DDD #52 – Vegan Pasta & Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Creamy “Gorgonzola” and Pear

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017

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I saw these odd looking apple pears at the awesome Super King (the one in Van Nuys is FAR roomier than the San Fernando location & much more civilized) – and thought they would make a nice pizza topping.

Ultimately – I burned out on pizza before using them so – using what I already had around – I came up with this pasta.

Anyway – this comes together in the same time it would take you to cook some dry pasta & it is full of surprising flavors.  The garlicky Brussels Sprouts & the sweet pear & the creamy cheese – it is really yummy.

You can control how much cheese to use.  Blue cheeses are really powerful & I recommend going light-handed with them – and then you get the added benefit of a fairly healthy dish that still tastes decadent.

Pasta with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Gorgonzola and Pears

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta – cooked & drained

1 pear – any variety – seeded & cubed

10 Brussels Sprouts – sliced thin

2 garlic cloves – minced

Vegan Gorgonzola or other vegan blue cheese (or even vegan cream cheese) – in the quantity that suits your taste

Olive oil

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Cook your pasta.  Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile – heat a little olive in a pan that is large enough to hold all the ingredients – including your pasta.  Saute the Brussels Sprouts over medium heat until they begin to brown – maybe 5 minutes.  Add the garlic & pear & saute another minute or so.  Stir to warm through & then add the pasta.  Cook long enough to incorporate & warm everything & then stir in the cheese.  Stir to get the cheese creamy & incorporated & then season with S&P.

Serve!  See?  EASY!

3-Mushroom, Zucchini & Fried Sage Pizza with Blue Cheese and Fresh Mozzarella

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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I must admit – some dishes are harder to make look pretty than others & my troubles are compounded by a full-time job that means I can only photograph things early, before work, or late – after work.  I am certainly not going to make a pizza at 8am & – honestly – the light at 8pm sucks.  So – many of my photos lately have been a tad underwhelming & I find that very depressing.  But – I do not have the luxury of a blog that earns me any money so – this is just a reality I am having to deal with – the fact that I am in a challenging food photography world for a while.

It is especially disappointing when the dish is as outrageously delicious at this pizza was.  I like to go light on cheeses so this pizza looks sorta dark & not as pretty as others I have made but – if you like mushrooms – you are in for a treat.  As one of my three mushrooms – I used this jarred sauce here:

I have to say – I am not a fan of jarred sauces (Rao’s Arrabbiata as a notable exception) but this stuff here is a revelation!   It is heavily saturated with the flavor of porcini mushrooms.  I recommend it highly.

My second mushroom element was a last minute drizzle of truffle oil – after the pizza came out of the oven.

My third mushroom element was just a handful of sliced mushrooms sauted in olive oil with some thinly sliced zucchini.

I used a new recipe for the pizza dough.  It came from How Sweet It is – and is intended expressly for a very thin crust.  It is an easy no–rise dough & I found it wonderful.  The recipe is HERE.

I used two kinds of cheese simply because I had them.  If you don’t like blue cheese – skip it.

Fried sage rounded out the flavors & gave this pizza an autumnal flavor.  Sage is a perfect companion for mushrooms so – if you haven’t tried it – you must.

3-Mushroom, Zucchini & Fried Sage Pizza with Blue Cheese and Fresh Mozzarella

(quantities of each are up to you – to suit your taste)

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough of your choice (I used THIS)

Mushroom pasta sauce

Truffle oil

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced zucchini

Fresh sage

Olive oil

Crumbled blue cheese

Fresh mozzarella – sliced

S&P

Crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 500 degrees.

Prepare the dough & roll out some to a pizza of shape & size that you determine.

With a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a pan – fry the sage a few minutes – being careful not to burn it.  Drain on a paper towel.

Add the mushrooms & zucchini to the pan with a few pinches of S&P.  Saute on high until soft.

Put your dough on a cooking sheet (covered with parchment paper – highly recommended – or greased).  Top with sauce, vegetables, sage and cheeses.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes – depending on your oven & how done you like your crust & cheese. When it looks read – take it out & drizzle with truffle oil.  Add some crushed red pepper – if you like – and eat the whole fucking thing alone.  I did!

Orecchiette Pasta with Creamy Blue Cheese, Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Arugula (Vegan or Not)

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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A disclaimer at the top: sometimes my photographs are underwhelming – even to me.  And – in this case – the photos do not do justice to the wonderful flavors of this dish.  I shoot with my i-phone only & usually use only ambient or natural light.  When you add the additional hurdle of a full-time job – that means I am making these pasta dishes as soon as I get up & shooting them in the morning sun – before work.  In the winter, the sunlight changes pretty quickly & dramatically in the mornings & evenings.  So – one day, I might shoot a dish at 9am in great light (like yesterday) but the next day I get the dish done earlier & am shooting at 8am – as was the case today.  The 8am light isn’t pretty.  It is blue & blue is an ugly tone to add to food – especially foods in the white/cream color zone because the blue is so much more evident.  Then – trying to correct the blue – shit gets all yellow.

