Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian

[Guest guest]

I enjoyed this week of looking through my new Sass cookbook and selecting

several recipes to share and to try in the coming weeks. Sometimes I don't

look at new cookbooks carefully enough, and this is a good cookbook for

those of us who work and have little time to prepare dinner.

 

Buster has placed 3 MasterCook recipes in this file:

 

Green Leek And Potato Soup

Pasta With Broccoli Rabe And Olives

Tex-Mex Quinoa Pilaf With Potatoes And Corn

 

 

Kathleen

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Green Leek And Potato Soup

 

Recipe By : Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian, page 61

Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:10

Categories : Potatoes Soups And Stews

Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tablespoons roasted garlic olive oil

OR 1 tablespoon each roasted garlic and

basil or rosemary olive oil

3 cups thinly sliced leeks

separated into rings,

(white and light green parts)

thoroughly rinsed and drained

4 cups boiling water

1 1/2 tablespoons instant vegetable stock powder

3/4 teaspoon salt -- or to taste

10 ounces packaged frozen chopped spinach

1 cup unseasoned instant mashed potato flakes

(Barbara's are good)

Freshly ground black pepper -- to taste

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley -- for garnish

(optional)

 

Makes 2 hearty servings Prep: under 10 minutes. Cooking: under 15 minutes

 

There is nothing like a good leek and potato soup, with-its mellow-texture

and harmonious flavors. It feels like magic to be able to produce such a

satisfying rendition of this recipe in a matter of minutes.

 

My secret weapon is instant potato flakes. Just stir them in and watch the

soup develop a creamy thickness and a distinctive potato flavor in about

thirty seconds. While I wouldn't rave about instant mashed potatoes, the

flakes are surprisingly delicious in this think soup.

 

What about the green in the recipe's title? I've taken the liberty of

tampering with the classic components by adding spinach, which gives the

soup a whole new dimension-plus cheerful flecks of verdant color.

 

In a soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon roasted garlic oil and saute the leeks,

stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the

boiling water, stock powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Add the

spinach, cover, and cook, occasionally breaking up the block of spinach

with a fork, until the spinach is cooked but still bright green, 5 to 8

minutes.

 

Turn the heat down to a simmer and sprinkle in the potato flakes while you

stir. The soup will thicken almost immediately Add black pepper to taste

and the additional tablespoon of infused olive oil. Sprinkle each serving

with the parsley if you wish.

 

Green leek, potato, and corn soup: Add 1 cup of defrosted corn kernels

along with the potato flakes.

 

Leek and potato soup with fresh chard: Omit the spinach and add 1/2 pound

Swiss chard, trimmed and finely chopped. Cook until the chard is tender, 3

to 5 minutes, before adding the potato flakes.

 

Converted by MC_Buster.

 

 

 

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Pasta With Broccoli Rabe And Olives

 

Recipe By : Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian, page 104

Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:10

Categories : Main Dishes, Vegetarian Pasta, Couscous, Etc.

Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 good-sized bunch broccoli rabe

(about 1 1/4 pounds)

8 ounces medium-sized pasta

such as penne or fusilli or shells

1/3 cup pitted oil-cured olives

1 tablespoon roasted garlic or basil -- up to 2

OR plain olive oil

1 tablespoon shoyu or tamari -- up to 2

Grated Parmesan cheese -- (optional)

 

Makes 2-3 servings. Prep: under 10 minutes. Cooking: 5 to 10 minutes.

(depending upon type of pasta)

 

Whenever I see a nice fresh bunch of broccoli rabe in the produce section,

I can't resist making this simple dish. It's my favorite last-minute

supper, and I never seem to tire of it.

 

Is it the slight bitter edge of the broccoli rabe or the crunchiness of the

stems contrasted with the chewiness of the pasta? I'm not quite sure.

(Look for perky greens, with no browning on the cut ends of the stems;

avoid any bunches with yellowed or damaged leaves.)

 

Roasted garlic and basil olive oils marry remarkably well with soy sauce

and offer tasty alternatives for the splash-on sauce-I often use a little

of each. If I happen to have some imported black olives on hand, I toss

some in. Leftovers are good at room temperature with a drizzle of lemon

juice.

 

While you are waiting for a large pot (six-quart or larger) of water to

come to a boil, prepare the broccoli rabe: Discard any bruised or yellowed

leaves. Holding the bunch together, trim off and discard the bottom 1 inch

of the stems. Still holding it in a bunch, slice the remaining stems

crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Place the stems in a colander, rinse, and

set aside. Holding the greens in a bunch, cut the greens and florets

(there won't be many) crosswise into about 1-inch pieces.

 

Cook the pasta in the rapidly boiling water for 4 minutes less than

indicated on the package. Add the broccoli rabe stems and cook for 2

minutes. Meanwhile, place the leaves and florets in the empty colander and

rinse.

 

Add the leaves and florets to the pasta (push them down to submerge them)

and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 2 more minutes. Drain

thoroughly Return the pasta and broccoli rabe to the pot, or place in a

serving bowl, and toss in the olives. Add the oil and shoyu to taste and

toss again. Serve hot or at room temperature. Sprinkle with Parmesan if

desired.

 

Converted by MC_Buster.

 

 

 

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Tex-Mex Quinoa Pilaf With Potatoes And Corn

 

Recipe By : Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian, page 111

Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:15

Categories : Grains And Cereals Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Potatoes Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon instant vegetable stock powder

1 cup quinoa

thoroughly rinsed and drained

3/4 pound thin-skinned potatoes

scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice -- (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt -- or more to taste

1 cup frozen corn -- defrosted

1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

OR scallion greens

 

Makes 2 to 3 servings. Prep: under 15 minutes. Cooking: 12 to 15 minutes.

 

I'm convinced that quinoa will become the rice of the nineties, as more and

more people discover this light, quick-cooking, nutritious grain.

 

It's only natural that quinoa, potatoes, and corn go so well together: they

are all indigenous to Latin America. However, here the success of this

delicious combination depends upon cutting the potatoes properly-if they

are larger than half-inch cubes, they will not be tender when the quinoa is

done.

 

Accompany the pilaf with a salad or steamed green vegetable for a terrific

meal.

 

In a medium heavy saucepan, bring the water and stock powder to a boil over

high heat. Stir in the quinoa, potatoes, cumin, and salt, cover, and

simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

 

Add the corn and continue cooking until the quinoa and potatoes are tender

and all the liquid is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. If all the liquid is

absorbed and the quinoa is not yet tender, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of

boiling water, cover, and continue simmering until done. (Alternatively,

if the quinoa and potatoes are tender and there is still liquid left in the

pot, drain it off)

 

Season with additional salt if needed, and stir in the red pepper and

cilantro.

 

Tex-Mex Quinoa Soup: Stir leftovers into a pot of vegetable stock (allow 1

heaping teaspoon instant stock powder per cup of boiling water). Liven up

with a squeeze of lime.

 

Converted by MC_Buster.

 

 

 

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schuller