FRIDAY LOCAL LUNCH RECIPES
November 21, 2008
PUMPKIN-SAGE LASAGNA
One 3-pound pumpkin (or winter squash)
salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
3 cups whole milk
1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves only, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
12 sheets lasagna (or 2 pounds fresh lasagna - see recipe below)
1 cup grated mozzarella
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Cut pumpkin (or squash) in half and scrape out seeds. Lay cut side down on baking sheet. Roast until completely soft. Turn cut-side up and let stand until cool. Remove from skin and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth, then cook until bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, whisking until thickened to sauce consistency. Stir in sage, garlic and Parmigiano. Season with salt and plenty of pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Lightly coat bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with a spoonful of sauce. Arrange pasta over bottom of pan. Spread layer of pumpkin evenly over pasta, then a layer of sauce followed by a layer of mozzarella. Repeat layering until ingredients are gone and finish with top layer of mozzarella. Garnish with fresh sage.
5. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until pasta is tender and sauce is bubbly, 15-20 minutes longer. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.
FRESH PASTA RECIPE
(Makes 1 pound. Double recipe to 2 pounds for lasagna.)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lukewarm water or milk
1. Add salt to flour and whisk to distribute evenly.
2. Form well in center of bowl and break eggs into well.
3. Add oil and water and whisk liquids and eggs until mixed.
4. Begin to work in flour, stirring until mixed.
5. Dust working surface with flour and move dough from bowl to working surface.
6. Knead dough for 7-10 minutes.
7. Let dough rest for 15 minutes in bowl covered with a tea towel.
8. If using pasta machine, feed dough through pasta machine to desired thickness.
9. If not using pasta machine, roll dough with rolling pin to desired thickness and cut into lasagna shape.
SEITAN TURKEY ROLLS (4 - 40 servings)
Gluten - 5 cups (or 4 cups and 1 cup chickpea flour)
Nutritional Yeast - 1 cup
Vegetarian Chicken Base (concentrated) - ½ cup (note, this is quite salty so I don't add salt but if you have a chicken flavored powder that is not so salty you should add a teaspoon of salt)
Onion Powder - Ό cup
Thyme - Ό cup or Sage - 3 Tbs
Pepper - ½ teaspoon
Water - 2 3/4 cups
Tahini - ½ cup
Sherry - ½ cup
Ketchup - ½ cup
Sesame Oil - 2 Tbs
Liquid Smoke - 2 teaspoons
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly and set aside. Put the water in a bowl and add the Tahini, whisking to blend. Add other wet ingredients, mix well and add to dry. Preheat oven to 325 f.
Stir the dough together, lay it out on the counter, divide into four equal parts and roll each piece to about a foot long by 2" in diameter. Place each roll on a piece of foil and wrap it up. Bake rolls 45 minutes, then turn over and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven, unwrap and cool on racks. Refrigerate over night before slicing. Makes great lunch 'meat' and can also be roasted on a bed of vegetables with spices for dinner.
VEGAN
STUFFING (serves
6-8)
1 T (or more) olive oil
1 bunch scallions, finely sliced
1 T minced garlic
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
3 cups fresh bread cubes
½ T poultry seasoning
½ T dried sage
½ cup chopped onions
1-2 cups Thanksgiving gravy
1 ½ cups sliced celery
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in skillet. Add scallions and garlic
and sautι for 2 minutes.
In
large mixing bowl, combine sautιed mixture with squash. Stir well.
Add bread cubes, celery, herbs and onions. Stir to mix evenly.
Lightly
oil 9 x 13 pan. Spoon stuffing into oiled pan and drizzle with gravy.
Cover tightly with foil.
Bake
for 30-40 minutes, uncover foil and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20
minutes until the squash is fork tender.
THANKSGIVING GRAVY
(makes
4 cups)
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable stock
1/6 cup white or light miso
1/6 cup dry white wine or mirin
1/6 cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ T Dijon mustard
½ T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
Ό tsp. dried sage
Ό tsp. dried thyme
Ό tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste
1-1/2 T cornstarch or arrowroot
Combine
all ingredients except cornstarch in a 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil over
medium heat, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
At
serving time, dissolve thickener in ½ cup cold water. Bring gravy to a
low boil. Slowly pour in thickener and stir while gravy thickens.
BRAISED
GREENS (40 servings)
Onions
- 2 cups
Peppers
- 4 cups
Garlic
- 8 cloves
Greens
- 3 pounds
Olive Oil - 3/4 cup
Sautee
Onions, Pepper, Garlic in Olive or Peanut Oil; Add Greens. Add white wine,
dry sherry, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper as desired to steam and
season.
APPLE
CHUTNEY (6 cups)
Apples,
15 tart - peeled, cored, finely chopped
Onion,
yellow - 1, quartered
Chiles
- 1 halved and seeded
Ginger,
fresh - 3 (1") pieces - peeled
Vinegar,
white wine - 1 cup
Sugar,
brown - ½ cup
Sugar,
white - ½ cup
Pumpkin
Pie Spice - 1 ½ Teas
In a saucepan, mix all ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes until apples are tender. Remove the onion, ginger and pepper.
PEPPER RELISH
Green
Peppers (20? med)
Onion
- 1/15 lg, chopped
Sugar
- 1.5 cups
Vinegar
2 cups
Ginger
root - 3 1" pcs peeled
Salt
- 1.5 teas
Cinnamon
- Ό teas
Mustard
Seed 1 Tbs
Dijon
Mustard - 1 Tbs
Coriander
- 1 Tsp
Pumpkin
Pie Spice - Ό teas
Mix all together and simmer 30 - 60 minutes. Remove ginger root prior to serving.
VEGAN DINNER ROLLS (4 dozen)
Water - 1 cup warm (85 degrees)
Active Yeast - 5 Tablespoons
Flour - 1 cup
Mix all together in a large bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes until mixture is bubbly
Meanwhile, heat the following together and let cool to 85 degrees:
Milk - 3 cups soy, rice and/or almond, etc.
Margarine - 1 1/5 cups (3 sticks)
Salt - 1 Tablespoon
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Add cooled liquid mixture to bubbly yeast mixture.
Add:
Flour, Whole Wheat (pastry grind) - 4 cups
Gluten Flour - 1/4 cup
Unbleached white bread flour - 6 to 8 cups
Stir in flour, one cup at a time until the dough is firm enough to turn out onto a floured surface. Knead lightly, adding flour as needed until the dough stops sticking to your hands. Return to bowl and allow to rise until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare 4) 9" x 13" pans or 2) 12" x 18" pans or cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Punch the dough down and divide into 48 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart. (12 to a 9 x 13; 24 to a 12 x 18 pan)
Bake 15 minutes, swap upper rack with lower rack and rotate pans from front to back. Bake another 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool on racks.
VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE (1 pie)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Have ready, one 9 unbaked pastry crust (your favorite, or see two recipes above)
Blend in blender until smooth:
2 c. solid-pack canned pumpkin (one 14-15 oz. can)
(NOTE: if you use home-cooked pumpkin, drain it for several hours hanging in a cloth bag, so its thick like canned pumpkin; measure after draining.)
1 c. non-dairy milk (preferably a rich soymilk or nut milk)
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
2 - 2 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger & 1/4 tsp allspice)
1/2 tsp. salt
Pour the filling into the pastry and bake 60 minutes, covering the edges with foil if they begin to brown too quickly. Rotate pies after 30 minutes to avoid uneven browning. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.