Dishes of Vegetables and More

Pro Drop Cookies

2010-04-27T15:49:00.003-05:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 oz white chocolate, chopped (chips also work fine)
7 oz dried apricots (1 1/2 cups), preferably California, chopped

Hands-on Time: About 45 minutes
Cook Time: 14-16 minutes per batch

These cookies were originally called "Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots and White Chocolate," but when I made some for a linguistics student fundraiser, I chose the syntactic pun "Pro Drop Cookies." If you don't get the joke, don't worry about it; the name is shorter, and it's the name by which all my friends ask for the recipe now, so just think of these as professional quality drop cookies. I haven't actually tasted them myself, because they sold out at our bake sale, but one customer bought three and then came back an hour later looking for more, so I take that as a good sign.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream the butter and sugars with a mixer until they are light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs and beat until the mixture is well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture gradually, beating until the ingredients are just combined. Stir in the chocolate and apricots. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2" apart. Bake each batch until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the centre, about 14 to 16 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. The cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week. The recipe makes about 36 cookies.

Baked Ravioli

2010-02-09T14:51:00.004-06:00

1 large (16-18 oz.) package refrigerated/frozen cheese ravioli
1/4 cup pesto
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Hands-on Time: About 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

I normally prepare ravioli in olive oil with some sort of vegetables, so this is a slightly different variation. It's good when you want comfort food for an especially cold day.

Prepare the ravioli according to the package directions and drain them. In a 2-qt. baking dish, mix the pesto and heavy cream. (Make sure you check the pesto ingredients before buying to see that it is vegetarian; the first jar I picked up was made with rennet). Add the ravioli to the baking dish and stir the sauce over the ravioli until all of it is coated. Cover the ravioli evenly with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Broccoli and Swiss Cheese Quiche

2010-02-02T14:07:00.005-06:00

1 refrigerated pie crust
3 eggs
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese
8 oz evaporated skim milk
1 onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tomato
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Hands-on Time: About 50 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes

This quiche has a lot more subtle flavour than the Cheddar-based varieties I am so familiar with, which really plays up the vegetable flavours.

Prepare the refrigerated pie crust according to package directions. My crust required 10-15 minutes of warming to room temperature, so be sure to take that into account if preparation time is an issue.

Whisk together the eggs. Add 1 cup of cooked broccoli (the frozen variety works fine for this); measuring really does count, because if you go overboard your quiche may not fit in the pie plate. Add the Swiss cheese, evaporated milk, onion, salt, and pepper and stir all the ingredients together. If you do not have evaporated skim milk on hand, you can also mix up an equivalent amount of nonfat dry milk with water (follow the package guidelines for exact amounts). It was also brought to my attention that you can buy chopped frozen onions, which I microwaved and used in this recipe in lieu of taking all the time to cut a fresh one. I couldn't tell any difference.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Wash and slice a tomato and layer the slices over the top of the quiche. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Gnocchi with Sage and Cauliflower

2010-01-19T14:20:00.003-06:00

1 box gnocchi
1 bag frozen cauliflower
2-3 tbsp butter
Sage (fresh or dried)

Hands-on Time: About 30 minutes

Gnocchi are dumplings made out of potato flour, and they provide a nice change of pace from traditional pasta. You can find them boxed in your store's pasta aisle.

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. At the same time, cook the cauliflower according to package directions. If you are using fresh sage, you can wash and chop some while these ingredients are cooking, though dried sage works just as well.

Drain the cooked gnocchi and add them to a large serving bowl. Melt the butter in a cup in the microwave and toss the gnocchi in the melted butter. If you want to be more health-conscious or turn this into a vegan recipe, substitute olive oil for the butter. Drain the cauliflower and toss them with the gnocchi. Add sage and toss again.

Pepper Stromzoni

2010-01-12T11:42:00.005-06:00

3 medium red, yellow, and/or green peppers
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup ricotta cheese or cream cheese
2 tbsp snipped fresh basil (optional)
1 10-oz package refrigerated pizza dough and 1 egg OR 2-3 packages Crescent rolls

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour
Cook Time: About 15 minutes

I first saw this recipe in a grocery store advertisement using pizza dough to make one long "stromzoni" shaped like a snake, with olives for the eyes and a red pepper tongue. However, I could never find refrigerated pizza dough at my store, so I adapted this into a less decorative recipe by using Crescent roll dough. I've also cooked it for some people who don't like ricotta cheese and have tried it with cream cheese instead, which works pretty well, so there are a lot of ways to adapt this recipe to whatever works best for you, and you can go so far as to try different ingredients in addition to or in place of the peppers (black olives are also great).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you are using the pizza dough, line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, grease the foil or paper, and set the sheet aside. If you are using the Crescent rolls, you can cook on a regular baking sheet as you would normal Crescent rolls.

