Green Tomato Vegetable Soup

Tomatoes went in late this year so we ended up with a lot of green fruit left on the vines as the days got shorter and colder this fall. Oh, green tomatoes. I’ve dutifully tried frying them and have tasted pie made with them, but just haven't developed a taste for them. At least not until I played with some recipes and came up with this last weekend. It’s on the light side but more flavorful than I expected from a simple and quick soup. Because of the cumin it smells like chili on the stove, but ends up tasting like - well, like delicious vegetable soup. The cumin does lovely things for the slightly-acidic green tomatoes.  

Green Tomato Vegetable Soup 

2-3 Tblsp. olive oil

1 onion chopped
1 ¼ cups chopped carrots
1 ¼ cups chopped green beans
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
¾ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp marjoram
Pepper to taste
4-5 green (unripe red) tomatoes, chopped into small dice (I left skins on)
1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or equivalent fresh red chopped tomatoes)
1 - 15 oz. can corn, drained
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, well-rinsed
8 cups vegetable broth
Salt (to taste if needed)

In a medium sized stockpot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion  and carrots and sauté about 3 minutes. Add the green beans and garlic and sauté about 2 more minutes. Add the spices, tomatoes, black beans and corn. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook about 20 minutes until all vegetables are cooked and flavors have blended. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with sourdough bread or garlic crostini or tortilla chips. 

The kids were meh on this dish but didn't hate it. Recipe above made enough for dinner for 4 with generous leftovers for the next day's lunch.

Vegetarian Cincinnati Four-Way Chili

When we were first married, we lived about a block away from Chili Macs, a Cincinnati chili shop with an outdoor patio. Because we could bring our dog and the food was cheap and fast, we spent many summer evenings there.

I loved the combination of cinnamon, sweet/hot onion and sharp cheddar cheese, but after we moved to the suburbs I forgot about Cincinnati Chili for years until Tom decided to see if we could make it at home. We’ve made it several times since then – meat and veggie versions – and it’s always good, but never exactly how I remember it from the old 'hood. Still, this most recent version of vegetarian Cincinnati Chili gets very close. The pasta and cheese make it a kid-crowd pleaser, too.

I used a couple of different meat substitutes and added zucchini and carrot because I'm not crazy about the texture with crumbles only. Total meat substitute is about the equivalent of a 12- or 16-oz. package.

Note: The toppings are the numbered “ways.” 1. Spaghetti 2. Chili 3. Cheese 4. Onion. Five-way chili has an additional topping, kidney beans. My kids like to add sour cream (of course).

Vegetarian Cincinnati Four-way Chili

2 tbsp. oil (olive or your preferred)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 package Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles
2 veggie burgers, chopped
1 grated zucchini
1 small chopped carrot
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Hot sauce (to taste - a couple of shakes)
1 tsp. allspice
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened baking cocoa) [note: use Dutch Process cocoa, or the best quality you have on hand]
Salt (to taste)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups veg broth
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. spaghetti, boiled and drained

Chili Toppings:
1 white onion, chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated (low-fat is fine)
(for 5-way: kidney beans)

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add the meat substitute, zucchini and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and cocoa powder, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls constructed as follows: spaghetti, chili, cheese and onion.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

I've been cooking, but not blogging. So I'm 1 for 2 on the New Year's Resolution.

Here's a recipe that's really more of a winter comfort food. Of course it was below freezing this first morning of April, so we may have a few more "winter" meals ahead of us before we switch over to the grill.

Your cassoulet will have flavorful green flecks of fresh parsley. I forgot to buy parsley, but it was still pretty yummy.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

Stew ingredients

¼ cup oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

½  tsp Penzey’s Parisien Bonnes Herbes (ok to leave out or substitute any sweet, mild herbs – marjoram, chervil, chives)

1 bay leaf

Pepper (to taste)

4 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained/rinsed

About 2 tbls. tomato paste

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

1 large baking potato, peeled and diced

About 1 cup of vegetarian sausage, pan-fried and drained

(I used a Smart sausage labeled “sausage style,” which tastes like a breakfast-sausage flavor to me. I would not use Italian-style.)

Bread crumb topping ingredients
Coarse-chopped French bread, about 4 cups. (Chop the bread into pieces smaller than croutons but bigger than crumbs)

Scant ¼ cup olive oil. Lower-fat option: spray olive oil

Garlic powder

Fresh parsley, about 1/4 cup chopped

Ingredient Note 1: About tomatoes. One meat-containing recipe for cassoulet that we like, from Real Simple, does not include any tomato paste and has only 1 small can tomatoes. It makes more of a white bean stew. This version has a more Italian flavor - they're almost completely different dishes. If this recipe is too in-your-face, try the Real Simple version and either skip the sausage or substitute vegetarian.

