Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken Style Seitan

I always have to have a large industrial sized jar of peanut butter in my fridge.  It is a staple, used for everything from on toast, to creating delicious desserts, to snacking on celery with.  One of my favorite applications for peanut butter however, is in a dressing, especially one with thai flavors!  It is great on a tossed salad with veggies, but I especially love it when paired with noodles!  When I used to be a pescatarian, I made one with shrimp and veggies, and it was always something that I loved so much I licked the plate clean.  I hadn't made it since becoming a vegetarian, but decided to this week with sauteed chicken style seitan in place of the shrimp. I was going over to my boyfriend Scott's house for dinner and wanted something that could be made a day ahead of time and taste delicious, since I didn't want to cook after work.  It was a risk, as he is not a vegetarian and seitan is something that was new to him.  But I had confidence that it would be good, afterall, how could anyone resist a silky peanut butter sauce on noodles!  I added lots of crunchy local veggies, radishes, snap peas and carrots, with cilantro and scallions.  I wanted to add red pepper, but local and organic ones weren't available and I wasn't about to buy an expensive pepper shipped half way around the world that wasn't even organic.  I didn't miss the pepper, and there was plenty of veg as was.  I laced the dressing with lots of ginger and spicy pepper, and it had a nice kick, spicy enough to warm you up, but not so much that you burn your face off.  The salad was satisfying and just as I had remembered it...I even liked the seitan better than the shrimp!  Best yet, I got Scott to try seitan.  He may not be a vegetarian, but that's alright, at least he eats my food, and in his own words the thai peanut noodles were yummy! Try it for yourself if you are a peanut butter lover like me! 

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken Style Seitan

Serves 2

1 Tbsp peanut oil
16 oz chicken style seitan, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp tamari

4 oz linguini or other long noodles, cooked and cooled to room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1 cup carrots, cut julienne
1/2 cup radishes, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh organic cilantro, minced

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp tamari
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
sea salt (to taste)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

In a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat peanut oil and add seitan, ginger and garlic, and saute until ginger and garlic are fragrant and cooked, about 3-4 minutes.  Add tamari and cook a minute more.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  In a large bowl, combine seitan, noodles and veggies.  In a medium bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth, then pour over veggies in the larger bowl.  Toss to coat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve!

Edamame Pasta Salad with Arugula Mint Pesto

It is pesto season.  The part of the year when our gardens and refridgerators are all filled with lots of greens and herbs just begging to be blended to perfection with nuts, garlic and oils.  I love that the possibilities are endless when it comes to pesto ingredients.  Afterall, there are no rules.  Although the classic basil always gets made a lot at my house, all sorts of greens find their way into my pesto.  Tonight when I decided that pesto pasta sounded delicious, I grabbed a bunch of arugula and a bunch of mint and got to work. 

I had never combined these two ingredients before in a pesto, but an experiment was in order.  I combined them with pepitas that I had in my fridge as well, because at the moment I was out of walnuts and pine nuts.  The rest of the ingredients I added to the pesto were ones I would use in a classic pesto,   but it had such a different vibrant flavor than any other pesto I have made due to the peppery arugula and fresh strong mint.  I kept it vegan this time and skipped adding any cheese since the pepitas and the olive oil had already contributed plenty of richness.  I decided that this salad needed to have lots of veggies as well in addition to the pasta, so I added edamame for protein, and radishes and carrots for color as well as crunch.  It was all quite a delicious combination!  If you are in pesto making mode as well, here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself! 

Edamame Pasta Salad with Arugula Mint Pesto

Serves 4

Pesto:

1/2 cup mint

1 cup arugula

1 cup pepitas

2 lemons
4 garlic
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

8 oz penne pasta
10 radishes, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, cut julienne
1/2 cup pepitas
1 12 oz bag frozen edamame, thawed

Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse with water, drain and let cool.  In a large bowl, combine pasta, radishes, carrots, pepitas, and edamame.  Add pesto and toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature.

