Zucchini Soup (recipe, pareve)

Zucchini Soup P Yield: 9 cups soup

What a perfect way to use up some of that zucchini in your garden! Choose the narrow ones which are more flavorful and not waterlogged. Adding a potato to the soup turns it into a zucchini flavored vichyssoise. Preparing the soup without the potato gives you more of a zucchini broth. Both are delicious and both can be eaten hot or cold. Garnish with home made croutons or fried zucchini.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion-peeled and chopped

1 ½ pounds zucchini- about 3 medium ones- trimmed, peeled and diced

Zest of small lemon

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Optional-1 large russet potato-peeled and diced

6 cups water (for a meat meal you can use low salt chicken broth)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Equipment

4 quart saucepan

Electric food processor

Directions

1. Heat oil in pot over medium flame. Add chopped onion and cook until onion is translucent.
2. Add zucchini, lemon zest, salt and pepper and optional potato. Stir until zucchini starts to wilt. Add liquid. Simmer mixture until potatoes can be mashed against the back of a wooden spoon- about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Purée soup- no more than two cups at a time in processor. Pour back into skillet and stir in dill. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot or chill several hours and serve cold.
4. Optional garnish: fried zucchini flowers, fried shredded zucchini, homemade croutons

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RAINBOW VEGETABLE RING (recipe, pareve) #meatlessmonday #shavuot

RAINBOW VEGETABLE RING P SERVES: 8-10

Just thinking of a vegetable rainbow makes me smile.

Prep time: about 90 min.  Baking time: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound mushrooms

1 medium cauliflower

20 ounces frozen chopped spinach-defrosted and squeezed dry

8 large carrots

4 scallions

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 egg yolks (save whites for meringues)

Salt, pepper, sugar

Non-dairy olive oil spray

EQUIPMENT

Electric food processor

4 small saucepans or 1 that you

keep rinsing out

Small skillet

6 cup ring mold* plus baking dish large enough

to hold it

DIRECTIONS

1. Break cauliflower into florets. Rinse well and steam in about one inch of boiling water for about 8 minutes until just tender. Drain florets and set aside.
2. Peel carrots and slice them into ½ inch rounds. Steam carrots in boiling water about 10 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Wipe off mushrooms and mince them. Wash scallions and mince the white part only. Add to mushrooms. Spoon two tablespoons vegetable oil into skillet over low heat.  Raise heat to medium and sauté mushrooms and scallions together quickly so that very little liquid is released. Set aside.
4. Purée each vegetable separately. Be sure to rinse out bowl of processor after each vegetable so that the colors don’t blend.
5. To thicken vegetables: one at a time, place each vegetable in saucepan with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one lightly beaten egg yolk. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture thickens and moisture disappears. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add sugar to the carrots if they need it.
6. Preheat oven to: 375 F. Spray ring mold.
7. Spread cauliflower in an even layer on the bottom of ring mold. Cover cauliflower with spinach, then with carrots and finally with mushrooms. Place ring mold in baking pan and fill it carefully with 1 ½ inches of boiling water. Place in oven and bake about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow mold to cool for five minutes, and then run a spatula around the outside and inside of the circumference of the mold. Place an oven to table serving dish over the top of the mold and quickly invert it. The vegetable ring will fall right out. Serve hot, room temperature or cold.
8. Note: If you’re really ambitious, you can make individual molds by layering the vegetables in greased custard cups and inverting one on each person’s plate.

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian "Nut Free" Chopped Liver

Vegetarian “NUT FREE” Chopped Liver P

Healthier than chopped liver yet equally satisfying and perfect for those with nut allergies!
Ingredients
2 large portobello mushroom caps-gills and stems removed - coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion-peeled and coarsely chopped
2 eggs-hard boiled
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sunflower spread or soy butter
Black pepper to taste
Equipment
Small skillet
Electric food processor
Medium bowl
Directions

1. Heat two tablespoons oil in skillet over medium flame. Sauté chopped mushrooms. Pour mushrooms into bowl of processor.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium flame. Fry onions until brown. Add to mushrooms.
3. Add eggs to other ingredients and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape mixture into bowl and add sunflower spread/soy butter, and salt. Stir well. Add black pepper to taste. Chill. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Meatless Monday: Baked Poached Salmon (recipe, pareve)

BAKED POACHED SALMON P SERVES: 8

Oven poaching is so much easier than fighting with the stainless steel poacher on top of the stove and the results are just as moist and delicious. Here’s how!

