Today I'll record GTLF vegetarian dish number 6 and call it quits. I have had an 8 day meat fast, and I've learned a lot about vegetarian dishes. The biggest lesson being that you don't have to have any "fake" meat dishes to make it through as a vegetarian. There are many wonderful dishes that don't have meat and there's no missing it either. Up to now I've tried to schedule two vegetarian dishes a week as a rule, but now that I've done a whole week, I think I can easily do a two meat dishes a week. The point is that meat shouldn't be the central part of what's for dinner... using meat as an ingredient or a few times a week should be enough. The point is moderation right? I think when the focus of what's for dinner is taken away from meat, then a whole, wide, wonderful world of food opens wide. Here is a very nice Cheese Torte that is sure to be a success...
Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Cheese Torte
GTLF: Meatless Main Dishes P. 77
Serves 6, working time 30 min., total time 1 hr. 20 min. plus cooling time
1 C long grain rice
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sun dried (not oil packed) tomatoes
2 C boiling water
1 tsp olive oil
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 C low fat (1%) cottage cheese
1 C part skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1 C packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 C of water to a boil. Add the rice and 1/4 tsp of the salt, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 17 min. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sun dried tomatoes and boiling water and let stand for 15 min., until softened. Drain and coarsely chop the tomatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 in. spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the rice into the bottom of the pan and cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Using a measuring cup (I used my fingers) to press the rice into an even layer on the bottom of the pan and to make it come up about a 1/2 in. on the sides. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oil and spinach.
3. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, whole eggs, egg whites, basil, and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Process until smooth. Add the sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts and process just to combine. Pour half of the cheese mixture over the rice in the prepared pan. Top with a layer of the spinach mixture, and pour the remaining cheese mixture on top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until just set. Cool to room temperature, cut into 6 wedges, and serve.
Nutritional Information: 9 g fat, 338 calories, 3.7 g sat. fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 25 g protein, 88 mg cholesterol, 667 mg sodium.
1. Having the proper equipment is very important. Sometimes people will be blown away by something you make and really, it's not you, it's just that you have good appliances in the kitchen. In this case, to get a really beautiful whipped creamy puree for this torte, you'll need a food processor.
2. I served myself 1/4 of the dish (507 calories) because I thought it required a couple of sides like a light green salad or some fruit. This was too much. I got pretty full. I think that the 1/6 portion is more comfortable for eating.
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