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. 

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Fried Breadcrumbs

Thanks to my new subscription to Vegetarian Times, we had a pretty easy time finding recipe ideas for this week.  (Potential subscribers should note, though, that Vegetarian Times is far from a magazine called Vegan Times; although, it does have an index in the back which highlights vegan recipes.)

While we had an easy time finding good-looking recipes, I must say that the magazine's recipes use some pretty obscure ingredients.  Ground sumac?  Persian cucumbers?  Let's just say that I altered each recipe in order to veganize it or make it more accessible. 

Anyway, here's what we made on Sunday night:

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Fried Breadcrumbs served with Mediterranean Salad

First I'll provide the recipe for the spaghetti.

Recipe:     
Spaghetti with Walnuts and Fried Breadcrumbs

• 1 package whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup vegan breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

First, cook the spaghetti according to package instructions; drain and return the spaghetti to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until they become aromatic and toasty.  Transfer the nuts to a bowl and set aside.

Add the oil and garlic to the same empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat for one minute.  Then stir in the breadcrumbs and spices and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs begin to brown. Then remove the skillet from the heat.

Immediately, add the oil mixture and walnuts to the spaghetti pot and heat the pot over medium-high heat, tossing with tongs, for a final 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired, before serving. 

Serves 6.

Comments:

Taste:      

This pasta dish was good; not great.  It's a little spicy and a little toasty-tasting, and the breadcrumbs and walnuts did add a nice, subtle crunch to the dish.  Still, I would have liked some vegetables in it to add some brighter flavors.  Some fresh tomatoes or steamed peas would've been a nice addition. 

Accessibility:   

This is a pretty minimal ingredient list.  And remember, parsley freezes well!  So, don't worry too much about buying a whole bunch of parsley just for this dish: you can chop up the rest of it and store it in a plastic bag in the freezer.  

 Ease of Preparation:       

This dish is quick and pretty easy to make. 

Non-vegan friendliness:       

While we did have a non-vegan guest over for dinner who enjoyed the pasta, I wouldn't serve this dish as a main dish again.  Unfortunately, it's not especially filling.

Salad recipe to come...

Vegetable Ribollita

Last night we made Vegetable Ribollita for dinner.  What's that, you ask?  I didn't know before making it, either.  According to ever-helpful Wikipedia, ribollita is "a hearty potage made with bread and vegetables."  Wikipedia continues to explain that ribollita--a Tuscan soup dish--dates back to the Middle Ages, when "servants gathered up food-soaked bread trenchers from feudal lords' banquets and boiled them for their own dinners."  After reading such an enticing description, how could I not try this out?

Our hearty potage!

Recipe:   
Vegetable Ribollita

• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2.5 cups diced onion
• 3/4 cup sliced celery 
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 3/4 diced carrot 
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 medium head of cabbage, coarsely chopped 
• 1 - 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 - 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
• 2 cups water (or two more cups vegetable broth)
• 4 cups cubed sourdough bread (about 1/2 loaf)
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves

First, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables become soft and begin to brown, or about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, basil, and marjoram, and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage is just tender, or another 10 minutes. Then stir in the beans, vegetable broth, and water.  Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Next, stir in the bread and spinach, increase increase the heat to medium, and cook until the soup thickens, about 10 minutes more. Finally, taste the soup and season with salt and pepper one last time before serving.

Comments:

Taste:        or     

Wikipedia's description is dead-on when it calls this soup "hearty."  The flavor is simple and subtle without being bland, and each bite highlights a different soup component.  I also really like the fact that this soup has something different going on in it: bread cubes.  However, Simon wasn't as pro-ribollita as Rachel and I were.  He felt that the bread was unpleasantly soggy and he didn't like that the texture was somewhere between a soup and a stew.   

Accessibility:        

There are a lot of fresh ingredients involved in this soup, but they are all very easy to find in any grocery store.  The great thing about this recipe is that it's not critical that your bread be incredibly fresh.  If your bread is a little old, just toast it before using. 

 Ease of Preparation:    

These vegetables require a fair amount of chopping to prepare.  As always, it will make your life much easier if you chop everything before starting the recipe. 

Non-Vegan friendliness:    

This is a really filling soup and I would feel comfortable serving again as a one-pot meal.  The dish doesn't present much of a wow-factor, but it's a solid dinner.  We also dipped some leftover bread in the soup, and Simon and Rachel melted cheese onto their bread in the toaster oven before dunking. 

Asian Pesto with Rice Noodles

Last week we made Sun-Dried Tomato and Toasted Walnut Pesto, a slight deviation from traditional basil and pine nut pesto--the pesto everyone knows and loves.  This week, Simon, Rachel, and I took the departure from tradition one step further in making Asian Pesto with Rice Noodles.     

Noodles and pesto with vegetables, garnished with chopped peanuts

Recipe:
Asian Pesto with Rice Noodles

• 1 - 16 ounce package rice noodles (we used "Pad Thai Rice Sticks")
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1 cup packed mint leaves
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Chopped peanuts for garnish

First, prepare the rice noodles according to the package instructions. 

