Rösti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Rösti is a Swiss potato dish that is similar to American hash brown. The literal translation of Rösti is “crisp and golden”. Kathy Kitchens Downie of Cooking Light topped her rösti with baked eggs. You could include just about any toppings to your rösti: sour cream, cheese, poached eggs, or sauteed mushrooms. 

    Ingredients

    1 1/4 cups fat-free Greek-style yogurt

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups grated peeled turnip (about 8 ounces, 2 small)
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• 1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (such as Ore-Ida)
• Cooking spray
• 8 large eggs
• Chopped fresh chives (optional) 
• 
  
• Directions 
• 1) Preheat oven 400°.
• 2) Combine yogurt and flour in a large bowl, stirring well. Add turnip, Gruyère cheese, butter, chives, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and potatoes to yogurt mixture. Spread potato mixture evenly into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven. With the back of a spoon, make 8 indentations in top of potato mixture. Crack 1 egg into each of 8 indentations. Return dish to oven. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until egg whites are firm and yolks barely move when pan is touched. Cut into 8 pieces. Garnish with additional chives and black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

• 
  
  Recipe by Cooking Light

Grilled Eggplant Naan Wraps with Tahini-Yogurt Dressing

You don't have to pull out the grill just to cook the eggplant and tomatoes for this wonderful wrap recipe from Sunset. I use my oven broiler as an alternative to grilling the veggies. I like to soak my eggplant with salt for 30 minutes to reduce the bitter taste and to reduce the amount of oil it absorbs. After slicing the eggplant into rounds, I place them in a colander and sprinkle with salt and soak for 30 minutes or even 1 hour. Afterward, I rinse the eggplant rounds and then press with a paper or kitchen towel to remove the liquid. Salting eggplant is a great way to draw out the bitterness of especially older eggplants. Older eggplants have bigger seeds and those seeds contain the bitter liquid. If you are using young eggplants, then you do not need to salt the eggplant. Salting eggplant also draws out the moisture so it wouldn't absorbs too much oil.

To cook eggplant and tomatoes using oven broiler, line eggplant slices and tomato wedges on grill tray and brush with olive oil. Cook eggplant about 5 minutes per side. 

To roast eggplant and tomatoes, heat oven to 400°F. Brush veggies with olive oil and and line tray with parchment paper. Roast eggplant for the first 30 minutes and then add the tomatoes for the remaining 30 minutes. Roasting eggplant caramelizes the bottom of the eggplant and gives it a more flavorful taste. 

Tip: Since the heat varies from oven to oven, it's best to check your eggplant during the last 10-15 minutes of roasting time to make sure the bottom side of the eggplant slices aren't burned. 


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 large eggplant (1 lb.), sliced into 1/2-in. rounds
• 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4 pieces naan bread
• 6 cups baby spinach 

Preparation

1. 1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high heat (450° to 550°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 2 to 4 seconds). In a small bowl, mix garlic, lemon juice, tahini, yogurt, and salt. Set aside.
2. 2. Brush eggplant and tomatoes with oil. Grill, turning often, until softened and grill marks appear, about 6 minutes. Cut tomato wedges in half. Warm naan on grill.
3. 3. Lay each naan on a plate and top with 1 1/2 cups spinach, a few slices eggplant, 4 tomato pieces, and a large spoonful of reserved yogurt mixture.

Recipe by Sunset

Mushroom and Tofu Pot Pie

I love mushrooms so naturally when I saw the recipe for mushroom and tofu pot pie, I was excited to try it out. This is another of Ian Knauer's fantastic recipe. I have to admit, this recipe is a bit labor intensive but the result is definitely worth it. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour      
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks cold unslated butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup whole milk plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
• 
  
• Filling:
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 heads garlic
• 4 large onions, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms such as crimini, white button or maitake
• 2 pounds tofu, drained and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons dried sage
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable or mushroom stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Roast garlic: Cut off the top 1/4 inch of the garlic heads, then drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the heads tightly in aluminum foil, then place in the oven for 45 minutes. Squeeze cloves from their skins and reserve cloves.

