When I’m in need of some real ‘comfort’ food – something with sustenance and will make me feel full and satisfied, I almost always turn to this easy, ‘meaty’ recipe for vegetarian lentil loaf (‘meatloaf’) with mashed cauliflower  “potatoes”. With its high protein and fiber, combined with low calorie content and tons of flavor, what’s not to like? Even my meat eating husband will make a meal out of this lovely little loaf (thanks, mom, for showing me the recipe!). Serve it up with some steamed green beans and you have the perfect all-American dinner. Plus, it makes great leftovers (a sandwich, maybe?). I even think it might taste better after sitting overnight after the flavors have really mixed. Try it out and enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil (“Meat”) Loaf

Serves 8

• 2 cups water
• Dash of salt
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup oats
• 3/4 cup lowfat cheese (2% cheddar or mixed), shredded
• 2 egg whites (or 1 egg), lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I usually use Trader Joe’s “traditional” marinara sauce)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I use Trader Joe’s)
• 2 Tbsp ketchup

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring water and a dash of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of the water is evaporated. Drain and lightly mash lentils
3. Stir in onions, oats and cheese. Add egg, marinara sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Spread mixture into a non-stick or greased loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Mix barbecue sauce and catchup together and spread over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until edges look dry, firm and golden brown.
5. Cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of the pan, slice and serve.

Nutrition: 190 cal, 5g fat, 27g carb, 9g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 11.5g protein

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (“Potatoes”)

Serves 8

• 2 heads cauliflower florets (approx 4 cups)
• 3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 Tbsp fat free milk (plus more as needed)
• 2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp light butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Place cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle water over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes, until very soft.
2. Drain and use a paper towel to press out access moisture, taking care as the cauliflower will be very hot.
3. Place cauliflower in a food processor with garlic. Process until lightly pureed. Add sour cream, milk, cream cheese and butter. Continue to process adding additional milk as needed until they reach a desirable consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition: 35 cal, 1g fat, 5g carb, 1.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 2.5g protein

I’ll just go on record and say that this is absolutely AMAZING and DELICIOUS and you might as well double the recipe right off the top because you’ll eat it all and then come back wanting more. I made this for our Christmas morning brunch and it was a hit. I tripled the recipe and came home empty handed. Every single crumb was devoured. I made it a week later for dinner. It worked just as well for either meal!

To top it all off, it’s HEALTHY. (what a nice way to start 2010, no?). The nutritional content on this both surprised and thrilled me and it’s for an entire quarter of the pie! It’s just 192 cals, 4.8g fat (2g sat fat), 10.5g carb, 17.5g protein, 7.8g fiber. Don’t lie. You’re in awe too.

Mediterranean Vegetable-Cheese Pie

Serves 4.
Recipe from SELF, April 2005 courtesy of Epicurious.
Rancho La Puerta Spa, Tecate, Baja California

• Olive-oil cooking spray
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/8-inch rounds
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 8 oz (about 8 cups) baby spinach
• 3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup nonfat ricotta or fat-free cottage cheese (I couldn’t find nonfat ricotta, so I went with the cottage cheese and couldn’t tell the difference)
• 1 tbsp feta, crumbled
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or dill, or 3 tsp dried basil or dill, divided into 2 equal portions (I used fresh basil)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated Asiago or Parmesan
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated lowfat mozzarella

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat a 9″ pie plate with cooking spray.
2. Line bottom of plate with potato slices. Cut remaining slices in half and arrange around side of plate. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and set aside. Coat a sauté pan with cooking spray and sauté onion over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach to pan and let wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain excess fluid from onion and spinach mixture. Stir in olives.
4. In a bowl, beat eggs and egg whites. Stir in ricotta and feta. Add half the basil or dill and set aside. Spoon onion and spinach mixture into pie plate over potatoes. Layer on egg mixture, then slices of tomato. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until egg is set and a knife inserted into pie comes out clean.
5. Sprinkle grated cheeses evenly over top of pie and top with remaining basil or dill. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut pie into 4 wedges. Serve immediately.

192 cals, 4.8g fat (2g sat fat), 10.5g carb, 17.5g protein, 7.8g fiber.

More dishes from my friend and my tea party… Thank you Epicurious (as usual) for providing more yummy recipes!

I set out to make just one vegetarian sandwich, and yet I ended up making three different varieties. That’s what happens when you give an indecisive, food loving girl too many good choices!  I was very pleased with all three. They were each unique in their own way, still holding true to the light tea sandwich theme. They all were devoured by all in attendance.  I would make them again, for sure!

(pic from Bon Appetite)

Radish-Chive with Sesame and Ginger

From Bon Appetite April 2008 | Makes 16 servings (I cut the recipe in half to serve 6 people)

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons minced chives, divided
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 16 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices
• 10 radishes, thinly sliced (VERY thin!)

Mix butter, 2 tablespoons chives, sesame seeds, ginger, and oil in small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread butter mixture over each bread slice. Top with radishes, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with remaining chives and fleur de sel, if desired.

