Basil Arugula Pesto with Toasted Pine Nuts

This delicious pesto recipe makes the perfect amount to be tossed with 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb of your favorite pasta. Today I had a 1 lb bag of Trader Joe's penne

Basil Arugula Pesto Recipe

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  3 cups (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves

  1 cup (loosely packed) fresh arugula

  1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

  2 garlic cloves, peeled

  1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

  Juice of 1 small lemon

  1/2 cup nutritional yeast

  2-4 tablespoons water, as needed

DIRECTIONS

Place 1/2 cup oil, basil, arugula, pine nuts, garlic, lemon peel and juice in blender. (My new Vitamix blender makes this process a breeze). Blend to thick paste. Add nutritional yeast, and blend until smooth With motor running, add 2-4 tablespoons water to processor. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil pasta according to package directions. Halve 1 quart of grape tomatoes. Drain pasta and add tomatoes. Gently fold in pesto and combine. YUM.

What made this recipe a BREEZE to throw together was this fantastic bag of pine nuts from Trader Joe's, which are already toasted. Keep them in the freezer for whenever the mood to make fresh pesto strikes...especially popular in the Summer months with gardens full of fresh basil. ^_^

Vegan Parmesan - A Perfect Addition to any Pasta Dish

Photo by Sharon123 @Food.com

Many vegetarians resist making the transition to veganism, finding it hardest to give up CHEESE. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard: "I could totally be vegan... except I could NEVER NOT HAVE CHEEEEESE", which is then usually followed by emphatic nods from everyone within earshot.

Well, fear not, my on-the fence friends! I'll let you in on a secret: Sometimes it's okay just to leave the cheese off.  But, for those times when it's not, you can give this quick and easy recipe a go:

Vegan Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
• 3-4 TBSP Nutritional Yeast (what is this)?
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest, optional

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender, or (clean) coffee grinder, and pulse until almonds turn into tiny crumbs.  That's it!

Keep leftovers in a sealed container in your fridge to have on hand for impromptu pasta nights.  I have to say, this version of grated parmesan comes pretty darn close to that nutty, salty bite that grated parmesan, or other hard cheeses give to a dish of pasta. This recipe is great too, because you can make it in seconds right in you kitchen, instead of shelling out 3 times as much for the pre-made shakers of vegan grated cheese they sell in supermarkets or online.

Photo by Chef Prose @Food.com

Risotto Agli Asparagi e Limone ~ Lemon Garlic & Asparagus Risotto

Today's blog post is inspired by Sapori di Roma, or Flavors of Rome.

In Fall 2012, my parents spent the semester living in Rome, Italy, while my father taught a course for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies global campus.  My birthday happened to fall during their stay, and to commemorate me turning the big 4-0, my mom sent me a care package that would make any cook weep for joy:

Believe me, I am enjoying every bit of these ingredients.  So today, I would like to pay particular attention to the lovely packet in the far right foreground of Risotto. Deliciously creamy arborio rice straight from the mother land, flavored in a packet with bits of garlic and asparagus, aptly labeled: Sapori di Roma

Now, I knew I wanted to incorporate some fresh asparagus into the dish, because even though they were from Italy, the little dehydrated bits of "asparagi" that came in the package looked a bit tired.

I decided I would bust out my Le Creuset grill pan and grill some fresh asparagus. Since we don't eat meat in our house, this doesn't get used that often, so it is nice to give it some "love" every now and again.

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon

1 pound large asparagus, trimmed
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• Preheat the grill to medium.
• In a shallow baking dish, toss the asparagus with the oil to coat. Add the salt, and pepper and toss.
• Place the asparagus on the grill pan in a single layer, and cook, turning every 5 minutes, until marked and tender, about 15 minutes. 
• Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with the lemon juice. 
• Cut into 1 inch bite sized pieces and set aside. 

Now, on to the risotto:

Although I have watched it being prepared many times on countless Food Network shows, I have never actually made risotto.  But seriously, I knew I was ready.  Plus, the Arborio rice straight from the heart of Italy gave me the inspiration to conquer this dish.  So here we go:

Risotto Agli Asparagi e Limone ~ Lemon Garlic & Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, grilled, stalks cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast, or more to taste - or

1/2 cup of home made vegan parmesan (will post my recipe tomorrow)!

Directions:

1.  Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

2.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in another saucepan. 

3.  Cook onion, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 to 7 minutes. 

4.  Add rice, cook, stirring, until edges are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. 

5.  Add wine; cook, stirring, just until evaporated.

6.  Add 1/2 cup hot stock; cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. 

7.  Continue adding 1/2 cup stock in this manner until liquid is creamy and rice is al dente, about 25-30 minutes total (you may not need to add all the stock). 

8.  Add the grilled asparagus with the last addition of stock, reserving about half of the tops for garnish.

9.  Turn off the heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 

10. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Piccolini Pasta With Fresh Veggies

This is the pasta dish I made for Mother's Day, with the help of my niece, Taya. She even chose the pasta shape: mini wagon wheels! I really like how the sauce of this dish turned out, using the diced tomatoes, balsamic and tamari. This recipe will probably lend itself to many different vegetable variations in the future! And, the leftovers tasted even better the next day!!

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta, I used Barilla piccolini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 lb frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 (10 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms (white button or baby bella)
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted is nice if you have them)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans (white beans)
1/2 cup basil leaves (chiffonade or chopped)
salt, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
 
Directions

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2.  In a LARGE saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3.  Add onion slices, and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
4.  Add garlic, mushrooms and italian seasoning and cook another 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.
5.  Next, stir in the peppers and broccoli and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables turn bright and soften. I usually add a little salt here as well.
6.  Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 7-8 minutes.
7.  When the vegetable are just about done to your liking, add the diced tomatoes, balsamic, tamari and cannellini beans and simmer until pasta is ready.
8.  Drain pasta and toss with veggies and sauce, garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper, if using.

My niece and I also made crostini: Baguette toasted in the oven with olive oil and garlic, then topped with grape tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and olive oil!

Quick Vegan Pasta Alla Vodka

Pasta and red sauce can be a quick and easy weeknight meal, but why not try something a bit more interesting.

This version of vegan vodka sauce is so simple to throw together, and lends itself to MANY spice variations, or veggie add-ins!

Pasta alla Vodka - Vegan style

16 ounces whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)

24 ounces tomato sauce
12 1/2 ounces silken tofu
2 ounces almond or soymilk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 ounces vodka or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
 
*If you are using plain tomato puree instead of a sauce, I suggest adding some garlic or garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a few hits of crushed red pepper.
 
1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2.  Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a saucepan over low to low-medium heat.

3.  Blend tofu, soy milk, and nutritional yeast in blender until smooth. Feel free to also add about a tablespoon of olive oil or additional soy milk, until the consistency is like thick alfredo sauce.

4. Add tofu mixture to the saucepan with the marinara sauce. Stir in vodka or vinegar. Add salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like, to taste. Continue to simmer over low heat until pasta is ready.

5. Toss with drained pasta and enjoy!