The Suburban Herbivore

Vegetable Lasagna

This is another meal from my teenage years when my mom was looking for vegetarian entrees that the rest of the family would enjoy. I’m happy to say that this one was such a winner that my non-vegetarian family continued to make and enjoy it long after I’d moved out of the house.

Though I’ve been preparing this lasagna on my own for fifteen years, it was only recently that I solved a long-running problem. It always seemed too wet and the pieces would immediately collapse when I served them. I worked hard to push all the water that I could out of the spinach and sweep off any water clinging to the noodles. I went from using 3/4 of a pound of Jack cheese to the full pound. It made little to no difference. Then, at some point last year, I was shopping for the ingredients, and the store was out of the fat-free cottage cheese that I usually bought. (I’d figured why not save the calories?) So I used regular cottage cheese instead, and voilà – problem solved. (To some extent, anyway… it is still lasagna, after all.)

Now, you can use fat-free or reduced-fat if you like, and the lasagna will taste great, and, after a night in the refrigerator, will stay together in fairly well-formed pieces. For me, having lasagna that doesn’t go all fall-apart-y when you cut into it is worth a little extra fat.

I’ve never gotten on board with the no-boil lasagna noodles, so I still cook mine separately. If you try this recipe with the no-boil kind, let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
olive oil
4 cups pasta sauce (homemade or jarred)
2-3 carrots, grated
6 lasagna noodles
2 10-oz boxes frozen spinach
16 oz regular cottage cheese
3/4 to 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Put the spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and zap for five minutes. Chop the onion and grate the carrots. After the five minutes is up, stir up the spinach, re-cover, and zap for five more minutes. Begin cooking the noodles.
3. Saute onion for a few minutes in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your pan. Add the carrots, and saute for several more minutes.
4. Once the spinach is done, set it to drain in a colander or other strainer. Use a fork to push out as much water as you can.
5. Add the pasta sauce to the carrot-onion mixture, and heat until simmering.
6. Layering: Start with a large spoonful or two of sauce in the bottom of your lasagna dish. Put down three noodles. Spread out half the spinach. Spoon on half the cottage cheese. Add half the Jack cheese, and cover with about half of the sauce. Repeat: noodles, spinach, cottage, jack, sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
7. Bake for half an hour, and let stand for ten minutes. Enjoy!

I had several days of not really feeling like cooking, but I got over it by getting inspired. I tried out three new recipes and brought back one that I haven’t made in a few years. The refrigerator is bursting with leftovers, and there is still plenty in the pantry and freezer. While I have started to run out of some things that I typically keep on hand (tomato sauce, croutons), at this point, I  don’t think I’m going to have any problems making it to the end of the month.

I think what I may do for this week is pull a few things out of the pantry that have been hanging around for a long time (can of fava beans, I’m looking at you), and see what I can come up with. I’ll report on that after the week is up.

If you’re looking for a different sort of lasagna recipe, I highly recommend the one listed below. I made this a few times before misplacing the recipe, and then promptly forgot about it. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I was able to retrieve it. Turns out that rosemary was one of the things I ran out of, so I used about half rosemary and half dried thyme. Not surprisingly, it was still delicious!

Wed, Jan 13
cereal
leftover chili from freezer (Jason), leftover Don’s Pantry Curry (Ryn)
tamales (Trader Joe’s – frozen)

Thurs, Jan 14
yogurt
leftover Lentil Soup (Ryn), leftover Black Beans + Saffron Rice (Jason)
Spinach and Tofu Curry (new)

Fri, Jan 15
cereal + banana
leftover Spinach and Tofu Curry (Ryn),  Jason went out
Boca burger + salad

Sat Jan 16
scrambled eggs + toast
cheese quesadillas with sour cream and salsa
Classic Macaroni & Cheese (one-pot method) (new) + steamed broccoli & cauliflower

Sun Jan 17
Pumpkin Pancakes (new)
leftover Classic Macaroni & Cheese+ steamed broccoli & cauliflower
Roasted Butternut Squash & Rosemary Lasagna + homemade garlic bread

Mon Jan 18
Pumpkin Pancakes
Boca burgers
Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

A long time ago, our friend Don wrote down for us his technique for making curried potatoes. Since just about every ingredient is something that one would typically have in one’s pantry, I decided to share the recipe during my Pantry Challenge. It’s not by any stretch authentic Indian food, but it’s still delicious.

There’s  a long list of ingredients here, but there’s not anything to do that’s more complicated than peeling and chopping. Missing an ingredient? Don’t let that keep you from trying this. If you happen to be out of cumin, for example, but have coriander or garam masala, those will work just fine. Or leave out the cumin altogether. No green Tabasco sauce? No problem, though you may want to add a little extra Cholula or whatever hot sauce you’re using.

