DDD #84 – Vegan Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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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.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells (Vegan – Vegetarian – Or Not)

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.

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This is another VERY easy dish.  I used vegan sausage but real sausage would work, too.  I added a half cup of ricotta because I had it around but a vegan alternative would work – or it could just simply be omitted.  I used a homemade sauce I had left over but your favorite sauce, homemade or not, will do.  Even a white sauce would work – if that is what floats your boat.  Whatever your dietary fancies might be – this dish will please you – I promise!

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!

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells (Vegan – Vegetarian – Or Not)

Feeds two very well

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb dry fill-able pasta shells (any variety works)

Olive oil

2 sausages (vegan or otherwise) – chopped

1/2 lb fresh spinach

4-10 garlic cloves (depending on the size & your passion for garlic) – coarsely chopped

10 oz can chopped tomatoes (I used Rotel)

1/2 cup ricotta (or vegan alternative) – optional

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or vegan alternative)

1 pinch 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 1 cup but if you like wetter pastas – use more)

1 handful of grated mozzarella (or vegan alternative)

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.

If you are using real meat, you probably won’t need olive oil as the sausage will provide that fat.  If you are using vegan sausage – add 1-2 TBS of olive oil to a large saute pan.

Saute the sausage with spices (fennel, oregano & crushed red pepper) until it is cooked (cook thoroughly if using real meat – or heat it through, if using vegan meat).

Add the garlic & spinach & tomatoes.  Cook until the spinach is just wilted.

Put the mix in a food processor & puree it.  Add the Parmesan & the ricotta (if using it).  The blending is not strictly necessary but it makes filling the pasta easier if the filling is mushy.  Season with salt & pepper & blend them in.

Put 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.  Put it in the oven & bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbly & the pasta is brown in spots.

One-Pot Spicy Bloody Mary Pasta with Chicken (Vegan)

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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This is another crazy easy one & holy fuck is it delicious!  It really tastes like a Bloody Mary!

I used vodka in it – but you need not.  I used faux chicken but you could lose that & this would still be great.  Or use real chicken, if you are an inveterate & degenerate meat-eater.  🙂

 

My life lately has been just a serious of challenges & losses & disappointments & scares & expenses & all sorts of hurt.  Sometimes, a good kick-ass anthem or some overt badassery can cheer you up.  Today, this total queen of fucking badassitude –  Mojo Juju (an amazing musician herself):

turned me onto a friend of hers & this song is really hitting the spot for me – so I share it now.

Yeah – that in a loop and a bottle of wine & I might make it to tomorrow.  Maybe I will go online and get myself an outfit like that & let the world know I am not to be fucked with!   An outfit & some attitude can go a long way.  Seriously.  Here I am at 15 years old.   Would YOU fuck with HER?  Now add that it was 1980 & folks were still wearing prairie dresses & had feathered hair.  I was fucking BAD ASS!  I really need to reclaim my inner cool factor.

In the meantime – I am going to be living on this Bloody Mary Pasta I made because it is enough to feed 6 and I live alone.  But I am OK with that because this is one delicious meal!

One-Pot Spicy Bloody Mary Pasta with Chicken (Vegan)

Serves 6 – unless everyone is STARVING

INGREDIENTS

1 lb uncooked pasta of your choice

9 oz faux chicken – cubed

2-3 TBS olive oil

4 garlic cloves – chopped

4 ORGANIC celery stalks (as celery is one of the dirty dozen) – diced

2 oz vodka (optional)

1 cup Spicy Bloody Mary mix – or tomato juice

1 (28 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes

2 TBS sriracha (or to taste)

1 TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce (or regular – if you are not vegan) – (optional)

1 TBS prepared horseradish

Hot sauce – a few shakes

S&P to taste

2 cups or so of water

Basil and/or parsley – chopped as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the cooked pasta & sauce.  I used that huge blue sucker you see above.  Ignore the peppers that are roasting in that shot.  They are not for this recipe.