Prep time: 10 minutes   Cooking time: 45 minutes  Chilling time: 12 hours  

Decorating: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS                   

6 ½ pound whole salmon*           

optional: head and tail left on           

1 large onion-peeled and sliced

1 small bunch parsley

1 large celery stalk-scrubbed and sliced

1 large bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups dry white wine/water

2 tablespoons olive oil

EQUIPMENT

large baking sheet

heavy duty tin foil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to: 375 F.
2. Tear three sheets of foil long enough to encase salmon and form handles at either end. Place on baking sheet. Brush olive oil over top piece of foil.
3. Rinse salmon and place it on foil.
4. Scatter onions, celery and herbs around salmon. Lift up the edges of the foil and pour liquid over the salmon. Seal foil over the salmon and roll up the ends into handles at either side.
5. Bake salmon 45 minutes to one hour. You should only be able to smell the herbs and wine while fish is oven poaching. If it begins to smell fishy, lower the temperature of the oven. The salmon should be opaque when tested with a knife. When done, open foil and let cool thoroughly. Reseal foil and chill overnight.
6. TO SERVE: 1. Remove vegetables and parsley from around salmon. Peel skin off salmon with a sharp knife. Carefully, lift salmon and place on serving platter. Cover salmon with a layer of very thinly sliced cucumbers to resemble fish scales. Weave sprigs of dill through the cucumbers. Surround salmon with lemon wedges. Serve green sauce on the side. 2. Cut salmon into portions and arrange on a serving platter with green sauce in the middle. Decorate each portion separately.

Meatless Monday: Grapes Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice (recipe, pareve)

This is a great recipe to help Ashkenazim use up the rice in their pantry before Passover, or a great Passover recipe for my Sephardic Friends.  Also a great side dish or appetizer for any other time in the year!

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice P Yield: 36-40 Stuffed Grape Leaves

The rice, flavored with cinnamon and allspice and then mixed with the Turkish trilogy of parsley, mint and dill is delicious on its own.  Rolled in grape leaves, each bite is a treat and a trip to exotic lands.
Ingredients
1 bottle preserved grape leaves
3 tablespoons + 2/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion- peeled and minced
3 large garlic cloves-peeled and minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
3 teaspoons sugar
1 cup Basmati rice-rinsed
1 cup each:  finely chopped-parsley, dill, mint
Salt and pepper
1 cup water
Juice of 1 large lemon
Equipment
2 Dutch ovens
Baking parchment
Baking pellets
Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in Dutch oven over medium flame. Add minced onion and garlic and sauté until they are very soft. Stir in cinnamon, allspice and sugar. Mix well. Stir in rice. Pour in just enough water to cover the rice-about 2 cups. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  Taste. The rice should have a bite. Stir in all the herbs. Taste again. Season with salt and pepper. Let rice cool.
2. While rice is cooling, drain grape leaves and place them in a mixing bowl. Cover with very hot water. Let them soak about 15 minutes before gently separating them with two forks. Drain leaves and then soak them in cold water for 3-4 minutes. Drain leaves completely. Cut off any stems.
3. Spread grape leaves out on a flat surface. Take a scant tablespoon of rice stuffing and lightly shape it into a log. Place it toward the stem end. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the rice and then fold the sides in. Roll grape leaf tightly so that all the rice is enclosed. Place stuffed leaf in Dutch oven. Repeat process until all the leaves are stuffed. Make sure you pack them as tightly as possible in the pot.
4. Mix 2/3 cup olive oil with one cup water, sugar and lemon juice. Pour over stuffed grape leaves. The liquid should come up to half of the top layer. Cover the top of grape leaves with a piece of baking parchment.  Cover Dutch oven and simmer 45 minutes. Let grape leaves cool in the pan before arranging them on a platter and serving them with sliced lemon.  You can also cool them completely and freeze them with waxed paper between the layers. Defrost completely before steaming them just to heat them through.

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Mixed Mushroom Gravy

Vegetarian Mixed Mushroom Gravy P Yield: 6 Cups

The mushrooms, herbs and wine give this gravy such rich flavor that even the carnivores will enjoy it.
Prep time: 15 min.   Cooking time: 15 min.
iNGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic-minced
1 large shallot- minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (white button, portabello, shitake)
2-3 sage leaves-chopped
18 (about) branches thyme-leaves removed-branches discarded
3 ounces + 1 Teaspoon olive oil
I cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups vegetable broth (boxed/fresh)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Large skillet
DIRECTIONS

1. Bring olive oil to medium heat in skillet. Add minced garlic and shallot. Saute until soft.
2. Add mushrooms and herbs. Stir vigorously until mushrooms have softened and released their juices.
3. Add wine. Stir well and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes.
4. Sir cornstarch into ½ cup vegetable broth. Add to mushrooms. Stir well until slightly thickened and then add remaining 3 ½ cups broth. Stir until gravy thickens again. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.  Use immediately or cool completely before refrigerating.  Adjust seasoning if necessary after reheating.

