m sure the clerk sees through my little charade, but the two times or so a year I actually buy Velveeta, I feel I simply must stick to this childish ruse.

And while I’m justifying to all of you why I use Velveeta occasionally, I should share the only other recipe I make that contains this processed ingredient. Please see my favorite recipe for Queso Dip under Appetizer Recipes.

  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
  • 1/4 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly grated black pepper
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 c. low fat sour cream
  • 4 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 2 c. (8-oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 c. reserved pasta water
  • paprika, opt.

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to burble for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Velveeta, Parmesan, salt, pepper, mustard, and sour cream until smooth and cheese is melted. Cook pasta to al dente in boiling salted water, drain (reserving about a cup of pasta water)* and add to the sauce along with the cheddar cheese. (If the sauce seems too thick add enough of the reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.)  Spoon the mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch dish. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. (The photo below is a double batch.)

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Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Let mac and cheese sit about 5-7 minutes before serving.

*If you are preparing the mac and cheese ahead of time, drain the pasta and run cold water over it until it is room temperature. Drain again and add to the sauce along with the cheddar cheese. Stir well. (The cheddar cheese will completely melt when it is baking.) Spoon the mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch dish. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until about 2 hours before you want to serve. (Taking the dish out of the refrigerator ahead of time allows the pasta to come close to room temperature before popping it in a hot oven.) Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

 

 

 

ROASTED SWEET POTATO RAVIOLI

I believe I have mentioned on earlier postings that I love pasta. And for some reason (excessive profit I believe it’s called) makers of fresh ravioli seem to think it’s OK to charge an arm and a leg for the same amount of product I can make for about a dollar. Now granted, I don’t have manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and delivery costs to consider, but really, the markup is astronomical. So when I can make my own ravioli with won ton wrappers, I feel great about myself. And coincidentally, the ravioli happens to taste pretty darn good too. And of course I know I am cheating by not making my own pasta, but you all know that finding shortcuts (aka cheating) whenever possible in the kitchen is what I strive to achieve! (I’ve learned to live with my little addiction. In fact, I no longer even ask for forgiveness in my evening prayers.)

So if you too want to save a little time and money, build yourself a batch of these incredible ravioli. And when you serve them tenderly blanketed with Butter and Sage Sauce, you won’t think to ask forgiveness for cheating a little in the preparation either. In fact, serve this dish to your loved ones, and they might forgive you just about anything! After all, it worked for me when I happened to throw out one of Mr. Cs favorite shirts. Even if the darned thing was 25 years old, the most putrid shade of green I had ever seen, was frayed and stained around the collar, and last fit him about 20 years ago; he loved that shirt. I simply asked for forgiveness at about the same time he took his last bite of the pasta on his plate. It really is very hard to stay mad at someone who is fully capable of denying a second helping!

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 T. butter
  • 3 T. minced shallot
  • 3 T. half & half
  • 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
  • pinch nutmeg
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • wonton wrappers
  • 1 recipe Pasta with Butter and Sage Sauce (under Main Dish Recipes)

Wash and dry the sweet potato. Stick it with a fork in 3-4 places, place it in a pan, and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you are able to hold it in your hand comfortably. Peel and mash the sweet potato; set aside. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mashed sweet potato and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the half and half. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and the pinch of nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Don’t over salt because there is plenty of salt in the Butter and Sage Sauce.) Lightly flour a clean work surface. Set a small bowl of water nearby. Lay wrappers on the surface. Place a small scoop or heaping teaspoon of the sweet potato mixture on every other wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and wet the outside edge of each wrapper. Gently place the wrappers without the filling over the wrappers with the filling, wet edges together. Gently but firmly press down on the edges of each ravioli with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate in a single layer until ready to use. (This recipe makes about 11 ravioli.) When your sauce is ready* place the raviolis into boiling salted water one at a time (to prevent initial sticking).  Reduce heat if necessary and cook for about 2 minutes. They will float to the top when they are ready. Gently lift out of the water and place on plates. Serve covered with Butter and Sage Sauce or any fairly simple pasta sauce.

*Hint: always have your pasta sauce ready before your pasta is finished cooking, not the other way around. Pasta is much more time sensitive then most sauces. And if possible, always cook your pasta al dente unless otherwise instructed. Mushy pasta is simply not very appealing.

