Zucchini Cheddar Bread

No tricks to this bread (although I make a Zucchini Chocolate Cake that you would not believe has tofu.) I make it all through fall and winter, and it is guaranteed no fail, no yeast, and no leftovers. I just made this for Charles’ dad last weekend using muffin tins to cut the baking time to a third, and we paired it with spinach salad and hard-boiled eggs for lunch. I include it exactly as it appears in my kitchen bible, Joy of Cooking (1997):

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

10-12 servings. We make this bread whether or not the garden runneth over! Serve with soup or salad for lunch or add to an assortment in a bread basket. Lovely toasted the next day.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan.

Whisk together in a large bowl:

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add and toss to separate and coat with flour:

1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini

3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped scallions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried

Whisk together in another bowl:

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) warm melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil

Add to the flour mixture and mix with a few light strokes just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

P.S. No buttermilk? Add a touch of vinegar to 1 cup of milk.

Spinach Salad

1 bag baby spinach leaves

Sunflower seeds

Simulated bacon bits

Annie’s Goddess Dressing

Add ingredients to a large bowl and toss gently with a pair of tongs. The dressing will coat every leaf and wilt the spinach slightly. You can slice or chop hard-boiled eggs to add to the salad, or sometimes I just halve them and serve them on the side. (Try whisking together tahini, apple cider vinegar, sunflower oil and honey for a close-enough approximation of the Goddess.)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

You would think that I also serve appetizers to pad people’s stomachs, but in fact our dinners are always casual, buffet-style, and (usually) ready to serve by the time the guests arrive. But for a party or potluck, like at our open house in February, this crowd-pleasing appy based on a recipe from Allrecipes.com is da vegetarian bomb.

1 300 g package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 398 ml can artichoke arts, drained and chopped

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup Alfredo sauce

Optional:

1/2 cup cream cheese

3 cloves or teaspoons minced or roasted garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the ingredients in a small casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Macaroni and Cheese

Another strategy is to take a meat-free side dish that everyone enjoys and make it the main course. Mac & cheese is a safe bet because it’s everyone’s comfort food –and the aim of a good host is to make your guests feel comfortable. I scooped this easy, creamy, cheesy recipe by P.J. Gray off Yahoo.com. It was more popular (in my opinion) than the turkey at last Thanksgiving dinner.

TRIPLE-CHEESE MAC ATTACK
Makes 6 servings

2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
7 oz or 450 g elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. Add cheddar and Swiss cheeses and blend well. Cook macaroni as directed on package and drain well.

Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and blend until well coated. Add macaroni mixture to a greased 2- or 2½-quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

Topping:

Optional of course, but I like my mac & cheese casseroles to have a crunchy topping. Melt some margarine and mix with crushed cornflakes or crackers. Sprinkle over top of casserole before baking.

Spanakopita

Primarily great because it requires no meat substitutions, yet the butter and feta cheese give the taste of fat and salt that meat-eaters crave. It is easier and cheaper to make than lasagne, can be prepared ahead of time, looks impressive out of the oven, and people don’t make it often; plus, you have a dinner party theme and a number of built-in, nutritionally dense sides: olives, hummous, warm pita bread, roast potatoes and Greek salad. And don’t forget to make a fresh tzatziki!

Spanakopita

This is a slightly modified recipe found on Allrecipes.com, Spanakopita II, submitted by Mary Kessler. I simply layer it in a 9 x 13 inch pan instead of folding triangles.

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach – thawed, drained and squeezed dry

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 (4 ounce) packages feta cheese, crumbled

4 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 (16 ounce) packages phyllo dough

3/4 pound butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened. Mix in spinach, dill and flour. Cook approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in feta cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.

Brush 9 x 13 inch pan or 17 x 11 jelly roll pan with butter. Layer 12 sheets of phyllo dough pastry in the pan, brushing each layer with butter. Spread evenly with the spinach mixture. Layer another 8-12 sheets of pastry and butter on top. Brush top with butter and use a sharp knife to score top into diamonds.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Roast Potatoes

Just a word, because I make the best, (after my Uncle Steve, who eats no dairy and used to own a restaurant.) I use any Yukon variety…scrub about 2 potatoes per person and cut into wedges. Toss in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper (and Greek seasoning if you like,) bake in a 400 degree oven 20 minutes or until golden brown.