Joyeux Kitchen: Meatless Monday - Pesto

Would you say my pesto is the best-o?

Parsley and Basil Pecan Pesto
adapted from "Mouthwatering Vegan Recipes"

This pesto is to-die-for.  The kids are gobbling it up as we speak; Hannah is on her second plate.  (That's right--Hannah.  The child who will only willingly eat strawberries or cold cheese sandwiches.) 

I've yet to fully embrace vegan as an option for our household so I modified this recipe to vegetarian.  I love cream.  I love cheese.  Although I haven't tried it, I have a hard time believing 'vegan cheese product' compares to the creamy mozzarella I used in the kitchen today.  But if anyone can make a believer out of me, it's Miriam at Mouthwatering Vegan Recipes.  Let's show 'em how it's done Miriam!

You'll need:

• 3-4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup pecans
• 3-4 tbsp chopped parsley
• 4-6 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup mozzarella (or vegan cheese of your choice)
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ cup heavy cream or half 'n half (or vegan cream of your choice--Miriam uses Provamel)

And for the garnish:

• ¼ fresh red pepper, cut into small squares
• a little sprinkle of sweet paprika
• Parmesan (or vegan-parm) cheese (optional)
• freshly chopped parsley

Process the garlic and pecans in a food processor until finely chopped. (See the picture of my teeny tiny food processor?  I've never had a full-sized model.)  Then add the parsley and basil – process also until finely chopped, then begin to add the oil, a little at a time. Next add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the water – add this in at the end, if you want to make it smoother.

After you have boiled and drained the pasta of your choice (I used Wacky Mac), set aside. Meanwhile pour a little olive oil into a casserole, heat, and add all the pesto. Allow to cook for a minute, then add the pasta. Continue to mix, and finally pour in the cream. Heat for a minute, then turn over into a serving bowl, and add the garnish.  I used LOTS of Parmesan.

Happy Meatless Monday!!
 

Joyeux Kitchen: [Meatless Monday] Vegetarian Chili

Emeril's Vegetarian Chili

You won't miss the meat, I promise.  It's amazing.  My body would be thrilled if I ate like this more often!  I did make a couple minor changes to the recipe that I'll share with you.  First, the recipe called for five portobello mushroom caps.  They were pricey at Safeway ($3.99/pack of 2) and I knew if I had a prayer of Doug trying this, I had to make it so he could at least eat around them, so I just put in two.  I added an additional zucchini to replace missing mushrooms.  I used frozen super sweet white corn kernels (who has time to scrape corn off the cob?).  Instead of the four large tomatoes, I used a giant can of diced peeled tomatoes.  And, on principle alone, I didn't make Emeril's Essence, because I think he's sort of annoying and Johnny's tastes 'bout the same to me.  Delish.

Bon appetit, friends!

Joyeux Kitchen: [Meatless Monday] My Big, Fat Greek Salad

I went over to the McCabe's a month or so ago, hungry as usual, and Lindsay gave me a spoonful of something that closely resembled this recipe.  It was delicious.  Feta, cucumbers, a savory dressing, it was all very, very good.  It's not Doug-Food, which is what I usually make--he doesn't like feta, or olives, or vegetables in mass quantity like this--but that's okay because I'm happy eating the whole thing myself.  You could serve it as a side dish (on the side of a yummy, light fish entree maybe?) but I like it as the main course with a glass of vino. 

You'll need:

• 1 cucumber, unpeeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick (or I used mini-cucs from Costco)
• 1 red bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2 inch diced (I used crumbled and it turned out great)
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

 For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar (I used what it probably considered 'average' red wine vinegar and it was totally fine)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup good EVOO

The preparation is pretty straight forward.  Put all the chopped veggies in a bowl.  **The original recipe called for 1/2 red onion sliced into rounds also, but I don't like 'em so I left them out.  Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette and shake it up (well, I shake it up--you could whisk it together too).  Pour the dressing over the veggies, add the cheese and olives and toss lightly.  Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!  I think it's even better the second day.

Ina Garten's original Greek salad recipe here.  Love that Barefoot Contessa.

Joyeux Kitchen: [Meatless Monday] Broccoli and Three Cheese Lasagna

I love the idea of Meatless Mondays!  Last year I heard about cities around the country encouraging citizens to go meatless one day a week as a health initiative, and also as an environmental action statement of sorts.  Get a little more information about the movement here.  Among the many benefits of including more fruits and veggies in your diet are a reduced risk of cancer, lower body weight, and a longer life span. 

"By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change." (The Monday Campaigns)

I love it.  Like many things around our house, Meatless Monday recipes may not happen every week.  (It's so easy to lose track of the days!  Not realizing it's Monday happens more often than I'd like to admit.)  But feeding a family of five organic/grassfed/free-range/sustainable meats is hardly affordable on a regular basis, so this seems like a natural first step.

Here's a great recipe from Real Simple (12/2009) to get you started.

Broccoli and Three-Cheese Lasagna

1 15-ounce container ricotta
1 pound chopped broccoli florets (frozen are fine, just thaw, dry and chop!)
2 1/4 cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and black pepper
16-ounces marinara sauce (homemade or jar)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for foil

Heat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine ricotta, broccoli, 2 cups of mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and cream. 

Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of an 8 in. square baking dish.  Top with 2 noodles, a quarter of the remaining sauce, and a third of the broccoli mixture; repeat twice.  Top with the remaining 2 noodles and sauce.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. 

Cover tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake until the noodles are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.  I wasn't sure about no-boil lasagna noodles until I tried this recipe; they came out perfect, you'd never know the difference.  Also, some of the reviews online mentioned leaving out the heavy cream, but I included it and it was good, nice and rich. 

Serve with a big salad and your favorite red wine... we like Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages.  Yummy and not expensive at all.  Unfortunately there's no picture of this recipe, it was so good we gobbled it up before we remembered to get the camera out.  Enjoy!

Joyeux Kitchen: [Meatless Monday] Easy Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed With Corn and Cheese

Getting ready to start the week sans-meat (more about 'Why? Meatless Monday' next week). This is a meal you can feel good about feeding your family. Kid-friendly (if they aren't sure about trying it, bribe them with after-dinner ice cream :) and guaranteed to please the most finicky palate.

You'll need:

• 3 large or 4 small-ish red bell peppers, tops cut off
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch scallions, including the firm greens, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups kernels from 5 ears of corn (I used sweet frozen from CostCo)
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced (I used almost a full, organic can)
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, 4 to 5 ounces, finely diced, or 1 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack (I used a third cup of each) 
• 2 tablespoons finely sliced basil leaves
• 2/3 cup fresh store-bought, seasoned bread crumbs
• Salt and freshly milled pepper
• Paprika

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers. If the red peppers won't stand upright, slice them lengthwise in half, leaving the stem end intact. Steam them for 5 minutes and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions, corn, and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, basil, and half the bread crumbs (it will turn into a gooey, cheesy, delicious mess). Season with salt and pepper. Fill the peppers and *top with the remaining bread crumbs (see note). Set them in a prepared dish, add a few tablespoons water to the dish, cover, and bake until the corn is hot and the peppers are cooked, about 25 minutes. Uncover and brown the tops under the broiler. Dust with paprika and serve.  It was oh-so-good.  Handsome hubby loved it, and he's not big on vegetarian eating. 

*When I make it again, I think I'll melt some butter, stir in the bread crumbs and top it that way so it sticks together and gets crunchy.  The plain bread crumb topping was a little dusty.

Original Food Network Recipe Here!