Spinach and Pine Nut Rotini

My family has had the flu this week so I haven’t had a chance to plan menus, make grocery lists, or go shopping.  So tonight was one of those times when I perused the refrigerator and the pantry looking for something to make.   There was a bag of baby spinach in the refrigerator, so I decided to toss that together with some ingredients I always have on hand: pasta, garlic, olive oil, canned tomatoes, and pine nuts (I keep a Costco-sized bag of them in my freezer).  The end result was quite delicious!  I’ll definitely be adding this combination to my recipe box.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat rotini
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes*
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• 1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted**
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juices, and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss in fresh baby spinach and let sit over low heat until spinach begins to wilt.  It will seem like a lot of spinach at first but it will shrink down a lot!  Add toasted pine nuts and serve immediately.  Keep extra virgin olive oil on the table for drizzling over each individual serving for a nice touch!

* If you cannot find petite diced tomatoes, then drain the juices from regular stewed or diced tomatoes directly into the skillet, then transfer tomatoes to a cutting board and chop before adding to the dish.

**To toast raw pine nuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put directly under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Watch these closely or they will burn!

Cous Cous with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is definitely a family favorite!  We love this one, both kids included.  It’s one of those nice meals that is quick, easy, and economical, and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice with ingredients that I always keep on hand.  This is an Indonesian-style peanut sauce, which is quite different from the sweet Thai peanut sauce that some people may be expecting.  As delicious as that sweet peanut sauce is, this savory, salty one is my absolute favorite!  I paired this with steamed broccoli tonight, as I often do – because I love to dip each piece of broccoli in the sauce as I am eating it.

Ingredients (Peanut Sauce):

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion (or half large onion), finely chopped
• 2-3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or hot water with bouillon)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt to taste (use about 1/2 tsp if using unsalted peanut butter, omit if using salted peanut butter)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk

Preparation (Peanut Sauce):

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in peanut butter and allow it to melt a little.  Add vegetable broth and whisk until smoothly incorporated.  Add spices and simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mix in soy milk and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Ingredients (Cous Cous):

• 2 cups dry cous cous (I used whole wheat)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 cups boiling water

Preparation (Cous Cous):

Stir olive oil, bouillon powder, and paprika into dry cous cous until thoroughly mixed.  You can do this right in your serving bowl.  Stir in boiling water and cover for 5 minutes.  Remove lid and fluff with a fork.  Serve peanut sauce over hot cous cous.  Enjoy!

Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”

I think every vegan chef has their own special version of macaroni and cheese, especially those of us with little ones! This version is largely based off of the one in Vegan Vittles but I’ve tampered with it quite a bit! My kids like this every bit as much as they used to like the dairy version. Sometimes I make it with beans (as pictured) and sometimes I leave them out. I like to add them because it increases the protein, fiber, iron, and flavor!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)*
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (more or less depending on how yellow you want it!)
• 3 cups plain non-dairy milk**
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• dash black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 can kidney beans or other beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare macaroni noodles. Drain and rinse with cool water, and set aside.

While noodles are cooking, melt coconut oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add flour and turmeric and stir quickly until combined. Add non-dairy milk, all at once, and stir with a wire whisk until no lumps remain. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 1 minute more and then remove from heat. Add nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Add cooked macaroni noodles to the sauce and mix well. Add beans and chili powder, if desired. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch square pan and top with bread crumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

* If you’re having trouble finding whole wheat macaroni noodles, try the bulk bin at Fred Meyer!

** I recommend Silk or Organic Valley brands plain soy milk, because they are not too sweet.  I have also made this with plain hemp milk with fantastic results!

Scalloped Potatoes

Here is another “veganized” comfort food from my childhood – I’ve definitely been on a casserole kick lately, must be all the rainy weather we’ve been having in the Pacific Northwest! Many people seem to think that white potatoes are devoid of nutrition, but that is not the case at all! If you leave the skins on (as I do in this recipe) they contain hefty amounts of iron, as well as potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and even protein! So dig right in, it’s good for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unbleached white flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)*
• 3 medium baking potatoes

Preparation:

Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, on medium-high heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in flour mixture. Quickly add soy milk, all at once, and continue to stir and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast, if desired. Set aside.

Wash potatoes well, and slice thinly (please don’t peel them!). Place half the sliced potatoes into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with half the sauce. Layer the remainder of potato slices on and cover with remainder of the sauce.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

* I’ve once again mentioned nutritional yeast as an optional ingredient in this recipe, but the casserole is good without it as well. I’ll add nutritional yeast to just about anything savory, but I promise, you can cook delicious vegan food without it if you have difficulty finding it, or it just isn’t your cup of tea!

Chickpea Divan

One of my favorite dishes growing up was Chicken Divan…a combination of chicken, broccoli, and a creamy sauce. I have “veganized” the recipe using chickpeas, and it is just as rich and creamy as the original!  Tonight I served this dish over quinoa, but it is also delicious over a bed of brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 large stalk of broccoli, chopped into florets and lightly steamed
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
• 6 Tbsp unbleached flour
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3-4 Tbsp dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soy cream or soy milk*
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (optional)**
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 – 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread cooked brocolli florets across a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, and pour chickpeas over the top.  Set aside.

