Tag Archives: meatlessmonday

The World’s Easiest Pasta Sauce (is also extremely delicious)

17 Monday Sep 2012

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World's Easiest Pasta Sauce

My friend Rachel, who is an amazing cook, whipped up this marinara pasta sauce for me one day from scratch in the same time it took to boil water and cook the pasta. No secret recipe simmering on the stove for hours. No careful balance of sugar. Just a can of tomatoes and a few ingredients you can count on one hand. And it was the freshest, most delicious pasta sauce I’ve ever tasted!

The magic is in the simplicity and the specific type of tomato. San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of plum tomatoes which look like Romas but are even more elongated. They have thicker flesh, fewer seeds and are less acidic than other varieties, making them the idea sauce tomatoes. You can find several brands of San Marzanos at higher end grocery stores. This is the brand I use:

San Marzano tomatoes

Rachel credits Lidia Matticchio Bastianich with this recipe, and I found  this one here which is very similar. But the fresh basil, or any Italian herb, is totally optional in my experience.

World's Easiest Pasta Sauce

Ingredients (to serve 2):

  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • .25 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 3 to 5 Garlic Cloves, diced or thinly sliced
  • 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Over medium heat in a medium sauce pan, heat the oil and add pepper flakes and some fresh ground pepper. Season the oil for a minute.
  2. Add the garlic and season the oil for another minute.
  3. Add the San Marzano tomatoes and use a potato masher to mash them and stir all ingredients. Careful, they can squirt.
  4. Add a little of the tomato juice from the can and/or additional oil if you wish.
  5. Reduce heat and simmer until the oil separates (about the time your pasta is ready!) but stir and continue mashing the tomatoes occasionally.
  6. Season with additional pepper and some salt. If you want to add fresh Italian herbs, they make a perfect garnish.

Mashed Cauliflower “Fauxtatoes”

09 Thursday Aug 2012

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Mashed Cauliflower

There are a lot of reasons you might want to substitute cauliflower for potatoes when you want a mashed side. Certainly the nutritional value of cauliflower is significant:

  • Potatoes are almost 4x more caloric than cauliflower.
  • They are comparable in fiber, but potatoes are 4x higher in carbs.
  • Cauliflower is a very good source of Vitamin C – one cup has 77% of your daily value.
  • While both potatoes and cauliflower score above 100 on amino acids (meaning they are complete or high-quality proteins) the caloric ratio of cauliflower is 19% versus 7% for potatoes.
  • Cauliflower has a significantly lower glycemic load (2 versus 10 per 100 grams) so this is a much better choice for maintaining healthy blood sugar.
  • Cauliflower is mildly anti-inflammatory (Inflammatory Factor score of 18, higher is better) while potatoes are mildly inflammatory (IF score of -60).

But for me the flavor and texture are big selling points, making mashed cauliflower more than a mere substitution. It’s no compromise in my mind, it’s a delicious side dish in its own right.

You can double this recipe to make a big batch using the whole head of cauliflower, or do what I do: cut out the “middle half” in two half-inch thick slices and save for cauliflower steaks.

Mashed Cauliflower Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • Half head cauliflower
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic (we love it, you should adjust accordingly!)
  • Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Break cauliflower into medium-size florets.
  2. Simmer in stock for approximately 10 minutes until tender.
  3. Strain but reserve some cooking liquid to adjust texture later if necessary.
  4. Place cauliflower, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processer and blend until desired texture.
  5. Serve with an additional drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of pepper if desired.

Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is essentially hummus made with roasted eggplant instead of garbanzo beans. But the flavor is distinct and the two dishes pair well together, with the same types of veggies and bread for dipping.

You can roast the eggplant and garlic in the oven, but if you’re firing up the grill for other things (try brussel sprouts or sweet potatoes!), take advantage of that flame for a better flavor that’s also energy efficient.

Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 to 2 garlic bulbs
  • .5 cups chopped parsley
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • .25 cups extra virgin olive oil + more for garlic
  • .25 cups tahini
  • .25 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • .25 tsp cumin powder

Instructions:

  1. Preheat grill to approximately 350° or medium heat.
  2. Double wrap garlic bulbs in tin foil with a sprinkle of olive oil and place on grill.
  3. Wash eggplant and remove leaves but not the stem, then pierce several times with a knife. Place on grill, turning every 5 to 10 minute to char all sides. Leave on grill approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until skin is fully charred and meat is soft.
  4. Remove garlic and eggplant from grill and allow both to cool enough to handle.
  5. Peel off skin and remove stem from eggplant.
  6. Cut off top of garlic blubs and squeeze out roasted garlic cloves – should be mushy.
  7. Place all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  8. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Will keep in refrigerator for several days.
  9. Garnish with additional olive oil when serving if you like.

