Leslie Sarna

Vegetarian Bolognese

A staple in most Italian homes, bolognese sauce is hardly ever vegetarian, but it's so easy to take out the meat and make it that way.  I was recently asked if I had a recipe for vegetarian bolognese and I realized I've never posted it!  So here is my recipe adapted from my tomato sauce recipe, which is adapted from my Grandmother and Mothers.  You may notice that there is no celery in this recipe.  You are welcome to add it, I just don't love cooked celery.  That's the great thing about a recipe like this, you can tailor it to whatever vegetables you like or dislike.  I hope you enjoy!

PS this dish is vegan, but it's so filling, it's perfect to serve to anyone!

Vegetarian Bolognese

Serves 6-8 or 4 very hungry people : )

What you'll need:

1 onion, diced

56oz. (2 large cans) of whole tomatoes (I prefer san marzano if you can find them) If you have a garden full of tomatoes, definitely use fresh!  You'll need about 3.5 pounds.  Stew them before you add them in the recipe.

6oz (1 can) of tomato paste

a pinch of sugar

a dash of wine (optional)

1 carrot, sliced

15 mushrooms (1 package), sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini sliced and halved

1 pint of small grape tomatoes, halved

a large handful or two of spinach (or any green), sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced

a tiny dusting of cayenne pepper (optional)

fresh basil leaves, sliced

What you'll do:

First you have to make the base sauce.  In a large pot pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil in to cover the bottom.  Heat on medium and add in the onions and a big pinch of salt.  Saute for about 2 minutes.  Add in the canned tomatoes, paste, sugar, half of the garlic and wine (opt.).  Stir and cover on medium low to low heat (you want a gentle simmer) for about 30 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  NOTE: if your sauce becomes too thick at any point, add in a little water.

Now to add the vegetables.  You are going to add in the order that takes longest to cook to shortest.  So first in the sauce is the carrot.  Let cook as you chop the other vegetables.  NOTE: the key to a good bolognese sauce is not to overcook the vegetables! Mushy vegetables never taste good!  You'll want to add in the vegetables about 20-30 minutes before you serve it.  Next add in the mushrooms and bell pepper.  Then the zucchini.  And about 5 minutes to service, add in the fresh tomatoes, rest of the garlic, spinach, a dusting of cayenne and stir.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.  

Serve over linguini or whatever pasta you like.  Gluten free?  It's just as good served over quinoa. 

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Tools I Used:

My favorite Le Crueset Pot

the Wusthof knife (best knife in the world for cutting anything!)

San Marzano Tomatoes

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

These pretty little wraps are perfect for a party or get together!  They are easy to make, easy to assemble and delicious!  

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

Makes 24 mini wraps

What you'll need:

6 large tortillas {I used the spinach flavored green ones}

herbed cream cheese {chive and onion, spinach and artichoke, whatever you like}

1 eggplant, sliced in rounds and grilled

4 zucchini, sliced and grilled

2 red bell peppers, roasted {or you can cheat here and buy a jar of roasted peppers}

6 oz. of fresh spinach

12 basil leaves

What you'll do:

Lay out one tortilla on a flat work surface.  spread with cream cheese all the way to the edges.  It will work as the glue to keep it together.  Place about 4 slices of the grilled eggplant down the center of the tortilla.  Next layer about 5 zucchini on the diagonal over the eggplant.  Then comes the roasted pepper placed on top.  You should be looking like this:

Place a few basil leaves on top of the peppers.  Next put a few handfuls of spinach on the bottom third of the tortilla.  Starting at the spinach heavy end, tightly roll the tortilla and all the veggies up.  slice off the edges so they look neat and slice into quarters.  Secure with a toothpick.

Serve cold to room temperature.  Enjoy!

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Autumn Butternut Squash Quinoa

I made this dish at Thanksgiving for the vegetarians at the table.  It's packed full of protein and super super good for you!  (not to mention super yummy!)  (and pretty)

If you've never had quinoa before, don't be scared!  It's delicious!  Quinoa is a small grain with the texture of couscous and it has just as much protein in it as chicken.  It can be found at most grocery stores now and health food stores.  It'll be by the rice.

Autumn Butternut Squash Quinoa

serves 6

What you'll need:

13 oz. quinoa

vegetable broth

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 purple onion, diced into large pieces

2 cups fresh cranberries, halved

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

a couple handfuls of fresh parsley, chopped

What you'll do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the diced butternut squash, onions, cranberries and garlic on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (or foil).  Toss with olive oil, spread out evenly and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until the the butternut squash is fork tender.  Remove and set aside.

Prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package and use vegetable stock when making it.  When it's done, fluff with a fork and mix in the squash mixture, the toasted almonds and the parsley.  Season to taste.

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Roasted Bell Peppers

Roasted bell peppers were one of my favorite family recipes to make as a kid.  So yummy!!  And so versatile!  You can use these in so many different ways.  Try them on a toasted baguette, on a sandwich, tossed with pasta, next to a steak for my hubby, or of course with a fork. (which is how I prefer!)

