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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Click the image below to watch the video.
Vegan Penne with Cauliflower Ragu
INGREDIENTS
1 medium cauliflower (about 2 lbs.)
3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-in. dice
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Salt to taste
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. penne
3/4 cup freshly vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast or a combination, plus extra for serving
Parsley as garnish
DIRECTIONS
Halve cauliflower. Remove leaves and cut out core and reserve. Cut cauliflower into small bite-size florets, reserving stalks. Chop core, leaves, and stalks.
Combine oil, onion, garlic, and cauliflower core, leaves, and stalks in large pot, season with sea salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until leaves are just beginning to wilt, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until leaves are just tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Add cauliflower florets, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup water and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is almost falling apart, 22 to 25 minutes. Add butter, stirring gently until it melts; season well with sea salt. Remove from heat.
Bring 6 quarts water to boil in large pot and add 3 tbs. kosher salt. Drop in pasta and cook until just al dente.
Drain pasta, reserving about 1/3 cup pasta water. Add pasta and 1/3 cup reserved water to ragu. Toss over medium heat until pasta is well coated (add more pasta water to thin sauce). Stir in cheese.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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Click the image above to watch the video.
Eben McGarr’s Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 4 well
INGREDIENTS
1 lb pasta – cooked & drained
1 1/2 pound mushrooms – sliced
1 large onion – sliced
1 stick vegan butter
1 cup veggie stock
3 TBS liquid aminos (or tamari or soy sauce)
4 TBS vegan mayo
1/3 cup flour
S&P to taste
chopped parsley as garnish
DIRECTIONS
Cook the pasta.
Melt the butter in a very large pan. Saute the onions until soft. Add mushrooms and cook them down. Once soft, whisk in the stock & flour. Once combined – add the liquid aminos & the mayo. Heat through. Season with S&P & toss with the pasta. Garnish with the parsley & serve.
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.
Click the image of me below to watch the sauce recipe WITHOUT the mushroom. These images here reflect the use of a crazy lobster mushroom I bought when I originally made this recipe. You need not use the mushroom – in fact – I rather suggest against it because it was very expensive and underwhelming but I include it here, anyway, for the curious & the risk takers.
I went to the farmer’s market for the first time in forever. Once there, I was reminded of why I no longer go. IT COSTS A FORTUNE. Everything seems reasonable until you walk out with fingers screaming from the pain of carrying 400 pounds of produce & $200 poorer. But it is always fun & there are usually yummy things to sample. This time there were almond croissants the size of footballs, boxes of mixed mushrooms for $20, some peana & eggphan (I can’t resist misspelled signs).
There were also golden beets that were larger than a softball and the crazy-looking thing above. That, my friends, is a lobster mushroom. It was about the size of a small Russet potato & weighed about 4 ounces. I asked the mushroom monger what it was & she told me it was a lobster mushroom. I asked why they were called that & was told that they not only have a reddish color similar to a cooked lobster but also that they have a slight seafood taste. I had to have one! I let her pick one out and as she weighed it, I began pulling out ones to pay for it. I pulled for a while because that fucker there cost me $17!!! I almost choked at the price but decided it would be a worthy blog post so I paid & walked away – wondering what the fuck I was gonna do with it.
Intimidated by the idea of ruining a $17 mushroom barely larger than my fist, I Googled to see what others had done with them. I found this gorgeous photo & checked out the recipe at THE COFFEE TABLE COOKBOOK.
I had the bulk of the ingredients already so I decided to make a vegan version of their FETTUCCINI WITH LOBSTER MUSHROOM AND SCRATCH-MADE HEIRLOOM TOMATO SAUCE. I simplified the sauce recipe quite a bit but the most interesting thing I learned from their post was the concept of grating tomatoes. Click that link & see how it is done & how not to grate your flesh into the sauce. You basically grate the tomatoes on a box grater & it results in a beautiful tomato puree without any skin. See below.
I added a lot of crushed red pepper to my sauce which might have been a mistake because the spicy sauce sort of overwhelmed the very delicately flavored lobster mushroom. The mushroom had only the slightest mushroom flavor & no seafood element at all. Those photos above are the mushroom cut up. Looks like chicken or pork – or bread. It is very light & porous so it reduced to almost nothing in the saute pan. Overall – I would say there is no reason to pay so much for what amounts to so little. Regular mushrooms are just as good and far less costly.
