Vegetarian Experiences: A Scrumptious Lunch Menu

When four women vacation together and woo each other with a week of ovo-lacto vegetarian cooking the results are memorable and worth sharing.

Menu
Creamy Split Pea Soup
Tossed Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
Quiche Hollandaise
Cracked Wheat Bread
Lemon Ice-Box Pie with Sour Cream Topping

* Begin by preparing the dessert first, just after breakfast.

Creamy Split Pea Soup
1 cup split peas
6 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 cup of finely chopped onions
1 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced celery
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cream

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients, except the cream, in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat a simmer for one hour, until the split peas are soft.
• Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup in a blender until smooth.
• Add the cup of cream and reheat.
• Makes 8 cups.

Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Instructions

• Purée all ingredients in blender until smooth.
• Use immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Makes 1 cup.

It is not a thick dressing, but it’s very flavourful, especially good on delicate greens like baby spinach or Bibb lettuce. Feel free to try other herbs in this dressing–such as a teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sirachi (hot chile sauce), one clove of garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger to make an Asian-style dressing. This is great on shredded cabbage, chicken, and carrots.

Quiche Hollandaise
plain pastry (9 inch pie pan)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
4 ounces (1 cup) of diced Edam or Gouda
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Roll pastry in a circle and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
• Press the seeds into the dough with a rolling pin.
• Line a 9 inch pie pan with the dough and fill with dry beans.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and pre-bake the pie shell for 15 minutes.
• Remove the beans and keep them for future use.
• Allow the crust to cool.

• Heat butter in a skillet, add onions and cook until clear (about 3 minutes).
  Remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl. Then add milk, cream, salt, pepper and blend well.
  Stir in the diced cheese and cooked onions.
• Spread mustard on the bottom of the partially baked pie shell and pour in the filling.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean.

Cracked Wheat Bread
1 cup cracked wheat
3/4 cup warm water
1 package fresh or dry yeast
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon shortening
2 cups white flour
1 cup rye flour
1/2 – 1 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions

• Soak cracked wheat in 1 cup hot water for 45 minutes to an hour, until all water has been absorbed.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in molasses, salt and shortening.
• Add white flour and beat until smooth.
• Mix in soaked cracked wheat.
• Add rye flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and mix and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. If necessary add more whole wheat flour as you knead.
• Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl.Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Punch down and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Shape into 2 loaves and place in 2 large greased bread pans. Let rise again until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Brush loves with beaten egg and bake in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. The loaves should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Makes 2 large loaves (1 1/2 lbs. each).

Lemon Ice-Box Pie
1 baked graham cracker crust (9 inch pie pan)
2 large eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
5/8 cup of lemon juice

Instructions (pie)

• Beat eggs and mix in the sweetened condensed milk.
• Stir in lemon juice until blended but do not beat.
• Pour filling into the pie shell and chill in refrigerator until set, about 3 hours.
• When the filling is set, spread sour cream topping over the pie and bake in an oven pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and chill until ready to serve.

Sour Cream Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 teaspoons of sugar

Instructions (topping)

• Mix all ingredients together until well blended.