Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Homemade Gluten-Free Ravioli April 1, 2013

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 3:36 pm
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Nothing says Easter like ravioli, right? Well, if you’re vegan and some of your dinner guests can’t eat gluten, then yes, raviolis are an ideal Easter meal—or for any occasion, actually. In all of the excitement, I didn’t get a good picture of the finished product with the amazing garlic-butter-walnut sauce, but I did get one with some regular raviolis that I made as well.

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In addition to the raviolis, one guest brought some delicious vegan horseradish mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans and another guest brought this incredible corn and avocado salad.  So, I was living on the edge when I decided to not do a test run on the gluten-free dough before the big day. Luckily, it turned out ok, but not before having a slight meltdown when the GF dough wouldn’t fully cooperate with me. First off, don’t try using your pasta maker; the dough will fall apart. You’re better off using a rolling pin and lots of GF flour to roll it out. Believe me, it’s doable and worth the extra effort; just be patient. I also recommend using a ravioli plate like this one—and that goes for any type of raviolis—it just makes life easier. For the filling, I made two: pureed beet/cashew and tofu ricotta with spinach and mushrooms. Make it easy on yourself and prepare these fillings ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. If I was unable to eat gluten, I would miss homemade pasta, especially raviolis, so I’d be making these all the time. Our GF guests loved them and happily took the few leftovers home with them. My friend Kerrie gave me a conversion for GF flour and regular flour a while back and uses it for most things, so I thought I’d give it a whirl for pasta. Basically, for every 1 cup of regular flour, use 7/8 C of rice flour and 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum—worked like a charm.

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

1-3/4 C white rice flour

7/8 C brown rice flour

3 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1 C warm almond milk

2 Tbs olive oil

Spinach-Tofu-Mushroom Filling:

14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 C nutritional yeast

2 Tbs lemon juice

3 C fresh spinach, chopped

3 mushrooms, diced small

Beet/Cashew filling: see link above

Garlic-Butter-Walnut sauce: (I was feeding a crowd, so for 3-4 people, you may want to halve the sauce recipe)

1-1/2 C walnuts, chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1-1/2 C Earth Balance margarine, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS:

To make the spinach filling, puree the first 9 ingredients in food processor. Set aside, or refrigerate until ready to use. The beet filling will take just over an hour to prepare, so keep that in mind if using that one. (click on link above to see instructions).

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To make the dough, combine both rice flours, xanthan gum, and salt in a bowl of a stand mixer. On medium speed, slowly add the oil, then the warm almond milk. When it’s fully incorporated, form it into a ball and refrigerate if not using right away. The dough will probably work better if it’s room temperature.

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On a constantly-floured surface, roll out the sections of the dough into long pieces, big enough for your ravioli plate. I wouldn’t bother using the plastic mold part, as it will easily break through the dough. Gently use your fingers to create a small dip where the filling will go. Fill each dip with about a teaspoon of the filling. If using the spinach one, place a few pieces of mushroom on top of the filling. Roll out another long piece of dough and place it carefully over the top of the filling and gently press down. You can use the rolling pin to then finish the process. (This is a great YouTube video showing how to use the plate). Here’s a pic of the regular dough with the fillings:

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I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out. A couple of them had some a filling peeking out, but they still cooked up great.

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Let them sit for 20 minutes. While this is happening, prepare the sauce. In a medium, dry saucepan, add the walnuts and brown them over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the Earth Balance. Stir over low to medium heat until the butter is melted and reduce the heat to low.  To cook the raviolis, boil them, about 4-6 at a time, for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface. I usually give them a minute more, just to make sure they’re heated though.

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I’m happy to tell you that none of them fell apart and they were delicious. The regular ones seemed to taste a little sweeter, but otherwise, they tasted very much like regular raviolis! Top them with a ladle of the garlic sauce and enjoy!

 

Hot and Sour Soup December 20, 2012

Filed under: Soups — epicureanvegan @ 1:57 pm
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I have always wanted to try making hot and sour soup at home. Typically, Asian restaurants use a chicken or beef-based broth in their soups, so I usually have to pass on it. I found a recipe in Color Me Vegan, but I made some alterations to it. We loved the results! I went easy on the hot part, so feel free to spice it up more if you’d like.

