Vegetarian Recipes Tested From Kara's Kitchen

Cannellini, Kale And Soy Cheese Crostini

Makes 10-12 Crostini 30 minutes
Love hosting friends and family, where I get to serve a variety of hors d'oeuvres, like these Crostini!!! 

One bunch kale leaves
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
1  14-oz.  can cannellini beans
1 Tbs. white cooking wine
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (2tsp.)
10-12 slices baguette
2/3 cups shredded vegan mozzarella
1/2 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Steam Kale leave 5 minutes in sauce pan with sliced onions.

Toss together kale, cannellini beans, cooking wine and salt and pepper.

Whisk together oil and garlic in bowl. Place Baguette slices on prepared baking sheet. Brush garlic oil over each baguette slices, then bake 2-3 minutes, or until toasted.

Spoon one heaping tablespoon of kale mixture over each bread slice. Top crostini with small heaping of vegan cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts and crostini crusts are golden. Sprinkle with crushed cayenne pepper. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From Kara's Kitchen

Cauliflower Seafood!! 

This Dish Is Served In Several Restaurants I'm Told!! ..But It's Called Poor man's "Shrimp" Cocktail!! ..Well Here Is My Version Of This Dish! ..Not Too Much Different!! Excellent Dish For Vegans As Well As Those Who Have Shellfish Allergies And Still Desire Such Foods!! ..A Way Of Weaning Off!! A Great Party Option For Vegetarians And Vegan!! ..Or Those Who Are Not!! Excellent I Think! 

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves
4 tablespoon sea salt
3 lemons, halved crosswise
1 l-lb. head of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets

Seasonings:
celery salt
celery seed
mustard powder
cayenne pepper 
bay (laurel) leaves
ginger
cinnamon
paprika
clove powder
allspice (optional)
Add about 2-3 tablespoon of seasoning to to 3-4 quarts of water 
Another Option.. (Old Bay Seasonings) ..for those who are already using. (1/4 cup)

Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup catsup

1 -2 tablespoon horseradish (to your taste) (can make your own and optional)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Braggs soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

1 dash cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine seasonings, salt, onions, garlic, and 4 quarts of water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil.  Cook for 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.

Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 5-10 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely. ..This can be done a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate!

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce or dipping sauce of your choice! 

Directions for Sauce:

1. Mix all ingredients and chill.

2. When ready to serve... dip and enjoy.

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From Kara's Kitchen

Seitan Chicken Tenders

Served With Wilted Spinach

Tender And Juicy Are These Seitan Tenders!! ..Great With Kids As Well As Adults!! A Great Way For Substituting Animal Products!! These Tenders Dredged In Mustard Is Great Tasting!! Another Must!!


Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
l 1/4 lb seitan tenders
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy butter
1 (12 to 16oz.) bag baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Brush a shallow baking pan with oil (2 tablespoons)

Place bread crumbs in shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Toss tenders with mustard in a larger bowl until coated, then dredge, 2 at a time, in crumbs until evenly coated.

Arrange tenders in 1 layer, without crowding, in oiled pan.

Bake turning over once, until golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy skillet over modern heat, then cook spinach, turning with tongs, until spinach is just wilted, about 2 minutes.

Stir in salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, then serve spinach with chicken tenders.

Note: Another Option Of Cooking: (Flour instead of bread crumbs and fry over medium heat until golden brown.)

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From Kara's Kitchen

Rigatoni Pasta Over Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant At It's Best!! ..Topped With A Rich Pasta Sauce And Rigatoni Pasta!! A Great Vegan Dish!! Using Soy Cheese!! Great On A Cold Afternoon Or Evening!!

Ingredients

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.3 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, crushed with your hands
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
Sea salt and cayenne pepper
Honey, to taste

Eggplant:
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt and cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons water
2 to 3 medium eggplants (about 2 1/4-pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices lengthwise
All Purpose Flour , for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
12 ounces soy mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves, to

For Pasta:
8 oz. Tubular Pasta (Such as Rigatoni, Penne or Ziti) cooked according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Directions:

For the Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the red peppers and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture back to the pot, add the parsley, basil and oregano and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with honey, if needed.

For the Eggplant:

Season with salt and pepper.

Dredge eggplant slices in flour.

Fry until golden brown.

Place eggplant slices on baking sheet and top with soy cheese. place in oven at

broiler until cheese has browned, 2-3 minutes more or less. Remove from oven.

Combine sauce and pasta together. Place pasta mixture over each eggplant

slices and serve hot!