Meatless Monday: Veggie Meat Loaf en Croute

   

Veggie Meat Loaf en Croute P Serves: 2-3

Easy to prepare, looks impressive on the table and healthy too. This veggie meat loaf is a little crumbly when you cut it; but the pastry holds it all together.  Serve it with a veggie mushroom gravy and some mashed potatoes on the side and you have a very satisfying meal. This recipe is based on using Yves Meatless Ground. It is very crumbly-like cooked chopped meat. Other brands behave differently and will need different additions.
Ingredients
12 ounces Yves Meatless Ground
1 bunch scallions
1 carrot
1 small celery stalk with leaves
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup non-dairy bread crumbs
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk-beaten together-for veggie loaf
1 egg-beaten-for egg wash over pastry
1 sheet pareve puff pastry-defrosted
Flour for dusting surface
Equipment
Electric food processor
Mixing bowl
Small skillet with top
Small cookie sheet lined with baking parchment
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Directions

1. Preheat oven to: 350 F.
2. Wash and trim scallions and celery. Set aside.
3. Peel and trim carrot. Add to scallions and celery.
4. Chop vegetables finely by hand or in processor.
5. Heat oil in skillet over medium flame. Add chopped vegetables to hot oil and stir well. Cover skillet and stew vegetables until you can crush them with the back of a wooden spoon- about 10 minutes. Stir in meatless ground, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning.  Add crumbs and beaten egg.  Cool.
6. Scrape mixture onto parchment lined cookie sheet and shape into an even loaf. Place in oven and bake about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
7. Sprinkle a flat surface with a little flour and roll out puff pastry sheet large enough to make a package around veggie loaf. Place loaf top side down in the center of pastry. Bring both long ends toward the center so that they overlap a little. Trim short ends if they are too thick and fold them up each side, Press lightly so that they adhere. Brush the seams with egg wash.  Gently turn the Veggie Loaf right side up. Use any leftover dough for decorations. Brush bottom of each decoration with egg wash before placing it on loaf. If you have no extra dough, you can draw whatever you like with the sharp tip of a knife.  Brush egg wash over entire loaf and bake in oven until pastry browns. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Meatless Monday: Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze (recipe, pareve)

Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze P Yield: 8 slices

The pressed tofu soaks up all the wonderful flavors  from the ginger, molasses,  pineapple, sesame oil and pepper. When it’s fried, you get to enjoy the meatier texture of the tofu together with the sweet and spicy sauce with a slight crunch from the toasted sesame seeds.
Prep time: 60 min.  Marinate: several hours or overnight Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 container extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons tamari
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cinnamon stick
1 poblano pepper-washed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 inch fresh gingerroot-peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic-minced
1 small onion-peeled and sliced thinly
Flour for dusting tofu slices
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Medium skillet
Oven to table serving dish
DIRECTIONS

1. Drain tofu and put it on a plate. Cover tofu with waxed paper and weight it down with a large heavy can. Check tofu after an hour or so and pour off liquid. Continue to weight it down until tofu has shrunk in size and given up most of its liquid. Starting from the smaller end, slice it into eight pieces and arrange them in a single layer in a dish that can hold the marinade.
2. Pour tamari, crushed pineapple, two teaspoons sesame oil and molasses into mixing bowl. Stir well.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except for sesame seeds. Stir marinade and pour over tofu slices. Marinate for two or three hours before turning slices over and marinating again. This can be done overnight.
4. Spread about ½ cup flour on a flat surface. Gently remove tofu slices from marinade and dredge them in flour shaking off any excess.
5. Pour just enough vegetable oil in skillet to cover bottom of pan. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil. Heat over medium flame. Brown tofu slices on each side until they are golden brown. Arrange in a single or overlapping layer in serving dish. Set aside.
6. Remove cinnamon stick and add marinade ingredients to skillet. Sauté until onions and peppers are soft. Add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Pour sautéed vegetables over tofu slices. Add sesame seeds to same pan and stir quickly until they toast. Sprinkle seeds over tofu. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Meatless Monday: Eggplant Parmesan (Recipe, Dairy)

Eggplant Parmesan D Serves: 4

Roasting the eggplant makes this dish much lighter and less oily than what we’re used to. Serve with a tri-color salad.
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 pound whole milk mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Large cookie sheet
Pastry brush
Baking pan-13x9x2
Directions

1. Preheat oven to: 450 F.
2. Pour a little oil in bottom of baking pan and spread it all over pan using a brush, paper towel or your fingers,
3. Peel eggplants and cut them lengthwise into  ¾-1 inch slices. Arrange slices in baking pan and roast for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Brush the top of eggplant slices with olive oil and roast five minute longer. Slices should be soft enough to be easily punctured with a knife.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper. Let slices cool a few minutes.
4. Cover bottom of baking pan with eggplant (no parchment or oil necessary). Spread about ¼ cup tomato sauce over each slice. Sprinkle with chopped basil and then with a ¼ inch slice of mozzarella and two teaspoons of grated parmesan. Repeat process until all the eggplant slices have been used. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs.
5. Bake at 375 F. until the top has puffed and browned- about 25 minutes. Serve hot.