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 oz dried mushroom variety such as shiitake, oyster, porcini, boletus and woodear

3/4 oz dried exotic mushrooms

14-oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into cubes

7 Tbs tamari or soy sauce, divided

1 Tbs canola oil

6 C vegetable broth

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 C rice vinegar

1/4 C arrowroot

1 can bamboo shoots, sliced into thin strips

2-3 tsp chili sesame oil

4 green onions, sliced

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dried mushroom variety mix

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dried exotic mushroom mix

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3 packets of dried mushrooms

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for about an hour. Drain, but reserve the liquid (approx. 2 cups). Then cut/slice the mushrooms.

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Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil and coat with canola oil. You don’t have to use foil, but I find stuff still sticks to the pan regardless. Place the tofu on the baking sheet and drizzle with 4 Tbs of the tamari.

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Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the pieces. I’m sorry to say, there really isn’t an easy way to do this other than one by one . . . bake another 8-10 minutes.

DSC07107(These may look pretty scorched, but it’s actually just the baked-on tamari)

In a large soup pot, bring the broth to a boil, then add the mushrooms. Let simmer or med/low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and black pepper. In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot, rice vinegar, and 3 Tbs of the tamari. Whisk well to thoroughly combine. Stir into the soup and bring it to a boil.

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Add the bamboo shoots, tofu, and chili sesame oil; cook for 5 minutes. You may want to thin out the soup a little, so add some of the reserved mushroom water. I had two cups and ended up using it all–it just depends on how thick you want the soup. Top each individual serving with some green onions and enjoy!

 

Vegan Sweet Potato and Ricotta Ravioli with a Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce November 20, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 11:14 am
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I’m very proud of this meal. And it was certainly a labor of love. Three hours of labor, to be exact. (Although that includes the Caesar salad I had to make). Luckily, many of the steps involved can be made way ahead of time and kept in the fridge, making assembly and cooking time a breeze. It may have taken a while to make, but it was nothing compared to my first attempt at raviolis. I got wise and bought a ravioli mold that made the process so much easier!! (Check out this great YouTube video on how to use it). I threw together a butter-garlic cream sauce which looks pretty weird, as you can see, but I promise you, it tastes better than it looks. After using the ravioli mold, I’m excited to try other types of ravioli—it’s less daunting now that I’ve got the right tools. The sweet potato and tofu ricotta are an excellent combo! You can also try my soy-free version. I made enough dough and filling to feed an army; I easily could have made a 100 raviolis. The leftovers are perfect for freezing and saving for another meal. Feel free to half the recipes for the dough, fillings, and sauce to make about 50 raviolis. (One serving is 10-12 raviolis). Even though there are several steps to this meal, they’re very simple and there’s nothing like fresh pasta!

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

2 C flour

2 C semolina flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbs olive oil

1-1/2 to 2 C water

Sweet Potato Filling

2 sweet potatoes

3 large green onion, minced

2 Tbs almond milk

Salt and pepper

Ricotta Filling

14-oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 C Earth Balance

3 Tbs flour

3/4 C to 1 C almond milk

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. I cooked them in the microwave to save some time—only took 10 minutes. Scoop out the potato and mash it with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the almond milk and combine well. Add the green onion, salt, and pepper; set aside. To make the ricotta, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth; set aside. To make the dough, combine the flours and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a food processor too). While the mixer is running, slowly add the oil, then water until you reach a somewhat damp (but not too sticky) dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes. I used my pasta maker to roll out flat sheets. You can easily use a rolling pin instead. Lay a sheet of dough over the metal portion of the mold. Place the plastic mold on top and press gently, creating pockets for the filling. Place about a teaspoon of each filling into each pocket.

Place another sheet of dough on top and press down, sealing the edges and flattening the top. Using a rolling pin, roll over the top to create the raviolis. (Again, check out the You Tube video at the beginning of the post to see this magic happen).

So much better than trying to make by hand! The mold was worth the $20 I paid for it. Let the raviolis sit for about 20 minutes. To make the sauce, combine the garlic and butter in a small saucepan and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Slowly whisk in the almond milk, using enough to reach a semi-thick consistency; keep warm.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a spatula, I placed 12 raviolis at a time, into the pot. Boil for 5-7 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a colander.

