Sara's Vegetarian "Meat"loaf

 

Happy New Year!  

I though I’d start this very cold new year’s day with a recipe for some comfort food. Meatloaf is one of the most popular American comfort foods. When I gave up red meat, this was one of the dishes I missed the most. I love a good cold meatloaf sandwich, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes takes me back to childhood.  

This vegetarian loaf is the closest I’ve come to the actual taste and texture of hamburger, without the grease. Wheat berries are the secret ingredient to the texture. The lentils and yellow split peas are cooked in spicy tomato sauce, and the liquid smoke adds a warm, comforting aroma.  

The recipe might look a little daunting, but the lentils and wheat berries can be cooked in advance of assembling the loaf. They can even be cooked in a crock pot over night.  

Ingredients  

Lentil mixture  

• 2/3 c dry lentils
• 2/3 c dry yellow split peas
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 small onion
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 2 c spicy tomato juice
• 1 Tbs dried sage
• 1 Tbs liquid smoke (or more to taste)
• Water as necessary
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Wheat Berrie Mixture  

• 2/3 c wheat berries
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbs liquid smoke (or to taste)
• 1/3 c finely chopped bell pepper (any color)
• 2 c veggie broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Loaf Ingredients  

• 2 eggs
• 3 pieces of toasted bread torn into small pieces
• crumbled crackers–about 10 (or as necessary to bind the ingredients and form into a loaf)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbs ketchup or sweet barbeque sauce for glaze

   

Directions  

The wheat berries will take longer to cook. About 1.5 hours, or cook with all wheat berries ingredients above overnight on low in the crock pot.  

1. For the wheat berries: In a sauce pan (or crockpot for overnight cooking) saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until onion is transparent. OK to carmalize a bit, as this will add extra “meaty” flavor.
2. Add remaining stir in wheat berries, other sauces and seasoning.
3. Pour veggie broth over mixture, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, stir and simmer for 1.5 hours (or just cook on low overnight in crockpot)
5. When cooked, the berries will retain a chewy texture. It will not be soft like white rice.
6. For the lentil mixture: In a sauce pan, saute the garlic onions in olive oil until transparent.
7. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. The lentils will cook down faster than the split peas. So, you will have a mixed texture of very soft lentils and more firm split peas. Stir frequently, and add water as necessary to cover the lentils.
9. Drain additional liquid from lentils and wheat berries.
10. In a mixing bowl, combine wheat berry and lentil mixtures with eggs, bread, and salt and pepper to taste.
11. Fold in crumbled crackers as necessary to the desired consistency. You should be able to form a loaf.
12. Put the loaf mixture in a small greased loaf pan. (you can also form into patties for veggie burgers).
13. Glaze the top with ketchup or barbeque sauce and cover loosely.
14. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until a knife pulls out of loaf clean.

Serve this with Presto! Pesto Sautéed Sweet Corn, Mediterranean Squash Puree, or your favorite vegetables. Save the leftovers for cold “meatloaf” sandwiches, just like when you were a kid. Even meat-lovers like this recipe. It’s healthy, and grease-free. Here’s to a healthy new year!

Mussels and Brocolini in White Wine Sauce

This is one of my favorite Friday night meals. I like to pick up fresh mussels and brocolini at our co-op, cook them up while they’re fresh, and toss over linguine for an easy, light-tasting Friday night treat. Fresh mussels are closed. If you pick them up “fresh” and some of them are open, you need to discard the ones that have opened. Usually, the folks behind the counter are good at sorting through them and picking out any open shells. However, if you bring them home and plan to cook them within the following day or two, watch for open shells and discard. If one is partially open, you can tap it to test. If the shell closes, it’s still good to cook. If not, discard.

Other than that, the only thing you have to do is clean them and remove their “beards”. More info on this here. I found these easy-to-understand instructions on a site called Gourmet Greatix.

Ingredients

• 1/3 package of linguine (or enough for two light servings)
• 1 lb fresh mussels, picked through and cleaned
• 1 c brocolini, cut bite-size
• 1/2 c shredded carrots
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 1/2 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbs cilantro
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1/4 c butter or margarine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tbs capers
• 1/4 c shredded Asiago cheese

Directions

1. Start a large pot of water boiling for the linguine and brocolini.
2. Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil until onion is softened.
3. Stir in vinegar and cilantro (or any other seasoning you prefer)
4. Stir in the mussels and saute for 2-3 minutes until the shells begin to open.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in vinegar and 2 Tbs of the cilantro.
7. Pour wine over mussels and bring to a low boil.
8. Add butter or margarine to the wine sauce and simmer until sauce thickened and pasta is done, stirring frequently.
9. While the mussels simmer, place the pasta in the boiling water.
10. After the pasta has boiled for about 4 minutes, add the brocolini and carrots to the water.
11. Simmer pasta and vegetables for another 3 minutes. Remove and strain. Pour into a large pasta bowl and cover to keep warm.
12. When the sauce has thickened a bit, pour mussels and sauce over linguine and vegetables and toss.
13. Salt and pepper to taste.
14. Garnish with capers, shredded cheese, and the remaining cilantro.

