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Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Vegetarian recipes, as you might guess, do not contain any meat, including fish. They may contain eggs or other animal products. To earn the “vegetarian” tag on this website, a recipe must not require any substitutions to be meat-free.

Baked Sherry Fruit Casserole

06 Jan

Grandmama

I found this recipe in Aunt Jaymie’s recipe box on a notecard in Grandmama’s handwriting. I don’t remember her ever making a fruit casserole for us, but it looked delicious, so I copied it down. The recipe calls for Queen Anne cherries, but you can substitute regular cherries if the Queen Anne variety is not available. Just remember to remove the pits!

On the notecard, my grandmother wrote:

“This was served to me at a luncheon that included creamed chicken in patty shells, tomato bisque, chilled asparagus, and rolls. We’ve also served it with ham and chilis rellenos for brunch; ham or chicken for dinner. I’ve never used the cherries as I couldn’t find any.”

Ingredients:

Drain and save 3/4 cup mixed juice:

  • 1 – 29 oz. can peach halves
  • 1- 29 oz. can pear halves
  • 1- 1 lb. can Queen Anne cherries

Pour over these 2 cups boiling water. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Drain and discard water:

  • 1/2 cup seedless raisins
  • 2 medium oranges cut in thin slices

Mix with 3/4 cup reserved fruit juice, cook until thickened. Cool and add sherry:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup sherry

Instructions:

  • Arrange fruit in 2 quart oblong baking dish, making a pattern of peaches, pears, orange slices, raisins, (and cherries if you have them), and cover with the sauce.
  • Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
  • Bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour,
 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Casseroles, Desserts, Fruit Cobblers and Crisps

 

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Strawberry Pie

06 Jan

Nana

This is a simple strawberry pie recipe from my great-grandmother who we called “Nana.” She died when I was eight years old, so unfortunately I did not get to know her well. While strawberry rhubarb is my favorite, there are times of the year when rhubarb is difficult to find, so strawberry pie is a good substitute if you want to make a fruit pie during the winter months. Nana says that this recipe is originally from Mark Daily who was probably a friend of hers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 qt. strawberries
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • Baked pie shell

Instructions:

  • Simmer about 1 cup of the strawberries and 2/3 cup of the water about 3 minutes.
  • Blend sugar, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup water. Add to boiling mixture.
  • Boil one minute, stirring completely. Cool.
  • Put remaining strawberries in pie shell, cover with cooked mixture. Chill until firm- about 2 hours. Serve with sweetened whip cream.
 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Desserts, Pies, Summer Pies

 

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Apple Custard Pie

06 Jan

Grandmama (originally from Aunt Babe)

I found this recipe in Aunt Jaymie’s recipe box. It was written on an index card in Grandmama’s handwriting. This is different from the Apple Pie I used to make with Grandmama because this one includes egg and sour cream.

Ingredients:

  • 7-8 green apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8 inch slices
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • Sprinkle of salt (enough or
  • Sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup thick sweet cream or fresh sour cream

Instructions:

  • Line pie tin with crust and build up a high rim.
  • Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar on bottom crust.
  • Arrange apple slices as close as possible, overlapping a little.
  • Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over apples and a light sprinkling of salt.
  • Beat lightly 1 egg and add 1/3 cup sugar and add 3/4 cup thick sweet cream or sour cream.
  • Stir together and pour over apples to fill the pan.
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  • Bake in hot oven at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until apples are tender when pricked (about 1 hour).

Aunt Babe’s Tips:
The amount of sugar really depends upon the tartness of the apples. A sweet apple is good for apple custard.

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Desserts, Pies

 

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Miso Soup

05 Jan

Mom

Miso is a Japanese soup and it’s very healthy! When my brother and I got sick as kids, my mom used to make us miso soup instead of the traditional chicken noodle soup that most parents make. She bought raw miso and made the soup from scratch. I believe she first learned about miso during her years in Japan when my grandfather was stationed there in the Navy.

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups water (bring to boil)
  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 2 large carrots, cubed
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 3 thin slices fresh ginger, chopped
  • Add anything else you might like

Instructions:

  • Add ingredients to boiling water.
  • Turn heat down and cook until carrots are not over-cooked, but still have a bit of a crunch.
  • Take about 1/2 cup broth into a measuring cup and add miso to taste- perhaps as much as 1/2 cup. Mix with broth- add to pot after it has stopped boiling.
  • Let sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Enjoy! Do not bring to a boil again.
 
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Posted by on January 5, 2012 in Soups

 

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Cucumber and Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches with Dill

27 Dec

These tea sandwiches are perfect finger food for a formal occasion. They are easy to make and look beautiful when arranged in quarters on a large platter with toothpicks. I serve them with tea at fundraisers and at holiday parties. These sandwiches add a sophisticated touch to any event.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: N/A

Ingredients:

  • One loaf of high quality bread. (Whole wheat or white is fine. Just make sure the bread is soft and not dry).
  • 16 oz. plain cream cheese
  • 1 cucumber
  • Dill for sprinkling on sandwiches
  • Toothpicks for holding sandwiches together

Instructions:

  • Cut cucumber into thin round slices. Set aside.
  • Lay out 2 pieces of bread on clean cutting board.
  • Carefully cut off crusts with a knife.
  • Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on both pieces of bread.
  • Place 4 cucumber slices on 1 of the pieces of bread, arranged so that each quadrant has a cucumber.
  • Sprinkle dill on top of cucumber and cream cheese.
  • Cover with second piece of bread.
  • Cut sandwich diagonally twice through the middle to create 4 triangular mini-sandwiches.
  • Insert a toothpick into the center of each mini-sandwich and arrange on serving platter.
  • Repeat above steps for entire loaf of bread.
 