Repeat the process until they’re all cooked. (For the last dozen, instead of removing with the slotted spoon, I placed the colander in the sink and poured the remaining raviolis and boiling water into the colander. That way, the other raviolis that cooled off could be somewhat reheated).

Drizzle a ladle of sauce over a serving of the raviolis and enjoy!

 

Baked Tofu Tacos August 22, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:43 am
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This was a delicious experiment. The Eighth Grader suggested these tacos, so why not? Tofu’s the chameleon of plant-based foods. I had bought some seasoning mix from Savory Spice Shop   that we thought sounded interesting, and decided to try it out on these tacos.

I think it works best to try to marinate the tofu in the seasoning for a few hours. (These tacos tasted even better the next day).

INGREDIENTS:

16-20 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

2 Tbs Seasoning mix of your choice, divided

2-4 Tbs Olive oil, divded

1 onion, sliced

Taco shells

Lettuce, chopped

Tomatoes, chopped

Salsa

Avocado

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the tofu into little slabs . . .

Line a baking sheet (preferably with sides to catch the oil) with foil. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with about 1 to 1-1/2 Tbs of olive oil. Brush the foil with a little of the mixture, then line the pan with the tofu. Brush the tops and sides of the tofu with the olive oil mix. If you can cover and leave the tofu for an hour or two, that would be great. You can also combine the the 2 Tbs of the mixture and olive oil in a bag or dish with the tofu and marinate it that way.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake the tofu for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Turn the tofu slices and brush the remaining seasoning/oil mix on the other side. Bake another 15 minutes or so, again, until the edges begin to brown.

While the tofu is baking, saute the onion slices in a little olive oil over medium heat.

Once baked, cut each slice in half, longways.

I transferred the tofu to the onion pan.

Scoop into some taco shells, add a slice or two of avocado, some lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. Enjoy!

 

Tofu “Egg” Salad January 25, 2012

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 9:54 am
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This recipe is from Big Vegan. And it is big. It has over 350 recipes, most of which look and sound fantastic. When it comes to lunch, I seem to struggle finding something besides a mixed greens salad, or leftover pasta. And frankly, I’m not wild about leftovers anyway. So this I can get in to! This “egg” salad (I hate putting things in quotes, but egg salad is what this salad resembles) needs to be prepared ahead of time, so I recommend making it the night before or early in the morning–you’ll need some time. But it’s worth it. I served it on toasted bread with lettuce and avocado. The recipe calls for 12 ounces of firm tofu, but I recommend using 14-16 ounces because the recipe makes quite a bit of sauce—great for a few lunches.

INGREDIENTS:

12-16 oz firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 Tbs olive oil, plus 1/8 to 1/4 C

Salt

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 C fresh parsley

12 oz silken tofu

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 Tbs Dijon mustard (I used just 2 tsp and I think it came out perfect–depends on how much you like mustard)

1 tsp dried basil

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 large green onions, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

1/4 C sunflower seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. Crumble the tofu into a bowl and combine with the celery salt, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper. Lightly oil a baking sheet (I used foil and oiled that). Layer the tofu on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then use a spatula to turn the tofu. “Turning” crumbled tofu is about as easy as giving a cat a bath. Just move it around so it doesn’t stick and burn. Bake another 10 minutes.

While the tofu is baking, however, start on the sauce. In a food processor or blender, mince the parsley, then add the silken tofu. Process until smooth, then add the basil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt; combine well. While the machine is running, add the remaining oil. The recipe calls for a 1/4 cup, but I reduced it to an 1/8 cup.

While the tofu is cooling (which should only take about 10 minutes or so), you can chop up the veggies and toast the sunflower seeds. Combine the sauce, carrots, green onion, celery, and tofu in a large bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Enjoy on bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, or on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

 

Home-Made Ravioli October 17, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 8:14 am
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I bought a pasta maker many years ago and used it a few times. Then, two years ago, when we moved, I couldn’t find the damn thing. Even though it was something I hardly used, I was determined to find it. But I couldn’t. I figured it had run off with my white Chantel soup pot because it too, was missing. So last December, I was digging around in the laundry room for something else entirely, when I opened a bin that was supposed to contain miscellaneous crap. Well, there it was. Along with soup pot. I let out a celebratory yelp and the Husband rushed in, wondering what my deal was. When I showed him that I finally captured the elusive kitchen appliance, I assumed he’d be as excited as I was and happy that I’d quit lamenting over losing the thing. But he didn’t seem too thrilled.  He left the room and returned with a wrapped box, about the same size of the box I held in my hands. “I’ll take this one back tomorrow,” he mumbled. He had gotten me a new pasta maker to replace the one I “lost.” He was really happy that I found it, but then he had to come up with something else to give me for Christmas.