The sauce will still be pretty light and soupy. So, serve this in pasta bowls with crusty bread on the side for dipping. Colorful, light and tasty. One of my favorites. Serves two light meals.

If you’re treating someone who doesn’t like crustaceans, this will not cure them of that taste-ailment. However, if you know someone who loves mussels and pasta, this is sure to be a treat!

Apricot Glazed Mock Duck

 You can find vegetarian mock duck canned at your local Asian market. I love cooking in my crock pot, but this could easily be done in a Wok or large saute pan in a much reduced time-frame. If you use a slow-cooker, you’ll need a 6 quart crock pot due to the bulk of the cabbage when you add it. I made this for Christmas dinner as a main course for me and a side dish for Mark, who happily ate steak along-side the mock duck. 

Ingredients  

• 3 Tbs Olive oil
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• Chili paste or peppers to taste
• 1/4 c silvered almonds
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
• 2 c fresh green beans
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 c sliced mushrooms
• 1 can vegetarian mock duck, drained and broken into bite-size pieces
• 1 celery stock, sliced thin
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 8 c shredded cabbage
• 2-3 Tbs corn starch or as needed to thicken sauce per directions
• Sauce
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 c rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 c white wine
  • 3 Tbs apricot preserves
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • Chili paste or peppers to taste

Instructions  

1. Set crock pot to high. Mix olive oil, garlic and almonds in bottom of pot. Cover and start cooking while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Alternative: saute on stove and transfer to crock pot when onion is transparent.
2. After onion mixture is sautéed, begin layering remaining ingredients as follows.
3. Combine mushrooms, mock duck, tomato, green beans and layer over the onion mixture in the crock pot.
4. Combine cabbage, carrots, and celery. Layer over the mock duck mixture.
5. Mix sauce ingredients and pour over cabbage mixture in crock pot.
6. Place lid on crock pot and continue to cook on high for 1-2 hours.
7. Stir ingredients, replace lid. Cook on low for an additional 2 hours.
8. Remove 1/2 c of sauce and stir in corn starch to thicken. Return thickened mix to crock pot and stir.
9. Continue cooking for an additional hour on warm.

Serve with white rice, or try your hand at fried rice. Cooking times will vary based on your crock pot.

Squash Puree

This is a wonderful base for many recipes, or firm it up with a few instant potato flakes, add butter, and serve it on the side of any fish or meat dish, just as you would mashed potatoes. The possibilities for this base range from soup, to pasta sauce and stuffings, or even casserole base. When you’re tired of the basic brown-sugar and butter routine… make this recipe and freeze in small portions for use in creative recipes.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cooked and peeled
• 1 sweet onion coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 c dry red wine
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1/2 c potato flakes

Directions

1. Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is transparent
2. Incorporate red wine and hot pepper
3. cook uncovered on medium heat to reduce (until most liquid is absorbed)
4. Stir in brown sugar and add a little water if necessary
5. In food processor add squash in sections and sauted onion mixture 
6. Puree on high until all ingredients are well blended
7. Add potato flakes as necessary to firm to desired consistency (should be similar to mashed potatoes)

Serve on the side of any dish as you would mashed potatoes with butter; thin with milk and/or sour cream and serve as soup; or freeze and store for other recipes.

Cranberry Crab Salad

 

This is a quick salad to use for sandwiches, cracker spreads, or tomato stuffing. Simple, healthy ingredients make this a satisfying meal or snack. Elizabeth has been after me to post this. So, here it is.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb imitation crab chunks
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/3 c dried cranberries
• 1/3 c slivered almonds
• 2 tbs black olive, sliced
• 1 tbs dried cilantro or 2 tbs fresh chopped
• 1/3 c light mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine ingredients and chill.
2. Serve on ciabatta rolls, stuff inside tomatoes, or as a dip for crackers. This is also great on top of a lettuce salad as the dressing.

Now, make this your own. I’ve been tempted to try dried pineapple instead of cranberries… what will you do?

I don’t know if you’re like me in the summer, but I have a hard time leaving any market without fresh vegetables; I can’t pass a stand; and I love Farmer’s Market and the Co-op. Result? Too many veggies to cook and eat. I hate waste. So, I try to monitor the veggie drawer and do something like sauteed summer veggies on the weekend to use in dishes throughout the week. This also freezes reasonably well.

