DDD #96 – Vegan Parsley Herbed Potato Gnocchi

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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Click the image about to watch the gnocchi video.

OK – spicy marinara is really arrabbiata – I know.  And I have posted many versions of simple pasta sauce before but I am just gonna go ahead and post another here.  Pasta sauce is so easy – there is no excuse to buy bullshit jarred sauce at a far greater price.   HERE is one you can make in the time it takes your pasta to cook.  But – in a pinch – your favorite jarred sauce will do.

I used some wrinkly sad cherry tomatoes in my sauce.  Every time I consider whether produce is still edible, I think of the Diary of Anne Frank.  They lived on sub-par or rotting produce.  For years.  So, I am usually guilted into finding a way to use the questionable items.

Gnocchi are remarkably easy to make, too.  Once the potatoes are baked – it can all come together pretty quickly & so incredibly delightfully.  This recipe should feed 4 pretty easily but if you want to save a bunch for the future – simply put uncooked gnocchi on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Put the sheet in the freezer & once the gnocchi are frozen, put them into sandwich bags in the freezer.  When you want to eat them – boil them frozen or they will get gooey.

In the past, I have made these with eggs but this recipe is vegan & they came out SO LIGHT & PILLOWY!   I will never use eggs in gnocchi again.  I had to subsidize my Russet potato quotient with some random yellow potato.  It didn’t hurt anything.  But try to use Russet because of the starch & moisture factors.

Vegan Parsley Herbed Gnocchi with a Spicy Basil Marinara

INGREDIENTS

for the gnocchi

3 lbs Russet potatoes

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups (plus more) flour

S&P to taste

for the spicy basil marinara

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

30 grape or cherry tomatoes – quartered

1 TBS olive oil

6 garlic cloves – chopped

1/2 cup chopped basil

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – optional

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

for the spicy basil marinara

Heat the olive oil over medium heat & saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomato paste & fry another minute or so.  Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes & basil & about 1 cup of water.  Add the crushed red pepper – if using.

Simmer covered on low for the hour it takes to bake the potatoes.

for the parsley herbed gnocchi

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the potatoes (directly on the rack) for an hour or until soft.

Halve the potatoes & let cool a bit & then peel them.  If you have a ricer – rice the potatoes.  Otherwise – mash’m up good with a potato masher.

Mash in the olive oil, parsley & some S&P.  By hand, incorporate the flour 1/2 cup at a time until you get a dough that you can handle without it being too sticky.  Depending on the sort of potatoes you used & their moisture – this might take more or less flour.

Roll out chunks of the dough into snakes less than an inch thick & cut into gnocchi.

You can leave them like that or roll them on a fork or a gnocchi board to get little grooves on them.

I like the little gnocchi board so that is what I used.  They are super cheap – if you decide to buy one – like maybe $5.

Now – you can either freeze a bunch as I explained above or get to cooking them up.  I let mine sit out an hour or so.  It didn’t harm them.

Boil some salted water & when it is rolling – add the gnocchi.  They are done when they float & stay at the top.  Scoop out with a slotted spoon & serve with the marinara & more basil.  Add some cheese or vegan cheese – if you desire.  YUM!

Oh – and remember to buy my book!  IT IS HILARIOUS!  www.BathingBook.com

DDD #88 – Garlic Roasted “Simon & Garfunkel” Mushrooms with Mixed Herbs – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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Click the image above to watch the video.

I love mushrooms.  This dish is very simple and could be tossed with pasta or dropped onto a pizza or crostini or over potatoes.  I used all button mushrooms but any variety or combination of various mushrooms would be lovely.  Mushrooms shrink a lot when they are cooked so you should probably make more than you think you need.

Garlic Roasted “Simon & Garfunkel” Mushrooms with Mixed Herbs – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs mushrooms – sliced

Olive oil

2+ garlic cloves – sliced

1-2 TBS each: thyme, sage, rosemary

Fresh chopped parsley as garnish

(If you are feeling fancy, drizzle some nice balsamic on them – or a bit of truffle oil)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil, the garlic, sage, rosemary & thyme.

Cook for about 45 minutes – stirring once.  Season with S&P & garnish with parsley.  If using balsamic or truffle oil – get on that & then eat this yummy guys!

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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This is a really easy salad – especially if you buy already roasted beets or, like me, roasted them ahead & had them all ready.  I used this ancient grains mix (above) but any grain you prefer could be used – like the quinoa below.

I made the dressing but you could use any dressing you prefer.  I had the gorgeous bottle of blood orange olive oil from my friend, Alyse, but regular olive oil is fine.