I do recommend trying this sauce, however. I eliminated the dairy from the original recipe & also could not bring myself to add a cup of the precious – a cup of white wine – to the sauce just to cook it off. I felt the wine would be better used poured down my gullet & I don’t think the sauce suffered and I know I didn’t.
Vegan Pasta with Heirloom Tomato Sauce & Lobster Mushroom
4 oz lobster mushroom (or 1/2 lb regular mushrooms)
2 TBS olive oil or vegan butter
3 garlic cloves – chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS
for the sauce
Heat the olive oil & add the garlic. Saute one minutes & then add the other ingredients. Simmer on med-high until it reduces by about half. Season to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs and throw them away.
for the mushrooms
Heat the olive oil or vegan butter and saute the mushrooms until they are nearly done to your liking. Add the garlic & thyme & cook another minute or two. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Season with S&P.
Cook the pasta as directed & toss with the sauce. Serve & top with mushrooms & chopped fresh basil.
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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Click the image above to watch the video.
Ok – this pasta. A Facebook friend requested it & I could not believe I had not already posted the recipe. This dish is an old regular of mine from 25 years ago & there is a funny story that goes with it. I used to make it all the time at home & for company & many of my friends had asked for the recipe. One day, my then boyfriend & I were served a mushroom cream pasta dish at my friend Angie’s. My boyfriend took one taste & looked at me and said, “Babe! This is amazing! You have to ask for her recipe!”
Yeah. Well – it WAS my recipe. The only difference was that she added salt to hers & I was still brainwashed into thinking using salt was a capital sin. I learned that lesson well that day & now I consider salt a genuine ingredient in most things – not just a forgettable & optional seasoning. There are all kinds of fancy salts widely available now, too, and some even have healthy benefits. Pink Himalayan salt, for example, boasts these benefits:
Regulate water content both inside and outside of cells
Balance pH(alkaline/acidity) and help to reduce acid reflux
Prevent muscle cramping
Aid in proper metabolism functioning
Strengthen bones
Lower blood pressure
Help the intestines absorb nutrients
Prevent goiters
Improve circulation
Dissolve and eliminate sedimentto remove toxins
So, yeah – use salt. Salt is not just a flavor unto itself. It also brings out & enhances other flavors. Trust me. Too much is awful but just the right amount is magic.
Vegan Fried Sage and Mushroom Cream Pasta Sauce with Orecchiette
Feeds 2 very well
INGREDIENTS
1 pound pasta cooked according to package instructions
Olive oil
10 or more fresh sage leaves
1 lb mushrooms (of nearly any variety or mix) – sliced
2 shallots – chopped
3 garlic cloves – chopped
1 cup (or more) vegan dairy (a combo of non-dairy milk & some vegan soft cheese of your choice)
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste
Parsley – chopped as garnish (it adds a lot of flavor!)
Extra Parmesan for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Cook the pasta. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water (in case you need it to thin your sauce later) & drain the pasta.
Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil over med-high heat & fry the sage a few minutes. It need not brown. Drain on paper towels.
Add the mushrooms & about a tsp of salt & raise the heat to high. The salt will help the mushrooms release their moisture. Stir the mushrooms occasionally – letting them get seared. When they are nice & brown – add about another TBS of olive oil & the shallots & garlic. Fry for about 2 minutes & then add the vegan dairy & Parmesan. Crumble the fried sage & add that to the sauce. Bring to a boil & then lower to a simmer. It should thicken very quickly. Use more cream & cheese if you want a pasta with more sauce. Add some pasta water if it gets too thick. When it is the consistency of a heavy cream sauce – season to taste with salt & pepper. Add the pasta, stir to combine & serve it up. Garnish liberally with chopped parsley & maybe more Parmesan.
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 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.
This is a really easy recipe but truly makes a fuckton. So, unless you are feeding a large group or intend to eat this for days, consider cutting the recipe down. The veggies you choose to use are up to you. This can be made with no veggies at all or with regular pasta. It is a very forgiving dish.
Click the image above to watch the video.
