Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Pesto and Green Olive Pasta Salad January 31, 2011

Filed under: Sides — epicureanvegan @ 9:06 am
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It’s so nice to be back home after two weeks; particularly, back in the kitchen. I escaped the snow to California, now I’m back in it and to add insult to injuries, we’re to have a high of 12 degrees today. Minus 18 is predicted tonight. Yippee. I hate winter. I made this salad for a fund-raising event because it was quick and easy, but now I’m thinking it was really my way of sticking it to Old Man Winter. Who says who can’t have a summery pasta salad during the ugly winter months? Certainly not me. I love to make pasta salads so that they last a few days in fridge, providing a quick snack or lunch when I don’t have a lot of time. I used a 10-oz bag of Garden Time organic, colored/veggie bowtie pasta and another 4-oz of regular bowties. Oh, and did I mention that it’s snowing right now? This means you’ll probably be seeing lots of baked recipes and soup recipes from me in the coming days . . .

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz bowtie pasta

1-1/2 C pesto, jarred or homemade (If using jarred, check the label–they often contain Parmesan and other milk ingredients)

8 green onions, slices (both white and green parts)

2 C halved or quartered cherry tomatoes

1-14oz can green olives, sliced

1/2 to 3/4 C Daiya mozzarella

Salt and pepper, to taste

For some crunch, add some pine nuts or toasted walnuts or almonds

DIRECTIONS:

If not using jarred, make pesto. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine green onions, tomatoes, and olives.

Stir in the cold pasta, pesto, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese and enjoy!

 

Spinach and Mushroom Tarts December 30, 2010

Filed under: Breakfasts,Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:01 pm
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I was inspired by Veggie Test Kitchen’s Mini Pizza Tarts back in November and bought some 4″ tart pans. Well, I finally got around to making some tart pizzas and they were a huge hit! I love that these are so versatile—you can make pizzas, savory or sweet tarts, or even breakfast quiches. I have some leftover dough, so I think I know what I’ll be making for New Year’s Day breakfast. :) The recipe is for about 9-10 tarts, so feel free to halve the recipe, or freeze the leftovers for future, fabulous tarts!

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

3 C flour

1-1/2 C Earth Balance margarine

1/2 C ice water

The rest: (optional)

Sliced mushrooms

Potatoes (I nuked 3 small red potatoes, then diced them up)

Pesto

Tomato, diced

Spinach

Almond feta

Vegan mozzarella, shredded

Olives

Artichokes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. For the dough, place the flour and margarine in a food processor and pulse several times until the dough is crumbly. While the machine is running, pour in the water and combine about 30 seconds until the dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into about 9 equal pieces and roll out thin. I lightly sprayed the tart pans with cooking spray, then line the inside of the pan with the dough.

Press down along the edges to cut the dough and pull away from the pan.

Stick each crust with a fork a few times, then bake for 8-10 minutes. For mine, I spread on some pesto, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, almond feta. The guys added some potatoes and vegan mozzarella to theirs.

Bake for 22-25 minutes and enjoy!

 

Pesto and Almond Feta Pizza December 26, 2010

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 6:45 pm
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After the craziness of the holidays, a quick, easy meal is a welcome reprieve. I usually have homemade pesto in the freezer, so it paired perfectly with the almond feta I made a few days ago. I had one flat bread left and a loaf of French bread which made the perfect pizza “dough.” You’ll love the softness of the cheese and the absence of all grease–this is probably my favorite kind of pizza.

INGREDIENTS: (For 3 pizzas)

3 flat breads or 3/4 of a loaf of French bread

1 C basil pesto

1-1/2 to 2 C almond feta

2-3 tomatoes, diced

1 C black olives, sliced

Shredded vegan mozzarella, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400.  On each piece bread, layer 1/3 C of the pesto, then equally divide the rest of the ingredients among the pizzas.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the feta begins to brown. Enjoy!

 

 

Potato-Spinach Bake and Pesto Pizzas October 17, 2010

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 4:37 pm
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I stared at a bag of small red potatoes, wondering what I should make with them before they go bad (and before getting more tomorrow from our CSA). It’s hard not to think of comfort food when making something with potatoes, so I threw together an easy casserole using stuff just sitting around in the fridge and pantry. I was going to make just regular garlic toast with some pesto butter,  but the Sixth Grader had the idea to make little pesto pizzas and they were amazing!

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 C red and/or russet potatoes, diced

5 C fresh spinach, chopped

8-10 mushrooms, quartered

1-1/4 C Tofutti sour cream

1 C vegan cheddar, divided

1/4 C almond milk (or other nondairy milk)

1-1.8 oz pkg. leek soup mix

2 Field Roast Italian Sausage links, diced (optional)

Pesto/tomato pizzas:

2 round flat breads, each cut into fourths

1/4 C pesto

1/3 C Earth Balance margarine

1 /2 large tomato, thinly sliced

3/4 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

Olive oil

Garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. Add potatoes and cook until somewhat soft, about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime,  combine the sour cream, 1/2 a cup of the cheddar, milk, and the leek soup mix. If using, add the Field Roast to the skillet and cook just a few minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the potato mix, spinach, mushrooms, and sour cream mixture. Pour into a 9×13″ baking dish, cover, and bake for 40 minutes.

