RICE GRATIN; STUFFED PEPPERS; STUFFED ACORN SQUASH; PUMPKIN-APPLE SOUP; MINESTRONE SOUP; COLLARD GREENS photos of prep for tomorrow's Vegetarian Deliveries

Pumpkin frozen from the large Fairy-tale ones at Thanksgiving for the Pumpkin-apple soup

Stock based Minestrone Soup, Minestrone can be made with a tomato or stock base, just use whatever vegetables are available at the time

Marinara sauce ( see "Recipes for Success, 1 gallon Pasta sauce)

The Pumpkin-apple soup blended with almond milk

Own grown white eggplant for the stuffed peppers, picked this morning, we are as usual having a mini heatwave, with day time temps in high 70f's

The base for all the stuffed vegetables and the gratins

Bell peppers in boiling salted water..ALWAYS PRE-COOK ANY VEGETABLE FOR STUFFING AND BAKING IN A SAUCE SO THEY REMAIN TENDER

Previous 2 the wonderful Collard Greens

Baked Acorn squash for stuffing with  rice, vegetables and cheese

The base for the rice and vegetable gratin..always oil/butter any dish to be baked, even with a sauce

The stuffed Acorn squash to be baked at Client's home

Rice gratin also to be baked at client's home

The completed Marinara sauce,as it is a base for a lot of my dishes it is under cooked, so that I can add more vegetables and herbs to it for a variety of dishes, and simmer longer for various textures.

The stuffed peppers to be completed at Client's home

CHEESE BLINTZES AND SOME VARIATIONS RECIPES..GREAT FOR BRUNCHES

I used to love these when I could eat cheese, now I love them filled with chunky apple sauce and topped with live plain yogurt (live yogurt does not contain lactose, neither does 100% dairy cream)
here is the basic recipe and method and then there are variations to make them your way.

This recipe feeds 4 and you will need a 6 inch skillet/frying pan.


Filling:
2 cups cottage cheese ( I like mine strained, just pop into a strainer and leave over a bowl for about 1 hour.)


(Keep the strained water (whey) for another use..see Variations)
 
1tbsp melted butter
1 large egg beaten
 1tbsp cane sugar
Mix everything (do not use the whey) together well and set aside.

Variation:  you may add any dried fruit, chopped small; grated lemon or orange zest; vanilla or almond extract.


The Blintz Batter:
1 large egg  separated (stiffly beat the white with a pinch of salt)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cane or brown sugar*
1 tsp melted butter or margarine DO NOT USE OIL
1 1/2 cups milk (nut milk is fine)
1 cup all purpose flour

In a medium bowl:
Whisk the egg yolk with the salt,adding the sugar, melted butter and the milk, whisk until everything is emulsified.
Then whisk in the flour, and continue to whisk until a smooth batter is produced.
Gently fold in the whipped egg white and fold in well.


You will need extra melted butter or margarine for the skillet (s)

Pour the melted butter into a warm skillet and add a very thin layer of batter, swirl round to cover the base and cook on one side only to golden brown over medium heat ( these are delicate crepe-like pancakes).
Turn the cooked on one side blintz onto a clean cotton towel and repeat, adding more melted butter to the skillet as needed to prevent sticking, until all is used.


* Cane sugar is less sweet than beet sugar, which I prefer.

To prepare the blintzes.

Spoon a heaping tbsp of the filling onto the fried middle of each crepe.
Fold 2 sides over the filling, then fold one end over the other (like a burrito), and place them seam side down on a board or plate covered with waxed or parchment paper.
When all are filled.
In a regular sized skillet or frying pan, heat some melted butter or margarine and fry seam side down until golden brown on top and bottom, turning once.

Serve immediately with warm fruit sauce, fresh mashed berries, powdered sugar, jams or preserves or sour cream and /or plain yogurt.

Variations:
If using whole wheat flour, add 2-4 tbsp of the whey from the cottage cheese to make the batter thin ( or if lactose intolerant like me, then add more  nut milk).

In place of the cheese filling use poached fresh fruit, berries mashed with some LIVE Greek/strained yogurt and honey.
 
These are great if served with mashed bananas and chocolate chips.
 
Add any spice you  prefer to the filling, ground cinnamon, all spice, cloves, cardamon.

Add any chopped nuts to the filling.

These are fantastic brunch or breakfast treats

Also try adding some cornmeal or ground oatmeal to the batter mix for a more crunchy blintz.

These are great eating and have been around for ages.

 


 

Ratatouille (with my own just picked) Asian eggplants & red bell peppers; whole wheat breads; Vegetable stock and noodle soup; Yam and zucchini gratin; HRH vegan "Cream" of Tomato Soup; Cranberry-apple-walnut strusel topped pie Photos of Prep for tomorrow's Winter menu and yes we are having another heatwave thanks to the Mojave Desert Winds

The "own grown and picked today" base for the ratatouille

Steamed fingerling potatoes for the base of the yam and zucchini gratin

Steamed basil scented yam slices for the gratin

The completed ratatouille

Sauteing the sliced zucchini, onions and garlic in apple juice, for the gratin.

Layering the cooked vegetables for the gratin

Whole wheat bread

Cheese topped cooked vegetable gratin, will add more marinara sauce and baked at client's home

HRH vegan "Cream of Tomato soup (recipe in my first book,  "Recipes for Success" available only on www.amazon/kindle.com

Vegetable broth noodle soup

Fresh apples plus poached apples and dried cranberries, walnuts and oatmeal, topped with dairy unsalted butter and then an almond strusal topping

The completed baked pie