Catch-up (no, not the tomato stuff)

I neglected to post the recipes from Class 1 on the blog. Here they are:

Recipes for February 12 both from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook by
Robin Robertson


Couscous with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries


2 tablespoons olive oil 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add
2 large shallots, minced the shallots, cover, and cook, stirring a few times,
2 cups quick-cooking couscous until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the couscous
½ cup dried cranberries and stir to coat with the oil. Stir in the cranberries
3 cups vegetable stock, brought to a boil and hot stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to
½ tsp ground cardamom low, stir in the cardamom and cayenne and season to
1/8 tsp cayenne taste with salt. Cover and cook until the water is
salt absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.
½ cups pistachio nuts 2.Remove from the heat, stir in the nuts and parsley and
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley serve. Serves 6-8


Savoury Vegetable Bread Pudding

1 pound spinach, tough stems removed and washed well, or one 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1 pound soft tofu, crumbled
2 cups regular or soy milk
1 ½ tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp minced fresh marjoram leaves or ½ tsp dried
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese or soy mozzarella, shredded
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into thick slices.

1)Lightly steam the spinach, or cook the frozen spinach. Drain well and squeeze dry. Set aside.
2)Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook, stirring a few
times, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook, uncovered until the mushrooms release their liquid and it begins to evaporate, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and set aside.
3) In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, milk, mustard, marjoram, nutmeg and salt and
pepper to taste and process until smooth. Stir this into the vegetable mixture, along with the
cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Arrange the bread slices in the dish. Pour the vegetable mixture over the bread, using a fork to distribute the vegetables evenly. Let soak a minimum of 20 minutes.
Bake the pudding for 30 mins. Then increase temperature to 400 degres and bake 10 minutes more, about 10 mins. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8