vegetarian Archives - The Midnight Baker

Fire Noodles

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 03 May 2022 23:00:44 +0000

Fire noodles make a great meatless main dish but also great as a cold salad.

Versatile Fire Noodles

Fire noodles is one of those dishes that can wear a couple of hats.

It’s a great main dish that you can also serve to any vegetarian guest because it’s really flavorful and filling. It’s also a good choice for a salad if it’s chilled. Now that we’re on the cusp of summer, delicious salads are a thing to be considered. Don’t forget picnics either. These noodles are just great no matter how you serve them.

Making this totally vegan is also an option. Any eggless pasta or rice noodles can be substituted. As far as the honey, that can be left out or a vegan syrup or sugar can fill in.

Why “Fire”

The “fire” comes from the colors of the peppers. There’s no heat in this at all. The chili paste adds no real heat; just a touch of flavor.

Since all bell peppers essentially taste the same, you can use whatever you have or what’s cheapest. If you do splurge and buy the red, orange and yellow, dice or slice what you don’t use and freeze them for later use. That’s what I do but bear in mind that they will be too limp after freezing to add to salads, so reserve those for cooking.

Best Noodles

In these types of recipes–or anything Asian with noodles–I always opt for lo mein noodles.

The reason for this is that it obviously makes Asian-style dishes more authentic. However, these noodles are a bit chewy so it makes the dish more satisfying. Lo mein noodles are available fresh in most big supermarkets, but you can also find the dry ones in the International aisle at the market. I buy them in bulk because I use them a lot.

If you can’t find them in either style, good old spaghetti will do nicely. Regular, #8 is best.

The Recipe

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Fire Noodles

Great meatless main or chilled as a salad

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Main, Main Course, Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cold noodle salads, fire salad, meatless asian main dishes, salads for picnics

Servings: 4

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 each of red orange and yellow bell pepper
3 green onions sliced
8 oz lo mein noodles or spaghetti
2 tbs oil
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tbs sesame seed optional, for garnish

Sauce:

2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 tsp honey

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook noodles as per package directions; drain and set aside.
Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the garlic and bell peppers. Stir fry until peppers are crisp-tender. Discard garlic.
Add the cooked noodles and the sauce. Toss to coat.
May be served hot or chilled.

Nutrition

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Marinated Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 23:00:55 +0000

Marinated bean salad is one of those salads that can be a complete meal. Totally vegan but totally delicious.

Marinated Bean Salad–An All-Season Salad

When my neighbor saw this she said it reminds her of summer. She’s right there because this or my Mexican 3 bean salad is generally on my menu when I have cookouts on my deck.

But I tend to think of this marinated bean salad as an all-season treat. In fact, it is a meal in itself when you think about it. Beans are a great source of protein and also a wonderful source of fiber so it’s pretty filling. To top that off–if you could–it’s totally vegan. Therefore, it’s a great main course when you’re serving those who don’t eat meat.

Economical Salad

Perhaps one of the best things about this recipe is that it is very economical.

Face it, beans are cheap. With rising prices, we’re all trying to economize where we can. Pasta, rice and beans are some of the best money savers around. Many of us are cutting down on meat too because it’s very high in price at the moment. What better way to save than with this delicious bean concoction.

It calls for canned beans which a lot of us already have in our pantry to begin with. I used white (cannellini) and red kidney beans because they make a great presentation. But you can use any variety or a combination of such.

Marinade

Basically, the marinade or dressing is a vinaigrette.

One tip I picked up from watching numerous Julia Child shows is that the proportion of oil to vinegar is a highly personal choice. She said she preferred more olive oil to vinegar and/or lemon juice. I’m totally the opposite. Therefore I suggest you mix up the marinade first and taste it. Then you can adjust for your personal taste.

The Recipe

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Marinated Bean Salad

Totally vegan and totally addictive

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Course: Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: marinated kidney beans, mixed bean salad, salads using canned beans

Servings: 6

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

30 oz cannellini beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
15 oz dark red kidney beans 1 can, drained and rinsed

Bean Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs chopped fresh chives
1 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs finely chopped red onion
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place beans in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients. Pour over beans and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Toss well before serving.
Will keep well for about 3 days so you can make this ahead.

Nutrition

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Cheesy Roast Broccoli

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:04:25 +0000

Cheesy roast broccoli is one of those sides that just may become a main dish!