MAKE BISCUIT DOUGH:

1) Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. 
2) Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a food processor,pastry cutter, or your hands. 
3) Add the milk and gently kneed until dough just comes together. 
4) Wrap dough in plastic wrap until ready to use.

MAKE FILLING:

1) Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. 
2) Add onions, 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. 
3) Slice mushrooms and add to onions along with tofu, soy sauce, sage, thyme, and roasted garlic cloves, then cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid put off by mushrooms has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
4) Whisk 3 tablespoons flour into vegetable stock, then whisk into skillet with mushroom mixture. Bring liquid to a boil and boil until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. 
5) Transfer filling to 3-quart baking dish.

BAKE POT PIE:

1) Line work surface with plastic wrap, then place dough on top and cover with another layer of plastic wrap. 
2) Roll dough into a rectangle 1 inch larger on all sides than baking dish. (Dough will be about 1 inch thick.) 3) Using plastic wrap as a guide, transfer dough to top of filling. 
4) Cut 6 steam vents in dough, then brush with additional 2 tablespoons milk. 
5) Bake until dough is golden brown and filling is boiling, about 30 minutes. 
6) Let pot pie cool 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe by: Kitchen Daily

Moroccan Mushrooms with Couscous

The Moroccan Mushrooms sauce was simply delicious. I let it boiled a bit longer for a thicker consistency and I added a pinch of sugar to balance the sourness of the tomatoes and of course some salt too. The sauce tastes much better the next day.

Ingredients


1 red onion , sliced
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
300g mushrooms , quartered
400g can chopped tomatoes
410g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
1 tsp clear honey
175g couscous
50g soft dried apricots , diced
handful flat-leaf parsley , roughly chopped 

Instructions

1) Fry the onion in the oil for 6 mins until softened. Add the cinnamon and cumin and cook for 1 min, stirring. Add the mushrooms, cook for 2 mins, then stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and honey. Season and simmer for 7-8 mins.


2) Mix the couscous with the dried apricots and some seasoning in a bowl. Pour over 250ml boiling water, stir to mix, then cover. Leave to stand for 7 mins or until softened. To serve,  fluff up with a fork, stir in the parsley and top with the mushroom mixture. Great served with some green beans.


Recipe by: Arabic Food 

Easy Veggie Crock-Pot Lasagna

Nothing beats making a healthy homemade meal using just a few ingredients AND requiring minimal hand power. A no fuss and easy clean-up recipe that you will surely enjoy. Tasty and simply easy to make! 

Ingredients

(2) 24 ounce jars or cans of Italian tomato sauce (you will need only one and a half jar)

9 thick lasagna noodles with wavy edges (mine were called bronze cut)

24 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese

3-4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (broccoli, zucchini, yellow summer squash, kale, etc)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese

Parmesan cheese for topping

fresh parsley for topping

Instructions

1. Spray the crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce to

the bottom so the noodles don't stick.

2. Break noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom. They will probably be awkward looking - not a big deal. Cover with about one third of the ricotta, veggies, sauce, cheese, and end with noodles. Repeat layers two more times for a total of three complete layers. End with a layer of noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded cheese.

3. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Turn the crock-pot off completely and let the lasagna sit for at least one hour. This allows all the moisture to get soaked into the lasagna, and if you don't do this it will probably be more like lasagna soup - still good, but not pretty. Depending on how long you let it sit, you can either scoop pieces out or just cut with a knife like normal lasagna.

Notes

I didn't use ALL the sauce in both jars - I probably used a total of 36 ounces (about one and a half jars), and it was really saucy.

Recipe by: Pinch of Yum

Tempeh Bolognese

Tempeh replaces ground meat in this classic slowly-cooked Italian sauce. If you have never tried tempeh, it tastes similar to tofu but starchy and has a nutty flavor. Tempeh is fermented whole soybeans and is considered a super food. To reap the nutritional benefits of this super food, make sure you read the ingredients label and buy organic tempeh.