Wash and dice the peppers and mince the garlic. Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. This will give the peppers a more smoky, roasted flavour; if you don't like that flavour or are pressed for time, I've also tried it without roasting the vegetables, in which case you can skip the butter and just mix all the ingredients together later on. If you are roasting, stir in the crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper with the vegetables and set them aside to cool.

In a medium bowl stir together the mozzarella, ricotta or cream cheese, and basil or mozzarella if you are using it. Stir the vegetables (and seasonings if you have not roasted) into the cheese mixture until well combined and set aside. The stirring may seem time consuming and necessitates getting one more bowl dirty, but it really is necessary; I've tried the recipe just laying the ingredients one by one over the crust, and it really doesn't turn out well, especially if you're using cream cheese.

If you are using the pizza dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 10" x 16" rectangle. Cut this into two 8" x 10" rectangles. Spoon half of the pepper mixture along half of each rectangle. Fold over and tuck the ends under. Place each stromzoni on the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut 4 diagonal slits in the top of each loaf. Beat the egg and brush it over the loaves. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. This will make 4 servings.

If you are using the Crescent rolls, unfold the dough from the package and take up a rectangular section of 2 triangles at a time, separating this from the rest of the dough but not separating the 2 triangles from each other. Each package contains 8 triangles or 4 rectangles, and you will use 2 rectangles to make each stromzoni. You can get by with only 2 packages, but this results in very fully stuffed pockets, so you might prefer using at least part of a 3rd package; you can always cook the leftover dough as regular Crescent rolls if you don't use it all for this recipe. Lay down a rectangle on the baking sheet and press the dough between the two triangles together. Layer some of the pepper mixture on top, leaving some room around the sides. Layer another dough rectangle over the top of this and lift up the dough from the bottom to pinch together with the top until you have a sealed pocket all the way around. Press the top triangles more closely together as well, although you do not have to completely close the seam. Each package of Crescent rolls usually contains 2 rectangular sections that are longer and 2 that are shorter, so be sure to match up long with long and short with short or you will have a hard time sealing the pockets. Bake according to the package directions for the Crescent rolls. 2 packages will make 4 servings.

Apple-Walnut Ravioli

2009-12-22T14:25:00.006-06:00

1 9-oz package refrigerated/frozen cheese ravioli
2 tsp olive oil
1 apple (choose a sweet variety such as Fuji, Gala, or Honey Crisp)
Lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Hands-on Time: About 30 minutes

This is a nice late autumn or early winter recipe that builds on the pairing of apple and cheese. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, wash and core the apple and cut it into large segments. Sprinkle each segment with lemon juice so that it will not turn brown. Cut each segment into long, thin slices. If you wish to chop the walnuts into smaller pieces as well, you may.

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain the ravioli and toss it with olive oil. Add the apple slices, walnuts, and Parmesan and toss again.

Pecan Swirls

2009-12-15T15:34:00.004-06:00

2 cups butter, softened
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1 1/3 cups sugar

Hands-on Time: About 4 hours
Refrigeration Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 12-14 minutes per batch

This recipe is in memory of my Great Aunt Wanda, who actually got it published in a magazine. The credit for making the cookies in the picture goes once again to my mom. These cookies are definitely a bit of an ordeal to make, but they are quite good.

Start by chopping the pecans as finely as possible (this is what will take a big chunk of the hands-on time). In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt, then gradually add this to the creamed mixture and mix well. Divide the dough into three portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the dough is easy to handle.

When the dough is ready, roll each portion into a 9" x 16" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Combine the pecans and sugar and sprinkle them over the dough to within 1/2" of the edges. Roll up each rectangle tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 more hours. (I don't know what the success rate would be for freezing a portion of the dough at this stage if you don't want to bake it all at once, but I imagine it would work okay).

After refrigerating the rolls, unwrap them and cut them into 3/8" slices. Place the slices 2" apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake each batch at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on wire racks. The recipe makes approximately seven dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

2009-12-01T11:42:00.003-06:00

Pumpkin-flavoured ice cream
1 packet instant hot chocolate mix
Water or milk

Hands-on Time: About 2 minutes
Cook Time: 2-3 minutes

I love pumpkin, and it's always a treat to find pumpkin-flavoured ice cream this time of year. Since I don't normally like coffee, but like pumpkin-flavoured lattes, I thought pumpkin hot chocolate might be even better. You may have to seek out the ice cream in an ice cream parlour if you can't find it at the grocery store, but if you can get a hold of it, it's a delicious treat by itself, on top of warm pie, or in this drink.

