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Good for hungry boys and girls: Cracked wheat and tempeh stand in for hamburger in a home-style casserole. By Nancy Ross Ryan |
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I'm a 34-year-old male who does not have a lot of time to cook. When I do, I enjoy trying stuff from Vegetarian Times. Hungry Boys Casserole was one of my favorite meals that my mother would make for me as a child. The last time I was at a family get-together, I copied her recipe. I hope you pick this for your "Recipe Redux" so l can once again enjoy it!
Mom's casserole turned out to be a real challenge: a mixture of ground beef sauteed with celery, onion, green pepper and garlic, then simmered with chickpeas and canned pork and beans. The casserole was topped with homemade buttery biscuit pinwheels stuffed with a mixture of casserole meat, slivered almonds and sliced stuffed green olives.
Her son's affection for this dish is readily understandable with its rich supplies of fat and salt -- two great flavor enhancers. Her recipe is also economical, easy to prepare and hearty enough to satisfy a family full of hungry kids. The challenge was to find a flavorful substitute for ground beef and to cut back on the fat and salt -- without sacrificing the flavor.
Prepared vegetarian burger mixes proved too dry; texturized vegetable protein too bland. Tofu was too soft; seitan too cohesive. Frozen, ready-to-cook vegetarian burgers pushed the price of an originally economical dish a bit on the high side.
Happily, however, two flavorful alternatives were found in cracked wheat and tempeh. Cracked wheat (not to be confused with bulgur, which is steamed, then dried) is uncooked wheat that is dried and coarsely milled. It holds its texture nicely during cooking without becoming soft and mushy. Tempeh is a fermented cooked soybean product that is a staple in Indonesia. Try out both casseroles on your hungry crew to see which one they prefer.
Casserole filling:
Biscuit topping:
Filling: Preheat Oven to 425°F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté celery, onion, green pepper and garlic, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
Add mushrooms to skillet; reduce heat to medium. Sauté mushrooms, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked through and juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, water, molasses and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to boil. Slowly add cracked wheat in thin stream, stirring constantly. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 25 minutes, occasionally uncovering to scrape bottom with spatula to prevent sticking.
Add baked beans and chickpeas. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered while preparing biscuits, stirring bottom frequently to prevent sticking.
Topping: In medium bowl combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir with whisk to mix. In measuring cup, add oil to buttermilk or soymilk; add to flour. Stir with fork until mixture leaves sides of bowl.
Turn out on floured board. Knead briefly. Roll into 12- x 8-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour to prevent sticking. Spread with olives and almonds. Roll up starting with 12-inch side. Cut into 1-inch pieces with sharp serrated knife.
Transfer bean mixture to glass, ceramic or stainless steel casserole that measures at least 12- x 8-inches, or 10-inches round and is 2 inches deep. Top with biscuits spaced so that they do not touch.
Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings of about 1 cup filling and I biscuit each. Note: To clabber soymilk, measure specified fed amount in glass container. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir once. Let sit for 5 minutes.
PER SERVING: 3 88 CAL.: 13G PROT.: 11G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT.); 63G CARB.; 1MG CHOL.; 1,142MG SOD.; 11G FIBER. LACTO
Casserole filling: 2 tsp. olive oil 1 cup thinly sliced celery cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed. then minced 8 oz. white or brown mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and minced 8-oz. pkg. plain tempeh, chopped 6-oz. can tomato paste 1 1/3 cups water 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. unsulfured molasses (see glossary, p. 102) 15-oz. can vegetarian baked beans 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Biscuit topping: (See Hungry Boys Casserole 1)
Filling: Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté celery, onion, green pepper and garlic, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
Add mushrooms to skillet; reduce heat to medium. Sauté, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked through and juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add tempeh to skillet; stir to mix. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, water, salt and molasses. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add baked beans and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered while preparing biscuits, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Topping: See Hungry Boys Casserole I for topping and assembly instructions.
Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 8. servings of about I cup filling and I biscuit each.
PER SERVING: 406 CAL.; 17G PROT; 13G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT) 59G CARB.; 1 CHOL.; 1,142MG SOD.; 10G FIBER. LACTO
The following ingredients were token from our reader's mom's original recipe, which serves 6 to 8.
Casserole filling:
Biscuit topping:
PER SERVING: 736 CAL; 47G PROT.; 34G TOTAL FAT (14G SAT. FAT.); 65G CARB.; 127MG CHOL.; 1,703MG SOD; 11G FIBER. |
NANCY ROSS RYAN is a Chicago-based food writer, cookbook author and mother,
Alfalfa sprouts: Seeds of alfalfa, a plant grown as animal fodder, sprouted for human consumption. Popular in salads and sandwiches.
Arugula (ah-ROO-gah-lah): Bitter, peppery salad green resembling radish leaves, also called rocket.