How to roast beets:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash beets well.  Coat with a thin layer of olive oil & wrap in foil.  Cook, undisturbed, for at least 45 minutes (it could take much longer for big ones), until a knife pierces one with little resistance. They may cook at different rates.  Remove the skin on each when they are done by just pushing it off under running water.

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

4 beets – roasted (as outlined above), peeled & sliced

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas – drained

1 cup of dry grains – cooked as per directions

1/4 cup parsley – chopped

Chia seeds (quantity up to you)

for the Orange Tahini Dressing (makes more than you will need for these two servings)

3 TBS tahini

3 TBS fresh orange juice

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 TBS maple syrup or agave nectar

1 TBS olive oil (infused with orange if you have it but not necessary)

1 tsp orange zest

1 garlic clove – minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Plate the bowls by putting some grains, sliced beets, chickpeas & parsley in each bowl.  Drizzle with dressing to taste.  It does not need much.  Sprinkle with Chia seeds.  Toss.

Devour!

 

 

DDD #88 – Garlic Roasted “Simon & Garfunkel” Mushrooms with Mixed Herbs – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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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 just 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 love mushrooms.  This dish is very simple and could be tossed with pasta or dropped onto a pizza or even served on top of a piece of meat.  I used all button mushrooms but any variety or combination of various mushrooms would be lovely.  Mushrooms shrink a lot when they are cooked so you should probably make more than you think you need.

Garlic Roasted “Simon & Garfunkel” Mushrooms with Mixed Herbs – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs mushrooms – sliced

Olive oil

2+ garlic cloves – sliced

1-2 TBS each: thyme, sage, rosemary

Fresh chopped parsley as garnish

(If you are feeling fancy, drizzle some nice balsamic on them – or a bit of truffle oil)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil, the garlic, sage, rosemary & thyme.

Cook for about 45 minutes – stirring once.  Season with S&P & garnish with parsley.  If using balsamic or truffle oil – get on that & then eat this yummy guys!

10-Minute Vegan Avocado, Lemon & Caper Pasta

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Another quick & easy one.  I used salted capers soaked in water for a few minutes but I think, when I make this again, I will use the more sharply-flavored traditional capers in brine.   This dish takes only as long as it takes to cook your pasta.

10-Minute Vegan Avocado, Lemon & Caper Pasta

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb dry pasta of your choice

2 avocados – cubed

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves – minced

2 or more TBS capers (depending on your taste for them)

olive oil

Basil – chopped

Parsley – chopped

S&P

Crushed red pepper – optional

Lemon wedges as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta.

While it cooks – heat a TBS or 2 of olive oil in a small pan.  Add the garlic, capers & 1 of the cubed avocados.  Stir & heat for 1 minute & add the lemon zest & maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.  Set aside.

Drain the pasta and toss with the warm avocado, caper & olive oil mixture & some S&P.  Add crushed red pepper for a little kick.  Garnish with the second cubed avocado & the parsley & basil and lemon wedges.

Vegan 15 Bean Soup with Arugula and White Truffle Oil for the Slow Cooker

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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First – two cool things about LA: the vintage cars that lined Wilcox the other day – evidently there for a period scene in a film and the gorgeous sunrise in that un-retouched or enhanced image above.

Now for yet another insanely easy vegan recipe for a slow cooker.  Even a child could pull this off.  I added arugula because I had it & it was beginning to wilt but it was no match for 5 hours in a slow cooker and basically disintegrated so – if you want to add arugula, stir it into your soup just before serving.

Vegan 15 Bean Soup with Arugula and White Truffle Oil for the Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS

20 ounces of mixed beans (throw out the gross ham flavor packet)

10 cups vegetable stock

juice of 1 lemon

1 onion – diced

5 carrots – sliced

5 celery stalks – chopped

2 red potatoes – cubed

3 garlic cloves – minced

Arugula (optional) – as a last minute add in (CHOP IT – or else you will have long strands of red hot wilted arugula hitting you in the chin)

Parsley – chopped as garnish

White truffle oil to drizzle (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put all that shit (except the arugula, parsley & truffle oil) into a 6 QT slow cooker & set on high for 5 hours.

Garnish as you like.

See?  EASY!

Zucchini Squash Blossom Pizza with Garlic Zucchini, Tomatoes & Herbs

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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Zucchini blossoms!  I fucking love zucchini blossoms!  Look how gorgeous they are!  Delicate & delicately flavored – they are a lovely addition to many dishes – if only for the splash of color they add.  They do have a flavor, though, and finding a dish that uses them that is tasty but doesn’t overwhelm the blossoms can be tricky.  I have posted another pizza yesterday, my Zucchini Squash Blossom White Pizza with Goat Cheese and Ricotta and Mozzarella.