Fill a tall mug about halfway full with ice cream, or full a regular-sized mug most of the way full. Add water or milk until the mug is almost full and microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Add the instant hot chocolate and stir.

Bean Salad

2009-11-24T10:59:00.008-06:00

1 can cut green beans
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can small lima beans (optional)
1 small bag bean sprouts (optional)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 - 1 cup oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (optional)

Hands-on Time: 10 minutes - 1 hour
Refrigeration Time: 8 hours

This is another Thanksgiving favourite in my family that works well all year round. If you're looking for a quick, no-fuss dish to add to any meal, the simple three-bean version takes virtually no time or effort. If you want to dress the salad up for a fancier occasion, add some of the optional ingredients to your taste; it will take a bit more time to chop vegetables if you want to add them, but they add some nice variation and allow you to mix up the way this salad tastes if you want to make it a regular staple dish. If you want to use the onion or green pepper, there's no need to dice; simple long slices will work just fine. Use more oil if you are adding more ingredients; the amount of sugar can vary according to your taste.

Drain the kidney beans and rinse them. Drain half of the liquid off the other canned beans. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Corn Pudding

2009-11-17T11:42:00.005-06:00

8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
8-oz package cornbread/muffin mix
16-oz can cream-style corn
2 1/3 cups frozen sweet corn
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 hours

This has been a Thanksgiving favourite in my family since we first discovered the recipe about 10 years ago. The preparation is easy, and cooking in a Crock-Pot enables you to set this dish aside and forget about it, which is nice if you have several things going at once for a holiday meal. You can substitute soymilk and vegan butter; I have not tried using vegan cream cheese, but I have found that low-fat cream cheese does not blend as well as the regular variety, so you might want to consider this a seasonal indulgence like I do rather than a year-round meal if you are concerned about calories.

In a mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar until the cream cheese looks more like a lump of cookie dough than a bunch of chunks off a block. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Lightly grease a Crock-Pot and transfer the ingredients. Cover and cook on the high setting for 3-4 hours.

Autumn Snack Mix

2009-11-03T17:12:00.005-06:00

Miniature pretzels
Unsalted peanuts
Craisins
Candy corn

Hands-on Time: About 5 minutes

It's hard not to indulge in candy temptations this time of year, especially the seasonal ones that seem impossible to resist for another whole year's time, like candy corn. Yet I personally find that a little candy corn goes a long way, and to help stretch it even further so that I'm not tempted to eat too much at once, I made this snack mix. By mixing protein and carbohydrates, you can feel more full after eating less, and I find that only a few pinches of this are enough to make me satisfied. It's also a great treat if you've bought too much candy corn for Halloween festivities and want to use up your leftovers in November.

You can mix the ingredients in any proportion you like, but I try to use a little less candy corn that anything else, and I also find that you have to put in more pretzels than you think you need to if you want to make sure to have a pretzel in every bite. You can also leave out the pretzels and substitute salted peanuts--the salted peanut and candy corn combination by itself tastes like PayDay candy bars--but pretzels are usually less heavily salted than salted peanuts are, so I used salted pretzels and unsalted peanuts to try to limit the sodium. A suggested ratio to try might be roughly two parts peanuts and Craisins and three or four parts pretzels to one part candy corn.

Be sure to store the mix in an airtight container if it will not all be eaten right away. Even after about a week of storage, I noticed my pretzels were getting a little stale, which might be because of moisture in the Craisins, so you might also want to leave the pretzels out until you're ready to eat if you want to store the mix over a long period of time.

Ghosts in the Graveyard

2009-10-27T13:56:00.006-05:00

2 3.9-oz packages instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk or soymilk
1 12-oz package whipped topping
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 15 cookies)
3 or 4 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies
Milk chocolate chips

Optional:
Icing
Toothpicks
Red food colouring
Candy pumpkins

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour
Refrigeration Time: About 1 hour

I can't take credit for this beautiful picture; my mom made this dessert. But it looks so nice, I had to share it with everyone else.

Pour the milk into a large bowl and whisk the pudding mix into the milk until it is smooth. Fold half of the whipped topping into the pudding. You can buy crushed chocolate cookies in some stores now, but if you can't find them, put whole cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a hammer, meat cleaver, or rolling pin. Pour half of the crushed cookies into the pudding mix and stir. Pour the pudding into a 9" x 13" pan. Carefully spread the remaining crushed cookies over the top of the pudding, trying to cover as much of the pudding as possible. Put the pudding in the refrigerator for one hour.

