Fresh Salsa Verde

For our Taco Nights, this is a nice green(verde) salsa. Whenever we make this salsa, I am reminded of the fresh produce coming out of our garden. Give it a try for a change of pace.

FRESH SALSA VERDE

8 each tomatillos
1/2 onion, medium
4 tablespoons cilantro
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 banana pepper, seeded

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired texture.

This fresh salsa is a great addition to your meal. ENJOY!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

In the last post, I wrote about Taco Nights. I will post a couple of salsa recipes I make for the tacos. These are straight forward and full of flavor.

FRESH TOMATO SALSA

4-5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 tablespoon lime juice

1. Mix ingredients together and serve.

This salsa is a nice compliment to any dish with the fresh taste of summer. ENJOY!

Vegetarian Refried Beans

Our family has always enjoyed having Taco Nights. Typically, we set out all the ingredients and let everyone make their own taco or burrito. Now that we are vegetarians, we omit the meat. The problem is most refried beans contain lard. There are some vegetarian refried beans varieties, but not all stores carry them. With this recipe, you can make your own refried beans that taste much better and you know what they contain.

VEGETARIAN REFRIED BEANS

2 cans pinto beans, drained reserving the juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 onion, finely diced

1. Place the ingredients in a pan and add some of the bean liquid to moisten. Heat over medium heat and mash the bean mixture to your desired texture. Add bean liquid if needed.

If you want some spice you can add jalapenos and/or cilantro. Any bean can be used, we like black beans as a substitute. If you have access to Penzey Spices, their Chili 9000 is a great alternative for the spices in this recipe. http://www.penzeys.com/  Experiment and ENJOY!

Emmy's Dane County Blue Ribbon Vegetarian Lasagna

It's Dane County Fair time and my daughter, Emily, enters a number of items for 4H. Monday is food entry and judging. One of the entries was this Four Cheese Lasagna dish. The best thing about the fair is we get to eat the leftovers if there are any. When Emily brought this dish up for judging, the judge ate her whole slice, which is a good sign since the judge has so many dishes to try in the evening. Lo and behold, Emily came home with a blue ribbon! Try this recipe and enjoy a piece of the fair.

EMMY'S BLUE RIBBON VEGETARIAN FOUR CHEESE LASAGNA

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 each eggplant, 1/2" slices
5 each medium tomatoes
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup pesto
2 each eggs, beaten
28 ounces tomato sauce
1 package lasagna sheets
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place squash and eggplant on a baking sheet and roast until tender; about 30 minutes
3. Halve the tomatoes and place on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, feta, eggs and salt and pepper. Fold in the roasted squash into the cheese mixture.
5.Mix the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pesto together.
6. In a 9 x 13 pan, ladle in the tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of eggplant over the sauce, cover the eggplant with lasagna pasta, cover the pasta with the cheese mixture and repeat.Cover with pasta, then sauce, then the mozzarella and parmesan.
7 Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden and bubbly.

This lasagna is delicious. The squash adds a sweet nuttiness and the pesto brings the sauce alive. You will not miss the meat in this full flavored dish. ENJOY!