Stuffed Shells with Carrot "Cheese" Sauce

Because... more pasta!

I'm in a rut.  All of my "original" recipe ideas lately revolve around pasta.  Why?  There are so many other options!  Actually, this recipe came from the need to use up a package of tofu that was purchased a few weeks ago but forgotten about.  So really, I was brain-storming tofu recipes, and happened to decide on a pasta dish.  It is what it is.

So I made a tofu ricotta to stuff into pasta shells.  I thought the tofu was missing something, but The Dave (my official taste-tester) decided that this dish was totally blog-worthy.  I was actually much more impressed with the sauce.  I didn't want to go with a traditional tomato sauce, but wasn't quite sure what to do instead.  What happened was a white bean/carrot cheesy-tasting sauce that was out of this world!  I may play around with this recipe again, in an attempt to make a stellar- yet healthy- mac n cheese dish.


I'm not gonna lie- I dirtied a lot of dishes for this.  But it was awfully tasty and worth the messy kitchen, I promise.  But, as a side-note, I had way too many shells.  The box that the pasta came in is long gone- maybe it was a pound?  Anyway, I didn't need that many, nor did I have room for them all in the baking dish.  So maybe look for a smaller box of pasta?  Or only cook half for this recipe.  Sorry I don't have a better answer for that.  You can figure it out.  I have faith.

Ingredients:
1 box large pasta shells
Tofu ricotta:
14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
15 oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb carrots cooked
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Set aside for a bit.
Cook pasta according to directions on package.  **If you haven't already cooked the carrots, you can steam them over the pasta.  That's what I did. 
In a large mixing bowl, crumble the pressed tofu.  Add the basil, vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to mix well.
In a blender or food processor, toss in beans, carrots, veg broth, nutritional yeast, olive oil, cornstarch, and salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.
When pasta is done, drain and arrange in baking dish.  Stuff shells with tofu mixture.  Pour sauce over everything, covering every shell.  Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.  Serve hot.

Potato and "Sausage" Stuffed Peppers with Country Gravy

Because it was just so freaking awesome!!!

This post will be brief, but totally worth it.  I'm exhausted, I still have homework to do, and I have a long day ahead of me.  But this little pepper number I threw together over the weekend was just too good to keep to myself!

This is a breakfast/brunch recipe, but I suppose you could eat this any time.  I created it specifically for this month's contest held by Better Recipes, and boy am I glad I did!  The recipe could win one of two ways: judge's choice or reader's choice.  So if any of you have the hankering to hop over to the contest site and vote for this beauty, here's the link.

If you do go check out the recipe on that site, please don't judge me for hiding the fact that I used vegan ingredients when making it.  While their contests are legit and it's a very user-friendly website, Better Recipes is far from being a vegan (or very vegan-friendly) site, and I think that non-vegans are intimidated by vegan recipes (even though mine are super easy!) and therefore tend to avoid them.  So, in order to increase my chances of winning, I don't mention the fact that I used Lightlife sausage, Earth Balance butter, or Silk unsweetened almond milk.  But I did use those things, I promise!!!

So, take-home points of this post: I haven't gone mad and begun eating animal products again; I hope you'll vote for this recipe (every day until the end of the month would be just lovely); from now on, peppers should always be stuffed with sausage and potatoes; and everything should be smothered in this gravy.  Seriously.  I'll probably make a new biscuits and gravy recipe from this in the very near future.  Stay tuned!

Ingredients:
 1 lb ground veggie sausage**
2 Tbsp non-dairy butter
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb diced potatoes
1/4 tsp paprika
6 large bell peppers (go for a variety of colors to make it extra pretty!)

Country gravy:
2 Tbsp non-dairy butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 cups non-dairy milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:
 Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a large frying pan, brown sausage over medium high heat until cooked through.  Remove sausage from pan and cover to keep warm.
**I used Lightlife sausage, which browns up nicely but has a flavor that is a little "off."  So, in an effort to make it taste more sausage-y, I added about a Tbsp of soy sauce and 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning while it was browning.  I would definitely recommend adding these if you use this brand.  It really made the "sausage" zing.
In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 5 min.  Add potatoes and stir in paprika.  Cook for 10 min until potatoes are starting to get soft but not mushy.  Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the tops of the peppers to create lids.  Remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper.  Stuff each pepper with sausage and potato mixture and top with the pepper "lid".  Arrange stuffed peppers in a baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 35 min, until peppers are soft.
While the peppers are cooking, make the gravy.  In a medium sauce pan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, paprika, and garlic until well combined.  Slowly whisk in milk, starting with one cup and adding more milk, one Tbsp at a time, until you reach desired consistency.  Allow the gravy to bubble and thicken, stirring constantly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
When peppers are done, top with gravy and serve hot.