 

 

CURRIED PUMPKIN AND PEANUT SOUP

Since it appears that it might not stop raining around the Pacific Northwest until the middle of August (if then), I decided I’d better immediately share another soup recipe with you. But before I provide you with the recipe, I feel it necessary to tell you a little story. The first time I had this soup, and sorry if you have already read about my little social faux pas in my first cookbook, I behaved rather badly. (And although I appreciate that you are probably doubting that I am capable of demonstrating anything other than exemplary behavior in social situations (and thank you for that), please believe me, given the right circumstances I can truly make a complete and utter fool of myself.) Well the evening of the “occurrence”, circumstances happened to be just perfect for me to do just that! A) We were dining at the home of our dear friends Dick and Eloise, B) I was hungry, and C) the soup was past delicious. After finishing the first bowl, it was clear to me that I definitely needed another wee taste of this lovely soup. Then, after I scarfed down my second full bowl of soup I lost all control and went out to the kitchen, snatched the soup pot off the stove and brought it back to the table. Not only did I finish what was left in the pot, I scraped the sides of the pan with my spoon! Needless to say, I didn’t eat very much of the wonderful steak Eloise served next. Just thinking back on the way I behaved that evening still makes me wonder why I didn’t seek professional help at the time. (Or, for that matter why Mr. C. and Dick and Eloise didn’t insist that I find help.) But since I didn’t and they didn’t and I have not repeated my bizarre behavior in over 20 years, I guess it’s time to forgive myself. (You know, it truly is cathartic to confess ones less than perfect character traits!)  In conclusion, Mr. C. still loves me, Dick and Eloise forgave me years ago, and thanks to Eloise’s generosity, I have this marvelous recipe to share with you. Please give it a try. Curried Pumpkin and Peanut Soup is absolutely perfect to serve on a cold, wet, winter evening.

  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 c. (16-oz.) canned pumpkin
  • ½ c. peanut butter
  • 4 c. chicken broth or vegetable stock
  • 2 ½ tsp. curry powder
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1½ c. sour cream, plus more for garnish
  • 4 T. fresh lemon juice (do not use bottled lemon juice – EVER!)
  • chopped peanuts, opt.
  • finely chopped green onions, opt.

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Sauté onion and garlic until very soft. Add pumpkin, peanut butter, broth, and spices. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in sour cream and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Do not allow to boil. Ladle into bowl and garnish with additional sour cream, chopped peanuts, and green onions.

 

PASTA WITH BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE

When it comes to pasta, I am a sucker! I like everything pasta. Plain, fancy, smothered in sauce, meatless, in soup – you name it. And because I am such a huge fan, I have made many pasta dishes over the years. One of my favorites is this incredibly unpretentious, meatless pasta that can be served as either a main or side dish. And the most amazing thing, besides of course how wonderful this pasta tastes, is how easy and inexpensive it is to prepare. (I love that!) So if you can’t think of anything to fix for dinner some evening when you only have the strength for about 20 minutes in the kitchen, give this recipe a try.

A quick word about sage. Although most grocery stores carry fresh sage leaves, you might consider growing your own sage bush. Sage is extremely easy to grow, and it over-winters very well, at least in the areas around the Pacific NW that are fairly mild. In fact, sage grows almost as well as many of our more aggressive and sinister weeds! God bless them. (And I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible!) And while you are at it, think about planting some oregano and a bay tree also. Just pay very close attention to your oregano plant. Oregano can turn against you and become as much of a problem as those darling weeds I referenced above. And I think I made myself pretty clear on how I feel about them! So keep oregano contained in a planter or in an area where it can’t become a nuisance. Think mint!

  • ¼ lb. to 1/3 lb. pasta*
  • 4 T. butter (don’t even think about using anything but real butter)
  • 8-9 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper

While your pasta cooks to al dente’, melt butter in a medium sized sauté pan.  Cook until the butter is a light golden brown. Quickly add the chopped sage leaves and remove from heat. (I say quickly because brown butter can go to burned butter in the twinkling of an eye!) Add the lemon juice. Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of the cooking water. Carefully pour the drained pasta into the sauté pan and return to low heat. Add the cheese, a grind or two of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat and let cook until water absorbed, about a minute. If pasta appears too dry, add another tablespoon or two of cooking water. Serve immediately.

*Linguini is lovely with this sauce, but pumpkin or butternut squash ravioli is absolutely divine.

Side Dish Suggestions (when serving pasta as a main dish): a crisp green salad and crusty, chewy baguette slices