Organic tempeh is made from cultured organic soybeans which means that there are beneficial probiotics that's great for your digestive system. Aside from reaping the benefits of probiotics, tempeh is rich in manganese, calcium, fiber, and protein.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs. plus 1 ½ tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (1 ½ cups)
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped (½ cup)
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh
• 1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 28-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup low-fat evaporated skim milk

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, oregano, and garlic, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until vegetables are browned, stirring often. 

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh, and brown 2 minutes on each side. Add soy sauce and 1/2 cup water. Cook tempeh 5 minutes more, or until liquid has absorbed. Break tempeh into small crumbles with spatula.

3. Stir tempeh, tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce into onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, and simmer 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe by: Vegetarian Times

Vegetarian Chili

I've never made chili using beer. I think it is the secret ingredient to this Better Homes and Garden really tasty vegetarian chili recipe. The combination of cumin and allspice really enhance the flavor. No wonder the staff of BHG selected this recipe as one of their best. 

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil or cooking oil
1½ cups chopped celery
1½ cups chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2 28 oz cans tomatoes, undrained, cut up
3 15 to 16 oz cans beans (such as kidney, black, Great Northern, pinto, or chickpeas aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3-4 teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1 bay leaf
1 12 oz can beer
3/4 cup cashews
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Instructions
1. In a 4 or 6 quart Dutch oven or big pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. 

2. Stir in all the remaining ingredients accept for the beer, cashews, and cheese.

3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes more or until desired consistency. Discard bay leaf. Stir in cashews. Sprinkle cheese over each serving. 

Makes 8 servings


Recipe by: Better Homes and Gardens

Stir Fried Tomato and Eggs

Stir-fried tomato and eggs is a very fast and delicious dish to make. It takes less than 5 minutes to cook. If you want your eggs to be nice and silky, timing is crucial. The beauty of this dish is nothing can go wrong...really. If your cooked your eggs too long, the dish won't be ruined. As with any stir-fry dishes, make sure your pan or wok is hot before you add oil. I don't mean so hot that the pan starts to smoke. I have seen many people who pour in oil before heating the pan which is a bad idea. This will make the oil too hot as it heats up along with the pan which can lead to intense splattering if you throw in wet ingredients and the food sticking to the pan. The secret to stir-frying successfully is to make sure the pan is hot before you add oil. As soon as you add the oil, you start to add the first set of ingredients to begin stir frying. If your pan isn't well heated, the food will stick which extend the cooking time and a lot of scrubbing to do to clean your pan. Another important tip is to make sure you have all your ingredients ready as timing is essential in any stir-fried dishes.

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
4 tbsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, cored, each cut into 8 wedges
1 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt, to taste
1 scallion or 2 garlic chives, thinly sliced crosswise 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork or chopsticks.  

2. Heat a 14" wok (or stainless-steel skillet) over high heat until wok begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp. oil around edge of wok and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in eggs around edges of wok. Cook, stirring once or twice with chopsticks or a spoon to break eggs into large curds, until eggs are fluffy but not browned, about 60 seconds. 

3. Transfer eggs to a plate and set aside. Wipe out wok, return to high heat until smoking, and add remaining oil around edge of wok, swirling to coat the bottom and sides.   

4. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook, tossing constantly, until tomatoes begin to soften, about 1 minute. Stir in sugar and the reserved eggs and cook, stirring and tossing often, until eggs are heated through, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and garnish with scallions.

SERVES 2–4

Recipe by: Saveur

Black Pepper Tofu

This spicy tofu dish is packed with heat and flavor. The recipe calls for kecap manis  (pronounced KEH-chup MAH-nees), which is sweet soy sauce flavored with garlic, star anise, soybeans, and palm sugar. Kecap Manis has a more thicker consistency than soy sauce because of its high content of palm sugar. They are sold in Asian supermarkets. You can buy also buy it online. 

You can reduce the amount of serrano chiles and black pepper if you prefer to make this dish less spicy. 

