Barley-Tahini Casserole

This recipe is vegan, but Bridget was sure it had cheese in it because the tahini sauce is so creamy. We all really liked this and we'll definitely be making it again. It's from Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet.

serves 6 to 8

2 cups hulled or pearled barley
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jumbo (or two medium) onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, grated or finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
5 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup Tahini dressing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Bring 3 cups water to boil in a large saucepan and add barley. Cook for about 40 minutes or so, until tender (check it). Drain off any remaining water and set cooked barley aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over med./high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a little more oil or a bit of water to the pan if the onion starts to stick. Measure out about 1/4 cup of the cooked onion and garlic and reserve it for the tahini dressing. To the remaining onion and garlic in the skillet, add carrots, celery, soy sauce, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are tender. Add barley to skillet, and stir over med. heat for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Transfer half of barley mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and drizzle half of tahini dressing over it. Add a second layer of barley mix and then the remainder of the dressing. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 35 minutes.

Tahini dressing:

1/4 cup reserved, sauteed onion & garlic
1/2 cup tahini
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika
1/8 tsp. dried basil
pinch of dried oregano

Combine onion, garlic, tahini, spices and 1/2 cup water in food processor or blender. Blend for 1 minutes or until creamy.

Southwestern Cornbread Casserole

I've adapted this recipe from one Michael got off a website that had "healthy recipes." This is low fat and low sodium. It's also pretty fast to throw together, and I usually have all these ingredients on hand anyways.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 2 c. mixed frozen vegetables (or 1 can mixed veg, no salt added, drained)
• 1/2 T dijon mustard
• 1 c. salsa
• 1 box cornbread mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, vegetables, mustard and salsa together and place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Prepare cornbread according to package directions. Pour cornbread mixter over chicken mixture. Bake for 20 min or until cornbread is golden brown. (In my experience, it takes longer than 20 min. You really need to check the doneness of the cornbread with a toothpick to know when it is done. )

Rebecca's Unsung Mac & Cheese

This is how I make Susan's mac & cheese. It's completely copied from her recipe, only cheesier!!! The first time I made it, besides making it as described below, I added more shredded cheddar to the noodles before adding the cheese sauce.

Ingredients
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
1.75 c milk
3 lbs of cheddar cheese, chopped, grated, or slice
8 oz shredded cheddar, reserved for top
1 lb cooked macaroni, "nuggets," rotini, elbows, or even spaghetti

Melt butter in a large sauce pan, whisk in flour. Let bubble one minute, add milk, let thicken and bubble one minute, then begin adding cheese, stirring all the while. When all cheese is melted in pour some cheese sauce into an ungreased baking dish. (This would never stick to a pan in a million years.) Add some of the noodles, mix together. Keep adding sauce and noodles and mixing until its all in there. If you want to leave some noodles out, thats ok. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 until brown.

Eat with Busch's vegetarian baked beans, heated on the stove, in the microwave, or baked.

Susan's Famous Mac & Cheese

This is Colin's mom's mac&cheese recipe. It brings the kids from far and wide. It must must must be served with baked beans, recipe also below.

Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1/2 c flour
3.5 c milk
2 lbs extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed, grated, or sliced
16 slices American Cheese
2 lbs cooked macaroni, "nuggets" are the best shape aka radiatore, then rotini
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
4 more table spoons of butter

Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large sauce pan or pot. When the butter is melter, whisk in the flour. Let thicken. After it bubble for one minute, add the milk. Whisk together until thick. Let that bubble for one minute. Then start adding the cheese, a handful at a time. Let each handful melt before adding more. If you can stand there stirring, feel free to turn the heat up to medium high. If you're making potato salad or tuna noodle salad, then you can keep it on low and stir occasionally. Once the 2lbs of cheddar and 1lb of American are melted in, remove from heat. Grease several baking dishes with butter, put macaroni in, and add cheese, mixing as you go. Top with shredded cheese. Put hunks of butter on top (yes, really). Bake at 400 until brown on top.

Beans
3 cans Busch's vegetarian baked beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard

Mix ingredients and bake in a separate dish along with mac & cheese. Really this should be in the oven before the mac & cheese even gets in there. You want it to get nice and thick.

Eggplant Tomato Casserole

2 lbs. eggplant, sliced into 1/4 in. slices
6 medium/large tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 in. slices
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil or cooking spray

Take out a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season eggplant slices with dash of salt and let stand for about 10 minutes. Dab off liquid with paper towel.

Grease a large skillet with either oil or cooking spray. Place over medium heat and add eggplant slices in a single layer. Brown them on each side; remove from heat. Repeat with remaining slices. Place a layer of eggplant slices in casserole dish, then a layer of tomato slices. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the onion, salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining eggplant, tomato and onion and season top layer with salt and pepper. Top with breadcrumbs, then shredded cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and the eggplant is tender.

When pressed for time, I have also used this variation: Skip the skillet and then after each layer of eggplant, tomato, onion, salt and pepper, I drizzle on a little olive oil.