Minted Radish with Lemon Mayo

From Gourmet May 1994 |  Makes 24 sandwiches (I cut the recipe by 1/4 to serve 6 people)

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 24 very thin slicess homemade-type white bread
• 1 cup mint leaves (from about 1 large bunch)
• 16 radishes, trimmed and sliced as thin as possible (VERY thin!)

In a small bowl stir together mayonnaisse, sour cream, zest, mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread bread generously with lemon mayonnaise. Top half of slices with a layer of mint and top mint with overlapping rows of radish. Top radish with remaining bread and press together gently. Trim crusts and cut sandwiches in half diagonally. Sandwiches may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

• Cream Cheese, room temperature
• English Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Thin slices homemade-type white bread or baguette
• Optional herbs (dill, chives, etc)
• Sea Salt

Spread a thick layer of cream cheese on the bread. Arrange the optional herbs and cucumber slices over the cream cheese. Lightly salt. Cut diagonally.

In preparation for a tea party my friend and I were hosting together, I was browsing some blogs and Tastespotting to see what I could find. Tastespotting never disappoints and once again provided me with this gorgeous inspiration. This picture of a zucchini soup caught my eye since it looked like a perfect addition to my tea menu. I followed the link.

The problem? This particular blog, text and recipe was all in Russian. I don’t read Russian! Google Translator to the rescue!

Of course, once it was translated, there were a few words that didn’t translate, and of course, it was all in metric instead of cups per my US custom. So, Google Unit Converter to the rescue! (They saved me twice in one recipe. I love it!). Since there were some “questions”, I modified it just slightly and made up some other parts. Here is MY take on this recipe.

It was an absolute hit at my tea party which was on Saturday. And I made myself another batch last night for dinner with extras for my friend who put in a special order for some. Yum. You won’t be disappointed! Even my “hates zucchini” husband loves this soup. It really doesn’t taste so much of zucchini. It’s hard to describe. It’s just GOOD!

(Their picture is way better than mine… I was in too big of a hurry to really artfully display the soup. We were too hungry and the soup was too good to wait for artistic photos! ha!)

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Soup with Herbs

(serves 4)

I recently discovered these fabulous little uncooked flour tortillas by Tortilla Land at Costco. Since they come in massive bulk sizes, I usually buy them and freeze half. The other half, I use to make quesadillas and other random things. For example, this broccoli cheese quiche. The raw tortilla makes the perfect shell.

Broccoli Quiche in Tortilla Shell

• 2 uncooked tortillas
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup milk (or half/half)

1. Preheat overn to 350
2. Lightly spray a medium/large sized ramekin (about 6″). Press one tortilla in each, pressing the ruffled edges down to create a nice cavern.  Mix the eggs with milk.
3. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and half of the broccoli in the bottom of the ramekin. Pour egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the tops.
4. Loosely cover the ramekins with foil.
5. Bake about 30 mins. Remove the foil and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden spear comes out clean.

I served it with some fresh waffles and berries. A fabulous Saturday morning brunch!

This is my first entry in the Iron Cupcake challenge where you, my fair readers can vote for me starting Oct 26th and help me win. I venture into this challenge slightly excited and nervous.

This month’s challenge ingredient is Cheese. After wracking my brain for something unique, I came up with Manchego and Membrillo. Manchego is a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. It is very frequently paired with Membrillo – a paste made from quince also famously from Spain. (Both these ingredients can be found at a Whole Foods or other gourmet foods store.)

My grandparents on my mom’s side had a quince tree in their back yard. Every year when the quince were ripe, grandma would make quince preserves, jellies, cookies, and other goodies. So, the flavor of the fruit conjures up sentimental feelings. And though they were not from Spain, my grandma on my dad’s side is from Spain.

So, I have to think… What better ingredients to use than Quince (Membrillo) and Manchego for a sentimental and inspired cupcake?

Manchego Cheese & Membrillo (Quince) Cupcakes
Makes 6 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

• 2 Tbsp Butter, soft
• 2 Tbsp Membrillo (aged 6 months or less)
• Plus, 2 tea Membrillo
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp Self-Rising Flour
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 2 Tbsp Manchego, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake/muffin tin with 6 paper liners.
2. In a bowl, combine flours.
3. Using an electric mixer, combine butter, membillo and sugar until fluffy. Add egg until just incorporated.
4. Add half the flour to the butter mix. Add the milk. Then, add the remaining flour and mix until just moist.
5. Fold in 2 Tbsp Manchego and 2 teaspoon Membrillo to the batter. Do not over-beat or the cupcakes will get tough.
6. Divide the batter evenly and bake 20-22 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

• 1/4 cup Butter, soft
• 2 Tbsp Membrillo
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar (plus additional if needed)
• 2 tea Milk (plus additional if needed)

1. Combine butter and Mebrillo until smooth and creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar and milk. Mix on high speed for 4-6 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
3. If it is too thin, add additional powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons at a time.

