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.

vegan mofo: grandma's eggplant parmesan

my lovely italian grandma surprised me with this dish of something wonderful earlier this fall.


status: foodgasmic!

why i'm including it: i visited my grandma for her birthday earlier this year...  she's an amazing woman who has inspired me more than she knows.  and she's made some of the best italian food  i've ever tasted (and still trying to emulate).  she taught me about black pepper on pizza!   anyways, she embraced my veganism and made this eggplant parm for us to share, complete with vegan mozzarella.

would i make it again:  if only i could do her cooking justice.

 

ps - happy thanksgiving!

vegan mofo: homemade polenta

i have some italian heritage and feel that all italian foods should just come naturally to me.  not so easily, i learned.


status: somewhat fail.

why i'm including it:  i love the tubes of polenta you can buy, and thought there was no better was to use up some cornmeal than to cook up an authentic version.  unfortunately, i don't believe i ever saw my grandparents make homemade polenta (although i've heard stories).  a LOT of effort and time later, the results were just 'meh'.  (i added in some bell peppers to make it tastier)

would i make it again:  not sure. is buying it all that unauthentic?  i've seen one of the tubes in my grandma's fridge, after all.  :)

small bites: simple tomato bruschetta

my friend kim and i met for dinner recently and decided to make a fun dinner of small bites - all italian themed.  i love having the variety of dinners like these - it's satisfies so many cravings at once.  this night i made a tomato bruschetta, and an artichoke bruschetta and kim made a super zesty olive tapenade.  we served them on flatbread crackers and wheat crisps, but they would be awesome on some crunchy french bread as well.  i'll post the recipes for each in my upcoming blogs starting with the simple tomato bruschetta. enjoy!

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

core and chop your tomatoes and place in a bowl.  add in the minced garlic and dried basil, and then drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.  gently toss and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  some notes: i rarely eat onions, so i excluded and went for a straight forward tomato flavor.  also, you can sub in fresh basil, but i didn't have any on hand, so i just used dried.  letting it sit overnight really made the difference in flavor.

fusilli with butternut squash

the lack of posts lately are due to a combination of nice weather and some much needed vacation. i recently went to austin, tx to visit my aunt and walked a 10k with my grandma (who is almost 80!), my mom, and aunt. i had tons of vegan food while i was there (austin rocks for vegans). the night before the 10k, my aunt (who is a fabulous chef) whipped up this delicious pasta dish so we could carb-load. she made a goat cheese sauce for the rest of the family, but set aside some for me.  i added some raw parmesan and it was delicious!

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1 butternut squash
• 1/2 small onion
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup parma raw parmesan

first peel and cube the butternut squash. place on a foil-lined baking and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, making sure each piece is coated. please in an oven at 425°f for 40 minutes. while the squash is baking, slice your onion and drizzle with olive oil on another foil-lined sheet. place in the oven for 25 minutes (with about half of the squash time left). honestly, i'm not a huge fan of onions, but they work well in this dish. ours got a little burnt, but i actually really liked the crispy flavor, so cook the onion to your preference.

while both of these are roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. cook pasta according to directions. chop walnuts and place on a baking sheet - these will need to roast in the oven at 425°f for about 5-6 minutes. wash and chop the basil.

when the pasta is done boiling, combine all the ingredients in one bowl and toss. i used some of the olive oil from the butternut squash pan to coat the pasta. finally toss in the parma, or your favourite vegan parmesan, and serve!

four mushroom pizza

i always see these delicious pizza ai funghi on the menus at italian restaurants i visit, which is really just a fancy way of saying mega-mushroom pizza. they always look so delicious, but i usually can't have them because their sauces are cream based, or i'm not sure about the crust ingredients, or something other vegan related. i finally decided to combat this unfortunate situation with my own italian culinary skills.

