cup rich milkPOTATOES
Baked Chips
Princess Potatoes
Colcannon
Potato Patties with Apple and Cheese
Potato Baskets
VEGETABLE CASSEROLES
Ratatouille
Broccoli-Cheese Almondine
Cauliflower Casserole
Vegetable and Cheese Strata
Corn Soufflé
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Vegetable Parmigiana
Old-fashioned Creamed Cabbage
TEMPURA
Tempura Batter for Vegetables
Dipping Sauce for Tempura
SALADS
Soufflé Salad
Two-Tone Molded Vegetable Salad
PICKLES
Sweet Chunk Pickles
Icicle Pickles
SAUCE
Tomato Sauce
We can have vegetables steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked. Usually I serve them one of these ways. But sometimes, for a change, it’s exciting to vary their tastes by blending them in casseroles or salads or even turning them into pickles.
This short section includes my testers’ favorite casseroles using vegetables as a base, a recipe for GF tempura batter, plus two beautiful molded vegetable salads wonderful for parties or potlucks—they feed a crowd and have proved popular every time I’ve served them. I’ve also included several ways, some of them quite different, to use potatoes.
Because most pickles on the grocery shelves contain distilled vinegar, I’ve included two pickle recipes. Some GF pickles are available at health food stores, but since I’ve started making my own during cucumber season, I prefer them to any “store-boughten” ones.
A baked version of the English chip, or our French fry, these are lower in cholesterol and much easier to digest. You can eat them for snacks as well as an accompaniment to your fish or shrimp.
4 fist-sized potatoes, washed and well scrubbed, not peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk or nondairy liquid
Lemon pepper
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters and each quarter into 3 wedges (yielding 12 wedges per potato). Place the wedges on a well-greased cookie sheet.
Thin the mayonnaise with the milk and brush on the potato wedges. Sprinkle the pieces liberally with lemon pepper. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. Remove from the cookie sheet while still hot. Makes 2 or 3 servings.
When a guest asks for a recipe, a hostess knows she has a hit. This casserole prompted two such requests the first time I served it. Serve these make-ahead potatoes with meats that have no gravies, such as ham, Turkey Loaf (page 308), or your favorite barbecued specialty.
6 fist-sized new potatoes
1 cup sour cream or nondairy substitute
½ cup milk or nondairy liquid
3 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350°.
Boil the potatoes until almost cooked, about 15 minutes. Cool. Then peel and grate into a large mixing bowl.
Add the sour cream, milk, eggs, onion, Monterey Jack cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour into a buttered 9” × 13” casserole or baking dish. (If making ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from oven to sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on top. Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes longer to let the cheese melt. Makes 8 servings.
Serve this Irish potato and cabbage combination with corned beef if you wish, but it goes equally well with anything from roast beef to meat loaf, pork roast to chops. The wonderful flavor needs no gravy.
6 medium boiling potatoes
cup rich milk
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, plus margarine or butter for topping
1 slice bacon, diced, or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup water
3 cups shredded green cabbage (½ large head)
2 leeks or 6 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Peel the potatoes and cook in salted water (1 cup water to 1 teaspoon salt). When cooked, drain and mash with the milk and margarine until fluffy.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, fry the bacon. Remove the bits but save the grease (or use only the vegetable oil). Add the water, shredded cabbage, leeks, and salt. Cover and simmer until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Combine the cabbage with the whipped potatoes and beat again. Season with salt and pepper, dot with margarine, and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
A tasty old German way with potatoes that originally called for grating the ingredients. With a food processor, you can save a lot of time (and some scraped knuckles). Serve with turkey, meat loaf, ham, or other meats that don’t have a gravy.
4 fist-sized potatoes, cooked in their skins
2 crisp cooking apples, peeled and cored
1 medium onion, cubed
4 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese
½ teaspoon tarragon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying
Peel the potatoes. Put in a food processor along with the apples and onion. Process until just chopped. (Or you may grate each separately.) Place the chopped mixture in a mixing bowl. Add the cheese, tarragon, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Let stand for 10 to 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
Form 3-inch patties and fry in oil on both sides to sear, then lower heat to medium and cook through, about 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Potatoes, hollowed out and baked as baskets, are a flavorful and healthy change from pastry shells. I’ve filled them with Chicken à la King (page 269) or creamed salmon or tuna, or have smothered them with grated cheese, bacon bits, and chopped green onions, then stuck them under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese melted.
6 baking potatoes
1½ tablespoons mayonnaise diluted to brushing consistency with milk or nondairy liquid
Lemon pepper or salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375°.