Pasta with Creamy Cashew Sauce

Because I'm sick of doing homework.

Blog post is late... I've been really busy... blah blah blah.  I'm not gonna lie- school is kicking my butt this semester!  I'm actually taking a break from writing a paper to write this blog right now [just kidding! I haven't started that paper yet].  I'm going to try to make this post so super awesome deliciously cool that you will forgive me for not posting it last week and also not hold it against me that I likely will not have time to write a post next week since I have a major interview weekend/social event/ grad school thing that's way exciting but will eat up the majority of my free time, not to mention that my sister's baby shower is Sunday (!) and I will be driving home for that and I'm super pumped about it even though I still haven't had a chance to make that thing I was going to make and I'm supposed to make sandwiches but I don't know if I'll have time but if I don't make anything then there won't be anything for me to eat so I'll have to come up with something and I'm sure that I will, I'm just trying to plan ahead. 

Yep, I need more social interaction.

Soooo.... Moving on.  Here's another version of my cashew sauce that I found to be pretty fantastic and super easy to make.  I need to stop making pasta so often, but let's get serious- it's quick and easy, you can change it up any way you like, and it's always a crowd pleaser!  (Even if the "crowd" is just the bf and I.)  The cashew sauce here is very similar to this one, I only changed up the seasonings and omitted the olive oil.  But it's still awesome.  A note about the seasonings: I used herbs de Provence, a blend of savory, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and oregano for a little different flavor than what I normally go with.  I really like this combination of spices but if you don't feel like going out and buying the blend, then you could just throw in a dash of each of those things I just listed (provided you have such things on hand), OR you could just throw in any spice you prefer.  Seriously.  This cream sauce is a blank canvas.  Decorate it with your spices any way you please!

OK, so also,I totally forgot to take a picture of the food when it was done.  So after I scarfed down my first bowl, I filled another bowl with pasta and hastily snapped a pic.  It doesn't look great but you get the point.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked*
1/3 cup white cooking wine
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
3 Tbsp cornstarch
12 oz pasta of choice
2 cups diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cups chopped carrots
1 large red bell pepper, diced

Directions:
*To soak the cashews:  Place cashews in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water.  Nuke for about 2 minutes and let sit while you collect the rest of the sauce ingredients.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, toss in the cooking wine, vegetable broth, herbs de Provence, and cornstarch.  Drain the cashews and toss those in as well.  Blend on high speed 5 minutes or more, until the cashews are well pureed.  Let that hang out for a sec.
Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
In a large saute pan or sauce pan (you're going to want the sides to be tall enough so the sauce doesn't splash out), cook the onions and garlic on medium high heat for about 2 min, adding a little water if they start to stick to the pan.  Throw in the carrots and peppers and cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the carrots just start to soften.  Pulse the sauce in the blender once or twice and then pour it into the pan with the veggies.  **The sauce is going to thicken up quickly and is prone to burning to the bottom of the pan, so make sure that you're stirring constantly.**  Turn the heat up just a smidge until the sauce is bubbling and starts to thicken.  While still stirring constantly, turn the heat back down to medium-ish and let the veggies simmer in the sauce for 5-7 minutes.
When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to its rightful pot.  Add the saucy veggies and stir to completely coat the pasta.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Quick! Make it in 30 Min or Less!

Because time is of the essence!

I don't have any new recipes this week.  I cooked on Tuesday, but it didn't turn out at all how I had hoped.  In fact, it was pretty bland and boring.  How disappointing!  And since it seems like I just posted a screw-up recipe, I decided to hide my shame and instead, post a collection of recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.  Because it's my blog and I can do what I want.