Mix together flour, sage, salt, and pepper.  In a heavy pot, melt Earth Balance margarine over medium heat.  Add flour mixture and stir to combine.  Add vegetable broth and stir with a wire whisk until no lumps remain.  Continue stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add soy milk or soy cream, white wine, and vegan mayonnaise, if using.

Pour sauce evenly over chickpeas and broccoli.   Mix breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast together, if using.  Spread over the top of the casserole, and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.  Serve over brown rice or quinoa.  Enjoy!

* Soy cream can be hard to find in U.S. supermarkets, and I ordered mine online from Pangea.  I used Alpro Soya Vegan Heavy Cream, which is more readily available in Europe.  If you cannot get vegan cream, I would recommend using unsweetened soy milk in its place.

**My favorite vegan mayonnaise is Vegenaise.  It is such an amazing substitute and can be found in most supermarkets!  This ingredient is entirely optional and of course adds a lot of fat and calories to the dish, but it really gives it a little extra something.  Try it both ways and see what you prefer!

Spinach Lasagna

I’ve always loved lasagna – especially spinach lasagna with lots of ricotta cheese.  Thankfully, since becoming vegan I’ve discovered that tofu can be transformed into a delicious ricotta, and Vegan Gourmet mozzarella works perfectly to top everything off!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz oven-ready lasagna noodles*, or 12 prepared noodles
• Tofu Ricotta:
  • 1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, drained
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed
• Easy tomato sauce:
  • 14-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 6-oz can tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 oz shredded vegan mozarella cheese, such as Vegan Gourmet (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together tomato sauce ingredients in a pan, and simmer on low heat as you prepare other ingredients.   In a food processor, combine tofu ricotta ingredients and process until a semi-smooth yet grainy consistency is achieved (similar to dairy ricotta).  Transfer ricotta to a large bowl and fold in the thawed spinach.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  Layer 3 of the lasagna noodles over the bottom of the pan.  Spoon 1/3 of the spinach-ricotta mixture over noodles, and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the top.  Repeat twice more with noodles, ricotta, and sauce.  Layer the final 3 noodles over the dish, and spread with remaining tomato sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and sprinkle grated vegan cheese over the top, cover again, and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese has browned.

Allow lasagna to set for 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.  Enjoy!

* I used Ronzoni Oven Ready Lasagna noodles in this dish.

Vegan Pizza

Our digital camera has been on the blink so I haven’t been able to post a food picture in awhile. Now that it is repaired, I’ll start with what we ate for lunch today – vegan pizza! As vegans, we don’t order delivery pizza anymore, but we still can enjoy it with minimal effort. We have a bread machine which makes homemade pizza crust a snap – the purchase was worth it if only for pizza crust! I hesitate to post this as a recipe because pizza is such a versatile food – make the crust, add sauce, and then use whatever veggies you have on hand, and top with a vegan cheese substitute if desired. Here’s what I made today:

Bread Machine Pizza Dough Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 -3/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp natural granulated sugar
• 1 tsp yeast

Pizza Toppings:

• 1 cup pizza sauce, homemade or storebought *
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 block Vegan Gourmet Mozarella-style cheese, shredded (optional) **

Preparation:

Add ingredients to bread machine in order given. Run machine on “pizza dough” or “dough only” setting until done. When dough is ready, preheat conventional oven to 475 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. This will make enough dough for a thick 12-inch crust or a medium-thin 15-inch crust. (15-inch crust is pictured – we like it on the thinner side.) Place rolled dough on a lightly oiled pizza stone or cookie sheet.

Use the back side of a soup spoon to spread pizza sauce on top of crust. Add vegetable toppings and shredded cheese, if using. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

* Pizza sauce is easy to make, and there’s a great recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance. But this time I “cheated” and used a can of Muir Glen organic pizza sauce. I only needed about half the can so I just froze the rest to use next time.

** Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella is the only brand of vegan cheese that I like – and I think it works great melted on a pizza. I do advise to go easier on the cheese than you might have with dairy cheese, as the vegan version has a bit of a stronger flavor. I don’t really taste the cheese on this pizza, but it adds visual appeal and a moistness to the pizza that is lacking when you omit the cheese.

Tofu Stir Fry

This was such a simple meal to throw together, since I used the leftover marinade from the baked tofu I made the other day. I just bought some frozen stir-fry veggies, cubed up some tofu, and voila – dinner! You can really play around with this recipe – you could use whatever fresh or frozen veggies you have on hand, and substitute just about any nut for the almonds! As a busy mom of 2, the frozen veggie mix was perfect for a quick and easy (yet healthy!) dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 portion of marinade from Marinated Baked Tofu
• 1 pkg frozen mixed stir-fry vegetables
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slices*
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
• soy sauce to taste

Preparation:

Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Heat wok or large skillet on high. Add marinade and frozen veggies, and stir-fry until veggies are cooked. Add tofu and stir-fry another few minutes, being careful not to mash the tofu. Pour extra soy sauce over mixture if it becomes too dry.

Remove from heat and stir in toasted almond slices. Transfer to a serving dish and top with sesame seeds. Serve over brown rice, with extra soy sauce if desired.

* If you buy raw almond slices, simply toast on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5 – 10 minutes. You will need to check on these toward the end as they burn easily.