Crusty Cauliflower and Ricotta Casserole

Wow, so it's been a while. A long while. Although I am no longer vegan, I am still vegetarian and have been attempting to cook at home more frequently again. So here's my attempt to start this blog back up. Tonight Brett and I made Crusty Cauliflower and Ricotta Casserole, which is a recipe I got out of one of my favorite new cookbooks by Jeanne Lemlin, Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.

Crusty Cauliflower and Ricotta Casserole

Takes about 1 hour and serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c finely diced, drained tomatoes

1 medium cauliflower, cut into small flowerettes (about 6 cups)

3 large eggs

1 c part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 c milk

1/4 c grated parmesan

1 tbsp freshly minced parsley

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

dash cayenne pepper

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 c grated Muenster cheese

1/4 c bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Do not brown the garlic. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cauliflower and toss to coat all over with tomato mixture. Pour in a few tablespoons of water and cover the pan. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Mine took a lot longer, probably about 12 minutes, but I kept my heat pretty low to avoid the spitting. Let sit for several minutes, until it is warm or room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 12 x 7 x 2 inch ovenproof dish or other shallow 2 1/2 quart baking dish. I used a 3 quart dish and it was fine.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Beat in the ricotta, milk, parmesan cheese, parsley, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper, and Muenster cheese. Stir in cauliflower mixture. Spread in the prepared dish and sprinkle on the bread crumbs.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Do not overcook, or the casserole will dry out.

5. Enjoy!

Hungry? Pin this recipe for later!

Savory Crispy Tofu

Simple. Quick. Delicious. These little tofu bites would pair great with steamed broccoli or any other steamed veggie. They're light and have a great flavor. I'm excited to see how they do as leftovers tomorrow.

Savory Crispy Tofu
Source: Whole Foods Recipe App.

Takes at least 3 hours to marinate, a total of 20 minutes, max, to prepare, and 10 minutes to bake. Serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz package of extra-firm tofu
• 1/2 cup sweet and hot mustard
• 1/2 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
• pinch of chile peppers
• olive oil or cooking spray

Directions:

1. Cut tofu in 3 equal sections lengthwise.  Then cut each section in half lengthwise and then again in half widthwise, for a total of 12 pieces.
2. Arrange several pieces of paper towel on a plate and place the tofu on top. Cover the tofu with several more pieces of paper towel and press lightly to remove excess water from the tofu.
3. Arrange the tofu in a container large enough to store the pieces in a single layer.  Using a knife or brush, spread the mustard evenly on all sides of the tofu.  Cover container and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. After tofu is marinated, preheat oven to 375.
5. Transfer bread crumbs to a large plate.  Add pepper flakes and stir together. Coat each piece of the tofu in the bread crumb mixture and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

Cleanup Factor:
Once again, LIGHT!  Pick up scraps and wash cutting board, baking sheet, plate, and other small misc utensils.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ohhhh, my goodness!  This was delicious AND easy!  Technically, it should be served with pasta and marinara sauce, but I ate it as is, and I don't regret it one bit.  Completely wonderful.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Source: 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman

Takes about an 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake.  Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 cup panko-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup walnuts, ground into a powder
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for brushing
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or foil.
3. Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick slices. You can peel the eggplant or leave it unpeeled. If you leave it unpeeled, the coating won’t stick to the skin on the edges, but there will be plenty of coating on the flesh.
4. In a bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, walnuts, nutritional yeast, basil, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.
5. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil liberally and then coat in panko mixture.
6. Place on a baking sheet and top with a thinly sliced tomato.
7. Baked for 20-30 minutes.
8. Serve on its own or with your favorite marinara sauce.

Cleanup Factor:

LIGHT. Easy to make and to clean. Amazing!

Reheat or Street:

The bad news about this recipe that it should probably not be reheated.  I brought this bad boy to work for lunch today... and well, let's just say, I was hungry today.  The truth is that it gets really soggy and weird. Best if eaten immediately.