vegetarian dinners Archives - The Midnight Baker

Roasted Root Vegetables

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Roasted Root Vegetables

Nothing better! And a treat for fall. Roasted roots are a meal in themselves.

Not much to be said here–just use whatever you like and go to town.

As these veggies roast, they develop a wonderful caramelly sweetness. They are delectable.

I served with roasted herbed pork chops. However, chicken or fish would be good as well. You also won’t miss any meat if you serve them all by themselves.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Parsnips
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Turnips
Beets
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Thyme/Rosemary/Dill
Garlic powder

The veggies are your choice–use one, some or all or add your own favorites.

Cut the veggies up in chunks of about 1-inch. Place them in a bowl and drizzle enough olive oil so that they are well coated.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. You may strip one or two sprigs of thyme and toss them in as well OR use about 1/2 tsp of dehydrated. Likewise, you can use rosemary or dill if you prefer that.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking pan with foil (for easier clean up). Spread the veggies out in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, then stir and turn the veggies. Return them to the oven to bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until they are getting brown and are soft. The degree of “done-ness” will be up to you.

Pictured is a pork chop that was roasted at the same time as the veggies. This is totally optional if you are vegan/vegetarian. What I did with that is seasoned it with salt/pepper/garlic powder, then rubbed it with fresh thyme and roasted it in the same oven as the veggies for the same amount of time.

Roasted Root Vegetables

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Scalloped Eggplant Strata

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Scalloped Eggplant Strata

Here’s something deliciously different to do with eggplant! A side dish that doubles as a vegetarian main.

This wonderful recipe came my way from good friend and fellow food blogger, Lillian R. from My Recipe Journey. Lillian has tried and tested so MANY recipes, it will make your head spin, and when she puts her stamp of approval on something, you are sure it not only works but tastes great as well!!!

She adapted this recipe from one she found on Group Recipes.com. Lillian made several changes to the original and also increased the recipe to serve her hungry family of four! Her adaptation appears here on her blog.

My adaptations sort of combines Lillian’s and Dugger’s (the original) versions. I think it would taste better preparing the eggplant Lillian’s way, but I chose to do the stovetop method from the original recipes since it was hot and I avoid using my oven for too long. I also found I needed Lillian’s amounts for the custard even though I had mostly 1/2 the amount of everything else.

I added tomatoes for more flavor and color, and instead of plain white bread, used day-old hoagie rolls–which I think would taste and look better.

In any case, you have 3 slightly different versions to choose from here….but you can always run with this and make your own version. That’s the beauty of recipes like this.

For more great family approved down-to-earth meals, make sure to visit Lillian at My Recipe Journey regularly!

Like the casserole dish? It’s my Revol Froisses pie dish in aubergine (which is French for “eggplant!”). Below is the flan dish (which is a tad shallower), but according to Revol, the pie dish will be available shortly.

Scalloped Eggplant Strata

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium hoagie rolls, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tbs dehydrated onion
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
2 tbs butter, melted
extra cheese for topping

Place eggplant in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat milk and eggs with the kosher salt, pepper, dehydrated onion and garlic powder. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease a 1.5 quart oven-proof baking dish.

Casserole is assembled in layers which begin and end with the bread cubes. Proceed as follows~~

Place 1/3 of the bread cubes on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the cubed eggplant then top this with half the cheese and half the sliced tomatoes. Repeat, making the final layer, which is the top, all bread cubes.

Drizzle melted butter over the top of the casserole. Pour in the egg/milk mixture. Top with additional cheese (maybe 1/4 cup or so).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes or until set and topping is crusty and golden brown.

Serves 4 as a main dish and 8 as a side dish.

Scalloped Eggplant Strata

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Pâte Avec Champignons et Basilic

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Pasta with Basil & Mushrooms

Real fancy, huh? Well it’s only mushroom & basil pasta–but boy is it ever GOOD!!! And here’s to Meatless Mondays!

Figured the French would get everyone LOL. I was gonna make the title Italian, however, mushroom in Italian is “funghi” and that’s not too appetizing if you don’t speak Italian!!!!Anyway, I had some mushrooms I wanted to use before they went bad and/or I forgot about them. I also have a literal TON of basil I’m growing…from plants and seed so I have a constant supply…plus a huge hunk of Asiago I bought in Sam’s Club a while ago.

The result was this. You will never miss meat, I promise you. And it can be made totally vegan if you leave out the butter and the cheese (the cheese is optional anyway, I just like cheese!). I put a small amount of butter in for flavor, but using all olive oil–a good EVOO–you won’t lack for taste either, so the butter won’t be missed.

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Pâte Avec Champignons et Basilic

Real fancy, huh? Well it’s only mushroom & basil pasta–but boy is it ever GOOD!!! And here’s to Meatless Mondays!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: pasta, skillet dinners, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: French

Keyword: meatless casserole recipes, meatless pasta dinnners

Servings: 2

Calories: 793kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti cooked to package directions
2 cups quartered mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic large ones, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade (shredded)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1-2 oz Asiago thickly shredded
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook spaghetti as per package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the olive oil. When butter is melted and begins to bubble, add the garlic and the mushrooms. Saute, stirring frequently, until mushrooms begin to sear. Remove from heat.
Add cooked pasta and basil to the skillet and toss to coat with the olive oil butter mixture and the mushrooms.
Top with Asiago cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Pasta with Mushrooms & Basil

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