So – I carted this bowl of pasta all over my house trying to find nice light.  I never really succeeded – but I did get a shot of the ever-optimistic Memphis – who follows me faithfully, hoping against hope that I will drop the food (which has happened) or just decide to give it to him (which has not happened).  Look at him in the upper right of frame:

He is so fucking cute!  And I love him too much.

Anyway – I digress.  My point was, these are not my best photos but the dish is EASY & delicious & lighter than you might guess from the photos.   Eh – fuck it.  TRUST ME – this dish is really tasty!

On another note, I get sorta frustrated always pointing out ways in which my recipes can be tweaked to be vegan or vegetarian or meat-filled.   I kinda expect a committed vegan to know how to sub out dairy & I expect meat-eaters to know they could use real meat (in my vegan meat recipes) or add it if they want it – even if I never mention it.  I am never deterred by a meat item in a recipe title because I know at least half a dozen things I can replace it with (from vegan meat to chickpeas to cauliflower etc etc).

So – that in mind, cooked chicken could be added to this.  Vegan alternatives exist for blue cheese as they do for milk & butter.   Or use real milk & butter.  But if you use real milk or butter – try to get the highest end organic stuff you can find.  I used these things in this recipe (including the gourmet salts my friend Alyse brought me back from Hawaii):

But there is this vegan butter out there available at most large supermarkets.

Whatever you decide – this comes together in the time it takes to cook your pasta.  You can up the dairy (or faux dairy) ingredients if you want a more Alfredo-style pasta.  I don’t like heavy sauces – so I went pretty light with this one.

Orecchiette Pasta with Creamy Blue Cheese, Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Arugula (Vegan or Not)

Feeds 2 well

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta of your choice

1 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1/2 cup milk (or vegan alternative)

1/2 cup blue cheese (or vegan alternative)

1+ cup fresh arugula  (use more of the veggies to get an even lighter dish)

10-15+ small Brussels sprouts – trimmed & grated, shredded or chopped very fine (I grated mine in a food processor)

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook & drain the pasta.

Shred the Brussels sprouts

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over med-high heat & saute the Brussels sprouts for maybe a minute – longer if you cut yours into larger pieces but these guys should soften very quickly.  After a minute or two, add the milk & blue cheese.   Let it come to a boil & then lower to simmer & stir to melt the cheese.  Season with S&P.  Add the pasta & the arugula & heat through – letting the arugula wilt.

Serve that shit up & garnish liberally with freshly ground pepper.

Pasta with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Gorgonzola and Pear

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I saw these odd looking apple pears at the awesome Super King (the one in Van Nuys is FAR roomier than the San Fernando location & much more civilized) – and thought they would make a nice pizza topping.

Ultimately – I burned out on pizza before using them so – using what I already had around – I came up with this pasta.  I made homemade spaghetti noodles – like the kind I used in this Salmon Carbonara.

Homemade pasta really is a completely different experience than boxed but it isn’t always realistic.  I just happen to have invested in nearly every pasta making device there is & I really enjoy the process…so I make it a lot.

Anyway – this comes together in the same time it would take you to cook some dry pasta & it is full of surprising flavors.  The garlicky Brussels Sprouts & the sweet pear & the rich Gorgonzola – it is really yummy.

You can control how much cheese to use.  Blue cheeses are really powerful & I recommend going light-handed with them – and then you get the added benefit of a fairly healthy dish that still tastes decadent.

Pasta with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Gorgonzola and Pears

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta – cooked & drained

1 pear – any variety – seeded & cubed

10 Brussels Sprouts – sliced thin

2 garlic cloves – minced

Gorgonzola or other blue cheese – crumbled in the quantity that suits your taste

Olive oil

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Cook your pasta.  Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile – heat a little olive in a pan that is large enough to hold all the ingredients – including your pasta.  Saute the Brussels Sprouts over medium heat until they begin to brown – maybe 5 minutes.  Add the garlic & pear & saute another minute or so.  Stir to warm through & then add the pasta.  Cook long enough to incorporate & warm everything & then stir in the cheese.  Stir to get the cheese creamy & incorporated & then season with S&P.

Serve!  See?  EASY!

Roasted Zucchini and Potato White Pizza with Gorgonzola and Mixed Herbs

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

~

I have REALLY been underachieving here lately & these pictures of this pizza are no improvement – but – the pizza was yummy so I am posting it anyway.

I decided to make use of my bursting herb garden here & use some of the fragrant herbs there.  See my scallions there – regrown from the cut off ends?  Impressed?  You can do it, to!  Just put the white, rooted end in a glass of water & watch the tops regrow!  Then – stick’m in some dirt.  VERY satisfying!