Cheesy Roast Broccoli: Every Bite Crunchy

Here’s something way different than the usual broccoli and cheese casserole. Not to say that the usual one isn’t delicious, because it is. However, this sheet-pan way to do this cheesy roast broccoli is easy, delicious and is crunchy in every bite.

There’s a secret to getting roast veggies just right and it’s so simple you just won’t believe it. I think this method also reduces the fat a bit as well. But that’s only my opinion on that.

Since this is so good, I made it my entire meal. With meat prices so high, perhaps you, too, will think of this not only as a side dish; but a meatless meal in itself.

The Secret To Great Roast Vegetables

It’s as simple as a preheated baking sheet. Yes, that simple.

Just pop the sheet pan in and preheat the pan along with the oven. That sears one side of whatever you are roasting–it doesn’t have to be just broccoli!

This way you’re not dousing with oil when the veggies are on the pan. I don’t know about you, but I tend to use too much when doing this. When you keep to the small amount of oil and toss them in the bowl, I feel you use less. As an aside, I tried spraying them with the oil spray bottle I use for air frying. Even though that was in theory a great idea, the bit of oil that got sprayed into the oven smoked and smelled horrible. Needless to say I don’t do that anymore. That does not happen with the hot sheet, even though the broccoli was tossed with oil.

Best Cheeses

Cheddar is a natural with broccoli, so I stuck to that. I had some mild cheddar I wanted to use up so that’s the variety I used. Sharp cheddar would be wonderful as well.

Swiss is another great option. So is colby cheese. Stringing cheeses such as mozzarella would be good too if you serve this immediately.

The Recipe

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Cheesy Roast Broccoli

Crunch broccoli in every bite

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main/Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: making perfect roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli with cheese, sheet pan broccoli and cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb fresh broccoli florets
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt

Crumb Mix:

2 tbs melted butter
1 clove garlic minced
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place a sheet pan on a rack in the upper-middle portion of the oven. Preheat oven to 400F/200C (with the sheet heating with the oven).
Toss the broccoli with the oil and salt in a large bowl.
Spread the broccoli out on the hot sheet and roast until the bottoms of the broccoli are nicely browned; about 15 minutes.
While the broccoli is roasting, mis all the crumb ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Remove the pan from the oven and distribute crumb mixture over the broccoli. Set the oven to broil function
Pop the sheet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the crumbs just begin to get golden brown--watch it closely so it doesn't burn.

Nutrition

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Cashew Cabbage

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 00:00:08 +0000

Celebrate “Veganuary” with this delicious and totally vegan cashew cabbage.

Cashew Cabbage For Veganuary

Since I don’t think the word “celebrate” fits here I won’t use it. As I am understanding it, Veganuary is where you swap out some meals containing meat for vegan options.

This is a wonderful idea because you get to try new things and you just may find out you like them. As for me, I love all food and if you saw me in the flesh it’d be very apparent. So if you throw most any food my way, I’m sure to eat it. And for the record there’s some vegetarian/vegan dishes I’m crazy about.

Here you are substituting cashews for any meat. And yes, you can add some meat to this for those days you just feel like it or want to use up any leftovers. But trust me here, this tastes awesome with the cashews. The nutty flavor is perfect and you won’t miss the meat. Honest.

Love Egg Rolls?

Then you are bound to love this cashew cabbage. It tastes just like egg roll filling. In fact, if ever you make egg rolls use this recipe. I’ll tell you I was pretty surprised when I first made this. I adapted this recipe from one I found on Facebook that was posted by Just A Pinch. The original contained some ingredients I didn’t have on hand and didn’t think would “go” with the other ingredients. Therefore, I just kept to the basics. Had no fresh mushrooms on hand so I used canned button ones–haters can leave these out.

Shredding And Cutting

Truthfully, I find using a chef’s knife to shred cabbage a heck of a lot easier than any other home method, but if you have access to a commercial slicing machine like they have in the deli, use that.

When it comes to the carrot and making matchsticks, again I find using the knife more efficient, This can be done in a food processor but then you have all those parts to clean.

