Goat Cheese, Onion, and Tomato Tart

Sorry for the long lull, folks. This recipe is from Gourmet, I'm not sure if it's from the magazine or one of their cookbooks. My dad made it one time when I was visiting, and now it's a summer tradition for me. It's good both hot or cold, and I serve it with a simple side of baby greens tossed with vinaigrette.

You need:

1 (9-inch) prepared pie dough, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
6 oz. crumbled goat cheese (1 1/3 cups)
1 lb. plum tomatoes, thinly sliced crosswise

To prepare:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  
• If necessary, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch round and fit into tart pan.
  
• Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge.
  
• Lightly prick bottom and sides with a fork.
  
• Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights [I use dried beans, it's cheaper].
  
• Bake in middle of oven until pastry is pale golden around rim, about 20 minutes.
  
• Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden all over, 8 to 10 minutes more.
  
• Cool in pan on a rack.
  
• While tart shell is baking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt and black pepper to taste, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
  
• Preheat broiler.
  
• Spread onion over bottom of tart shell and top with 1 rounded cup goat cheese.
  
• Arrange tomatoes, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles over cheese.
  
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese and salt and black pepper to taste and drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil.
  
• Put foil over edge of crust to prevent over browning.
  
• Put tart pan on baking sheet and broil tart about 7 inches from heat until cheese starts to brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.

I've also used a frozen pie crust already in a foil pan and just blind-baked it according to package directions.  I'm considering trying to substitute beets instead of tomatoes for the tomato-haters out there, I'll let you all know how it goes.

Vinaigrette (oil and vinegar salad dressing)

My vinaigrette tends to be a bit on the strong side, so if you don't like anything but ranch dressing on your salads, you probably want to avoid this. On the other hand, you can also adjust the amount of vinegar and mustard to your tastes.

You need:

Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

• I start with a small plastic container with a lid.
• Put one clove of minced garlic inside
• Add one teaspoon of strong dijon mustard [I like this stuff]
• I tend to add equal parts vinegar and olive oil, but you could add more oil to mellow it out
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Put the lid on, and shake vigorously to combine

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches

You need:

Large portobello mushroom caps (one per person)
1 or more red (or orange or yellow, not green) bell peppers, depending on how many you're serving
1 container herbed, spreadable cheese such as Boursin
Large sourdough rolls (or whatever looks fresh, tasty, and is burger-sized), split to resemble burger rolls
Mixed baby greens
Vinaigrette
Soy sauce
Garlic, minced
Vinegar (Red wine or rice vinegars work well)
Honey

To start:

• Mix soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and honey to taste in a sealable container
  
• Clean off the mushroom caps and add them to the mixture
• Seal the container and refrigerate for a few hours

Next, prepare the peppers:

• Cook them under the broiler, about 4 inches away from the heat until the skin is blackened and blistered
• Put them in a paper bag (or even a plastic grocery bag), close the bag and leave until cool
• Peel off the skin, then seed them, and chop them into large slabs

Final steps:

• Remove the mushroom caps from the marinade, shaking off the excess liquid
• Grill them on either an indoor or outdoor grill, and grill/toast the cut sides of the buns at the same time
  
• Toss the greens with vinaigrette
• Smear both sides of each bun with the herbed cheese
• Place a bed of greens on the bottom, top with a mushroom, and then place a few slabs of roasted red pepper on top of that, then place the top bun...on top
  

Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsps. olive oil

1 pkg. carrots (about 6 carrots), chopped into 1/2-1 inch chunks

4-5 medium sized russet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

Approx. 64 oz. of vegetable broth (I like the clear broth like Swanson Organic, as opposed to some of the muddier-looking broths that are available)

2 Not-Beef bouillon cubes (or any other vegetarian or vegan brand of bouillon cubes)

2/3 cup pearl barley

1 small bag frozen peas, thawed

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Put it together:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high and cook the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes (You will get a brown crust on the bottom of your pot, don't worry about it)
• Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Add the veggie broth and diced tomatoes (with their juice), as well as the tomato paste and bouillon cubes
• Add the pearl barley and potatoes
• Make sure it comes back up to a boil, taste, adjust salt and pepper, then cover and reduce heat to low
• Simmer, covered, for an hour, or until barley is softened
• If the stew is not thick enough for your tastes at this point, take the lid off and simmer uncovered until thickened
• If the stew is too thick for you, add water
• A few minutes before serving, add the thawed peas, heat them through, then serve

Variations:  You could use butternut squash instead of potatoes, or use fewer potatoes and add some cubes of squash, too.  If you hate peas, you can use celery, or a leafy green like kale or chard, though if you go that route, you probably want to add those earlier in the cooking process so they can soften and cook down.

