Tabasco-Cheddar Biscuits

For over 140 years, Tabasco Sauce has been made on Avery Island in the heart of Louisiana bayou country. It adds the right amount of spice to these cheesy biscuits, which can be made smaller for hors d’oeuvres— just reduce the baking time.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in butter and cheese. Stir in buttermilk, and mix until dough just comes together. Scrape out onto well-floured work surface, and pat dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with 2 ½-inch diameter round cutter. Repeat with remaining scraps of dough until you have 8 biscuits, and transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle red pepper sauce on tops of biscuits. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve hot.

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ingredient list

Makes 8 2 1/2-inch biscuits

• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1½ cups cake flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese (½ cup)
• ½ cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 tsp. Tabasco red pepper sauce

Smothered Seitan Medallions in Mixed Mushroom Gravy

This recipe is Chef Bryant Terry’s veg interpretation of a Southern classic: smothered pork chops.

Directions

1. Coat seitan pieces with arrowroot.
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Fry half of seitan in oil 3 minutes per side.
3. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. Discard oil, wipe out skillet, and repeat with 1/2 cup oil and remaining seitan. Discard oil.
4. Add remaining 2 Tbs. oil and onion to hot skillet. Increase heat to high, and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté 10 minutes more. Add garlic, and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in Mixed Mushroom Gravy, "Shroom Stock, and seitan. Cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add cabbage, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in jalapeños, green onions, and parsley.

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Serves 6

• 1 lb. seitan, cut into medallions
• 5 Tbs. arrowroot powder
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
• 2 cups Mixed Mushroom Gravy 
• 2 cups straight apostrophe 'Shroom Stock (click here for recipe)
• 1 cup finely chopped green cabbage
• 2 jalapeño chiles, minced (2 Tbs.)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 Tbs. chopped parsley

Hoppin’ John Stew

 

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain black-eyed peas, reserving liquid. Rinse peas under cold running water, drain well and set aside.
2. In large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions are golden, about 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme and 1Ú4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes have softened a bit, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in rice, black-eyed peas, pepper and salt until well combined. Simmer until flavors have blended, 5 minutes. Check occasionally and add a little reserved liquid from peas as needed to keep mixture moist. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

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6 servings

• 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice
• 16- to 20-oz. can black-eyed peas
• 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)

Essence of Peach Soup

Best when peaches are at their prime, this refreshingly chilled soup is both light and delicate, depending on the peach’s succulent flavor for its success.

Directions

1. Slice cantaloupes in half crosswise, leaving flat ends intact. Scoop out seeds, and remove flesh from both melons, leaving an inner layer. Use flesh from 1/2 melon only, reserving remainder for another use.
2. Place melon flesh, peach, peach nectar, wine and lime juice in blender, and process until smooth. Pour into container, and refrigerate until chilled.
3. To serve, pour about 1 cup soup into each melon half, and garnish with pine nuts, raspberries and mint leaves.

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Serves 4

• 2 cantaloupes
• 1 peach, peeled and pitted
• 1 cup peach nectar
• 1/2 cup Rhine, White Zinfandel or other fruity wine
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 Tbs. toasted pine nuts for garnish
• 1 cup raspberries for garnish
• Mint leaves for garnish

German-Style Warm Potato Salad

This green bean-laced potato salad is hearty enough to serve as an entrée, but you could also pair it with grilled vegetarian sausages for a bigger meal. If you don't have white balsamic vinegar in your pantry, use any mild variety, such as white wine or rice vinegar.

Directions

1. Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water 8 minutes, or until tender. Add green beans during last minute of cooking.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add green onions. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar.
3. Drain potatoes and green beans. Toss with olive oil mixture, parsley, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm on bed of spinach.

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Serves 2

• 8 oz. baby red potatoes, cut into 1- x 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 oz. green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 green onions, white and pale-green parts chopped (1/4 cup)
• 2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon or dill
• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves

Holiday Vegetable Latkes

A takeoff on the popular potato pancake, these luscious latkes bring together various flavorful vegetables sweetened by the Spiced Apple Topping—see recipe, p. 47. You can make these ahead, refrigerate and reheat later.