Thoroughly scrub the potatoes. Cut a lengthwise slice off the top of each so they resemble baskets. Take a thin slice off each bottom to make a flat base.
With a melon bailer, scoop out the inside of each potato, leaving a ¼-inch shell. Brush the inside with the diluted mayonnaise and season with the lemon pepper. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Fill and serve while still hot or, if made ahead, reheat and then fill. Makes 6 servings.
This casserole of mixed vegetables is an easy fix-ahead dish for the cook, and it’s even tastier if made hours before serving. Once baked, serve at room temperature or reheat, as desired. Ratatouille is excellent as a barbecue or potluck side dish. The suggested vegetables are basic, but you may add to them any or all of the following: sliced carrots, sliced yellow squash, or sliced small, delicate zucchini (large ones contain too much moisture). Experiment with different colored vegetables for an exciting look to your casserole.
1 medium eggplant, cubed
1 large onion, sliced or chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or one 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon oregano or marjoram
1 to 1½ teaspoons salt, to taste
cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon thyme (optional)
Preheat oven to 300° or 325°.
Place all ingredients in a 2½-quart casserole. Fill to the top; the vegetables will cook down considerably. Bake for 1 hour in a 325° oven 1½ hours or at 300° for 2 hours. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
A great party dish but easy enough for any family dinner, this almondine is so good you won’t have any leftovers. This recipe may easily be doubled; use a 2-quart casserole. You will not need to double the almonds.
2 to 3 cups broccoli florets and stems
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons chopped onions
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 cup milk or nondairy liquid
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook the broccoli until barely tender. Drain and place it in a buttered 1½-quart casserole.
In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine and sauté the onion until clear. Stir in the salt and flour. Add the milk slowly, stirring continually. Turn heat to medium and cook until sauce has thickened. Add the cheese and stir until cheese melts. Spoon the cheese sauce over the broccoli. Top with the almonds. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 3 or 4 servings.
Cauliflower dressed up with a wonderful sauce is a make-ahead company dish easy enough for the family.
1 head cauliflower
Sauce
1½ tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons rice flour
¾ cup chicken stock
½ cup milk or nondairy liquid
1 green onion, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Pepper to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
¼ cup sliced almonds, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°.
Wash the cauliflower and break it into florets. Precook by steaming for 5 minutes or place in a covered casserole and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Place in buttered 2-quart casserole.
Sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cheese. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle on the almonds. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
Strata means layers in Italian, and that is just how this simple but colorful casserole is prepared. You may use any combination of fresh vegetables and cheeses you wish as long as the combination is pleasing to the eye and palate. Try broccoli and yellow bell pepper; mushrooms, green onions, and carrots; califlower and red or green peppers. Avoid watery vegetables such as eggplant and large zucchini.
This makes a full meal with a simple fruit salad, or it can accompany fish, ham, or chicken.
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup (½ pound) fresh asparagus, in 1-inch pieces
1 cup carrots, diced
¼ cup onion, chopped
3 cups GF bread in ½-inch cubes
1 cups Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cups milk or nondairy liquid
3 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
In a large frying pan, heat the butter and stir in the asparagus and carrots. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender. (Cover, if desired, for more moistness.) Put aside to cool.
Into a greased 2-quart casserole place half the bread cubes. Top with half the vegetable mixture and half the cheese, Repeat layers.
Combine the milk, eggs, salt, and paprika. Pour over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake covered for approximately 40 minutes; remove the cover and cook another 10 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is browned. Makes 6 servings.
This never-fail vegetable soufflé is a tasty way of stretching one can of corn for a meatless dish. As a main dish, serve with a salad; as a side dish, pair with ham, chicken, or fish. This can be prepared ahead and baked as guests gather.
One 17-ounce can whole kernel corn
¾ cup (approximately) milk or nondairy liquid
¼cup margarine or butter
cup cornmeal
3 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons bell pepper (as desired), minced
3 to 4 sliced green onions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Drain the corn, saving the liquid. Add the milk to the liquid to measure 1½ cups. In a saucepan combine the milk mixture and margarine, and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal. Bring back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
To the egg yolks, add the baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, onions, and corn. Stir the corn mixture into the cooked meal. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into a buttered 1½-quart casserole.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and set. Makes 4 servings as a main dish; 6 to 8 servings as a side dish.
A great casserole! Don’t pass up this dish even if you’ve don’t like spaghetti squash and tomato sauce. Here the mild turkey ham and Swiss cheese complement the flavor of this unique vegetable.