It was yummy – but I think I prefer the one I am posting here now.  Today’s pizza is colorful & flavorful & moist & easy & wonderful.  With pizzas, I seldom give quantities for the ingredients because I feel that is really up to you.  Some folks like lots of cheese – others do not. I used a lot of LARGE chunks of garlic in this.  Some might find that heavy-handed.  So – use this as a guideline & make your own decisions but – if you find zucchini blossoms – buy them & try them in something because they are a pure delight & only around for a few weeks.

Zucchini Squash Blossom Pizza with Garlic Zucchini, Tomatoes & Herbs

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough (I use THIS & make it in my bread machine)

Zucchini blossoms (I used about 10)

1 tomato – diced

1 zucchini – sliced thin

4-5 cloves garlic – roughly chopped

Grated mozzarella (or vegan alternative)

Fresh mozzarella (or vegan alternative)

Olive oil

Salt (you gotta try the Pink Himalayan)

Herbs (I used a mix of chopped basil, mint and parsley – with the fresh MINT being extra special here)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.

Remove the stems & center thingy from the blossoms.

Chop the blossoms up.

Heat some live oil in a saute pan & saute the zucchini rounds & chopped garlic over medium heat until the rounds soften.   Reserve the olive oil & garlic & drain the zucchini on a paper towel.

Roll the dough out & place it on a cooking sheet with either parchment paper or treat the pan with cooking spray.

Brush the olive oil from the zucchini onto the crust & add the garlic.  Pierce the crust in several places so it doesn’t bubble up & bake for 5-10 minutes.

Take it from the oven & top it with a layer of grated mozzarella, the zucchini rounds (add a little salt here), some diced tomato, fresh mozzarella & most of the chopped blossoms (reserve some for garnish).

Bake this pretty fucker for another 10-15 minutes or until it is cooked to your liking.  Garnish with more chopped blossoms & the chopped herbs.  Yyyyymmmmm!

Vegan Chicken Salad Wraps

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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Yeah, kids!  That’s my book!  Read the REVIEWS!  Pretty flattering!  Why not read it yourself?

And now – more amazing vegan fare!  I was never a big fan of real chicken salad but man – I loved this stuff!  Honestly – try it on a friend without telling them it is vegan.  I bet they never notice!  Easy, clean & cool.  Good for on top of a salad or wrapped in a tortilla or some butter lettuce.  Yummy & guiltless – and cruelty-free!   And know – almost all animal products involve suffering for some animal.  Even the cheeses & butter I use.  Hence my tapering off them.  And if you want to see some cows, literally jumping for joy – watch this video!  Then print the coupon I shared below – multiple times – and fleece your local for a free package every time you shop there.  I do!

 

 

VEGAN CHICKEN SALAD

Serves 2 in wraps

INGREDIENTS

9 oz vegan chicken

2 celery stalks – diced small

1/4 red bell pepper – diced small

1/8 red onion – diced small

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Stone Ground mustard (or 2 tsp of whatever nice mustard you have)

Parsley – minced

S&P

Lettuce

Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

I didn’t even let the frozen chicken thaw.  I just cut it into cubes and, by the time everything else came together, it was perfectly thawed.

Cube the chicken & prepare the other veggies.

Mix all the ingredients up.

S&P to taste.  And that is it, kiddies!  Now – either eat it from the bowl or wrapped in lettuce or a tortilla or other wrapping device.  Then, shove this badass shit in your face & head out onto the town looking for chickens you can stare down with your guilt-free conscience & your chicken-free breath.  Then go home & love yourself a little.  Even in a dirty way – if the mood strikes you.  You’ve earned it!

 

Vegan Chicken Piccata

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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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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I always adored chicken piccata.  I love capers, I love lemon and, defiantly, I love parsley!  But, about 25 years ago, I gave up meat from mammals & poultry.  “Meat from mammals” sounds like something they found at Jeffrey Dahmer’s because – well – that IS what they found there.  But I mean I gave up red meat which, sorry folks, includes pork, and I gave up chicken & the like.  I only gave up seafood this year (because of lots of things but Fukushima was the last straw).

I miss the oddest things from the meat & chicken world.  Costco hotdogs.  Big Macs (which I would no longer eat because of pink slime etc – even if I ate meat).  Really, really rare steak.  Any real selection of any ethnic food beyond Indian.  Tacos (fish tacos).  Street cart kinda food.  And chicken piccata.

