Just follow the link to this recipe which Nava calls “beautiful and nutritious” because, now that warm weather is here again–at least for many of us–chard will be showing up in gardens and farm markets across the country. And, as Nava also says, this dish is at least as good if not better the next day…thanks so much, Nava for your ongoing support!
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This new dish was inspired by a delicious-sounding recipe in a recent issue of a culinary magazine.
I don’t create a lot of pasta recipes for the warm months, as it can seem a bit heavy. But this combination seemed light and springy. Icould just imagine the warmy toasty flavor of the walnuts playing off the appealing “grassiness” of the parsley, and the bright freshness of the lemon. And, indeed, it is exactly right for a spring evening or even a weekend brunch, say, for Mother’s Day in just a few days.
The non-vegan inspiration recipe called for ricotta cheese for which I knew I could easily substitute mashed tofu. The remaining ingredients were all vegan, but the garlic chips sprinkled over the top seemed unnecessary and time-consuming. So, my version omits them, yet contains plenty of garlic, and it is only cooked enough to add a mellow pungency to the beautifully balanced dish.
I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think!
8 ounces whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces soft regular tofu (not Silken)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zest of one large lemon + extra for garnish
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley + extra for garnish
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces + extra for garnish (I dry toast them in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally)
Red pepper flakes to taste
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling over medium-high heat with the lid slightly ajar. Add the pasta, stir once, and simmer, reducing heat if necessary, for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat and very gently simmer for 2 to 3 minuts or until the garlic is softened and just barely begins to turn golden. Then, in a small bowl gently mash together with your fingers the tofu, nutritional yeast, sea salt and pepper to taste (it’s important to season every layer), adding the lemon zest toward the end. The tofu should be broken down into fluffy “chunks” about the size of peas. When the pasta is done, drain it well and return to the pot. Drizzle the olive oil over, sprinkle with parsely and gently combine. Add the mashed tofu, walnuts and a few red pepper flakes; gently combine. Check for seasoning, adjust as necessary, and serve warm garnished as desired.
Move over Guy Fieri! Your “Triple D” has nothing on our “Quadruple C”!
Plus, no animals are harmed in the making of “Christmas, Chanukah, Curry & Cakes”–unlike “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives”!–my 11th annual all-girls vegan holiday party.
The Brief History
Every year, on the second Wednesday in December for the last decade, 20 of my “tribe” have gathered at Joe’s and my home for a curry buffet dinner and special cakes, cookies or other confections. The party is beloved of all and it is a very special treat for me to feed my nearest and dearest a beautiful and nutritious veg meal (well, the desserts are beautiful if not terribly nutritious), and gift them with ornaments, picture frames or, one year, miniature cookbooks.
The Swap
But, this year, for some reason, I wanted to change it up a bit. I especially wanted to host a “Swap.” You know about swaps, yes? All of the guests bring nice, but unwanted or unneeded household and garden goods, as well as clothing and accessories. Then, using one of several methods for redistributing the goods, everyone goes home with items more to their liking. It is especially perfect this time of year because guests can “shop” for free holiday gifts, which is very welcome in this economy.
The procedure I decided on was to have each guest write her name on a clothespin, one for each item that she brought. The clothespins then become currency for “buying” other items. Realizing on my way home from school the day of the party that there would be no way to tell my own possessions that I want to keep(!) from those that were up for grabs, I decided to have each guest also fill out an index card to place with each item. A draped table in our foyer topped with a pretty vase of clothespins, a bowl of index cards (that matched our decor!), and a couple of containers that held a spectrum of colored Sharpie markers provided the perfect staging area. I simply explained the process to the first guests to arrive and they to the next and so on. It was so fun to watch our living room and den be transformed into an eclectic upscale boutique.
What happens if more than one person “pins” the same item? As one friend said, “Girl Fight!” What actually happens is really fun. As a group, we moved through each room, stopping when we came upon items with two or more pins. The pins went into a festive wine bag, I shook them up amidst good-natured chanting and ribbing, and asked someone to draw. Whoever’s name is drawn is the “winner” of the item, but the other person(s) gets to select something else.
Adding a 5th C: Charity
After the swap, there were unclaimed items in which people had interest, so they asked if they could make a donation to charity through me and “purchase” the items. I thought that was a great idea, so they discreetly tucked bills into the clothespin vase and chose the merchandise they wanted. When everyone was gone I discovered that we had collected $50! Wanting, in the spirit of CCC & C, to donate to a women’s or to a food-related charity, I discovered A Well-Fed World whose tagline is “Feeding People/Saving Animals” because their mission is certainly in the spirit of CCC & C. Just click on the link to read all about their important work and, perhaps, make a donation. With just a few items remaining, I made short order of boxing and bagging them up, dropping them off Saturday morning at a nearby thrift store that benefits our Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.
