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!

Vegan French Onion Soup

Been busy lately. Or so it seems. Anyway, here's another tasty soup recipe. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!


Vegan French Onion Soup
Source: neverhomemake.com

Takes about an hour and 20 minutes total and serves about 5-6 people.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of sliced thinly onions

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 olive oil for the onions and 2 tbs olive oil for the roux mixture

2 tbs maple syrup

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 tsp ground coriander

8 cups vegetable broth

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

wholegrain sourdough bread (or your favorite), cubed

Directions:

1. Slice onions very thinly.

This takes a while, and I guarantee will make you cry like a baby. I have proof.

See...

2. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes -- stirring often -- until softened.

3. Add the maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Stir well -- being careful not to burn the onions -- for 20 minutes, until golden.



4. Add in the garlic, coriander, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes.

5. During those last 10 minutes of waiting, (and yes, the waiting is super annoying... While I waited all I could think is, Can I eat this already???) heat the olive oil into a shallow pan on medium-low and wait for the it to get to a hot, but not too hot (shouldn't be smoking).

By the way, this is how your onions should look at this point...

6. Add the flour to the 1/4 cup oil and stir continuously for 10 minutes -- until flower is deep brown and smells nutty.

7. Add roux to the soup and let cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with cubed bread and enjoy!

Chocolate Birthday Cake

This cake has some sentimental value attached to it. Last December a very close friend of mine passed away and today was her birthday. After some debate in my head, I decided I wanted to make her a cake (and then consider to eat the whole thing by myself), but because I am vegan and she was not, I wasn't sure what to make. I wanted to keep it as traditional as possible.  Dana loved chocolate and she (like pretty much any sane person, also loved cake - any cake.)  After a little searching, I found this simple vegan chocolate birthday cake recipe on Instructables.com. It turned out flipping amazing. It's so delicious, and I know Dana would have devoured it with me. I miss her terribly and this cake has not only satisfied my chocolate craving, but it also made me feel a little better about Dana not being around for her 24th birthday. I hope she knows I am only celebrating because I love her and think of her every day.

Chocolate Birthday Cake
Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-BEST-chococlate-cake-ever...that-happens-to-be/?ALLSTEPS

Takes 20 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to bake, 2 hours to cool, and 20 minutes to make the frosting and spread it on the cake. Serves 9 people.

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 2 tbsp soy milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In an 8x8 square pan/dish, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a fork. Make sure it is very well blended.
3. Add the water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Again, make sure the mixture is really well blended. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary.
4. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 2 hours. Do not make the frosting until the cake has completely cooled as it cannot sit.

1. After the cake has cooled, bring the sugar, margarine, milk, and cocoa to a boil in a small/medium sauce pan.
2. Stir frequently; then reduce heat to a simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It will look gloppy, but it's just the bubbles! Remove from heat and stir for another 5 minutes.
3. Add vanilla, stir, and immediately pour onto cake. Glaze dries really quickly, so spread it immediately!! Let cool for 1 hour... if you can wait that long!