So – with all this fake meat suddenly deluging the market – I have begun to get quite busy experimenting with it.  In the past, fake meat was seitan or tempeh – which I find have flavors too specific to mask easily and tofu which has always underwhelmed me- and now soy is all GMO & shit & so I try to avoid that, too.  Then there are veggie burgers & veggie dogs – which are reasonable replacements for the real thing but they can’t be turned into chicken piccata.  And the fake breakfast sausage patties they make are great!  A decent fake bacon is still an apparition on the horizon – except for the chemical-burn inducing Bacos – which I have been known to eat, by the jar, with a bottle of red.

Sometimes, I am really gross & pathetic.

Anyway, it seems that overnight – there is a selection of fake meats in even the most mainstream supermarkets and I have been having great success with them!  Look at how delicious a vegan chicken (firecracker chicken) can be!

Prefer beef?  Behold!

HERE are some other vegan chicken selections from my recipe book.  And HERE are some vegan beef ones.

Better yet – here is a coupon for some FREE fake meat – good until the end of May 2014!

 

OK – so – chicken piccata!  OK – the first time I attempted it this week – I used these cutlet things because they seemed to replicate real chicken piccata visually better.

So – I whipped them up into a piccata & made myself that garlic baby broccoli, and some lemon-basil baby squash & some jalapeno mashed cauliflower – plated it up & commenced photographing it.  Here are the results:

 

While this was all very delicious (though these cutlet-style pieces retain some of the stronger and not altogether awesome flavors of earlier faux meat products) – I did not like the darkness of the “chicken” piccata in these photos.  So – I endeavored to make it again using some chicken strip-style faux meat I had.

I picked around in this bag & pulled out all the larger strips I could find.  I used about half this bag in the recipe here.  (UPDATE – I would suggest using Beyond Meat – if you can find it near you.)

And look at how convincingly it looks like chicken once it is cooked!  Isn’t that amazing?  I am very excited about this & VERY glad I attempted this recipe a second time.  This brand of fake chicken tastes way better than any of the Gardein products I have tried but Simple Truth products are really Kroger products & this Simple Truth folks were recently exposed as being lying motherfuckers.  Or MISLEADING motherfuckers, at the very least.   Read about the lawsuit HERE.  And PS – I once bought a few cans of Kroger pitted black olives & they tasted SO MUCH like chemicals – I actually returned the unopen cans for a refund.  That marks my ONLY return of a grocery item in my life!  I avoid Kroger now whenever I can (no pun intended!).  🙂  So – I still highly recommend the Trader Joe’s faux beef & chicken products & the Beyond Meat stuff that the coupon above is for.

 

Chicken piccata is a dish that allows a bit of wiggle room.  I REALLY like capers & I love lemon – so I go heavy on these.  I will admit, I actually used real butter here but a vegan option is perfectly fine.  There is a shallot in my pictures but I forgot to use it.  Oops!

Say – have you heard?  I wrote a comedy NOVEL!!!!!  Go to http://www.BathingBook.com & find out more – and maybe BUY it!  The reviews on Amazon are pretty awesome!

 

Vegan Chicken Piccata

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

About 1/2 lb of vegan chicken (like Beyond Meat)

Flour

2 lemons – one sliced into thin rounds.  One quartered for garnish.

1/2 cup Parsley – chopped

2-3 TBS Vegan (or real – if you ain’t vegan) butter

Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves – minced

1 cup dry white wine (or cooking wine) OR 1 TBS Dijon mixed into a cup of water

Capers (I used 1/2 of a 4 oz jar – but I LOVE capers!)

Vegetable bouillon (I used 1/2 of one of the large ones seen below – enough for 1 cup stock – and I am not certain they are vegan)

S&P

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Toss the faux chicken in enough flour to lightly coat the pieces.  Add some S&P & toss.

In a large saute pan, heat about 1 TBS olive oil & 1 TBS of whatever kind of butter you are using over med-high heat.  Add the fake chicken.  I pressed the chicken flat in the pan.

 

My chicken cooked up nicely but I did have to add another TBS or so of olive oil to keep the pan from becoming too dry.  When the chicken (and this would even apply to real chicken) is heated through & browned, take it from the pan & set aside.

 

At this point, I added about another TBS of butter & a dollop of olive oil & the bouillon.   Be very careful NOT to burn your butter.  Once the bouillon dissolved, I added the garlic.  After 30 seconds – THIRTY SECONDS because garlic burns fast – I added the wine.  I increased the heat to high & added HALF the lemon rounds and the capers.  I saved the other half of the rounds to put under the piccata when I served it.