Add the rest of the cheese and bake uncovered until cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.

To make the pesto pizzas, preheat broiler on high. Combine pesto and butter in a small bowl.

Brush flat bread with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Spread about a tablespoon of pesto onto flat bread pieces, then some cheese and a tomato slice.

Place under the broiler about 3 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Enjoy!

 

Spinach Fettuccine with Creamy Pesto Sauce September 28, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 6:56 pm
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This is such an easy meal to whip up when you have very little time. I typically keep prepared pesto in the freezer for such times and of course, I still I have the huge block of cashew cheese that is conveniently stored in the freezer as well. Done in less than 25 minutes!

INGREDIENTS:

12-14 oz spinach fettuccine, cooked

1-1/2 Tbs cornstarch

2/3 C non dairy milk (not rice milk–too thin)

1/3 + 1 tsp vegetable broth

1/3 C prepared basil pesto

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cashew cheese, shredded (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in milk and broth. Add pesto and whisk thoroughly. Return to low to medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. I added the 1 teaspoon of broth here to thin out the sauce just a little. Ladle sauce over individual bowls of pasta and top with cashew cheese. Enjoy!

 

Pesto Pizza with Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes August 27, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 5:06 pm
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This is an easy pizza to make and will please even the non vegans–I guarantee. The recipe makes about 6 personal-sized pizzas so I tend to either refrigerate/freeze half the dough for another night, or make up all 6 pizzas for the next day’s lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

2 C flour

1 C whole wheat flour

1 pkg quick-rise dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried rosemary

3/4 C hot tap water, divided

2 Tbs olive oil

The rest:

1-14oz can artichokes, chopped

6-oz jar sun-dried tomatoes, diced

8-oz vegan mozzarella, shredded

1-1/2 C pesto

Optional toppings: mushrooms, olives, spinach, roasted red peppers

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine yeast with 1/4 C of the hot tap water; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, and rosemary. Add yeast and olive oil to the flour mixture and combine, adding the remaining 1/2 C of hot tap water. You may need a little more. Once ingredients are thoroughly combined, place in a large greased bowl and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes. Divide into 6 sections; roll out each section and place on a greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Using a fork, stick each piece of dough several times. Bake for 4 minutes.

Spread each baked crust with a layer of pesto, then top with cheese, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bake 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Spinach and Pesto Lasagna August 13, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 6:18 pm
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Oh, man. Have you ever made it to vegan food nirvana? Well, this lasagna will take you there. Of course, you’ll have to come back, but you can always go back for seconds. It looked so good as I assembled it, I wanted to eat it right then and there. I used my previous pesto recipe as well as my “ricotta” cheese recipe that I use for the stuffed shells and vegetable lasagna. To make things easier, I made those earlier in the day. I also decided to use regular lasagna noodles instead of the no-boil variety, and I was a little weary, but not only were they easy to use, we preferred them over the no-boil ones.  I just cooked them very al dente since they will continue to cook later in the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

3 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine

2 shallots, minced

1/4 C all purpose flour

2-1/2 C almond milk

1/2 C white wine

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbs vegan Parmesan cheese

2 portobellos, diced

“Ricotta Cheese”:

1-14oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 C fresh basil leaves

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/2 to 3/4 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

Pesto:

2-1/2 C fresh basil leaves

1/2 C parsley

1 C pine nuts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 C lemon juice

1/3 C olive oil

3 Tbs vegan Parmesan cheese

The rest:

2-1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

4-5 C baby spinach

12 lasagna noodles

DIRECTIONS:

I recommend making the “ricotta” mixture and pesto earlier. To make pesto, combine the basil leaves, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and process until well combine and smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To make the tofu mixture, combine all ingredients except the mozzarella cheese in a food processor. Process until smooth and then transfer to a bowl. Stir in the cheese and again, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil the noodles until al dente–don’t have to cook them like regular pasta. While these are boiling, start the sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the margarine over medium to high heat. Add the shallots and saute for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the flour and white wine. Add the almond milk and lower heat; cook until it begins to thicken, stirring often. Add salt, portobellos, and Parmesan cheese.

Spread a ladle full of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish.  Make sure you rinse the noodles with water to keep them separated—you may have to do this a few times throughout the process. Layer 3 noodles on the bottom of the pan, on top of the sauce. Next, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the tofu mixture onto each noodle. Do the same with the pesto. Then add a later of spinach, then sprinkle on some cheese.

Top with 3 more noodles and then another 1-2 ladles of sauce on top. Repeat layers 2 more times and then top with remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. For the last 5-7 minutes of baking, you can remove the foil and continue baking in order to melt the cheese on top. Let sit a couple of minutes before slicing up. Next stop: vegan food nirvana.