After the pudding has chilled, cut three Milano cookies in half. If you are talented with piping icing, you may want to pipe words onto the cookies to make them look more like tombstones. Stand the cookies, cut side down, in the pudding at random intervals. Spoon the rest of the whipped topping on top of the pudding in dollops. Try using a larger dollop with a smaller dollop on top to get the tapered look of a ghost. Carefully insert chocolate chips, pointed side first, into the tops of the dollops to look like eyes. You may want to use a toothpick as a guide rather than your fingertips. If you like, you can also dip the ends of toothpicks in red food colouring to stick through the tops of the dollops as spears. You could also decorate the surface of the pudding with candy pumpkins if you like.

Mediterranean Bread Salad

2009-08-04T11:12:00.005-05:00

1 cup romaine lettuce
1/2 cucumber
1 tomato
2 green onions
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup hummus
1 whole wheat pita

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes

This is a nice dish to take in a lunch if you want to get all your proteins, vegetables, and grains in one bowl. This amount will make two salads large enough for a meal, or more if you want to serve this as a side dish.

Wash and shred the lettuce and arrange it in a large serving bowl. Wash, peel, and chop the cucumber into a regular-sized bowl. (If you want to serve this dish over more than one meal, you might select a lidded container so that you can keep the dressed vegetables separate from the lettuce until you are ready to eat it). Wash and chop the tomato, green onions, parsley, mint, and garlic and mix them with the cucumber. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and cumin over the cucumber mixture and stir. This mixture can be set aside until you are ready to serve the salad.

Tear a pita in half and toast each half in the toaster on a medium setting. When the toasted pita is cool, tear it into bite-size pieces. If you are going to serve the entire salad at once, you can mix all the pita into the lettuce. If not, set some of it aside in an airtight container.

To serve the salad, spoon the cucumber mixture over the lettuce and pita bread, and then spoon hummus onto the salad. You may want to serve this dish with extra pita bread. Alternatively, you could leave the toasted pita out of the salad and stuff the ingredients inside of a pita for a sandwich.

Tomato-Corn Relish

2009-07-14T16:19:00.006-05:00

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 green pepper
1/8 red onion
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove

Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

This relish has a slightly sweet, slightly tangy taste but provides an alternative to the traditional pickle relish. You can use it as a topping for veggie burgers and hot dogs.

Dice the green pepper and red onion and mince the garlic. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat on medium-high until boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes, or longer if you would like for more of the juice to reduce.

Green Chile Quesadillas

2009-07-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

2 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup refried beans
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp diced green chiles
Salsa

Hands-on Time: About 2 minutes
Cooking Time: About 8 minutes

Spread refried beans on half of each tortilla, and then top the beans with mozzarella cheese and green chiles. Be careful not to spread the ingredients too close to the edge or middle of the tortilla so that it will be easy to fold in half and so that not too much mess will ooze out the sides; if you can keep the ingredients inside the tortilla, cleanup for this dish is a snap.

Lay one tortilla, unfolded, on a skillet heated to medium heat. Cook for about two minutes, then use a spatula to lift the empty half of the tortilla and fold it over the ingredients. Press down gently so that the tortilla will stick in the melting cheese, and then flip the quesadilla. Cook the other side for about two minutes. Repeat with the other tortilla. Cut each folded tortilla in thirds or quarters and top each segment with your favourite salsa.

Four Berry Salad

2009-04-21T13:58:00.004-05:00

1 lb strawberries, washed and halved
1 pint blueberries, washed
1 pint raspberries, washed
1 pint blackberries, washed
2 tbsp mint leaves, washed and torn from stems
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes

You can do a test-run by popping a strawberry and mint leaf in your mouth to see if you actually like the taste combination before committing to the mint, which can easily be left out. I found that this actually tasted a little better after refrigerating for 24 hours, and that the mint seems less strong that way.

Simply wash, cut, and mix the berries and mint leaves in a medium-sized bowl. Mix the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar in a separate bowl and drizzle it over the salad. Stir well and serve or refrigerate covered to let the flavours mingle.

Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili

2009-03-03T10:12:00.006-06:00

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1" chunks
1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt
Pepper
1 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes in juice
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Cooking Time: About 35 minutes

I found some pre-cut bagged squash in the refrigerated area of my grocery store's produce section. If you can find it, it saves you some preparation time.

