Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Normally when I feel like lasagna, I make a large batch of my veggie bolognese sauce, and then I simply layer it with lasagna noodles and shredded mozzarella cheese and bake it until the noodles are soft. That version of lasagna comes out great, but this time I felt like something completely different.

I tossed my cookbooks and the internet for various vegetarian lasagna recipes and finally  found Wolfgang Puck's recipe for pumpkin and goat cheese lasagna and knew that I have to try it. I used the recipe pretty much as it appears in that website, but I'm typing it up here just to add my comments and for your convenience. 
The recipe came out absolutely delicious, although I think perhaps next time I might use some more goat cheese to make its flavor more dominant.

I found the pumpkin puree at the "baking" section of my supermarket. Note that it needs to be 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling (which is seasoned). If you can't get pumpkin puree, just cook and mash some pumpkin. Also, if you can't get your hands on pumpkin (I know it can be difficult to find in some places), I'm pretty sure squash will also work well here.

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Lasagna

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Ingredients (for 6 main course portions):

- 1 package of lasagna noodles (if possible, get the kind that doesn't require pre-cooking. I ended up only using 1/2 package, but have a whole one on hand just in case)

For Bechamel Sauce:

- 1/4 cup unsalted butter. 

- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or for a GF version use corn or potato starch) 

- 3 cups of milk (the recipe calls for whole, but I used low fat succesfully)

- 2 oz (about 60 grams, or a few heaping tablespoons) creamy goat cheese

- 1/2 teaspoon salt 

- pinch of nutmeg

For Pumpkin Filling: 

- 29 oz can (about 800 grams) pumpkin puree (or pumpkin which has been cooked and mashed) 

- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped 

- a pinch of nutmeg

- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (you can use GF. I used Italian breadcrumbs)

- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/4 cup brown sugar (I know, this sounds strange, but the lasagna does not come out sweet)

- 2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese (I think I will add more next time)

- 1 tbsp salt (make sure you season sufficiently, or else the result may be a bit bland)

 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

For Topping: 

-1/2 cup breadcrumbs

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

Preparation:

0.  If you are using lasagna noodles that require precooking, cook them per instructions. 

1.Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C.  Prepare a 13X9 inch lasagna pan (33X22 cm, more or less) and spray it with nonstick spray.  Prepare the sauce: melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour or starch and stir continuously for about five minutes. While stirring, slowly pour in the milk. Stir in the goat cheese, salt and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Set aside. 

2. Make the filling: in a large bowl combine all of the filling ingredients. Stir thoroughly to make sure the filling is smooth and even. Especially make sure that you don't have gigantic chunks of goat cheese. Taste the filling to make sure it is appropriately seasoned. 

3. Assemble the lasagna: spread 1/3 of the pumpkin filling on the bottom of the pan (I recommend using a pan that is perfectly rectangular, if possible, to make for easy assembling). Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. The noodles should cover most of the area of the pan and shouldn't overlap too much, but don't worry if you don't get perfect coverage. Cover the noodles with another 1/3 of the pumpkin filling and then top that with 3/4 cups of bechamel. Top this with another layer of noodles, then put the rest of the pumpkin filling and another 3/4 cup of bechamel. Finally, top with one more layer of noodles and cover that with all of the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle the topping breadcrumbs and parmesan over the top of the lasagna. 

4. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna settle for about 10 minutes. Slice into squares and serve. 

Enjoy!

Asian Noodles with Cucumbers, Peppers and a Basil Sauce

There's a restaurant chain in Israel called the Giraffe Noodle Bar. Years and years ago, before it was a chain, this place was where I went with my friends on the first time we ever went to Tel Aviv on our own, so it holds some memories for me. This dish appears on their menu as "The Malaysian Dish" and it's the dish I usuaully order when I go there. While there a multitude of noodle restaurants in my immediate area, I've never been to one that serves a dish similar to this one, and on certain days of the year I suddenly get a bizarre version of home-sickness in which I violently crave the flavors of this one noodle dish. This recipe is roughly the one that appears here, but made vegetarian and with a few changes to quantities because the quantities suggested in the recipe didn't quite add up for me.

Now, a few words about the dish itself.

First, it might seem weird to you that the cucumbers are stir fried. However, the trick to this (and in fact to the success of the entire dish), is to have all of the ingredients prepared ahead of time, and to cook the dish very very quickly on a high heat. This means that the cucumbers retain their crisp freshness and don't wilt away.

Second, unlike many Asian recipes that have very strong flavors, this one is a very mild, slightly creamy, laid-back kind of sauce. If you prefer a bit of a kick to your food, add some finely diced chili peppers to the veggies.

Finally,I'm not sure about the balance between the amount of protein and the amount of noodles in the original recipe, so I slightly changed it here, but do what works for you.