Enjoy!

 

Vegetable Panini with Pesto May 19, 2010

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 4:53 pm
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This was certainly a learning experience seeing as this is the first time I used my new panini maker. (Try Cuisinart’s Griddler –it was only $50 at Bed Bath & Beyond–and be sure to use their 20% off coupons to save even more–thought it was good deal and I really like this panini maker). So here’s my tip (which you probably can already guess…) slice everything super-duper thin, otherwise, you’ll have way too much spillage (see my pic). Live and learn. Anyway, I can’t wait to try out other ingredients–even a dessert variety! (Stay tuned). . .

INGREDIENTS:

1 large loaf of ciabatta bread will give you about 4 sandwiches:

But try flat bread, or any other kind of thick bread you want

Remember . . . slice very thin:

Red bell pepper

Roasted red peppers

Avocado

Mushrooms

Red onion

Tomato

Vegan mozzarella

Other stuff:

Basil pesto, jarred or homemade

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly brush the outside of each slice of bread with the oil. Pile on the veggies in an order that makes sense to you then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add the salt and pepper. On the other slice of bread, spread on the pesto and then top the sandwich with it. Place in the panini maker and press down. Obviously, you can easily make these sandwiches on the stove or even on the grill–just don’t overload them with stuff—they’ll be too hard to flip over.

Other combinations:

Portobello mushrooms with vegan mozzarella, pesto and roasted red peppers

Roasted zucchini with pesto, roasted red peppers and muchrooms

Smart Deli Turkey with vegan cheese, horseradish, tomato and avocado

The ideas are pretty endless—you can’t go wrong with your favorite ingredients!

Great served with sweet potato fries:

 

Bowties with Homemade Lemony-Basil Pesto May 2, 2010

Filed under: Dinners,Dressings/Condiments — epicureanvegan @ 6:45 pm
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I love pesto–just not how oily the jarred variety can be. I wanted to create my own version with my favorite ingredients and with less oil. This pesto has a fresh, earthy taste that is nothing like the jarred stuff! If you want a little more oil, I suggest swirling the pasta in some olive oil before mixing in the pesto. This recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups and a little goes a long way, so a great way to store it, is freezing it in ice cube trays and using only one cube at a time. This would also be great for cold pasta salads.

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 C fresh basil leaves

1/2 C parsley

1 C pine nuts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8-1/4 C lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want it)

1/3 C olive oil

3 Tbs vegan Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil and puree for about a minute. Add the pine nuts and process for another 30-45 seconds, then add the Parmesan cheese and process again to blend well. I sauteed some mushrooms and mixed in about a tablespoon of pesto with single servings of the pasta/mushroom mixture. Delicious!

 

Pesto Potato Bread January 21, 2010

Filed under: Breads — epicureanvegan @ 10:08 pm
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I can’t tell you how much I LOVE this bread. I’ve made it several times now and it goes great with pasta, soups–pretty much anything, even just for a snack. It smells wonderful, too as it bakes. I’ve never been very good at making yeast breads, but this one always turns out, however, adequate warmth for the bread to rise is crucial. The best place is on the stove top of your oven with your oven on warm. For me, that doesn’t work because my oven is mounted in the wall with the microwave mounted above it. I have found that if my dishwasher happens to be running, the counter top above it gets nice and warm, too. I settled for a sunny spot on the kitchen table.  I also took lots of pictures of the process…and please note, this recipe makes 2 of these beautiful loaves!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C plain soy milk
1 C leftover mashed potatoes
3 Tbs pesto (I used Classico brand)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 C warm water
4 C all-purpose flour (or you can use bread flour), or more if needed

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, heat the soy milk until hot but not boiling. Stir in potatoes, pesto, oil, salt and sugar, stirring until well mixed.

(Soy milk mixture and yeast mixture)

Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water, stirring to dissolve the yeast. Let the mixture stand for 10 mins then stir it into the potato mixture. Add about 1/2 of the flour, stirring to combine. Work in the remaining flour to form a soft dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface.

Add up to 1/2 C of additional flour, if needed.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 mins, using additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

Place the dough in a large (use a pretty large bowl) lightly oiled, turning the dough to coat with oil.

Cover w/plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Test dough by poking it with your finger. It is ready if the indentation from your finger remains.

(After first rising)

Lightly oil a large baking sheet and set it aside. Punch down the dough and turn it out into a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 mins. Divide the dough in half (use a sharp knife), shape into two round loaves and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Cover again with clean plastic wrap or dish towel and let rise for another 45-60 mins.

(After 2nd rising)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover dough and use a sharp knife to cut 1 diagonal slash in the top of each loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 mins. (I think they came out perfect at about 22-23 mins, but every oven is different). The bread is done if it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. (I didn’t do this–seemed a bit too much to do to a piping hot loaf of bread). Cool on a wire rack for 30 mins before slicing. (I waited about 15-20 mins and it was so yummy warm)!

Recipe source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

 

 
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