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From Kara's Kitchen

Chickpea Stew

Vegan Style

This Hearty Lebanese Inspired Stew Is Delicious! ..Even More Healthier Made Vegan! It's Filling And The Cumin In The Chickpeas Add Great Flavor!! Excellent Source Of Protein From The Legumes....Like The Chickpeas!! Excellent Stew To Serve On A Cold Chilly Day!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup of dried vegan chick chunks (purchase from health food store)
sea salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 15-0z. cans chickpeas, rinsed drained
1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from a jar
2 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice
6 cups vegetable broth
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (garnish)

Directions:

In a medium pot over medium high heat, Bring 3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and add chicken chunks.

Cook until tender, about 20 minutes... reduce heat.

While chicken chunks are cooking; add oil to skillet and saute onions and garlic, stirring often for 30 seconds.

Add cumin, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes; stir until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute.

Add chickpeas; stir an additional one minute.

Add lemon juice along with bay leave if desired and roasted peppers from jar, stirring.

Add sauce mixture to chicken chunks and the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth.

Simmer, uncovered until chunks are tender, about 20 minutes.

Season with salt and more lemon juice , if desired. Serve with Rustic Bread and Rice!! ..Garnish with parsley.

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From kara's Kitchen

Avocado Semifreddo 

Light And Creamy!! ..This Vegan Dish Can Take It's Place At My Dessert Table Any Day!! The Crunchiness Of The Pistachios Are Delightful!! ..The Richness Of The Avocado And The Hint Of Sweetness From The Ice Cream Makes This Dessert Worth Waiting For!! A Must!!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. soy butter
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped, plus 1/4 cup whole
3 tbsp. fructose
sea salt
cooking spray
1 large Florida avocado or 2 Hass avocados, ripened
1/2 cup soy sour cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup soy yogurt
4 cups of soy vanilla ice cream (softened) or non-dairy whip cream

Directions:

In nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Add chopped nuts, fructose and pinch of sea salt; stir until sugar is light brown. 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Coast 5-by-9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang.

In food processor or blender, puree avocado flesh, sour cream, yogurt, lemon juice and pinch of salt.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Add all pistachios and fold in softened ice cream or non-dairy whip cream! Quickly pour into pan. Cover with plastic overhang; freeze until firm, 4 hours or over night! Unmold onto platter.

Slice and serve immediately.

Note: some have preferred to us non-dairy cool whip in stead of soy ice cream. Your choice!! ..I used soy ice cream in my recipe.

Healthful Hint: If using salted pistachios already shelled of course... omit the salt when cooking in fructose in first step of recipe.

Vegetarian Recipes Tested From kara's Kitchen

Broccoli Rabe Grinders

These Super Sandwiches With It's Melty Soy Cheese, Garlicky Broccoli Rabe, And White Bean Puree Makes A Great Combination!! Lots Of Oozy Cheese And Garlic Make These Sandwiches Hearty Enough To Satisfy Any Of My Vegetarian Friend And The Most Ardent Carnivore Friends Of Mine As Well!!! A Winner!!

Ingredients

White Bean Puree:
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 15oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans with liquid
sea salt, cayenne pepper

Sandwiches:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
4 bunches broccoli rabe, 4-5 lbs.), ends trimmed
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 Ciabatta sandwich rolls or 6 (6”-8”-long) French rolls, split lengthwise
3 cups of soy shredded mozzarella cheese
1 red bell pepper, very thinly julienned

Directions

White Bean Puree:

Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in a small saucepan over medium to low heat.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring often, until garlic begins to turn golden. about 3 minutes.

Add beans with liquid. Bring to a simmer; cook stirring often, until liquid thickens, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to blender or food processor.

Add 3 tbsp. olive oil.

Blend until smooth. Season with sea salt and cayenne pepper

Sandwiches:

Cook broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 2 minutes.

Transfer broccoli rabe to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and let drain and cool. Coarsely chop.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add 1/4 c olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until garlic and onions are fragrant and beginning to turn golden., 2-3 minutes.

Add broccoli rabe, cook, stirring often, until stem pieces are just tender, 3-4 minutes.

Add remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil if needed little at a time and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice.

Season with salt and cayenne pepper, and more juice, if desired.

Spread out on a baking sheet and let cool.

Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees F.

Open rolls and arrange on 2 baking sheets.

Drizzle generously with olive oil.

Spread bean puree on one side of each roll; add broccoli rabe.

top 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on other half of roll; add red pepper slices and drizzle olive oil over peppers and cheese.

place on middle rack in oven. 

Toast until cheese is melted, 5-8 minutes, slice and serve.

First published: 2013-01-14 last updated: 2013-01-14