Sneaky (Vegan) Lasagna

Serves 8

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour

Sauce

1 tbs. vegetable oil

½ to ¼ c. chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

3 tbs. fresh basil

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 c. chopped portabello or white mushrooms

3 c. canned tomatoes with juice, chopped (28-ounce can)

½ c. dry red wine

Filling

1 tbs. olive oil

1 c. fresh chopped basil

10 oz. Asian greens, steamed and drained

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 cakes firm tofu (12 oz. each, cubed)

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

⅓ lb. lasagna noodles

Warm the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes while preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In a blender or food processor, whirl the oil, basil, spinach, garlic, tofu, salt, and pepper to make a thick, smooth filling. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, as needed.

Spread about one fourth of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with a layer of noodles, then half of the filling and ladle on another fourth of the sauce. Repeat the layers of noodles, the rest of the filling, and one fourth of the sauce. Finish with a final layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.

Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Uncover and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics.

Mixed Veggie Focaccia

This recipe is inspired by our friends and market-neighbors Mill Pond Bread, and the focaccia recipe comes from intern Tacy’s dad. At the end of a market day, Mill Pond often goes home with a box of produce – yummy greens, miscellaneous root veggies, and everything in between. They have gotten really good at turning our veggies into something delicious and unique, and so we thought we’d share their secrets with you! The dough is a bit finicky, but the filling is quite forgiving. Throw in any veggies you can think of, and we’ll help explain how to prepare them best so that your focaccia comes out perfect!

For the focaccia:

1 oz. dry yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

1½ c. water

4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. salt

½ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. dried rosemary (or leaves of one rosemary branch)

¼ c. olive oil

½ c. finely chopped onions

For the filling:

3-4 c. finely chopped vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, radishes, potatoes, kale, Asian greens, onions, arugula…)

4-6 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

¼ c. olive oil

salt to taste

¼ c. finely chopped basil

1/3 c. shredded cheese (optional)

For the dough:

1) Warm ½ cup of the water to about 110˚. Dissolve the yeast and the sugar into it for 15 minutes.

2) Measure out the flour, salt, pepper, and rosemary into a large bowl. Mix and gradually add the watered yeast and the remaining water (at room temperature) until it is all incorporated. Add ½ tablespoon of the olive oil. Knead for at least 10 minutes.

3) Pour a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl. Gather up the dough into a large bowl, rolling it around a bit. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

4) Punch the dough down with your fist, add half of the onions, and knead for a few minutes. Re-cover with the plastic wrap and let rise a second time. The first rising will take a few hours, the second rising will take about 45 minutes.

5) When the dough has risen, rub a bit of oil on a cookie sheet and spread the dough into a large oval an inch thick with your hands. Drizzle olive oil onto the top of the dough and set aside for 15 minutes.

For the filling:

1) Roast any root veggies (turnips, potatoes, radishes…) with some of the olive oil, salt, and garlic at 400˚ for 30-40 minutes. If using tomatoes, sprinkle them with plenty of salt in order to help pull the juices out and roast them with the other root veggies.

2) Massage any tender greens (kale, Asian greens, arugula) with some more olive oil, salt, and garlic slices. The best way to do this is to chop the greens into manageable pieces, then use your fingers to break down the greens until they have a vibrant green appearance. This will keep the greens from getting too crispy and flaky once they go into the oven. If you happen to be using collards, they are tougher and therefore require a quick steaming (about 5 to 7 minutes).

3) Chop any veggies that cook relatively quickly (broccoli, additional onions), but don’t cook them quite yet. They will cook plenty inside of the focaccia.

Assembling the focaccia:

1) Arrange your toppings evenly over the surface of the dough. If adding cheese, sprinkle it on top.

2) Place pan on the bottom rack of a preheated 375˚ oven and bake for 30 minutes. Change pan to the top rack for 15 more minutes. Sprinkle the top with salt and basil, and place on a rack to cool. Enjoy!

Adapted from Tacy’s Dad’s focaccia recipe and Mill Pond’s veggie techniques.

Moosewood Restaurant’s Rumpledethumps

The diet of northern European peasantry relied heavily upon the potato ever since it was imported from Peru in the sixteenth century. In Celtic Britain it was taboo to harvest any potatoes before the festival of Lugnasa, and so the event was met with great anticipation. Colcannon, a potato and cabbage dish-variations of which are legion-is traditionally served on Lugnasa. All members of the family must share the dish or risk offending the agricultural spirit that protects the crop. After the first bite everyone shouts, "Death to the Red Hag!" thus driving away the specter of starvation.