 

This came to a boil pretty fast & I let it do its thing there for a minute or two until it thickened just a bit.  If yours doesn’t thicken quickly, a few PINCHES of flour whisked in should help.  Add the chicken & a few pinches of chopped parsley & heat it all through.

 

Once it seems hot – serve that shit up!   Plate it over a few fresh lemon rounds & garnish it with LOTS of parsley & maybe more capers & a lemon wedge.  This goes really will over pasta noodles or mashed potatoes.  I used mashed cauliflower & I was VERY pleased with myself!   I nice white wine & a veggie side & you are good to go!  Go & buy my BOOK, that is!  🙂

www.BathingBook.com

Vegan Pasta with Celery, Chickpeas, Lemon & Parsley

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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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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If you read my blog with any regularity, you know two things.  One – that I wrote a novel that is getting great reviews on Amazon!  www.BathingBook.com

And two – that I think both celery & parsley get short shrift.  I think they are both bursting with fresh flavor & add a great deal to dishes in which they are used – but they are typically written off as garnish.  So – this dish is my homage to the two.  Easy & clean & fresh-tasting.  An easy dish that can be whipped together very quickly.

I added the dried lemon zest seen here –

because I had some left over from my Brussels Sprouts & Burrata Pizza with Pecorino & Dried Meyer Lemon Zest.

It is completely unnecessary.  Regular lemon zest is terrific, quicker & more flavorful.

I used a lot of crushed red pepper because, well, that’s just what I do.  I add lots of it to nearly everything.  I have found, however, that different brands (and ages) of the stuff can have wildly different levels of heat.  So – always start slow & add it incrementally.

Pasta with Celery, Lemon & Parsley

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta of your choice

1 cup cooked chick peas – drained

1/4 cup or more Parsley – chopped – plus more for garnish

4 stalks celery – sliced diagonally (if the celery has leafy parts – you can chop these as garnish)

3 garlic cloves – chopped

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – or to taste

1-2 TBS lemon zest

1 shallot – diced

Olive oil

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook your pasta according to directions & drain.

Meanwhile, boil another pot of water deep enough to hold the sliced stalks of celery.  Add a bit of salt & blanch the celery for a minute or two then drain, rinse under cold water & set aside.

Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat.  Add the shallots & cook until tender – a few minutes.  Add the chick peas & celery & maybe a pinch of chopped parsley & heat through.  Add the garlic & crushed red pepper & 1/4 cup or more of chopped parsley & saute another minute.

Add the pasta & stir to combine.  Add the lemon zest & season to taste with S&P.  Serve with additional parsley and, if you have them, the chopped leafy parts of the celery.  Season with a squeeze of lemon, if you like, or maybe some additional crushed red pepper.  And don’t be shy with the SALT (another villainized (sp?) ingredient) and pepper!  Eat it up & admit that parsley & celery are unsung heroes and promise to be nicer to them forevermore!

Vegan Parsley Herbed Gnocchi with a Spicy Basil Marinara

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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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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OK – spicy marinara is really arrabbiata – I know.  And I have posted many versions of simple pasta sauce before but I am just gonna go ahead and post another here.  Pasta sauce is so easy – there is no excuse to buy bullshit jarred sauce at a far greater price.   HERE is one you can make in the time it takes your pasta to cook.  But – in a pinch – your favorite jarred sauce will do.

I used some wrinkly sad cherry tomatoes in my sauce.  Every time I consider whether produce is still edible, I think of the Diary of Anne Frank.  They lived on sub-par or rotting produce.  For years.  So, I am usually guilted into finding a way to use the questionable items.

Gnocchi are remarkably easy to make, too.  Once the potatoes are baked – it can all come together pretty quickly & so incredibly delightfully.  This recipe should feed 4 pretty easily but if you want to save a bunch for the future – simply put uncooked gnocchi on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Put the sheet in the freezer & once the gnocchi are frozen, put them into sandwich bags in the freezer.  When you want to eat them – boil them frozen or they will get gooey.

In the past, I have made these with eggs but this recipe is vegan & they came out SO LIGHT & PILLOWY!   I will never use eggs in gnocchi again.  I had to subsidize my Russet potato quotient with some random yellow potato.  It didn’t hurt anything.  But try to use Russet because of the starch & moisture factors.