This is a basic sautee that can be added to endless recipes, or simply eaten in its original form. Sometimes simple is best.

Ingredients

• 1 zuchini, diced
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/4 c chopped fresh herbs of your choice
• 4 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the red pepper and saute one minute.
3. Add remaining ingredients and saute until veggies are cooked but firm, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately as a side dish or refrigerate for use in other recipes. This can also be added to soup, rolled in a tortilla, or top of pasta or rice with the veggies (and a little more olive oil as desired).

 

Grandma's Classic Potato Salad

This is everyone’s favorite potato salad! It’s a true classic with a few twists from my mom’s creative flair. Jean is my adopted mother, or angel mother as I like to refer to her. My birth mother passed in 2007 before I could find her, but I have been blessed to find sibblings this year (2009).

The classic garnish of boiled eggs dates back to my Grandma Stacia (and probably beyond). This is a true midwest-American dish. Mom uses light salad dressing, bless her — the recipe is just as good. I wanted to try to make this even healthier, but sometimes classic is classic. Done.

I’m thrilled to have the recipe, and even more to pass it on. Mom and I substituted baby red potatoes, and added some new herbs…make it your own.

 

Dressing

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c vinegar
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 c of light salad dressing (the sweet mayonaise sandwhich spread)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Dry Ingredients

• 6 c diced baby red potatoes (cleaned, skin-on, and raw)
• Diced green pepper
• Diced red onion
• Diced celery
• 2 diced boiled eggs

 

Garnish

• 2 sliced boiled eggs
• 2 Tbs dill, chives, parsley, or cilantro
• 1 Tbs Paprika

 

Directions

1. Prepare the dressing first. It can be refridgerated and it might make more than you need for the salad.
2. Mix dressing ingredients and cook dressing until boiling good. Beat with a whisk until thickend a little. When cool add light salad dressing. (It’s the sweet mayo like Miracle Whip rather than Helmans) Chill for 1 hour minimum.
3. Dice raw dry ingedients. HINT: use a cool tool to make the dicing fast and uniform.
4. Boil diced potatoes until fork pierces easliy. Careful not to overboil. Firm “to the tooth” but not soft.
5. Drain and rinse potatoes in cool water.
6. Add remaining dry ingredients. (Other veggies are added raw)
7. Stir in prepared dressing to desired wetness.
8. Chill in refridgerator until serving (it’s best day two)
9. Garnish with sliced boiled eggs and herbs to taste.

The salad is always a hit. Goes with all meats and fish. Great for grill season. The dressing can also be used for coleslaw, macaroni salad, lettuce salad… etc. Yum. Enjoy!

Corncakes and Strawberries

This is a favorite for all. The corn cakes are lighter than regular pancakes and sweeter. The strawberries a a perfect pairing. The thinner you make these, the crispier they become. So, I make them a little more thin than regular pancakes. I serve the corn-cakes with a buffet of topping choices: butter; blueberry or any other preserves; honey; maple syrup; whipping cream; fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries. Top with slivered almonds for extra texture and taste.

Ingredients

• 1 package of corn bread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c milk (or as directed by package)
• Water to desired consistency
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1. Mix cornbread batter per package directions.
2. Add additional water 1 Tbs at a time until the consistency is like a thin pancake batter.
3. Heat skillet on medium high until water drops dance across the surface.
4. LIGHTLY spray surface with cooking spray
5. Pour or spoon 1/3 c of batter onto the skillet (more or less for desired cake size)
6. When edges of cake look a bit dry, flip the cake (it should be golden)
7. Remove from heat when bottom is golden.
8. Keep warm on an oven-proof plate in a 300 degree oven as you cook the cakes.

Serve with butter, honey, syrup, fresh fruit or preserves. These are pretty, easy, and a crowd pleaser. Makes enough for about 3 adults.

Mom and Dad visited and I served these with fresh fruit. Marks girls visited and loved them too. This is too easy for all the happy faces it makes. Tuck this trick away when you have guests.

Love,

Mother Sara

I am too sick to post or tweet. Nothing serious.

Regretfully,

Mother Sara

 

Apricot Mustard Glazed Salmon

This is a quick and tasty way to serve up salmon on short notice. Most ingredients can be kept on hand. It’s easy to portion up or down, and is a wonderful compliment to the salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 salmon filets
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 c honey mustard
• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1/3 c apricot preserves
• 1/4 c dried herbs (cilantro, basil, chives, etc)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Coat both sides of salmon filets with olive oil
2. Lightly salt and pepper both sides
3. Combine the remaining ingredients and generously coat both sides
4. Grill on high grill, searing on both sides. All grills and tastes differ. Find your preference.