Curried penne with cauliflower and peas

A very flavorful and unlikely mix of ingredients that combined to become something so substantially good. Another great recipe from the Family Health Cookbook.

Curried penne with cauliflower and peas (modified by me)

1/2 cup dried currants

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1/4 cup grated soy parmesan

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cups cauliflower florets

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup vegetable broth

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 cup frozen green peas

3/4 pound penne pasta

1 10-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

In a small bowl, soak the currants in the wine, about 30 minutes. In a small dry skillet, toast the bread crumbs and pine nuts over medium heat until golden and fragrant, 2-4 minutes, then spoon immediately into a small bowl. Let cool, then toss with the soy parmesan and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the cauliflower, stirring over medium-high heat, until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the curry, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the currants and soaking liquid, tomato sauce, veggie broth, and pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and simmer for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain well.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, chickpeas, and the breadcrumb mixture. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Mocha chocolate cake

This cake follows a similar treatment as chocolate pudding cake – you spread batter into your pan and then pour hot water over the top and bake. Only the liquid this time is not water, but coffee. But viva la difference – the gooey pudding that evolves on the bottom of this cake is a little piece of heaven on earth. A little soy whipped cream on top didn’t hurt, either.

Mocha chocolate cake (from Tasty Kitchen) – adapted to be nondairy

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 square unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons margarine

1/2 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar (additional)

4 tablespoons powdered cocoa (not drink mix)

1 cup cold strong coffee

Sift together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Melt square of unsweetened chocolate and margarine in microwave. Add to dry ingredients alternately with the almond milk and vanilla. Blend. Pour into a greased 8×8 pan.

Combine brown sugar, the 1/2 cup additional granulated sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the cake batter. Pour the one cup cold coffee on top. It will look terrible. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Serve warm with soy whipped cream or soy ice cream. Serves 8.

Vibrant tasty green beans

Simple ingredients, easy to make, big on flavor! A great dish to use some of the summer’s bounties.

Vibrant tasty green beans (from 101 Cookbooks)

4 leeks, washed, root end and tops trimmed, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then chopped into 1/2″ segments

1/3 cup fresh dill, well chopped

3/4 lb. green beans, tops and tails trimmed and cut into 1″ segments

extra virgin olive oil

fine grain sea salt

In a large thick-bottomed skillet on medium-high heat, add a generous splash of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and the leeks. Stir until the leeks are coated and glossy. Cook, stirring regularly until a lot of the leeks are golden and crispy. Takes about 7 – 10 minutes to brown the leeks. At this point, stir in the dill, and then stir in the green beans. Cook for a couple more minutes – just until the beans brighten up and lose their raw bite. Turn out into a bowl and serve immediately. Serves 4, in our house.

Roasted eggplant pesto

Love at first sight, and first bite. I schmeared this on grilled chicken sausages, mixed it within a pasta salad, spread it on a pita cracker, and ate it alone by the spoonful.

Roasted eggplant pesto (from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

1 large eggplant

1/4 cup whole almonds

2 (or 3) sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)

2 cloves garlic

2 cups basil leaves, lightly packed

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim off and discard stem end of eggplant, and cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Pierce the backs of the eggplant with a fork in a few places. Bake until completely soft and somewhat collapsed, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. You can do this ahead of time and store in the fridge til ready to use.

At least 2 hours before using, place almonds in a bowl and cover completely with water. Allow to soak at room temperature. Drain water before using.

Just before serving: put the almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic into a food processor and pulse to chop. Peel the eggplant and add it, the basil, and the nutritional yeast to the processor and process to a coarse puree. Add salt to taste and pulse to blend. Serve. Store in a covered container, if there’s any left.

Summer bowties

When it’s too hot to cook, this dish is the perfect answer. Fresh summery ingredients, clean tasting.