Vegan Parsley Herbed Gnocchi with a Spicy Basil Marinara

INGREDIENTS

for the gnocchi

3 lbs Russet potatoes

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups (plus more) flour

S&P to taste

for the spicy basil marinara

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

30 grape or cherry tomatoes – quartered

1 TBS olive oil

6 garlic cloves – chopped

1/2 cup chopped basil

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – optional

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

for the spicy basil marinara

Heat the olive oil over medium heat & saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomato paste & fry another minute or so.  Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes & basil & about 1 cup of water.  Add the crushed red pepper – if using.

Simmer covered on low for the hour it takes to bake the potatoes.

for the parsley herbed gnocchi

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the potatoes (directly on the rack) for an hour or until soft.

Halve the potatoes & let cool a bit & then peel them.  If you have a ricer – rice the potatoes.  Otherwise – mash’m up good with a potato masher.

Mash in the olive oil, parsley & some S&P.  By hand, incorporate the flour 1/2 cup at a time until you get a dough that you can handle without it being too sticky.  Depending on the sort of potatoes you used & their moisture – this might take more or less flour.

Roll out chunks of the dough into snakes less than an inch thick & cut into gnocchi.

You can leave them like that or roll them on a fork or a gnocchi board to get little grooves on them.

I like the little gnocchi board so that is what I used.  They are super cheap – if you decide to buy one – like maybe $5.

Now – you can either freeze a bunch as I explained above or get to cooking them up.  I let mine sit out an hour or so.  It didn’t harm them.

Boil some salted water & when it is rolling – add the gnocchi.  They are done when they float & stay at the top.  Scoop out with a slotted spoon & serve with the marinara & more basil.  Add some cheese or vegan cheese – if you desire.  YUM!

Oh – and remember to buy my book!  IT IS HILARIOUS!  www.BathingBook.com

Homemade Parsley Pappardelle with Roasted Tomatoes & Creamy Chanterelle Mushrooms

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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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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I make homemade pasta a lot.  Pappardelle might be one of the easiest ones.  I have posted various shapes & flavors of homemade pasta in the past – the most basic being fettucini.  The recipe is HERE.  That recipe uses a manual pasta roller but you could roll it out with a rolling pin – if you were feeling super motivated.  Homemade pasta really is different than dry, packaged pasta and I recommend making the modest investment in one of THESE GUYS – the stainless steel jobbies – they can usually be had for about $30.  Otherwise, maybe buy fresh pasta or just use a boxed one.

To make this pappardelle, I added a handful of chopped parsley to the dough and rolled it out with a manual roller.  I then cut it free-form with a knife – resulting in all kinds of thicknesses. I like the artisan/rustic feel that is the result of the lack of uniformity.

Roasting tomatoes is a great way to add to their shelf life.  If they are starting to get shriveled up on the counter – chop them & roast them with some garlic & you get several more days out of them.  Use them in pasta or on pizza or even as a garnish on soups or spread on sandwiches.  Yum.

I used chanterelle mushrooms because Costco had them but, really, any mushroom would work in this recipe.

Homemade Parsley Pappardelle with Roasted Tomatoes & Creamy Chanterelle Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

Pasta for two as described above or any pasta of your choice.

For the roasted tomatoes

10-20 grape or cherry tomatoes – halved

olive oil

4 garlic – chopped

A few fresh rosemary sprigs – stems removed & chopped

S&P

For the creamy chanterelle mushrooms

1 lb mushrooms – sliced

1/2 onion – diced

olive oil

5 garlic cloves – diced

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sherry or dry white wine or Marsala

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper – or to taste

1 TBS lemon juice

S&P

Parmesan as garnish

Parsley as garnish

DIRECTIONS

For the roasted tomatoes

Toss the halved tomatoes with the diced garlic, rosemary, 1-2 TBS olive oil and S&P.  Roast on parchment or otherwise lined cooking sheet at about 350-40 for 20-25 minutes.  Set aside.

For the creamy chanterelle mushrooms

Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan.  Cook the onions until soft – maybe 5 minutes.  Add the garlic & stir for another minute.  Put them in a bowl.

In the same pan, heat another TBS olive oil over high heat & sear the mushrooms adding a pinch of salt & the crushed red pepper.  When they seem browned a bit, deglaze the pan with the sherry or wine.  Cook at high for a minute or two.  Add the lemon juice & stir it in for a minute.  Add the onion & garlic and the heavy cream and 1 tsp black pepper.  Heat over medium until the sauce is thick & creamy – which should happen fast.  Simmer on low (add water if it gets too thick) while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta & drain.

Put a bit of pasta on each plate.  Top with the mushrooms & some roasted tomato & garnish with lots of freshly grated Parmesan & some parsley.  Enjoy!

