Past Wray Meals

CURRIED RED LENTIL SOUP WITH TOMATOES AND SPINACH
gourmet cookbook


CARROT SOUP WITH TAHINI AND CRISPED CHICKPEAS
smitten kitchen

Serves 4, generously or 6, petitely

Soup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas
1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Pita wedges, garnish
A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil, to brush pitas
Za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice-herb blend) or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

• Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.
• Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.
• Spread pita wedges on a second baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with za’atar or a combination of sea salt and sesame seeds and toast in oven with chickpeas until brown at edges, about 5 minutes.
• Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita wedges. Forget January, you’d eat this anytime. Right?

NOODLELESS SWEET POTATO LASAGNA
epicurious

A fabulous twist on the traditional lasagna - substituting thinly sliced sweet potatoes for the lasagna noodles.
Please try to use good olive oil and cheeses. It makes a huge difference.

 

Lasagna
3-4 Large Sweet Potatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 recipe Red Sauce (see below)
1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts
3 Cups Mozzarella (best quality)
1/4 Cup Romano (freshly grated, preferably "Pecorino Romano")
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra to drizzle on top (use the best quality oil you have for the drizzle)
 

Red Sauce
2 14.5oz cans Whole Stewed Tomatoes (juice included)
5 Garlic Cloves, sliced paper thin
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Carrot, shredded
1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme, chopped
6-8 Basil Leaves, chopped
Splash Dry White Wine

Make the red sauce first (can be made 1 day in advance).

1) Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until hot (not smoking)
2) Add the onion, garlic, carrot and thyme and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until onions are brown
3) Add 1/4 cup white wine and let simmer until almost completely evaporated
4) Hand crush the canned tomatoes into the pan, pour in juices as well
5) Add basil and let simmer on low for 30-35 minutes, stirring often (sauce should be thick and chunky)

Lasagna
1) Ladle a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish and spread thin
2) Add one layer of sliced sweet potatoes to the dish (covering the entire area of the pan)
3) Add 1/3 of the cheese and enough red sauce to cover the cheese
4) Add 1/2 the pine nuts
5) Repeat the process until the dish is almost to the top
6) Top with the Romano cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes (or until cheese is completely melted, but not dark brown)
7) Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes before slicing
8) Plate slices on warmed plates and top with small drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil

MISO SESAME WINTER SQUASH
101 cookbooks

2 pounds delicata squash (~3), halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch inch thick pieces
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon tamari or shoyu
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon white or yellow miso
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons water
8 ounces organic extra-firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Various toppings: toasted sesame seeds, chopped arugula, basil, basil flowers, lemon wedges

• Preheat the oven to 425F / 220C, with a rack in the middle.
• In a large bowl, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Spread the squash on a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 40 minutes, turning over with a fork after 20 minutes. Or, until golden on both sides.
• In the meantime, in a medium-size bowl, whisk together the molasses, tamari, maple syrup, miso, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, water, and the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the tofu, toss to coat, and set aside.
• When the squash is deeply golden on both sides, remove from the oven.
• Transfer the squash to a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the tofu mixture over the squash, and gently toss. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until a good amount of the marinade boils off. Toss a couple times along the way. Finish under the boiler if you like, or if you like a bit of extra color on top. Remove from the oven, and season with salt, if needed. Finish with some toasted sesame seeds, chopped arugula, and/or herbs, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side (to squeeze on top).

Serves 4-6.
Adapted from the Molasses, Miso, and Maple Candied Sweet Potatoe recipe in Bryant Terry's The Inspired Vegan.

ORANGE-SPICED SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH STEWWITH SUGAR PLUMS

Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"

Preparation time: 1 hour (15 minutes of work), Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Every Persian family seems to have its own cherished recipe for khoresh, or stew. In this easy one, sweet potatoes are steeped in orange juice and deeply infused with the heavenly flavor of homemade Persian Allspice. Serve this over basmati rice.
* Make the Persian Allspice ahead of time. If you use an electric spice grinder, this will take just minutes.
* Get the rice going before you begin.
* You can use peaches or nectarines in place of the sugar plums or prunes.

Persian Allspice (enough for 2 batches of stew)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 to 2 teaspoons cardamom pods
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Grind everything together in a spice grinder until it becomes a fairly uniform powder

The Stew
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and/or butter
3 cups chopped onion
3 tablespoons Persian Allspice (above)
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes or yams (about 3 pounds)
3 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups sugar plums or prunes (fresh or dried), pitted and sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed ( or 1 10-ounce package frozen leaf spinach, defrosted)


CURRIED ACORN SQUASH, RED LENTIL AND APPLE SOUP
hope ricciotti, the pregnancy cookbook


ORCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE, BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GOAT CHEESE
hope ricciotti, the pregnancy cookbook


BLACK BEAN CHILAQUILE

mollie katzen, moosewood low fat favorites