Thursday, August 25, 2005
Southern fried porridge
From our friends at Greener Magazine who waste nothing
If there is one thing common to a southern kitchen it is great leftovers otherwise known as 'musgoes', and go they will when you serve up this hearty breakfast of fried porridge, sausage and peach syrup.
Ingredients
1/2 Cup day old oatmeal porridge compacted and chilled overnight
2 Tbls soy spread
1 smoked soy sausage
1 fresh, ripe peach sliced
pinch of sea salt
Preparation
Slice the chilled porridge into 2 1/2" slices and cut the sausage in half lengthwise. Melt 1 Tbls of the soy spread in a hot skillet, fry the porridge and sausage together turning once until nicely browned on both sides.
Boil 1/2 of the peach in 1/2 Cup of water until it falls apart with the pressure of a fork, about 4 minutes. Add 3/4 Cup of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook the mixture until the syrup reduces by 1/3, remove from heat.
Serve the fried porridge slice and sausage with remaining peach slices, peach syrup and a slice of whole wheat toast.
serves 2
vegetarian
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Saturday, August 20, 2005
anyone?
Gorgeous fruit, a rainy day and scrabble with friends is just about the perfect prelude to this lasagna Florentine. Round it out with a cool Italian ice and even a rainy day in Florida beats everything else.
Ingredients
1 12 oz package no boil lasagna
3 medium tomatoes
1 12 can tomato sauce
2 Tbls tomato paste
4 ounces good red wine
1 10 oz pkg fresh spinach
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
fresh oregano
fresh basil
8 ounces mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Romano
Preparation
Add 2 Tbls olive oil to a hot pan and add begin to saute the onion, carrot and garlic. At the same time add the basil and oregano. Chop the tomatoes coarsely, add to pan along with sliced mushrooms. Cover and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes cook down.
Add tomato sauce, paste and wine. Cover and continue to cook on medium low another 20-30 minutes. Season as necessary with additional basil and oregano.
In a large oven ready casserole add a small amount of sauce. Place 3 uncooked pasta sheets to line the bottom of the dish . Spread 1/4 of the sauce on top. Add 1/4 (about 1 Cup) of the fresh spinach. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella and a good portion of Parmigiano Romano. Cover with 3 more sheets of pasta. Repeat the layers 3 times. Pour any remaining sauce over the entire dish, cover and cook 30-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Remove the lasagna and allow to cool/set covered for about ten minutes before serving.
serves 6
vegetarian
Florence Italy known for its simple peasant style cuisine and the sun drenched hills of Bologna is home to some of Italy's great vegetable dishs. Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), Queen of France during the reign of Henry II, is said to have introduced Italian ice to the French Court as a reminder of her beloved Florence, she also brought them spinach. In fact spinach is abundant in Florentine cooking and now you'll taste why.
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Monday, August 08, 2005
TV dinner
Whether the TV dinner was the brain child of recently deceased Swanson super salesman Gerry Thomas or the product of UFO induced mass hypnosis doesn't really matter for in the long run it's the memory that counts of all those meals in front of the tube with your favorite TV family and these frozen wonders the TV diner.
Soylisbury steak with mushroom gravy
2 frozen soy patties
1/2 lb of fresh green beans
1 C instant mashed potatoes
2 single servings unsweetened applesauce
Gravy (roux if you're a southerner)
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1 Tbls vegetable paste
1/2 C cold water
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the green beans. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes according to package instructions, substitute soy milk here, it's fine.
In a pan heat the vegetable oil to almost the smoking point and add flour. Stir until browned and add the cold water and vegetable boullion paste. Add mushroom slices and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot.
Plate the soy patties, prepared potatoes and precooked green beans on a foil tray and heat for 15 minutes covered in a 350 degree oven. Top with seasoned mushroom gravy and serve with a cup of applesauce.
serves 2
vegetarian
Soylisbury steak with mushroom gravy
2 frozen soy patties
1/2 lb of fresh green beans
1 C instant mashed potatoes
2 single servings unsweetened applesauce
Gravy (roux if you're a southerner)
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1 Tbls vegetable paste
1/2 C cold water
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the green beans. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes according to package instructions, substitute soy milk here, it's fine.
In a pan heat the vegetable oil to almost the smoking point and add flour. Stir until browned and add the cold water and vegetable boullion paste. Add mushroom slices and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot.
Plate the soy patties, prepared potatoes and precooked green beans on a foil tray and heat for 15 minutes covered in a 350 degree oven. Top with seasoned mushroom gravy and serve with a cup of applesauce.
serves 2
vegetarian
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Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Mushroom Bolognese
Classic taste of Bologna with this easy, 4 step vegetarian dish
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound mushrooms, stems removed and quartered and quartered (finely dice the stems and reserve)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed
3 Tbls fresh oregano, torn
1/2 cup Merlot
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 small ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh pasta, cooked al dente
Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Preperation
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add pasta.
To a hot pan add olive oil, saute onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add mushroom quarters and diced stems, cook another 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally. To this add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, Merlot and 1/2 of the fresh oregano, reduce the heat and cook another 5-6 minutes covered. Season with salt and pepper.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes, until al dente.
Drain the pasta and place on a large platter. Cover pasta with the mushroom Bolognese and garnish with shaved Pecorino Romano and fresh oregano.
serves 4
vegetarian
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound mushrooms, stems removed and quartered and quartered (finely dice the stems and reserve)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed
3 Tbls fresh oregano, torn
1/2 cup Merlot
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 small ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh pasta, cooked al dente
Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Preperation
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add pasta.
To a hot pan add olive oil, saute onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add mushroom quarters and diced stems, cook another 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally. To this add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, Merlot and 1/2 of the fresh oregano, reduce the heat and cook another 5-6 minutes covered. Season with salt and pepper.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes, until al dente.
Drain the pasta and place on a large platter. Cover pasta with the mushroom Bolognese and garnish with shaved Pecorino Romano and fresh oregano.
serves 4
vegetarian
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