Pizza Dough

This comes from, I believe, Artisan Baking. It's a simple recipe, for the most part. The friend who sent it to me annotated it extensively, and then so did I, so hopefully it has not become confusing.

You need:

3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water

• Mix the flour, yeast and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the water and mix until the dough is shaggy and most of the water has been absorbed.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead, without adding extra flour, until it is just blended but not too smooth.
• Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 10 to 15 min. to allow the yeast to fully hydrate.
  
• Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is fairly smooth, using a dough scraper if it is difficult to handle.(The firm dough should feel sticky at first, and then soft but dry to the touch. Adjust the dough's consistency with extra water or flour only if it is excessively sticky (add 1 tbsp flour at a time) or stiff (add 1 tbsp water at a time))

• On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, each 7 oz.
• Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball: Roll the dough up like a carpet, turn the roll around, position it seam side up, and roll the cylinder up again. Roll the cylinder perpendicular to itself a third time.
  
• Turn the dough so that the seam is on the bottom and round the dough under your palm into a tight ball.
• Roll each rounded piece in flour and arrange each on a floured tray.
• Cover the tray tightly with plastic wrap.
• Let the balls of dough proof at room temperature until they are soft and puffy but still springy, 5 to 6 hours. Or refrigerate the dough, after shaping it, for up to 36 hours. Remove it from the refrigerator and let it finish proofing at room tempature for 7 to 8 hours. [The dough tends to get sticky if refrigerated]

• At least one hour before baking the pizzas [possibly longer so the oven gets super hot], arrange a rack on the oven's second-to-top shelf and place a baking stone on it.
• Clear away all racks above the one being used.
• Preheat the oven to its highest-possible temperature setting.
• Hopefully this will be between broil and clean -- you are trying for 750 degrees, but 550 degrees or even 500 degrees will still work.

• Flour your work surface well and place a fully proofed dough ball on it. Flatten the ball with your hands and press it into a disk. The easiest way I have found to shape the dough is to just pull it out gently between your hands, rotating the disk as each side is pulled.
• To perfect the shape, place one hand on the center of the dough (to prevent it from getting too thin, which it hass a tendency to do) and gently tug around the edges until the dough is about 1/8 in thick in the center and about 1/4 inch at the very edge ["whatever", says my buddy E.].

• Place the shaped dough on a sheet of parchment paper or, if you are more confident, directly on a lightly floured peel, which could be any lightweight, rimless baking sheet.
• Spread about 1/4 c. sauce on the dough and scatter with 2 oz cheese.
• Peel the pizza onto the baking stone or slide it, still on the paper, on to the hot stone.
• Bake until the crust has colored slightly, burning in spots and staying pale in other areas, and the cheese has melted.
• The baking time should be around 4 minutes if your oven is hot enough, up to 6 if it is cooler. Do not overbake the pizza.
• To serve, drizzle on a little olive oil and arrange 4 basil leaves decoratively on top.
• Shape, top, and bake the remaining dough balls one at a time but eat the hot pizza right away.

So here's where I really start to deviate from the recipe. I don't have a pizza stone, and I'm not planning to buy one. I tried heating my oven as hot as possible and putting the pizza on a sheet pan with cornmeal on it, and while still tasty, I ended up having to chisel the pizza off the pan. I have an indoor, countertop grill (open-faced, not like a george foreman) and I heat that up, then shape the pizzas. I brush olive oil on one side, and slap that side on the grill, then brush oil on the other side. When side one is baked, I flip it over, top the other side with sauce, veggies and cheese, then put a large lid over the whole thing because that helps the cheese melt.

Semi-homemade Cornbread

Not to be confused with the Food Network show, I've been making this stuff for years. I can't really come up with a formal recipe, but here's what you do:

• Take a package of Cornbread Mix (not Jiffy)
• Mix according to directions
• Add one can of drained, canned corn
• Add 1-2 chopped, fresh jalapenos
• Bake according to directions

Vegetarian Chili

Now, if you are one of those folks who doesn't think chili is made right if it contains beans, you probably shouldn't be attempting vegetarian chili anyway, and this recipe might not be for you. However, I found it on vegweb.com years ago, and it was similar to a recipe in a cookbook my parents had when I was in high school. It's fantastic.

