Category Archives: Meatless Main Dishes

Meatless Main Dishes are recipes that are hearty, healthy and contain no meat. For my non vegetarian friends and relatives, many recipes can be modified to include meat, and/or dairy.

Cabbage and Comfort Food

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Well, it looks like I’ve been forgiven for making everyone eat sauerkraut last week.  They keep telling me they don’t like it and I keep trying to find a way to make it not taste like sauerkraut and it never works.  So this week I guess I’ll try a different approach to cabbage that’s more like comfort food.  Savory stuffed cabbage always feels homey and satisfying and it’s simple and inexpensive to make.  Here’s my most recent take on this really flexible dish.

Cabbage Stuffed with Quinoa and Brown Rice

 

Photo by E. Broughton
Photo by E. Broughton

 

 

 

 

 

Stuffing Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced anaheim or poblano pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 8-oz package of microwavable quinoa and brown rice
  • 1 small head of green cabbage
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons of vegetable broth or a

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tablespoon of olive oil and the onion, celery, red pepper and poblano pepper and simmer just until tender.

Add the quinoa and rice and a little more vegetable broth and return to a simmer.  Let simmer until the mixture is well heated, about 5-6 minutes and then remove from the heat and set aside.

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Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  In the meantime, cut out and remove the cabbage core and remove any damaged outside leaves.  Add the cabbage and let it simmer, rolling it around so it cooks evenly.  After about 10-12 minutes the outer leaves will loosen and begin to peel away from the head.  Carefully remove them with tongs and place in an ice water bath.

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You’ll only need 12 leaves, so you can save the rest of the cabbage for another meal (I chop it up and freeze it to use in soup).

Drain the leaves and pat dry with a paper towel.   Lay out the leaves and place about a heaping tablespoon of stuffing near the base of the leaf. Roll the bottom of the leaf over the filling, folding in the sides like a burrito.  Stick a toothpick through each roll and place in a baking dish.  (Spread a couple of teaspoons of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan to keep the rolls from sticking).  Cabbage rolls 015Arrange the rolls in a single layer and top with the rest of the marinara sauce.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Photo by E. Broughton

Photo by E. Broughton

Serve with a dab of plain greek yogurt or sour cream and some fresh dill or chives.

 

Hotdish and Sauerkraut

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The weather is miserable, again, and since we still have to eat, exploring the back of the pantry seems like a better idea than layering up and putting on the coat and boots to truck to the store.  There’s always something in there, and waaay up on the top shelf, I found a jar of sauerkraut.  It has possibilities, but it’s not a meat day, so what can I do with sauerkraut. I found some frozen cauliflower in the freezer.   Now here in the upper midwest, white food is looked upon with a fair degree of reverence, and it usually involves something with potatoes.  Well, guess what, we don’t have any potatoes, but I’ve got onions and cheese, so cauliflower and sauerkraut it is.  Sounds like a hotdish is taking shape.  I’m not sure what reception this will get at dinner, but we established years ago, that if I put it on the table, it gets eaten.

Here it goes, sauerkraut-cauliflower hotdish.

Assemble the Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz jar of sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and chopped
  • 1 15 oz. package of frozen cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise
  • 1 minced garlic cloves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan, pepperjack (even a little goat cheese is good) – Set aside about 1 cup of the cheese for topping
  • 1 small to medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1/2 cup large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Anaheim or Poblano pepper, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons melted oil (olive, canola or coconut)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish.

Steam the cauliflower until tender and drain all the liquid.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, mayonnaise and garlic and mash with a potato masher until you get the desired consistency (I like mine a little lumpy).  Add in the sauerkraut.

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Add salt, pepper, paprika, onion, and both kinds of pepper.

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Mix in about 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.

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 Pour into the greased casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and dot with butter if you like.

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Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the top is nicely melted and browned.

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Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*You could also use shredded cabbage if you have it, and you just really hate sauerkraut, but go ahead and take a chance and sample the joys of white food.

 

 

What to Do with All That Squash!

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Winter squashes are really rewarding to grow.  And they just keep growing, and growing and growing, and pretty soon everyone in the neighborhood is bringing them over is baskets and buckets to share them with you.  Now I really love squash, so I wouldn’t want them to stop offering to share the bounty, but I’m running out of room.  I mean there’s squash everywhere in the kitchen, a few in the garage, and I just can’t stand the idea of any of it going to waste.  So when there’s too much of anything I bag it and put it in the freezer.  Fortunately, squash freezes beautifully, and I just peel it, cut  it into bite size chunks and freeze a few bags for roasting later in the winter.  I also cook some in the microwave until tender, puree it and freeze flat in bags for using in pie, breads, and even souffles.   

Still, my favorite way to enjoy squash is stuffed and baked in the oven.  This delicious, flexible recipe is one I got from my sister-in-law, Skye Morgan O’Malley.  You can use any kind of winter squash including pumpkin, and make either sweet or savory variations.   Below is the sweet recipe which is a good choice for those of us who grew up eating sweet potatoes and squash with butter and brown sugar, but you can give it a savory twist by cutting back on the sugar and adding a some browned sausage.

