Avocado Pesto and Tomato Pasta

In case today's 71-degree weather wasn't unseasonable enough for you, here's a summery dish that will bring a little warmth and brightness to your day.  This recipe for Avocado Pesto and Tomato pasta comes (slightly altered) from Chef Chloe.

A fresh-tasting, creamy pasta dish.

Given that tomatoes come at a high price during the winter, you might try making this dish with jarred, sun-dried tomatoes instead of raw, store-bought tomatoes.

Recipe:
Avocado Pesto and Tomato Pasta

• 1 pound whole wheat linguine
• 1 package frozen broccoli
• 1 small bunch (approximately .75 ounces) fresh basil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• halved cherry tomatoes or sliced sun-dried tomatoes, for garnish

First, bring a large pot of water to boil and begin preparing the linguine according to the package directions. When approximately five minutes of cooking time remain, add the broccoli to the pot.  Once the broccoli and pasta are tender, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado pesto.  Combine the basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, oil, and salt and pepper in a food processor, and process until smooth. 

Toss the prepared pasta with the pesto, top with tomatoes, and serve warm.

Yields 6 servings. 

Comments:

Taste:           

This is not your average, basil-heavy pesto dish.  Although basil does make an appearance in the recipe, its flavor is subtle.  Instead, the avocados and tomatoes take center stage, giving the dish a creamy, mild, fresh taste.  While this is one of the most naturally creamy pasta dishes I've enjoyed as a vegan, it is worth noting that the creaminess faded a bit once we reheated the dish as leftovers.  Next time I make this, I might try adding some crushed red pepper flakes to spice things up.

Accessibility:            

Unfortunately, this is a pretty pricey pasta dish.  The pine nuts and tomatoes--either cherry or sun-dried--are particularly costly.  To bring down the price, you could try using a different nut, such as walnuts (still expensive, but perhaps less so).

 Ease of Preparation:        

This is a quick and easy dish, as long as you have a food processor.  If you don't have a food processor or blender, try chopping up the ingredients and using a potato masher or spoon to combine.

Non-vegan friendliness:            

This rich pasta dish isn't missing anything.  Even though traditional pesto recipes often include Parmesan cheese, the avocado more than makes up for the lack of cheese. 

Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie

I'm a big fan of dinner pies.  It's always such a good feeling to puncture the crust and release the savory steam trapped inside.  Plus, dinner pies are a pretty low-maintenance way to prepare veggies in a filling way.  This Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie puts a Mexican spin on more traditional pot pies. 

The full dish.

While I've used standard pie crust to top other pot pies, we tried puff pastry on this one (with limited success, as I'll explain below). 

Recipe:     
Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie

• 1/2 pound puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
• about 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (enough to cover the potatoes in the pot)
• 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• a dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• hot sauce to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set out a casserole dish.  Take the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Then heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.  Then add the jalapeno and garlic and cook for another minute.

Next, add the sweet potatoes and vegetable broth to the pot and stir.  Cover the pot and cook until the sweet potatoes are slightly softened.  Add the spinach and cook (uncovered) for another two minutes.  Then add the black beans, cumin, lime juice, pepper, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce and cook until the vegetable broth is mostly absorbed. Stir in the cilantro.

Finally, pour the mixture into the casserole dish and lay the pastry over the top, folding over any extra that would otherwise extend beyond the edge of the dish.  Bake for about 16 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Yields about 8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:            

We enjoyed this dish; but, as Rachel put it, it was unexciting.  As I alluded to earlier, the puff pastry caused some problems: it didn't puff up, and it tasted a bit doughy despite the fact that the top had seemingly browned sufficiently.  Perhaps we could have cooked the dish a bit more without burning it, so I'd give that a try.  I would also use another can of beans next time, since the black beans were a bit lost among the spinach and sweet potato.  That said, the dish had a good, almost smoky flavor and I did enjoy eating it. 

Accessibility:          

The puff pastry was on sale (at least it had that going for it!).  On the whole, the ingredients list is pretty accessible, but unfortunately nutritional yeast has yet to hit mainstream market shelves.  We went to Whole Foods to find it.   

  Ease of Preparation:          

Considering this recipe requires both cooking and baking, it's pretty fast and easy to handle. 

Non-vegan friendliness:           

This is a filling dish and I wouldn't say it's missing any obvious animal-based ingredients.    

Meaty Chili

We've made the same chili recipe several times over the past year and a half; so, when Simon's dad passed along a new one, we were happy to give it a try.  The recipe from Cook's Illustrated was called "BEST VEGETARIAN CHILI," so it had to be good--almost as good as this.

Don't forget to garnish with cilantro, like I did!