I made it for a friend's chili-themed birthday party. After all the guests had gone, it was late, and the chili dishes, including the meat chilis, were left out overnight. Guess which one they caught his roommate's cats eating? That's right, this one. Not the meat.

You need:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 chopped onions
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bell peppers, chopped [red, yellow, orange, or green, your choice]
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large can, undrained, of tomatoes, chopped
1 cup water
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn [you can also used frozen chopped green beans, thawed, which sounds odd, but it adds some similar freshness to the dish]
1/2 cup bulgur [AKA bulghur wheat, often available in bulk foods areas, though you can buy it packaged, too, possibly near the rice or dried beans]
salt and pepper

Construction:

• In a large pan, saute the onions and spices.
  
• Add peppers and garlic for 1 min.
  
• Add cocoa, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil.
  
• Add kidney and black beans, corn and bulgur.
  
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min. or until bulghur is cooked.
  
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Like any chili recipe, this can benefit from being stored in the fridge overnight, to let the flavors mingle, then reheated the next day. I recommend serving with semi-homemade cornbread.

Spanakopita (Spinach and Feta pie)

This is a fairly simple recipe, which I've varied a little. The most labor-intensive part is working with the phyllo dough, and I'll give you some options for that at the end of this post. It's definitely not something I make just to snack on at home, it's party/dinner guest food.

You need:

1 stick butter
1 lb thawed and drained frozen spinach
1/2 lb feta, crumbled (scant 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 an onion, chopped
Salt, to taste
10 (17- by 12-inch) phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen

Instructions:

• Mix together the spinach, chopped onion, nutmeg, feta, and salt
  

Now, here is where it becomes more complicated. You need to keep the phyllo sheets moist, but not wet, a very slightly damp towel helps, with a layer of plastic wrap under it.

Assembly option 1 (for finger food):

• Take 1 phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter
• Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with more butter
• Cut buttered phyllo stack crosswise into 6 (roughly 12- by 2 3/4-inch) strips
• Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of a strip on end nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle
• Continue folding strip (like a flag), maintaining triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on a large baking sheet and brush top with butter.
• Repeat until out of phyllo

Assembly option 2 (as a main dish):

• Take 1 phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter
• Repeat with another phyllo sheet until you have a stack of 10 or so sheets
• Place stack of buttered sheets and place in a lasagna dish
• Top with spinach mixture
• Make another stack of 10 buttered sheets and place on top, being sure to brush top with butter

Bake either method in 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, then cool. If you use the triangle method, you can freeze the uncooked triangles and bake later (without thawing first).

Tzatziki (Cucumber yogurt sauce)

This sauce is great for dipping pita, dolmas, and veggies as well as on hummus and veggie sandwiches, or on gyros for the meat eaters. There are many variations, so this is again cobbled together from many sources.

You need:

3 cups plain yogurt
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and grated
1 tbsp. fresh dill or fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Place a clean kitchen towel in a colander, and add the yogurt to the center of the towel. Place colander in a bowl to catch liquid, and let drain for a couple of hours.
• In another colander (or the first one, after you're done with the yogurt), place the grated cucumber, sprinkle with salt, and toss. Let sit and drain, then pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
• In a bowl, mix together strained yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, dill or mint, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover bowl tightly and return it to the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight so the flavors can blend.
  

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Also known as dolmas or dolmades, these are a great appetizer or finger food.

You need:

1/2 lb. jar grape leaves, washed thoroughly from brine and drained
1 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup currants
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Construction:

• Wash leaves under hot water. Soak them for 20 minutes and wash them again, separating them to make sure all saltiness has been removed.
• Partially pre-cook rice by allowing it to sit in boiling water for five minutes then rinse and drain thoroughly.
• Combine rice, pine nuts, currants, onion, parsley, mint, and add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Cut the stem off each leaf and place shiny side down. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture on wide end, fold up, fold both sides in and roll up like a burrito.
• Line rolls very tightly side by side, seam side down, in saucepan. Sprinkle garlic garlic between the layers.
• Add olive oil, lemon juice, water and bring to boil. Place a small heavy plate over the leaves, lower heat, cover pan and simmer very gently until leaves are tender for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Every thirty minutes check on water level, adding 1/4 cup at a time if needed.
• Cool dolmas before transferring to serving platter.
  