Doesn't it seem like we're always in a hurry?  In my life, my schedule revolves around going to school, going to work, doing homework, eating (sometimes), sleeping (very little), spending time with The Man, and then somehow, inexplicably, losing several hours a day playing around on the Internet.  [I can't even imagine how this whole "life" thing works for those of you with children!  So many more responsibilities!!!]  Then you have to factor in things like grocery shopping and cooking, and it's amazing we can ever get it all accomplished!

I am very guilty of turning to cans of soup or frozen dinners when I'm out of time (and food) to cook.  But that's not my favorite thing to do.  I have plenty of recipes in my repertoire that take 30 minutes or less to prepare, make more food than the one serving I would get out of a prepared meal, and are healthier and tastier than what I would buy otherwise!  Taste of Home  is hosting a contest for recipes that take 10, 20, or 30 minutes to prepare, so that got me thinking: As I go through the recipes on this blog that I will submit to the contest, why not put together a handy little list as a reference for you fine folks?  I'm just so thoughtful like that.


[As a side note, the majority of my recipes are 30 min or less; however, the contest rules limit the ingredient list to 12 items or less.  So I'm posting those recipes that follow those guidelines.]

Gluten-free Popeye Pasta





Italian Arborio Rice and White Bean Soup

Vegan Goulash

Cheddar-Jalapeno Black Bean Burgers


Vegan Sloppy Joes

Fajita-style Veggies

Balsamic-soaked Apples with Arugula

Pumpkin and Cauliflower Curry

So anyhow, this is a good start.  30 minutes is all it takes, folks.  Use the time wisely.

Maple and Sesame Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Tofu

Because I need to start eating healthier!

The first of the year brings so many changes.  Back to school with a new schedule, juggling homework and work-work, those bothersome resolutions lingering in the back of my mind.  Now, to be honest, I didn't officially make any New Year's resolutions, but a new year encourages a new start.  For me, that's to get back into a regular exercise routine, and to eat more greens!!!

You would think that, as a vegetarian, I eat plenty of veggies.  And I do.  But sometimes it's in the form of a can of soup or a frozen dinner, because I've been too busy to prepare real food.  But I can do better than that!  And I'm getting a little fluffy around the middle, so the time has come to make a conscious effort to make food that heals, not just comforts (sorry, hot tempeh sandwiches, your time is over).

This week's edition of "Way Healthier Food" features Brussels sprouts.  I realize that not everyone loves B-sprouts, but they're just so good for you!  Cruciferous veggies have anti-cancer properties, among all the other amazing nutritional content.  And when you roast them, they sweeten a little, getting rid of that pesky bitter flavor they may have otherwise.  I used maple syrup in the sauce to add to the sweetness, sesame seed oil to enhance the umami flavor, and red pepper flakes for some pizazz.  And it was pretty fantastic.  Even the (supposed)  B-sprout hating roomie and the first-time B-sprout eating boyfriend were in love.  This is a keeper.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 cup sliced carrots
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half
 Salt and pepper
14 oz firm tofu, water pressed out, and cut into cubes
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp molasses
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (less, if you don't want as much of a kick)


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray.  Toss in all of the chopped veggies.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Throw in the tofu.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the syrup, sesame oil, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes until well combined.  Pour the sauce over the veggies and stir until all veggies and tofu are covered.  Bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so.  It's done when the B-sprouts and carrots are soft, but not mushy.

 We need more light in this apartment, you think?

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes?

Because sometimes you have to post recipes that didn't quite go as planned...

Mmmm, peanut butter.  It makes everything better, don't you think?  Well, maybe you don't think so, but there is a certain someone in my life who absolutely adores the stuff.  And since I fully subscribe to the notion that "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," I've made it my mission to supply my man of interest with all the PB recipes his heart (or stomach) desires.  So, for New Year's day, I planned a slam-bang brunch for us, including what would have been some delectable peanut butter cup pancakes!  Except, that's not exactly how it happened...

In my world, pancakes fall under the category of baking.  Not because they're baked in an oven, but because they involve the same ingredients as baked goods, and you can't just make that sh*t up!  So I attempted to modify a pancake recipe I pulled from the internet.  My plan was to add in chocolate chips and swirl in peanut butter while the batter was in the pan.  And it worked!  Um, kind of...

OK, so here's what happened.  First, I had the burner up too high, so the chocolate in the first 'cake burned.  Bummer, dude.  Also, the pan I was using wasn't nonstick, so the pancake wasn't happy about leaving in one piece.  Switch pans, reduce heat.  Next try!