So jump to October 2011, nearly a year later. It was the first time I used that stupid pasta maker since finding it. I know, it’s terrible . . . the Husband wasn’t even home to enjoy these raviolis! But now that I have some practice, I’ll make more of an effort to use it because there’s nothing like fresh pasta. Making fresh pasta, however, isn’t always easy, especially raviolis—it will take some trial and error to get these right. Regardless of their less-than-pretty appearance, they were delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

1 C flour

1 C semolina flour

Dash of salt

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 to 3/4 C water

Filling: (I used my go-to ricotta cheese recipe)

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

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 C fresh basil

2 Tbs fresh rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/2 C Daiya mozzarella shreds

The rest:

1 jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Using a food processor with the sharp blade, pulse the flours and salt together. While the machine is running, add the oil and water. The dough shouldn’t be sticky.

Knead the dough using some all purpose flour. Using small pieces of dough, feed it into the pasta maker—the widest setting, then one notch thinner, then a third time on the next thinner notch. The Seventh Grader and I didn’t quite figure this method out until halfway through, but oh well, we had fun experimenting. His job was to cut the rolled out dough into squares.

Place the squares on a cookie sheet or cutting board to dry a little—about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all the filling ingredients, except the mozzarella, in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese. Place a small scoop, about a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each ravioli square.

There are other ways of doing this. I think it’s better to NOT cut squares first, but to have a long piece of rolled out dough, place the filling dollops in a line and fold over the dough, then cut using a pastry wheel to seal the edges.

I finally got smart and used the pastry wheel to seal the edges instead of a using a fork, but accumulated an unusable pile of dough shrapnel.

Anyway, we ended up with pretty ghetto ravioli.

In batches of 5-6, add them to boiling water and cook for about 2-3 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon. Top with warm spaghetti sauce and enjoy!

 

Mushroom & Spinach Manicotti September 22, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 1:05 pm
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It’s hard not to please the family with this simple, flavorful dish. Many people think that vegans can’t enjoy Italian food because the cheese factor, but in reality, it’s so simple to veganize. I use my go-to ricotta cheese recipe and Daiya cheese is really delicious, so there’s not reason herbivores can’t indulge in their favorite pasta dishes!

INGREDIENTS:

12-13 manicotti shells

1 jar marinara sauce

1-1/2 C sliced mushrooms

2 C chopped fresh spinach

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 C diced onion

1/2 C Daiya mozzarella

Tofu Ricotta:

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

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 C fresh basil

2 Tbs fresh rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the pasta until just al dente—it will cook more in the sauce while in the oven. Meanwhile, combine all of the ricotta ingredients in a food processor and blend well. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic and add the onion. Cook under tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.

Combine the tofu mixture and the mushroom mixture in a medium bowl. Stir in the spinach.

Pour about a half the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13″ pan; spread evenly. Using your hands or a spoon, stuff each manicotti shell and place in pan. Cover with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5-7 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 

Vegan Mushroom-Onion Quiche September 2, 2011

Filed under: Breakfasts — epicureanvegan @ 9:19 am
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Yes, you can make a quiche without eggs. Which also means it comes without cholesterol and bird embryos. Ok, I won’t get all crazy-vegan on my non-vegan readers . . . :) But have you seen Forks Over Knives yet? We watched it last night. Please watch it—I guarantee you will come away from it wanting to make positive changes in yours and your kids’ diet.

So onto the quiche . . . I got the recipe from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. This is so simple to make and tastes rich and creamy. You can also use regular firm tofu for a more scrambly-egg texture–just don’t blend as smooth.  The cookbook offers several variations such as adding spinach, broccoli, or vegetarian bacon bits. I went with the mushroom quiche.