Ingredient Note 2: Seasonal options. This is more of a winter dish for us, so I use dried herbs and canned tomatoes. Some versions of cassoulet include fresh chopped tomatoes and fresh sprigs of thyme, which sounds delicious but we didn’t have them on hand in February.

Make the stew:

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes until everything is starting to soften. Add thyme, bonnes herbes, bay leaf, pepper, beans, tomato paste, canned tomatoes and broth. Partially cover pot and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Add the cooked sausage and the diced potato. If stew is too liquid, remove the lid completely. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow potato to cook and sausage flavor to mix. 

While stew is simmering, make the breadcrumbs:

Heat oven to 350. Put bread pieces in a largish bowl. Toss with olive oil (or spray generously with spray olive oil). Sprinkle in garlic powder generously, tossing until coated. Spread on a (ungreased) baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, turning once and keeping an eye on them – baking time will vary depending on the moisture of the bread and size of the crumbs. Toss cooked breadcrumbs with parsley. 

Serve the cassoulet in bowls garnished generously with breadcrumbs. Recipe serves 6-8.

Mujadarah (Middle-eastern lentils, rice, and carmelized onions)

This hearty, flavorful dish has become a staple at our house this year. We have it a couple of times a month and the kids are big fans. This is a great choice for anyone who wants to try something a little different or skip meat once in a while. It’s very “meaty,” and lentils are fast-cooking and uncomplicated to work with. The flavors of cumin and cinnamon are a little bit different but this version of the dish does not have flavors that seem exotic to a picky eater. 

I have most of the short ingredient list on hand most days in my kitchen. One drawback for weeknight meals is that it takes about 40 minutes to make. I sometimes cook the lentils the night before or earlier in the day and just refrigerate until I need them. 

Mujadarah (Middle-eastern lentils, rice, and carmelized onions) 

1 cup brown or green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil (or other  vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 turns of the pepper mill (or about ¼ tsp pepper)

4 medium/small or 2 large onions, sliced thin (rings are pretty but I’ve started using a food processor with the slicing disk.)

½ tsp. salt

3/4 cup rice (white)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or similar dried ground pepper)

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Juice of ½ lemon, or about a tablespoon of bottled lemon juice

Optional plain yogurt or sour cream for serving

Cook the lentils. Pick through the lentils to remove any non-lentils first, and rinse.

Spread dry lentils on a white plate to quickly sort

Put lentils in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups water (or more – it won’t hurt anything). Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Drain. 

While lentils are cooking, cook the onions. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and pepper. Heat the seeds about 1 minute. Add all of the onions at once. Cook over medium heat, turning every so often, until the onions are mostly brown and carmelized (but not overcooked/burned). This always takes longer than I think – 20-30 minutes.

Remove about half of the onions from the pan and set aside (on paper towels to soak up oil.) Add the cinnamon, cumin powder, and cayenne pepper to the onions in the pan and stir. Add the rice, lentils salt, and 3 cups water and stir. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until rice is cooked – about 20 minutes. Add water if needed. 

When rice is cooked, turn off heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Top with the onion you set aside (reheated as needed.) 

Optionally, serve with yogurt or sour cream. Serves 4 generously.

Refried Beans

My kids love refried beans and we buy the vegetarian/low fat canned type all the time. But they don't taste like restaurant-style homemade refried beans. Tom's been playing with this recipe for a couple of years now to come up with a vegetarian version we like that replaces the richness of pork fat or lard with other flavors like lots of garlic, onion and adobo sauce.

This recipe is not difficult and the ingredients are cheap, but it's not something you whip up quickly and the beans should soak overnight. Make it on the weekend when you'll be hanging around the house.

Refried Beans (Tom style)

soaking and boiling step ingredients:

Dried mayocoba beans, about 2 cups (if buying by the pound, about 1 lb.)

Note 1 – if you can’t get mayacoba beans, use pinto or pink beans

Note 2 - for best results, use beans within a few weeks of purchase – they will cook faster

1 onion, chopped coarsely

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tblsp. oil

1 tblsp. epazote (optional)

1 tsp. salt (Important: Add salt after boiling, not before)

frying step ingredients:

Olive oil – about 1-2 tablespoons per batch (Note for non-vegetarians – you can also use pork or bacon fat)

(optional) butter to add richness to the olive oil, about 1 tablespoon per batch.

1 onion, finely chopped per batch

2 cloves garlic, minced per batch

Boiled beans from previous step

Adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo), about 1 tsp. per batch

½ cup queso fresco crumbles, for garnish (optional)

Sort and rinse the beans. Tip for picking through beans – use a white dinner plate, spread out beans (about ½ cup at a time) on the plate so that you can see any pebbles or broken beans easily. Pour the sorted beans from the plate into a colander/sieve. When entire batch of beans is sorted and in the sieve, rinse thoroughly. Put beans into a large pot and cover with about 6 cups water. Soak overnight or for at least 4 hours. (or quick soak: boil beans for 2 minutes, then let them stand for 1 hour).

