40 Meatless Meals: Pear Gorgonzola Pizzas

• 1 batch pizza dough
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 T butter
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• 1 pear, sliced very thin
• 4 oz gorgonzola cheese
• 6 oz Gruyere or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 500º.

Melt the butter in a small skillet, add shallot and cook until golden. Sprinkle with vinegar and cook until evaporated.

Roll out the pizza dough into two small rounds, brush each with olive oil. Add shallots, pear, and cheeses, sprinkle with nuts.

Bake pizzas on a pizza stone or baking sheet 5-10 minutes.

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles

This really isn't a holy card of Saint Gertrude, but today is her feast day and I'm sure you'll want to learn more about her.

The reason why I chose this card for today has to do with Saint Gertrude being a patron of the poor - the target audience of this interesting sales strategy.  

CHEAPEST!

(The brown background is added to highlight the cut edges.)

40 Meatless Meals: Homemade Taco Salad Shells

This is a great recipe for when you have just a few tortillas left in the fridge, since you only need one per person. Make a generous serving of black beans and rice, and top with greens, salsa, and whatever other favorite taco toppings you have on hand.

(Source)

• burrito-size flour tortillas
• Olive oil or Canola oil
• one oven-safe cup or canning jar per tortilla

Preheat the oven to 400º. On a rimmed baking sheet, place the cups or jars upside down, evenly spacing them.

Microwave the tortillas for about 30 seconds, until they are soft and pliable. Rub about a teaspoon of oil on the front and back of the tortilla. Drape each tortilla over a cup or jar and gently mold into a bowl shape.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, checking often so they don’t burn, until the tortillas are nicely browned and crisp. Let cool for a few minutes before gently removing them from the cups or jars.

40 Meatless Meals: Quinoa Risotto with Caramelized Fennel

Quinoa is a grain that can be used much like rice, as evidenced in this risotto-style preparation, but is very high in protein, making for a meal that satisfies all evening. I recommend using a good heavy skillet for this, if possible, to help cook everything evenly.

Serves three as a main dish, six as a side.

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 3 T butter, divided
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced and cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• salt and white pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Toast dry quinoa in a large (12") skillet for about three minutes on medium-high, stirring frequently. Remove and set aside.

Heat oil and 2 T butter in skillet, add fennel and onion, spreading them evenly across the surface of the pan. Cook for about 25 minutes, until caramelized, stirring only every 5 minutes or so. Remove and set aside, leaving any excess oil in the pan.

Add remaining 1 T butter to pan and melt. Add quinoa and cook 1 minute, stirring to coat all the grains in oil.  Turn heat up to high, and add white wine. Stir to distribute evenly, and cook until evaporated. Add stock about ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently and adding more only when it has all been absorbed. Continue until tender, using more water or stock if needed. Off heat, stir in vegetables and cheese.

Serve sprinkled with extra Parmesan and garnished with a fennel sprig, if desired.

(Decidedly not meatless) Papal celebration recipes

Is a new pope a good enough reason to suspend Lenten penances for an evening? I hope so. In case you're looking for a meal to celebrate our new Pope Francis and his Argentine heritage, how about empanadas or steaks with chimichurri? For desert, tres leches cake is a classic South American confection, but I'm also eyeing these alfajores.

Update: How could I forget? Dulce de Leche on almost anything (cookies, coffee, ice cream) would also be an excellent choice. Here's a microwave method, among others, if you're pressed for time.

40 Meatless Meals: Shrimp fra Diavolo with Gorgonzola Polenta

The shrimp and sauce in this recipe are tangy and quite spicy, which makes for a nice contrast with the creamy, cheesy polenta. The recipe calls for putting individual serving bowls in a warm oven, but most porcelain and stoneware should be able to handle this without a problem. Check the manufacturers website or use large ramekins if you're not sure.

Serves two.

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 ounces crumbled gorgonzola
• 4T butter
• ½ pound large shrimp
• 14½ ounce can diced tomatoes
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1T olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• ½ cup white wine

Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, lower to heat to a very low simmer, and cook for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, saute half of the garlic and red pepper flakes in oil until fragrant. Add the wine and cook until it is nearly gone. Add tomatoes, and simmer 20 minutes. (Add some of your favorite hot sauce, if desired.) Preheat oven to 225º.