Balsamic vinegar (bal-SAH-mikk): Red-brown Italian vinegar that has a sweet-sour flavor. Made from white Trebbiano grapes and aged in wooden barrels. White balsamic vinegar is made from Italian white wine vinegar and the boiled down musts (crushed pulp and skins) of white grapes.
Basmati rice (bahs-MAH-tee): A long-grained brown or white rice that is aged to enhance its perfumed aroma and nutlike flavor. Good with Indian or Asian dishes.
Black-eyed pea: Small, tan Asian legume with a black circular "eye," introduced to America via the African slave trade. Available fresh or dried. Also called cowpea as it was originally grown as animal fodder.
Cheese: Dairy cheeses (especially hard, ripened varieties such as cheddar and Parmesan), usually contain a meat byproduct called rennet, an enzyme extracted from calf stomachs used to coagulate milk. Pig pepsin is another coagulating agent. Fresh, unripened dairy cheeses, such as cream cheese and goat cheese, usually contain vegetable rennet, a microbial enzyme produced from a mold culture. This is sometimes listed on labels as "cheese culture." Cheese spreads sometimes contain gelatin, another meat byproduct. Some dairy cheeses available in natural foods stores are labeled rennetless or rennet-free. These are made with chymosin, a genetically altered bacteria that reproduces the "blueprint" of a cow rennin gene. Chymosin is usually listed on cheese labels as "enzymes." Another label to look for is kosher. Kosher cheeses are rennetless because Jewish dietary law forbids the mixing of dairy and meat byproducts. Soy and nut cheeses; while free of meat byproducts, usually contain a milk protein called calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate or casein. Call the manufacturer to determine if a dairy cheese contains meat byproducts or if a nut or soy cheese contains milk byproducts.
Chickpeas: Also called garbanzo beans, these lightbrown beans have a nutty flavor. They are available dried or canned.
Chinese chili oil: Orangy-red, chili-infused oil found in small bottles in Asian markets. A few drops add a spicy kick to any dish.
Chinese five-spice powder: Pungent mixture of five ground spices, usually equal parts, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechwan peppercorns.
Dijon mustard (dee-ZHOHN): French-style smooth mustard made with mustard seed, white wine and seasonings. Known for its clean, sharp taste. Pommery is French country-style, whole-grain mustard.
Feta (FEHT-uh): Soff, white, tangy cheese made from goat's or cow's milk, often used in Greek and other Mediterranean cuisines.
Herbes de Provençe (EHRB duh proh-VAWN): A blend of dried herbs reflecting the flavors associated with the South of France. Commercially made mixtures often contain basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savvy arrd thyme.
Jasmine rice: Aromatic rice from Thailand comparable to India's basmati rice.
Mung bean sprouts: Small bean with yellow flesh and green, yellow or black skin, often used for sprouting.
Nutritional yeast: Dietary supplement and condiment that has a distinct but pleasant aroma. Its taste varies from nutty to cheesy. It can be added to soups and casseroles or sprinkled on toast, popcorn or spaghetti.
Oyster mushroom: A fan-shaped mushroom with a robust, slightly peppery flavor. Young oyster mushrooms 1-1/2 inches across or less are the best.
Phyllo dough (FEE-loh): Tissue-thin layers of pastry used in Greek and Middle Eastern dishes such as baklava. Phyllo means "leaves" in Greek; also called filo. Available frozen in supermarkets.
Poblano pepper: Dark green, shiny, curvaceous pod about the size of an elongated green bell pepper. On the heat scale it is medium to hot with a raisin like flavor. Look for poblanos in the produce section of well stocked supermarkets. Poblanos are stuffed with cheese and coated in an egg batter for the famous Mexican dish, chiles rellenos.
Portobello mushroom: Large tan or brownish mushroom with relatively flat cap reaching 6 inches across. Meaty flavor and texture, can be grilled whole or sliced.
Sesame oil: Expressed from sesame seeds, comes into two basic types, light and dark. Lighter varieties are good for salad dressing and sautéing: dark sesame oil, which bums easily, is drizzled on Asian dishes as a flavor accent after cooking.
Shiitake mushroom (shee-TAH-kee): A rich, woodsy mushroom with an umbrella-shaped brown cap used in traditional Japanese cuisine.
Tahini (tuh-HEE-neel: A thick, smooth paste made of ground sesame seeds. A staple of Middle Eastern cuisme.
Tamari (teh-MAH-ree): A rraturally brewed soy sauce that contairrs no sugar. Available wheat-free.
Unsulfured molasses: Molasses made without sulfur in processing. Generally, unsulfured molasses has a lighter, cleaner sugar-cane taste.
Wheat germ: The vitamin-, mineral-, protein- and oil-rich embryo of the wheat berry. It has a nutty flavor. Available toasted and in its natural form.
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Vegetarian Times Magazine
who has spent many years happily cooking for hungry boys and girls.
Anasazi bean (a-nuh-SAH-zee): Heirloom dried legume colored with blotches of red and white. Noted for sweet flavor.