• 1 batch pizza crust
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• pinch of salt

for the sauce:

• 1/3 cup blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup nutri yeast
• 1½ tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 cup spelt flower
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 3/4 tablespoon light miso
• pinch black pepper and salt

jessy and dan have a fabulous pizza crust recipe... so whenever i have time, it is definitely the recipe i use. after whatever crust you are using is ready, you will want to pre-bake it for about 5 minutes at 375°f. pull out and let cool for a few minutes. you can prep your sauce during this time - just put all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet and blend until creamy.  you can also prep the topping sprinkle - use the walnuts, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds and dash of salt. you can hand chop, but i just throw everything in the bullet and give it a few pulses.

once your crust has cooled, layer on creamy sauce and then the mushrooms.  in this recipe i used equal parts shiitake, black, straw and button because that's what i had. the shiitakes gave a bit of oriental flair, but use your favourite mushrooms.  i'm thinking one with portabellos, button and creminis would be nice. before you put your sprinkle on top, you'll want to bake about 8-10 minutes on 375°f to make sure the mushrooms are cooked well.  pull out and sprinkle on the topping, and bake for about 5-7 minutes more. pizza is one of those foods that tend to vary on cooking times (depending on the the amount of toppings and crust), so you'll just have to keep an eye on it and make sure the center is heated through. 

raw pasta aglio e olio

raw zucchini pasta noodles rival any regular noodle i've ever head. i use this spiralizer, and it always makes the perfect noodles. this recipe is a slight twist on pasta aglio e olio, which is basically just pasta with olive oil and garlic. it's a lighter pasta dish (especially the raw version here), and in my opinion doesn't weigh you down like the traditional red or white sauces. this makes a great light lunch, and healthy!

• 1 medium zucchini, spiralized
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup nutritional yeast
• pinch of pepper and celtic sea salt

spiralize your zucchini and place in a bowl. except for the nutritional yeast, combine the rest of ingredients in a dressing shaker, or a jar with a lid will do. i save old olive or salsa jars for this. shake all the ingredients and pour over pasta noodles. finally sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and stir to coat all the noodles. easy peasy!

italian pesto panini

my brother, who i dubbed 'produce boy' after he brought me 28 pounds of asparagus last year, came through in a big way for xmas this year. he gifted me with one bushel of zucchini and one of yellow squash. what a foodie's delight! i've diced and frozen several pounds for future meals, and have been busy eating my weight in zucchini before it goes bad. it's a good thing it's one of my absolute favourite vegetables. this is one of my go-to panini recipes, with a yummy pesto made from garden fresh basil.

• 1/2 medium zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted
• 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 handful baby bella mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1 medium boule loaf
• few tablespoons vegan butter
• vegan mozzarella (optional)

the way i make this panini varies a little each time, and the basic recipe can easily be modified. a lot of the things can be store bought or made from scratch... that's up to you.

bread: if working from scratch, you'll need to make your boule loaf. i use the basic recipe from artisan bread in 5 minutes a day, with half whole wheat and half unbleached white flour. the recipe can be found here for those that don't have the book.

roasted red peppers: while the bread is cooling, slice the bell pepper into quarters and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. i usually throw a little olive oil on them, and place on a piece of foil at 400°f for 10 minutes, then turn the broiler on for 5 more minutes. they should be tender, but not completely black. again, you could also just buy a jar of these if pressed for time.

pesto: you might be able to find pre-made pesto, just be sure and check that it doesn't contain parmesean. to make 1/4 cup pesto, you'll need about 1 cup fresh basil leaves. in a food processor, add basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and about 1/8 cup pine nuts. pulse until smooth and creamy, adding a splash more olive oil or lemon juice if needed.

ok, so now you are ready! use a mandolin or a steady hand to make several zucchini slices, approximately 1/8-1/4 inch thick. the slices should be fairly thin - bending if you hold them up by one end. place the slices on a plate with the balsamic vinegar and let marinate for 30+ minutes. when the zucchini are almost done marinating, slice the boule loaf horizantally into 4 thick slices. divide the rest of ingredients in half, and start building the sandwiches. spread the pesto on one slice of bread, and then layer the zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and tomato. add the vegan mozzarella if desired. finally, on the other slice a bread, spread a garlic clove and press on top of your sandwich.