Meanwhile, prepare the pesto.  Place the cilantro, mint, basil, peanuts, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and hot sauce in a food processor and process until chopped.  With the lid on the food processor and the processor running, add the vegetable oil and process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Combine the noodles and pesto, garnish with peanuts and serve hot.  Yields about 6 servings.  

Comments:

Taste:      

This dish was surprising.  There are so many flavors going on at once in each bite!  Between the cilantro and mint and basil, plus the rice noodles, the taste was somewhat unconventional, or unexpected.  Far from being a bad thing, though, the result is a pleasantly fresh, flavorful dish.  Plus, the peanut garnish adds a satisfying crunch.

Accessibility:        

The rice noodles were easy to find in the international section of Giant.  Unfortunately, sesame oil is a relatively expensive oil and this recipe doesn't call for much of it.  I decided to buy a small bottle of sesame oil, though, so you can expect more recipes that include it.  

Ease of Preparation:   

This dish was incredibly simple to make, but we were shocked at how long the rice noodles took to prepare.  The instructions said to soak them in warm water for 45 minutes, but they took even longer since the water got cold.  If your rice noodles require the same preparation, I recommend that you keep the burner on low to keep the water warm.       

Non-vegan friendliness:   

I recommend this dish to anyone looking for an interesting, flavorful meal--that's everyone, I imagine.    

Sun-Dried Tomato and Toasted Walnut Pesto

Several winters ago, my family held an Iron Chef competition at home.  We all made dishes using the secret ingredient--walnuts, if I remember correctly--and judged each dish in a couple categories.  It was a great time.  I made pesto with walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes and did quite well.  So, if you're looking for a winning recipe (pun intended...), read on.

Pesto on Pasta

Recipe:
Sun-Dried Tomato and Toasted Walnut Pesto

• 1 - 8.5 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (or a 1.5 ounce package dry sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted)
• 1.5 loosely packed cups basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
• 5 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin is best)
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• a few sprinkles of black pepper, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

First, remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar (save the oil if you like--it'll have picked up great flavor) and chop coarsely.  Then, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and well-incorporated.  That's it! 

Serve over pasta or as a spread/dip on bread.  Yields about 2 cups.  

Comments:

Taste:      

I love that this pesto is distinctly different than standard basil pesto.  The sun-dried tomatoes and basil come together to create a fresh, almost sweet taste that's balanced out by the nutty, toasty walnuts. 

Accessibility:       

This recipe replaces pine nuts--an ingredient often found in basil pesto--with walnuts, and is, as a result, less expensive to make.  Unfortunately, sun-dried tomatoes can be pricey and difficult to find in some grocery stores. 

Ease of Preparation:   

The food processor does all of the work in this recipe.         

Non-vegan friendliness:   

Vegans and non-vegans alike will love this recipe.  Just ask the judges of Iron Chef: My Family Edition.   

Thai Curried Veggies

If you're looking for a recipe with a lot of produce in it, you've come to the right place.  This recipe for Thai Curried Veggies contains a long list of vegetables--some of which are making their first appearance in this blog.  (Simon doesn't really like cauliflower, but somehow it found its way into this curry!) 

Thai Curried Veggies

Recipe:
Thai Curried Veggies

• 2 - 14 oz cans unsweetened coconut milk (we used "lite" coconut milk)
• Curry paste (This comes in several varieties, including red, green, Massaman, or yellow--listed from most to least spicy.  We used green.  Be sure to look for a brand of curry paste without fish sauce.  The instructions on the container will tell you how much to use.) 
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 - 16 oz package extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 2 yellow potatoes, diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch cauliflower florets
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into long strips
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

First, pour half of one of the cans of coconut milk into a large frying pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook the coconut milk for a few minutes until it begins to smell sweet (about 3 minutes).  Add the curry paste and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often to combine the paste and coconut milk.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.  Then stir in the remaining coconut milk, tofu, potatoes, and cauliflower, reduce the heat, and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the red peppers and cook for 5 more minutes.  Finally, add the basil and cook for an additional minute, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve hot over brown rice.  Yields 4 servings.

Comments:

Taste: 

This dish wasn't one of the best we've made so far.  It didn't have a bad taste, but it also didn't have much taste.  Rachel and Simon both described the meal as "bland," which isn't necessarily what you want your curry to taste like (unless you do!  This could be a good dish to make for a spice-fearing friend.).  I thought the dish had a nice taste, though I did add some crushed red pepper flakes to add spice. 

Accessibility:  

We had no trouble finding any of the ingredients in this dish.  We found vegan curry paste in our local Giant.  You can really use any variety of vegetables available, so it could be a great seasonal dish.  However, this dish did end up being a bit more expensive than others due to all of the fresh ingredients.  

Ease of Preparation: 

This dish was easy to make and didn't take too long.  There is a lot to chop, but the actual cooking was a breeze.  

Non-vegan friendliness: 

Curry is a very non-vegan friendly dish in general.  However, I know many non-vegans who might object to the tofu in this dish, especially since it's not browned and crispy.  It's probably not the best vegan dish to make for a skeptical non-vegan.