Golden Beet Chevre Gnocchi

Better to try something and fail than to never have tried at all...afterall I can always try again, I don't give up!  This has been something that I have been saying to myself reguarding the making of gnocchi!  I had attempted making gnocchi quite a few times in the last month and almost given up, because my gnocchi always turned out like dumplings, too sticky to be shaped, or too full of flour.  But I don't give up.  So last weekend I attempted to make them again...and succeeded!  Ok, so part of the problem was I wasn't following recipes, because I never do.  Also I wasn't making the traditional potato gnocchi, so that might have been why the dough was more sticky.  But whatever the case this time I made them with golden beets and chevre and they turned out delcious!  Pillowy and soft as gnocchi should be!  Not tough and heavy like my failed attempts. 

I had thought that chevre would have less moisture than the traditional ricotta, therefore needing less flour...and I was right!  The gnocchi dough itself only had 4 ingredients, chevre, golden beets, eggs and flour, and proved to be easy to shape!  The only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that the lovely yellow color of the beets was lost in the gnocchi.  But I got over it when I tasted how delicious they were!  I could be sneaky and serve them to beet haters and they would love them not even knowing they contained beets!  I decided to serve them with a caramelized shallot and fennel mixture laced with garlic and lemon and topped off with crunchy walnuts.  It was all delicious once it was plated, and quite beautiful, especially to me since it was a sucess!  The gnocchi were like little delicious pillows, toasty on the outside, soft in the middle, and the fennel and shallots were almost jam like, deliciously savory with the garlic and tart lemon.  It was the perfect dish for a chilly spring day!  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself! 

Golden Beet Chevre Gnocchi with Caramelized Fennel and Toasted Walnuts

Serves 3

4 oz organic local chevre (soft goat cheese)
1/2 cup roasted organic golden beat puree*
2 cups all purpose flour (sifted), plus additional for flouring work surface
1 large organic egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 large organic fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
4 large shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
2 large organic lemons
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

In a large bowl, beat together the goat cheese beet puree and mix until evenly combined.  Add the eggs, followed by the salt, and pepper.  Slowly add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until it is all incorporated into the dough. If your dough seems a bit too wet, feel free to add an extra 1/4 cup of flour. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface and knead for a few minutes. The dough will still be fairly wet, but you should be able to handle it.  Working with about a handful of dough at a time, roll out a long snake about an inch thick. Use a floured knife to cut out the gnocchi every inch and a half or so. Roll each gnocchi along the tines of a fork (or simply indent by gently pressing the back of the fork into the side of each nugget). Place the formed gnocchi on a floured baking sheet.  When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the gnocchi in batches. Let cook until they bob to the surface and then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to pull out of the pot and set aside on a plate.  Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Add fennel, shallots, and saute until caramelized and soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove fennel and shallots from pan and set aside.  Add additional 2 Tbsp olive oil to the pan, and add gnocchi.  Cook until golden on each side, about 4-5 minutes total.  Add shallots back to the pan along with 1 Tbsp zest, juice of 2 lemons, a little more olive oil if desired, walnuts, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Cook until heated through, and serve warm  with a salad!

*To roast beets, preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Wrap 2 large beets in foil and roast in the oven for about an hour or until tender when pierced with a knife.  Let cool, peel, and puree in a blender. 

Sweet Potato Dumplings with Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort

A couple weekends ago I had attempted making sweet potato gnocchi and failed misreably as they disintegrated in the boiling water.  I could have cried, but instead tossed them and made a salad for dinner.  I decided to give it a go again today, but this time simply make dumplings so I wouldn't have to go through the shaping process...that will be saved for another time.  This time the dumplings made with they simmered in the water and I removed the first few to sample, I could have cheered I was so happy they held together.  Instead I settled for a sip of my red wine and smiled, since nobody would have heard me cheering anyhow. This time I believe the sweet potatoes in the dumplings were a success, due mostly to adding enough binding elements! 