Herbed Popcorn

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Herbed Popcorn

Popcorn night was a family tradition for me growing up. Every Sunday night, we would make a big bowl of popcorn plus a variety platter of fruits and cheeses. That was dinner and we would sit together on the floor in front of the TV watching the Muppet Show. Later, when that went off the air, we rented movies. But the classic popcorn night for me will always include Pigs in Space, the Swedish Chef, and that “we’ve got crab legs” jingle during commercials. It’s a wonderful memory, so I’ve continued the tradition with my own spin: less frequency but more “grown up” nibbles.

The “fruit and cheese” portion of the meal can be anything you want for munchies on the side – nuts, veggies, marinated olives, etc.

Munchies

I also plus-up my popcorn with olive oil, garlic salt and thyme instead of butter and salt. It’s healthier (vegan, if that’s important to you) and more fun. I love it with nutritional yeast instead of thyme for a cheddar-like flavor, but that’s not as popular with other members in my household.

My parents have an air popper, but I never got one. Instead, I use my big stock pot over medium heat on the stove. Works great and there’s one less small appliance in my cupboards.

Herbed Popcorn Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 tbsp grape seed oil
  • .5 cups olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp dried thyme OR 2 tbsp nutritional  yeast

Instructions:

  1. Heat the kernels over medium in grape seed oil on the stove. After a few minutes they’ll start popping. Listen for the popping to slow down until it’s almost stopped and remove from heat.
  2. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and cool the stock pot under cold water.
  3. In batches, add the popcorn back into pot.
  4. Top with olive oil, garlic salt and dried thyme/nutritional yeast.
  5. Shake vigorously with the lid on so all the popcorn is evenly seasoned.

Grilled Brussel Sprouts

26 Thursday Jul 2012

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Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Grilled veggies are one of the joys of summer, as well as very filling. A few different veggies plus some grilled polenta or garlic/cheese bread is perfect for dinner. And it’s easy to throw together, as long as you have a grill basket.

Even if you don’t have a grill basket, you can still enjoy grilled Brussel Sprouts on skewers. They have become one of my new favorite vegetables to grill, probably because they have such a bad reputation that it’s especially delightful when they’re done right. Grilling enhances the nuttiness of these tiny cabbages and this basic marinade caramelizes on the grill for a bright and complex profile.

Ingredients:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Equal part olive or grape seed oil
  • 1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

This pre-mixed steak seasoning is easy to find and covers pretty much all of your bases: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, red pepper, and dill seed. This simple marinade works wonderfully on…pretty much everything else too. It’s especially good on asparagus and on thick cut grilled onion rings.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

09 Monday Jul 2012

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Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Love those sweet potatoes! And they’re great all year round with recipes like this one. In addition to being a delicious and filling side dish, they pick up grill marks beautifully so they look as good they taste.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • .25 cups grape seed or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • .5 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat grill to medium.
  2. Wash the sweet potatoes and cut on a diagonal into about half-inch thick ovals. Not necessary to peel, but your choice.
  3. Blanch the slices of sweet potato, then pat dry and let cool to the touch.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the oil, sugar and cinnamon until incorporated. You can adjust the ratios to your liking, these measurements are approximate.
  5. Toss the sweet potato slices in the oil mixture until all surfaces are evenly coated.
  6. Grill for 10-20 minutes, flipping several times to get good marks. Keep an eye on them and pull off when the texture is to your liking. Every grill is different and the time on the grill will vary depending on how much you cooked them during blanching.

Fiesta Salad

02 Wednesday May 2012

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Fiesta Salad

Continuing our countdown to Cinco de Mayo, here’s an easy and delicious vegetable  bean salad. It’s finished with yesterday’s Cumin Lime Dressing, which contributes a bright flavor to underscore the freshness of this dish.

I brought a bowl of this to an alumnae potluck last weekend, and waited until the last minute to toss in the cilantro so the green would stay vibrant. A beautiful addition to any table, this can be served as-is for a side dish, over spinach as an entrée salad, or as part of a taco salad with Vegan Taco Meat.

Fiesta Salad Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 batch of Cumin Lime Dressing (limes, vinegar, oil, cumin, s&p)
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in quarters or smaller
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3-4 green onions, minced to half way into green
  • 2 large ears of corn
  • .5 cups chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing and let sit for flavors to marry.
  2. Lightly cook the corn to develop sweetness. I microwaved but might be better to boil and blanch. Don’t cook to the extent that you would eat corn on the cob – maybe half that much. When it cools, cut the kernels off with a sharp knife.
  3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix in the dressing, starting with half and adding to your taste.