Vegan Vegetable Spicy Szechuan Lo Mein Noodles
Feeds 10 or more
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 lbs of SOFT (or cooked) lo mein or chow mein noodles or even cooked spaghetti
1/2 lb vegan meat of choice (I used leftover Tofurky ham) – diced (very optional)
for the veggies
2 tsp hot chili oil (or other oil)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 small onion – diced
6 long beans (or other green beans) chopped
1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 red & 1/2 yellow) – diced
1 zucchini – diced
2 dozen snow peas – trimmed & sliced
6 mushrooms – sliced
2 small heads of broccoli – cut into florets
5 or 6 carrots – chopped
1 cup purple (or other) cabbage – chopped
8 oz can sliced water chesnuts – drained
6 bird’s eye chilis – split (optional)
1/2 cup water
for the sauce
2 TBS minced ginger
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
2 TBS Shaoxing cooking wine or rice vinegar
4 TBS light soy sauce
2 TBS dark soy sauce
1 tsp agave
1 large handful Thai basil (or other basil)
GARNISH – more shredded basil or cilantro, sesame seeds, sliced scallions, lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
In a very large wok, heat the two oils. Add all the ingredients in the “for the veggies” list. Heat over high heat for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Add the noodles, faux meat (if using) & everything in the “for the sauce” list. Combine & heat through.
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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Click the image above to watch the video.
This is another super easy & healthy one! I used sweet potatoes but any orange squash would also work. No dairy in this at all & it still tastes so decadent! If you own a blender – you can make this in less than 30 minutes. The sauce can be used as it is here – over pasta – but if you added a bit more stock or some non-dairy milk or vegan heavy cream – you would have a delightful soup! Or – leave it thick & make ravioli. Or slather some in a white lasagna. Mmmmm!
Vegan Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta with Fried Sage
Serves 4 well
INGREDIENTS
1 lb pasta (if you use less pasta – see notes above about how to re-purpose the extra sauce)
2 TBS olive oil
1 package or bunch of fresh sage
1 large sweet potato (2 lbs or so – or 3 cups) – peeled & cubed
1 medium onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 TBS (or less – if heat bothers you) crushed red pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Cook & drain your pasta – but reserve about a cup of the hot pasta water. Toss the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.
Over medium heat – warm the oil in a large saute pan & fry the sage. Be careful not to burn it (it should not brown in the pan). After 2 minutes or so – drain it on papers towels & set aside.
In the same pan, add the onions. Once softened, add the sweet potato, garlic & crushed red pepper. Stir for one minute & then add the stock. Bring to a boil & boil until your sweet potato is soft.
Being careful not to burn yourself, puree the sweet potato mixture. Season liberally with S&P (to taste). Put the noodles in the pan you cooked the sweet potatoes in. Spoon only as much of the sweet potato puree onto it so you get a light cover. You don’t want to drown the pasta. I had a lot of puree left over from the 1/2 pound of pasta I cooked & I will make it into soup (see notes above the recipe). If it gets too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water – a bit at a time.
Plate the pasta & crumble sage on it. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper & maybe some vegan Parmesan.
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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Click the image above to watch the video.
This is another very easy dish.
Vegan sausage is usually pretty nasty but I keep hoping I can find a way to doctor it up & make it edible and, finally, with this dish – I SUCCEEDED! The secret was a pinch of fennel & a shit ton of crushed red pepper. The filling in these shells was so delicious – I kept eating it directly out of the pan. A few simple ingredients, a half hour in the oven – and you are neck deep in heaven. Trust!
Vegan Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
(This makes enough to fill three pie dishes)
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry fill-able pasta shells (any variety works)
Olive oil
4 vegan sausages – chopped
1 lb fresh spinach (or kale or arugula or other greens of your choice)
4-10 garlic cloves (depending on the size & your passion for garlic) – coarsely chopped
2 (10 to 15 oz) cans chopped tomatoes (I used Rotel & fire roasted tomatoes)
1 lb vegan ricotta
8 oz or more vegan mozzarella
1/2 cup grated vegan Parmesan
1 tsp dry fennel
1 tsp dry oregano
1 TBS crushed red pepper (I used closer to 3 TBS but I love spice)
1-2 cups red pasta sauce (I used some spicy Rao’s & spicy Guy Fiery sauces but homemade would be even better)
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta until al dente – or maybe a minute less than the package suggests. Drain & run under cool water.
Heat 1-2 TBS of olive oil in a large saute pan.