Summer bowties (from the Family Health Cookbook)(adapted by me to be nondairy)

1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes

6 ounces soy mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

1/3 cup slivered fresh basil

1/2 cup vegetable broth

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1 pound bow-tie pasta

Stem the tomatoes and cut them in half over a large mixing bowl to catch the juices. Place the tomatoes in the bowl. Add the cheese, basil, broth, vinegar, oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Stir to mix, then let stand at least 15 minutes (up to an hour) at room temperature.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the cooking pot. Add the sauce and toss. Cover the pot and let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Kitchen closed

But only temporarily. Will re-open shortly!

Avocado sandwich

Pure and unadulterated comfort food. Nothing fancy here, just a family recipe from my friend Shannon, whose grandmother used to make this for her. I added some red bell pepper and arugula (had some in the fridge), but any enhancements, or none, would probably work just fine.

Avocado sandwich

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

a dab of mayonnaise

salt and pepper

Mash the eggs and avocado together to get a blended consistency. Add a dab of mayonnaise, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on your favorite bread. Makes 3 sandwiches. Would also make a nice omelet filling, baked potato topping, tasty little side dish, explore…

Petit pois a la francaise

Such a surprisingly tasty side. Simple preparation. From my friend Amy.

Petit pois a la francaise

2 shallots, sliced

1 tablespoon margarine (or butter)

1 head lettuce (can use romaine; or buttercrunch – experiment), roughly chopped

6 cups spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1/4 cup chicken broth (or veggie)

2 cups fresh shelled peas; or frozen peas, slightly defrosted

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon (or more) chopped fresh mint

In a large skillet, melt the margarine and saute the shallots until soft.

Add the lettuce and spinach. Saute until almost wilted.

Add the broth and peas, then slam on the cover. Cook until the peas are just tender – 2 minutes for fresh, 1 minute for frozen.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and the chopped mint. Stir well and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken and strawberries over mixed greens

Too hot to cook, uh-huh. This easy to make recipe will come together very quickly by buying already cooked chicken (any kind – roasted, grilled, your choice; and either white or dark meat works). A very refreshing yet filling meal, and good for ya, too.

Chicken and strawberries over mixed greens (from Cooking Light)

2 cups chopped roasted skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)

2 cups quartered strawberries

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons golden raisins

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups gourmet salad greens

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine sesame seeds and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over the chicken mixture, toss well to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Serve over salad greens. Makes 4 servings.

S’more tart

How good was this? Think Girl Scout camp, sticking a gooey roasted marshmallow in between two graham crackers layered with chocolate bars, then multiply the deliciousness by infinity. Nothing like homemade marshmallow – this was my first crack at it, and it was well worth the effort. I especially had fun licking out the bowl. This dessert is a new fav.

S’more tart (from Couldn’t Be Parve blog)

crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons margarine, melted

ganache:

1 cup (8 oz) unsweetened coconut milk, well mixed

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

topping:

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin

6 tablespoons cold water

10 tablespoons corn syrup

pinch of salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure to get all the way to the top of the pan. Mix all crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 7-10  minutes, or until lightly browned. Place in the fridge while preparing the ganache.

Place chocolate in a large bowl. Heat coconut milk until just boiling. Pour hot coconut milk over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently until completely smooth. Pour into the prepared crust and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

To make the marshmallow topping: combine the first three ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended and smooth. Set aside.

Combine second quantity of water, corn syrup, salt and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, do not stir. Let is cook for another 3 minutes, then remove pan from heat and carefully stir in gelatin mixture.

Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting at medium speed, gradually increase the mixer speed to high. While the mixture is beating, remove the tart with the ganache from the fridge. Beat mixture for 10-12 minutes. When done it should look white and fluffy and the bowl will no longer be hot to the touch.

Using a wet spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan on top of the ganache. spread into a smooth even layer. Set tart aside, uncovered, at room temperature, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

If desired, toast the top of the tart with a kitchen torch or broiler. (I would recommend the kitchen torch – I used the broiler and found the some of my marshmallow and ganache had gotten kind of gooey underneath, even to the point of drippy).