Drain the soaked beans. Add back to the pot and cover with 6 fresh cups water. Add onion, garlic, epazote, and oil. Bring slowly to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1-2 hours. Check occasionally and if needed add water to cover.

Beans should be a bit soupy but not swimming in liquid. If there seems to be too much, drain off some of the liquid but reserve to add back in. Add the tsp. salt. Using a potato masher, mash the beans (we like them fairly coarse but suit your own preferences.) Heat the oil and (optional) butter in a heavy, non-stick pan (we use a cast-iron skillet).

Note that the frying ingredients above are a little non-specific. This recipe makes 2-3 “batches” in our skillet. For each batch, heat oil and fry onions and garlic until mostly cooked. Add adobo sauce. Immediately add beans and stir. Fry/turn until beans are heated through and flavors blended, adding liquid as needed so that they don’t become dry. Repeat until all batches are cooked.

Garnish with queso fresco crumbles and serve as a side dish or in tacos, enchiladas, etc. We had them with homemade corn tortillas. This recipe will easily serve 8 people for tacos/sides.

Soccer Season Scrambled Tofu

With soccer practices and karate lessons and homework filling our evenings, the past six weeks felt like a whirlwind of activity. Not so much a whirlwind of creative recipe creation, but I thought other people might be interested in this highly-flavored version of my kids' favorite scrambled tofu with soy sauce. Steam a vegetable and some rice while cooking this and you have a simple healthy meal ready in under a half-hour. 

Soccer Season Scrambled Tofu

Oil for sautéing

1 medium or ½ large onion, chopped

Fresh ginger, grated, about 1 teaspoon

Garlic powder, several shakes (1/2 tsp)

Chinese Five spice powder, 2 shakes (1/8 tsp)

Ground coriander, several shakes (1/2 tsp)

Ground lemongrass, 2 shakes (1/8 tsp) 

2 lbs tofu, drained (I used extra firm, but medium would be fine)

¼- ½ tsp kosher salt (depending on how much soy sauce you use)

¼ cup dry vermouth

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

Small pour of fish sauce (1/2 tsp?) *** This ingredient is not vegetarian. Technically. ***

About 1/8 cup water

Heat oil in large skillet/dutch oven/wok over medium heat. (Note – it seems to me that tofu needs a little fat to taste hearty. I wouldn’t use a pan spray, but 1-2 tablespoons of oil.) Add onions to oil.  While onions are sautéing, add the ginger and dry spices.  Saute onions until about half-cooked, stirring. Crumble tofu in your hands and add to onion mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu starts to brown a bit (I turned up heat to medium high.) While tofu is cooking, mix the vermouth and other wet ingredients in a measuring cup. The water is just to dilute the strong flavors so there’s enough liquid to soak into all of the tofu without making the mixture too intense.  

Once the tofu has started to brown, whisk the vermouth/soy sauce mixture and pour over the tofu, stirring to mix flavors. Keep cooking/stirring as tofu continues to cook (about 10-15 minutes all together).

Serve over rice. Top with chopped green onion or some red bell pepper for color. Good served with steamed broccoli or green beans.

Vegetarian Lasagna (with tofu "ricotta")

I’m not a plan-ful cook by nature. Some weeks I buy everything for most of the week’s meals, but I probably wouldn’t have many new recipes to post if I didn’t allow myself to be creatively sidetracked by an ingredient demanding to be included in dinner. This time it was a bargain package of yellow squash picked up at the co-op grocery, and fresh spinach (also bargain-priced). We had a half-bag of those little colorful bell peppers that needed to be used too. I was thinking maybe Indian for the veggies, and had picked up some potatoes just in case, but my co-cook mentioned vegetable lasagna and then while back out shopping on an empty stomach I discovered grated cheese and mushrooms on sale. So lasagna went on the menu.

Inspiration credit goes to Pioneer Woman, who used yellow squash in her veggie lasagna, and a couple of vegan websites that describe how to substitute tofu for ricotta. Unlike the vegan cooks, I did add cheese and egg to the tofu. No one – not even my pickiest eater – could tell that it was not ricotta. Next time I’m going to try soft tofu, drain it better, and see if I can get the same tasty results without the extra cheese mixed into it.

just out of the oven

Weekend Vegetarian Lasagna

for the vegetable saute

4-5 medium yellow (summer) squash, chopped

Yellow/red bell pepper (about equivalent of one medium pepper), chopped

About half an 8-oz package of mushrooms, chopped small so that children won’t notice them

1 small onion,chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp oregano, dried

¼ tsp fresh oregano

½ tsp rosemary fresh

½ tsp dried marjoram

2 hands-ful of fresh spinach, chopped into small pieces

Saute everything until soft, roughly in the order listed here. Add the garlic about 3 minutes after the other vegetables, don’t add spinach until last 60 seconds of cooking.

tofu mix

Package of firm tofu

3 cloves garli, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp dried marjoram

1 egg

¼ cup grated dry parmesan

¼ cup fresh parmesan/Italian cheese mix

Salt

Pepper

Drain tofu. Use a mixer / stand mixer to blend everything. Seasonings are approximate – I tasted as I went.

everything else

Package of barilla no-boil lasagna noodles

1 jar spaghetti sauce (32 oz.)