Anyway – pizza never really feels like a recipe exactly.  It feels like a suggestion.  So – here is the combination I am suggesting today.   Also – the quantities are up to you  – as in – how much Gorgonzola & herbs.  It is very much a matter of personal taste.

Roasted Zucchini and Potato White Pizza with Gorgonzola and Mixed Herbs

INGREDIENTS

Your favorite pizza dough (I make THIS in my bread machine)

1 zucchini – cut into thin rounds

1 potato

Gorgonzola cheese – crumbled

Parmesan cheese – grated

Fresh chopped herbs (I used a mix of lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, oregano & parsley)

Olive oil

1 head of garlic (optional)

Salt (I am currently infatuated with pink Himalayan salt)

 DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the zucchini rounds with some olive oil & salt & spread on a cooking sheet in a single layer.

Peel the potato & rub it with olive oil & wrap it in foil.

If using the garlic – cut the top of the head, drizzle with olive oil & wrap in foil.

 Roast the zucchini for about 20 minutes or until it is softened & just starting to color.  Drain on paper towels.

Bake the potato (and the garlic – if you are using it) for about 45 minutes & then let it cool enough to handle.  Slice the potato into thin rounds.  It is OK if the potato is not completely cooked through.  The baking was just to soften it a bit.  If using the garlic – squeeze the soft cloves out & mash a bit.

Raise the oven temperature to 475.

Roll the dough out, place it on a greased pizza pan or on parchment paper on a cooking sheet & assemble the pizza.  I did not add the roasted garlic but – if you are using it – smear it on the dough.  I drizzled olive oil & some salt on the dough & then topped it with circles of potato & zucchini.  Add the cheeses & herbs.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted & the crust is cooked to your liking.

Eat it up!  🙂

Mushrooms Stuffed Two Ways – with Garlic & Parmesan or Spinach & Gorgonzola

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Believe it or not, I have never made stuffed mushrooms before.  I love them but they always sorta seemed labor intensive.  They are NOT.  These guys are so easy & so delicious that I made them two nights in a row & ate every Goddamn one.  And you know what?  I am making them again tonight!  And maybe the next night.  Why not?  They are so yummy & not bad for you at all.  They use a small amount of cheese & some bread crumbs.  Big deal.

I am posting two different versions here.  For the garlic & Parmesan – I used an 8 oz package of mushrooms & ended up with a lot of extra filling so I am gonna suggest using closer to a pound of mushrooms fr that one.  The stuffing I made for the spinach & Gorgonzola was the perfect amount.  You can double or triple these recipes if you have more mouths to feed than just your own.  But whatever you do – MAKE some of these!  Stick a straw in a box of wine & go nuts!

Garlic & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

1 lb mushrooms

1 large shallot or small onion – diced

4 garlic cloves (or more to taste) – minced

1 red sweet mini pepper or 1/4 bell pepper – diced

Handful of fresh parsley – chopped

A few sprigs of thyme – stems removed

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

olive oil

S&P to taste

Panko or other bread crumbs

Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, being careful not to break the caps.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the stems.  Heat a TBS or so of olive oil in a saute pan.  Saute the chopped mushroom stems with the pepper, shallot/onion & garlic until soft.

In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, thyme & parsley.  Add the cooked mushroom mix & the Parmesan.  I added about 1/4 cup water to moisten the mixture so it would hold together.  Add S& P to taste.

Line the mushroom caps up, stem side DOWN, on a parchment paper-lined cooking sheet (or treat your pan with cooking spray.  Cook, upside down for ten minutes.  This will make the caps release some liquid.

If using parchment paper, put a new piece on the cooking sheet.  If not, carefully wipe the moisture off the pan without burning yourself.

Stuff the mushrooms & place them on the cooking sheet spaced so they can all cook evenly.

Spray them with a little cooking spray & sprinkle more bread crumbs or some panko.  Bake another 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Shove them into your pie hole & promise to try the spinach & Gorgonzola ones tomorrow.

Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach & Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS

8 mushrooms

4 garlic cloves – minced

1 cup fresh spinach – chopped

1 square inch cube of Gorgonzola

2 TBS panko (or other bread crumbs) plus extra for sprinkling

Olive oil

S&P to taste

Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS

Carefully remove the stems & chop them up.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan & saute the garlic & spinach until the spinach is wilted.  Mix that up in a bowl with the Gorgonzola, panko & some S&P.

Line the mushroom caps up, stem side DOWN, on a parchment paper-lined cooking sheet (or treat your pan with cooking spray.  Cook, upside down for ten minutes.  This will make the caps release some liquid.

If using parchment paper, put a new piece on the cooking sheet.  If not, carefully wipe the moisture off the pan without burning yourself.

Stuff the mushrooms & place them on the cooking sheet spaced so they can all cook evenly.

Spray them with a little cooking spray & sprinkle more panko.  Bake another 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Eat them all.