When they they would be delicious in a soup, but tonight I decided to simply saute them with a little olive oil and shallots, and finish them off with toasted walnuts, spinach for color, and some roquefort cheese, which is one of my all time favorite cheeses.  It has such a wonderful salty yet sweet quality, perfect with walnuts and vegetables!  It was all delicious, and I was happy that I decided to stay home and prepare dinner rather than pay a large amount for it tonight.  Here is the recipe if you would like to try them!  Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you wish to make less.

Sweet Potato Dumplings with Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort

Serves 4-6

2 cups roasted sweet potato puree*

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder

3 large organic eggs

3 cups flour

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup toasted walnuts
juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups baby spinach
4 oz roquefort cheese, crumbled

To make dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Beat together eggs, sweet potato puree, garlic, sea salt, and chipotle in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in flour until well combined. Use 2 teaspoons (silverware, not measuring spoons) to form dumplings, scoop up a rounded teaspoon of batter, then use second spoon to scoop mixture off spoon and into boiling water. Make 9 more dumplings. In the boiling water, simmer briskly until dumplings are just firm in center and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate and cool, covered with damp paper towel. Continue making dumplings in batches of 10.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, then add shallots, and saute until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add dumplings, and cook dumplings, turning gently, until heated through and golden on each side, 5-8 minutes. Add walnuts, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted.  Remove from heat and stir in roquefort.  Serve hot!

 

*For puree, sweet potatoes that have been pricked with a fork a few times on a baking sheet in the oven at 450 degrees until very soft, about 1 hour and 10 minutes for large potatoes (or less if smaller).  Allow to cool, remove skin and puree until smooth. 

Irish Mac and Cheese with Mustard Greens

Irish cheddar was on sale last weekend at the store, so I decided to buy a nice hunk of it thinking I could come up with some creative way to use it this week, being that it is St. Patty's.  I am not a big cheese person, and only eat it about once a week or on special occasions, but I figured since it was a holiday...I could splurge.  I had visions of some sort of vegetable pot pies, or a creamy potato cabbage cheese soup in my head, but then life happened and I had far less time this week to make anything that took any large amount of time.  But that cheese was still in my fridge begging to be used, and mac and cheese came to mind.  Now, I know most people when they make mac and cheese simply make a cheese sauce, and toss it with pasta, maybe a bit of breadcrumbs on top.  It is my firm belief however that it must contain lots of veggies along with all of that decadence. 

Yesterday's meal was no exception!  I was talking to my friend Gabrielle recently who is also a vegetarian and a wonderful cook who I often swap recipe and ingredient ideas with, and she gave me the brilliant idea to add mustard greens to my mac and cheese!  I knew I loved them in dal, or a salad with a creamy dressing, but she told me that they went wonderfully with the cheese cutting the richness.  So last night I decided to give the combination a try.  I also added some peas, sticking to the green veggie theme.  I used whole wheat fusili, which made for a beautiful mac and cheese as well as a delicious one!  It was so rich and creamy, full of flavor from the Irish cheddar, and the mustard greens were wonderful with a slight spicy flavor!  It was delicious!  Maybe not traditional Irish, but would be perfect for St. Patty's Day, especially if you are feeling decadent!  Here is the recipe if you would like some comfort food for a rainy spring day (since the snow is finally melting here in Minnesota)! 

Irish Mac and Cheese with Mustard Greens
Serves 4

8 oz whole wheat fusili or penne pasta

3 Tbsp organic butter or Earth Balance
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups organic milk or soymilk
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp dill seeds
1 Tbsp dried dill
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp dijon mustard
8 oz Irish Cheddar, grated
1 cup fresh or frozen baby peas
1 bunch mustard greens or kale, washed, dried and torn into small pieces

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add flour and whisk into butter.  Cook a few minutes, then slowly add milk while whisking to prevent lumps from forming.  When all milk has been added and is incorporated, add caraway, dill seeds, dill, sea salt, and pepper and dijon.  Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes, then add cheddar and whisk to melt until well incorporated.  Add the peas and mustard greens, and cook until greens have wilted, then add pasta and toss well to coat with cheese sauce.  Serve hot! 