So – over med-high – heat the olive oil & saute the celery until soft.  3 minutes or so.  Add the chicken & garlic & stir for 30 seconds.

Add the vodka if using.  Cook it for 30 seconds & then add the Bloody Mary Mix & the tomatoes.  If not using vodka – jump right to the Bloody Mary mix & the tomatoes.  Stir for a few minutes & then add sriracha, Worcestershire, horseradish & hot sauce.  Bring to a boil & then lower heat to medium & simmer until it begins to thicken just a bit.

Season with S&P and add the pasta & 2 cups of water.  Bring back to a boil.  Stir it a bit so the pasta doesn’t stick.  Lower heat to medium & cover & simmer for as long as the pasta directions suggested.  You need to watch this & stir occasionally.  If it gets too thick, add more water.  When the pasta is done (and it might take longer than the package suggested) – either cook it more to thicken it or add water to thin it – just to bring it to the consistency you prefer.

Then just serve that shit up with some basil and/or parsley and a bottle or two of the AWESOME Rua Red Wine and consider just how badass you are already!  Bon appetit!

 

Vegan Buffalo Mac & Pepper Jack Cheese Cupcakes

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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I woke up dizzy & light-headed & (oddly) filled with a dozen ideas for soul food or otherwise southern menu options.  I had all kinds of aspirations involving chicken-frying something & biscuits & gravy & mashed potatoes and mac & cheese.  I am really excited about the chicken-fried recipe but I only got as far as this mac & cheese idea.  I have enough of just these things to survive here for a week.  And I really shouldn’t eat mac & cheese cupcakes every meal for a week or I might develop type-2 Diabetes.

You can opt to make the cupcakes out of this recipe or just stop at the mac & cheese level.  It is a no-bake mac & cheese but I am certain 20 minutes at 375 wouldn’t hurt it.  Here it is right outta the pan – no baking at all.  If you are not baking it or making cupcakes – this mac & cheese comes together in just a little more time than it takes to boil the pasta.

That is a little smoked paprika on there.  Pretty, no?

I used this wacky, large shell pasta for my recipe.  Regular macaroni or other small, shaped pasta would work, too.

Vegan Buffalo Mac & Pepper Jack Cheese Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb dry pasta – cooked

4 TBS flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp ground pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

4 TBS vegan butter

2 celery stalks – diced (plus more for garnish)

3 scallions – diced (plus more for garnish)

1 jalapeno – seeded & diced

3 cups non-dairy milk

1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

4 cups vegan pepper jack cheese (grated)

Crumbled vegan blue cheese as garnish (optional)

Wonton skins (2 per cupcake)

Paprika (as garnish)

Breadcrumbs and/or extra grated cheese to top the cupcakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta according to directions.

Heat the oven to 375.

In a bowl – whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper & cayenne.  Set aside.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter & saute the celery, jalapeno & scallions for about 2 minutes.  Add the flour mix & saute over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the milk – 1/2 cup at a time – and stir it in until it thickens.  Then add the rest of the milk in the same fashion & in 1/2 cup increments.

Stir in the hot sauce & the pepper jack & heat until melted & combined.

Stir in the cooked pasta.  You can serve it at this point with blue cheese crumbles, celery & scallions as garnish – and maybe a drizzle of more Frank’s sauce – or a brightly colored paprika!

OR –

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  Place two wonton skins in each cup.  Fill them with your mac & cheese.

You might want to add more grated cheese or breadcrumbs here – or not.  I only added breadcrumbs to half to see how they came out.  No big difference.  Bake at 375 for about 12-15 minutes or until bubbly & browning.

Let them rest for about a minute & then serve garnished with blue cheese crumbles, scallions and/or celery.  Maybe sprinkle some paprika on them or drizzle more Frank’s sauce.  Then get a shoe horn & force feed yourself these things like they do a pate goose.