OK, this time, the peanut butter stuck to the pan, resulting in a fall-aparty pancake.  Dang it.

Solution!  After swirling PB in the batter, PUT MORE BATTER OVER IT.

It's a little embarrassing that it took me several failed pancakes to reach this conclusion.  BUT! at least we each got to enjoy one pancake a piece mostly how I had envisioned them to be.  I may try this again some other time.  However, if you are feeling up to the challenge, and are way better at pancake-making than I am, I'll post the recipe below.  [Adapted from this recipe.]

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cups non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp ground flax seed whisked with 3 Tbsp water
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Peanut butter (I have no idea how much I used, maybe 1/4 cup???)
Peanut butter cups for garnish, optional

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, stirring to mix well.  Add in milk and flax/water mix and stir until well combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.
Heat a non-stick skillet pan on medium heat.  Scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan.  Using a small spoon or knife, swirl approx 1 Tbsp peanut butter into the batter.  Top with additional batter (I would guess about 2-3 Tbsp, or until the PB is mostly covered).  Flip pancake when the top is bubbly and edges are starting to look dry (I didn't time this, maybe 4 minutes?).  When the second side is cooked, remove from pan.  Repeat with remaining batter and PB.  I think we got about 6 pancakes out of this.
Top with a peanut butter cup, to make it look cute.  Serve as is, unless you feel like you need the sugar shock of adding maple syrup.  Look, I'm not here to tell you what to do.  They're your pancakes.  Enjoy them how you please.  I won't judge.

Lentil and Wild Rice Stuffed Portobellos

Because I'm on vacation!

Yeah yeah yeah, so it's been a couple of weeks since my last post.  There's just been so much going on!  I sadly said good-bye to the bread store job *sniff* while simultaneously welcoming [albeit begrudgingly] my new job.  The two positions overlapped for the week before Christmas, resulting in a 50+ hour work week for me.  But, now I'm back to a somewhat normal schedule, Christmas is over, and I'm getting pretty excited to ring in the new year tomorrow!

So I have some catching up to do.  This post is about what I served for Christmas dinner for my sister and myself.  I will also write a follow-up post soon-ish with the spread I made for my now-former bread store co-workers at our belated Christmas party this past Saturday.  On top of that, I'm planning to serve a pretty slam-bang New Year's Day brunch for two, and I want to blog about that as well!  Hey- I have the next two days off!  It could happen.

I wanted to keep my Christmas dinner entree simple.  I had to work late on Christmas Eve, then drove straight from there an hour and a half  to stay with my sister.  When I had asked her earlier in the week what she wanted for our holiday dinner, her response was- and I quote- "I have no clue.  I would like gravy though."  So that got me thinking, what kind of an entree could I come up with to smother with gravy?  Portobellos seemed like the obvious choice.  They have such a "meaty" texture and so much room for filling with delicious stuffing!  This recipe was a little time consuming, but that's sort of to be expected with holiday dishes.  We served this with potatoes (also smothered in gravy), peas, rolls from the bread store, and a kale dish my sister made.  All in all, this was a fantastic holiday meal, shared with my favorite people: My beautiful family.   :)

                                       Merry Christmas from the McDonald Clan!!!


Now, on to the food!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup wild rice
2 cups water
3/4 cup lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
Small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp oregano
6 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned, stems and inner gills removed
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a couple of baking dishes with cooking spray.  (Size of dish required will vary according to the size of your 'shrooms.)
In a medium sized sauce pan, bring wild rice and water to a boil.  Turn heat down to a simmer, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.  When the 20 min are up, add the lentils and veg broth.  Increase heat to bring to a boil again, then decrease heat once again, cover, and simmer for another 20 min.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 min.  Add carrots and celery and cook for another   10 minutes, or until veggies are soft.  Stir in poultry seasoning, thyme, sage, and oregano.  Remove from heat and add to the pan with the rice and lentils.  Stir to combine well, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange mushrooms in baking dishes and divide filling among them.  (I had stuffing left over, but my sis and I enjoyed snacking on it while waiting for all of the food to cook!)  Bake for 20 min, or until mushrooms and filling are heated through.
Serve hot- with gravy*.  Lots and lots of gravy.

*I used the gravy from this tasty little number.  And it was just fabulous.