Wine Pairing: Pinot Grigio

BLACK BEAN PATTIES

Over the past few years I have dramatically reduced the amount of meat that Mr. C. and I eat. Now that does not mean that we are trying to give up meat (we are still carnivores to the core), it just means that our previous choices were not as healthy as they should have been. It was partly due to the times. We did after all grow up in the meat and potatoes era, and let’s face it, slapping a big old steak on the grill was easy. Add a baked potato with all the trimmings, a green veggie or salad, and a glass of red wine, and dinner is served! But we both know how to read, and every article we read about a healthy life style, indicated that we were consuming way too much protein (mainly in the form of meat) and not enough fruits and veggies. Since I do the meal planning around our household, and am reasonably intelligent (some would argue that statement, I know!) I decided to make a change in the way we approached food. (Well actually it was a change in the way I approached food. Mr. C. will eat just about anything I put in front of him!) So, I started buying less meat, adding more veggies to our diet (that didn’t make Mr. C. real happy at first) and generally thinking more about nutrition and portion control.  And I started serving main dishes with NO meat on a more consistent basis. What we found was that we didn’t miss big helping of meat as much as we thought we might. The only thing I personally missed were the little sauces I would make to go on the meat. You know the kind of sauces I mean – the lovely wine sauce or flavorful aioli or savory, creamy, gooey, or sticky “something” that lifted the meat from ordinary to outstanding! Those little sauces were and still apparently are a part of my genetic makeup. I just could not give them up. And I haven’t! Now, instead of spreading a sauce like the Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce or Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (recipes below) on a big hunk of meat, I prepare a dish like the Black Bean Patties and dollop one of my beloved sauces on them instead. Crafty little devil, aren’t I?

  • 3 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 8 T. dried bread crumbs or panko, divided
  • ¼ c. finely minced green onions
  • 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¾ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. Aleppo, cayenne, or ancho chili pepper
  • freshly ground black pepper

Place 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, egg, and black beans in a food processor. Pulse 20 times or until mixture becomes a coarsely chopped paste. Combine bean mixture with 5 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, onions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, chili pepper, and a little pinch of pepper. Form bean mixture into small patties to serve as appetizers or larger patties to serve as a vegetarian main dish. Pour remaining bread crumbs on a dish. Dredge each patty in bread crumbs. Heat remaining vegetable oil in frying pan. Add patties; cook three minutes on each side or until patties are a nice crunchy brown. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve with Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce or Roasted Red Pepper Aioli. Thanks to Cooking Light magazine for the wonderful recipe for Blank Bean Cakes.

CILANTRO SOUR CREAM SAUCE

  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 1-2 T. heavy cream
  • 2-4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

ROASTED RED PEPPER AIOLI

  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 c. finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained well
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic. Stir in the peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.

 

NOODLES ROMANOFF

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I have been making this pasta dish (my version of an old Betty Crocker recipe) for over 40 years. I love it. It’s rich and ever so creamy. But a dish with a name that literally smacks of Russian aristocracy absolutely demands at least a small nod to its origin. And since my blog is intended for a learned and sophisticated audience, I knew you too would be interested in any information I could glean on the subject. So off to Wikipedia I went (my favorite source for semi-accurate information on the most obscure subjects imaginable).  Like I said above, I really thought the name “Romanoff” must have something to do with The House of Romanov, which was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule (1613-1917) over Russia. But nothing I read seemed conclusive enough to point in that direction. What I did learn however, was that “Noodles Romanoff” was a gangster and head of an evil organization N.A.S.T.Y. (National Association of Spies, Traitors and Yahoos) in an animated  American children’s television comedy series that first aired in 1965. Starring Roger Ramjet and the American Eagle Squadron, the show was known for its crude animation, frenetic pace, and frequent references to popular culture, which allowed the show to entertain various age groups.

Along with the villainous “Noodles”, there was another gangster name in the series that caught my eye – Tequila Mockingbird. So once again it was off to my favorite search engine to learn if “Tequila Mockingbird” produced any results. Turns out it’s a drink containing (you guessed it!) – rum! Well no, but it does sound like a drink that could either be really, really delicious, or absolutely horrid. (I think this might be one of those drinks you either love or hate!) As there were quite a few recipes for a “Tequila Mockingbird” provided on line, I felt absolutely duty bound to pick one and share it with you. The concoction that sounds the most appealing, and not coincidentally less lethal than some of the others, contains 1 ½-oz. tequila, ¾-oz. green Crème de Menthe, and the juice of 1 lime. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Now mind you, I have yet to try this drink, but I plan to put the resident mixologist to work in the very near future. I will let you know how it tastes, if I survive that is! And if per chance you are a fan of this drink and have the perfect recipe you are willing to share, please send me an email with preparation instructions. Can’t promise I will post your recipe, but I am always willing to perform empirical research, at least when tequila is involved! Cheers!

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1 ¾ c. milk
  • ¼ c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 2 T. dehydrated chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. granulated garlic
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. low fat sour cream
  • 1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2-3 c. dry noodles cooked al dente

Melt the butter in a medium large saucepan. Add flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, wine, onion, garlic, and pepper. Add sour cream and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cooked noodles. Serve immediately or spoon into a buttered casserole and keep warm in the oven set on the lowest temperature.

Side Dish Suggestion (if serving as a Main Dish): green salad, steamed veggie, and a crusty baguette

Wine Pairing: Well that should be obvious – the rest of the Pinot Grigio you used in the recipe!