Patti Turner

Writer. Nurse. Shutterbug. Maker, MyIntent Project

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Honeymoon Salad – A Caribbean Delight

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Honeymoon SaladA Meatless Mondays Recipe

We call this “Honeymoon Salad” because my husband and I had this dish on our honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands. It’s a delicious Caribbean treat.

The cook on ship rattled off the ingredients but not exact measurements. Adjust to your taste.

Honeymoon Salad (Vegetarian)

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice (Uncle Ben’s)
1 red apple, chopped (I use honeycrisp)
1 green apple, chopped (Granny Smith)
1 handful peanuts, dry roasted and shelled
1 handful raisins
1 small can pineapple chunks, drained

Dressing

1 Tbs Worchester sauce
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 Tbs mayonaise

Topping

Coconut flakes

Directions

Cook rice according to package directions. Cool.

Meanwhile, chop the apples and shell the peanuts.

Make the dressing: whisk together Worchester sauce, soy sauce, curry powder, mustard powder, and mayonaise until smooth.

dressing

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, mix cooled rice, apples, peanuts, raisins, and pineapple. Toss with dressing. Chill.

ingredients

 

 

 

 

 

Top with coconut flakes.

Serves 6.

Honeymoon Salad

Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks – Perfect Low Carb Vegetarian Snack

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Cheesy Cauliflower BreadsticksA Meatless Mondays Recipe

Cheesy cauliflower breadsticks are an addictive low carb snack. They’re perfect for gluten-free or wheat sensitive people. You can serve them as an appetizer, side, hors d’oeuvre or eat them for lunch. They reheat well, so making them ahead of time for your next party is not a problem.

Many thanks to my friend, Sharon, who made these for me and shared the recipe.

Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks (Vegetarian)

Ingredients

Cauliflower (1 large head)
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, part-skim)
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
Marinara (for dipping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove cauliflower florets and place in a food processor. Process until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk eggs and add to the cauliflower with garlic, oregano, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir until combined.

Divide the “dough” in half. Turn onto baking sheet, pat down and shape into two rectangular crusts. Bake until dry and golden, about 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Top with the remaining 2 cups mozzarella. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and parsely. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 8-10 minutes.

Slice into sticks with a pizza wheel. Serve with marinara for dipping.

 

Chickpea Salad – Vegan Summer Dish

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Chickpea SaladA Meatless Mondays Recipe (Vegan)

Chickpea Salad is a great summer vegan side dish or main dish. The fresh mint in the salad and lemon dressing make it a perfect summer meal.

The recipe calls for sumac, a new spice I tried. You can find ground sumac online, in spice shops, or a local grocer. I ordered mine on Amazon then later found it in Whole Foods.

I saw this recipe and quickly jotted the ingredients on a scrap piece of paper. I don’t remember where I found it or what it was called, so I can’t give credit.

Chickpea Salad Ingredients

2 (15.5 oz) cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. ground sumac
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients

2 Tbs. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. ground sumac
1 tsp. dried mint
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Rinse chickpeas with cold water until no more foam appears. Drain well and dry with a paper towel.

Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large skillet. Add drained chickpeas and 1 tsp. ground sumac. Saute until chickpeas are slightly browned, turning several times. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together lemon juice, ground sumac, dried mint, salt, garlic and olive oil. Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl, then toss them with half of the dressing. Let marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Drain and chop the roasted red peppers into small pieces. Thinly slice the scallions. Chop the mint (wash and dry first).

When the chickpea/dressing mixture has cooled to room temperature, combine with peppers, mint, scallions, and remaining dressing.

Can be served immediately, or marinated overnight in the fridge.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did.

 

Orzo Salad

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Orzo SaladA Meatless Mondays Recipe

Orzo Salad is a perfect warm-weather dish. Crisp vegetables, mint, and a lemon dressing make this dish a refreshing choice. It pairs perfectly with Tiziano, a drink made with Prosecco, grape juice, mint and lemon.

Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1 tsp. minced garlic
2/3 cup olive oil

Salad Ingredients

2 2/3 cup orzo
6 oz. fresh sugar snap peas, cut 1/2 – 3/4 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups tomato (seeded and chopped)
3/4 cup English cucumber, diced, skin left on
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup mint, chopped
2 tsp. lemon peel, grated

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander. Rinse with cold water and drain. Cook orzo in the same pot for 8 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine orzo, peas, tomato, cucumber, scallions, parsley, mint, and 2 tsp. lemon peel.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Reserve remaining dressing and toss just before serving. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

 

Kale and Mushroom Lasagna

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Kale and Mushroom LasagnaA Meatless Mondays Recipe

Kale and mushroom lasagna with roasted red pepper and tomato sauce is a healthy vegetarian alternative to standard lasagna recipes. If you don’t like kale (or find it too grassy) you can substitute fresh baby spinach.

Kale and Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted red peppers (jarred, coarsely chopped)
1-28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 large egg whites
1-15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 portabella (portobello) mushrooms, stems discarded. caps sliced 1/4 in. thick
1 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Nonstick cooking spray
9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (I use these)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a blender, puree the peppers, tomatoes, oregano, and 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and sugar until smooth. Set aside.

Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese with the egg whites and ricotta cheese in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their liquid and are tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in the kale, in batches if necessary, and add the pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 tsp. salt as the kale wilts. Continue to cook until kale is wilted and bright green (about 5 more minutes).