One 2-pound spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups cooked turkey ham, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms, fresh or canned
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 cup milk or nondairy liquid
1 cup chicken broth
1½ cups grated Swiss cheese
1½ teaspoons prepared mustard
1½ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
cup grated Cheddar cheese (optional)
½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook the squash by cutting in half lengthwise and baking, cut side down, in a 9” × 13” baking pan or casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the meat feels tender. Cool and remove seeds and inside pith. Remove the spaghetti-like strands gently with a fork and place in a large mixing bowl (there should be about 5 cups).
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Sauté the ham and mushrooms briefly. Add the mixture to the squash.
In the same skillet, sauté the onion until clear. Add the flour and pour in the combined milk and chicken broth, stirring until smooth and thickened. Add ¾ cup of the Swiss cheese, the mustard, salt, and pepper, and stir until the cheese is melted. Pour this into the bowl of spaghetti squash mixture. Tumble gently until mixed and place in a buttered 9” × 13” pan or casserole. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with the remaining Swiss cheese, the Cheddar, if used, and the almonds, if used. Return to the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
An unusual dish of eggplant or yellow squash and zucchini. Serve this when you crave a high-protein meatless entrée. Add a green salad and one of the breads (pages 33 to 91) and you have a full meal. These individual serving dishes can be prepared ahead to be cooked at dinnertime (allow a little more baking time if the casseroles have been refrigerated).
1 medium eggplant or 2 cups sliced yellow squash
2 cups sliced zucchini
Salt to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
One 14-ounce jar GF spaghetti sauce
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Peel the eggplant and cut into ½-inch-thick slices; cut slices in half. Wash and bias-slice the zucchini. (If using yellow squash, treat as zucchini.) Cook the vegetables in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes.
Divide the cooked vegetables into 4 au gratin dishes or individual casseroles. Top each with ¼ cup of the ricotta cheese and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. Divide the spaghetti sauce equally over the dishes. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Makes 4 servings.
Cabbage in a casserole may sound old-fashioned when we can serve fresh (imported and expensive) summer vegetables all winter, but try this once and you’ll understand why it’s still popular in many countries. This is a hearty dish, so pair it with some leftover roast, ham, or chicken. Serve fruit for dessert to help lower the calories. For variety, add one grated apple to the casserole before baking.
1 medium-size head green cabbage
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup cream or nondairy liquid, undiluted
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese, for topping (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°.
Wash, core, and shred the cabbage. Cook until tender. Drain. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the rest of the ingredients except the Cheddar cheese and then pour them into a buttered 3-quart casserole or baking dish.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Add the cheese topping, if desired, and return to oven for another 5 to 7 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
The unusual combination of flavors plus the delicate texture make this batter for deep-frying vegetables a winner, even for those who can have gluten. Use for Japanese-style onion rings, zucchini strips, thin potato slices, broccoli bits, green beans, mushrooms, or any vegetable you choose. To be authentically Japanese, serve with a dipping sauce.
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup rice flour (sweet rice is best)
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon seasoning salt Salt to taste (if necessary)
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Fresca, 7UP, or Sprite
3 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 cups washed and cut-up vegetables
In a medium bowl, beat the egg.
Mix together the cornstarch, rice flour, xanthan gum, seasoning salt, salt, and baking powder. Stir the dry mix into the egg alternately with the Fresca.
Heat the oil in an automatic frying kettle or frying pan to 375°. Dip the vegetables into the batter, then gently drop them into the hot oil, cooking only a few pieces at a time. Turn once as they brown. Remove and drain on paper toweling. Serve while hot with or without dipping sauce, page 250. Makes 4 servings.
This may be made ahead and cooled before preparing the tempura. One tester says she cooked the radish and ginger with the sauce. Excellent.
¼ cup GF soy sauce
¼ cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
Dash salt or to taste
1 daikon radish, grated
1 finger (2 tablespoons) fresh gingerroot, grated
In a small saucepan, place the soy sauce, sherry, chicken stock, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove and let cool. When ready to serve, pour into separate small bowls for each diner.
Place bowls of the radish and the ginger on the table and let each diner season the sauce to taste by adding the grated pieces. Makes 6 servings.
Serve this crunchy, cool-looking molded vegetable salad with a summer meal. For a firmer mold, add ½ teaspoon plain gelatin.
One 6-ounce package lemon gelatin
2 cups hot water
1 cup cold water
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced radishes
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup green bell pepper, minced
Lettuce, for serving
Extra radishes, for garnish
In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the 2 cups hot water.
Mix together the 1 cup cold water, the mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt. Stir into the gelatin. Refrigerate until not quite jelled.
Remove from the refrigerator and whip with eggbeater. Stir in the cabbage, celery, radishes, onions, and bell pepper. Pour into an oiled 2-quart mold and refrigerate from 3 hours to overnight. Unmold onto a lettuce-lined serving plate and garnish with radish roses. Makes 12 servings.