heat the panini maker, and spread a small amount of vegan butter on the outside of each bread slice. place the sandwiches in the press, and let them cook for approximately 10 minutes. over the course of the 10 minutes, press down on the sandwiches occasionally so they really smush together. like any good panini, they should come out crunchy brown on the outside with a warm gooey center, and should be pressed enough that they don't fall apart.

makes 2 large paninis.

smoked chicken & spicy red pepper pasta

i wish i could give my mom an award for being such a great vegan supporter, and i know a lot of my fellow bloggers feel the same about their moms. she brought me hot mustard from ireland, buys vegan mozzarella when we make our xmas lasagna every year, and also bought me pappardelle's mild spice red pepper pasta for my birthday this year. pappardelle's is all natural, small-batch pasta and it makes me one happy vegan italian!

• 1/2 pound pappardelle's mild spice red pepper pasta
• 1 cup roasted red peppers
• 4 slices of jalapenos
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 cup of veggie broth
• 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon hickory smoke
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy
• 1 batch seitan cutlets from vcon

after prepping your seitan cutlets, place them on a pre-heated cast iron grill pan. baste one side with 1 tablespoon liquid smoke mixed with 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce. grill on low or bake at 375 for 5 minutes on each side. when flipping, baste other side with smoky mixture.

while cutlets are cooking, combine red peppers, jalapenos, garlic and veggie broth in a food processor. if using jarred roasted red peppers, be sure and drain oil/water before adding. once everything is well blended, transfer to a large deep skillet (or a sauce pan will work in a pinch). cut up the cooked cutlets into strips and place in the skillet as well. simmer the cutlets on low to medium for approximately 15 , stirring often- turn heat down if the mixture starts to boil.

after sauce is thoroughly heated, add soymilk and cornstarch to thicken. continue heating for another minute or so, then remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. serve cutlets and sauce over pasta. i know the picture isn't all that glamorous, but trust me, this is one tasty dish.

grilled pizza

this was a fun foodie experiment that turned out awesome! i had heard of grilled pizza sometime in the past year, and was determined to make it this summer. i was not disappointed. nice crispy pizza with a wonderful grill flavour - you can't beat it! the timing on the grill is the most difficult part, and i've typed up detailed instructions below.

• 1 batch of pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• yellow squash
• zucchini
• green bell peppers
• red bell peppers
• marinated artichoke hearts
• mushrooms
• black olives
• banana peppers
• vegan cheese (optional)

for the pizza sauce (makes two):

• 2 small cans tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• onion powder
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• pinch of salt

make your sauce and dough first. the sauce is super easy and thick. for the dough... well, i'm not going to lie. i used a package mix, which is usually not my style. however, my kitchen was torn up because i'm getting new counter tops and a new sink, so there wasn't any working room and everything was covered in dust.

while your dough is resting, prep your toppings by chopping them into pizza-sized bits. put them in a vegetable grill tray and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes. if you don't have a grill pan, you can create a pouch out of foil and cook them in there, but they won't have as much of the "grilled" flavour.

when your toppings are done cooking, roll out your dough into a circle or square, about 9 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. if your tough gets too thin, it will tear on the grill. put some flour on a plate and lay your dough on top. coat the top with a thin layer of olive oil - about one tablespoons worth. keep your grill on medium high heat and spray with olive oil or another nonstick spray. in one quick motion, flip your plate over so the crust lands oil-side down. while it's cooking, coat the top side with the other tablespoon of olive oil. check the bottom often for burning and flip as needed. you will likely only need to cook the crust for 1-1½ minutes on either side.


once crust has cooked, remove from grill. spread sauce, toppings and whatever cheese substitute you are using. i opted to forgo the cheese during this test run since i typically have a hard time getting it to melt. once pizzas have been assembled, carefully place them back on the grill on low heat this time. to really accentuate the grill flavor (and melt any cheese you are using), close the lid. continue to cook on low until they start to brown a little on the outside of the crust, approximately 4-5 minutes.

it may seem a little complicated for pizza, but the flavour is so worth it.

pulp pasta (raw)

i love zucchini pasta in the summer. not only is it nice not to have a big pot of boiling pasta on your stove, but it's lighter in calories. and who doesn't have a ton of zucchini right about now? this recipe uses tomato-veggie juice pulp, because i'm always looking for creative ways to use it up. waste not, want not, right? of course, if you don't make juice, you could just as easily sub marinara.

