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Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

December 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I lost my pasta maker. You’re probably wondering, how on earth do you lose a twenty-five pound kitchen appliance? Well, if I knew that, it wouldn’t be lost, right? 😉 Somehow, it didn’t make the one mile move to our new house a year ago—and we didn’t use movers; just us. Apparently, the pasta maker in question ran away with my Chantal soup pot because it’s missing as well. Not sure what kitchen conspiracy happened, but I’m hopeful that someday, both (and whatever else was in the box) turns up. So I don’t recommend making ravioli without a pasta maker, otherwise, the process is a lot harder than it needs to be. The taste however, was well-worth the work. There’s nothing like fresh pasta.

INGREDIENTS:
Pasta Dough:
1/3 C nutritional yeast
2 C flour
1 Tbs olive oil
Dash or two of salt
1/2 to 3/4 C water

The rest:
1-1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 C chopped spinach
1 C vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 jar marinara sauce

Yummy, gluten-free sauce.
In a food processor with the sharp S blade, pulse the nutritional yeast a few times to make a fine powder. Then switch to the plastic dough/bread blade.

Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine. While the machine is running, add olive oil and water to form an elastic-y dough.

Roll out small pieces of dough at a time into a long rectangle. I used a pizza cutter to slice into squares. Place some spinach, 2-3 mushroom slices and a pinch or two of cheese.

I then folded over one side and pinched the edges.

To seal the edges, I used the pizza cutter to the three sides.

I ended up with 18 pretty ugly raviolis that I placed on floured waxed paper, otherwise, if they sit too long, they will stick to the surface and it would be a terrible mess.

I boiled about 3-4 raviolis at a time, then transferred to an oiled, glass dish. Be sure to turn the ravioli once to cook the tops and bottoms—about 1 minute per side.

Brush the tops with olive oil as well. Ladle sauce over individual servings and top with any remaining vegan mozzarella. Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll-ups

October 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is an easy twist on a classic. I’ve seen these done where you place the roll-ups on the side so the cute, frilly side of the noodle faces up, but I could just see things going wrong for me, so if you’re feeling brave, by all means, go for it!

INGREDIENTS:
My go-to tofu ricotta:
1 14-oz firm (or extra firm) tofu, drained and pressed
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 C fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

The rest:
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
18 lasagna noodles
3-1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced very thin
10 mushrooms, sliced very thin
8-0z vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 jar marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure you don’t cook them all the way—it’ll be easier to use them if they’re very al dente. Crumble tofu into a food processor. Add nutritional yeast, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Puree well. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup of vegan mozzarella.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic. Add the zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook just another 2-3 minutes.

Put a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan (I forgot to do this, but its no big deal). Use a spoon or rubber spatula to spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on a lasagna noodle. Next, layer on some spinach, zucchini mixture (only about 8-10 pieces) and a little cheese.

Carefully roll up noodle and place in the pan.

Once all 18 noodles (one of mine was broken, so I have 17) pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

October 19, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Okay, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to make stuffed peppers. We happened to get a TON of green bell peppers from our CSA yesterday:

This is just a third of what we received–the rest went to my 2 other neighbor who share in the CSA with us.

I guarantee you will LOVE these stuffed peppers. I debated on what to put in them, but when it came down to it, I wanted to make them as simple as possible. As the Sixth Grader said,”These are cooked perfectly; they cut like butter!”

INGREDIENTS:
11 small bell peppers, or 6-7 large peppers
1/2 C Arborio rice (risotto)
3/4 C water
1-1/2 tsp Earth Balance margarine
4 C fresh spinach, chopped small
1 large tomato, diced
6 -oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbs dried minced onion
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbs lime juice
1/8 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan combine water, rice, and butter. Bring to a boil, stir, and cover for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Wash the peppers and cut the tops off. Clean out the insides of seeds and other innards.

Combine cream cheese with cooked rice (in the same pan) and blend thoroughly. Since the rice is warm, it’ll make it easier to to blend. Stir in cumin and minced onion. Add spinach and tomatoes and combine well.

Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. You can pack in quite a bit of the rice mixture, just press down with a spoon—pretend you’re stuffing a sleeping bag into its stuff sack. Place in a 8″ square pan.

I had about 3/4 C of left over rice mixture, but if using larger peppers, you can probably squeeze it all into those.

Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. While these are baking, combine sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and garlic salt in a small bowl.

Add a few dollops of the sour cream mixture on top of the pepper servings and enjoy!

Potato-Spinach Bake and Pesto Pizzas

October 17, 2010 by epicureanvegan

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 and Pesto Lasagna

August 13, 2010 by epicureanvegan

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!