Just an FYI but when this dish is done, taste it. I used low-sodium soy sauce and didn’t add any salt because of the salt on the cashews. I haven’t been much into salt since my late husband’s heart surgery where he had to eat a reduced-sodium diet, but this needed a pinch of salt for my taste and maybe yours too. You can use regular soy sauce too–I will in future,

The Recipe

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Cashew Cabbage

Just like egg roll filling but vegan

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course, Main/Side, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cashew cabbage, egg roll filling, vegan meals with cashews

Servings: 4

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 carrot and cut into matchsticks
2 ribs celery thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup soy sauce low-sodium preferred
1 1/2 lbs shredded cabbage
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat a large deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Next add the mushrooms and cashews and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder and cabbage. Toss to blend then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the cabbage is wilted.

Notes

Based on 4 servings as a main course

Nutrition

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Chunky Tomato Soup

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:10 +0000

Chunky tomato soup is quite possibly the best tomato soup you’ll ever eat. Quick cooking and easy.

Chunky Tomato Soup Tastes Like You Fussed

One taste of this soup will convince you that a great-tasting soup isn’t a lot of work.

When I first tasted this, it reminded me of pizza so I like to call it “pizza in a bowl,” but that might be misleading. However, if you don’t want to make pizza or go out for it, this might satisfy the craving.

This is also a soup you can make with common pantry items you likely have on hand. That’s a big plus in my book and you’ll definitely want to keep it in mind when you have unexpected guests–and who doesn’t during the holidays?

Easily Made Vegan

The soup is vegetarian–for those who include some dairy so there’s no substitutions necessary.

However, it’s easily converted to a vegan dish. The substitutions are easy; nut or oat milk can replace the cow’s milk. As for the croutons, you can always forego them but I understand the quality of vegan cheeses now is quite good. I’ve also heard that nutritional yeast is widely used by vegans to substitute for Parmesan. Of course, vegetable stock can replace the chicken. So this soup is quite versatile and can be served to practically anyone with some minor changes.

And if that isn’t all, it’s probably pretty light on calories too if you’re watching them.

Soup & Sandwich?

By all means! Especially if you’re serving people with larger appetites. For me now, a bowl of this soup suffices for a dinner. That wasn’t the case years ago though, so with guys and younger folks, a sandwich is probably necessary.

What is traditional with tomato soup–grilled cheese of course. With this soup I’d make a fancy grilled cheese made with mozzarella. Now it’d be more like pizza!

The Recipe

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Chunky Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a perennial favorite

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chunky tomato soup, quick tomato soup, tomato soup from canned tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup milk
28 oz petite diced tomatoes 1 large can, don't drain
28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 large can, don't drain
1 tso dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
14 oz chicken stock or vegetable stock

Parmesan Croutons

2 cups white bread cubes
4 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft. Add flour; cook and stir until moist. Gradually add milk, cooking and stirring about 2 minutes or until smooth and bubbly
Stir in crushed and petite diced tomatoes, basil, oregano and stock. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir frequently and do not allow mixture to boil.
To make croutons, toss bread cubes with olive oil and grated cheese. Spread onto baking sheet and place into a preheated oven at 350F/180C. Bake until croutons are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Top soup with crouton.

Nutrition

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Alfredo Cauliflower with Tomatoes & Prosciutto

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 00:00:21 +0000

Try this Alfredo cauliflower as a Thanksgiving side, but you’ll love it for year round.

Alfredo Cauliflower–Perfect Side Dish

I consider this Alfredo cauliflower the perfect side dish since it can wear many hats. And one of those hats is that it can also be a main course!

This is also a great recipe for the coming holidays. It will wow the family and any guests–trust me on this! Since it’s so rich, a little bit goes a long way as a side. This is one of those dishes where you just cannot be concerned with calories. However, a little splurging at holiday time is always permitted and this one is so worth it.

A Recipe That’s Adaptable

This Alfredo cauliflower can be adapted in several ways.

The full version has prosciutto tucked in randomly between the other ingredients. Prosciutto is also known as Parma ham in UK. It gets nice and crispy and adds so much flavor. Made the full way, this is also an excellent main dish. But if you don’t want to invest in prosciutto because I don’t think too many people actually have that on hand, it’s easily omitted. A good deli ham could probably be substituted but I’d advise using one that’s not watery.

In fact when you leave out the meat, it becomes a vegetarian (but unfortunately not vegan) main or side dish.

I wouldn’t suggest leaving out the blistered tomatoes as they are really important to the unique flavor here. Of course you can if you want to do so, but then it becomes like cauliflower cheese with different flavors.

