Hot Ramen Noodles

Make a meal out of a package of dry ramen noodles, by adding any or all of these to hot ramen noodle broth:

• bean sprouts
• bok choy
• mushrooms
• carrots
• celery
• onion
• corn
• peppers (green, yellow, sweet or hot)
• chicken, fish or beef strips
• tofu
• medium-boiled egg, halved
• grated cheese
• butter
• pan juices from cooking poultry or beef
• coconut milk for a creamier soup
• sliced green onion, leeks or minced fresh garlic
• curry paste, soy sauce, Sriracha or hot sauce
• replace the seasoning packet with your own seasoning mix

Ramen Noodle Vegetarian Dinner

Serves 4

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1 red or yellow pepper (or half of each)
• 1/2  green pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp jerk seasoning OR Thai seasoning
• 1 can (400 mL) coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 2.5 oz pkgs dry ramen noodles, cooked without seasoning mix and rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Peel and chop onion, seed and slice peppers.

Cook onion and peppers in 2 Tbsp hot oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes or until soft.

Stir in garlic and seasoning, cook 2-3 minutes more.

Pour in coconut milk and season with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme.

Simmer 5 minutes.

Add cooked ramen noodles, heat, then add parmesan cheese.

Serve when sauce has thickened.

Zucchini

Goat Cheese Zucchini

• 4 zucchinis 
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 log goat cheese (15 oz) crumbled, divided
• 1 cup tomato sauce (Marinara)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out seeds to make 8 slightly hollowed boats.

Brush zucchini edges with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place on parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Use half the goat cheese to sprinkle each zucchini from top to bottom.

Top each with 1-2 Tbsp or more tomato sauce.

Sprinkle remaining goat cheese on top.

Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven.

Remove cooked zucchinis and top with parmesan (optional) and parsley.

Green Onion Pancakes with Dipping Sauce

 A no-egg pancake recipe to try when the green onions in the garden grow high.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup plus 3-4 Tbsp boiling water
• 5-6 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil, and more for cooking
• 1 tsp salt
• 7-9 green onions, chopped.

Dipping Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (Korean)

1. While mixing flours together, bring water to a boil.
2. Stirring by hand or mixing with the kneading hook of a stand mixer, add to flour mixture: 1/2 cup boiling water, mixing until water is absorbed.
3. If dough is still dry, add more boiling water a tablespoon at a time until dough is soft and moist.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand 5-6 minutes OR mix with kneading hook in stand mixer until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic.
5. Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic or top with an upside-down bowl and let sit 1 hour.
6. Divide rested dough into 8 pieces and shape into balls.
7. Cover balls to keep moist while you roll out each ball on a floured surface, into an 8" round.
8. Spread each round with 2 to 3 tsp oil, then sprinkle with salt, then top with 2-3 Tbsp chopped onions.
9. Starting with 1 outer edge, roll up each round like a cigar.
10. With seam toward centre, curl into a 4" whorl (a snail shape). Tuck ends under the "snail".
11. Press down slightly with palm to flatten, then roll to 1/2" thick and  6" in diameter.
12. Continue with remaining balls of dough.
13. If making ahead for another time, you can layer these between parchment paper and freeze.
14. Mix all dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
15. Heat some oil to medium heat in a nonstick skillet.
16. Fry one side until bottom is cooked then flip and cook other side.
17. Let cool slightly on rack.
18. Cut each pancake into 4.
19. Serve with dipping sauce.

Lentils

Lentil Salad

1-1/4 cups green lentils
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
black pepper
1/2 medium radicchio
2 oz. shaved pecorino cheese or goat cheese
2/3 cups chopped fresh basil
2/3 cups chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup honey-glazed walnuts

Cover lentils with water in a medium saucepan.
Add bay leaves.
Simmer about 15 minutes or till tender.
Drain lentils. Discard bay leaves
Return lentils to pan.
In a small bowl whisk till combined: vinegar, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 tsp. salt, pinch pepper.
Stir mixture into hot lentils, let cool slightly.