I made a few changes to the original recipe, reflected below.

Recipe:     
Meaty Chili

• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 - 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained (but save the juice in a bowl)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 8 ounces canned green chiles, drained
• 8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons oregano
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 pounds onions, finely diced
• 1.25 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 - 15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups water (plus more as needed)
• 2/3 cup bulgur 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

First, process three separate batches of ingredients.  There's no need to clean out the food processor between each batch--it's all going in the same pot in the end! 

• Process the walnuts for about 30 seconds or until a coarse powder forms.  Remove from food processor and set aside.  
• Then, process the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeno, garlic, and soy sauce until the tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
• Finally, blend the chiles, mushrooms, and oregano until finely ground.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside. 

Next, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until onions begin to brown.  Lower the heat to medium, add the mushroom mixture and cumin, and cook for another minute.  Then add the beans, water, bulgur, walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice.  Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes until the chili is thick and flavorful.  If you need to add more water during this time, feel free to do so.*

 

Once the chili is cooked, garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:           

This chili has a truly meaty taste--not in the sense that it tastes like meat, but rather that it has a full, deep flavor and a substantive texture.  The mushrooms, walnuts, and other ground up ingredients really come together to create a nice, thick chili base, and the beans add a bit of textural variety.  Even Simon--the carrot-rating deflator that he is--thought this recipe deserves four carrots.  If I were to improve the recipe, I'd add another jalapeno to the mix because the chili wasn't very spicy. 

Accessibility:        

There are a bunch of ingredients in this recipe, but we were able to find them all at our usual grocery store.  We had the most trouble finding bulgur, and for some reason the box of bulgur we did find had soy bits in it, too; but, it ended up working out fine. 

 Ease of Preparation:          

Thanks to our food processor, there's not a whole lot of chopping involved in this recipe.  It does take a while to cook. 

Non-vegan friendliness:         

This recipe yields a really tasty dish that would satisfy any appetite.  Plus, chili is pretty customizable: Simon and Rachel topped theirs with cheese and sour cream.    

* Note: we used too much water when we made the chili (I didn't properly account for the fact that the beans were already cooked), so I ended up bailing water out of the pot.  The recipe above reflects the amount of water that I left in the pot, but feel free to adjust as you see fit. 

Simple Vegetable-Patata Soup

This week we made one of the simplest one-pot meals imaginable (and it was tasty, too): Vegetable-Patata Soup.  I like to think of this soup as a Latino minestrone soup because it's chock full of tomatoes and vegetables with some south-of-the-border spice and potatoes. 

It's such a hearty soup!

Recipe:    
Simple Vegetable-Patata Soup

• 2 cups red potatoes, washed, de-eyed, and diced
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes
• 10 ounces frozen corn
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• A few shakes of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large soup pot.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then lower the heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have combined.  

 

Serve with fresh bread for dunking.  Yields 6 hearty servings. 

Comments:

Taste:          

I was pleasantly surprised by this soup.  The flavors are neither impressive nor complicated; however, I appreciated the fact that it was spiced without being spicy and had a warm, hearty flavor. 

Accessibility:  

The ingredients in this dish are both inexpensive and easy to find.  

 Ease of Preparation:      

There's nothing easier than putting ingredients in a pot and letting them cook for a half hour!

Non-vegan friendliness:      

The heartiness of this soup makes for a filling, non-vegan friendly dish.  Plus, you could swap different vegetables  in or out of the soup to please any palate. 

Tofu Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Last week we had an unexpected visit from one of Simon's friends from home.  He wasn't too familiar with vegan food, so what did we make?  Tofu, of course!  Everyone loves tofu, right? 

Decked out tofu tacos

Okay, I'll admit that tofu often gets a bad rap as the poster child for gross vegan food.  When cooked well, however, tofu can be a great part of any meal.  I'm still not crazy about tofu "steaks" (slabs) after being vegan for almost 5 years, but that's probably just because I have yet to master them.  So, in the meantime, here's a recipe for some tasty tofu tacos. 

Recipe:   
Tofu Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

• 8 cups shredded cabbage (or pre-shredded cole slaw mix, without the dressing)
• 1 large bunch radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large bunch scallions, sliced
• 2 + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 2 - 14 ounce packages refrigerated extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 3/4" cubes
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• whole wheat tortillas
• your favorite salsa and any other taco toppings you'd like

First, prepare the slaw.  Toss the cabbage/cole slaw mix, radishes, cilantro, scallions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime zest, and lime juice in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Next, prepare the tofu.  First, toss together the tofu, taco seasoning, and 2 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl until coated.  Then heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the tofu, ensuring that each cube of tofu touches the bottom of the pan; if your pan is too small, cook the tofu in two batches.  Cook the tofu, turning the pieces after several minutes on each side, until most sides have browned.  Add more olive oil if needed while cooking.