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and 1/2 of the vegetable mixture. Repeat layers with sauce, noodles, and remaining ricotta and vegetable mixtures. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.

Cover with foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan (about 50 minutes).

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Food Network 

 

Tabbouleh Recipe (Vegan, Vegetarian)

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Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh – A Meatless Mondays Recipe

Tabbouleh is a great springtime recipe. The fresh veggies, lemon, and mint make this dish feel light and summery.

I’d never used bulgur before, so this was a new cooking and taste experience for me. Now I’m hooked. Hope you like it as much as I do. It’s nutritious and delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup bulgar wheat (I used red bulgur)
water for cooking bulgar
kosher salt (for cooking bulgur and then to taste)
1 cup scallions, minced, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 English cucumber, seeded, unpeeled, and diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the bulgur according to package directions, with salt. Drain and rinse to stop cooking and cool the bulgur.

While the bulgur is cooking, chop vegetables.

In a large bowl, combine bulgur, scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over bulgur and vegetables; mix well. Chill and serve.

Serves 8.

Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup

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Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup – A Meatless Mondays Recipe

Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese SoupBroccoli cheese soup – nothing says comfort like cheese, potatoes, and broccoli. This is a perfect meal for cold winter days. Ready in less than 45 minutes, it is a great choice for a quick dinner. The soup reheats well and your family will be fighting over the leftovers. And it’s healthy, too!

Serves 4-6.

 

Ingredients

2-3 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup skim milk
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese (sharp, shredded)
2 slices Weight Watchers American cheese
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

Put the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic in a food processor and run until finely chopped.

In a large pot, melt butter and add chopped vegetables.  Sauté on low heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Add flour, salt, and pepper to vegetables and stir until smooth.

Add vegetable broth, milk, and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook on low 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Add broccoli, Parmesan; stir well. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheeses, stirring until melted. Remove from heat.

Enjoy!

Notes

The soup should be thick (more like stew). If too thin, put 1-2 cups of the vegetable mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to the soup pot (if you have an immersion blender, use that instead).

 

 

Pasta Fagioli (Vegetarian Pasta and Bean Soup)

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Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli (A Meatless Mondays Recipe)

Pasta FagioliMy grandmother made the best Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) ever. She never wrote her recipes down – you had to catch her in the act and try to scribble down the ingredients and guess how much she was adding (A little of this, and a bunch of that). For years I tried to find a bowl of pasta and beans that rivaled hers. In the end, I used a combination of recipes to get this vegetarian version tasting as close to hers as possible without breaking the diet bank.

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 small or 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 can or box of crushed tomatoes (I like Pomi)
2 cans or one box carton of vegetable broth (28-32 oz total)
2 cups water**
1 Parmesan cheese rind
1 15 oz can cannellini beans (white or red)**
1 Tbs basil
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs parsley
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes (if you like the heat)
6 oz pasta (Ditalini)
freshly grated Parmesan
chopped parsley

Directions

Finely chop the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. (To save time I put mine all together in the food processor).

Saute the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil over medium heat.

Add chopped tomatoes, beans**, cheese rind, vegetable broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper, if desired. Add one cup of water. Bring to a boil.

Simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the Ditalini and cook until pasta is al dente.

Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

**Beans – for thicker soup, put all or half of the beans in a blender with a cup of water and blend until smooth. Add the remaining water to the pot. For a lighter color, use white cannellini beans instead of the red beans.

 

Kasha Pilaf – (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

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Kasha Pilaf – A Meatless Mondays Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

Kasha PilafKasha, also known as roasted buckwheat or groats, is a gluten-free grain. It has a slightly nutty flavor when toasted. I used the coarse grain variety. It is also available in whole, medium and fine granulation.

Kasha works well in pilafs, salads, and noodles (kasha varnishkes). I made a pilaf with a variety of vegetables. You can use any combinations of vegetables you choose.

Kasha Pilaf can be served as a main coarse or as a side dish.

Ingredients

1 cup kasha
1 egg
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely cut
1/2 cup sliced scallions (dark green part only)
1 zucchini, quartered and slice thin
5 oz. mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, beat or whisk egg. Add kasha and stir until evenly coated with the egg.

Melt butter (or heat olive oil) in a medium saucepan. Add carrots and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add red pepper and saute two minutes. Add scallions, zucchini, and mushrooms. Continue to saute for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a dry, nonstick skillet, toast kasha until dry and the kasha separates into single grains.

Add vegetable broth to the vegetables. Add the toasted kasha. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until kasha is soft and liquid is evaporated. Season with fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.

Serves 4-6.

 

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Broccoli Cheese Casserole

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Broccoli Cheese CasseroleThis recipe for broccoli cheese casserole is a great winter vegetarian dish to give you that full, satisfied, warm feeling. It is perfect for a snowy day.

I first learned of this recipe back in the ’70s when a (vegetarian) friend made it in her college dorm. I’ve loved it ever since.

A Meatless Mondays Recipe

Serves 6-8

Broccoli Cheese Casserole (Vegetarian)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
8 ounces muenster cheese, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 cups chopped cooked broccoli (may use fresh or frozen)

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.  Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in shredded cheese and mayonnaise. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni in boiling, salted water until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse, and drain again.

Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place a layer of macaroni, layer of broccoli, half the sauce, then top with thin slices of muenster cheese. Repeat layers, ending with muenster cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until heated through and muenster cheese melts.

More vegetarian recipes here.

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