Pour 1/4 cup oil into a frying pan and place on high heat.
Cut radicchio into 8 wedges, place in hot oil, sprinkle with salt.
Cook 1 minute each side.

In a large bowl toss gently: lentils,  radicchio, walnuts, cheese, herbs.
Add seasonings to taste.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lentil Stew

• 2 cups dry green lentils, rinsed
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed, roughly chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups dried mushrooms whole or broken up
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 sprig rosemary
• 6-8 cups vegetable broth
• hot mashed potatoes 
• 200 g hard cheese (Grana Padano)
• 2 cups arugula
• olive oil to drizzle
• chili flakes
• garlic bread (optional)

Rinse lentils, set aside.

In a large braising pot on medium heat, add oil and butter.

Add shallots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes until tender

Add celery, carrots, mushrooms, cook 5-7 minutes.

Add thyme, rosemary, 6 cups vegetable broth.

Bring to boil and turn down to simmer.

Cook 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender, adding more stock if necessary.

Once lentils are tender, add 3 Tbsp mashed potatoes to thicken (optional)

Serve stew with mashed potatoes in a bowl.

Garnish with arugula, grated cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes.

Serve with garlic bread.

Lentil Soup

This recipe is from a collection put together by a Hadassah chapter in Columbia, Missouri.

2 cups dried lentils

2 quarts water

2 tsp salt

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

pepper to taste

Wash and drain lentils.

Place in a 4-quart pot with water and salt.

Bring to a boil.

Add carrots, onion, celery.

Cover, reduce heat, simmer until lentils are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Strain soup, reserving liquid in pot.

Puree vegetables and return to pot with liquid.

Reheat and add pepper to taste.

Serves 10, 140 calories per serving.

Vegetarian Chili

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large peeled and sliced carrot (optional)
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 large can or 2 small (14 oz) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can seasoned diced tomatoes with liquid
1 small can Campbell's condensed tomato soup (undiluted) OR 14 oz. spaghetti sauce
1-3 tbsp. dried chili peppers
1 tbsp cumin
salt and hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cook 8 hours on low setting.
Season with salt and hot sauce to taste.

Green Rice

3 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
1/4 cup minced parsley
3 chopped green onions
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup milk
1-1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup grated cheese

1 cup cottage cheese (optional)

Gently toss cooked rice with spinach and parsley. Beat milk, salt, eggs and worcestershire.
Stir milk mixture into the rice carefully, so you don't mash the rice.
Pour into a greased 2.5 L baking dish.
Dot with butter.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in preheated 320 degree F oven 30-40 minutes.

Serves 6 as a side dish with meat.
For a vegetarian main dish, stir in 1 cup cottage cheese before serving (serves 3).

Cabbage, Bean and Potato Soup

Inexpensive and filling.

1/2 large pot cold water
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 can rinsed and drained white kidney beans
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 tomato, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 1/2 hour. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-1/2 hours.

Prepare-Ahead Brown Rice & Spinach

A main meal or side dish. Cook the brown rice in advance and this recipe only takes about 10 minutes to assemble, 20 minutes to bake in the oven. 

• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 2 bunches organic spinach, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 100 g. nonhydrogenated margarine or butter
• 4 tbsp unbleached flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. soya sauce
• 200 g. light cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup wholewheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook rice as per package directions (takes about 45 minutes.)

Use right away or refrigerate to make the dish later.

Blanche spinach for 3 minutes or so in a little boiling water.
Toss the cooked rice and spinach together.

Place in a greased caserole dish

 In a saucepan, melt margarine or butter.

Sautee the onion and garlic till golden.

Stir in 1/2 cup milk.

Whisk the flour into the remaining milk.

Add to the pan, stirring till the mixture thickens.

Add soya sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, stir in the grated cheese.

When cheese melts, pour sauce over the spinach and rice mixture in the casserole dish.

Stir breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle on top.

Bake at 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, until heated through and top is golden.