Homemade Spinach Linguine with Basil Pesto, Spinach and Roasted Tomatoes

Cooking up a storm seemed appropriate given the weather.  Matt and I decided a rustic, hearty Italian-style dinner was just what we needed.  Homemade bread + pasta + pesto (all vegan!) left the kitchen covered in flour, but the effort was worth it.  Nonna would have been proud.

Homemade Spinach Linguine with Basil Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

Spinach Linguine  (pasta maker required)

serves about 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and pureed

Instructions

Combine the flours, spinach and salt and add water gradually until a nice dough ball forms.  Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes, using your palms and then separate the dough into small tennis-ball size balls.

Follow instructions for pasta machine as instructed.  I found it helpful to flour the dough very well prior to rolling through the machine, as the spinach made the dough very sticky.  Let pasta air-dry for about 15 minutes on a cooling rach (or if your lucky enough to have your own handmade pasta dryer from your father, use that :) ).

To cook pasta: Boil about 5 cups of water on medium heat.  Add a dash of salt.  Place pasta in water and cover and simmer until pasta floats to the top (about 5-8 minutes).  Strain pasta in colander and topwith Basil Pesto, Spinach and Roasted Tomato topping.

Basil Pesto 

makes about 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts (or pine or almonds)
• hefty handful of basil leaves
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but preferred)

Instructions

Combine nuts, basil and garlic in food processor and process until blended.  Slowly add oil, salt, pepper and yeast to taste and texture.

Pesto, Spinach and Roasted Tomato Topping

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Basil Pesto
• 1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved and roasted
• olive oil

Instructions

To roast the tomatoes, place them on a baking sheet and cook on 350 for about 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned and skin is soft.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add pesto, spinach and roasted tomatoes and cook for about 5-7 minutes (just until flavors are blended).  Top pasta with mixture and serve with a Rustic Loaf.

mangia!

Rustic Wild Rice, Barley and Vegetable Soup

This recipe was concocted as a result of not having a plan for dinner.  We all have those nights when we face the fridge, open it up and think, ‘whats can I pull together?’ ….or perhaps you opt for going out on those nights. For me, I love this challenge.  Making due (and good!) with what I have, when its not alot.  So, tonights feat was a rustic, vegetable soup + some added grains.  Whether it became a ‘Clean-out-my-fridge’ solution or a ‘I-have-a-bunch-of-veggies-and-its-cold-outside’ resolution, either way it resulted in an easy and delicious way to warm us up on a winter night.  A slight alternative to the basic vegetable soup, the wild rice adds a nice nutty flavor, while the barley adds a rich, robustness. Both leaving you feeling content and comforted. Now all you need is a good book and a corner on the couch to snuggle.

Ingredients

serves about 6

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 10 medium-length stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup each wild rice and barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large soup pot over medium high heat combine the olive oil, onion, potato, carrots, celery and a few pinches of salt. Saute for about ten minutes or until the onions and celery are soft. Stir in the garlic and add the broth.

Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 10 minutes or until the celery, carrot and potatoes are just cooked through.

Add in the rice and barley and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and serve in soup bowls with rustic whole grain rolls.

mangia!

Pancakes with Cashew Butter and Raspberry Sauce

A surprise visit from Mikey Tocco yesterday… we celebrated our Monday holiday with a delicious pancake feast!

Lemon-Corn Pancakes with Raspberry-Lemon Sauce and Cashew Butter

makes about 12 medium pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 cups soy or almond milk
• zest from 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cornmeal in a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients and sugar.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.

Heat butter in skillet on medium heat and enjoy making the pancakes!

Top pancakes with sauce and cashew butter.

Banana-Berry Pancakes

makes about 8 medium pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup soy or almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 banana, sliced or mashed
• 1/2 cup raspberries, frozen or fresh

Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and combine wet to dry until combined.

Fold in banana and raspberries.

Heat butter in skillet on medium heat and enjoy making the pancakes!

Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or agave
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

In a small saucepan on low heat, combine the arrowroot, berries, syrup and vanilla.  Cook until the moisture is released and the berries are warm and the sauce thickens.  Serve with pancakes.

Cashew Butter

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• dash sea salt
• maple syrup, to taste

Instructions

Process cashews in food processor for about 8-12 minutes, until the cashews start to form a butter texture. You may need to scrap the sides throughout the process. Add salt and maple syrup to taste.  Serve with pancakes.

mangia!

Raw Cherry Chocolate Thumbprints

They literally taste like raw brownie-batter cookies (no pun intended). And so easy and quick! 15 minutes + a food processor is all you need.

Ingredients

makes about 12 cookies

• 1 cup of almonds
• 1/4 cup honey or agave
• dash of sea salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 20 plump, dried cherries, give or take

Instructions

Place almonds in food processor and process until fine. (about 1-2 minutes).  Add the honey and salt and continue to process until the batter starts to ball up. (about 6-8 minutes).  Add the cocoa powder and process until smooth.

