Usually I find two or three recipes that I love in a cookbook.  But Peter Berley’s The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen has provided me with an astonishing number of favorites.  I especially enjoy the heartier dishes, such as  Smothered Beans, Beer-Braised Seitan with Sauerkraut and Onions, Polenta with Butternut Squash, White Bean and Sage Ragout, and Rigatoni with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Raisins. Admittedly, several of his recipes rely on more obscure ingredients such as arame and kombu, and he recommends making porridge from whole oat groats that you crush yourself – who has time for that?  But there are so many other great, simple dishes that I can’t really complain. And the other day I made the vegan oatmeal cookies, which were surprisingly delicious. This is a must-have cookbook in my book.

I have a soft spot for Eastern European food, and stuffed cabbage was always one of my favorites. It’s homey and filling – the very definition of comfort food.  I’ve had vegetarian versions, but they were on the bland side. So I swapped out cabbage for collard greens, which have a bit more flavor.  Then I made a filling that combines the chewiness of hulled barley, the crunch of almonds and the meatiness of both mushrooms and seitan. And topped the collard rolls with a lemony sweet and sour tomato sauce.  These would be really good served with mashed potatoes, but that would really be carbo-loading, so you didn’t hear that suggestion from me, ok?

Stuffed Collard Rolls

3/4 cup hulled barley

2 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 carrot, grated

2 medium onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 8-ounce package seitan, cut into very small pieces (best done by pulsing in a food processor)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (again, use a food processor)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped or squeezed with your hands

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 large collard green leaves

Put the barley in a saucepan with the broth or water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour. The grain will still be very chewy (hulled barley is always chewier than the pearled variety.) Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, garlic and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and almonds and saute 3-4 more minutes. Add the parsley, seitan, salt and a generous amount of pepper. Place this mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked barley, bread crumbs and egg, mixing well.

To make the sauce, combine the tomatoes, lemon juice, sugar and salt, and bring to a boil. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the collard leaves, blanching for 3 minutes. Drain carefully and lay the leaves out on kitchen towels or on cutting boards. Cut a V in the end of each leaf to remove the thickest part of the stem.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place 1/2 c. filling in the middle of each leaf. Fold the sides over, then the stem end, then roll it over the other end to close the roll. Place 3 cups sauce in the bottom of a large glass or ceramic baking dish. Add the collard rolls in a single layer and top with 3 more cups of sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 75 minutes.

Serves 5.

Years ago, I made scones using a recipe that called for a whole stick of butter, along with some heavy cream. I can’t eat those rich, buttery scones anymore, but this heart-healthy version is just as crave-worthy. Since they’re made with oil rather than butter, they’re they’re a bit more cake-y than traditional scones. But my taste testers did not complain.  In fact, they didn’t utter a word – they were too busy wolfing these down.

Next time I make scones I want to try adding some orange zest into the batter.  If you make this recipe, try that and report back, ok?

Oat and Currant Scones

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup organic canola oil

1/2 cup nonfat yogurt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup dried currants

For glaze:

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Whisk the oil, yogurt, egg and vanilla in another. Combine the two, stirring briefly. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes, then fold in the currants.

Pat the dough into an 8-inch round on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil spray. Cut into 8 wedges with a knife, using a spatula to move each wedge away from the circle to space them apart. (This may be a little tricky, as the dough is quite wet.)

Mix the lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar and brush a small amount of glaze on the top of each scone. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the scones are lightly golden.

Makes 8 scones

I love the warm spices in this satisfying stew – cumin, coriander and a touch of cinnamon.  And the contrast of the sweet raisins and the spicy harissa condiment rocks my world.  Eggplant isn’t a traditional vegetable for this dish, but it’s one of those slimy foods (along with oatmeal and okra) that contain soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol.  Oh, and it’s delicious.  This is definitely going to become one of my go-to recipes – I could eat it for days on end.  In fact, I just did.

Moroccan Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cup chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

pinch cinnamon

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups vegetable broth (use gluten-free broth if you are gluten-sensitive)

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (recommend Eden brand – bpa-free cans)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Harissa, purchased or homemade

Whole wheat couscous (or rice if you are gluten-sensitive)

Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, spices and salt and cook for 2 minutes more. Add all of the vegetables and stir to coat.  Add tomatoes, raisins, broth and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered.  Add a bit of extra broth if the stew gets too dry. (It will need more if the stew sits and thickens after you cook it.)

Serve the stew on whole wheat couscous, topped with the toasted almonds and a dab of harissa.

Serves 4-6

Who says a frittata has to be loaded with fat?  This version is made mostly with egg whites, along with ramps and asparagus – a classic spring combination.  If you’ve never had ramps, a type of wild onion, then get yourself to the nearest farmer’s market this week, because ramp season is exceedingly short.  Of course, if you can’t find ramps, scallions make a a perfectly fine substitution. When I made this frittata, I used six egg whites and one whole egg, and although it was delicious, it was a little flat (see the photo.)  So I’m recommending eight whites in the final recipe. Or, if your cholesterol can take it (lucky you!) add a few extra  yolks.

Baked Egg White Frittata with Ramps and Asparagus

8 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off, stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6-8 ramps, chopped (or use 5 scallions)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ramps and asparagus and saute until just tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Whisk together the egg whites, egg, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9″ pie pan with cooking oil spray.  Place the ramps and asparagus in the pie pan, then pour the egg mixture on top.  Bake until just firm to the touch in the center, about 20-25 minutes.

Serves 4-6

They say my heart problems are hereditary.  However, I’m sure eating things like potato salad swimming in mayonnaise and loaded with hard boiled eggs didn’thelp matters. Today I still love potato salad, but limit myself to vegan versions made with vinaigrette. (In fact, just looking at mayo-based salads can turn my stomach – almost croaking from clogged arteries will do that to you.)  This salad is unusual in that it contains silky soft caramelized onions rather than crunchy ones. It’s addictive, simple to make and perfect for those summer barbecues. However, I couldn’t wait until summer.

The chives are optional, but I was so excited to find wild chives growing in my yard that I just had to throw them in.

Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions

2 1/2 pounds new or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-size chunks

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cups chopped yellow onions (about 4 medium)

Zest of two lemons

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard (use gluten-free variety if you prefer)

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden, about 30 minutes.

Pour the onions and all the oil over the warm potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus extra lemon juice if you love lemon like I do.  Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6