Fill the tortillas with the tofu, slaw, salsa, and any other taco seasonings that strike your fancy.  Serves 6-8 people.

Comments:

Taste:        

These tofu tacos take standard tacos to the next level.  The slaw is filled with fresh ingredients that brighten things up, and the tofu is so much lighter and healthier than ground beef.  Actually, Simon and his friend compared the taste of the tofu to that of eggs, saying it reminded them of a breakfast burrito.

Accessibility:          

All of the produce in this dish is really worth it.  You could make your own taco seasoning mix, if you prefer, but I like the convenience of pre-made mix. 

 Ease of Preparation:    

Tofu tacos probably take about the same amount of time as beef (or any other kind of meat) tacos.  Same taco process, different main ingredient.

Non-vegan friendliness:    

Simon's friend claimed to like the tacos and went back for seconds--always a good sign, given that he had never had tofu before!  That said, Simon, Rachel, and our guest added a bit of light sour cream and shredded cheese to their tacos to make them even more non-vegan friendly

Spaghetti Squash Mexicana topped with Tropical Salsa

In keeping with this week's emerging theme, tonight's dinner was Spaghetti Squash Mexicana topped with Tropical Salsa.  (This is another great recipe from the ever-reliable cookbook Veganomicon.)  I've made this dish numerous times before and it never ceases to amaze me.  Spaghetti squash is awesome.  There's no better way to put it.  It starts out looking like a regular old squash, but once it's done it looks like spaghetti!  It's a miracle of nature.  Spaghetti squash is a versatile, lower-calorie, vegetable version of spaghetti.  What's not to like?     

The incredible edible spaghetti squash.

Recipe:
Spaghetti Squash Mexicana topped with Tropical Salsa

• 1 spaghetti squash (in the 3-pound range)
• 1 cup tomato, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 mango, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1.5 teaspoons chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup red cooking wine
• 1 cup frozen corn, partially thawed
• 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

First, bake the squash.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half widthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.  Fill a baking dish with an inch of water and place the squash cut side down in the dish.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the skin is easily pierced with a fork.  Then, take the squash out of the pan and let cool for about 10 minutes until you can handle the squash.  Shred and scoop out the flesh with a fork into a bowl, cover, and set aside.  While the squash is baking, prepare the tropical salsa and the bean mixture.

Salsa: stir together the tomato, mango, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bean mixture: Heat the olive oil, onion, and jalapeno in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, spices, salt, and wine, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often.  Next, lower the heat to medium and add the corn, black beans, and hot sauce.  Cook for 5 more minutes or until heated through.  Finally, add the squash to the bean mixture and toss to mix.  (It's helpful to use tongs here to ensure that the squash breaks up and everything is well incorporated.)

Top with salsa and serve.  Serves 4-6 people. 

Comments:

Taste:    

This is a good dish.  Simon remarked that "it might not be phenomenal, but [he's] happy to eat it."  I particularly like this dish--it's interesting, unconventional, surprising, and tasty.  It also has a great combination of textures.    

Accessibility:   

Unfortunately, this isn't a particularly accessible dish.  Many of the ingredients might be difficult to find--such as ripe fruits and spaghetti squash--while ingredients like wine could be expensive.  Nonetheless, we found all of these ingredients at Giant.    

Ease of Preparation:   

The squash takes a long time to bake, but I bet you could do so in advance to save time.  I might try that next time.  Once it's ready, though, the rest of the recipe is quite simple. 

Non-vegan friendliness:  

Simon pointed out that this dish doesn't lack meat or cheese (or any other animal product).  It's a dish best served vegan.  However, it's also a dish based around a potentially intimidating food for vegans and non-vegans alike: spaghetti squash.  I first tasted this kind of squash a couple years ago, and I must admit I wasn't excited about it.  I've been fully converted, though, and I recommend that everyone give it a try.

Black Bean and Corn Pasta

Tonight's dinner was a simple recipe that we've made numerous times before: Black Bean and Corn Pasta.  I usually just eyeball the ingredients when I make this, so I did my best to detail the ingredients list.

I labeled the recipe "Mexican" because that's the closest flavor profile, but it's actually halfway between Italian and Mexican.  It's the best of both worlds--an easy pasta dish with extra flavor and spice.

Black Bean and Corn Pasta garnished with cilantro.

