College Vegetarian Cooking_ Feed Yourself and Your Friends - Megan Carle [11]
Spicy Stir-Fried Greens
Spicy Stir-Fried Greens
This dish proves how a few simple ingredients can turn into a wonderful meal. You can add more vegetables if you want, but I say why mess with success? This dish has a hint of spice. If you like things spicier, you can be more generous with the crushed red pepper. –J
Serves 4
2¼ cups water
1 cup rice
1 head bok choy
1 large onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper
½ cup whole almonds or cashews
Place the water and rice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Starting at the leafy top of the bok choy, cut it crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. (As soon as the slices are cut, they’ll fall apart into rings, a little like an onion.) Peel the onion, cut it in half, then cut into thin slices.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the bok choy is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon some of the rice into the center of each plate, top with the vegetables, and sprinkle with the almonds.
Food Trivia:
Almonds are believed to have originated in China and Central Asia and eventually made their way to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. They were used in breads served to Egypt’s pharaohs, and ancient Romans showered newlyweds with them as a fertility charm. Knowing that, I think I’ll make this dish with cashews.
Cheesy Baked Tortellini
Cheesy Baked Tortellini
I made this one day when I was supposed to make dinner for my friends but didn’t have much time. They were totally impressed and begged for the recipe. It’s really fast to make because it uses premade tortellini. That may seem like a cop-out, but who has time to make tortellini from scratch? Plus, the sauce is super creamy and wonderful! –J
Serves 4
1 pound frozen cheese tortellini
8 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain in a colander and place in a 9-inch baking pan.
Meanwhile, cut the ends off the mushroom stems, discard, and cut the mushrooms into thin slices. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden brown.
Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring continuously. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Pour the sauce over the tortellini and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce begins to brown. Serve immediately.
Food Trivia:
Tortellini was first made in the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. Legend has it that Venus, Bacchus, and Mars stopped at an inn one night. The group was so noisy that the innkeeper couldn’t resist peeking through the keyhole. He was so inspired by the beauty of Venus’s naked body that he shaped a pasta to resemble her perfect navel. You gotta love the Italians—they have the best stories about food.
Zucchini “Casserole”
This is called a casserole because when my grandmother makes it she sautés the vegetables, then puts them in a casserole dish and bakes them with the cheese on top. You can do that if you want, but I say why bother? It’s faster and easier to cook it all in one pan, and it tastes exactly the same. As for the breadcrumbs, any kind works, so we usually go with plain. –M