Amy's Buccatini All' Amatriciana

A few years back, for my Mom's Birthday we went to an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities that was supposed to be the best.  The food was expensive, but I was not impressed.  I ordered the vegetarian special, and it was as if the person who made it did not know what they were doing, or how to cook vegetarian food.  It was flavorless...that is except for the garlic powder they had sprinkled on top of it before broiling it.  I wasn't going to say anything, but my Mom complained and we got it for free.  She loved her food on the other hand.  She had ordered a dish called Bucatini all' amatriciana, a spicy pasta with a red sauce laced with red pepper flakes and guanciale (bacon).  She kept begging me to go back to the restaurant with her so she could order this dish, but I would never go back there after my bad experience with their food.  Afterall, if you mess up vegetarian food, you really don't know how to cook in my opinion.  So, I felt bad, and I told her I would try and recreate the dish.  I nailed it spot on, and I never had to go back to the restaurant with her since she liked my version better.  It has been a few years, and I have made her the dish quite a few times, since she likes to request it.  I decided I wanted to try it...minus the guanciale of course.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!  So I made it exactly the same with tempeh bacon.  I have to admit, it was pretty darn good for a simple pasta dish!  The light spicyness in the bright tomato sauce, the smokyness of the bacon and textural bite to the bucatini that you don't get from other pasta, it was delicious! It was funny, she told me it was even better with the tempeh bacon than the real stuff!  I will be making this often now for myself now that I know how delcious it is, and easy to make!  Here is the recipe if you would like some!

Amy's Bucatini All' Amatriciana 

Serves 3-4

Sauce:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 tsp (or more if desired) crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp red wine (good quality, what you drink) or balsamic vinegar
1 15 oz can crushed organic tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp fennel seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
sea salt
water
8 oz dried bucatini pasta

vegan parmesan to serve, optional


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
To make sauce, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan.  Place tempeh bacon in pan, and brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, and let cool slightly, then cut into small pieces.  Add shallots to the pan and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant 1 minute.  Add wine to deglaze, then tomatoes, paste, herbs, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Let simmer about 15 minutes to let flavor develop.  Meanwhile, add pasta to salted water and cook according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, add it to the sauce, along with tempeh bacon and cook a few minutes until bacon is heated through and pasta is coated in sauce.  Serve, along with some vegan parmesan!

Avocado and Roasted Carrot Ravioli with Toasted Almonds

I had grabbed a couple avocadoes while I was at the store last weekend hoping to do something wonderful with them some time this week.  They were on sale so I figured it was a good idea, knowing I would need to use them in the next couple days before they got to mushy.  But they got mushy faster than I expected, and I wasn't in a guacamole sort of mood (although I suppose that is why they were on sale due to it being superbowl weekend), so I had to come up with another use.  It wasn't hard to figure something out, I love avocadoes, they are like nature's butter, so silky when they hit the tongue.  So I thought why not use them in a way that would showcase their smoothness.  I was in the mood for ravioli, so I thought why not incorporate them into the filling?  It may sound wierd, but really it is not.  They add the richness that a cheese filling usually would provide.  I paired them with pureed roasted carrots and almonds and garlic in my filling, and it was rich and delicious but heart healthy at the same time!  This may have been the most unusual ravioli I have ever made, but it was amazing!  Not wanting to distract from the delicate flavor of the filling, I decided a red sauce was not an appropriate accompaniment to this pasta.  I instead used a simple combination of olive oil and orange scented with a little basil and garlic.  I added some more roasted carrots, spinach, and shallots for color, as well as some additional toasted almonds for crunch.  It was a colorful, beautiful dish, and a creative use for the avocadoes!  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Avocado and Roasted Carrot Ravioli with Toasted Almonds