Rumpledethumps is a colcannon that includes broccoli and cheddar cheese; it serves equally well as a luncheon or side dish. There are over one zillion know varieties of colcannon, and we have tried them all. This one is best.

1 lb. potatoes

1 c. chopped cabbage

1 leek, washed and chopped

1¼ c. coarsely chopped broccoli

3 tbs. butter

a pinch of mace

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tbs. milk

¾ c. grated cheddar cheese

Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks, and boil them in salted water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, steam the cabbage, leeks, and broccoli. Melt one tablespoon of the butter and stir in the mace. Mix this seasoned butter and salt and pepper to taste into the steamed vegetables.

Drain the potatoes and mash with one more tablespoon butter, the milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the seasoned vegetables and mix evenly. Spread in an oiled 13x9-inch baking pan. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle it over the potato mixture. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheese. Place under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

If you'd like to prepare Rumpledethumps ahead of time, omit the cheese topping, cover the baking pan tightly, and refrigerate. Later, bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes at 350º. Uncover, sprinkle with the cheese, and place Rumpledethumps under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant.

Pasta with Dark Greens and Tomatoes

1 lb. turnip greens and/or arugula and/or turnip greens (add kale if needed to bulk out, but expect a milder flavor).

Kosher salt

1/2 lb. orechiette, penne or other pasta

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1½ cups chopped tomatoes

Pinch dried red pepper flakes, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper and salt

1 In a large pot, bring 1 to 2 quarts of water to a boil.

2. While the water heats, trim the greens and wash them well. Cut the greens crosswise into 1-inch pieces or strips.

3. When the water comes to a boil, add ½ tablespoon of salt. Toss the greens into the boiling water; cook until they are almost tender but still bright green, 8 to 10 minutes. (The time will vary somewhat depending on what kind of greens you use. Testing them is the best way to know when they are done.) With a slotted spoon, remove greens from the pot and toss into a large bowl of cold water.

4. Add the pasta to the pot of water in which the greens were cooked. While the pasta cooks, squeeze the greens to remove as much water as possible. Fluff the greens to separate them, then set aside.

5. In a large, heavy skillet or a wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomatoes and stir constantly until the tomatoes have softened, about five minutes. Add the pepper flakes. When the pasta is almost done, 10 to 12 minutes, add the drained greens to the pan and cook together for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from the heat.

6. Drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water clinging to it. Add the pasta to the cooked greens; toss well. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Serve immediately.

Note: If you prefer, the greens can be cooked ahead and held up to 8 hours. (Refrigerate them if it will be more than two hours, then bring them back to room temperature before using.) You won't get to reuse the cooking water from the pasta, but you will be able to put the finished dish on the table in just minutes.

Adapted from seasonalchef.com.

Butter-Poached Radishes

Sound intimidating? This recipe is surprisingly simple, yet gourmet and absolutely delicious!

1 bunch French breakfast radishes (about 3/4 lb.), greens and bottoms discarded 


3 tbs. unsalted butter


Salt and pepper to taste


3 dashes raspberry wine vinegar


1/4 cup vegetable stock


1 tsp. fresh tarragon

1) Depending on size, halve or quarter radishes lengthwise. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until melted.

2) Toss in the chopped radishes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over low-medium heat until they become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberry wine vinegar and sauté approximately another minute until the radishes turn a vibrant pink. Add the vegetable stock and the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook for another minute to glaze the radishes.

3) Remove from heat and tear fresh tarragon leaves directly onto the radishes.

Adapted from nymag.com.

Gazpacho

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

1 lb. tomatoes

½ Italian green frying pepper (Cubanelle)

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tsp. red wine or sherry vinegar

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

½ cucumber, diced

1 c. celery, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Cook green beans in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, then chill in an ice bath. Spread on paper towels to dry.

Heat a dry heavy medium skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook whole tomatoes, green pepper, and garlic, turning with tongs, until all are blackened in spots, about 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop tomatoes, green pepper, and garlic. Add the mixture to the celery and cucumber. Put aside ½ cup of the veggies and purée remaining veggies in a blender with vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. With motor running, drizzle in oil.

Transfer gazpacho to a bowl and quick-chill in an ice bath until cold.

Toss green beans with gazpacho and serve sprinkled with reserved chopped tomato.

Adapted from thepioneerwoman.com and epicurious.com.

Wild Green Salad

1 tbs. Champagne vinegar

½ tbs. finely chopped shallot

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. mixed wild greens (such as kale, mizuna, Asian greens, mustard, arugula), chopped into bite-sized pieces

1½ oz. edible flowers (optional)

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add greens and flowers (if using) and toss until coated well.

