Swiss Rice Bake

Source: Vegetarian Times Cookbook (slightly modified)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

¾ cup milk
4 TB butter(1/2 stick)
½ cup slivered almonds
2 carrots, shredded (1 cup)
1 tomato, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Swiss cheese
1 TB wheat germ
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp chives
2 tsp parsley
½ cup bread crumbs

1. Cook rice & set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, melt butter; stir in milk & heat through. 
3.  Place rice in large bowl.  Stir in milk mixture, Swiss cheese, almonds, carrots, tomato, egg, wheat germ, & spices. Spoon mixture into oiled baking dish & top with bread crumbs. Bake 45 minutes.

Black Bean Dip

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
½ tsp minced garlic
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB olive oil
1 ½ TB tahini
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne

Puree all ingredients until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Spinach-Pea Risotto

Source: Vegetarian Times
Makes 4-6 servings

2 cans (14 oz each) vegetable broth, plus 1 cup water
2 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas, unthawed
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup chopped green onion
¼ cup thinly sliced radishes (optional)
¾ tsp dried tarragon (or ½ tsp marjoram plus ¼ tsp basil)

1. Place broth and water in medium saucepan & bring to boil; reduce heat & simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in another medium saucepan; cook garlic over medium heat about 1 minute. Add the rice & cook about 5 minutes more, frequently stirring. Remove from heat & stir in carrots.
3. Stir 1 cup broth into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Then add ½ cup broth at a time, stirring frequently until broth is absorbed before adding more broth. Add water if necessary until rice is tender & creamy (about 30 minutes).
4. Stir in spinach, peas, Parmesan, green onion, radishes, & spices; heat through & serve

Tempeh Soysage Patties

Source: Vegetarian Times
Makes about 10 small patties

3 TB tamari soy sauce
6 TB water
1 ½ TB olive oil
12 oz. tempeh, cubed
¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup oat bran
1 ½ tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp pepper
oil for frying

1. Steam tempeh until heated through; set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl combine tamari, water, & olive oil; set aside.

3. In large bowl combine oats, bran, sage, marjoram, thyme, & pepper. Pulse cooled tempeh in food processor until crumbly & add to dry ingredients. Add tamari mixture & stir until well-combined.  Freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Form mixture into small patties.  Heat oil in large skillet; fry patties about 5 minutes per side or until browned.

Aimee’s Tofu-Spinach Stuffed Shells

Makes about 8 servings

1 package jumbo shells (12 oz.)
32 oz. jar pasta sauce
14 oz. tofu, mashed
15 oz. ricotta
1-2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 cup grated parmesan
2 TB parsley
1 tsp basil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tsp oregano

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook shells according to package directions; drain & rinse with cold water.
2. Meanwhile, spread ½ sauce in the bottom of 2 baking dishes (13 x 9 and 8 x 8). In large bowl mix together tofu, ricotta, spinach, parmesan, parsley, basil, & eggs. Fill each cooked shell with about 2 TB mixture and place in baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over filled shells; top with mozzarella & oregano. Cover & bake 45 minutes.

Lemonberry Muffins

Source: Vegetarian Times (Haley Frederickson)
Makes 9 muffins (slightly modified by Aimee)

1 1/2 cups whole grain spelt flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon peel
½ cup milk
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup oil
¾ cup raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 375. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, & lemon peel. In large bowl, whisk together milk, syrup, & oil; add to flour mixture & mix well.
2. Fill greased muffin tin (9 cups), each cup 2/3 full. Place 2-3 raspberries in the batter of each of the 9 cups.
3. Bake about 16 minutes or until cooked in the middle. Gently remove muffins from tin, being careful that the bottoms do not stick. Cool (bottom-side up) & serve.