Spinach and Tofu Calzones

April 26, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Now that’s a calzone!

I’ve noticed I’ve been making a lot of pasta/Italian dishes like the Stuffed Shells and Lasagna–no reason, really–perhaps the rainy weather is prompting cravings for comfort food…whatever the reason, I’m not complaining.

The spinach part of the recipe makes quite a hog of a calzone, so if you’re not into that, I recommend either halving the spinach/tofu mixture or doubling the dough recipe to make more calzone that can be stored in the fridge or freezer…or make smaller calzones–8 instead of 4. As the recipe stands, you could easily split one between two people. Add your favorite pizza toppings if you wish…I added mushrooms, olives (black, green or both), vegan mozzarella. Try Smart Deli ham with pineapple…you name it. I also warmed up 1/2 a jar of marinara sauce to pour on top–a must!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C cooked, chopped spinach, squeezed dry
4 oz soft silken tofu, drained
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-16oz pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled (I use 14 oz since that’s all I had)
1 Tbs minced fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
Optional: your favorite calzone/pizza toppings like mushrooms, olives, vegan ham, pineapple…
Optional: 1/2-1 C vegan mozzarella
Optional: 1/2 a jar of marinara sauce (Muir Glen Organics only has 4 grams of sugar–much less than my previous favorite–Newman’s Own)

1 recipe Traditional Pizza Dough (below):
1-1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 C warm water
2-1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Pinch of sugar or natural sweetener
1 Tbs olive oil, plus more for spreading

DIRECTIONS:
To make dough: Place yeast in a small bowl. Add 1/4 C of the water and stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. To make the dough in the food processor (like I did), combine the flour, salt, and sugar, pulsing to blend. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture through the feeding tube, along with the olive oil and as much of the remaining 1/2 water (I needed another 1/3 C in addition to the 1/2 C) as necessary to make the dough hold together. To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture, olive oil, and remaining 1/2 C water until well combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl. Spread a small amount of oil on top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Use immediately or store for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator or for 3-4 weeks in the freezer. Make sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic.

(I decided to store it in the fridge for about 45 minutes and it continued to rise…)

Anyway…

To make calzone: Preheat oven to 375. In a blender or food processor, combine the spinach, silken tofu, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth and set aside.

(I recommend having the rest of the ingredients ready to go before proceeding). Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the firm tofu, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring , until any liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach mixture. Taste and adjust the seasonings, the set side to cool.

Punch the dough down and divide it in half (to make 4 calzones, divide into fourths). On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 1/4″ thick circle. Divide the filling equally between the dough circles, leaving a 1″ border around the edge. (This is where I smooshed in fresh mushroom pieces, olives and a bit of vegan mozzarella).

Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling and press down along the edge with your fingers, then seal with a fork.

Place on a lightly oiled pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

If using, heat marinara over the stove and pour a ladle-full over the calzone. Top with a pinch or two of vegan mozzarella and enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegan Planet

Hash Brown Casserole 2

April 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

UPDATE (2/3/14): I’ve made this so many times–it’s a great brunch side dish but I’ve discovered it’s even better to saute the hash browns and onions beforehand. Yes, it makes more work, but I tend to make this up the night before so that I can just toss it in the oven in the morning. I think it’s worth the extra effort 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
1 16-oz bag frozen hash browns
1 C vegan cheddar, shredded
1 C vegan pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 pkg Silken tofu, extra firm, crumbled
1-1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 a large yellow onion, chopped
6-oz Tofutti sour cream
1/2 C soy milk (or any nondairy milk of your choice)
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4-2/3 C bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a 9×13″ baking pan. In a large bowl, combine both cheeses, tofu, onion, sour cream, soy milk, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir in the hash browns and spinach and spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 mins. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake uncovered for another 10-15 mins until slightly browned. Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole 2

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour

No one will ever know this is vegan! This is creamier than version 1 and takes a bit more time, but worth it, especially when even your non-vegan friends and family will love it. I think 1-1/2 C of sliced mushrooms would be a great addition and I'll also add ½ cup of nutritional yeast for a dose of B vitamins. UPDATE (2/3/14): I've made this so many times--it's a great brunch side dish but I've discovered it's even better to saute the hash browns and onions beforehand. Yes, it makes more work, but I tend to make this up the night before so that I can just toss it in the oven in the morning. I think it's worth the extra effort 🙂

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 16-oz bag frozen hash browns
1 C vegan cheddar, shredded
1 C vegan pepper jack cheese, shredded
½ pkg Silken tofu, extra firm, crumbled
1-1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped
½ a large yellow onion, chopped
6-oz Tofutti sour cream
½ C soy milk (or any nondairy milk of your choice)
1 tsp garlic salt
¼-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
¼-2/3 C bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a 9x13" baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine both cheeses, tofu, onion, sour cream, soy milk, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir in the hash browns and spinach and spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 mins.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake uncovered for another 10-15 mins until slightly browned. Enjoy!