Asian Noodles with Cucumbers, Peppers and a Basil Sauce

Ingredients (for 2 very generous portions): 

 
-2.5 tbsp canola oil
-  200 grams (about 7 ounces) of uncooked stir fry noodles (you can use egg noodles, rice noodles or regular Chinese wheat noodles)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- about 150 grams (5 oz) of seitan or tofu, cut into strips. (You can play with these quantities, adding more or less protein as you prefer)
- 1/2 bell pepper (red or yellow), sliced into thin strips
- 1 small cucumber, unpeeled, sliced into thin strips (if you're in the US, try to get your hands on some mini-cukes, as they have much better flavor and texture. If you can't, then use about 1/3-1/2 of an English Hothouse cuke)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock or broth
- 4 tbsp light or heavy cream
- 3 tbsp pesto sauce
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- handful of bean sprouts
- 1 small onion, sliced into thin strips
- For garnish: fresh basil, sliced; Roasted peanuts, chopped

 Preparation: 

1. Cook the noodles as per the manufacturer's instructions. Drain them and wash them in cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.

2. Prepare the sauce ingredients: in one container mix together the veggie stock, cream, pesto, sugar, salt. Make sure that all of your ingredients are sliced and ready to go into the dish, as it is best to work quickly.

3. Heat the oil in a large wok and bring it to a fairly high temperature (you want the food to sizzle as it goes into the pan). Add the tofu/seitan, ginger, pepper and cucumber slices to the wok and stir fry for about 2 minutes.

4. Add the sauce you prepared and the onion and sprouts. Fry while stirring until the pesto is fully incorporated into the sauce. This should only take a moment.

5. Add the noodles to the wok and continue cooking just until the noodles are heated through. Plate the dish and garnish with fresh basil and peanuts.

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

This is my attempt to recreate the awesome dish from the Garden Grille Cafe.

Crispy tortillas filled with roasted butternut squash, black beans and melted cheesy goodness, topped with salsa and sour cream.... lovely! 

You can play with toppings/fillings a  bit, adding avocado, guacomole or pico de gallo, for example.

(And yes, I do realize that squash is becoming a bit of a theme here... what can I say...)

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Ingredients (for 4 quesadillas. I suggest 1 quesadilla per person for a light meal, or 2 per person for a filling main course): 

- 4 large tortillas (you can use GF or whole wheat if you like; flavored tortillas would also be nice here)
- 1 butternut squash (or small pumpkin)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup black beans (either canned, in which case rinse them, or beans that have been soaked and then cooked until tender)
- 1-2 cups  shredded cheese (depends on how cheesy you like things). Cheddar, Jack, or a "mexican" mix will do well, but whichever you like.

To Serve: 
- Salsa of your choice
- Sour cream (I added finely chopped green onions into mine, to make it extra delicious)

Preparation: 

1. Heat oven to 425 F/200 C. Chop the squash into small cubes, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) in size. Toss the squash in the olive oil, salt and pepper, and place on a baking tin. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and beginning to brown. Set aside.

2. Heat a large frying pan or griddle. Place one tortilla on the pan and sprinkle with a generous amount of shredded cheese. When the cheese begins to melt, place 1/4 of the squash and 1/4 of the beans on one half of the tortilla. Now is also a good time to add some salsa, avocado or other additions.

3. Carefully fold the empty half of the tortilla over the full one. Ideally you want the sides to close, but because these are chubby little quesadillas, they probably won't close completely. That's ok, because the melted cheese should keep things stuck together. Toast the quesadilla on one side for about 30 seconds or until quite crisp and then carefully flip it over and toast for another 30 seconds or so, until it crisps on the other side.

4. Repeat this process for the other quesadillas.Slice each quesadilla in half, and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Pureed pea risotto

Pureeing the peas in this risotto makes it creamy and rich, rather than simply risotto rice studded with peas. It also gives it a gorgeous green color that is hard to beat.

It can easily be made vegan by removing the butter and Parmesan, but I admit I find the creaminess of the dairy to be a big flavor boost in this particular case.

Pureed Pea Risotto 

Ingredients (for 2 very generous portions or 3-4 smaller ones): 

- 150 grams (5 oz)  frozen peas, thawed

-  175 grams (about 6 ounces) uncooked risotto rice
-  about 500 ml (16 ounces) vegetable broth or water
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- a few handfuls of Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp of butter, cut into small pieces
- A handful of fresh mint or basil, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to season

 Preparation: 

1. Prepare the pea puree: in a food processor or using a stick blender, mash the peas into a coarse mash. Set aside.

2. Put the broth in a pot and bring to a low simmer.

3. Heat the olive oil in large, relatively shallow saucepan (you want the pan to be wider than it is tall). Add the diced onion and cook over medium-low heat until the onion begins to "sweat" and is softened, but doesn't brown.

4. Add the rice to the onion and stir well to coat with oil (you may need to add a little bit more oil for this). Cook, stirring for about the meeting. Add the wine to the pan and stir.

5. Ladle about 1 cup of the vegetable stock into the risotto and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed into the rice. Then add another ladle, and cook until the liquid is completely absorbed. Continue to do this until the stock is gone and the rice is just tender. If the rice isn't tender enough and you run out of stock, you can add a bit of water each time.

