rainbow chard lemon-garlic fettuccine

back with a new recipe. i have been cooking during my blog absence, but mostly just recipes i've already shared. so many people contributed to me getting up the creative energy to make this happen: my dad, a big meat and potatoes kind of guy, actually cooked a vegan meal for my birthday. thanks dad! my mom, who made him cook that meal :), and also once again went out her way to get me some rocking pappardelle pasta for my birthday. my brother, who got me a kick-ass ceramic knife which made this meal possible. (plus, he brought me over 20 pounds of asparagus this year). my csa, greely gardens, which started this weekend (yay!). and of course, my husband, who always graciously tries my recipes and smiles through it all. plus, he drove to store and got the mushrooms. whew, sounds like i a won an academy award or something... moving on to the food!

• 4-5 rainbow chard leaves
• 2 inch garlic scape, sliced
• 10-12 button mushrooms, sliced
• 6 oz. roasted garlic Pappardelle fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Drew's Lemon Goddess dressing

in a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and cook pasta for 8 minutes. drain then rinse with warm water. set aside.

trim stems from the chard and tear the leaves into fourths.  in a small pot, boil 2 cups of water and add stems for 3-4 minutes to tenderize. remove from heat and drain.
slice garlic scape into thin medallions, almost like scallions. in a large skillet on medium heat, sauté the garlic and chard stems in olive oil. after 2-3 minutes, add in chard leaves and about an 1/8 cup of water. cover with lid to wilt stems. when the leaves have reduced, remove lid and add the sliced mushrooms. continue sautéing on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

in a pasta bowl, toss the fettuccine noodles with 1/2 cup of the lemon goddess dressing. the noodles should be well-coated and will separate. add in the chard and mushroom saute, as well as up to another 1/4 cup of dressing as needed. serve warm.

chard and turnip gratin

finally the stars aligned, and i found a kansas city csa that i could afford and had a nearby pickup area.   granted, i have my own organic garden every year, but i think a csa is perfect for supplementing my own veggies, and hey - it totally inspires my inner chef by providing me with ingredients i'm less familiar with.  this was our first week, and i received an awesome canvas bag with radishes, turnips, swiss chard, red & green lettuce and a kohlrabi.  the first thing i set out to tackle was the turnips...  and threw in some chard.  this gratin was the result, and it was super savory and totally veggie packed.  yum!  thanks greeley gardens!

• 1 package mori nu firm tofu
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup small turnips, sliced
• 4 swiss chard leaves, diced
• 1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
• 3/4 cup veggie broth
• 2 tablespoons earth balance
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

first bring veggie broth to a boil and add wild rice. bring it back to a boil, stir, cover, then simmer for 35 minutes or until veggie broth has evaporated.  in a separate container, pour apple cider vinegar into the soy milk and let sit to thicken.  in the meantime, slice turnips into thin medallions.  also slice mushrooms and chop your swiss chard.

set chopped veggies aside and preheat oven to 375°f.  in a blender, combine the tofu and rest of ingredients (except breadcrumbs) and puree into a thick gratin sauce.  add the earth balance to a large skillet on medium high, and add turnips.  sautée for about 4 minutes, then add mushrooms and sautée for another 2 minutes.  finally add the chard to the mix, cover, and steam/sautée for another 2 minutes.

combine wild rice, veggies and blended gratin sauce in a bowl and mix.  pour into a greased 1.5 quart round casserole dish.  sprinkle the top with bread crumbs if so desired, and bake for 40-45 minutes.  let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  then liberally douse with your favorite hot sauce.  :)

my awesome csa haul:

crusted tofu and sautéed chard

i'm no gourmet vegan chef, but sometimes i put my fancy pants on. i love to make these crusted tofu cutlets because they are simple, and you can easily glamorize them. plus they are baked, not fried, so they are definitely on the healthier side. to give the tofu a firmer texture, you can freeze it after pressing. just be sure to give it enough time to thaw, though. i've made that mistake a few times!

• 1 block of extra firm tofu
• 1 bunch gold chard, chopped
• 1 tomato
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups balsamic vinegar

for the marinade:

• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

for the batter:

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning

press your tofu and slice into thick slabs. mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. lay tofu slices in a 8x11 casserole dish, and pour marinade over top. place dish in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

mix batter ingredients on plate or in a bowl. take each tofu slab and place in them mixture. coat both sides. place a layer of foil on a cookie sheet, and coat with nonstick spray or use a little olive oil. bake tofu in oven for 30 minutes at 440°f, flipping half way through.

while tofu is baking, place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan on medium heat. once balsamic is heated up, turn burner to low and stir often. the heat causes the vinegar to thicken up into a nice glaze. some people add sugar to their reductions, but i don't think it needs it.

put butter in non-stick skillet, and sauté garlic. once garlic starts to brown, add the chard and tomato. continue sautéing on medium-high until chard is tender. sometimes i will add a tablespoon or two of water to assist the wilting process.

make a bed of greens with the chard and place two tofu cutlets on top. drizzle with balsamic reduction sauce, and enjoy and an easy 'gourmet' dinner. :)