Saute the sausage with spices (fennel, oregano & crushed red pepper) until it is begins to brown.
Add the garlic & spinach & tomatoes. Cook until the spinach is just wilted. Season with salt & pepper & blend them in.
Put the mix in a food processor & puree it. Add about 1/3 of your mozzarella & the ricotta. The blending is not strictly necessary but it makes filling the pasta easier if the filling is mushy.
Put some of your pasta sauce on the bottom of a casserole or pie dish. Fill the pasta shells & place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with whatever amount of mozzarella appeals to you and additional sauce, if you like a wetter dish. Maybe sprinkle some vegan Parmesan on there, too. Put it in the oven & bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbly & the pasta is brown in spots. If you want to freeze some – wrap the dish in foil & freeze – UNCOOKED.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Click the image above to watch the video.
A long, long time ago, I had a boyfriend. And that boyfriend had – egads! – ex-girlfriends. One of these ex-girlfriends was (and remains) a famous actress. A beautiful, famous actress. She had been reaching out to him to “reconnect.” My boyfriend at the time announced that he would be having dinner with this ex at some point in the future. I informed him that I would be attending this dinner myself. He looked at me like I was crazy. “Nothing’s going on,” he explained. “She just wants to get together. We are friends.” I explained that, as his live-in girlfriend, his friends should be my friends, too, and asked that if everything was so innocent, why couldn’t he just invite her over to our home for dinner.
It took a bit but I won this debate. The invitation was extended & then the pressure was on. ME. On me because I had to cook the damned dinner – a dinner to impress this chick. I wanted to impress her with both my culinary skills & with the level of our domesticity. It was a passive-aggressive counter-attack to what I sensed were not entirely innocent intentions on her part.
This was pre-internet and pre-40 million cooking shows – so I had only my trusty collection of cookbooks to consult for ideas. After hours of deliberating – I ended up making two dishes I had never made before – always very dangerous if making a good impression is your top priority. I made a two-color soup much like this one (this one here is not my creation):
And I made an eggplant timbale as shown here in this blog. As fate would have it, my dinner was a huge success & the ex-girlfriend was smart & funny & charming & the two of us were quickly gabbing like old friends, nearly cutting my boyfriend from the conversation completely.
And – for the record, ladies (and gents) – this ex-girlfriend never “reached out” to “touch base” again – to either me or my boyfriend. So – my instincts had been correct. She had been perhaps interested in rekindling more than just old times. But – to her credit – once she met me, she was forever respectful and was never again a threat to our domestic bliss.
So – if you ever need to impress someone or scare off some interested interloper from meddling with your love life – serve them this whopper of a dish. It is far easier to make than folks guess and it tastes delicious – and it is classier than a slap fight & hair pulling.
Also – as an aside, I bought this fucking gigantic can (I know canned tomatoes are bad but sometimes you gotta bend rules) of tomato sauce for $2.69. That is practically free! It makes 12 cups of whatever the Hell sauce you are making. I made arrabbiata (surprise, surprise) and I froze 8 cups of it & used 4 cups of it to make the vodka sauce in this recipe.
Vodka Sauce – large quantity
INGREDIENTS
2 28-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 small onion – diced
1/2 cup vodka (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves – chopped
1 TBS crushed red pepper (optional)
1 cup chopped basil
1 cup peas – optional
S&P to taste
For a pink sauce (optional) – 1 cup vegan heavy cream or vegan cream cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil & saute the onion until soft. Add garlic for one minute then add the vodka. Cook on high a minute & then add the other ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low & simmer for 30 minutes or more. For a pink sauce – add 1 cup vegan heavy cream or vegan cream cheese.
Vegan Eggplant Timbale with Rigatoni & Vodka Sauce
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TIMBALE:
1 pound rigatoni (or other pasta) – cooked & drained
8 oz vegan mozzarella
4 large eggplants
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup vegan Parmesan
Chopped tomato or chopped fresh parsley or basil – as garnish
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Slice the eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. You can go the long way or the other way – creating round disks. (OPTIONAL – Place in colanders or on paper towels & sprinkle with salt on both sides. Let the eggplants drain for about 30 minutes. This not only helps remove moisture from the eggplant but also minimizes bitterness. I skipped this step.)
