March 19, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Butternut Squash Orecchiette

Yield: 4 servings

I know it’s the first day of spring, but if you’ll allow me one more fleeting cold weather recipe, I think you’ll be glad you did!

This is my final taste test and recipe inspired by a bountiful box of vegan cheeses sent to me by the good folks at GO Veggie! If, like me, you thought all of their products were vegetarian, but not vegan, we were wrong. Just look for the purple label and consult their store locator on their website.

I had used the GO Veggie! Dairy-Free Parmesan Grated Topping in my luscious Vegan Cheesy Artichoke Dip with Greens, Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts, but there it was mixed with other cheeses. Here, it is the only cheese, so its flavor had to be exactly right and it was!

A very few other recipe notes:

1) Use any kind of pasta you choose for this recipe. I love orecchiette because each little ear-shaped piece of pasta is like a miniature cup to hold the scrumptious sauce. But if you have other pasta on hand, you needn’t purchase more.

2) Butternut squash is creamy, delicious, and helathful, but a whole fresh one can be a bit unweildy to prepare. I find that a serrated knife can sometimes be more effective than a chef’s knife for removing both ends because the “teeth” really bite in. And the skin is most efficiently removed with a vegetable peeler rather than a knife. I cut off the neck of the squash and deal with the neck and bulbous base separately. For this recipe I used only the neck flesh. I seeded the bulbous base with a spoon, cut it into wedges, stored it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and roasted it a few days later for a delectable Coconut-Red Curry with Roasted Butternut Squash and Tofu.

3) Finally, just remember to save some of the pasta water when you drain the pasta, as that starchy water is the magic sauce thickener/silkener.

Enjoy!

8 ounces orecchiette (I usually cook the whole 12 ounce box and remove one-third of the cooked pasta for pasta salad)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

Sea salt

1/2 large bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

2 large cloves garlic

1-14 to 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice

1 to 2 ladlesful pasta water

1/4 cup plain nondairy creamer (soy or coconut milk)

2 tablespoons dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)

2 cups firmly packed baby kale leaves

1/4 cup GO Veggie! Dairy-Free Parmesan Grated Topping plus extra for topping if desired

Freshly ground black pepper

4 sprigs fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium high. Add pasta, stir, partially cover, return water to a gentle boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook pasta according to package directions, usually 8 to 12 minutes. Remove 2 ladlesful (about 1 cup) of pasta water into a heatproof bowl and set aside. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high in a large cast iron skillet. Add butternut squash and a pinch of salt, toss to coat, and then spread into a single layer. Cook approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until squash is tender but still holds its shape and starts to develop a little caramelization, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add bell pepper, and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and heat through. Stir in 1 ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of pasta water and heat mixture until simmering. Stir in creamer and white wine, heating through. Thin sauce, if desired, at any point with remaining ladleful of water. Sprinkle kale on top of mixture and allow it to start to wilt. Then gently fold it into the sauce along with 1/4 cup GO Veggie! Dairy-Free Parmesan Grated Topping and the drained pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately topped, if desired, with additional parmesan cheese and a sprig of fresh basil.

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 by betsy

Vegan St. Patrick’s Day: A Roasted Asparagus Sammie and a Grasshopper Pie!

It finally feels like spring though, don’t get me wrong, I adore winter with its bare bones and harsh beauty, but it is nice to step outsdie without my body tensing up. Actually, it does in a kind of conditioned response, but then relaxes again immediately.

So, with spring veg like asparagus on my mind and St. Patty’s Day tomorrow, I thought I’d re-post a Vegan Puff Pastry Sandwich Filled with Roasted Asparagus, Green Pea Hummus and Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise that I created one year especially for the occasion, and a delish mint-chocolate Vegan Grasshopper Pie, kindly posted by Tofutti, that I created another year, also for this greenest of holidays.

Yes, with its layers, the sammie is a little more effort than the typical BUT it is worth it. And you can whip up the humms and mayo in a flash while the asparagus roasts and the puff pastry bakes.

Get your leprechaun on!

March 9, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Thai Pumpkin and Tofu in Coconut Red Curry Sauce–A Restaurant Leftover Redux

Yield: 2 servings

I LOVE Thai food but, let’s face it, those creamy coconut milk dishes–even vegan–are pretty indulgent in the calorie department. So, recently, when we went out for Thai, I allowed myself part of my dinner of pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce–which was mostly velvety rich sauce–and brought the rest home.

Rather than just eat the leftovers “as is,” I decided I could make them more healthful and colorful while stretching them into two more meals with the addition of just a very few fresh ingredients.