Baked Curried Squash

Baked Curried Squash

Baked Curried Squash

The recipe below is for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 2 butternut or acorn squash, or small pumpkins
  • 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Stuffing

  • 1 tsp curry powder (you can adjust this to taste)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 cup each dried fruit like cherries, cranberries and golden raisins
  • 3/4 cup diced apple
  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (strictly optional)
  • 1/8 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmet, ginger, allspice and cardamon, or (2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 cup of browned crumbled sausage (vegetarian option – Leave it out or substitute curmbled up Morningstar breakfast patties)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter with all of the stuffing ingredients. (You can substitute a tablespoon of vegetable broth for the oil). Set aside.
  3. With a sharp knife or other suitable instrument, split the squash or pumpkin in half, or cut the top off and remove all of the seeds and fibers.  Scrap clean.
  4. Fill the hollowed out squash or pumpkin with the stuffing ingredients and place in the baking pan. 
  5. Lightly spray the squash with cooking spray or oil, place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the flesh is fork tender.

Helpful Tip:Slice just enough of the rind off the bottom of the squash so it will sit flat in the pan.

 

 

 

Living Large in the Produce Section: Nobody Starves on a Vegetarian Diet

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One of the things most people worry about when contemplating a vegetarian diet is getting enough to eat.  There’s this myth that if we’re not eating meat, we’re going to be hungry.  It’s not true, but we build our meals around that idea.  Most traditional meals have three main components: meat main dish, starch side dish and a token vegetable of some variety.  On the other hand, vegetarian eating is a lot more interesting and isn’t limited to three dishes.  You can spread the protein part of the meal through several different dishes, and there can be four or even five different dishes in the meal.  It’s about color and texture and taste.  The main thing is that each dish should be healthy, nutritious and even fun.  Below is one of my favorite savory dishes to brighten up the gray days in January.  Add a bean salad, some broccoli with lemon butter, and some spiced tomatoes.  I guarantee no one will leave the table hungry.

Carrot-Tarragon Tart

Carrot-Tarragon Tart
Carrot-Tarragon Tart

I love savory dishes and one of my favorites is a recipe I discovered recently for Carrot-Tarragon Tart.  This is a beautiful dish and although it sounds too fancy for a midweek meal, it’s really pretty easy. I’ve added some of my own touches to this, so feel free to experiment a little.

 

 

Lisa’s No Fuss Crust

  • 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried tarragon leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons cold milk

Directions

  1. Sift flour into ungreased pie plate or tart pan.
  2. In a cup, combine oil and milk and mix until cloudy.  Pour onto the flour and mix with a fork.
  3. When flour is combined and the mixture is somewhat lumpy, use your fingers to press the dough evenly toward the edges of the pie plate and up the sides to cover the plate and form a crust.
  4. Or, you can take the easy way out and use a pre-cut pastry round from the super market.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Bake the crust until set but not browned for about 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Filling

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or canola oil
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (thinner is better)
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (you can do this in the food processor)
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry (not cooking sherry, use dry sherry, the kind you would drink) or rice vinegar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (you can experiment with other cheeses – not mozzarella)
  • 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup low-fat milk
  • 2 large eggs (in a pinch I’ve used three medium eggs and it turned out just fine)
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or 3/4 teaspoon dried (if your using dried be careful not to overdo it-tarragon is a strong herb)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the grated carrots and 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar) and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  2. Spread mustard over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with cheese and just a tiny sprinkle of dried tarragon and spread the carrot mixture evenly in the tart shell.
  3. Whisk together 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, eggs, tarragon, the remaining 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar), 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
  4. Bake the tart until the filling is firm and the edges are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
  5. You can make this the day before.  Just loosely cover and refrigerate the baked tart for up to a day.

Green Beans with Nuts and Berries

  • 1 14-oz package frozen green beans (fresh is great if you can get it, but most of us use frozen in the wintertime)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sherry or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries and/or cherries
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced (you can use a shallot if you’re so inclined)
  • 2 ounces feta crumbles

Directions

  1. Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender-crisp, 3 -5 minutes. Remove the green beans from the boiling water, run under cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking, and then drain, dry and let cool.
  2. Whisk together the olive oil, sherry or vinegar and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Stir in the salt and pepper.
  3. Add the cool green beans to a large bowl and toss in the walnuts, berries and onion and drizzle in the vinaigrette. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Broccoli with Lemon Butter

Steamed fresh broccoli is great, or you can use frozen.  In a small sauce pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter, and add the juice of one fresh lemon and pour it over the broccoli (add the zest for some extra kick).

Spiced Tomatoes

Spiced Tomatoes
Spiced Tomatoes

 

  • 1 15 oz can of diced low sodium tomatoes
  • 2 star anise
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • freshly ground pepper

Use an extra teaball for the spices, or make a bag of cheesecloth.  In a small sauce pan combine the tomatoes, sugar and spices.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes or bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. The more it cooks down the better.  Remove the spices and serve either warm or cold as a side dish or as a relish.

Color, texture, taste and nutrition.  Anybody leaves the table hungry, it’s their own fault.  Enjoy!