Easy Sauce

The Alfredo sauce is so easy, there’s no reason not to make your own. All that’s involved is stirring a few ingredients together over the heat. There’s no fuss whatsoever to it. That way you know what’s in it.

However, if you must, a good-quality store-bought sauce can be used if you are really pressed for time and don’t want an additional pot to wash.

The Recipe

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Alfredo Cauliflower

So good you'll serve it as a main dish

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Roasting Tomatoes20

Total Time1 10

Course: Main/Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cauliflower side dishes, holiday side dishes, roasted cauliflower with cheese sauce

Servings: 6

Calories: 492kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 large head fresh cauliflower
2 cups grape tomatoes
4 oz sliced prosciutto Parma ham in UK
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Parsley for garnish

Sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Place tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil (I used about 2 tablespoons). Spread the tomatoes out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with desired amount of salt & pepper. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, turning halfway though. Tomatoes should be nicely blistered. Set aside.
Next, separate the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; drain well.
Lightly grease a 3 qt/3L baking dish. Place the cauliflower and tomatoes in the dish, distributing each well. Tear prosciutto into large pieces and tuck it between, the cauliflower and tomatoes, again distributing it well.
Next, in a small saucepan, melt the butter then stir in the cream and bring it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/4 cups of the cheese and simmer for another minute. Add any salt & pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce evenly over the cauliflower mixture, then top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and prosciutto is crispy.

Nutrition

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Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 23:00:32 +0000

Cold soba noodle salad is a great side dish or meatless meal.

Cool Side Or Cool Meal

We’re all looking for cool stuff to eat since it’s been brutally hot lately. That’s cool meaning temperature but it’s also a cool, meaning awesome, thing to eat too.

Soba noodles are all the rage lately. There’s so many ways to use them. This cold soba noodle pasta salad is just one way to use them. This salad makes a great side for grilled fish or chicken. But this can also stand in for a main course. Even better is it’s vegetarian so if you have guests who no longer eat meat, it’s a perfect choice for a main course.

It’s not vegan because of the honey, but if you can find a good substitute for that, then you have a vegan meal.

Herb Combos

Actually, any choice of herbs is up to you and your individual tastes.

I used an equal amount of basil, parsley and cilantro. I know basil seems a bit unusual for something with Asian notes, but it worked well–at least for me. Staying in the basil family, you can substitute Thai basil for the regular kind. The only reason I didn’t do that was I chose not to grow that variety this year.

Using all cilantro works here too. It’s an herb used a lot in Asian cuisine so you can’t go wrong. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of it because I’m one of those people who finds it tastes soapy–but that’s if there’s too much. A small amount combined with the other herbs is quite nice.

But whatever you choose to use, please use fresh herbs.

Add More Flavor

There’s only a drop of chili paste (sambai oelek) in the dressing. It adds flavor but no heat to speak of. It’s got a wonderful flavor so if you like food with a bit of heat, add as much of that as you like.

Garlic is also a nice addition to the dressing. It’s not necessary to add it, but if you want to introduce the flavor then add one clove, pressed, into the mix.

The Recipe

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Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Nice as a side or a meatless cold meal

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Course: Main Course, Main/Side, Side Dish, Side Dish/Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cold noodle salads, using soba noodles, vegetarian pasta salads

Servings: 4 as a side

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz Soba noodles uncooked
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs lime juice
1 tsp honey
1 tbs toasted sesame seed
1/4 tsp chili paste sambai oelek

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place drained noodles in a large bowl and add the herbs.
Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add to the noodles and toss to coat.
Chill for at least 1 hour.

Notes

Nutrition info calculated for side dish serving size.

Nutrition

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Asparagus Ravioli with Almond Brown Butter Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 23:00:41 +0000

Asparagus ravioli in a delectable brown butter almond sauce is totally gourmet. However, it’s extremely easy!

Asparagus Ravioli Is Easy

This delightful pasta meal has every gourmet earmark you can name. But unlike many “haute cuisine” or gourmet dinners, this one is ridiculously easy! Since you can take advantage of a convenience ingredient, it’s as easy as 1-2-3.

All that’s left is the filling to make and who can’t mix together a couple of ingredients. It’s so easy the kiddos can help here although you might want to reserve this for a date-night dinner.

Wonton Skins? Yep

That’s the big secret to making this asparagus ravioli or any ravioli for that matter so easy.