INGREDIENTS:

1 prepared 10″ pie crust

3 C (2 12-oz pkgs) firm silken tofu, mashed

3/4 C plain non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

1/2 C flour (any kind; I used brown rice flour)

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp white pepper

1 Tbs olive or organic canola or safflower oil (I used olive oil)

1-1/2 C finely chopped onions

2 C sliced mushrooms

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400. Bake the pie crust for 10-12 minutes; let cool. (Mine was done at 8 minutes, so check often). Reduce oven temperature to 350.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions; cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they soften. Add the mushrooms and cook another few minutes.

In the meantime, combine the tofu, milk, flour, nutritional yeast, salt, nutmeg, turmeric, and pepper in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. You’ll probably need to scrapes the sides once or twice and continuing blending.

Pour into a large bowl and stir in the mushrooms and onions. Pour mixture into the prebaked crust. I accidentally picked up a 9″ pie crust, so I poured the extra batter into two ramekins.

Remember, make sure you reduce the heat on the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top will be firm, browned, and slightly puffed up. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

 

Vegan Brie August 2, 2011

Filed under: Appetizers,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 11:11 am
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This recipe is from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. I was intrigued. I’ve tried lots of other recipes from this cookbook and many have been outstanding, but there have been a few that just didn’t do it for me. I was nervous about this one. Surprisingly, however, it’s pretty delicious. I wouldn’t say it’s like brie; both with consistency and taste, but it does taste very good. The recipe doesn’t mention this, but I highly recommending briefly warming this cheeze in the oven or microwave. It only takes about 10 seconds in the microwave. It seems to taste better when it’s a bit melty. I also think this would be really tasty with some warm fruit compote over the top, such as warmed raspberries and blueberries. The possibilities are pretty endless!

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Tbs wheat germ, or 1/3 C toasted sliced almonds

1-1/2 C water

3 Tbs agar flakes, or 1 Tbs agar powder

1/2 C chopped raw cashews

1/2 C silken tofu

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1/4 C lemon juice

2 Tbs tahini

1-1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground dill seed or ground coriander (I used the coriander)

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly oil a 2-1/2 cup round mold. I used a Pyrex bowl, but you can also use a pie plate or cake pan. Dust the bottom of the bowl with either the wheat germ or toasted almond slices. I used the wheat germ; set aside. Combine the water and agar flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until dissolved. Transfer to a blender and add the rest of the ingredients; blend until very smooth. Pour it into the prepared mold.

Place it uncovered in the refrigerator until it cools completely. Then cover it with a lid and let it chill for several hours, or overnight. To serve, I used a sharp knife to go around the edge—mostly to just break the suction. Turn it over and it will slide right out of the bowl.

Cut it into wedges and serve with crackers. Like I said before, I recommend serving it warm; I think it taste much better that way. It will keep for 5-7 days. I don’t see why it can’t be wrapped up and frozen, too.

Enjoy!

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Field Roast, Ricotta & Spinach August 1, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 6:29 pm
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I love stuffed pasta shells, but I don’t always love filling up with carbs and wheat from the pasta. This is a fabulous and healthy alternative, which the family raved about. My hegans agreed that these were the best stuffed peppers I made. You can check out the other recipes here.  I used my go-to ricotta recipe, as well as The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook’s Parmezano Sprinkles–both very easy to whip up.

INGREDIENTS:

My go-to ricotta:

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

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 C fresh basil

2 Tbs fresh rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 C Daiya mozzarella

Parmezano Sprinkles:

1/2 C blanched almonds

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

1-2 tsp light miso

1/4 tsp salt

The peppers:

4 bell peppers, washed, tops removed and innards cleaned out

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 C onion, diced

2 Field Roast sausages, Italian flavor

2 C mushrooms, diced

4 C fresh spinach, chopped

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

To make the ricotta, crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the Daiya) and blend until somewhat smooth. You don’t want it too smooth. Stir in the cheese.

To make the parmezano sprinkles, grind the blanched almonds to a fine consistency. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, and salt. Combine well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. When you get read to use it, give the container a shake to loosen it all.

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions and cook until they just begin to get tender. Using your fingers, crumble up the Field Roast sausages and add to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften. Stir in the spinach and cook 5 minutes, or until the spinach cooks down a fair bit.

Remove from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain any excess tomato juices if you need to. Then, stir in 1 cup of the ricotta mixture.

Stuff each pepper with the mixture, pressing down with every scoop.

Bake for 30 minutes. Top with some of the parmezano sprinkles and bake another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

 
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