In a Dutch oven or 5-quart saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the squash, bell pepper, and chili powder; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with a spoon; add the chickpeas, black beans, and another 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until lightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Italian Flag Pizza

2009-02-03T10:44:00.004-06:00

1 pre-packaged whole-wheat pizza crust
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup light ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes, any size
1/2 can artichoke hearts (in water, drained)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Cooking Time: About 10-15 minutes

Obviously you can make homemade pizza any way that you like, but this combination of ingredients reminded me of the colours of an Italian flag. Plum or cherry tomatoes are probably the best size to use; I used grape tomatoes because they were available, but you could also use regular tomatoes if you like. Smaller tomatoes are probably less likely to slide off the pizza because you can get them in one bite.

Brush the crust with olive oil. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the top, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of that. Layer the tomatoes and artichoke hearts evenly over the pizza and sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Bake according to the package directions for the pizza crust. After baking, let the pizza cool slightly and layer the fresh basil over the top.

Sweet Potato with Kale and Ricotta

2009-01-20T12:46:00.003-06:00

1 medium sweet potato
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small bunch kale
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup light ricotta cheese
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Cooking Time: About 1 hour

This combination of ingredients may sound daunting, but don't be hesitant. The taste is so elegant, this recipe is going to the top of my list of things to serve when I have dinner guests. You won't use all the ricotta cheese or all of the kale that comes in pre-packaged bunches from the store for just one potato, so you can easily multiply this recipe to serve more people.

Wash the sweet potato and prick it all around with a fork. Rub 1 tbsp of olive oil on the potato and wrap it in tin foil. Bake it at 450 degrees for about 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before the potato is done, begin preparing the kale. Wash the leaves and tear the green parts away from the stems. You do not have to bother drying the leaves. Wash as many leaves as needed to loosely fill a medium-sized skillet. Sauté the leaves in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat for about five minutes or until they have wilted down to about 1 cup in volume. Sprinkle the leaves with balsamic vinegar and toss. Cut open the potato and top with salt and pepper, ricotta, the cooked kale, and the crushed red pepper.

Cranberry-Vanilla Oatmeal

2008-12-02T14:06:00.004-06:00

1/2 cup plain rolled oats
1 cup vanilla soymilk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 handful Craisins

Hands-on Time: About 2 minutes
Cooking Time: About 3 minutes

This is a great recipe to warm you up in winter weather. If you normally have an aversion to eating bland, plain oatmeal, the touch of vanilla and sweetness of the Craisins will help cure it.

Measure the oats and soymilk into a bowl and microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Watch to make sure the oatmeal does not boil over. Sprinkle cinnamon over the oatmeal and stir; if it is still runny, heat it again for 30 seconds at a time until it is the consistency you like. Sprinkle the Craisins over the top and stir them in.

Harvest Black Bean Quesadillas

2008-11-25T14:11:00.006-06:00

4 tortillas
1 can black beans
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1 sweet potato
1 red bell pepper
4 oz Craisins
8 oz shredded Cheddar cheese

Hands-on Time: About 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

The bulk of the hands-on time for this recipe comes from dicing the sweet potato, so you could try using mashed canned sweet potatoes if you're really in a time crunch, as well as taking a few other shortcuts.

Wash and dice the sweet potato and place in a saucepan. Fill with water until the sweet potato is almost, but not quite, completely covered. Heat on medium heat until the sweet potato is soft, about 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and cut the green onions and mince the garlic. Sauté these in olive oil for 2-3 minutes to soften them. (You can skip this step if you want to save time and don't mind crunchy onions).

Rinse the beans and partially mash them, then stir in the green onion and garlic. Spread the mixture over half of each of the tortillas. Layer on the sweet potato. Wash and dice the red pepper and add this to the tortillas, as well as the Craisins. Top each with about 2 ounces of Cheddar. You can broil these in the oven if you like, or to save time, pop each in the microwave for about a minute and a half. The beans and cooked sweet potato keep well in the refrigerator if covered, so if you are cooking for just one or two, you can put in all the effort chopping your ingredients on day one, and then treat yourself to a meal that's quick to assemble on subsequent days.

Pot Sticker Salad

2008-08-19T18:11:00.008-05:00

1 lb frozen vegetable pot stickers
3/4 lb sugar snap peas or edamame
2 carrots
1/4 lb bean sprouts
2 scallions
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil

Hands-on Time: About 35 minutes

This salad uses pre-packaged frozen pot stickers. If you can't find vegetarian pot stickers at your regular grocery store, try looking at a health food store or Asian grocery.

