Unemployed Shepherd's Pie

Shepard's pie always tastes comforting and hearty to me. Plus I love that's it's cheap and easy to make. And this vegetarian recipe is also healthy!


Unemployed Shepherd's Pie
Vegetarian Times 2008 Reader Recipe 2nd Place Winner


8 Servings

6 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
¼ cup low-fat milk
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 15-oz. cans diced organic tomatoes with liquid
2 large eggplants, peeled and chopped (1½ lb.)
1 Tbs. Simply Organic Parsley
1 tsp. Simply Organic Basil
1 tsp. Simply Organic Garlic Flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 green bell pepper, sliced very thin
1 small zucchini, sliced very thin
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper, optional

1. Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and mash with milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in tomatoes, eggplants, parsley, basil, garlic flakes, and sea salt; season with pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Spread potato mixture over top, banking up sides a bit.
3. Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add green bell pepper and zucchini, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until just tender.
4. Fill center of mashed potatoes with sautéed bell pepper and zucchini, and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. (Baking will take less time if mashed potatoes are hot at time of assembly.)

PER SERVING: Calories 342, Protein 9g, Total fat 16.5g, Carbs 41g, Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 409mg, Fiber 6g, Sugars 9g

GOOP - Squash Blossom Pizza

I adore Gwyneth Paltrow's energy and worth ethic. And lately, I've come to love her recipes. I can't wait to try this one for Spring Squash Blossom Pizza with homemade ricotta cheese and summer squash blossoms fresh from the garden.

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 cups warm water (divided)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 packages, or 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon, active dry yeast
• About 5 cups of flour plus more for kneading and dusting. I used Italian "00" flour but you can also use bread flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt

For the dough, whisk together 3/4 cup of the water and the yeast in a large bowl and let stand until the surface has a few little bubbles and is creamy (about 5 minutes).

Add 1 1/2 cups water, 3 3/4 cups flour, olive oil and salt and stir until smooth. While stirring, gradually add up to another cup of flour until the dough starts to pull itself from the edges of the bowl.

Knead the dough on a generously floured surface until it's elastic and smooth—it will take about 8 minutes of hard work. Dust the surface with flour as you go—you don’t want the dough to stick.

Form the kneaded dough into a ball, dust with flour, and gently place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea-towel. Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. You can let it sit for up to a couple of hours or even overnight in the refrigerator.

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook, stirring now and then, until softened but not ground, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and the salt. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 40 minutes. Carefully puree in a blender until very smooth. Let it cool before saucing your pizzas. This can be made up to a week ahead.

For the toppings:

• A thin layer of tomato sauce
• A few dots of homemade ricotta
• Grated parmesan
• Torn squash blossoms tossed with a bit of oil (so they crisp in the oven)

To assemble pizzas, break off pieces of the dough and stretch with your fingers until quite thin. You can also roll your dough out using a rolling pin.

Now top your pizza. I start with pizza sauce. Be sure not to put too much sauce on (this will weigh it down) and don’t go too close to the edge as this will make it hard to slide your peel under the pizza.

1. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Arrange an oven rack in the top third of the oven (but not on the top rack) and place the pizza stone on the rack. Let it heat for about 1 hour. Turn a large baking sheet upside down and dust the surface with flour.
2. Place a ball of dough on a clean, lightly floured table or cutting board, and dust the top of the dough with additional flour. Use your fingertips to flatten the dough into a 12-inch round.
3. Carefully set the dough down upon the floured baking sheet. Working quickly, put the toppings on the dough.
4. Jiggle the pizza gently on the pan to make sure it is not sticking, and un-stick it if it is, putting a little flour underneath the sticky parts. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone; make sure to start at the stone’s back end so that the entire pizza will fit.
5. Cook the pizza for 3 minutes. If you have a broiler on the top of your oven, turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil the pizza until golden, crisp, and a bit blistery and charred in places, 2 to 4 minutes (watch it carefully to see that it does not burn). If you don’t have a top broiler in your oven, just bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust well browned, about 10 minutes, but go on how it looks, not the time since it varies widely depending on your oven.
6. Use tongs to slide the pizza to a large platter and dig in!