Toss the shrimp with a pinch each of salt, black or white pepper, and sugar. Melt 2T butter in a large skillet on high, saute the remaining garlic about 30 seconds. Add shrimp to skillet in a single layer, cook 2 mins. Remove from heat, flip over, add sauce, and let sit off heat until shrimp cook through.

Ladle polenta into bowls, top with butter & cheese, and bake for 10 minutes. Serve with shrimp and sauce.

40 Meatless Meals: Falafel with Tahini Sauce

You'll get the best results with a food processor, but I'm living proof that if you're patient and stubborn enough, you can make this recipe work with just a chef's knife. The results were a bit crumbly, though, so next time I'll probably try a combination of chopped and pureed chickpeas to improve the texture. Serve these with some salad greens (either on the side or tucked into the pita bread sandwiches), and you've got yourself a meal.

Serves six to eight.
(Source.)

• 2 cups roughly chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Canola oil, for sauteing 

• 1¼ cups plain yogurt (full fat or non-fat)
• ¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Add the onion and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are finely minced. Remove and set aside.

Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until they are roughly blended but not pureed.

Return the onion mixture to the food processor, along with the baking powder and just enough flour so that when you pulse the processor, the mixture begins to form a small ball and is not sticky. (Note: Start by adding ¼ cup of flour, and then the remaining ¼ cup. You can add more if the mixture is still too wet.)Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

While the falafel mixture is chilling, prepare the tahini sauce by whisking together the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, cover and chill.

Once the falafel mixture has chilled, use a small ice cream scoop or spoons to form the mixture into balls (about 3 T each). Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add a liberal amount of canola oil so that the pan is well-coated. Let the pan pre-heat for 3 minutes then add the falafel one by one, browning them on the first side for 3 minutes, then flipping them once and browning the second side until the mixture is cooked throughout.

Transfer the falafel to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt. Repeat until you have cooked all of the falafel.

Serve inside warmed pita bread with sauce.

40 Meatless Meals: Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce

Serves four.

• 4 (4 ounce) tilapia fillets
• 2 T Cajun seasoning, or to taste
• 1 lemon or lime, thinly sliced

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 T chopped fresh dill

Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Rub the tilapia fillets with Cajun seasoning on both sides. Arrange the seasoned fillets in a single layer in the baking dish. Place a layer of citrus slices over the fish fillets.

Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. While the fish is baking, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, lemon juice and dill in a small bowl. Serve tilapia with sauce on the side.

40 Meatless Meals: Tilapia Grilled on a Cedar Plank

1. Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes or so and then let the excess surface water drain off.
2. Place tilapia on the plank.
3. Brush with olive oil
4. Sprinkle with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed.
5. Grill over medium heat coals until done (10-15 minutes).
6. Make more than you think you'll need because everyone will want more.

40 Meatless Meals: Spinach Mushroom Calzone

Serves four.
(Source.)

• 1 T olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
• ¾ tsp fennel seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 4 cups baby spinach, packed (3 ounces) 
• All-purpose flour, for sprinkling
• 1 pound fresh pizza dough (or one 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated)
• 5 T grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided 
• ¼ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• ¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 1½ cups warm marinara, for dipping

Preheat oven to 425º.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and fennel seeds, and keep cooking until mushrooms are brown, stirring them often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano. Stir 1 minute. Add spinach, and stir just until wilted, about 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat, and scrape everything into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Grab a baking sheet, and line it with parchment. Sprinkle with flour. Place the dough on the baking sheet, and roll it into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. (If your dough keeps shrinking, let it rest for 15 minutes, and try again.)

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons Parmesan lengthwise over half of crust, leaving a one-inch  border. Top with ¾ cup mozzarella, then mushroom mixture. Sprinkle 2 T parmesan and ¾ cup mozzarella over mushrooms. Spoon dollops of ricotta cheese over; sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

Fold plain half of dough up over filling. Crimp edges tightly to seal. Brush with oil. Bake calzone until puffed and brown, about 18 minutes.

Brush with oil again, and serve with marinara for dipping.