Asparagus & Basil Pesto and Parsley Cashew Pesto on either Pizza or Pasta

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

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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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As you can see HERE – I have posted about a zillion different pesto recipes.  Cilantro, collard greens, Swiss chard, broccoli & goat cheese, broccoli rabe & pistachio, dill & almond, spinach & pecan, spinach, spinach & kale, pea pesto and simple kale to name some.  Here is what those recipes looked like – not necessarily in the same order.

The reasons for this are that pesto is wicked easy to make, full of flavor & an excellent way to put wilted or less than picturesque produce to use.  Pesto can be frozen by putting it into ice cube trays & then, once solid, transferring the cubes to freezer bags with the pesto flavor written on the outside.   You could freeze larger portions in mini or regular muffin pans, too.

OK – so – I had a bunch of asparagus that sat in my fridge a tad longer than I had intended.  Sometimes my fridge has odd drops in temperature & asparagus is very sensitive to extreme cold.  Hence – my spears got a bit soggy looking & several were unsalvageable.

See?  It wasn’t happy at all.  I had to throw a lot away.  But, though it was well past its sell-by date – about half of it was usable for a pesto.  So that is what I did.

Also – at my favorite place on Earth – Super King – I got 7 huge bunches of parsley for .99 cents.  So – I made a parsley pesto, too.  The two recipes will follow.  They both go very well on pastas or on pizzas and even work as a condiment on sandwiches so – go nuts.  Speaking of nuts, you might notice than none of my pesto recipes use the traditional pine nuts.  That is because they go rancid easily & also because they are often from China – a country about 300 years behind us in their food safety regulations.  Rancid pine nuts might taste OK but they can give you pine mouth.  Here is a bit from the FDA.

“Pine Mouth” and Consumption of Pine Nuts

March 14, 2011 
 

In the past year FDA has received a number of consumer complaints regarding a bitter metallic taste associated with pine nuts. This taste, known as “pine mouth,” typically begins 12 to 48 hours after consuming pine nuts, and lasts on average between a few days and two weeks. It is exacerbated by consumption of any other food during this period and significantly decreases appetite and enjoyment of food. The symptoms decrease over time with no apparent adverse clinical side effects.

In response to increased consumer complaints, FDA developed a detailed questionnaire, and collected and analyzed samples from some consumers submitting complaints. The Agency found that the majority of pine nuts associated with “pine mouth” were eaten in the raw state (either as snacks or as a component of salad or pesto sauce). It also found that consumers did not detect a rancid or off-taste when eating the pine nuts. Finally, FDA was able to confirm that “pine mouth” is an adverse food reaction to pine nuts that is clearly distinct from a typical food allergy.

FDA continues to analyze consumer complaints to identify the potential causes of “pine mouth” and to determine whether the severity of symptoms and likelihood of developing them is related to the amount of pine nuts consumed. FDA will continue to monitor this problem and keep the public posted regarding any new findings.

Consumers experiencing “pine mouth” may contact the FDA District Office in their area. For a list, go to the Consumer Complaint Coordinators page athttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm.

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So – that said – I just avoid them altogether.  I find them oily & too rich, anyway.

So – without further adieu – I present the two latest pesto recipes.

Asparagus & Basil Pesto

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of asparagus (or as much as you can salvage from a bunch on its last legs)

1 cup basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup Parmesan

4 garlic coves (or to taste)

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Hold each asparagus spear by the far ends & bend until they snap.  They will naturally break at the point that the spear is too tough to eat.  You can then blanch them by dunking them in boiling water for about three minutes & then immersing them in ice water or wrap them in a wet paper towel & microwave them for a minute or two.  Chop into 1 inch chunks & set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for two or three minutes or until they are fragrant & begin to brown.  Stir the entire time & be careful not to burn them. You can see from this photo below – I burned mine.

Then – simply blend everything up in a food processor.  You can use more or less olive oil – depending on how thick or thin you prefer your pesto.  Then serve it mixed in with some cooked pasta or smear it on a sandwich or pizza!

Parsley Cashew Pesto

INGREDIENTS

I bunch of Italian parsley (flat leaf)

2/3 cup chopped cashews (or almonds or walnuts or pecans – or other nuts)

2/3 cup Parmesan

2/3 cup olive oil

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Toast the cashews (or other nuts) in a dry pan for two or three minutes or until they are fragrant & begin to brown.  Stir the entire time & be careful not to burn them.  Then simply puree everything in a food processor.  Again – serve it mixed in with some cooked pasta or smear it on a sandwich or pizza!

Chimichurri Sauce

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.