This recipe makes about 40-45 leaves and they can be served hot or room temperature. They're perfect on their own (and vegan), but you can also serve them with tzatziki for dipping.

Once cooked, these freeze well, and you can reheat them by steaming them until warm.

Baba Ghanouj (eggplant spread)

This and the next couple of posts are from a Middle Eastern food party I threw a while back. This is tasty spread on sandwiches or served with pita bread wedges or pita chips, and is easy to make. The next time you're considering making hummus, consider making this instead. I believe I found the recipe at epicurious.com.

You need:

2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) [I've been able to find this at local supermarkets, but you may have to check the specialty foods section, or even a specialty foods store]
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped

To make it:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to food processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Tortilla Espanola

I first had this dish in Spanish class in High School. If I recall correctly, my Spanish Teacher was from Germany, but had lived or spent a fair amount of time in Spain, and she used to bring this simple, tasty dish in for us as a treat once a year or so. It seems to be a staple on tapas menus.

You need:

2 yellow onions, diced
6 large boiling potatoes, chopped in 1/3-inch dice
10 eggs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika and/or chopped parsley for garnish

To make it:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  
• Saute yellow onions in olive oil and potatoes until vegetables are soft but not browned
  
• Let remove from heat, transfer to bowl, and let cool for 5 minutes
  
• Beat eggs lightly as if making scrambled eggs, then add them to cooled veggies
  
• Return this mixture to an oven-safe saute pan and cook until eggs are half cooked
  
• Level out top of eggs (by pressing potatoes and onions down with a spatula) and bake for 15 minutes
  

Slide onto a plate for serving, and sprinkle lightly with paprika and/or chopped parsely. You cut this and serve it in wedges like a pie. It can be served warm or room temperature and makes a great lunch or light dinner with a salad on the side.

Feta, Eggplant, and Olive Sauce (for pasta)

This recipe comes straight from While the Pasta Cooks. I rediscovered it last night, and it's an old favorite.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta (they say "any shape" but I also prefer fusilli or rotini or bowties in this, I wouldn't make it with any of the "long" pastas)
1 1/2 lbs. small firm eggplant, stemmed, peeled, and cut into thin 2-inch-long strips
1 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
12 imported black olives (Mislinis, Kalamata, or Nicoise), pitted and coarsely chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir a few times to ensure that the pasta does not stick to itself. Boil vigorously for the time recommended on the pasta package or until the pasta is tender.

While the pasta cooks, toss the eggplant with the kosher salt in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave at full power for 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess water.

Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and eggplant and cook until the eggplant has lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, basil, and olives.

Drain the pasta and toss it in a serving bowl with the sauce and feta cheese.

My notes: The key to actually getting all of this done "while the pasta cooks" is to make sure everything is chopped and measured before you start boiling the water. Also, I know I've recommended in other recipes that you don't need to pit the olives, but in this one, it's better if you do. This is also a fairly dry sauce.

Pasta with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes

This is another recipe that I made up, though it was inspired by a recipe in a great cookbook called While the Pasta Cooks.

You need:

1 lb. pasta, I like fusilli for this recipe

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 of a jar of pine nuts, toasted

Half of a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small package (about 5 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Put all ingredients except for the pasta in a large bowl. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, and toss until the cheese has melted and coated the pasta.

You can also add defrosted frozen peas or broccoli to this if you want a full meal in a bowl. Alternately, serve a salad of tossed baby greens on the side with Italian dressing or homemade vinaigrette.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

I made this for Thanksgiving, though I've modified it to remove the potatoes, since I was serving mashed garlic potatoes on the side.  In its original form, it was the "Harvest Vegetable Medley" in the Vegetarian Times November/December 2007 edition.  In my rendition,

You need:

1 lb. small brussels sprouts, trimmed (removed the excess small leaves and stem from the bottom)

1 butternut squash, halved, cut into chunks

1 head cauliflower, separated into 2 inch florets

4 medium leeks, white parts only, trimmed and quartered lengthwise

1/2 lb. baby carrots

1/2 lb. baby parsnips, peeled and trimmed

24 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved, plus 3 garlic cloves, minced (no, that's not a typo)

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

2 small red bell peppers, quartered

The recipe:

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  
2. Toss everything into a roasting pan with the olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and attempt to spread into a single layer
3. Roast for 40 minutes, tossing whenever you get worried, or until the veggies are brown around the edges and squash is soft

As you can see if you've examined the original recipe, I've taken some liberties with the instructions because honestly, I'm not going to be fussing over pre-boiling brussels sprouts, they came out fine just plain roasted.  I also added more red pepper.  I do recommend using the fresh herbs, since this is otherwise very simply flavored.