A beautiful vegetable salad that will fool everyone into thinking you’ve added tuna fish or poultry to the filling. A crowd pleaser at parties and potlucks. Add ½ teaspoon extra plain gelatin for a slightly firmer salad, if desired.
One 16-ounce can V-8 juice
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
One 6-ounce package lemon gelatin
4 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
2 cups grated green cabbage
2 cups cottage cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
Lettuce, for serving (optional)
Mayonnaise and paprika, for garnish (optional)
In a saucepan, bring to a boil the V-8 juice and tomato sauce.
Add the vinegar and pour the tomato mixture over the gelatin in a large mixing bowl. Pour one-fourth of the mixture into a 2-quart ring mold or a 9” × 12” pan. Refrigerate until set, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
Blend together the cottage cheese and mayonnaise. Stir into the liquid gelatin. Add the vegetables. Pour this over the firm first layer in pan or mold. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
Serve from the pan by cutting into squares and turning the aspic side up on individual plates, or unmold entire salad onto a large platter garnished with lettuce. Top each serving with a dab of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of paprika, if desired. Makes 12 servings.
Since many of the pickles on the market contain distilled vinegar, you might want to put up your own during cucumber season. These are easy to make and wonderfully good. Most sweet pickles take almost two weeks, but these can be soaked in brine overnight and put into the spiced vinegar the next day.
8 to 10 cups 2-to 3-inch cucumbers, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 quarts cold water
cup salt
6 cups apple cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons whole mixed pickling spices
1 teaspoon whole cloves
One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken
½ teaspoon alum (optional; see Note)
Place the cucumbers in a large glass bowl or crock.
In a medium bowl, add a small amount of the cold water to the salt, let that dissolve, then add the rest. Cover the cucumbers with this brine. Let set 24 hours.
In a saucepan mix the vinegar, sugar, pickling spices, cloves, cinnamon, and alum, if used. Bring to the boiling point.
Drain off the brine and immediately pour boiling water over to cover the chunks. Drain in a colander and immediately pack the chunks tightly in hot sterilized jars. Cover at once with the vinegar mixture.
Seal jars with fresh caps and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes 5 to 6 pints.
NOTE: Alum is not an essential ingredient, but it will keep the pickles crisp and help retain the color.
These crisp, sweet pickles are so good you won’t mind the two weeks’ time and the several processes involved in making them. By using cider vinegar, you can be sure they are gluten free. Since pickles keep well, you won’t have to make them up every year unless, like me, you enjoy chopping them into salad dressings and all sandwich fillings. Use these for the Haitian Chicken (page 300).
3 quarts small pickling cucumbers, cut lengthwise in quarters
¾ cup salt
1½ quarts water
1½ tablespoons mixed pickling spices
5 cups sugar
5 cups apple cider vinegar
Place the cucumber strips in a stone jar or large glass container.
Add the salt to the water and bring to boiling. Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Cover with a fitted plate or saucer and top with a weight (a sealed jar of water can replace Grandma’s washed stone). Let stand one week.
After a week, drain, discarding the brine. Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly and cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 24 hours.
Drain. Cover with boiling water; cover and let stand 24 hours. Drain.
Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag. In a saucepan, bring to a boil the spices, sugar, and vinegar. Pour the mixture over the cucumbers. Cover and let stand 24 hours.
Drain the syrup; bring it to a boil again and then pour it over cucumbers. Repeat this step 3 more times.
The next day, drain the cucumbers, reserving the syrup; pack pickles into sterile pint canning jars, leaving one-quarter inch head-space. Discard the spice bag. Reheat the syrup to boiling and pour it over the pickles, leaving one-quarter inch headspace. Adjust fresh caps and rings. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes about 6 pints.
A basic sauce to accompany many dishes. Serve it over Moussaka (page 274) or Russian Cabbage Rolls (page 276) or use it to spice up grits or noddles. Add more sugar or different spices to suit your tastes. Even the acidity of the tomatoes will vary the flavor.
1 tablespoon olive oil
cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped (see Note)
½ cup water
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 crushed bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
¼ cup Burgundy (optional)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, and sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes, water, salt, basil, oregano, pepper, bay leaf, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, then add the tomato paste and Burgundy, if you are using it. If you don’t use the wine, it may be necessary to thin with a bit more water to achieve the desired consistency. Leave the sauce on very low heat for at least another half hour for the flavors to meld. Makes about 1 quart sauce.
NOTE: You may substitute one 14½-ounce can whole tomatoes. Chop them and use the liquid, but eliminate the ½ cup of water from the recipe.