Make this on a weekend afternoon when there’s time to let it simmer for a while, or put it together when you get home from work and let it cook while you put the kid(s) to bed. It’s definitely got a kick as presented here, so you may want to scale back the hot sauce, red pepper flakes, hot peppers, and/or cayenne pepper if you’re not accustomed to spicy food. I make this in the same six quart stockpot as I do my Black Beans.

Ingredients

olive oil as needed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large poblano pepper, chopped
2 or 3 hot peppers, like serranos or jalapenos, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic
5 medium to large potatoes (I use Yukon Gold), peeled and chopped
1 15-oz can of peas, drained (or equivalent amount frozen)
6 tsp Madras (or other mild) curry powder, divided
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
goodly splash of soy sauce (or tamari)
10 shakes green Tabasco sauce
5 shakes Cholula (or your preferred hot sauce)

1. Chop/dice everything that needs chopping/dicing. You can wait to do the potatoes.
2. Heat olive oil in pot on medium, or whatever setting you use to saute onions. Use enough oil to cover the bottom, then a tiny bit more. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, poblano, hot peppers, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Then add everything else (using 4 tsp of curry powder and reserving the rest) except the potatoes and peas.
3. Saute until the onions are translucent and the veggies are starting to break down. (5-10 minutes) During this time, peel and chop the potatoes.
4. Add potatoes. Mix everything up until the potatoes are completely coated. Then add enough water to just cover the potatoes. (In my pot, this is about two cups.)
5. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly done. Expect this to take at least half an hour. (I try to drag it out as long as I can bear it to let the flavors really meld.) Add the final 2 tsp of curry powder. Add the peas, and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
6. Serve with basmati rice.

Alternatives:

1. Add 2 cups fresh spinach at the same time as the peas. Or instead of the peas, like I usually do.
2. Pimentos – drained and rinsed. I’ve never tried this, but Don says, “I used a big jar once instead of bell peppers.”
3. I don’t think I’ve ever tried chickpeas in this, either, but I really should. I wouldn’t add them at the same time as the potatoes, but I wouldn’t wait until the end, either. Maybe about 15 minutes into simmering?
4. For a less dark and smoky-tasting curry, reduce the soy sauce and leave out the chili powder.

I’ve been really pleased with how the month/year has been going. I’ve been revisiting some recipes I haven’t made in years, and have felt a little more creative and interested in cooking than I have in a while.

We’ve made two trips to the grocery store to pick up some produce and dairy. Interestingly, though, I don’t really seem to be spending much less than I do on a normal trip.

Here’s my list of what we’ve eaten so far. (I’ll be returning to this post to link up some recipes as I post them, so check back!)

Fri, Jan 1
Baked Garlic Cheese Grits (for potluck brunch)
leftover Chickpea Pot Pie

Sat, Jan 2
hardboiled eggs, leftover baked grits – fried in slabs
homemade pizza w/artichoke hearts & roasted red peppers

Sun, Jan 3
hardboiled eggs, leftover baked grits
peanut butter sandwich (Ryn), lunch meat sandwich (Jason)
Thai Tofu and Squash Curry + rice

Mon, Jan 4
cereal
leftover Thai Tofu and Squash Curry + rice
Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas + Ro-Tel rice (i.e. steamed rice mixed with a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes)

Tues, Jan 5
oatmeal
leftover Chipotle Black Bean Soup + bread (Ryn); Jason went out
hummus, avocado, and cheese sandwich (Ryn);  leftover Chilaquiles (Jason)

Wed, Jan 6
oatmeal
leftover Black Beans + Saffron Rice (Ryn); leftover pizza (Jason)
Don’s Pantry Curry + rice

Thurs, Jan 7
banana + oatmeal
leftover Pantry Curry + rice (Ryn); Jason went out
tamales (from Trader Joe’s)

Fri, Jan 8
oatmeal
leftover Pantry Curry + rice (Jason); Ryn went out
Italian Lentil Soup + bread

Sat, Jan 9
cereal
lunch at Elmo’s Diner (gift certificate)
Thai Spiced Tofu and Green Beans

Sun, Jan 10
scrambled eggs, “bacon”, toast
leftover lentil soup + bread
Penne in Tomato-Vodka Sauce

Mon, Jan 11
cereal + banana
leftover Penne
leftover Black Beans + Saffron Rice

Tues, Jan 12
oatmeal
both of us went out for lunch
leftover goat cheese & roasted corn quesadilla; Jason went out

Black Beans and Saffron Rice

One of the very first recipes that my mom made when I became a vegetarian – nearly twenty years ago! – was this tasty rendition of black beans. It was always served with Mahatma (i.e. packaged) saffron rice, and that’s what I continue to do out of both convenience and habit. One day, I would like to try out some homemade saffron rice, though. Originally my mom made this with Cajun stewed tomatoes, but I haven’t seen those in the store in like fifteen years, so I substitute Mexican.