Fill a large saucepan 1/2" full of water and bring it to a boil. Place a steamer basket in the saucepan and add the pot stickers. Cover and steam for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, fill another saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Cook the peas or edamame until they are tender.

While the pot stickers are steaming, wash and cut the carrots. After the 4 minutes are up, add the carrots to the saucepan with the pot stickers, cover them again, and let them steam for another 4-6 minutes. (The peas will probably need to continue being boiled during this time as well).

Wash the bean sprouts and add them to a large bowl. When the pot stickers and carrots are done steaming, add them to the bean sprouts. When the peas are cooked, drain them and add them to the other ingredients. Wash and thinly slice two scallions and add them to the mix. Add the peanuts.

Some packaged pot stickers come with their own sauce mix, so if yours does, you can use this as the sauce. If not, you can make a sauce by mixing soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour this over the other ingredients and stir well.

Ravioli with Sautéed Zucchini

2008-08-12T18:12:00.005-05:00

1 9-oz package refrigerated/frozen cheese ravioli
2 medium-size zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Hands-on Time: About 35 minutes

This recipe is adaptable in size depending on how much packaged ravioli you buy. A 9-oz package will make 2 servings, but you can buy a larger package and add extra zucchini to make more.

Prepare the ravioli according to the package directions. Wash the zucchini and slice them like cucumbers, and then cut each slice in half. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the olive oil and add the zucchini, salt, and pepper. Cook the zucchini for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Transfer the prepared and drained ravioli to a serving bowl and add the zucchini and half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Catherine the Great

2008-08-05T09:34:00.003-05:00

2-3 small scoops raspberry sherbet
1/2 glass Tropicana Pure Raspberry Açaí juice
1/2 glass lemon-lime soda

Hands-on Time: About 5-10 minutes

I was at a party several days ago when one of my friends decided to mix raspberry vodka and Sprite. I know nothing about alcholic drinks, but she claimed this particular cocktail didn't have a name and asked me to suggest one. She offered the name of another drink, which had a Russian name, as an example. By analogy with the Russian example, I suggested "Catherine the Great." She liked it and within an hour my friends were calling their new drink a "Cathy."

Several days later, I watched another friend mix raspberry sherbet and Sierra Mist to make a float and decided that this flavour combination must be popular since so many people were trying it, so I decided to make my own float. I thought it would be fitting that the float should have a name too, on a par with the Black Cow, so I suggest calling this float a "Catherine the Great" and its alcoholic variant a "Chatty Cathy."

To make the float, scoop two or three small scoops of raspberry sherbet into a tall glass. Let the sherbet melt a little. Add about half a glass of Raspberry Açaí juice (this will darken the colour and intensify the raspberry flavour). Fill the remainder of the glass slowly with the lemon-lime soda. This will quickly create a thick foam, so watch that you don't overfill the glass. When the foam begins to settle, stir until the sherbet has completely melted. You could adapt this recipe to make a punch by pouring the full bottles of juice and soda over a carton of sherbet in a punch bowl.

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

2008-07-29T16:50:00.008-05:00

1 can black-eyed peas
1 4-oz can mild green chiles
1/2 bunch green onions
1 tomato
1 tbsp lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
Tabasco
Tortilla chips

Hands-on Time: About 15-20 minutes

The black-eyed peas give this salsa protein and make it more filling than traditional tomato-based salsas, so you'll eat fewer empty calories in the form of tortilla chips. You can also use this as a filling for a "fresco-style" burrito.

Drain the black-eyed peas well and pour them into a small serving bowl. Add the chiles. Wash the green onions and slice about half the bunch into small pieces. Add the onions to the mixture. Wash and slice one tomato and discard the seeds. Dice the tomato and add it to the mixture. Add the lime juice, salt, and Tabasco to taste and stir well. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Lemony Sugar Snap Pea Stir-Fry

2008-07-22T17:09:00.003-05:00

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon, cut in thin slices
2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1 leek or 1/4 onion
1 tbsp snipped fresh dill (optional)
Salt
Ground black pepper

Hands-on Time: About 30 minutes

This recipe gives peas a smoky Italian flavour and would pair well with spaghetti or veggie burgers.

To begin, wash the peas and set them aside. Wash a lemon and cut thin slices from it, discarding any seeds. Wash the leek or onion and cut it into small pieces.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon slices carefully and cook them for 4 minutes, turning them once halfway through. Adding the lemons will cause the oil to pop quite a bit, so be careful and use tongs or a longer fork or spatula to turn them if you can. After 4 minutes, remove the lemons and set them aside.