Recipe:
Black Bean and Corn Pasta

• 1 package whole wheat pasta (we used rotini) 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 2 - 15 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
• 2 - 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces frozen corn
• 1.5 teaspoons chili powder (more for a spicier dish)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Begin preparing pasta according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until the onions become soft (about five minutes).  Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro, and simmer for about 10 minutes (or, until the pasta is ready).  

Top the prepared (and drained) pasta with the sauce and garnish with cilantro, if desired.  Yields approximately 5 or 6 servings. 

Comments:

Taste:    

Even though the flavors in this recipe are pretty unsurprising, it's still a solid dish.  We tend to make this recipe when we want a tasty meal that's easy to make, so we've made it several times.  Rachel commented that this dish is particularly flexible in that it would be good as either a spicy or mild dish.       

Accessibility:     

There's nothing out of the ordinary in this dish.  (Thank you, Black Bean and Corn Pasta, for contributing to a particularly low grocery bill this week!)  

Ease of Preparation:   

As I mentioned, this is one of our go-to easy dinners.  The sauce is easy and fast to make, and pasta's simple to make as well.       

Non-vegan friendliness:  

Simon pointed out that a non-vegan's only complaint with this dish might be that "it's lacking substance"--it includes neither meat nor meat substitute.  Still, the beans, corn, and pasta are pretty filling and the flavors are good.   

Hearty Chili

Even though it's a balmy 52 degrees outside, it's always nice to get cozy with a big bowl of warm chili.  I've made this Hearty Chili recipe a few times before and it never disappoints.  It's chock full of veggies, beans, and the secret ingredient: "soy crumbles."

Hearty Chili topped with crushed tortilla chips

Recipe:
Hearty Chili

•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 - 4 ounce cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 - 12 ounce packages vegan burger crumbles (I use Lightlife Smart Ground veggie protein crumbles)
• 3 - 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounces frozen corn

First, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt.  Stir and cook the mixture until the onion becomes tender.  Next, mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chiles.  Once the vegetables are heated through--after about 5 minutes--mix in the soy burger crumbles.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Then mix in the crushed tomatoes, chili powder, pepper, kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans.  Bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 50 minutes (at least), stirring in the corn when five minutes remain.  Serve hot.  I used crushed tortilla chips as a garnish.  

Yields 8 servings.

Comments:

Taste:

I could eat this chili every week.  Even though it's not very spicy, it's still packed with flavor.  The mixture of veggies, beans, and crumbles is also really filling.  Simon thinks the chili is "delightful," while Rachel likes that it's "really hearty."

Accessibility:  

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are both easy to find and affordable.  While my standard grocery store had the soy crumbles in stock, however, some grocery stores may not carry them.  Luckily, the chili would still be great without the crumbles. 

Ease of Preparation: 

The recipe is very easy to make.  Mixing ingredients into a pot isn't too taxing.  The recipe does take a while to make, though, between the chopping and simmering.  It's worth it, though! 

Non-vegan friendliness: 

Simon and Rachel loved the chili, and I'm confident that anyone else would feel the same way.  A dish like chili is extra vegan-friendly, though, because it's so customizable.  Your non-vegan friends and family members can add traditional chili toppings like cheese or sour cream if they so desire, while I topped mine with crushed up tortilla chips to add a little crunch.

Fajitas and Chunky Guacamole

The countdown to "winter break" has begun!  I only have three more days of work and three more dinners with Simon and Rachel before I head home for a little over a week to spend time with my family.  As a result, this week is officially Use-Up-Things-In-The-Kitchen Week.  Despite this restriction, tonight's dinner set a tasty tone for the short week.

Rachel, Simon, and I made Chunky Guacamole and Fajitas tonight in order to use up the corn tortillas we bought for our Potato and Kale Enchiladas.  Observe: 

Chunky Guacamole

Fajita Filling

Dinner!

Recipe:
Chunky Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Slice the avocados vertically.  Remove the pit and scoop out the avocado into a bowl.  Mash up the avocado a bit, leaving some chunks.  Then add the remaining ingredients, stir, and enjoy with tortilla chips...or atop fajitas! 

Recipe:
Fajitas

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1.5 onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•  2 - 15.5 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 cups frozen corn
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• corn or flour tortillas
• toppings of your choice

First, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper and sauté until the onions begin to look golden and the peppers are tender.  Add the beans, corn, and spices and heat until warm.  Serve over tortillas and top with any fajita toppings you like, such as tomatoes, onions, salsa, or guacamole.

Comments:
Both of these recipes are really quick and easy to make.  I've made this guacamole many times before and it's always a hit.  The fajitas are a great non-vegan-friendly dish because they're so customizable--Simon and Rachel both put shredded cheese on theirs. 

Teaser for Wednesday's dinner: The ingredient to be used up is carrots!