Week One: Jan. 14-Jan. 20

Swiss Chard Lasagna 

Served with Greens

I loosely followed this recipe: Swiss Chard Lasagna. However, all of my veggie lasagnas are just layers of soymilk béchamel sauce (it works, for reals), no-cook noodles, veggie filling (shocked leafy greens w/onion (or wilted in veg broth) or roasted & pureed squash), and some combination of ricotta mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 or so until bubbly and browned--40-45 min.  This lasagna was good, but I'd like to try it with kale at some point.

Rest of the week after the jump . . .

Spaghetti Cauliflower Briney Green Olive 
Concoction

Oh, how I wanted to like this dish.  I <3 Cauliflower.  I love it roasted, pan-fried, smothered with cheese (more on that in a minute).  I also love briney, garlicky green olives.  Toasted almonds aren't bad either.  Yet somehow all these lovely ingredients combined into a dish that was decidedly meh.  Ah well, the more you know.

Glazed Tofu and Baby Bok Choy

I have an ambivalent relationship with tofu.  I like firm tofu baked or prepared for me at a restaurant, other than that I usually avoid it.  This dish, however, was pretty awesome.  I tinkered with this recipe: Stir-Fried Bok Choy, minus the mizuna.  The soy sauce/sesame oil/rice vinegar glaze was fantastic.  This meal is also vegan.

Cauliflower Cheese with 

Mustard Bread Crumbs 

Served with Greens

This is a transcript of an email I sent after eating this: "Zomg!  This is the yummiest noms in the history of the nomiverse! I am only eating cauliflower cheese from nom until forever. Nooommmmzzzzzz!"  I think that sums it up.  Cauliflower cheese is a British dish that I hadn't tried before.  It's a gratin topped with mustard bread crumbs.  My internet research told me that it is often served as a main dish, but I was skeptical.  Cheesy veggies seems more like a side, after all.  Despite my doubts, the dish held its own as a main.  Filling and satisfying, like baked mac & cheese without the carbs.  

Not pictured Meals:

Black Bean Burgers: Followed the recipe in Mark Bittman's excellent How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  Easy and yummy.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato and Parmesan:  I adore spaghetti squash.  It's not as versatile as Butternut, but the acidity of the tomatoes really brings out the flavor.  I know people use it as a no carb pasta replacement, but the squash flavor is so distinctive (and tasty) to me I have trouble thinking of it as a substitute for anything.