Serves 3-4

Pasta:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp water

Fillling:
1 cup roasted carrot puree*

1 medium avocado, pureed

1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp dried basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 large carrot sliced on the diagonal

olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, sliced

juice of one small orange
2 cups baby spinach greens

A few fresh basil leaves, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

To make pasta, mix together flour and sea salt in a bowl.  Make a well in the center, and crack the egg into it.  Add 1 Tbsp water, and start slowly mixing in flour and incorporating it into the wet ingredients.  Mix until all flour is incorporated and a soft but not sticky smooth dough is formed (if you need to add more water if dough is too dry).  Divide dough into 2 pieces, and flatten each slightly.  Lightly flour each, then send through a pasta maker until the dough is a very long thin sheet.  (alternatively, roll each out until very thin with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface).  Cover with plastic, and set aside. 
To make filling, combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  To fill pasta, lay out one sheet, and drop filling onto sheet with at least a 3/4 inch boarder around the filling.  Cover with the other pasta sheet and press down around each filling mound to seal the filling in.  Cut into squares (in about a 1 inch boarder around each filling mound) using a pizza cutter.  Discard extra scraps (or you can attempt to re-roll them, but it doesn't always work so well).  Set raviolis aside.  Preheat the oven to 475 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss carrots with just enough oil to coat, and spread out on sheet.  Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until starting to brown at edges. 
Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil (for pasta).  When boiling, add ravioli and cook until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes.  

To finish, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan, and add shallots.  Saute until softened and caramelized, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic.  Cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant, then add another 2 Tbsp olive oil, ravioli, roasted carrots, orange juice, basil, spinach, sea salt, and freshly per ground pepper to taste and almonds.  Mix well until heated through, then transfer to plates and serve!

*To make roasted carrot puree, cut about 1 1/2 cups carrots into slices, toss them with olive oil, and roast them on a sheet pan for about 15 minutes at 475 degrees until starting to brown at the edges.  Let cool, and puree until smooth. 

Whole Wheat Papardelle with Roasted Sunchokes, Carrots, and Pecorino Romano

My Dad gave me a pasta machine a couple Christmases ago, but up until now, I have only used it to make lasagna noodles.  I was at the Heartland Restaurant in St. Paul recently and they had this wonderful hand cut wild rice flour papardelle with golden turnips, chanterelles and parmesan cream.

The pasta had a nice hearty texture due to the nature of the flour used in it, nothing like I have expirienced with a pasta before!  It was so good that I was inspired to try my hand at making some pasta myself!  I used whole wheat flour in mine however, since I don't have a grinder that will grind the wild rice fine enough.   The whole wheat turned out to be just as hearty and still have that wonderful texture.  I decided to pair my hearty pasta with roasted carrots and sunchokes, since I had come across some beautiful locally grown ones.  I finished the pasta off with garlic, thyme and a little pecorino romano cheese. 

It was so simple and yet so good!  Comfort food fit for the coldest winter night.  And why not make your own pasta when you are cooped up inside due to the winter chill!  Here is the recipe if you would like some for yourself! 

Whole Wheat Papardelle with Roasted Sunchokes, Carrots, and Pecorino Romano

Serves 3
Pasta:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp water
1 tsp sea salt

4 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal

6 medium sunchokes, sliced thinly on the diagonal

olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 oz pecrrino romano cheese, shaved

To make pasta, mix together flour and sea salt in a bowl.  Make a well in the center, and crack the egg into it.  Add 1 Tbsp water, and start slowly mixing in flour and incorporating it into the wet ingredients.  Mix until all flour is incorporated and a soft but not sticky smooth dough is formed (if you need to add more water if dough is too dry).  Divide dough into 2 pieces, and flatten each slightly.  Lightly flour each, then send through a pasta maker until the dough is a very long thin sheet.  (alternatively, roll each out until very thin with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface).  Cut each into 1 inch thick strips, and set aside on lightly floured parchment.  Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 475 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil.  Toss carrots and artichokes with just enough oil to coat and spread out on sheet.  Roast until starting to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes.  When your pasta water has come to a boil, cook pasta for about 2 minutes, or until it floats to the surface.  Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan, and add garlic, pine nuts, and thyme.  Cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant, then add cooked pasta, roasted veggies, and sea salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well until heated through, then transfer to plates and sprinkle with pecorino romano and serve!