• 1 zucchini, spiralized
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 clove garlic
• 1/4 whole onion
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 dash fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• pulp from tomato fusion juice

use a spiralizer to make noodles from your zucchini. combine tomato juice pulp (or something similar) and rest of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times. i like my sauce a little on the chunky side, but you could add more water or olive oil for a smoother sauce.

pour over noodles and serve. it doesn't need to be heated up unless you want to - i like mine at room temperature in the hot summer.

fresh veggie pasta

summer produce makes my world go round. farmer's markets, local gardens, roadside fruits and veggies... i love being able to incorporate all this freshness into my meals. sure, i use a can of this or that along the way, but the bright colours and crisp flavours take center stage.

• 8 oz. pasta
• 1/2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium sunburst squash
• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
*or three fresh tomatoes
• 1 half can tomato paste (3 oz.)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

cook pasta according to directions on package. chop all veggies into bite size pieces, and shred cabbage. in a large skillet or saucepan, pour in the entire can of tomatoes (including liquid!) and add veggies and spices. if you use fresh tomatoes, you may need to add 1/2 cup a water because this liquid really helps soften the veggies and cabbage. cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until cabbage is tender. add in the tomato paste around the 10 minute mark - the tomato paste serves as a thickening agent for the sauce, so you may need to add more than 3. oz if sauce is still thin.

pour chunky veggie sauce over your pasta noodles of choice - here with elbow macaroni.

creamy cashew tomato sauce

when i set out to make pasta for dinner, i often have the southern vs. northern italy debate with myself. my great grandfather was from garda in northern italy, a region known for creamy white sauces. my great grandmother was from naples in the south, which favours hearty red tomato sauces. i love the flavours of both cuisines, but what i love most is combining the best of both worlds to create a nice creamy red. add some cashews to the mix, and you've got some crazy italian goodness!

• 8 oz. penne pasta
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 basil leaves
• 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 small can tomato paste (3 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon soy milk powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

soak raw cashews at least 4 hours, and then blend them up very fine in a magic bullet or food processor. set them aside. cook pasta according to directions. while pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli florets. in the food processor, blend up the two tomatoes and basil leaves.

in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and saute the garlic until it starts to brown. on medium-low heat, add the tomatoes and rest of sauce ingredients. simmer for 10 minutes, adding in additional water if the sauce is too thick. add in the broccoli florets and continue simmering for 5 minutes more.

remove from heat and serve over pasta. this recipe makes two small servings, so double as necessary.

veggie and kraut pizza

pizza has long been one of my favourite foods. another one my favourites is sauerkraut, and when i went vegan, i found that kraut made a tasty substitute for cheese on pizza. it's not exactly apples to apples in terms of taste, mind you, but it's really worth giving it a shot (if you like kraut). the best part - it crunches up perfectly on the edges.

• 1 batch of pizza crust
  
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced and halved
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup vegan sausage crumbles
• 10-15 black olives, chopped
• 1 cup of sauerkraut, drained

for the pizza sauce:

• 1 small can tomato paste (6oz)
• 3/4 small can tomato sauce (6oz)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
• pinch of salt

jessy of happyveganface recently blogged about her whole wheat pizza dough and i had been dying to give it a shot. the verdict - absolutely perfect! i will definitely use this dough more often.

the pizza sauce recipe listed is my go-to recipe when i haven't really 'planned' on making pizza. i prefer a nice combination of fresh and sun dried tomatoes for my sauce, but sometimes a girl just doesn't have all the fresh ingredients she needs. and it's simple - just whisk up all the ingredients in a bowl. also, i really love black pepper in my sauce. i learned this from my italian grandmother, who i once watched make pizza sauce with a heavy hand of black pepper. her sauce tops mine of course, but i haven't forgotten the special black pepper ingredient. :)

i think everyone knows how to make pizza, so i'll just skip to the best part. after layering your sauce and veggies, drain and hand-squeeze your sauerkraut. spread it thinly over the top of your pizza - much like you would with shredded cheese. if you want the kraut to crunchify, make sure you can still see the veggies below. i've tried it both ways, and i say 'thin to win'...