The Food
Since I wanted everyone to freely browse, I decided that “finger food” and small plates were in order. I have lots of favorite appetizers from my Blooming Platter Cookbook, so I thumbed through the fall and winter sections choosing hot, room temperature and cold dishes and crafting the following easy menu. It was a huge hit with all of the guests.
The Tangy Indian White Peas were the only dish not from the cookbook, but I had to make them because, though I had run into an Indian market just for puri to serve with the Saag Dip, the nicest fellow shopper–an Indian–shared a recipe with me, leading me around the store to show me what I needed. The “recipe” is simply the white beans cooked until soft in salted water seasoned with a little turmeric until all of the water has evaporated. Into that mixture is stirred prepared mint chutney and, my addition, a little cilantro and mango chutneys for good measure. Delish and ultra easy!
**For the uninitiated, Prosecco is Italian white sparkling wine that complements everything, especially vegan food. But my husband loves it, too, and he is “a vegan and more.” I first learned of it from Italian celebrity chef, Giada de Laurentiis. It is ridiculously affordable, even in restaurants, at about $30/bottle. But, at Trader Joe’s, a very respectable bottle can be had for about 5 bucks! For a New Year’s post, I plan to share my very special way of serving it. Stay tuned!
Since CCC & C is all about sharing, it is my pleasure to share one of the recipes that I served from the cookbook with you here. For the others, I hope you’ll consider snagging a copy of the book for yourself and your friends!
Blooming Broccoli Dip
Yield: 4 cups
I chose this dip because it’s a crowd pleaser and because our farm market has been harvesting lovely heads of broccoli this fall and winter. Note: I tripled the recipe to serve 20 and I’m glad I did because there was none left over!
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper (or a combination)
2/3 cup golden raisins
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Vegenaise or other vegan mayo (start with 3 tablespoons and add more as desired)
3 ounces smoked almonds, finely chopped
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well to combine. Add the broccoli, bell peppers, raisins, and scallions and toss to mix well. Fold in the mayo, a few tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Reserve any leftover mayo. Refrigerate the broccoli mixture, covered, several hours or overnight. Fold in the almonds just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled.
l to r: Blooming Broccoli Dip, Mini Puff Pastry Cups, & Curried Cous-Cous
This recipe is a favorite among my recipes on Cookstr (the World’s No. 1 Collection of Cookbook Recipes Online!).
And here, in VA Beach, the weather has finally turned cool, so warming up with my Vegan Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash from The Blooming Platter Cookbook is on the menu. A brand new butternut squash from a trip to the farmers’ market last weekend awaits!
Below I offer a little sneak preview of the recipe, one of several holiday “gifts” I’ll be offering this month. Enjoy!
Sage-scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash
Yield: 4 servings
This light recipe places golden squash center stage and uses just enough pasta to hold the dish together. I recommend using whole wheat pasta, as its nuttiness contributes significantly to the distinctive flavor of this dish.
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Sea salt
1 cup vegetable stock
1 yellow onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
4 ounces whole wheat fettuccine (or pasta of choice)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh sage leaves, optional
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 5 minutes. Don’t worry if the squash starts to break apart. Add the vegetable stock and cook, still stirring gently until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the onion and season with a little more salt. Cook until the onion begins to soften, 3 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until moisture is almost evaporated and mixture is caramelized. Stir in the maple syrup, vinegar, and sage. Keep warm.
3. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste; toss to combine. Add the vegetable mixture to the pasta and toss again to combine. Serve hot garnished with fresh sage leaves, if using.
For 150+ more seasonal specialties, including ones appropriate for the holidays, I invite you to check out my cookbook. A great holiday present, it’s the gift that gives all year long!
This is omnivorous husband-approved comfort food, no question about it! But it won’t weigh you down and it is infused with lots of vitamins, not to mention flavor.
You can use any kind of pasta you choose, but I love the shallow “bowl-shape” of the orecchiette because it holds more of the creamy sauce.
Roast the squash in advance so that it’s ready to roll when you’re ready to roll out dinner.