8 oz. package grated low-fat mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375. In a lasagna pan (8x13), put a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom.

-          Add a layer of noodles.

-          Press ½ of tofu mix on noodles.

layering . . .

-          Spoon on half of the vegetables.

-          Spoon on about 1/3 of remaining spaghetti sauce.

-          Sprinkle on about 1/4  of the mozzarella.

-          Repeat all layers.

-          Add top layer of noodles.

-          Add remaining sauce.

-          Add remaining mozzarella and some parmesan.

Cover with foil and cook about 50 minutes. Remove foil and allow cheese on top to get a little brown, about 5-10 more minutes.

Very enthusiastic reception from the young diners, with only a little quibbling over the mushrooms. Makes 2 generous meals for 4 people.

a little fresh oregano garnish

Squash and Black Bean Taco Filling

I haven't been blogging much lately. Or cooking much. Is it the change of the weather? The cold that has dragged on for weeks? Or did I mention it’s NaNoWriMo? (National Novel Writing Month. I’m, um, behind on my word count. ‘Nuff said.)

The boys adore Mexican-inspired food and they would eat beans with cheese and sour cream several times a week if it was offered. This evening the idea was to maximize the wonderful healthy ingredients – black beans, fresh vegetables – and make it so flavorful the kids wouldn’t ask for the sour cream and cheese (yeah, not happening yet. I’m raising the Dairy Council’s biggest fans.) Nothing especially original here, just the familiar flavors we all like mixed and matched with the fresh produce of the season.

The kids had this on soft corn tortillas, but it was also good served low-carb style, plain in a bowl.

Squash and Black Beans Taco Filling

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground pepper

1 small or ½ large butternut (or other hard-shelled) squash, peeled and diced in small pieces

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

About 2 tablespoons jarred salsa

1 small can tomato sauce, divided

(Hot sauce or cayenne, optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper about 2 minutes over medium low heat, until just starting to soften. Add cumin, oregano and pepper and stir to coat. Add squash pieces and continue to sauté until the outside of the squash is starting to soften. Add the diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa and half of the tomato sauce. Stir and cover. Cook on medium-low heat until squash is soft but firm (time will vary depending on how small the pieces are – 15-20 minutes.)  If mixture is too dry, add more tomato sauce. If mixture is too soupy, remove lid and stir more frequently. The filling should end up thick and lumpy, with squash pieces cooked but firm and holding their shape.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with taco shells or tortillas and other taco toppings like lettuce, tomato, sour cream, scallions and grated cheese.Serves 4 (generously as taco filling, adequately served alone.)

Why do I end up with photos like this? Anyway, there is taco filling under all that lettuce.
And look, evidence that children actually will eat the green stuff!

Ratings: The kids gave this two thumbs up, although they started out a little iffy about the squash in the mix. I thought it was a bit carb-heavy with the tortilla, and might leave out the corn next time.

Couscous Volcanoes

This is really just a variation of (family favorite) stuffed acorn squash with rice, but with an Italian twist. The creamy couscous complemented the smooth texture of the squash, while the pesto highlighted its nutty undertones of flavor. 

If you have the time to bake the squash, this is a fast meal to prepare, and it got a big thumbs-up from all diners, even the one who “doesn’t like vegetables.”

Couscous Volcanoes

Makes 4 large servings

2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeded, and baked until soft. (place squash upside down on baking sheet with lip; cook for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until soft.)

Filling

Olive or vegetable oil for cooking

1 medium red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (stewed with garlic and bell peppers style, if available)

1 small can tomato sauce

About ¼ cup basil pesto (made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan)

About 1/2 cup meat-substitute crumbles, defrosted in microwave

1 cup (dry) plain couscous (prepared according to package directions)

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Leave oven on, or preheat to 350 degrees. In large skillet, sauté the bell pepper, onion, and garlic until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pesto and crumbles. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

While vegetables and sauce are simmering, cook couscous according to package directions and put aside.

When sauce flavors have mixed, turn off heat. Put aside about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add couscous and about ½ cup grated fresh parmesan to the remaining sauce. Stir to mix thoroughly. Use an ice cream scoop to heap filling in squash shells in “volcano” style. Drizzle each volcano with a bit of sauce “lava.” Shave some fresh parmesan on top of that.

Place in oven until cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme or oregano.