6. Spoon the pureed peas into the cooked rice and stir until the rice is uniformly green.  Remove the risotto from the heat and add the butter, Parmesan cheese and herbs. Mix and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Philly Cheese "Steak"

I became a vegetarian long before I ever saw Philadelphia, so I've never tasted one. I have seen them on TV plenty of times, though, and they always looked kind of tempting. Not so much the ones with fake cheese, but the ones that look like hearty sandwiches stacked with onions and peppers and cheese.
After the recent episode of "Top Chef" in which they attempted to make  a gourmet cheese steak, I decided to try and make a vegetarian version of the sandwich, using (once again) seitan for the "steak" part of it. I googled multiple recipes and finally mashed them all up together to come up with this version.

I make no claims for authenticity, but I found this delicious (though messy to eat!).

Normally I try to offer a gluten-free alternative to seitan, but in this case I admit that I'm not sure other veggie alternatives such as tofu or TVP chunks will do the job. If you do try this with them and it comes out well, please let me know. 

Philly Cheese "Steak" 

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches): 

- 2  soft long rolls ("Hoagie" rolls or other soft large ones). 

- 1 package (8 oz/225 grams) seitan, ideally the kind that is already in strips

- 1 large onion

- 1 bell pepper (red/yellow/orange) 

- 1 jalapeno pepper (optional) 

- 1 tsp of canola oil + 2 tsp butter for the onions

- 2 tsp olive oil for the peppers

- 2-3 tsp of olive or canola oils for the seitan

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder

- 2 slices of cheese: Swiss, American, Cheddar or your choice. 

- Ketchup (optional) 

Preparation: 

1. Prepare caramelized onions: slice the onion into thin strips. In a pan heat the olive oil with the butter until they are melted. Add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the onion is caramelized. This step takes some patience and care, because doing it over high heat will result in slightly charred onion as opposed to the soft sweetness of caramelized. You can go through the other steps while working on the onions.

2. Prepare the peppers: slice the bell pepper and jalapeno into thin strips. In another pan heat the olive oil and add the peppers, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the peppers are softer and have a bit of caramelization or browning at the edges.

3. Prepare the seitan: make sure that the seitan is cut into thin slices or strips. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute, until the garlic begins to turn golden. Add the seitan strips. Season well with salt, pepper and the other seasonings. Cook the seitan over medium-high heat, stirring not too frequently, to allow parts of the seitan to brown and turn a little crispy. 

4. Mix the seitan, onions and peppers together and cook for a few more minutes, tasting the seasoning to make sure you enjoy it. 

5. Slice the rolls most of the way through and open them up. Pile each roll high with half of the seitan and vegetable mix. Top the filling with a slice of cheese, and add ketchup if you like. Do your best to close the roll (it will be difficult, but that's half the fun), and make sure you have plenty of napkins when you eat this! 

Mejadra - rice and lentils

Mejadra is, as far as I'm concerned, the ultimate vegetarian food. The combination of rice and lentils offers a complete protein, and this dish is filling, delicious and quick to make. Whenever I feel like a hearty veggie meal and can't think what to make, a large bowl of mejadra and a bit of salad on the side do the job.

At its very simplest, all you need to do is cook lentils, cook rice, and mix them together with some seasoning and perhaps a bit of fried onion. This slightly (but only slightly!) more complicated version is based on the one in The Book of New Israeli Food.

When making the mejadra you see in the picture, I used Laurell Hill's "lentil medley", just because I wanted a little variation in my lentils. However, normally I use plain brown (green)lentils, and I've also made it in the past with black or puy lentils. I wouldn't make it with red lentils, though, because they tend to go mushy really fast.

Mejadra

Ingredients (for 6-8 portions): 

- 1 cup of  brown/green lentils (or other lentils you like, but not red)

- 2 cups of white rice (you can also make it with brown, but it will probably need more cooking)

- olive oil for frying

- 2 medium onions, chopped 

- 1 tbsp ground cumin 

- salt and pepper 

To garnish (optional): 

- 2-3 onions, cut into thin rings

- 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying 

- Sour cream or yogurt

Preparation: 

1. In a small pot put the lentils and plenty of water, and cook for about 30 minute, or until the lentils are softened, but still have a little bit of a bite to them.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the onion garnish: heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add the thinly sliced onion rings. Fry over medium heat until the onions are very brown and crispy, but don't let them burn. This may take some patience. When the onion is ready, set it aside.

3. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat a tbsp or two of olive oil, and add the chopped onions (from the main recipe, not the garnish). Fry until the onion is lightly golden. Add the lentils into the saucepan, season with cumin, salt and pepper, then add the rice and stir well.

4. Add 3 cups of boiling water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. This took about 10 minutes for me, but may take longer, so test it frequently. Turn off the heat. Fluff the rice with a fork or spoon, then cover the saucepan again and let sit, with the heat off, for another 5-10 minutes.

5. To serve, pile the mejadra on a plate, garnish with a large pile of the fried onion rings and if you want, top with a dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt or regular yogurt.