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine pastry flour, soy flour, if using, and baking powder. Place shredded vegetables, onion and parsley in bowl, and toss with flour mixture to cover vegetables uniformly. Add soymilk, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon batter by heaping tablespoons into pan, taking care not to overcrowd. Flatten with metal spatula to ensure even cooking.
3. Cook patties on one side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn over with metal spatula and cook other side for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining mixture, and add more oil as needed. Serve hot with Spiced Apple Topping and vegan sour cream.

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Serves 12

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbs. soy flour or potato starch, optional
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 large white potato, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup peeled and shredded parsnips
• 1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
• 1 cup peeled and shredded golden beets or 1 cup peeled and shredded celery root
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs. minced parsley
• 1/4 cup soymilk or water
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying

Cool and Tangy Rhubarb-Beet Borscht

The brilliant magenta of this soup will make you swoon. Serve as an appetite-awakening first course or for a lovely light lunch, accompanied by an assortment of rye crackers and a crisp green salad. Look for lebni, or kefir cheese, at a Middle Eastern market.

Directions

1. Put beets in a large saucepan, and cover with water. Put a lid on pan, and cook beets over medium heat until completely tender, for about 18 minutes. Drain beets, reserving cooking water.
2. Put rhubarb into a saucepan, and add 1/2 cup cooking water from beets. Cover, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very tender. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
3. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off skins, and cut beets into chunks. Put beets, cucumber, rhubarb, lebni and 3/4 cup cooking water from beets into food processor, and pur8Ee until very smooth.
4. Transfer soup to a large bowl, and add more beet cooking liquid if desired to thin soup. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, and top with spoonfuls of lebni and a sprinkling of red onion, if desired.

Wine Suggestions
Pairing wines with tart rhubarb is hard, but this tangy soup calls for a lush white wine such as the Domaines Schlumberger Riesling from the Alsatian region in France.

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Serves 4

• 1 1/4 lb. beets, stems trimmed and well scrubbed
• 8 oz. (about 2 cups) fresh rhubarb, trimmed, cleaned and diced
• 1 small English cucumber, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup lebni or full-fat plain yogurt plus additional for topping soup
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Slivered red onion for garnish

Root Vegetable Soup

This soup will benefit from overnight refrigeration, which allows the flavors to meld. Serve it with pumpernickel or rye bread.

Directions

1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat, tilting pan to spread. Add carrots, onions and garlic; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add beets and cabbage. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except yogurt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Taste soup for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Soup should have a nice sweet-sour tang.
2. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with yogurt or soy sour cream.

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8 servings

• 1 Tbs. olive or canola oil
• 3 carrots, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium white or yellow onions, peeled, chopped (2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 beets (about 1 1/4 lbs.) trimmed, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 small head cabbage, cored, quartered, very thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
• 10 cups water
• 3 Tbs. tomato paste
• 3 Tbs. brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Low-fat yogurt or dairy-free soy sour cream for garnish (optional)

Artichoke-Potato Medley

For extra color, use a combination of potato varieties and serve on a bed of arugula or watercress.

Directions

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in large pot of salted water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain.
2. Return potatoes to saucepan; heat over high heat with artichokes and oil. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables start to brown, stirring occasionally. Add olives, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes more, or until fragrant and heated through. Serve garnished with chopped eggs, if using.

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Serves 6

• 1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 10-oz. boxes frozen artichoke
• hearts, thawed
• 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
• 3 Tbs. chopped parsley
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, optional

Homemade Baklava

This classic Greek sweet may look tricky to make, but it’s as easy as a kid’s craft project. Crispy layers are produced by brushing melted butter between sheets of phyllo dough. Don’t worry about making each layer perfect—uneven ends and tears will be hidden in the final outcome.