So, that’s what I did, and it was outstanding! Following is my easy recipe. Because restaurant dishes will vary, just trust your instincts and taste buds when you set about doctoring up your leftovers.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Half of a medium yellow onion, slivered (or 1 small yellow onion)

Sea salt to taste

1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced

Approximately 1 cup leftover vegan pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce with optional white rice (or something similar)

2 handfuls baby kale

2 to 4 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (sold at Asian markets as “vegetarian”)

Optional: approximately 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, whole leaves or coarsely chopped + more for garnish if desired (sold in Asian markets)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup lightly roasted and salted cashews

In a large cast iron skillet–or wok–over medium-high, heat oil. Add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to turn translucent. Add bell pepper and continue sautéing and stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes or until bell pepper is softened. Add leftover pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce or similar dish, including any rice, up to about 1/2 of the amount of curry, and heat through, stirring. (Any more rice, and the finished product will be too thick and dry.) Sprinkle kale over the top and gently fold in just until it wilts slightly. Add remaining ingredients, except cashews, including more salt to taste. Heat through, and serve immediately topped with cashews and optional garnish of additional Thai basil. If mixture becomes too thick, think with a little coconut milk, vegetable stock, or even water.

March 1, 2015March 1, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Mexican Refried Bean Burgers–A Restaurant Leftover Redux

Yield: 2 burgers

My husband and I typically dine out three times a week: Date Night on Wednesday, and then Friday and Saturday. Except for special occasions and opportunities, we stick to what we refer to as “The Rotation,” which is a handful of ethnic restaurants very near our home that we cycle through about every couple of weeks: Chinese (unbelievably good Chinese), Mexican, Italian, Thai, and Vietnamese. There are actually three Mexican/Fresh-Mex restaurants on The Rotation, so I end up with more Mexican leftovers than any other.

Our area has absolutely no vegetarian or vegan restaurants. The two I can think of that tried to make it over the years were vegan, one raw–really excellent ones–didn’t succeed. So, especially in the Mexican restaurants which offer no dishes with tofu like the other restaurants–oh, how we wish we had a restaurant like San Francisco’s Gracias Madre here!–I try to get the tiniest bit creative with my order so that my only option isn’t a plate of rice and beans. Because, as you know, even those dishes under the “vegetarian” section of the menu typically contain queso and crema. Yes, they can be omitted, but then you’re back to rice and beans.

One of the Mexican restaurants on The Rotation at least offers spinach, broccoli, and mushrooms–it is practically unheard of in these parts for a Mexican restaurant to serve a green vegetable that isn’t a chili–so I order various combinations griddle grilled and served on top of my beans (the truth is that I’m not much of a rice eater: too many calories with too little nutrition). Wednesday night, my order included onions, green bell pepper, spinach and tomatoes. And I had about half of it leftover.

Restaurant portions are so huge that who doesn’t come home with leftover, right? And they tend to be good eats simply heated, but, yet again, I wanted something different, something more interesting, for my lunch on Friday (we were home again for three Snow Days last week!). Since the base of all of my burgers is mashed beans, I decided to make a burger. To them, I add chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, some kind of chopped nut, vital wheat gluten, old fashioned oats, nutritional yeast, and spice–the magic formula for a burger that tastes sensational and that holds together beautifully with a crave-worthy mouth-feel.

In this case, since my beans included some grilled veggies, I omitted my typical trio and then proceeded as usual. For 4 burgers, I start with a 15.5 ounce can of rinsed and drained beans, or about 1 1/2 cups before being processed with the vegetables, which reduces all of their volume. So, since my leftovers measured about 3/4 cup including the grilled veggies, that sounded like about half the amount of bean-vegetable mixture I typically start with, so I used half the amount of everything else which was perfect. I used some roasted pecans I had on hand as the nut–delish–and minimal spice, just some ground cumin, salt and pepper. Half a toasted pretzel roll (not very Mexican, but what I had and fantastic), a little mayo, baby kale leaves, and the pico de gallo that I had also brought home from the restaurant was all this burger needed to become a fiesta on my plate!

It may be my best burger yet…but I think that about all of my burgers. Go out to eat, bring home some leftovers, and enjoy even more the second time!

3/4 cup refried beans (very smooth), with grilled onions, peppers and spinach (mostly refried beans)

1/4 cup finely chopped roasted pecans

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal, uncooked

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

vegetable oil

1 toasted pretzel roll, top and bottom (or bread/roll/bun of your choice)

2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

approximately 10 baby kale leaves (or the fresh green/lettuce of your choice)

approximately 1/4 cup pico de gallo

In a medium bowl, combine first 8 ingredients with a fork and then your fingers to make a fairly stiff, moist mixture with almost a cookie dough-like consistency. If sticky, add a bit more vital wheat gluten. Shape into two 3/4- to 1-inch thick patties. In a cast iron skillet over medium high, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil and cook burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, slightly crusty on the exterior, and heated through. Spread half a tablespoon of mayo on each roll or bun, and then top with half the kale leaves, the burger patty, another half tablespoon of mayo, and half the pico de gallo. Serve immediately. Note: all Restaurant refried bean mixtures will, of course, vary somewhat in moisture, consistency, and spice, so vary remaining ingredients accordingly.