You can either rub olive oil into your eggplant before grilling or you can dip them in an Italian salad dressing – really just to lubricate them so they do not stick to the grilling surface & tear apart. Grill (a grill pan works, too) the eggplant until they get nice grill marks on one side, turn them & repeat. Remove & set aside.
Cook the rigatoni according to the box directions. Err on the side of under-cooking – as they will cook more in the oven. Drain the rigatoni & mix in a bowl with cheeses & 2 or more cups of vodka sauce. Add more sauce if you like a really wet pasta. You will have extra vodka sauce that you can use to add as a garnish to the finished slices of timbale or to use in another recipe. It might be nice to have extra sauce for the timbale when you are in the leftovers phase.
ASSEMBLY-
Grease a spring form pan & then put some bread crumbs & vegan Parmesan inside. Swirl the pan to coat all the surfaces. Throw any unstuck bread crumbs/cheese away.
Line the inside of the pan with grilled eggplant. You can either do as I did or, if you have circular disks, fan them on the bottom of the pan & then stick some, overlapping, up on the sides. However you do it – try to cover every part of the pan with eggplant. Pour the pasta & vodka sauce & cheese mix in – layering in extra cheese, if you fancy. Top with any remaining eggplant slices.
Cover the timbale in foil & place some heavy dishes on top & put in the fridge to compress for about 15 minutes.
Then – bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Let rest, unmolested, for at least 15 minutes and then put a serving dish on top of the timbale, flip the whole thing over & then very carefully – remove the spring form pan.
Garnish with either grated Parmesan or extra vodka sauce.
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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I took those two outdoor images this weekend on my Hollywood sign hikes. Living in LA does NOT suck. Don’t believe the hype.
You know what else doesn’t suck? Pretty much any variety of mac & cheese. But being a big fat ass does suck – so I added a huge head of cauliflower & two small heads of broccoli to this so it is about 50% veggies & 50% pasta. Easy & delicious. I skipped the whole roux business so this is a very quick dish to put together.
I used turmeric because it adds that vibrant yellow color but I also added it because it is really good for you. Google “turmeric benefits” or look HERE & see some of the amazing good it can do for you.
Click the image below to watch the video.
Easy Cauliflower and Broccoli and Turmeric Mac and Cheese
Feeds 6
INGREDIENTS
12 oz dry pasta
1/2 large head cauliflower – cut into bite-size florets
2 medium heads broccoli – cut into bit-sized florets
12 oz unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 cup vegan sour cream or cream cheese or a mix
1 or more cups vegan cheese of your choice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 TBS turmeric
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 tsp salt
1 TBS ground pepper
A few squirts of hot sauce – I used Crystal (optional)
1-2 cups panko or other bread crumbs
`
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 & grease a large casserole pan.
Cook pasta according to directions. Cook as long as the package says – but add the cauliflower & broccoli in the final three minutes. Drain.
Heat the milk & stir in all the other ingredients. Add the pasta & veggies & combine. Put in your greased casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs. A spritz of cooking spray will aid the breadcrumbs browning.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly & the breadcrumbs are beginning to brown.
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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Click the image above to watch the video.
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.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
I have a video on my Youtube channel for this recipe. Click the image below to watch & please subscribe.
This is a 5 minute recipe so – if you can boil pasta & own a blender – you can make this dish. I had an avocado that was about a day past its prime & loads of spinach – so this was born. I used a few serrano peppers for heat but that it totally optional.
*NOTE – I also used fresh basil that I had frozen a few weeks ago. Worked great – so – if you are ever wanting to preserve fresh herbs so they do not go to waste – they can be frozen & then used in pestos & sauces.
Vegan Pasta with Creamy Avocado & Spinach Pesto
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 lb pasta – cooked as directed
1 large avocado
2 packed cups of fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves
1/4 packed cup fresh basil *See note above
2 serrano or jalapeno peppers (optional) – seeded
1/2 to 1 cup vegan Parmesan (or nutritional yeast or a combo) – quantity to your taste
S&P to taste
DIRECTIONS
Blend everything except the pasta in a blender or food processor. Season with S&P & adjust anything else to suit your fancy.
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 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 am reposting this recipe because there is now a DDD video to accompany it. Please click through & subscribe to my channel.