Add the pea pods and leek or onion to the skillet and stir-fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pea pods are crisp-tender. Turn off the heat. If you are using dill, pinch off a handful from the stems, rinse it under water, and then shred it coarsely over the peas. Return the reserved lemon slices to the mix and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mojiteade

2008-07-15T18:40:00.005-05:00

6 1/2 cups water
2 mint-flavoured teabags
1 can frozen limeade
1 lime
Fresh mint leaves

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Refrigeration Time: About 1 hour or more

I created this recipe to provide an interesting twist on limeade, which I find can sometimes taste too sour by itself as prepared from frozen concentrates. The idea was to take the concept of a Mojito and create a non-alcoholic variant, and it is very easy to make.

Boil the water. With this quantity of water, I find it easier to use Mason jars in the microwave rather than a kettle on the stove, especially as most Mason jars are labelled with measurements on the side so you can see how much water you are adding. Two 3-1/2-cup-capacity Mason jars can be used and heated at the same time, for about 10-15 minutes on high power. When the water has boiled, add 1 teabag to each jar and let steep for about 10 minutes.

Remove the water and empty the tea into a pitcher or punch bowl. Add the frozen limeade and stir. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour to let it chill. Serve over ice garnished with slices of lime and fresh mint leaves.

Apple-Pear Chutney Sandwich

2008-07-08T16:31:00.005-05:00

For chutney:
1 apple
1 pear
1/2 small sweet onion
2 tbsp raisins
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

For sandwich:
2 slices bread

Hands-on Time: About 45 minutes
Cook Time: About 45 minutes

This recipe is good if you need to take sandwiches for lunch but can not refrigerate them between packing and eating them, as chutney keeps well in the refrigerator but tastes just as good at room temperature. The chutney could also be served hot as a topping for potatoes, rice, or vegetables.

If you are planning to use the chutney for sandwiches, you will need to make it the night before you intend to use it. You should also be warned that the onions can smell very potent as they're cooked, so you may need to open a window!

To make the chutney, wash, core, and slice the apple and pear, and chop the slices into smaller bits. You do not need to get them too small, and you can use them peel and all, so this is a great time-saver. Cut the onion into small, minced-size pieces.

Layer all the chutney ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and heat it on medium heat, stirring it as it heats, until the apple and pear have begun to soften and the liquid appears to be boiling. This may take anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five minutes.

Lower the heat to medium-low and let the chutney cook for another twenty or twenty-five minutes, stirring it occasionally. Let it cool and transfer it to a covered container for storage in the refrigerator if you are not using it right away. For sandwiches, let it refrigerate overnight.

To make the sandwich, toast two slices of bread and spread one slice with chutney. If you make this in the morning, it will still be slightly cool and refreshing by lunch-time.

Fireworks Salad

2008-07-01T17:38:00.006-05:00

1 12-oz package whole wheat rotini
1 12-oz bottle poppy seed salad dressing
1 can whole kernel sweet corn
3 small bunches broccoli
10 baby carrots or 1-2 large carrots
1 tomato

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes

People always seem to show the most concern over my vegetarianism around holidays because they are used to cooking certain traditional dishes and aren't sure what to replace them with. Summer cookouts are fairly easy to do as a vegetarian by substituting veggie burgers and hot dogs for their meat counterparts, using vegetarian baked beans, and enjoying staple side dishes such as potato salad, cole slaw, and fruit salad. However, a good way to enjoy holidays when you are experiencing them as a vegetarian for the first time is to try to be creative and come up with your own new traditions to make the day feel special. With that in mind, I came up with this pasta salad for Independence Day. It uses ingredients that are in season in July and that are meant to evoke the colours and shapes of fireworks.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. I chose whole wheat pasta for health and rotini for its interesting shape, although bow-tie pasta would also make a good substitute. You might also prefer using spinach-based pastas or multicolour mixes for a more colourful appearance.

Drain the cooked pasta with a colander and pour it into a large serving bowl. Pour one bottle of salad dressing over the pasta and stir to coat. You can use a different type of salad dressing if you prefer, though depending on the colour and consistency of the dressing, it may cover up the colours of the other ingredients. Put the bowl of pasta into the refrigerator to chill as you prepare the other ingredients. You can add one ingredient at a time to the pasta and return the bowl to the refrigerator, and that way the salad should be chilled enough to eat by the time you are finished preparing all the vegetables.

Drain one can of corn and pour it into the colander. Rinse to remove excess salt from the packing liquid. Add the corn to the pasta salad, stir, and return to the refrigerator.

