Guest guest Posted September 15, 2005 Report Share Posted September 15, 2005 Which I am about to start since our stove died and went to stove hell and now I am using an electric wok and an electric griddle until we can get a new stove top delivered. Here's some recipes from another list I am on. Enjoy! Lynda - > > Thought some of you might enjoy Nava Atlas' vegetarian newsletter. Always > good recipes & these are a tribute to New Orleans. > > - > " Nava Atlas " <navaatlas > Wednesday, September 14, 2005 8:01 PM > Vegetarian Kitchen Newsletter > > " In a Vegetarian Kitchen " - http://www.vegkitchen.com - Issue #38 - > September 2005 > > A quarterly newsletter featuring easy recipes, healthy food tips, > reviews, and more > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a blank e-mail to > visitors-. > > Contents: > A CULINARY TRIBUTE TO NEW ORLEANS > Creole Eggplant Soup > Creole Corn Maque Choux > Jambalaya > > I'm usually a very optimistic person, but these are certainly trying > times. The disaster along the U.S. gulf coast has not only been > heartbreaking on a human level, but has been a huge wake-up call > exposing our greedy and inept government. I don't know anyone in New > Orleans, and it has been twenty years now since my first and only > visit. It's hard to forget the easy-going nature and charm of this > legendary city. It was part of a cross-country trip my husband and I > took, traveling from our home, which was then in New York City, through > the deep south, through New Mexico and back. > > At the time, I was researching the idea of transforming traditional > regional recipes to healthy, vegetarian versions. While it wasn't > exactly easy to find meals in New Orleans that did not contain seafood, > there were some treasures to be unearthed. When I travel I love to > collect recipes that I can later make at home; the flavors and aromas > do much to stir memories. Following are some of my favorite finds from > our time spent in New Orleans. I have no doubt that this spirited city > will be back. The healing may take some time, but it will happen! > > > CREOLE EGGPLANT SOUP > 6 servings > From an old Creole recipe, this unusual soup was a favorite discovery > on our cross-country travels. It's believed that the soup originated > locally due to the abundance of the eggplant crop in the region. > > 1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil > 1 large onion, chopped > 3 medium celery stalks, diced > 1 clove garlic, minced > 1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached white flour > 2 large potatoes, peeled and finely diced > 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and finely diced > 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried > 1 teaspoon curry powder > 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme > 1 cup low-fat milk organic milk, rice milk, or soymilk > Salt and freshly ground black pepper > 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley > > Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and > sauté over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until all are golden. > Add a small amount of water if the mixture begins to seem dry. Sprinkle > in the flour and cook, stirring, for another minute or so. > > Add the potato and eggplant dice to the soup pot along with enough > water to cover all but about an inch of the vegetables, leaving them > above the water line. Bring to a simmer, stir well, then cover and > simmer gently until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. > > Add the basil and thyme and simmer another 25 minutes. Stir in the > milk, more or less as needed to achieve a medium-thick consistency. > Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes > over very low heat. Stir in the parsley and serve. > > > CREOLE CORN MAQUE CHOUX > Serves 6 > This classic side dish was adapted by Creole cooks from a dish made by > the Native Americans who populated southwest Louisiana. This version > is, of course, adapted by me. > > 1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil > 1 large onion, chopped > 3 medium stalks celery, diced > 1 medium red bell pepper, diced > 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced > 4 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (from 4 large or 5 medium ears) > 2 medium diced ripe tomatoes > 3/4 cup organic low-fat milk, rice milk, or soymilk > 1 teaspoon natural granulated sugar > 1 tablespoon unbleached white flour > Salt to taste > Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste > > Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over > medium-low heat until golden. Add the celery and bell peppers and > continue to sauté until all the vegetables are just tender, stirring > occasionally, about 8 minutes. > > Add the corn kernels, tomatoes, milk, and sugar to the skillet. Bring > to a simmer, then simmer gently, uncovered, about 5 to 7 minutes, or > until everything is well heated through and the tomatoes have softened > a bit. > > Dissolve the flour in just enough water to make it smooth and flowing. > Stir it into the skillet and stir until the liquid in the skillet > thickens. