Recipe: Vegetarian Quinoa Meatloaf

When you think of "comfort foods," meatloaf is probably at the top of the list. This meatless version is packed with flavor and nutrition, with lots of healthy veggies, plus quinoa for protein and texture. Whether you're a full-time vegetarian, have given up meat for Lent, or are just looking for a hearty meatless meal, give this one a try.

Meatless Quinoa Loaf

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can garbanzo beans
3/4 cup oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
fresh parsley or thyme
1 cup sweet onions, finely chopped
10 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease an 8-inch loaf pan with oil or cooking spray and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. 
• Add mushrooms, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown.
• At the same time, put oats, beans, and 1/2 cup water in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. 
• Combine mushrooms, quinoa, peas, bean mixture, parsley, tomatoes, onion, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 
• Transfer this mixture to a prepared loaf pan and gently press and shape evenly, with a slight bulge in the middle. 
• Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until firm and golden brown. 
• Let the loaf cool for around 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Healthy Harvest Squash Lasagna with Leeks

This unique take on lasagna combines tasty fall farmer's market veggies like squash and leeks, for an interesting twist on an old classic. Great for vegetarians or a "Meatless Monday" meal. Enjoy the creamy sauce with the sweetness of butternut squash and the mild flavor of leeks in this tasty fall treat!

Healthy Harvest Squash & Leek Lasagna
(Serves 8-10.)

Ingredients:

Cucurbita moschata 'Butternut' squash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

10 oz lasagna noodles
1 medium (2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 medium leeks, cleaned well and sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking oil.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, turn off heat, and set noodles in the pot.
• Grate the seeded butternut squash into a bowl, using the largest holes on a box grater.
• Melt unsalted butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add leeks, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Sprinkle in flour to Dutch oven and stir together with leeks, continuing to cook for about 1 to 3 minutes or until flour begins to turn yellow.
• Start pouring in the milk, whisking while you add it, cooking until mixture thickens, about 5 to 7minutes.
• Continue to whisk and add the thyme, salt, nutmeg, and pepper, then remove from the heat.
• Put together the lasagna in the prepared baking dish by layering in this order:

• 1/3 noodles, 1/3 sauce, 1/2 squash, 1/3 cheese
• 1/2 remaining noodles, 1/2 remaining sauce, all pine nuts, all remaining squash, 1/2 remaining cheese
• all remaining noodles, all remaining sauce, all remaining cheese.

• Cover with parchment paper then foil, and bake the lasagna covered for 45 to 50 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbling and lightly browned. 
• Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe: Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew

Nothing says stew like a cold winter night, and if you're watching your carbs, or avoiding gluten, quinoa can be a great alternative in your comfort-food-seeking menu. This recipe combines a number of healthy vegetables into a hearty and tasty stew packed full of flavor and nutrition. This one can easily work for vegetarians or those looking for a meatless recipe - just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Enjoy!

Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients: 
1 finely chopped sweet onion
1 red bell pepper, cut in half-inch pieces
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
6 cups homemade chicken broth or stock
1 pound red potatoes, cut into half-inch pieces
1 cup red or white quinoa, well-rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 cup frozen (or fresh) peas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 avocado, cut into half-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Combine bell pepper, oil, onion, and pinch of salt in a Dutch oven.
2. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, around eight to ten minutes. 
3. Stir in paprika, coriander, cumin, and garlic. 
4. Stir in potatoes and broth, then bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer ten minutes.
5. Stir in quinoa and continue simmering for an additional eight minutes. 
6. Stir in corn and continue simmering until potatoes and quinoa are just tender, around five to seven minutes. 
7. Stir in tomatoes and peas and cook for an additional two minutes.
8. Remove from heat, then stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
9. Garnish bowls of stew with avocado before serving.

Meatless Monday Recipe - Summer Dish

I have had this dish at least once every summer since I was a kid. It really is a one-pot meal, incorporating the bounty of summer veggies all together in one delicious pot. It is hard to classify, as it's not exactly a stew, but neither is it a casserole. My mom's recipe card (which I copied for my own prolific recipe collection a few years ago) simply calls it "Summer Dish," which I suppose is as good a description as any.

A yummy bowl full.

This makes a huge pot, but luckily it is great reheated. Divide it into individual portion-sized containers for a grab & go lunch option. Even the kids may like this one, as you can disguise a lot of vegetables in here. You can cook the brown rice a day ahead to make it faster, but it really doesn't take long - the rice will probably take longer than the rest of it.

Summer Dish:

• Saute 1 chopped onion and one (or more) anaheim or other hot pepper in 1 TB olive oil + 1 TB butter.

• Add 1 medium-sized peeled and diced eggplant, and continue saute.

In a separate large pot or dutch oven, bring to a simmer:

• 6-8 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 6-8 patty pan squash, yellow summer squash, zucchini, or a combination, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic

• Add saute to simmering tomatoes & squash when browned. Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. 
• Add 1 TB chopped fresh parsley and 1 TB chopped fresh cilantro or basil. 
• Add 4-6 cups cooked brown rice. Mix well.
• Top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

As usual, feel free to improvise, substitute, and make it your own! Try different herbs, different cheeses, maybe noodles instead of rice?  It is also okay to use canned tomatoes instead of fresh if you don't have them. I use about 2 14-oz cans (or 1 28-oz) of diced tomatoes if using canned.