Transfer the batter to a small bowl and mold into cookie shape and stick cherries in the middle and top with a cherry.

mangia!

Snowstorm Cupcakes

By snowstorm, I mean get-out-of-school-early-and-come-home-to-bake-while-its snowing-out cupcakes! (or Carrot-Ginger-Coconut-Walnut Cupcakes).  Whatever you prefer to call them, they are the perfect treat to complement the winter weather (and share with your friends).

makes about 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup pineapple juice, or coconut water
• 1/2 cup canola, coconut or safflower oil
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, grated
• 1 and 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, separate
• 1/4 cup crystalized ginger, chopped (optional)

Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tofutti
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla or coconut extract
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (use discretion for texture)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cupcake tin or you can opt to make as a cake (use either 2 8×8 inch round springform cake pans or a 9×13 inch baking pan).

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the juice, oil, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and combine well with a hand mixer or fork.  Fold in the nuts, carrots, ginger and 1 cup of coconut.

Pour batter into cupcake pan and bake for about 20 minutes (if making a cake bake for about 40 minutes).

Meanwhile, while cupcakes are baking, combine the tofutti, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts and coconut milk in a small bowl and blend until fluffy with a hand mixer.  Once cupcakes are cool (I would even put them in the fridge before frosting), frost cupcakes and top with remaining shredded coconut.

mangia!

Maple-Grilled Tempeh with Quinoa and Kale

The marinade is great for anything.  I like to marinate portobello mushrooms or tofu in it or drizzle it on veggies before roasting.  This recipe is for tempeh and delicious served on a bed of quinoa with a green vegetable (broccoli, kale, spinach or a combo).

serves about 2

Ingredients

• 1 package of tempeh, cut into triangles
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped

Marinade

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 clove of garlic, chopped (or garlic salt works too)
• 1 tsp tabasco, hot sauce or cayenne
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water or veggie broth

Instructions

Slice tempeh into small triangle.

Combine all marinade ingredients together and soak tempeh for a good 15-20 minutes.  Heat olive oil in a saute pan and saute tempeh until browned.  Use the remainder of the marinade to coat the broccoli/kale and add to the tempeh in the saute pan.  Cook for just about 3-4 minutes, until veggies are soft (but not overcooked).

Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water (or veggie broth) over medium heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed.  Once quinoa is cooked, add it to the tempeh and veggies mixing all together and serve.

mangia!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

A delicious topping for pizza, pasta or polenta! When I made this, I sautéed polenta circles and topped with roasted red peppers, the pesto and fresh, chopped basil.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash of fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a low boil and simmer until soft (about 15 minutes).  Grind the almonds in a food processor.  Add the tomatoes (and 1/2 cup of the water), garlic, oil, salt,  and pepper and puree.  Stir in the chopped basil.

mangia!

Indian-Spiced Quinoa

Matts kickin off 2011 with a month long of vegan eats.  This was his first attempt at quinoa (a food that doesnt particularly excite him) – but it actually came out really tasty due to the spice cabinet! See what can happen when you add some spice?

serves about 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• 4 generous slices of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 3/4 cups golden raisins
• 1/2 cup pine nut (or peanuts, walnuts or any nut you like)

Instructions

Heat oil and saute ginger and onion until soft in sauce pan or deep saute pan.  Add quinoa and water and let simmer with the top on until all the water is absorbed (takes about 10-12 minutes or so).  Add spices and blend together to taste.  Transfer quinoa into large serving bowl and add raisins and nuts.  You can serve as a side or eat as lunch!

mangia!

Raw Key Lime Bars

A good choice for a summer treat.  They are refreshing, tart and creamy! I am sharing it now because I made Bonbons recently (which is just this recipe covered in Liquid Chocolate Sauce!)

makes about 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups of cashews
• 1 cup of key lime juice
• 1/2 cup agave syrup
• 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
• 1 cup of filtered water, as needed

Instructions

Combine the cashews, lime juice, agave and coconut oil in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, adding the water as needed.  (The mixture should be slightly gooey but malleable).

For Bars: scoop the mixture into a pie dish and freeze for about 1-2 hours.  Cut bars into squares to serve.

For Bonbons: Mold into little balls/patties or whatever shape you like and place on parchment paper.  Freeze for 1-2 hours.  Once the balls are frozen enough, drizzle with the Liquid Chocolate Sauce and put back in freezer until ready to serve.

mangia!

Cashew Cardamom Breakfast Smoothie

Perfect start to any day, even if its not your birthday :)

serves 1 happy person

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 banana
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom or 2-3 pods
• 1/2 cup soy, nut or coconut milk
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup ice, give or take

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in magic bullet or high speed blender and blend until creamy!

mangia!