Vegan Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I love a good home made lasagna.  Especially one filled with lots of roasted veggies with a nice savory tomato sauce and ricotta filling in between the layers.  My Dad got me a pasta machine a few years back, and I have always enjoyed making my own noodles for it as well.  It is kind of fun being like a little kid putting the dough through the machine, but instead having it be edible and not play dough.  I have made a version of veggie lasagna many times in the past, but it has always been filled with lots of ricotta and cheese.  This weekend I was having my boyfriend Dave over for dinner and wanted to make something delicious like lasagna.  However, it being after the holidays, and me cooking more vegan dishes lately I decided to veganize my original lasagna recipe, using tofu in place of the ricotta and non-dairy cheese.  Also, Dave doesn't tolerate dairy well, so I thought if it turned out it could be something I could make again.  Maybe it was a risk making something that was this much of an experiment when having a dinner guest, but I figured, worst case scenario we would have to go out to eat somewhere.  But that wasn't needed, there were no kitchen disasters or me throwing away something inedible.  On the contrary, the lasagna turned out much better than I expected! 

The tofu enhanced with nutritional yeast and miso, also filled with herbs and lots of garlic and onions was a dead ringer for ricotta! The roasted vegetables I had added were a nice addition as well adding flecks of color throughout the lasagna.  I enjoyed it very much, it was so warm and comforting, and of course I had wonderful company to enjoy it with!  Dave told me it was the best lasagna he had ever eaten, which meant a whole heck of a lot to me!  I don't know if I would say it was the best, having sampled a lot of decadent cheesy lasagna in my life, but as far as vegan goes it was awesome.  I have shared the recipe below if you are interested in some damn good vegan lasagna! 

Vegan Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 6

Roasted Vegetables:

2 large carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 cups broccoli, cut into small florettes
10 mushrooms sliced
olive oil

Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried fennel seeds
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper to taste
Filling:
1 large onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 12 oz box silken tofu, pureed
2 10 oz bricks extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup white miso
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
a large pinch of nutmeg
8 oz Daiya mozzarella (or other vegan shredded mozzarella)
Assembly:
12 oz vegan fresh lasagna noodles, or 1 12 oz pkg whole wheat lasagna noodles
8 oz Daiya mozzarella (or other vegan shredded mozzarella)

For roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 475 degrees, and line a sheet pan with foil.  Toss vegetables with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet.  Roast until tender and starting to brown at the edges.  Remove from the oven and set aside. 
To make sauce, add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a medium saucepan on medium heat, and saute garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, herbs, and sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.  Taste for seasoning, season with more salt if necessary and set aside. 
Meanwhile, to make "ricotta" filling, heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, and onions, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Place onion in a large bowl, and combine with other filling ingredients, and mix until well blended.  
To assemble lasagna, spray a 9x13 inch deep pan with non-stick spray.  Spoon a little sauce over then bottom of the pan, then cover the bottom with a layer of lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the "ricotta", then 1/3 of the roasted veggies.  Spoon a little sauce, about 2/3 of a cup over the veggies, then top with another layer of noodles, half the remaining ricotta, 1/2 the remaining veggies, and a little more sauce.  Cover with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta and veggies and a little more sauce.  Top with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle 8 oz shredded "mozzarella" over the top.  In a 375 degree oven, bake the lasagna, covered with foil for 45 minutes, or until bubbly, then uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove from the oven and let sit 10-15 minutes, then cut into 6 pieces and serve!

Beautiful Beets

My favorite thing about beets besides that they are delicious is their beautiful vibrant color.  They seem to bleed deep pink hues onto whatever they come into contact with, which can be a bad thing in the case of your hands, but a good thing if you would like a lovely pink salad or red velvet cake.  Last night I was wondering what it would look (and taste) like to pair them with pasta!  Pink pasta is something I have never seen before, but how beautiful would that be!  I thought the beets would be delicious with whole wheat spaghetti, toasted walnuts, and dandilion greens as well as a bit of roquefort cheese I had on hand.  My thought was correct!   It was wonderful all of those things together, a simple but comforting tasty dish!  The best part was how pretty it looked from the beet's pink color.  If you are looking for a simple meal or a way to use up a beet, here's the recipe!