Obviously my love for all things garlicy started at an early age!

 Roasted Bell Peppers

What you'll need:

2 bell peppers (I like red and yellow best and here I used one of each)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

a pinch of kosher salt

What you'll do:

To roast the peppers, place them under the broiler in the oven right on the rack.  Be sure to place a piece of foil on the rack below to catch the drippings.  When the pepper's skin starts to bubble and turn black, turn to the next side.  Continue to rotate until the whole pepper is blackened.  

Remove from the oven and place on a plate.  With a pairing knife, make a vertical slice in each pepper to release the steam from the peppers to let them cool faster.

Let cool for about 30-45 minutes.  When they are cool, they should be easy to peel.  So, peel and remove the stem and seeds.  Lay flat on the cutting board and slice in 1/2 inch slices.  Place in a bowl with the chopped garlic and a pinch of salt.  Toss together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Now lots of people put little variations on this.  Some add sugar, or basil, some drizzle olive oil or balsamic vinegar.  All of things are fabulous too.  I recommend trying them all out and seeing what you like best!

Enjoy!

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Grilled Cabbage

Hooray for grilling season!!!  Who doesn't love being outside and grilling!  I'm going to give you some great ideas this summer for making your cookout the best on the block!  Starting with grilled cabbage!  This may sound like a strange idea, but trust me, once you try it, it will be your new staple!

Grilled cabbage is so tender and delicious!!  Even my husband (who never eats vegetables) finished off a whole plate of grilled cabbage yesterday.  You can eat it plain, you can make a salad out of it or you can put it on a burger.  Anyway you choose, it's just plain yummy!

Grilled Cabbage

What you'll need:

1 head of cabbage cut into 1/8 wedges

olive oil

salt

What you'll do:

take the 1/8 wedges of cabbage, drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle them with a little salt.  Place them on the grill and flip after about 2-3 minutes (depending on how hot your grill is)  Remove and serve!  That easy!

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Vegetable Stack in a Pasta Bowl

A super nutritious and fun way to get your veggies!  The vegetable stack in a pasta bowl is a healthier twist on lasagna.  Using only 1 noodle and a minimal amount of cheese, these have few calories, but pack a big flavor punch!  Enjoy!

Vegetable Stack in a Pasta Bowl

Serves 2

What you'll need:

2 lasagna noodles (though you might want to make a couple extra incase of breakage)

2 slices of eggplant, grilled or pan fried

a handful of mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in a little butter

a super large handful of fresh spinach, sauteed in a little olive oil and garlic)

about a half cup of marinara sauce

2 slices of mozzarella cheese

a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

What you'll do:

Prepare all the veggies as described above.  Prepare the lasagna noodles as directed on the package.  If your noodles have curls on the edges, slice them off to make them flat.  Then assemble:

Place your slice of eggplant in the center of your ring:

Place a spoonful of sauce on top:

 Then a thin slice of cheese and some parmesan: 

Next, a spoonful of mushrooms:

 Then a little more sauce:

 Then one more layer of cheese:

 
 And finally, top it off with a big pile of sauteed spinach.

 
Yummy!  Enjoy!

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Beets

Beets scared me a little at first, but now I make them all the time!  You can use them in so many different ways! After this blog, you'll be a pro too!

First cut the beet greens off (read below blog for use) and the root.

Place in a small pot with about 2 inches of water in it.

Cover and let steam for about 20-30 minutes. (make sure you add water if it gets too low!)

The beets are done when they are fork tender.  Remove them from the water, place in a bowl and stick in the fridge. 

When the beets have cooled, you can easily peel the skins off.

 

Then slice, dice or puree for your favorite recipes!  So easy!

My favorite way to use beets is in a salad!  I love the nice cold, sweet bite you get from them!  They are also excellent thinly slice in a sandwich.    

 

Beet Greens

Don't you dare throw out those beet greens!  They are so tasty, really good for you and really easy to make!  They taste like a hearty version of spinach.  If you never have, give them a try!  So here is a crash course on how to prep, cook, and serve beet greens.  

 
I'm using golden beets today, but red beets would taste just as yummy.

So first cut off the beets and save for the next blog ; )

Take the stalk in your fingers and snap at the base of the leaf.

Once you've snapped the stalk, pull down and pull some of the ribs off.  (like celery, they can get a little stringy, but this method solves it completely)

Next, soak and or rinse the leaves well!  They tend to usually be a little sandy.

In a medium frying pan, heat a little olive oil.  Add some sliced garlic then. . . 

add the greens!

Add a few squeezes of a lemon. (vary depending on how much you like lemon or you can omit it completely)

cook, turning often, until it wilts to about half the size of the original pile.  Serve warm.  

This is such a yummy side dish!!  It goes great with just about anything!  

PS Thanks Mom and Dad for my awesome new camera!  I feel like I should redo every picture on my blog now!