Honest to God – this might be the most fucking delicious vegan meal I have ever made! Seriously! And to think it only came together because I had a fridge full of random leftovers & ingredients that I needed to be done with. I had a package of Tofutti American cheese, several slices of their mozzarella cheese (both of which I totally shit-talked in my vegan cheese review) & some leftover pasta. Oh – and two Chinese eggplants.
I actually had this selection of vegan cheeses – seen above. I opted to use the individual slices first because 1) they were getting old and 2) I thought this dish would make better use of (read: mask) their less than fabulous flavor. Ultimately – I did use some of the other two cheeses, as well. The result is AMAZING! You can use whatever vegan cheeses you prefer but you are going to need about a pound of various cheeses – before all is said & done.
I used Chinese eggplant & I recommend them because they are less bitter & carry less moisture than regular eggplant.
I used nutritional yeast but a vegan Parmesan would also work. Or use neither.
This takes a few steps but all are simple & the result is a decadent feast that nobody would ever guess was vegan – at least with this particular combination of cheeses. I find some vegan cheeses taste more fake than others – so – the brands you use will matter – but I am certain lots of other brands would be just as yummy – especially the Field Roast Chao cheeses – my favorite of the vegan cheeses I have tried.
Whatever you do – get it together to make this – at least once. It really is killer!
10-Ingredient Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Feeds 4-6 depending on appetites
INGREDIENTS
4+ cups or so of cooked pasta
2 Chinese eggplant (or other variety) – sliced 1/2″ thick
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan)
1 TBS dry parsley
8 oz (or 12 individual slices) vegan American or cheddar cheese (or a mix) – PLUS SOME EXTRA – just in case
4 oz (or 6 individual slices) vegan mozzarella – PLUS SOME EXTRA – just in case
(Extra grated vegan cheese to top the casserole – one that melts would be prettiest)
Mix the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast & dry parsley in a bowl. Put about 1/2 cup milk in another bowl. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Dunk the eggplant rounds in the milk & then through the breadcrumbs and drop into the hot oil. They should brown pretty quickly. Flip & brown the other side. Put on a cooking sheet & into the oven while you repeat the process until all the eggplant is cooked. You will likely need to wipe out the burnt breadcrumbs & add more oil with each batch.
In a stock pot, melt the American and/or cheddar cheese. Add vegan milk in small increments until it becomes creamy. Stir in the pasta. At this point – I decided it needed more cheese so I added two slices of this cheese (below) and a bit more milk & cooked it until it looked wet & yummy & creamy. I am not giving exact directions as to the cheese-milk-pasta ratio because different cheeses might have more or less moisture – and everyone has a different idea of how wet mac & cheese should be. I would suggest going a little wet – as the pasta & eggplant will absorb it & you won’t have a dry dish.
Look at that up there!!!! Doesn’t that look just ridiculous?! It was all I could do not to just start shoving it in my face. But I used considerable will power & continued with the recipe.
So – when you get your pasta-cheese-milk ratio to where it looks creamy but still a bit wet (so it won’t dry out in cooking) – take it off the flame.
Grease a casserole pan & layer half the eggplant on the bottom.
Add another layer of eggplant with the rest of the slices & top with pasta sauce.
In the same pan you melted the cheese in – melt the mozzarella & pour it over your casserole & pop the pan into the oven.
At this point – I took my dogs for a walk – COMPLETELY forgetting I had this in the oven. I think it needed 30-45 minutes in the 375 oven – but it got way more than that. Don’t burn yours. I kinda did. Look – not so pretty.
So – in an effort to make it pretty again – I grated some of that cheese above onto it & popped it back into the oven for about ten minutes. As you can see – it did little to make it prettier (that cheese did not want to melt) – but when I scooped it onto plates – it looked & SMELLED amazing!
So – maybe do not burn yours & it will be prettier but nobody needs to see it before it hits the plate, anyway.
So – scoop some onto plates & garnish with parsley and/or basil. I swear – this will fool people out of suspecting it is vegan. So yummy & comforting!
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 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.
OK – kiddies! DDD #13 is UP!
Like boobs? Like mac & cheese? Who doesn’t? I am really proud of this episode (and my cans – it seems) as it makes the best of a disaster & really showcases (boobs) how mac & cheese can be delightfully vegan (boobs). But – if (boobs) mac & cheese is not your bag – my rack is very prominently on display here & really tries hard to distract viewers from the recipe in progress so – feel free to just focus on that. Watch my blunders, my fun bags or learn a great recipe – I don’t care. Just watch! I even have a post-credits blooper! Oh – and I think I say “fuck” about 20x in this. So – enjoy!!! Please share & please SUBSCRIBE!! Did I mention boobs? BOOBS!