Beet and Walnut Pasta with Roquefort

Serves 2

4 oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus additional for finishing
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 large cooked beet*  cut into small dice
1 bunch dandilion greens
3 oz roquefort cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet.  Add shallots and saute until soft and starting to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, walnuts, beets, dandilion greens and cooked pasta, and cook until greens have wilted and everything has heated through.  Stir in 1 Tbsp olive oil (or more if desired)  Remove from heat and stir in roquefort.  Serve immediately. 

*to cook beet, wrap in foil, and bake for about an hour to an hour and a half (depending on how large the beet is) until tender and a knife inserted into it goes in easily.  Let cool slightly and peel. 

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

I hated brussels sprouts as a child.  This was because the only type I was exposed to were the brownish green smelly nasty overcooked frozen ones which were a far cry from fresh sprouts.  They had an off flavor, the butter they were swimming in was doing nothing to disguse it, and were mushy...not something you want to be feeding a 5 year old you are trying to teach to like vegetables.  So, I didn't like them for most of the 25 years of my life, that is until I started cooking my own food and buying my own fresh veggies.  When I decided to give them a try I was pleasantly surprised that roasting them makes them irrisistable, and I have been cooking them this way ever since!  I am sorry to all of you who are fans of steaming them...but it just doesn't do the little cabbages justice!  No, roasting is superior in my book, and when you do so, you are creating something that is hard to stop eating.  If you are roasting them to put in a dish, you better roast extra, as you are going to snack on quite a few in the process!  I have said it before, but they are like savory candy, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle!  If you have thought brussels sprouts were gross in the past, try roasting some and I can almost guarantee you will change your mind, unless you are a die hard veggie hater and in that case what are you doing reading this blog?  So...now that I have talked them up, I will tell you about a delicious recipe I recently used them in!  Many people like to pair them with bacon, so I thought why not tempeh bacon?  I made a whole wheat pasta and combined tempeh bacon, the sprouts, some walnuts and shallots, and it was a simple, but delicious dinner.  No sauce cooking required, I just splashed the pasta with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and it was wonderful...the tangy balsamic with the smokey bacon, crispy sprouts, toasty nuts and savory onions!  I ate a huge pile, because it was so good, and I was really hungry!  Here is the recipe if you are interested!

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

Serves 3

1 lb organic brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

olive oil

8 oz whole wheat penne
water

sea salt

1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon

2 large shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp dried thyme

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with the rack at the top position.  Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss sprouts with just enough olive oil to coat and spread out on sheet.  Roast in the oven until tender and starting to brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.  Meahwhile, add a couple Tbsp olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, and add tempeh bacon strips.  cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, let cool slightly and chop into small pieces.  Add shallots to the pan and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, about 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic to the pan, as well as walnuts, and thyme and cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant.  Add the pasta and brussels sprouts, as well as sea salt and freshly ground pepper, balsamic and a couple Tbsp more olive oil.  Cook until warmed through and serve! 

Orzo Pesto Fritatta with Dandilion Greens

Don't you just hate it when you make a dish and it turns out ugly...but then you taste it and it is amazing?  I guess you could close your eyes and eat it and imagine it was beautiful... I say better an ugly but delicious dish than a beautiful but disgusting one.   I made a frittata the other night and it wouldn't win any beauty contest, but it was scrumptious!  I had been busy all day and wanted to throw something quick together that would be tasty as well.  I had some orzo and basil pesto that I needed to use up, and although I could have just combined the two and made a simple pasta dish...I decided that a bit more protein would be nice in the form of eggs!  That is where the "fritatta" or quiche came into play.  I don't know if this dish could be called either technically, maybe a hybrid?  But I decided it was closer to a frittata than anything.  I also added some dandilion greens for extra color and vegetables, figuring they would combine nicely with the other ingredients.  Some shallots, garlic, and pecorino romano were added for extra zip as well, even though the pesto had already bumped the flavor factor way up.  It smelled wonderful as it was baking from all of the garlicy basil pesto...but when I opened the oven it was nothing beautiful to look at as the pesto had turned it a brown color.  But it tasted amazing...an explosion of flavor, delicious comfort food with the pasta and eggs...the type of dish you get hungry for and keeps you full for many hours.  Try this out if you have some leftover pasta on hand...and if you don't have dandilion greens, use arugula or spinach! 