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Remove from the heat and > serve at once. > > > RED BEANS AND RICE > 8 servings > If one had to choose a single truly characteristic dish of New Orleans, > it would be hard to come up with one more renowned than Red Beans and > Rice. A dish that has been around long enough to have become > established in local folklore, it is also one that even today, graces > many New Orleans restaurant menus. Vegetarians visiting New Orleans > should be aware that " red and white, " as it has come to be known, is > often made with spicy smoked sausage. > > When I visited New Orleans back in 1985, I was lucky enough to find a > rare meatless version at the I & I Creole Vegetarian Restaurant, then > on St. Peter Street. Amina DaDa, the chef and owner, had made a batch > that day. Her " secret ingredient " was a spoonful of peanut butter, > which imparted a roasted flavor. That, along with a good dusting of > cayenne, produces an excellent adaptation of this classic. > > Local lore on Red Beans and Rice tells us that to eat this dish on > Monday was supposed to bring good luck. Conversely, the expression, " I > am on the red and white " meant that one was broke. > > This is not a dish to start when you come home from work at night! It's > not a lot of work, but needs time to simmer. It's perfect to make on a > rainy Sunday afternoon. > > 2 cups (1 pound) raw red or kidney beans > 1 tablespoon light olive oil > 2 large onions, chopped > 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced > 2 large celery stalks, diced > 2 cloves garlic, minced > 1 cup canned diced tomatoes > 2 small bay leaves > 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter > 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley > 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried > 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme > Salt and freshly ground black pepper > Cayenne pepper to taste > Hot cooked rice > > Sort and rinse the beans, then soak the beans overnight in plenty of > water to cover. Before cooking them, drain the beans, then place them > in a soup pot with water in approximately 1 1/2 times their bulk. > Bring to a simmer and add the oil, onions, bell pepper, celery, > garlic, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 > hour. > > At this point the water level should be just below the beans and > vegetables. Add a bit more water if necessary to bring it to that > level. Add the peanut butter and seasonings and simmer for another 1 > 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. At this point there should be a > thick, sauce-like consistency to the liquid. Mash a small amount of > beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook > until most of the beans have burst and are very soft. The resulting > consistency should be thick and saucy. Remove the bay leaves and serve > over hot cooked rice. > > > > JAMBALAYA > 6 to 8 servings > Spicy bits of soy " sausage " lend an authentic flair to this simple > vegetarian take on a Creole-Cajun classic. Many supermarkets now carry > this versatile product, either in the produce section near the tofu > products, or in the frozen foods section. Serve with coleslaw and fresh > corn bread for a hearty, satisfying supper. > > At the turn of the twentieth century, Jambalaya gained popularity at > New Orleans church fairs, which in that era were among the largest > public gatherings. It was found to be an ideal dish for outdoor cookery > over hardwood fire. Made in big black cast iron pots, Jambalaya could > be prepared easily and quickly to satisfy huge crowds. It was > economical to make, as well. The practicality and ease of this quantity > preparation helped Jambalaya gain popularity for the dish of choice for > political rallies, weddings, family reunions, and other affairs. > > 1 1/4 cups raw brown rice > 2 tablespoons light olive oil, divided > 8 links soy " sausage, " cut into 1/2 -inch thick pieces > 1 large onion, chopped > 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced > 4 celery stalks, diced > 1 medium green or red bell pepper, diced > One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid > 1 teaspoon each: paprika, dried oregano, dried basil > 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme > Cayenne pepper to taste > Salt to taste > > Bring 3 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan. Stir in the rice; cover > and cook at a gentle, steady simmer, covered, until the water is > absorbed, about 35 minutes. > > Heat just enough of the oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large, > nonstick skillet. When hot, arrange the " sausage " links in the skillet > and cook over medium-high heat, gently turning them until all sides are > golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed. > > Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and sauté > over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, > celery, and bell pepper, and continue to sauté until all the vegetables > are lightly browned. > > Add the remaining ingredients except the salt. Bring to a simmer, then > cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. > > Combine the skillet mixture with the hot cooked rice and sautéed > " sausage " in a large serving bowl and toss together thoroughly. Season > to taste with salt (and a bit more cayenne if you'd like) and serve at > once. > > _________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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