Adapted from epicurious.com.

Leek Mashed Potatoes

1 lb. potatoes (amount in the box)

1 tbs. oil

1 small leek, white part only, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp. dried rosemary (or ½ tbsp. fresh)

1 tbs. white wine, veggie broth, or chicken broth

2 tbs. sour cream

1 tbs. milk or buttermilk

salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

While potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add leeks and sauté until soft and golden. Add garlic and rosemary, stirring and cooking an additional 2 minutes. Add wine or broth, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain potatoes thoroughly and return to the pot over low heat, stirring to evaporate any excess water. Add leeks, sour cream, and milk or buttermilk. Mash until well-combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Adapted from homecooking.about.com.

Kale Raw Wraps

1 batch pate

1 bunch Russian kale

½ c. vinegar (for soaking)

1 c. tomato, diced

1 c. cucumber, diced

½ bunch mizuna

For the pate:

1 ¾ c. shelled walnuts

¾ c. shelled pecans

¼ medium red onion

3 large peeled garlic cloves

1 ½ 14 oz. packages organic firm tofu

¼ c. tamari sauce

¼ c. water

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley

Toast nuts in 350˚F oven without butter or oil. They cook quickly, so watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Toss them a couple times to ensure even toasting.

Chop the onion and garlic and put them into the food processor with the nuts, tofu, tamari, water, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth.

Remove mixture to bowl and stir in fresh parsley.

Refrigerate overnight for best taste.

Assembling the wraps:

Trim the stems off of the Russian kale. Soak the leaves in a bath of warm water and vinegar for a few minutes to clean them and bring them to room temperature.

Dry the leaves completely. Place the leaves flat, rougher side facing up, on a cutting board and gently shave off the bulbous part of the stem (see pic for illustration).

Each wrap will require two leaves for rolling. Place the leaves head to foot (stalking pointing in opposite directions) and overlapping about half way. Apply a few dollops of pate along the seam where the two leaves overlap. Make sure to leave at least an inch on either end for folding. Once the pate is down, pile on tomatoes, cukes, mizuna, and any other creative tasties you can think of (sunflower seeds, avocado, quinoa, to name a few). Be careful not to load the leaves too high, because the next step requires you to fold in the sides and roll the wrap tightly like a burrito. Voila! A delicious and aesthetically pleasing meal!

Adapted from honestfare.com.

Miso Soup

½ c. daikon radish, cubed

½ c. hakurei turnips, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

¾ c. Asian greens, chopped

2 tbsp. miso paste

Simmer the cubed daikon, hakurei, and garlic for 10-15 minutes. Add the chopped Asian greens and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the greens are wilty. Turn off the heat, create a smooth slurry with some of the simmered water and the miso paste. Add slurry to the pot, stir, and enjoy.

Adapted from www.teaandfood.com.

Roasted Garlic Dressing

• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• salt & pepper

Whisk all ingredients together, breaking up garlic cloves.

from the blog, A Nutritionist Eats

Toasted Pine Nut and Green Bean Salad

Serves 6-8

• 1 pound green beans
• 1 pound yellow wax beans
• 3 small heads frisee
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 oz gorgonzola crumbles
• roasted garlic dressing

Wash beans and cut off ends. Cut into about 2 inch pieces. Add to boiling, salted water and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool with cold water. Set aside.

Wash and clean frisee, drying completely in a salad spinner. Chop if desired, and set aside.

Heat small pan and add pine nuts. Stirring often, toast pine nuts until golden brown and fragrant.

Assemble salad: layer frisee in large bowl. Top with green beans, cheese crumbles, pine nuts and dressing. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

from the blog, A Nutritionist Eats

Easy Daikon Salad

Looking for a great daikon recipe? This Easy Daikon Salad is so simple and only takes a little bit of chilling before it’s ready to enjoy. And enjoy you will! Try Daikon Salad alone, with shredded carrots and peanuts or even in a wrap with grilled chicken. It’s also delish served alongside dishes like pad thai or chicken satay.

2 cups julienne cut daikon radish (I used my food processor to cut it)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sweet rice wine (mirin)
OPTIONAL: crushed peanuts

Place the daikon in a colander/mesh strainer over a bowl or the sink and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and then rinse well with cold water. Drain.

In a small saucepan, combine the seasoned rice vinegar, sugar and rice wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves (this will only take a few minutes).