I would not recommend trying to double this recipe, since it says it serves 8, and I didn't have a pan big enough to serve what I thought 15 people would eat.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

This literally means "spaghetti prostitute style". The story, as I heard it as a child, was that brothels in Italy, long ago, served food to their clients in addition to "dessert", and this spicy sauce came from there. I was looking for this particular recipe months ago and couldn't find it. I ended up with a milder and less tasty recipe than this one; I'm glad I found it again. The traditional recipe includes anchovies, I substitute sundried tomatoes.

You need:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped (canned is fine)
1-2 tbsp. capers
12-16 black olives (normally the recipe calls for pitted, but honestly, just warn your guests that the pits are still in there, and they'll be fine)
1 hot chili pepper (how hot? your choice. You can use jalapenos, serranos, habaneros, dried red pepper flakes, or whatever you can find locally)
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped finely
Black pepper
3 oz. sundried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, patted dry, and chopped into small pieces
2-3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti (you can really serve this on whatever pasta you have around, but this is traditional)
Salt

The instructions:

• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and saute 2 cloves garlic, crushed, until browned.
• Add the remaining garlic clove, finely chopped, the tomatoes, capers, olives, chili, oregano, and a little black pepper (freshly ground, if possible).
• Cook over a brisk heat for 20 minutes.
• Lower the heat and add the chopped sundried tomatoes, then cook gently for 2 minutes.
• If you used a whole chili, remove it, then add salt to taste.
• If you want things extra spicy, chop up the cooked chili you removed and return it to the sauce.
• Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender, drain it, and dress it with the sauce while hot.

I would recommend plating this with not just the chopped parsley, but also a sprinkle of parmesan, and some chopped walnuts.  

Black Eyed Peas and Stewed Tomatoes

This is similar to a recipe my uncle used to make back in Virginia, but without the bacon. These bring good luck for the new year.

Ingredients:

1/2 bag cooked dried black eyed peas (or 1 box frozen), cooked
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tbsp. each dried celery leaves and parsley or 1 sm. bunch fresh minced
Salt & pepper to taste
A few dashes Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp. dried onion or 1 onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced, fresh or frozen

Instructions:

• Cook and drain the peas according to package directions.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Simmer for at least 20 minutes, or place in crock pot on Low 3 to 4 hours.
• Add extra stewed tomatoes if you're going to leave it in the crock for longer.
• To substitute for bacon, add some Liquid Smoke

Chickpea Salad (Tuna Salad Substitute)

Prior to giving up meat, tuna salad sandwiches were a staple of my diet. They're cheap, easy, and quick. A few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe on an online BBS for a tuna salad substitute made with chickpeas. I was dubious, but it actually turned out well. At a work potluck, we were doing a sandwich bar, and I decided to bring this in. I had it on my sandwich, but the meat eaters ate it as a side salad, and liked it a lot.

You'll Need:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large celery stalks, chopped into 1/4 inch thick slices (or more, if you prefer)
1/2 an onion, minced
Mayonnaise or Vegenaise
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

• Add the chickpeas to a bowl and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher. You don't have to smash it into a paste, but gently crushing the chickpeas adds texture, and makes it easier to put on a sandwich without the peas rolling off.
• Add the mayo and mix until desired texture is achieved (It shouldn't be swimming in mayo, just creamy)
• Add the minced onion and celery
• Add salt and pepper to taste

If you're planning on making a sandwich to take to work, I would recommend toasting the bread first, that way it doesn't get soggy by the time lunch rolls around. There are lots of other spices you can add to this for variety, a good one is curry powder.

Savory Pumpkin Soup

My friend Erica experimented with pumpkin soup recipes several years ago, and this was my favorite. I've removed the stuff we decided not to use and made it vegetarian.

You Need:

1/2 stick butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. can pumpkin
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 bay leaves

The Plan:

• In a medium soup pot, melt butter. 
  
• Saute onions, stirring occasionally until soft. 
  
• Stir in pumpkin, veggie broth, salt, spices and bay leaves. 
  
• Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  
• Remove bay leaves. 
  
• Puree the mixture in batches in food processor or blender (I skip this step, I like the onion in the soup for texture). 
  