Click the link for my Green Enchilada & Spicy Chili Pepper Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower recipe & please subscribe!
So – I wanted to make a healthier mac & cheese – less cheese (even less vegan cheese) and less pasta. I looked in the fridge & my pantry & found these potential ingredients.
As it turned out – I used all but the vegan cream cheese & the Daiya cheddar shreds. So – the only actual cheese (vegan cheese) in this recipe is the Field Roast Chao Tomato-Cayenne slices. If you can’t find these or do not like them (I think the 3 Chao cheeses are the best grocery store vegan cheeses on the market so far) – then use Daiya or any other kind of vegan cheese – or even real cheese (if you are not vegan).
This is a very easy dish to make – though it does have a few steps. The only special tool you need is a blender (or a food processor). No need to soak cashews overnight. And – most importantly – it is VERY convincing! None of the over-powering flavor of nutritional yeast yet all the wet, creaminess of real mac & cheese. I swear – non-vegans will not identify this as vegan. It has the additional benefit of using two full heads of cauliflower – but they blend in and become virtually undetectable – so your veggie hating kiddies will likely eat this with little argument (though you might want to reduce the spiciness for tender palates).
My primary excitement about this recipe is the green enchilada roux. Traditional roux is made with butter, flour & milk. I definitely wanted to use the green enchilada sauce but I did not want the dish to be swimming in liquid – as I feared it might be if I made a roux with milk and also added the enchilada sauce. Happy news! The enchilada sauce blended & thickened with the butter & flour as easily as milk would have but added SO much more flavor.
Again – while there are a few steps (mainly, boiling & draining to heads of cauliflower & the pasta) – none are difficult & the resulting dish is supremely gratifying! I hope you try it!
Healthy and Cheesy Vegan Green Enchilada & Spicy Chili Pepper Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower
Serves at least 6
INGREDIENTS
2 heads cauliflower (I used one white & one yellow)
for the roux
4 TBS vegan butter
4 TBS flour
16 oz green enchilada sauce
7 oz vegan cheddar (sliced up or grated)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (SUPER optional – I just had a little left over that I wanted to use up)
for the mac & cheese
1-2 jalapenos – one seeded & diced and one seeded & sliced (optional – depending on your taste for spice)
1 4oz can diced green chilies (I used hot but you could use mild)
2 ears corn – kernels cut from the cob (or about one 14 oz can of corn or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 lb pasta (shape of your choice)
1-2 cups breadcrumbs (I used panko)
Cooking spray
GARNISH: cilantro, avocado, diced tomato, hot sauces, additional fresh jalapeno or canned chilies
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Treat a 9×13 casserole pan with cooking spray.
Cook the pasta according to directions (maybe 1 minute less than suggested) – drain & set aside.
If you are using 2 different colors of cauliflower – you might want to cut each into florets & then boil & drain them each separately. Or not. It doesn’t matter much but the yellow cauliflower purees & looks like a cheesier sauce than white cauliflower will. Still – some cheddar cheeses are white – so – don’t sweat it, whatever you decide. If you are just using 2 heads of the same color – boil until just tender (5-7 minutes) – drain & set aside.
If you used one head of yellow cauliflower – put it (with about 1 cup of hot water) into a blender & puree until very smooth. Only add just as much water as you need to accomplish this – which could be more or less than a cup of water – depending on the size of the head you used.
If you used to heads of the same color – just puree one head worth as described above. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan & whisk in the flour. It should thicken & brown a bit very quickly – maybe a minute. Add the enchilada sauce incrementally – letting it thicken before adding more – until it is all incorporated & rater thick.
Add the cheese & stir until it melts.
Add the pureed cauliflower & nutritional yeast (if using), salt & pepper to taste, and then one diced jalapeno, canned chilies & the corn.
Combine & adjust S&P – if necessary.
Put the sauce in a large bowl & then add the pasta and the remaining cauliflower florets. Combine.