Transfer the daikon to an airtight container and pour the rice vinegar mixture over. Shake or stir well to combine. Chill for 20 minutes before serving.

serves 4

from the blog: Sarah's Cucina Bella

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

This is a perfect picnic salad made with crunchy just-cooked green beans and ripe red tomatoes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 19 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 pound tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge green beans into cold water to stop cooking and retain color. They should be still be tender crisp.

In a large bowl, combine cooked and cooled green beans and chopped tomatoes. Add basil. Whisk together vinegar and oil and drizzle over beans and tomatoes. Toss until lightly coated. Serve at room temperature or refrigerated.

Serves 4

from Fiona Hayes, About.com

Fresh Peach and Basil Salad

Ingredients

• 4-6 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into bite -size pieces
• 1 Tb. honey
• 4-6 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• ½ cup lemon chevre (or plain chevre with a little lemon zest)
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Place the peaches in a bowl and
2. Coat with honey and sprinkle with salt.
3. Then gently fold in basil and chevre.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time:

Number of servings (yield): 6

from the blog: A Spicy Perspective

Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Olive Oil and Parmesan

(Makes 2 side dish servings, can be doubled. Recipe slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.)

1 bunch chard stems
1/4 tsp. salt
olive oil for spraying pan and chard
1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
coarse ground black pepper to taste

Trim any discolored ends from chard stems, then cut stems on an angle into pieces about 3 inches long. If some stems are very thick, you may wish to cut them lengthwise so all pieces are approximately the same thickness.

Preheat oven to 400 F (or 375 F with convection.) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and chard stems and boil about 6 minutes. Let chard drain well.

Spray a non-stick baking dish with olive oil. Place chard in the pan and mist lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with cheese. (If doubling the recipe, make two layers, misting each layer with oil and sprinkling with cheese.) Bake about 20 minutes, or until chard is softened and cheese is slightly browned on the edges. Season with fresh ground black pepper if desired and serve hot.

found on the Kayln's Kitchen blog

Summer Squash and Potato Salad

Yield: 6-8 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped basil
4 cups baby (3/4 inch to 1 inch) squash (zucchini or summer squash), root ends trimmed if desired
4 cups baby (1/2 inch to 1 inch) redskin potatoes, washed
2-3 cups baby cherry tomatoes, washed

Directions:

1. Make a vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Stir in basil and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Reserve.

2. Bring two large pots of heavily salted water to a boil. In one pot, boil potatoes 10-15 minutes, depending on size of potato, or until tender. Drain.

3. In the other pot, blanch baby squash 1-3 minutes, depending on size of squash and desired degree of tenderness. Drain squash, then place in an ice water bath. When squash is chilled, remove from bath and pat dry.

4. Toss the squash, potatoes and tomatoes with the vinaigrette. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately or let the salad sit in the vinaigrette a few minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally, to absorb additional flavor.

*Note: After a couple of hours of refrigeration, squash will begin to discolor.

fromPeggy Lampman's "Thursday dinnerFeed" on Ann Arbor.com

Swiss Chard with White Beans and Parmesan

based loosely on a recipe from the New York Times Health section

serves 4 as side dish, 2 as a vegetarian meal-in-a-bowl

Ingredients

1 bunch of Swiss chard (a “bunch” is about as many stalk as you can grip in one hand)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 cups water or unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2×4-inch Parmesan rind
2 cans cannellini or white beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
½ teaspoon black pepper
grated Parmesan for garnish

Directions

Wash and dry chard. Cut off chard stems and finely dice. Roughly chop chard leaves.

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and diced chard stems. Cook until chard stems soften (but try not to let brown), about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook additional 1 minute until garlic gets fragrant (try not to let onions and garlic brown too much).

Add water/stock, bay leaf, Parmesan rind to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce the stock.

Stir in the chard leaves and beans, and simmer for about 10 minutes. It should be a little thicker than a soup, thinner than a stew.

Season to taste with salt and fresh black pepper. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Serve in bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

This tastes better the second day.

from the excellent blog, tastespotting.com.Also has some good nutritional inspiration about Swiss Chard.

Green Bean Salad (courtesy of Jim MacBain’s mother)

This recipe comes from good buddy Jim's mother, so it's a keeper!

2 lbs. green beans

1 small sweet onion minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Red Wine vinegar

Cut beans into 2 inch pieces. Cook in boiling water until tender but crisp (approx. 5 minutes).

Plunge beans into cold water to stop cooking and maintain green color, then drain and cool. Add rest of ingredients and refrigerate until serving.

It helps to start with fresh-picked green beans!