Corn? Maybe?

We've got a couple of ears of corn on our corn plants. But I doubt they'll make it. They don't look so hot.

Next year I'll have to try the Three-Sisters method for planting corn along with beans and squash.

The Three Sisters were the principal crops of the Iroquois and other Native American groups in the northeastern United States. At the time Europeans arrived here about 1600, the Iroquois had been planting these three crops together for about 300 years.

Here's what I've been told:

1. Plan and select a site. You'll want to plant your three sisters garden in late spring once the danger of frost has passed. Choose a site that has direct sunshine for most of the day and access to water. Plan your three sisters garden on paper. Use the layout suggested below or research and try others.


2. Prepare the soil. First, break up and rake the soil. Next, build a mound about 12 inches high and between 18 inches and 3 feet in diameter. If you're in a dry area, flatten the top of the mound and make a shallow depression to keep water from running off. The number of mounds depends on the size of your growing area. Mounds should be 3 to 4 feet apart in all directions.


3. Plant corn. Soak four corn seeds overnight and then plant them about 6 inches apart in the center of each mound. Many Native people honor the tradition of giving thanks to the "Four Directions" by orienting the corn seeds to the north, south, east, and west.


4. Plant beans and squash. After a week or two, when the corn is at least 4 inches high, soak and then plant three or four pole bean seeds in a circle about 6 inches away from the corn. At about the same time, plant one or two squash or pumpkin seeds next to the mound, about a foot away from the beans.


5. Consider other additions. Consider planting other traditional crops, such as sunflowers or jerusalem artichokes (a tuberous perennial sunflower), around at the edge of the three sisters garden. Put them on the north side so they won't shade your other plants. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other native crops are often planted in nearby plots. (Some of the many other indigenous plants used by native North, South, and Central Americans include melon, tobacco, chili pepper, cotton, blueberry, wild rice, and hazelnuts.)

Caponata

Three recipes for caponata that sound delicious!

Caponata, the traditional Sicilian mixture of eggplant, tomato, and anchovies that's perfect for both pasta and bread, can be served warm or cold.

Caponata
Vegetarian Times Issue: September 1, 2000 p.32

6 Servings

1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups diced onions
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. plus pinch of salt
4 cups diced eggplant
3 cups diced zucchini
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow summer squash
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, plus additional if needed
2 cups halved, seeded and diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups drained, pitted and minced kalamata olives
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup drained, minced capers

1. In large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 4 minutes.
2. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in zucchini, bell pepper, squash, broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Cover pot with tight-fitting lid and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, check that some moisture remains in pot and vegetables aren’t sticking to bottom. If necessary, add a little more broth.
3. Uncover pot and stir in tomatoes, olives, parsley and capers. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories 148, Protein 4g, Total fat 8g, Carbs 19g, Cholesterol mg, Sodium 595mg, Fiber 6g, Sugars 0g



Caponata
New York Times September 4, 2008

6 to 8 Servings

1 1/2 pounds eggplant (1 large), roasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, from the tender inner stalks, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced
Salt to taste
1 pound ripe tomatoes, preferably Romas, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (in puree)
3 heaped tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar (more to taste)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Roast the eggplant, then allow to cool. Chop coarsely.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet, then add the onion and celery. Stir until the onion softens, about five minutes, and add the garlic. Cook together for a minute, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant, and add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until just tender, about eight minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil and the eggplant, and stir together for another five minutes, until the vegetables are tender. The eggplant will fall apart, which is fine. Season to taste.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan often, for five to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant. Add the capers, olives, remaining sugar and vinegar. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and the mixture is quite thick, sweet and fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. If possible, cover and chill overnight. Serve at room temperature.

Pasta with Eggplant Caponata
Vegetarian Times Issue: March 1, 2002   p.30

4 Servings

12 oz. penne pasta
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup pitted green olives, sliced
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar

1. In large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Add eggplant, and cook until soft, stirring to prevent sticking, 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, olives, capers oregano, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Reduce heat, and simmer sauce 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories 445, Protein 14g, Total fat 8g, Carbs 81g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 834mg, Fiber 7g, Sugars 0g