Directions

To make Baklava:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread nuts on baking sheet, and toast in oven 6 minutes. Cool.
2. Pulse nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in food processor 8 to 10 times, or until finely chopped. Set aside.
3. Brush 13- x 9-inch metal baking pan with butter. Line with 2 phyllo sheets; brush phyllo with butter. Repeat 4 more times, or until you have 5 layers of 2 phyllo sheets each (10 sheets total). Sprinkle with one-third of nut mixture. Top with 2 phyllo sheets, brush with butter, and repeat phyllo layering 2 more times (6 sheets total). Sprinkle with one-third of nut mixture. Top with 2 phyllo sheets, brush with butter, and repeat phyllo layering 2 more times (6 sheets total). Sprinkle with remaining one-third of nut mixture. Top with 2 phyllo sheets, brush with butter, and repeat phyllo layering 2 more times (6 sheets total). Lay 1 phyllo sheet on top, brush with butter, then lay last phyllo sheet on top, and brush with butter. Chill 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut Baklava into 16 squares with knife. Cut each square into 2 triangles, or for larger dessert-size serving, leave in squares. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
To make Honey Syrup:
5. Combine sugar, honey, lemon zest, and 1 cup water in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove lemon zest, and pour syrup over hot Baklava. Cool on wire rack.
6. To serve: recut triangles or squares with knife, and remove from pan. Store covered at room temperature.

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ingredient list

Makes 32 pieces

BAKLAVA

• 12 oz. pistachios, walnuts, or almonds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 16-oz. pkg. phyllo dough, thawed
• 10 oz. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
HONEY SYRUP

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• Zest of 1 lemon, removed with vegetable peeler

Veg Greek Meatballs in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce with Feta Cheese

Seitan and cottage cheese get blended together for veg meatballs that will fool even diehard omnivores. This recipe makes a lot—leftovers are great in sandwiches or can be reheated. Recipe adapted from The Family Dinner.

Directions

1. Pulse seitan in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl, and add all ingredients except oil, tomato sauce, and feta. Mash mixture with hands or potato masher until mixture comes together. Season with salt and pepper, 
if desired. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking dish with oil. Scoop seitan mixture into golf ball–size meatballs, and place in prepared baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Pour tomato sauce over meatballs, and sprinkle with feta (if using). Bake 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

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Serves 12 (Makes 48 meatballs)

• 3 8-oz. pkg. plain seitan, rinsed and drained
• 1 8-oz. pkg. low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta
• 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint and/or parsley, plus more for garnish
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 25-oz. jar tomato sauce
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

Greek Lentil Salad

Try this salad as a take-along lunch or a light dinner. Unlike most dried beans, lentils don’t need to be soaked before cooking, but they still offer all the same protein and fiber benefits.

Directions

1. Place lentils, onion, bay leaves, and 6 cups water in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Drain, remove onion and bay leaves, and cool.

2. Stir together shallot and lemon juice in large bowl. Add lentils, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and oil; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Chill 1 hour, or overnight. Serve topped with feta.

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Serves 4

• 1 cup French green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 small onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 small cucumber, diced (1 cup)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Turkish Eggplant Pie

This delicate vegetable pie is seasoned with spices you’d find in a Turkish bazaar.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 10-inch fluted-edge tart pan with cooking spray.

2. Roast eggplants on baking sheet 50 minutes, or until tender. Cool. Scoop flesh into food processor; purée until smooth.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, mint, anise, cumin, paprika, and pepper flakes; sauté 8 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in eggplant and garlic; cook 10 minutes.

4. Press 1 phyllo sheet into prepared tart pan. Spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat layering with remaining phyllo and breadcrumbs. Roll over edges, and coat with cooking spray.

5. Spoon eggplant mixture into crust. Arrange tomato slices and olives over top, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs (if using). Bake 1 hour, or until phyllo is golden. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

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Serves 8

• 2 eggplants (1 lb.), pierced with fork
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped (11/2 cups)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 Tbs. dried mint
• 2 1/2 tsp. anise seeds
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 lb. Roma tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 sliced tomatoes for garnish
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 12 sheets phyllo, thawed
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs, plus more for topping, optional
• 12 pitted black and/or green olives, halved