I always, always double it, since it keeps for a while in the fridge and also freezes well. Though I wouldn’t recommend doubling the amount of green bell pepper until you really, really like green bell pepper. One is fine. If you do double it, definitely make it in a large pot. The one I use is six quarts.

Ingredients:

1 large onion
1 large green bell pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil as needed – enough to cover the bottom of the pot
3 15-oz cans black beans
1 15-oz can Cajun or Mexican stewed tomatoes
1.5 cups water
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

1. Chop onion and bell pepper, and mince garlic.
2. In a large saucepan or stockpot, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil until soft.
3. While sautéing, rinse the beans and drain.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and sugar, and heat until it starts to boil.
5. Cover and reduce heat to medium low (or thereabouts), and simmer for one hour (you could probably get away with 45 min).
6. Uncover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Use this time to make your saffron rice.

Two of my New Year’s resolutions are to cook more often and to post more often on this blog, which already dovetail pretty nicely. Something that I hope is going to help with both is the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I’ve been reading Money Saving Mom for a while and have gotten a lot of good tips on using coupons, as well as inspiration for trying to keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer. So I’m going to give this a try.

My goals for this challenge are as follows:

1. To only buy produce and eggs/dairy for the month of January – everything else that Jason and I eat at home will come from the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. Or the 25-pound bag of rice I have in the liquor cabinet.
2. To try out at least five new recipes – and post about them!
3. To spend significantly less this month on groceries than we usually do.

So far we are three days into January (Happy New Year!) and there have been no emergency trips to the store for diced tomatoes…

Full share from September 9, 2009

In week 19, we received one large acorn squash, one bunch of turnips, one bunch of French breakfast radishes, one pound of cucumbers, and one pound of Japanese eggplant. I still have the turnips from last week, so I think I’ll cook up some White Bean and Root Vegetable Gratin.

Last week at this time (week 20 of 20), we got three pounds of tomatoes (!), one pint of Sungold tomatoes (!!), a pound of eggplant, and one quarter pound of basil. Though I guess it’s not really too surprising that there were tomatoes. Second plantings can bear tomatoes into October around here, and farmer’s markets still have plenty.

Full share from September 2, 2009

I haven’t been tracking how far along my CSA is, but this is week 18 of 20. And it’s officially the end of the tomatoes for the season. It’s been a pretty good crop this year, though we didn’t receive as much variety as in years past – very few Cherokee Purple and no Orange Blossom. Though, on the other hand, I did really enjoy the colorful and yummy cherry tomatoes.

This week, we got three pounds of tomatoes, one cantaloupe, one quarter-pound of basil, one and a half pounds of green beans, and nine small turnips. I’m glad to get the green beans – I know exactly what I’m going to do with them: Thai-Spiced Tofu and Green Beans.

Last year at this time (week 19 of 20), we received a half pound of basil, two and a half pounds of tomatoes, one pound of Japanese eggplant, and two small acorn squash. My photo is nowhere to be found, unfortunately.

Full share from August 26, 2009

It was a big week! We received four pounds of tomatoes, one pint of Sungold tomatoes, one pound of onions, a quarter-pound of basil, one pound of Japanese eggplant, one pound of red and yellow bell peppers, and one butternut squash.

Full share from August 27, 2008

I’m particularly happy about the squash, since I’m going to test out making my own baby food with it. Depending on how that goes, I may do a separate post on it. I’m also pleased about getting the eggplant. Getting a bunch of eggplant every week is not so good (for me), but having it come in every couple of weeks is perfect. The tomatoes should be winding down pretty soon, so I will have to think of something particularly good to do with these.

Last year, we got three pounds of Big Beef, Cherokee Purple, and Orange Blossom tomatoes, 2.5 pounds of potatoes, one pint of Sungold tomatoes, two large spaghetti squash, and one pound of yellow squash.

Since I’m writing this a number of days late, I can include a mention of what I made with some of this week’s share. The potatoes went into a delicious Peanut-Potato Curry. I used some of the tomatoes, plus bell peppers and red onion from the previous week, in making Friday Night Pizza. I need to whip up a batch of pesto – I’ve certainly got enough basil from the CSA for that.

Full share from August 19, 2009

For this week, we received two pounds of yellow squash, three pounds of white-flesh potatoes, five pounds of Big Beef tomatoes, one pint of Sungold tomatoes, and one large bunch ( 1/4 pound) of basil. Last week at this time we were at the beach, so we canceled our share.