pop it in the oven at 425°f, and let cook for at least 12 minutes. usually i just eyeball it after this, depending on how thick it is, and how crispy you like it.

linguine con broccoli (in creamy white wine sauce)

my absolute favourite italian restaurant in kansas city is garozzos. unfortunately, it's not so vegan friendly (it became my favourite when i was just ovo-lacto veg). anyways, they have some amazing pasta dishes there, including a linguine pasta in a creamy white wine sauce. every once in a while i have a 'try-to-replicate-it' night, and this was my best attempt. it was really good, although not exact (how do you veganize provel cheese?!).

• 1 pkg. linguine (approx 12 oz.)
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets, steamed
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter *like smart balance
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sauce ingredients:

• 2 cups soymilk (unsweetened)
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoons black pepper
• 2/3 cup white cooking wine

first combine the soymilk and ACV in a jar or something shakeable and let sit - this will cause the soymilk to thicken. start cooking the linguine (according to package), and steam the broccoli.

in a medium sauce pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil on medium heat. once the garlic starts to roast, add the butter. combine the rest of the sauce ingredients - except for the wine - in the same jar as the soymilk. cap the jar, and shake vigorously until everything has been mixed well. pour the mixture in the saucepan, turning heat down to low-medium. let simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is fairly thick and creamy. add the broccoli florets and cooking wine, simmering for 3-5 minutes more. remove from heat.

personally, i prefer to let the sauce rest for several minutes before serving with the linguine. as the sauce begins to cool off, it will thicken up even more.

jumbo stuffed shells

i crafted this recipe after my lasagna ricotta creation, baking jumbo pasta shells stuffed with the mixture. this makes quite a few shells - enough to feed at least 4 or 5, or makes lots of yummy leftovers for those of us not cooking for as many. :)

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells (12oz.)
• 3 small can tomato sauce (8oz. ea)
  
• 1 small can tomato paste (6oz.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• several shredded fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• heavy dash of black ground pepper
• 1/2 head of steamed broccoli (approx. 7 oz.)
• 1 batch vegan ricotta recipe: here
• vegan mozzarella to your heart's content

start boiling the pasta shells according to the instructions. in a medium saucepan on medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for a little over a minute. if you are using fresh onion (instead of onion powder), add them into this step. after sautéing, mix in the tomato sauce and paste, along with all spices listed. let simmer on medium-low heat.

chop the steamed broccoli. in blender or food processor, make one batch of the vegan ricotta, adding in the broccoli. in an 8x11 casserole dish, spread 1 or 2 tablespoons of the red sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking. open each shell, and stuff with vegan ricotta allowing enough room to close the shell again. the ricotta measurement is sort of a personal judgment, but i use about one large spoonful.

place shells in dish, facing upwards. pour sauce over all shells, and top with shredded mozzarella if you like. i used tofutti mozzarella slices, torn up and placed on each shell.

bake at 375°f for approximately 35-40 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

mediterranean pasta

i love this pasta dish because it changes up the standard noodle and sauce combo. it wants to be a pasta salad, but has enough weight to make it a full meal. plus, i'm sucker for anything with artichoke hearts.

• 8 oz. ziti or rigatoni
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 can black olives
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered

as an italian, i must encourage you to use fresh tomatoes if you have them. alas, it is winter here in the midwest, and we don't have fresh tomatoes around too often. so heat your tomatoes (canned or fresh) with tomato sauce for about 10 minutes on medium-high. start boiling the ziti according to directions on package. after sauce has just started to simmer, add black olives, garlic and artichoke hearts. simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes more, until the ziti is done. mix the sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and rigatoni together.

makes about 3 dinner servings.

vegan lasagna

our traditional christmas dinner is lasagna, and for years my mother and i have stood side-by-side in the kitchen on christmas morning assembling our italian dishes. this was the first time i attempted a vegan one, which brought on quite a few changes - from the mozzarella to the ricotta to the parmesan. below is my recipe. also, i tend to like my lasagna really saucy, so just make modifications to the amounts as you prefer.

• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 6 cups mom's mushroom pasta sauce**
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 large head of broccoli florets, steamed
• 16 oz. vegan mozzarella, shredded
• 6-8 tablespoons vegan parmesan
• 1 batch vegan ricotta (see recipe below)

**if you don't have a favourite sauce, add mushrooms to this recipe

for the ricotta:

• 12 oz. silken tofu
• 6 oz. tofutti sour cream
• 2 teaspoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 5 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 5-8 baby spinach leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

to make the ricotta, blend tofu, sour cream, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor. after mixture is creamy (add more oil or lemon juice if necessary), mix the rest of ingredients in by hand. chill until ready to use.

to assemble lasagna:
in a 8x11 glass or ceramic casserole dish, spread about 2 tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of the dish to prevent noodles from sticking. place 3 noodles across the bottom, then use a spoon to spread about 1/3 of the ricotta evenly. now layer about 1/4 of the sauce in the dish, followed by 1/3 of the spinach and the broccoli. sprinkle a mozzarella layer and a parmesan layer, and then place another set of noodles in the dish. repeat the process, building up the lasagna until you have used up all ingredients. make sure to save enough sauce and mozzarella for the final top of the dish.


a few notes: make sure you buy vegan lasagna noodles (no egg). also, for the mozzarella, i used veganrella this time as i often have a hard time getting fyh vegan gourmet cheeses to melt. veganrella's cheddar cheese is really good, but the mozzarella was just average. i think next time i will try using tofutti mozzarella slices... just a thought.

bake lasagna at 375°f for about 45 minutes. the top cheese layer should be browning and the sauce should be bubbly. makes 6 large pieces of lasagna.

tony soprano sandwich

i was craving an old-school italian meatball sandwich. but, i really didn't feel like making meatballs, so i made a sloppy 'meat' sandwich instead. it might look like a modified sloppy joe, but it tastes way more tony soprano-like to me.

• 1 hoagie bun
• 1 cup cooked tvp (about 1/2 cup dry tvp)
*or 1 cup boca crumbles
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small green pepper, chopped

cook the textured vegetable protein with half the water according to package (about 1/4 cup). add the tomato sauce, water, spices, and peppers to the tvp. heat the mixture for about 2 minutes on med. temperature. toast hoagie if desired, and stuff with tvp mixture.

and if you are a kraut nut like me, i think it complements this dish nicely.

creamy baked pasta

in my last post, i mentioned that i don't buy a lot of faux cheese products, but i do sometimes splurge. i say if you are gonna do it, do it up big! so here is a triple threat - complete with vegan sour cream, cream cheese, and mozzarella. i don't make these types of recipes too often - a girl has to watch her waistline - but i certainly enjoy treating myself with warm comforting dishes every once in a while.

• 16 oz. whole wheat mostaccioli
• 3/4-1 whole green bell pepper
• 3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons water
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• dash of salt and pepper
  
• 6 oz. tofutti 'sour cream'
• 4 oz. tofutti 'cream cheese'
• 5 oz. vegan gourmet mozzarella (shredded)
  

cook and drain pasta according to instructions on box. make pasta sauce by combining tomato sauce, paste, water, garlic, onion, italian seasoning (i use penzey's spices) and salt/pepper in a medium sauce pan. heat on medium-high until sauce starts to simmer aggressively, then lower heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer lightly for about 15 minutes, stirring often. this will be a thicker sauce since it is going into a casserole type dish. add in the softened cream cheese and sour cream, and heat on low for about 5-10 minutes until you have a nice creamy red sauce.

now the fun begins.

in a 9x11 glass casserole dish, use about three tablespoons of the sauce to coat the bottom (prevents sticking). layer 1/2 of the mostaccioli in the dish, then layer 1/2 sauce, 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 of the mozzarella. then repeat with the other half of the ingredients.

pop in the oven at 350 f° for about 25 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble and the cheese begins to melt. pull out and cool around 10-12 minutes before trying to serve, although in my house we only make it about 5 minutes.