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS

2 cups canola oil
1 ¾ lb. firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
½ cup cornstarch
11 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
12 small shallots, thinly sliced
12 cloves garlic, crushed
8 red serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
5 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
3 tbsp. kecap manis (available at Amazon)
3 tbsp. light soy sauce
4 tsp. dark soy sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
16 small scallions, cut into 1 ¼″ pieces
Cooked white rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. 

2) Toss tofu and cornstarch in a bowl until evenly coated. Fry tofu until browned all over, about 3 minutes. 

3) Drain and set aside; discard oil, and wipe skillet clean. Return skillet to medium heat with butter. 

4) Add ginger, shallots, garlic, and chiles; cook until soft, about 15 minutes. 

5) Stir in pepper, soy sauces, and sugar. 

6) Return tofu to skillet; cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. 

7) Stir in scallions; serve over rice.

Red Chile Enchiladas

Making fresh enchiladas sauce may take a bit of time and you have to take out your food processor but the end result is worth it. You get fresh and healthy sauce because you control the amount of salt that goes in your sauce and no preservative.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

20 dried new mexico chiles
3 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
10 cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt, to taste
12 corn tortillas
2 cups grated mozzarella
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
3⁄4 cup finely chopped red onion
1⁄4 cup finely crumbled cotija cheese
3 tbsp. crema or sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soften chiles (see How to Soak Chiles). Transfer chiles and 2 cups soaking water to a food processor; let cool.

2. Heat oven to 450˚. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to the food processor with the reserved chiles, reserving oil in skillet. Purée chile–garlic mixture; add lime, cumin, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Strain through a sieve; discard solids. Transfer chile sauce to reserved skillet; heat sauce over medium heat.

3. Pour oil into a 10" skillet over medium-high heat to a depth of 1⁄2". Using tongs and working with one tortilla at a time, dip tortilla in oil; cook until slightly crisp, about 15 seconds. Drain tortilla. Dip in chile sauce to coat, and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella, cheddar, and onions along center of tortilla. Roll up enchilada. Arrange rolled enchiladas on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Divide enchiladas between 4 plates; sprinkle with cotija cheese and drizzle with crema or sour cream. 

Recipe by: Saveur

Cauliflower Puree and Spinach Lasagna

Who knew cauliflower puree would make such a delicious white sauce for lasagna? Ian Knauer, the author of, The Farm, created this amazing vegetarian lasagna recipe. I tried almost all of the recipes in his cookbook and loved them all. His recipes are simple and emphasizes on using fresh ingredients. When I saw his cauliflower puree and spinach lasagna online, I knew it was going to turn out great. It sure did not fail!

This vegetarian lasagna recipe is the un-traditional way of making lasagna, using "white" sauce instead of tomato sauce. I love the flavor of this dish. Meat lovers in my family was utterly surprised when they tried it. It is not a weigh-me-down pasta dish. You know, after 3 hours, you still feel like your stomach is still digesting the pasta?

To make this dish, you will need to make the cauliflower puree first, which by the way, makes a great side dish. Instead of mashed potato, try cauliflower puree next time. You will not be disappointed. The recipe is so easy and you probably only need to go buy cauliflower if you don't already have it at home. Cauliflower, milk, some garlic, salt and pepper. That's it. Click here to get the complete instructions. 

For Ian Knauer's Cauliflower Puree and Spinach Lasagna recipe, please click here.

Easy Cheesy and Creamy Mac and Cheese

John Legend is a musician but did you know that he shared his incredibly yummy mac and cheese recipe on the Martha Stewart Show many years ago? I made this recipe so many times and each time I received praises for this great dish. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of cheese which is quite a lot. I never used up all the cheese but if you love cheese, this mac and cheese is definitely for you! The first time I made this dish, I only had 1 pound of cheese in my fridge and the sauce curdled so I learned not to go skimpy on the cheese the next time I made it.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 (8-ounce) packages extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 (8-ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• Paprika, for sprinkling

For the recipe, please visit Martha Stewart

•