Substitutions

  • Kidney beans for either garbanzo or black beans
  • A quarter finely diced sweet or red onion for green onions
  • Cherry tomatoes for grape tomatoes (or diced Romas)
  • Store-bought cumin lime or lime cilantro dressing

Cumin Lime Dressing

01 Tuesday May 2012

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Cumin Lime Dressing Ingredients

This is an easy dressing that pairs especially well with Mexican food…because we’re gearing up for Cinco de Mayo! I’ll have a Fiesta Salad recipe that uses this dressing to share with you tomorrow, but it’s also great on a regular green salad.

Ingredients

  • Juice of 4 to 6 limes
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced finely
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • .5 cups light olive oil (I’m using half EVOO and half grape seed oil)
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • .5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • .5 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients and mix/blend well. Adjust any ingredients as necessary to achieve a good balance – start with 4 limes and work up to 6, etc.

You may have noticed that my salt in this photo is a beautiful purple color. That’s because it’s the Trifecta Blend from Libertine and includes Alaea Red Hawaiian Sea Salt, Hiwa Kai Black Hawaiian Sea Salt, and Himalayan Pink Salt. All three have different essential trace minerals which are thought to help with chronic ailments from inflammation to depression. Plus it’s pretty, which is said to be good for your eyes ; )

Smoky Cauliflower Steak

27 Friday Apr 2012

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Cauliflower Steak

Last night I used the other half – the middle half – of the cauliflower head that went into cauliflower curry earlier in the week. I had saved these two vertical slices from the middle to try vegan cauliflower steaks, something I first saw on Working Class Foodies (new fav, you must watch them all). I pan fried them this time, but am looking forward to putting them on the grill when we fire it up for the season.

Cauliflower steaks look very dramatic and have a satisfying, filling texture. On their own they do not have a strong flavor, giving you the opportunity to season them however you like. Since I’m so excited about grilling season, I went with a smoky profile for this incredibly easy dish.

I had some alder wood smoked sea salt that I found in the bulk section of Town & Country market on Bainbridge Island. If your local grocery isn’t quite so comprehensive (they have an entire floor of bulk foods), you can order it from Libertine Tacoma and get the most delightful packaging at the same time. And trust me: this is not the only recipe you’ll use it in…

Ingredients

  • 2 vertical slices from the middle of a cauliflower head, .75 inches wide
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • .5 tsp smoked paprika
  • .5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • .5 tsp alder wood smoked sea salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the spices and oil into a marinade and spread over both sides of your cauliflower steaks. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat your oven to 300°.
  3. Pan fry over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until you get some lovely brown caramelization (but not burning).
  4. If you have a pan that can transfer into the oven, pop it right in for another 10 minutes to finish cooking through, flipping once. Transfer to a casserole or baking sheet if your pan isn’t oven-ready.
  5. Serve immediately.

Frequently you’ll see people serve cauliflower steaks with a cauliflower puree or mashed cauliflower on the side to use the remainder of the head. Something to try next time as I’m getting to know this beautiful and nutritionally dense vegetable.

What’s your favorite cauliflower recipe? I’d love to try it!

Cauliflower Curry

23 Monday Apr 2012

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Cauliflower Curry

Since I tried fennel for the first time in February (now one of my favorite dishes) I’ve been wondering what else in the produce section has been missing from my life. Last night’s experiment: cauliflower.

Why have I been overlooking it? Maybe it’s because we’ve been so conditioned to avoid white foods. But cauliflower is the exception to that rule. In fact, it’s packed with nutrients: vitamin C and folate for immune defense, phytonutrients to fight cancer, and heart-healthy benefits to boot.

It’s also quite satisfying, with a dense texture that fills you up like bread or meat would. All that to say, I’ll be working cauliflower into my cooking more often moving forward. Here’s how I prepared it last night (the flavor was even better for lunch today!).

Cauliflower Curry Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Indian curry paste
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into half-inch pieces
  • 10 brussel sprouts, cleaned and quartered
  • 2 roma tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 can (14 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup grape seed oil
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, plus more as needed

Instructions

  1. Heat oil over medium in a large stew pot.
  2. Sautee onions for 1 minute.
  3. Add curry paste and tomatoes, stirring until incorporated and tomatoes get smashed.
  4. Add sweet potatoes and water or stock, simmering for 5 minutes covered.
  5. Add cauliflower and salt, simmer for another 5 minutes covered. Add a little more water/stock if necessary to keep ingredients simmering and not sticking to bottom.
  6. Add brussel sprouts and garbanzo beans, simmer covered for 5 to 10 minutes until all ingredients are tender but still holding their shape.
  7. Serve over basmati rice.

Substitutions

  • Frozen peas instead of brussel sprouts
  • Carrots instead of sweet potatoes
  • Lentils instead of basmati rice