They’re readily available in the produce section of practically every supermarket so they’re quite easy to find. It’s just a matter of plopping in some filling and sealing them.

However, if you’re a real purest and wish to make your own pasta, they’re still very easy. This process does require that you have a pasta dough roller–either on a proper pasta machine or an attachment to your stand mixer. The only investment in time is the 30 minutes the dough requires to rest.

The above photos show the equipment and steps to make these ravioli with your own pasta. The recipe for the dough will be in the recipe card–and here it’s important to WEIGH the ingredients so the dough is successful. Follow your machine’s directions for the thickness to roll. On my KitchenAid roller, it’s #5 or #6 and on my manual Marcato Atlas it’s #4 or #5, depending on how thin I want the pasta. I’d recommend using the lower number until you feel confident enough working with a thinner sheet As for the rolling process, there’s many good videos on YouTube that show you. It’s basically how I learned to do this.

No Mascarpone? No Problem

Mascarpone is readily available in Europe, but the US hasn’t caught up there. Oh, you can get it, but it’s outrageously expensive. I don’t recommend buying it even if you can find it–hint–it’s in the deli department or gourmet cheese area in some stores.

You can make a credible substitute with cream cheese (the standard kind–not fat-free nor “light”). All you need to do is mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup of whipping cream. That’s it. And truthfully? The flavor or cream cheese is so close to mascarpone, I wouldn’t bother and just use ultra-softened cream cheese.

The Recipe

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Asparagus Ravioli with Almond Brown Butter Sauce

Ravioli are easy to make and these are totally gourmet

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy ravioli recipe, gourmet ravioli fillings, homemade ravioli

Servings: 4

Calories: 956kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Filling:

1 lb fresh asparagus
6 tbs mascarpone see post for substitute
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 garlic clove finely minced or pressed
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Ravioli:

36 wonton skins or your own rolled pasta dough

Pasta Dough:

9 oz flour
6 oz eggs

Almond Brown Butter Sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut off the tips of the asparagus, then blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Do the same for the asparagus stalks only drain them on paper towels. When the stalks are cool enough to handle, chop them finely and place them in a medium bowl.
Add the mascarpone (directions for a substitute is in the post), ricotta, grated cheese and minced garlic; mix well, cover and refrigerate if you are preparing your own pasta dough. If you are using wanton skins, go to the next step.
Lay out 18 wonton skins and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Brush the edges with a little water and top with another wonton skin, pressing all 4 edges to seal. Cover with a damp cloth if you're not cooking them immediately.
To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil over high heat. Meanwhile make the sauce by melting the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and stir to coat and cook just until the butter just begins to get brown, then set it aside and keep warm. Place the raviolis in the boiling water. When they begin to float, cook for 1 minute, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a warm plate.
Spoon sauce over ravioli and top with drained and reserved asparagus tips.
Make with you own pasta--beat the pasta dough ingredients until a dough forms. Knead on a well-floured surface for 2 minutes; form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Divide dough into quarters. For each quarter, roll dough out very thin (if using a rolling pin) or using a pasta rolling attachment or pasta machine. Using the rolling attachment/machine, you will want to roll to #5 or #6 on the machine. You will want 6-8 sheets approximately 12-inches long and 4-inches wide.
You can form the ravioli free style or use a ravioli tray. You will get LESS ravioli this way than using wonton skins because they will have more filling per ravioli. I formed these free style and got 13 ravioli.
Cook the same as for wonton skins.

Notes

Nutrition info calculated with wonton skins.

Nutrition

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Italian Green Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 23:00:58 +0000

You can serve this green bean salad hot or cold. It’s a winner either way!

A Salad For All Seasons

No matter what season it is, this Italian green bean salad always is a good choice.

There aren’t too many salads you can serve hot or cold, but this is one of them It’s equally good either way.

Since it’s marinated, you may want to call it pickled green beans. As a result, if you let it sit for a day, it will have tons of flavor. For a lighter flavor, just let it sit for about an hour.

It’s so good, you may just want to call it dinner. And if you have vegetarian friends stopping by, you might want to consider this for your menu. You can make it vegan too if you leave out the cheese or substitute a vegan cheese for the regular grated cheese.

Preparing the Green Beans

As always, I prefer to use fresh green beans. If I buy them in the bag instead of the loose ones, I generally prefer what they call “French” beans. This doesn’t mean French cut like the frozen kind; they are just much thinner beans than the standard variety.

