Community Cookbook: Makeover your Monday meals with meatless munchies

The popularity of plant-based dishes, boosted by the internet, has been remarkable over the last several decades. Meatless dishes are often delicious and colorful, and many are developed with an eye on nutrition and healthfulness. Today’s column isn’t about meat versus vegetarian dishes, or even necessarily about nutrition and healthfulness.

The recipes that follow aren’t intended to be vegetarian. I could toss some meat or seafood into any, without worry. I am a card-carrying member of Carnivores-Я-Us, after all. Rather, they’re about simple and delicious eating. Three are suitable as main or side dishes, while one, Flavored Quinoa, is more suited to being a side dish or an ingredient in other dishes, such as salads and stuffed vegetables.

The stars of today’s recipe lineup are Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes and Lentil Tacos. If I had to be a vegetarian to eat these, I might consider converting. Quinoa is an underused, ultra-healthy seed often mistaken for a grain. You can substitute or add ingredients to Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes, if you wish, but they’re pretty good, as is.

It’s surprising how many plump, tasty tacos Lentil Tacos makes with a half-cup of dried lentils. The filling has a somewhat creamy consistency, similar to Taco John’s and Jack in the Box. My taste buds are unanimous. This plant-based filling can compete with meat fillings for space in my tacos any time. Of course, there are the usual supporting ingredients: onion, cheese, lettuce, and salsa.

Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes

Quinoa isn’t a widely used food. It may be the healthiest seed or grain people can eat. It’s packed with complete protein and has a somewhat crunchy texture. Here, quinoa is teamed with tomatoes and a supporting cast of delicious ingredients to produce a delightfully light vegetable main dish.

4-6 large tomatoes

½ cup finely chopped pulp from tomatoes

2 teaspoons cooking oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped carrot

¼ cup finely chopped celery

½ cup quinoa

1 cup water

1½ teaspoon any flavor bouillon powder

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon chili powder

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese for topping

Cut off and discard the top ½ inch of the stem ends of the tomatoes. Carefully scoop out the insides of the tomatoes with a spoon (avoid puncturing the shell). Separate some of the scooped-out pulp from the hard core and finely chop ½ cup of pulp, with minimal juice. Heat the cooking oil in a small skillet over high-medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Rinse and drain the quinoa. Combine the next four ingredients (through sugar) in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. Combine all ingredients, except the tomatoes and topping cheese, in a medium bowl. Place the tomatoes upright in a baking pan, with space between each. Spoon the filling into the tomatoes to ¼ inch from the tops. Mound the remaining cheese on top of each tomato. Place the pan on a rack in the middle-low position of an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake until the cheese melts and the tomatoes’ contents are hot, about 12-14 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: Garnish with minced parsley or cilantro leaves after baking, if preferred. Toasted or raw sliced or slivered almonds will provide a nice crunch to the filling.

Yield: Four to six main-dish servings

Lentil Tacos

These tacos are tasty, hearty, and filling without the use of any meat. They can be made vegetarian by using vegetable bouillon powder. Pair lentils and rice in the same meal for a complete protein.

2 teaspoons cooking oil

⅓ cup finely chopped onion

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup finely chopped jalapeño pepper

½ cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1¼ teaspoon any flavor bouillon powder

1 cup water

¼ cup smooth salsa

1½ teaspoon taco seasoning

8 6-inch toasted fresh corn tortillas

Finely chopped onion

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Coarsely shredded lettuce

Salsa for serving

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the jalapeño pepper and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lentils and bouillon powder. Stir in the water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the lentils are slightly overcooked, 20-25 minutes. Mash the lentils thoroughly with a potato masher and cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, stirring more frequently as they do (be careful that the lentils don’t scorch on the bottom of the pan). Stir in the salsa and taco seasoning. Cook until the mixture has thickened to a paste-like consistency, stirring frequently. To use, spread 2½ tablespoons of hot filling evenly over half of the top side of a tortilla. Top the filling with onion, cheese, and lettuce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with salsa.

Yield: Eight tacos

Flavored Quinoa

The super-nutritious seed, quinoa, food of the Incan gods, takes on a mild flavor in this versatile dish that will fit right in on most dinner menus. Use it as a side dish or be creative and incorporate the quinoa into your main dish or salad. Most of us would benefit from eating more quinoa.

½ cup dried quinoa

1 cup water

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon any flavor bouillon powder

¾ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

⅓ cup, sliced into ¼-inch pieces, green onion

Thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa. Combine all ingredients, except the green onion, in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 16 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes before lifting the lid (the germ sprouts should be emerging from most of the quinoa seeds, and the seeds should have turned transparent). If not quite done, quickly re-cover and let sit until done. Stir in the green onion and serve hot.

Notes: To use quinoa in a salad, spread it out on a cookie sheet or shallow baking pan to cool and dry slightly after cooking. Cooked quinoa will last up to five days in the refrigerator, if stored in an airtight container.

Yield: 1¾ cup

Leaner Boxed Macaroni and Cheese

Boxed macaroni and cheese products are typically high in fat and calories. They use a lot of butter or margarine, in addition to the cheese. While I like the boxed versions for their speed and ease of preparation, I’ve been making a lower-fat, lower-calorie version for years. It’s easy to do, and there’s no loss in flavor. It has a palmful of finely chopped onion to add a little zip and textural contrast to the dish.

1 (7.25-ounce) box macaroni and cheese

1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine

⅓ cup milk

Additional milk, to taste

Very finely chopped onion (optional)

Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain. Prepare the cheese sauce according to package directions on the stovetop or in a microwave oven, using 1-2 tablespoons of butter or margarine and ⅓ cup of milk. Thoroughly combine the macaroni and sauce. Stir in the chopped onion, if used. Stir in additional milk to achieve the desired consistency and flavor.

Yield: 3 cups

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com