1/4 to 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (depending on how cheesy and thick you want the sauce)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 4 teaspoons rough chopped walnuts or toasted walnuts
2 acorn squash, cut into approximately 1 x 2-inch chunks and roasted (I cut the squash in half, remove seeds and pulp, cut it into chunks, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, stirring after 10 minutes. I find it easiest to peel the squash after it has cooled enough to handle, but you can peel it before roasting if you prefer.)
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook just until al dente. Meanwhile, make sauce. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add kale and cook, stirring almost constantly, for approximately 3 minutes or until almost tender, but still bright green. Add garlic and saute for another minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent garlic from scorching. Add soy creamer, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and stir to combine. Fold in roasted acorn squash and heat through, stirring frequently. When pasta is cooked, drain, and fold it into the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately garnished with a few chopped walnuts.
I love my Kale, Walnut, and Rosemary Pesto, but I’ve enjoyed so much of it recently, that I wanted to transform it just enough to be a fresh take without taking away from its beautiful balanced flavors. So I decided to combine it with some soy creamer and use it as a sauce to coat golden butternut squash and chewy-tender tubes of whole wheat penne pasta.
Roast the butternut squash in advance so it’s ready to go when you are ready to eat!
2 cups 1-inch pieces of roasted butternut squash (Halve squash lengthwise, remove seeds and pulp, cut into pieces, toss with a tiny bit of olive oil, and roast approximately 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven, stirring after 10 minutes. I find it easier to peel it when it is cool enough to handle, but you can peel it before roasting.)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary
In a large pot of boiling, generously salted water, cook pasta just until al dente, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together pesto and soy creamer. If you want the sauce to be a little looser, whisk in olive oil, a tablespoon at t time, until desired consistency is reached. When pasta is cooked, drain, return to pot, and place over medium heat. Immediately add sauce and toss together quickly. Then add butternut squash and toss gently again. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and serve the pasta immediately topped with sprigs of rosemary if desired.
Dianne “Veggie Girl” confesses on her blog that, although she usually doesn’t feature the same cookbook twice in her “Cookbook Project” series, my vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Orange Sauce inspired her to break with tradition and featureThe Blooming Platter Cookbook for Project 19 and 20. Thank you, Diane!
I commend her substitution of Spelt flour for the whole wheat. I do that myself sometimes and am a fan!
This week, she chose to prepare a total of four recipes from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. I trust it will always give me a thrill to see my recipes prepared by someone else!
In fact, I would have loved to have eaten at Dianne’s house this week as this was such a busy one for me that my dinner one night was my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread on Melba toast and nothing at all last night!
This week included, in addition to a two hour appointment after work on Tuesday to have my braces removed and a beautiful closing exhibition reception for my students and their artwork at Old Dominion University’s Virginia Beach Higher Ed Center on Thursday, lots of cooking for the “Incredible Edibles” cookbook launch party that is tonight (so excited!).
So while I practiced poor nutritional habits, at least at night, Veggie Girl, in addition to my carrot cake pancakes, whipped up a batch of my Zucchini-Stuffed Shells with Blooming Marinara Sauce, my Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadillas (with White Bean Cheese) and my “White Cheese” Pizza with Kale and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
Her addition of a pinwheel garnish of avocado slices on the quesadilla was gorgeous (but, sadly, I’m allergic to them). And her addition of Shitake mushrooms and red onion to the pizza looked like the delicious confetti that I’m sure it was.
It’s barely 5:25 a.m. and my mouth is watering for Italian and Southwestern food!
My Caponata is lovely tossed with pasta. Simply cook your pasta in well-salted water (I used angel hair, as that’s what I had on hand), drain, transfer to a serving bowl and toss with as much golden savory caponata as your heart desires. Spoon a little more on top if you’d like, sprinkle with a bit of optional nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan and garnish with a fresh basil sprig. My caponata includes pine nuts, but a few more nuts on top could never be a bad thing.
Arriving home late one night this week and virtually starving, I fortunately had some leftover finely chopped kale in the fridge and enough other fresh ingredients and pantry staples to create a beautiful and nutritious dinner on the fly. It was equally as delicious–if not more so–as lunch today. When lots of fresh veggies are used, a little higher-calorie pasta can go a long way. I think angel hair cooks up particularly creamy.
For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:
The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes
It’s such an honor when Nava Atlas, noted vegan cookbook author, blogger and artist, embraces a cookbook as she did The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes again in today’s VegKitchen Newsletter, also choosing my Angel Hair Pasta with Chard and Bell Peppers as her Recipe of the Week.