You can use frozen if you like, but buy whole green beans. This salad won’t work well with canned beans so my advice is skip the canned ones.

You get to decide the doneness of the beans. My personal taste is lightly blanched so they are still very crisp. However, you can cook them to tender if that is the way you like them. The only thing you have to do is dump them in very cold or ice water as soon as they are cooked. This stops the cooking process and the beans remain their lovely green color.

Dressing

The dressing is a light vinaigrette which is very easy to prepare. It has a lovely oregano flavor. Make it ahead so the oregano infuses in the dressing. Actually this is a lovely dressing for standard lettuce-based salads and tomatoes, so you might want to double or triple the recipe. And fresh oregano works best however dried works well too. In fact, I used the dry kind to make this dressing. But if you have fresh, double the amount in the recipe and bruise it a bit before adding it in so you get more flavor.

And the surprise is you can use bottled Italian dressing too if you don’t feel like bothering with making the one in the recipe. Likewise, you can use my copycat mix for Good Seasons so you make a fresh dressing;

The Recipe

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Italian Green Bean Salad

Delicious served hot or cold

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: green bean salad, hot salads, vegan dinners, vegetarian main dishes

Servings: 4

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

12 oz fresh whole green beans trimmed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano
1 small garlic clove crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all dressing ingredients in a lidded jar. Shake to combine and set aside.
Cook green beans to desired doneness. Drain off water and immediately immerse the beans in very cold or ice water if you wish to serve cold. Drain beans and dry on paper towels. To serve hot, place drained beans in a bowl
Add the dressing and grated cheese to the beans and toss to coat.
Cold salad: Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for a few hours. The longer they marinate, the better they will taste.

Nutrition

The post Italian Green Bean Salad appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Jamaican Coconut Rice

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 23:00:39 +0000

You won’t miss the meat if you serve this Jamaican coconut rice for dinner. And the best part is it’s very inexpensive.

Jamaican Coconut Rice: Budget Meal

Coconut rice is a meal for these times.

With so many people now unemployed because of the virus and waiting to sign up for their unemployment benefits, money is definitely tight. The only way you can reign in expenses is on food.

While we’re on the subject, many items are hard to get as well. Jamaican coconut rice is usually served with chicken as a side dish. Well, chicken is one of those near-impossible things to get now.

But take heart; the “side dish” can become a main dish. It’s very nutritious too. In fact, the mainstay for protein in vegan and vegetarian diets is good old rice and beans.

Far from being bland, this rice and bean dish is loaded with flavor.

Hot Or Mild

You can spice things up here too. If you like a bit of zip–or a lot of it–in your food, this can fill the bill.

To spice things up, pop in a hot pepper (or part of one) in the liquid you cook the rice in. Traditionally, this is a habanero or scotch bonnet. But be careful with either of those–they are off-the-charts hot.

However, this rice is equally good when it’s mild. My personal preference is eating it without the hot pepper. To my taste, the flavors really sing without the heat and the pepper distracts from it’s great flavor.

Try it both ways to see how you like it.

Substitutions

As I mentioned before, some items are hard to get in stores now. And my mantra has always been use what you have on hand, Especially now.

The recipe calls for dark red kidney beans, but if you have light red, they work too. Cannellini beans are another good choice. The only ones I’d hesitate to substitute is black beans.

Jasmine rice is preferred, but use regular long-grain if that’s all you have. And as for the thyme, I always prefer using fresh because I have an indoor garden where I grow it. But the dry stuff is fine and use about 1/4 tsp. Add more if you want a fuller flavor.

The Recipe

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Jamaican Coconut Rice

Rice so tasty it’s a main course

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main/Side, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: Jamaican

Keyword: coconut rice, jamaican rice recipe, rice side dishes, vegan main course recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

14 oz can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 hot pepper optional
1 garlic clove crushed
1 cup long-grain white rice such as jasmine
15 oz can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the first ingredients (through garlic) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; remove the thyme sprigs and garlic, and discard. Gently stir in the beans. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Traditionally, the pepper used is a scotch bonnet or habanero. I made this an optional ingredient.

If you don’t have fresh thyme, 1/4-1/2 tsp of the dried can be substituted. Always start with the lesser amount.

Nutrition

The post Jamaican Coconut Rice appeared first on The Midnight Baker.