Pour the mac & cheese into the casserole dish & top with breadcrumbs & maybe some sliced jalapeno. Spray with cooking spray – as this helps the breadcrumbs brown (because vegan cheese does not have the animal fat of real cheese – which is what browns in traditional mac & cheese).
Bake at 400 for about 30-45 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned a bit & the cheese sauce is bubbly.
Let rest for about ten minutes & then serve. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced tomatoes and/or anything else you like.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
I am reposting this recipe from last year here again because it is episode #9 on my cooking show on Youtube – Video Vegan. The newer recipe is 100% vegan. Check out the video here & please subscribe!
From November 17, 2016:
I started this blog on about July 5, 2012. On July 13, 2012, I posted one of my all-time favorite recipes. It is one I got from my good friend, Naomi Priestley. It is Zucchini & Mint Pasta with Parmesan (seen just above). But – it is such a divine dish – I thought I would post it again with a few new options. 1) It can be made without cheese altogether or 2) without cheese but with a squeeze of lemon juice or 3) with vegan Parmesan.
Do not be thrown by the idea of mint in a pasta dish – it is delicious! It is especially lovely when you use fresh, homemade pasta – but dry pasta is fine, too. If you do not consider oil and S&P to be legit ingredients – this is a 5 ingredient dish & comes together in less than 20 minutes.
I bought this ridiculous $5 micro basil because it looks pretty. It is tasty, too, but it is certainly an unnecessary indulgence.
Fresh Mint & Zucchini Pasta (Vegan or Vegetarian)
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb pasta – cooked & drained
Olive oil
3-5 zucchini – either grated or spiralized or sliced (you can use as much zucchini as you like to mitigate the amount of pasta you eat or to, at least, lighten up the dish)
1-3 cloves garlic – chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint – chopped
S&P to taste
OPTIONS – Parmesan or vegan Parmesan (to taste) and or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Garnish: chopped mint and/or parsley and/or basil, more cheese, crushed red pepper
DIRECTIONS
Cook & drain the pasta.
I spiralized the zucchini but you can grate or slice it. Spiralizing is a good way to bury veggies in a spaghetti dish so your kids do not notice the veggies in there. I sliced the ends that were too short to spiralize.
Heat a glug or two of olive oil in a large saute pan. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds & then add the zucchini. Saute a few minutes & then add mint and season with S&P. When the zucchini is soft – add the pasta & combine. Add cheese or vegan cheese here – if you are using it – or squeeze in some lemon – if you are going that route. Plate & serve with cheese and/or chopped herbs (mint or basil or parsley).
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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I am reposting this recipe from August 2013 because I have a new Video Vegan episode to go with it. Here it is:
That photo is un-retouched & shot in natural light. So – yes! That pasta really IS that color! Pretty to look at but with the delicate flavors of saffron and cauliflower – this is a delightful pasta dish.
I found this great saffron liquid at Super King for $7.
That is a way cheaper option than saffron threads but saffron threads will be easier to find, I suspect. I actually made this twice because the first time I made it – I made it with whole wheat fusilli & I didn’t like the photos. This dish above was made with regular linguini. The first time I made it, I used white wine & ghee (clarified butter). The second time, I used regular butter & skipped the wine. I think they tasted pretty much the same so I am going to post the one I made this morning. There is only a tiny bit of the heavy cream per serving so do not be alarmed. It isn’t as rich as you might fear.
Saffron Cream Pasta with Cauliflower, Tomatoes & Chili Flakes
INGREDIENTS (for two very healthy servings)
1/2 lb dry pasta or your choice
1 small head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
2 large shallots – minced
2 tomatoes – diced
2 TBS ghee or butter (or vegan alternative)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or vegan alternative – almond milk should work fine)
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 generous pinch (1/2 a tsp or more) saffron threads steeped in 1/4 cup hot (not boiling) water OR 1 TBS (or more) saffron liquid from a bottle
Crushed red pepper to taste
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Steam the cauliflower for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat & saute the shallots until just soft but not browned. If using wine – add it now & cook it off for about a minute. Or just skip ahead.
Add the ghee or butter and the heavy cream & the saffron. Simmer over medium heat until it reduces by about half. Add the tomatoes & the steamed cauliflower.
Add salt & white pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta according to instructions, drain & add directly to the pan with the saffron sauce. Combine thoroughly. Serve with lots of crushed red pepper.