Wash the broccoli and cut the florets off the stalk, separating them into bite-size pieces. Add the broccoli to the pasta salad, stir, and return to the refrigerator.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel thin slices of carrot. Baby carrots are nice because the resulting shreds will be shorter and easier to mix in, but if you have trouble peeling them, you can use larger carrots instead and cut the shreds in halves or thirds. If you use baby carrots, you can make them easier to peel by poking a toothpick into one end to use as a handle to keep your fingers away from the peeler. Just balance the other end of the carrot against the cutting board and peel from top to bottom. Rotate the carrot an eighth to a quarter turn after each slice to get the most slices out of each carrot. Add the carrot shreds to the pasta salad, stir, and return to the refrigerator.

Finally, cut one tomato and discard the seeds. Cube the tomato and add the cubes to the pasta salad and stir. To make your salad look its best, you may want to rearrange some of the broccoli on top by hand so that the stems are poking down into the salad. Serve chilled and keep any unused portion covered in the refrigerator.

Pouding Chômeur

2008-06-24T16:26:00.005-05:00

For pudding:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups milk

For sauce:
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cream
1/3 cup butter

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour
Baking Time: About 35-45 minutes

This is a traditional Québécois recipe. I made it for la Fête de la Saint-Jean, which is celebrated 24 June. Traditionally the holiday was a pagan commemoration of the summer solstice, but it was appropriated by the Roman Catholic church as a celebration of the life of John the Baptist, and later evolved into a cultural celebration in Québec similar to the American Fourth of July. However, the dish is not specific to the holiday and would work equally well on a cold winter's night.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the 1/2 cup softened butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until the mix is light. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix these in as well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Measure the milk into a liquid measuring cup so that you can add a little at a time to the first mixture. I used vanilla-flavoured soymilk instead of regular milk in this recipe and it worked quite well, so this is a good alternative if you are trying to offset the unhealthiness of all the butter, sugar, and cream in the recipe.

Add about a third of the flour mix to the original batter and mix it in. Then add about a third of the milk and mix it in. Repeat this process until all the flour mixture and milk have been mixed into the batter.

Grease a 9" x 13" pan and pour the batter into the pan. Set the pan aside and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven is heating, prepare the sauce. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, and butter to a saucepan and set it on medium heat. Stir constantly while waiting for the sauce to come to a boil. Then lower the heat and continue to stir the sauce for about 2 minutes, or until it has reduced a little bit. The final consistency of the sauce will still be fairly thin.

When the sauce is ready, pour it gently over the batter. It may appear to sink in places, which is perfectly all right. Bake the pudding for 35 minutes and then check whether it is done. When the pudding is finished, it should be light brown, and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. If necessary, add five or ten minutes to the baking time. I had to bake mine for 45 minutes.

This pudding can be served warm or cold. Keep it covered once it has initially cooled if you are not going to serve it right away.

Asparagus Potatoes

2008-06-17T18:27:00.003-05:00

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
2 tsp olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 tbsp margarine or unsalted butter
2 oz Boursin cheese

Hands-on Time: About 20 minutes
Baking Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes

This recipe can easily be modified to serve more or fewer people. The amounts are approximate, so if you want to make just one potato at a time (as I do), go ahead.

The first step in preparing this dish is making sure you handle the asparagus properly when you get them home from the store. They should be stored upright with the bottoms of their stalks submerged in about a half inch of water. Mason jars work well for this.

To bake the potatoes, wash them first (there are many good nutrients in the skin, so you'll want to be sure to eat it!), and then make several cuts in the potato with a knife to let steam out. Wrap each potato in foil. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. You may need to adjust this time; when the potatoes are ready, they should give a little when squeezed.

During the last fifteen minutes or so of baking, begin to prepare the asparagus. Wash them first, then hold the stalk about an inch above the bottom and bend; they should break naturally. Then peel the stalks from about halfway up to the bottom with a vegetable peeler. Finally, cut them into one inch pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook for five minutes. Season them with 1/8 tsp each of the salt and pepper and remove from heat.

When the potatoes are ready, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and cut them open. Dot them with margarine and season them with the remaining salt and pepper, then top each potato with asparagus. Divide the cheese evenly among the potatoes. The Boursin that I used said it should be left out of the refrigerator for an hour before serving, but for this recipe you can use the cheese straight from the fridge. If you can not find Boursin, any cheese-herb mix will do; you can make your own with cream cheese and chives, for example. Bake the potatoes for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.