Hearty Fall Fare

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As summer leaves us and fall makes its way into our lives, it’s time to think about more hearty fare than cold soups and salads.

Here are some recipes that are simple, tasty, economical and just right for those buy days of September and October.

Please send in YOUR favorite recipes to email hidden; JavaScript is required. Include a backstory for the recipe or notes on how you changed it. We’d love to publish them in Shomrei Week.

recipes Sept22Sweet Italian Turkey and Eggplant Casserole (serves 6)

Lynne Kurzweil, MESH co-chair, is a registered dietician. She is always looking for tasty, nutritious dishes that will still please our MESH guests. This casserole is perfect. I even served it to my husband who doesn’t like casseroles and he has three helpings!

Ingredients
½ pound ground turkey, breast if possible
½ teaspoon olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced and rinsed
1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1” pieces
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
32 ounces spaghetti sauce
½ cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon sage, fresh minced
1 teaspoon thyme, fresh minced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add turkey and leeks.
3. Cook 5 minutes until turkey is rumbled and cooked through.
4. Add eggplant, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce (add water to spaghetti sauce jar and swish to get remaining sauce out of the jar and into the pan.)
5. Cook for another 5-6 minutes to soften vegetables.
6. Combine bread crumbs, sage and thyme in a bowl.
7. Spray a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray and spread eggplant mixture into the pan. Top with bread crumbs and bake 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
8. Serve over pasta or a hearty grain.

Notes
1. No leeks? Use mild onions instead.
2. No ground turkey? Use lean ground beef or even firm tofu.
3. Many jars of spaghetti sauce now come in 25 ounce sizes. The recipe will still work. It just won’t be quite as saucy.
4. Bread crumbs are optional. Just incorporate herbs into turkey/eggplant mixture.
5. Add canned, fresh or frozen corn to the mixture. It adds a nice touch of color.
6. This recipe doubles beautifully and fits perfectly into a 9 x 13 pan.

recipessept222Seasoned Roasted Potatoes (serves 4)
I found this recipe by chance. It is extremely economical and easy to prepare. Kids can help by tossing the potatoes to coat them with the seasoning.

Ingredients
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2 pounds)
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a 13 x 9 baking or roasting pan.
3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Notes
1. Other types of potatoes work just as well, especially Yukon gold.
2. Goodman and Lipton both make kosher dry soup mix. Check for the hecksher on the Lipton. The company makes both kosher and nonkosher dry soup mix.

spinachSpinach Kugel
This noodle kugel is a nice change from the traditional sweet kugel. There is also no dairy in it so it can work with any meal. It bakes up nice and firm and cuts easily into squares. This is a good way to eat your spinach.

Ingredients
10 ounce bag of wide egg noodles
16 ounces of frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry (approximately 1 cup)
6 eggs, beaten
½ cup canola oil
2 packets dry vegetable soup mix (like Lipton’s)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until just done about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.
3. Combine all ingredients with the noodles in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula.
4. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Pour ingredients into pan.
5. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
6. Serve hot or warm.

Notes
1. Many bags of noodles come in 12 ounce sizes. The recipe works with that amount.
2. Many bags of frozen spinach come in 20 ounce sizes. The recipe should still work.
3. Add another egg if you are worried about the kugel being too dry.
4. Add a little nutmeg to the mixture for a special taste.
5. Sprinkle the top with some grated parmesan cheese.
6. Try using egg substitute to make the dish vegan…of course, don’t top it with cheese.

 

image: “Clagget Farm Share Week Collage 15” © F. Delventhal adapted and used with permission via Creative Commons License.

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