Meatless dishes help fill the Lent season

By Sarah Fritschner
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

Sesame tofu with wok-charred onions and peppers is flavored with soy sauce. Photos by Gannett News Service

Black-bean chili is flavored with onions, garlic, chipotle, cumin and oregano, and served with cornbread.

Your choices in going vegetarian are basically threefold: avoiding all animal products; using the diet to increase the whole foods in your diet but still making use of dairy foods; and just eliminating red meat (not truly a vegetarian diet, but a common eating pattern nevertheless).

Here are some easy recipes.

As with many Asian recipes, cooking is much easier if you prepare ingredients ahead. Cut up the onion, dice the tofu and trim snow peas before getting started.

Sesame Tofu with Wok-charred Onions and Peppers

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar of your choice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons sugar, preferably light brown
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon (or so) toasted sesame oil

Heat an iron skillet or wok over high heat for one minute. Add vegetable oil to the pan and heat 30 seconds, still over high heat.

Add onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin getting charred, about seven minutes. Don't stir constantly; you want some of the pieces to get a good char, and some just to get golden around the edges — this will add textural and flavor differences. Adjust heat and timing to allow for the charring of a portion of the vegetables without burning everything. Add tofu and stir occasionally for two minutes to heat it through.

While onion is cooking, combine soy sauce, vinegar, two tablespoons water, sugar and hot red pepper flakes; stir to dissolve sugar. Add cornstarch, stirring until the mixture is completely blended and no lumps remain.

Add soy sauce mixture to the tofu-onion mixture and stir until it has become clear and thick — perhaps a minute. Serve over rice, drizzled with toasted sesame oil. Pass hot sauce and extra soy sauce, if desired.

Makes four large servings.

This no-meat chili is adapted from "The Greens Cookbook" by Deborah Madison (Broadway, $29.95). Feel free to dress it with avocado, red onion, cheese, fat-free sour cream or a soy substitute for same.

Black-bean Chili

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups diced onion, fresh or frozen (about 2 medium onions)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 4 cans (each 1 pound) black beans
• 14 to 16 ounces canned, crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 chipotle chili, canned or dried, minced or crushed
• Salt to taste

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes (if the onions are frozen, keep the heat high at first, then turn it down to medium-high; frozen onions may take 10 or 15 minutes). Reduce heat, add garlic and cook two minutes more, or until onions are soft and translucent.

Add black beans, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, chili powder, chipotle chili and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or long enough for flavors to combine.

Serves four to six.

This is a rather decadent dish for those who are dairy-and-cheese vegetarians. Serve in bowls over rice, or with cornbread, or as a burrito filling, or as desired.

Cheese and Mushroom Pudding

• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing dish
• 2 cups chopped onion, fresh or frozen
• 1 teaspoon tarragon
• 8 ounces mushrooms (about 2 cups), sliced
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or black pepper
• 6 to 8 slices bread (whole wheat or white)
• 3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice, or a mixture)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a two-quart souffle dish.

Melt the two tablespoons butter in a wide skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes or until the onions are translucent (this takes higher heat or more time with frozen onions). You might need to reduce the heat a little as the onions lose their water. Add tarragon and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are quite dark and are giving off no more liquid. Stir occasionally.

Put eggs into a medium bowl and beat. Add milk, beating well. Add salt and pepper. Cut bread into cubes and put a layer of them into the souffle dish. Distribute one-third of the mushroom mixture over it, then one-third of the cheese. Repeat these layers, then pour the milk mixture over all. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until set. Spoon up and use as desired. Serves four.