• Return to soup pot. 
  
• Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. 
  
• Adjust seasonings. 
  

I actually just double the recipe, dump everything into the large crockpot I own, and cook on low all day when I serve this for Thanksgiving, so that's another option.  You could easily make this vegan by substituting margarine for the butter.

Migas (Scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese)

My first introduction to eggs with salsa were some Migas a friend/coworker made late at night when we were hanging out at her place. These are not fancy restaurant food (migas means crumbs) but they're downright tasty.

You'll Need:

1 package of fresh corn tortillas
Butter
2 eggs per person
1 jar of salsa or Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 package shredded mixed Mexican cheese

Make the Migas:

• Melt some butter in a pan
• Chop up one tortilla per person, in large pieces
• Cook the tortilla in the butter until crispy
• Beat two eggs per person and add salsa/Rotel, cheese, salt and pepper
• Add the eggs to the butter and tortilla chips and cook like scrambled eggs
• Serve

You can serve potatoes on the side for a great late night or breakfast meal.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These have a couple unusual ingredients, but they are my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and make a good change from the usual Tollhouse recipe.  This one was also found as a reader submission to Gourmet years ago.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

How to make them:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• In a bowl, cream shortening and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Add vanilla and vinegar and combine well.
• Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture gradually.
• Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Form into balls of heaping tablespoons and arrange 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Flatten each ball of dough with the palm of your hand into a 1/4 thick round.
• Bake in the middle of oven in batches for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Transfer to wire racks and cool.

These are relatively large, but not gigantic.  You can leave out the nuts if you'd like.

Egg Patties with Tomato Sauce

These first appeared as Fay's Egg Patties as a reader-submitted recipe in Gourmet magazine. The original recipe included a homemade tomato sauce component, which I've removed, since I find it unnecessary. I've got suggestions for sauce.

Now, let me just say that prior to moving to Texas, I didn't put tomato products on my eggs. I was never the type to eat scrambled eggs with ketchup, for example. When first faced with the prospect of breakfast tacos with salsa, I honestly thought the concept was appalling. It turns out they were really good, and I was hooked. I still had some trouble making the leap to putting spaghetti sauce on egg patties, but trust me, these are worth trying.

You Need:

1/2 cup dry plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan (3 1/2 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
6 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 can of Italian seasoned tomatoes and onions (You can find these at Central Market, Whole Foods, and that type of store, or possibly your regular grocery store if it doesn't suck.)

The Plan:

• Stir together bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, and garlic, then stir in eggs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
• Working batches, drop rounded tablespoons of egg mixture into skillet.
• Cook patties until golden and puffed, about 2 minutes on each side.
• Transfer to paper towels to drain and add oil to skillet as needed.
• Add canned seasoned tomatoes/onions to cleaned skillet.
• Add patties and simmer, turning once, 7 minutes total.

You would not normally think of freezing eggs, probably, but you can get these cooked to the pre-tomato sauce stage, throw them in a zip lock bag, and keep them in the freezer. Then, just thaw and finish cooking in the sauce.

Easy Spinach Lasagna

I'm not sure that this recipe ever had an official origin, at this point, I just make it from memory. It does have traditional elements, though.

You Need:

1 package "no boil" lasagna noodles (I've been told you can bake regular lasagna noodles without boiling them, but why risk it?)
1 large can Hunt's tomato sauce (no, I'm not kidding. This sauce is really simple, not too sweet, and doesn't over-complicate the flavors in the lasagna)
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a colander
1 large tub of ricotta cheese (skim or low fat is fine in this case)
1 package shredded mixed Italian cheeses
1 egg
1 tsp nutmeg
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

The Plan:

• Beat the egg lightly with a fork
• Add egg, ricotta, spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix until combined and spinach is evenly distributed
• Put a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish
• Place a layer of the no boil noodles on top of the sauce
• Spread a layer of of the ricotta/spinach mixture on top of the noodles
• Sprinkle this with some of the grated Italian cheeses
• Top with sauce, another layer of noodles, more ricotta, more shredded cheese
• Repeat until you run out of room in the dish.
• The very last layer should be a layer of noodles topped with tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and a generous sprinkling of parmesan
• Bake at 350 for up to 90 minutes (or until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbly and the noodles are tender)
• After removing from oven, let rest for up to 30 minutes, as it will be molten hot =)

Serve with salad and you have a complete meal.