Tag Archives: pasta

(Almost) Vegan Baked Mac n’ “Cheese”

30 Sep

With a chill in the air and the leaves blowing, there is nothing like a cozy pasta dish to rear in the season. This baked pasta casserole is almost, but not exclusively, vegan.

The non-vegan part of the dish comes from using a bit of butter to make the roux, as well as some nonfat dairy milk (you could easily use vegan margarine/butter and unsweetened soy, almond, or rice milk).

I was just using up what I already had in the fridge…baby steps…

BUT, instead of cheese, I used nutritional yeast. All hail nutritional yeast. Gettin’ in some B vitamins and protein with significantly less saturated fat and cholesterol than your typical baked mac.

There’s a dash of tomato paste (I already had some in my freezer ready to go) and a bit of garlic powder, with a squeeze of lemon and a splash of agave. These flavors come together and taste just. like. cheese.

There’s also some spinach in the mix to balance this carb-tastic meal with a vegetable.

What’s that crazy-looking stuff on top? Triscuits. I had the crackers laying around and they added a great salty crunch. You could crush up any cracker you like, or you could use bread crumbs for a more classy aesthetic.

I shared a vegan mac n’ cheese recipe on the blog before, but I think this one is way better. I just prefer baked mac…creamy and crispy all in one.

You may also want to check out this Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo that I made from Chloe Coscarelli’s cookbook. I kid you not, it tastes like traditional fettuccine alfredo. Vegan magic!

Almost Vegan Baked Mac n’ “Cheese”

adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen

makes a 9 x 13 inch pans-worth

1 pound elbow macaroni (you could use whole wheat if you find a version, I also think shell-shaped would work great)

1/4 cup vegan butter/margarine (I used regular butter)

1/3 cup flour (I used all-purpose)

3 cups unsweetened soy/almond/rice milk (I used nonfat dairy milk)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon agave

5 oz fresh spinach or a bunch of chard or kale

2-3 tablespoons crushed crackers or breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, make a roux by whisking the butter and flour over medium heat until the mixture forms a paste. Add the milk, and keep stirring to avoid clumps. Add the nutritional yeast, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice and agave.

Toss the noodles with the sauce and the spinach and transfer to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs on top of the pasta and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead Tip: Chloe says that the unbaked macaroni and cheese can be refrigerated for 2-3 days until ready to bake. 

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Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

24 Jul

Fettuccine Alfredo. A classic childhood favorite.

Here’s a recipe that can satisfy your craving without weighing you down. Yep, this recipe is vegan, dairy-free, cholesterol-free, saturated fat-free. Now don’t you worry, there is still a heck of a lot of creaminess going on. Cashews=creamy, buttery, rich. Cashews get soaked in water, drained, and blended with aromatic onions and garlic. Unctuous, silky sauce.

The Alfredo sauce really comes together with a few dashes of lemon juice and white miso paste (Chloe says this is optional, but I love white miso and I would not skip it; you can purchase white miso at Whole Foods).

I added some peas and a few halved grape tomatoes to my noodles, and slurped it all up alongside roasted asparagus spears.

I kid you not, this tastes like traditional fettuccine alfredo. Maybe even better since I know how much healthier this version is…

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

From Chloe’s Kitchen

serves 4-6

1 pound fettuccine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup raw cashews or blanched almonds*

2 cups water

2 teaspoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

optional: chopped Italian parsley, frozen or fresh peas, halved grape tomatoes…

*Soak your cashews or almonds in water overnight to soften. This ensures that the sauce will blend up nice and smooth. Alternatively, you could boil the nuts for 10 minutes and then drain.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to the package directions. If you are using frozen peas, drop them (I used about 1/2 cup?) into the water about 2 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and let cook until soft. Add garlic and let cook a few more minutes. Remove from heat.

In a blender, combine the onions and garlic, cashews, water, miso paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process on high until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

Toss the hot pasta with the sauce until the noodles are evenly coated. Adjust seasoning to taste. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Garnish with fresh tomato slices and parsley, if using.

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A Cast-Iron Cutie: Cherry Clafoutis, Round 2

22 May

Cherry season. Is upon us.

I’m bringing this beautiful cross between a custard and a pancake to an afternoon party in Napa Valley today.

Check the perfectly browned edges, please. With the lightest, airiest, subtly sweet-and- studded-with-cherry fruit-center. Now this is a pancake that’ll get you up in the morning.

While the clafoutis was in the oven, I whipped up some pasta.

Rigatoni with sauteed onions, cauliflower, and pattypan squash. Fresh pesto made in my mortar and pestle. Almonds. Cheese. I ate too much. It was worth it.

A cherry clafoutis was one of the first recipes I ever posted to my blog. 2 years ago. Dang.

Well here I go again. Cherry clafoutis, round 2.

Cherry Clafoutis

serves 8

adapted from 2 recipes: Saveur magazine and Joy of Baking/figsinmybelly

Once again, I keep the pits in the cherries for two reasons:

#1 It is easier and…
#2 The pits give the clafoutis a subtle almond flavor when baked.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

2-3 cups cherries, washed and stemmed (no need to pit them)

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or 1 tsp. almond extract)

6 eggs

5 tbsp. sugar (I used brown sugar because I ran out of granulated)

1 1/4 cups milk

2 tbsp. kirsch (optional: I omitted it because I did not have any on hand)

Pinch salt

3/4 cup flour

Confectioners sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a blender or whisking by hand, combine your vanilla (or almond) extract, 6 eggs, 5 tbsp. sugar, milk, kirsch, and salt and whiz for a few seconds until blended. Then add the flour and blend for one more minute until smooth. Let the batter rest while you prepare the cherries.

3. Melt the butter in your cast iron skillet (or any oven proof skillet or pan), making sure to coat the pan and the sides very well. Once the butter starts bubbling, add your cherries, coating them and cooking for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and continue cooking for one more minute.

3. Pour the batter over the cherry mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven midway through baking. Pull the pan out after 30 minutes, you should have a nice puffed, browned clafoutis. Let it cool for a few minutes then dust with confectioners sugar. Slice and serve.

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