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Posted by on December 27, 2011 in Appetizers, Other, Sandwiches

 

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Italian Stuffing

27 Dec

Adrianna

My sister, Adrianna is half- Italian and her mother’s family has some incredible authentic recipes. This stuffing requires a considerable amount of preparation, but the results are well worth the effort!

Preparation Time:
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 bags stuffing mix
  • 8 carrots
  • 1 whole head celery
  • ½ bushel parsley
  • 5-6 cloves garlic chopped fine (to taste)
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • ½ bag walnuts chopped very fine
  • ½ Parmasan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • Large container free range chicken broth
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup cranberries or raisins

Instructions:

Prepare vegetable, walnut, and cheese mixture:

  • Cook onion and garlic until slightly brown.
  • Add vegetables and cook until they are “aladante.”
  • Add walnuts to vegetable mixture and cook some more.
  • Add Parmasan cheese after the vegetables are cooked.
  • Cook cheese and vegetables together. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Prepare egg, stuffing, broth mixture:

  • Separately, beat eggs and add to stuffing. Allow to melt.
  • Add chicken broth to eggs. Stir.
  • Add olive oil.

Combine all ingredients:

  • Mix cranberries/raisins into veggie mixture and add to stuffing.
  • Put into mixture in a pan. Bake for ½ hour until it’s brown.
 
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Posted by on December 27, 2011 in Holiday Side Dishes, Holiday Specific

 

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Super Sweets

27 Dec

Adrianna

These are my sister’s version of mashed sweet potatoes. Generous amounts of butter, brown sugar, and sour cream are added to sweet potatoes/yams. If you are on a diet, I would try one of the other sweet potato recipes on this site, but if you are looking for a moment of indulgence, these fit the bill.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 yams (1 yam per person)
  • 1 1/2 cubes of butter (6 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 16 oz. whole milk or sour cream
  • Cinnamon and salt to taste

Instructions: 

  • Boil water and cook yams, leaving skin on.
  • Drain yams in cold water and peel.
  • Place yams in a bowl. Stir in butter and allow it to melt in hot yams.
  • Add cinnamon, brown sugar, and milk/sour cream.
  • Mix all ingredients using a masher or whipper until fluffy.
  • Sprinkle a little cinnamon and/or salt on top.
 
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Posted by on December 27, 2011 in Holiday Side Dishes, Holiday Specific, Potatoes, Side Dishes

 

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

27 Dec

I concocted this recipe for Christmas 2011, knowing I wanted to make something with sweet potatoes and apples to go with my homemade cranberry sauce and green beans. After some Google searching, I found a recipe I liked, but thought it was too bland. So, I doubled the measurements for the non-sweet potato ingredients and it was a hit!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 5 medium sized sweet potatoes)
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced (I suggest Granny Smith because the tartness of the apples offsets the sweetness of the other ingredients)
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • Dash of cinnamon to taste

Instructions:

  • Prepare Sweet Potatoes:
    • Add sweet potatoes to boiling water and cook until tender. You know they are done when the skin starts to fall off in the pot).
    • Place sweet potatoes in metal strainer. Run cold water over them for a couple minutes to cool them off.
    • Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, gently peel skin off with your fingers.
    • Mash in a large bowl using a potato masher or large fork. Set aside. (Be sure to measure potatoes before mashing to confirm you have enough).
  • Prepare Apple and Butter Mixture:
    • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
    • Add diced apples and cook until tender.
  • Combine Ingredients:
    • Add apple and butter mixture to the mashed sweet potatoes and stir until well blended.
    • Stir in apple juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
  • When ready to serve, heat over low heat until hot.
 
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Posted by on December 27, 2011 in Holiday Side Dishes, Holiday Specific, Potatoes, Potatoes

 

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Black Bean Brownies

23 Nov

Barbie Carson

Thanks to Barbie Carson of Franklin, Virginia for this creative recipe! Baking brownies doesn’t get much easier (or tastier) than this.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can black beans (regular size)
  • 1 box Duncan Hines Brownie mix (any flavor)

Instructions:

  • Puree beans in food processor and place in a mixing bowl.
  • Add brownie mix and stir with a fork until blended.
  • Put mixture in a 7X11 Pyrex dish and even out. Bake at 400* for 1 hour.
  • Cut into 16 squares
 
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Posted by on November 23, 2011 in Brownies, Desserts

 

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

23 Nov

Aunt Jaymie
Original Source: Food Processor Cookbook

While this recipe does not have the same heritage and tradition as my grandmother’s German Coffee Cake, which I make for Christmas every year, it is much easier to make. I made the sour cream version for Thanksgiving this year to test it out before Christmas! My father and brother could not decide which cake they liked better, so they asked me to make one of each next time. We’ll see about that! : )

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ cup pecans
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

  • Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Reserve.
  • Chop pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in food processor with steel blade until mixture consists of fine crumbs. Reserve.
  • Cream butter in processor, adding sugar slowly in a stream.  Add eggs & process until smooth.  Add sour cream & vanilla  & process.  Add flour mixture in two batches, processing with quick on / off pulses.
  • Pour half of batter into buttered tube pan.  Sprinkle with ½ topping mix.  Repeat.
  • Bake at 350 degrees about an hour.

Aunt Jaymie’s Tips:
Use an angel food cake pan, greased & floured, that has a removable bottom.

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2011 in Breakfast Dishes, Cakes, Holiday Breakfasts, Holiday Specific

 

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