Syrup:

• 2 tea Membrillo
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1/4 cup Water

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken.
3. Take off the heat and cool completely.

Assemble Cupcakes:

Ok, now, go vote for me. Voting starts Oct 26th.
VOTE FOR ME HERE!

I’m trying to win some of these cool prizes… Cupcake Courier, which I desperately need! Hello Cupcake Cookbook by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, a cardboard cupcake from ETSY artist Art on the Menu, a pair of cupcake earrings from Lots of Sprinkles, a sassy and sweet Tee from Bakelove Bakewear, Head Chefs by Fiesta Products, Jessie Steal Aprons, Taste of Home Books, Oh, and Iron Cupcake is sponsored in part by 1-800- Flowers.

1. Frost the cupcakes using a pastry bag with cake decoration tips.
2. Carefully drizzle syrup over the top of the cupcake. If the syrup is too thick, add a sprinkle of water and stir. Keep adding water until a good consistency.
3. Sprinkle a bit of Manchego cheese over the top.

If you don’t want to try all of them, there are two you MUST try: Tomato Olive Butter and the Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese. Don’t ask questions. Just do it! (I even moved them to the top of the post so you could get to them easier.)

Enjoy!!!

This tomato olive butter served with sourdough bread was gobbled down in no time. Everyone loved it – even those people who hate both olives and tomatoes! When they asked me what was in it, I responded with “Will you still eat it???” and they said yes. So, I told. And they still ate it because they were too addicted to stop at that point.

Tomato Olive Butter
From Bluephie’s in Madison WisconsinCajun Spices:

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Butter:

• 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Spices (from above)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4-5 halves sun-dried tomatoes
• 6-7 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Mix together Cajun spices and set aside.

Bring about 1 ½ cups water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add sun dried tomatoes and remove from heat. Let sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and chop.

Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and blend until smooth (works best in an upright mixer such as a kitchen aid). Add the remaining ingredients all at once with the mixer still running. Mix until evenly distributed. If you don’t have a mixer, mash with a fork until blended.

The butter is read to eat, but keep the remaining butter refrigerated. Before serving, it’s best to let the butter soften at room temperature. Don’t put the compound butter in the microwave or stove-top to speed softening. The ingredients will separate.

Serve with fresh sourdough bread.

Makes about 2 ½ cups.
Serves: Approx. 20 people

My sister made this amazing salad. I could almost have made my meal out of this recipe. She originally found it at allrecipes. She made the dressing exactly per their directions, but did her own thing with adding the goat cheese. Also, she prefers either regular olive oil or vegetable oil rather than extra virgin olive oil. Extra Virgin seems to overpower on the flavor a bit. So, here’s how we make the recipe.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (get vegetarian Worcestershire here)
• 1 tablespoon minced onion

Salad:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried
• 1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
• 2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Cover, and chill for one hour.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Appetizers

• Fresh Mozzarella balls
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil, finely chopped
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Course ground pepper and sea salt

Place mozzarella balls and tomatoes on party toothpicks. Mix half balsamic and half olive oil with basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the toothpicks and let it sit for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Mint Syrup
Serve as a side to sweeten and flavor iced tea or lemonade.

• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Wash the mint and pull leaves off the stems. Place medium sized sauce pan. Add water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool slightly and strain syrup to remove leaves. Let cool completely and serve with tea or lemonade.

In the craziness of trying to serve everything, I forgot to take a picture of the actual dish, so I grabbed the one off the Vegetarian Times website where I found the recipe. I would definitely make this dish again. The flavors with the mint pesto gave it a bit more of an exotic flavor from maybe India or Thailand. It also says to serve warm or at room temperature. I prefer it warm.

Green Beans and New Potatoes with Mint Pesto

• 2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 1 lb. green beans, or 1/2 lb. green beans and 1/2 lb. wax beans, trimmed

Toast walnuts in small skillet 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat, or until nuts are fragrant, shaking pan frequently. Cool.

Purée walnuts, mint, parsley, oil, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl once or twice. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto to keep from turning brown, and let stand at room temperature for 1/2 hour, or up to 3 hours.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook 8 minutes. Add beans, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Drain.

Transfer vegetables to large bowl, and toss with pesto. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

It’s so easy, has a lot of flavor and is just downright fabulous! Don’t take my word for it – try it yourself. (A friend of mine recently used my recipe for a Book Club brunch she hosted and according to her feedback, it was well received). Now, your turn!

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwiches

• A crusty loaf of bread (I like either a ciabatta or olive loaf)
• Olive Tapenade (I got mine from Trader Joe’s)
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Orange or Yellow Tomatoes
• Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
• Olive Oil

1. Cut your loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Spread the bottom half liberally with tapenade.
2. Slice fresh mozzerella and arrange to cover the tapenade in one layer.
3. Top with a layer of clean basil leaves and sliced tomatoes.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.
5. Slice and EAT!