No tales to tell on this one.  Chimichurri is traditionally used on grilled meats & the idea of that combo makes me want to start eating steak again.  But – I will not.  I will just find other uses for this EASY & delicious sauce.  It is so pretty, too.  Later – I will post a dish that incorporates using this stuff.

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Chimichurri Sauce

INGREDIENTS

4 or more garlic cloves

2 cups fresh Italian parsley

1 cup fresh cilantro

5 hot peppers (I used 4 serrano & 1 jalapeno) – seeded (or more if you love heat)

5 scallions (ends cut off)

1 tsp dry oregano (or 3 fresh sprigs)

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp lime juice (with more to be added at the end to your taste)

S&P to taste

3/4 cup (or more – if you like this sauce thinner) olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Puree in a food processor.  Add lime & salt & pepper to taste.  Add more hot pepper – to taste – and blend smooth.

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Vegan Herbed White Bean Soup with Lemon-Garlic-Parsley Gremolata

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012This soup is light & delicious.  It was very easy for me to make because I had TONS of leftover herbed white beans from my Kale Fettuccine recipe HERE and a lot of frozen, leftover vegetable stock from my Very Spicy Tortilla Soup recipe HERE.If you have leftovers of these things – good for you!  You are ahead of the game. If you do not & do not care to get into a prolonged soup recipe, just use vegetarian bouillon or a pre-made vegetable stock in place of the homemade vegetable stock & use canned beans rather than dry.  That should make this soup come together very easily.

Also – I am a huge fan of both celery & parsley.  I think they get treated as unnecessary embellishments but I think they are both full of important flavor.  Go heavy with them – whenever you can.  If you eat chicken – chicken stock can be used & you can even add some cooked chicken to this – though I don’t think it needs it.

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Vegan Herbed White Bean Soup with Lemon-Garlic-Parsley Gremolata

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of vegetable stock (either homemade (below) or a pre-made one – or use bouillon cubes)

2 cups herbed white beans (recipe below) or TWO 15oz canned white beans – herbed as outlined below

1 TBS olive oil

1 onion diced

2-3 stalks celery – chopped

4 scallions – sliced

4 garlic cloves – minced

1 tsp black pepper

4 bay leaves

GREMOLATA

2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

fresh lemon zest

1 garlic clove per bowl of soup – pressed through a garlic press or finely minced

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil & saute the onion, celery, scallions and 4 garlic cloves.  Once softened – about three minutes – add the broth, peeper, white beans & bay leaves.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat & let simmer at least 20 minutes – longer if you want the flavors to really meld.  Add S&P to taste.

If the soup seems too thick – add more water or stock. 

Chop the parsley, zest a lemon.  When serving – put soup in each bowl.  Press a garlic clove & place one in the center of each bowl.  Sprinkle some fresh parsley & top with a generous pinch of lemon zest.  Serve!

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Herbed White Beans

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dry white beans (small ones – not large ones) – or 2 15oz cans of small white beans

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dry oregano

1 1/2 tsp dry parsley

1 1/2 tsp savory

1 1/2 tsp white pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic – sliced very thinly

4+ sprigs of fresh thyme – stems removed

4+ sprigs of fresh oregano – stems removed

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put the beans & DRY spices (salt, oregano, savory, parsley, white pepper) in a large pot with enough water to cover them by at least two inches.  Bring to a boil.  Stir, then cover & lower heat to the lowest setting & simmer for at least two hours – or until the beans are tender.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil.  Add the sliced garlic, fresh thyme & oregano.  Heat for a few minutes on a medium flame – but stop before the garlic begins to change color.  With a wooden spoon, muddle the garlic & herbs into the oil by pressing down on them to release their flavors.  Remove from heat & let sit while the beans cook.

When the beans are done, drain them.  Put them in a bowl & mix in the herbed olive oil.  Set aside.

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Vegetable Stock

INGREDIENTS

Water

a few carrots – chopped into big chunks

a few stalks of celery – chopped into big chunks

1/2 large russet potato – chopped into big chunks

1/2 small head cabbage – chopped into big chunks

1 large shallot – chopped into big chunks

2 jalapenos – chopped into big chunks

several sprigs of fresh Thyme

a handful of fresh cilantro

a handful of fresh sage

a handful of fresh oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large stock pot with water.  Add all the other ingredients & bring to a boil.  Reduced heat & simmer for 45-60 minutes.  Strain (through cheesecloth if you have it – but this isn’t necessary) into another pan & toss all the ingredients away.  Voila!  You will likely use 4-6 cups or more in this.  Freeze the rest in smaller containers for future use.

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