Hummus and Kalamata Olive Pizza

March 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Being a vegan, you can say good-bye to pizza. Well…traditional pizza, that is. But…vegans say hello to healthier pizza. I had a similar pizza while in Estes Park, CO when we got away for Spring Break, so here is my version. The Kalamata olives are wonderful on this pizza and the Husband kept sneaking them while I was making this meal, so if they look sparse, it’s his fault! Add some tofu feta if you’d like. Also, I strongly recommend using chopped fresh spinach–if using large leaves and you take a bite, it could be like pulling a tablecloth out from underneath a set of china and having it go horribly wrong. Chop it up.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 tsp yeast
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1-1/2 C hummus
1 C chopped fresh basil
3 C chopped fresh spinach
3/4 C chopped walnuts, toasted
1-6oz jar Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
2 roma tomatoes, diced
Balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Dough:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine flours, yeast, salt and rosemary. Add 1-1/4 C of hot tap water and olive oil. Mix well and shape into a ball. Knead for 5 mins, then let rise in a warm place for 15 mins. Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

Grease a large baking sheet and place dough in it. (I did slice off a small section to make a separate pizza for the 5th Grader, so the one you see on the large pan below is minus that…this makes a good-sized pizza, so making smaller ones would work well). Stick dough several times with a fork and bake for 4 mins.On baked crust, spread hummus first, then layer spinach, basil, olives and tomatoes.

Bake again for 8 mins. Before slicing, add toasted walnuts.

After serving, but before devouring, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Spinach Dip

February 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

A friend shared this recipe with me several years ago and it’s a classic; I make it often for get togethers. I sometimes hollow out a round sourdough loaf to create a bowl and serve in that, but of course, that’s optional. The recipe calls for a leek soup mix, but a vegetable soup mix will work great too.

INGREDIENTS:
1 box (10 oz) chopped frozen spinach (I like Cascadian Farms brand)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1 C Veganaise
1-1.8oz packet dried leek soup mix
Round sourdough loaf (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Thaw spinach. I like Cascadian Farms brand because it comes in a plastic bag inside the box. I snip a corner of the bag off and drain as much liquid as I can out. I then wrap the spinach in a thin cotton napkin and squeeze any remaining liquid out of the spinach. Combine all ingredients, mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then add to the bread bowl, if using. Serve with veggies, bread pieces and crackers. Enjoy!

Spinach Dip

A friend shared this recipe with me several years ago and it's a classic; I make it often for get togethers. I sometimes hollow out a round sourdough loaf to create a bowl and serve in that, but of course, that's optional. The recipe calls for a leek soup mix, but a vegetable soup mix will work great too.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 box (10 oz) chopped frozen spinach (I like Cascadian Farms brand)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1 C Veganaise
1-1.8oz packet dried leek soup mix
Round sourdough loaf (optional)

Directions

Thaw spinach. I like Cascadian Farms brand because it comes in a plastic bag inside the box. I snip a corner of the bag off and drain as much liquid as I can out. I then wrap the spinach in a thin cotton napkin and squeeze any remaining liquid out of the spinach. Combine all ingredients, mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then add to the bread bowl, if using. Serve with veggies, bread pieces and crackers. Enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette and Salad with a Kick

January 26, 2010 by epicureanvegan

So long to boring salads! Between the mustard greens and the Dijon and shallots in the dressing, this salad is anything but tame.

INGREDIENTS:
Vinaigrette:
4 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs shallots, chopped fine
3 tsp Dijon mustard
4 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Salad:
2 large leaves mustard greens, chopped into 1″ pieces
2 large leaves of kale, chopped into 1″ pieces
2 big handfuls of spinach, chopped into bite sized pieces
8 mushrooms, sliced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced (not tiny diced–bite sized)
1 big handful sunflower seeds
2 big handfuls craisins
croutons

DIRECTIONS:
Dressing
Whisk together all ingredients, serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Makes about a 1 cup
Salad
Combine and toss–I’ll bet you know how to make a salad!
Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

Lasagna Roll-ups

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Potato-Spinach Bake and Pesto Pizzas

Spinach and Pesto Lasagna

Spinach and Tofu Calzones

Hash Brown Casserole 2

Hummus and Kalamata Olive Pizza

Spinach Dip

Red Wine Vinaigrette and Salad with a Kick

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