Orzo Pesto Fritatta with Dandilion Greens

Serves 2


1 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch dandilion greens, chopped

8 oz whole wheat orzo pasta, cooked
1/2 cup basil pesto* (home made or store bought)
3 eggs, lightly beaten

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 oz freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Spray a glass pie plate with non-stick spray, and pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees.  In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add shallots.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and dandilion greens and saute until just wilted.  Remove from heat, and place in a large bowl.  Combine with all other ingredients except for half the pecorino romano, and mix well.  Pour into prepared pie plate, top with remaining pecorino romano and bake for 40 minutes, or until set in the center.

*I used my basil pistachio pesto, here is the link to the recipe:
     http://garlicandseasalt.blogspot.com/2010/06/pricey-pistachios.html

Roasted Autumn Vegetable and Pasta Gratin

Sometimes indulgence is needed...I guess I was feeling like I was in need of a bit of comfort food tonigt, maybe it was the chill in the air or the lack of sun, but I decided that something creamy and with pasta would be nice.  So I dreamed up a roasted autumn vegetable and pasta gratin, and got set to making it! It was basically a fancy mac and cheese, but what would be the fun in calling it that?  Plus, my mac and cheese is always filled with vegetables.  Maybe I am not a purist, but I believe that they must be included.  You have to have some healthful element afterall!  When I need comfort food, I like it to be beautiful as well, so I roasted a wide range of colors of them...carrots, parsnips and brussels sprouts, as well as some leeks.  The orange carrots were the most beautful of course, but the green brussels sprouts and leeks, and yellow parsnips provided some variety.  It was almost like the colors of autumn leaves!  For my creamy sauce I used what I had on hand, but the theme seemed to be goat.  Goat milk, and goat gouda...that is why I say it had a goat theme.  Now, don't be thinking it was "goaty" in any way...it was absolutely delicious and creamy!  I love goat gouda for its flavor and ability to melt into things like gratins!  I also added some pecorino romano as well for saltiness even though it is not made from goat milk, but sheep.  I topped my fancy mac and cheese off with a crunchy panko walnut mixture before baking to bubbliness, and it was all really wonderful when it emerged from the oven all gooey and cheesy!  But even more wonderful was taking a bite with the crunch of the topping and the richness of the cheese...Mmmm!  The roasted veggies lended a slightly sweet flavor against the saltiness of the cheese which was delicious!  This isn't for anyone who just likes regular old mac and cheese with noodles and sauce but no veggies, but if you want to take advantage of autumn veggies as well as have a big bowl of comfort you should definately try this out! 

Roasted Autumn Vegetable and Pasta Gratin

Serves 4

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

2 large parsnips, thinly sliced
12 brussels sprouts, halved
2 leeks, thickly sliced
olive oil
8 oz whole wheat penne pasta (or other short pasta)

Sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups goat milk
4 oz shredded goat gouda cheese
2 oz shredded pecorino romano cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, and line two baking sheets with foil and non-stick spray.  Toss carrots and pasnips with just enough olive oil to lightly coat, and spread out on one of the sheets.  Do the same with the leeks and brussels sprouts and place them on the other.  Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until browning at the edges and tender.  Remove from the oven and set aside, but keep the oven on.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, and keep warm.  To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a large stockpot, and add the garlic.  Saute until fragrant, one minute, then add flour and cook another minute to get the rawness out.  Add milk slowly and whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cheeses, thyme and sea salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk until cheese has melted, then add the roasted veggies and pasta to the pot.  Mix well to coat pasta and veggies in the sauce and then spoon the mixture into 4 gratin dishes.  In a bowl, mix together panko, olive oil and walnuts, and toss well.  Top gratins with the breadcrumb mixture and place in the oven until they are bubbly, crispy on top and starting to brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, and enjoy!