Light Pesto Pasta

Light Pesto Pasta

Serves 1

• 1 serving whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/5 of a block of silken tofu (about 91 grams)
• about 20 fresh basil leaves or more, to taste (I used 18 grams total)
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• a large handful of baby spinach (optional)

Combine tofu, pressed garlic, nutritional yeast, and basil leaves in a food processor. Add non-dairy milk slowly between processing until the sauce is completely blended. Add more non-dairy milk if necessary to achieve a creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper, or more garlic/basil leaves to taste and process until combined. Combine pesto sauce, cooked spaghetti, and spinach in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until spinach has wilted and pasta is hot. Serve immediately.

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, & Arugula Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Arugula Pasta

Serves 1

• 1 serving of whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 5 small to medium sized mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
• 1 large handful (about a cup) of fresh arugula
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• a dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, and ground thyme
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• olive oil cooking spray (or 1 tsp olive oil)

Set oven to broil on high. Spray bell pepper evenly with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Set in a roasting tin and place in the oven as close to the flame as possible. Check on it often. Once the pepper has been slightly blackened on one side (this should not take more than ten minutes), remove the roasting tin carefully and turn the pepper. Replace it in the oven and allow the other side to blacken. Once done, remove the tin from the oven and place the pepper carefully in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the pepper to sit for ten minutes so that the skin softens. Once the pepper is cool enough, remove the skin and slice the pepper into strips. Now pat yourself on the back. You just roasted a pepper! Place mushrooms and small amount of water in a frying pan and allow mushrooms to cook on medium heat until most of the water is absorbed. Add spices and nutritional yeast and sauté to evenly coat the mushrooms. Add more water as necessary to absorb the powder ingredients. Add roasted peppers, arugula, and pasta. Saute over medium heat until arugula is wilted and the pasta is hot. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Add salt and pepper as desired. I went a little crazy with the black pepper but I really liked the spicy taste with the sweet red peppers. I would recommend being sparse with salt and liberal with pepper. Serve immediately with a dash of vegan Parmesan if desired. 

Fajita Vegetable Stir-Fry

Fajita Vegetable Stir-Fry

Serves 1

• 1.5 bell peppers, sliced into long strips
• about 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 a sweet onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup pinto beans
• large handful of baby spinach
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• generous amounts of garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper
• a dash of cayenne pepper
• salsa and jalapeños, to taste

Place the peppers and onions over high heat in a frying pan with a small amount of water. Allow the peppers and onions to cook until soft. Add more water as needed so the veggies don't stick. Reduce heat to medium. Add cocoa powder and spices and sauté, adding more water if necessary to prevent burning or sticking. Add pinto beans and spinach and stir until mixture is hot and spinach has wilted.

Enjoy with hot peppers and salsa!

General Tso's Seitan

General Tso's Seitan

Serves 1

• 1/2 cup seitan wheat meat strips, or about 130 grams
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (I suppose white vinegar would also work)
• two packets of stevia sweetener, or about 1/2 tsp (can substitute sugar)
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• a dash of ground ginger, or 1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp-1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (I used 1 tsp, but you could half that or even quarter it for a milder dish)
• olive oil cooking spray, for greasing

Combine all ingredients except seitan in a mixing bowl and whisk extremely well, making sure to scrape the bottom to incorporate all of the cornstarch. Taste test and add more chili sauce or stevia as desired. Grease a frying pan with olive oil cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil and set over medium heat. Allow the pan to get hot and then drop in seitan pieces. Stir-fry pieces until they are crispy, browned, and hot. Reduce heat to low. Add the sauce from the mixing bowl to the frying pan and toss extremely well, coating the seitan pieces with the sauce. The sauce will thicken very quickly here and it will start to get gloopy if you're not careful, so only let it sit on the heat for a few minutes max. Serve over steamed broccoli and/or brown rice if desired; garnish with green onion.

Kitchen Sink Italian Stir Fry

Kitchen Sink Italian Stir Fry

Serves 1

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I used TJ's organic tomato basil marinara)
• 3 oz. extra-firm tofu or other vegan protein of choice (I used a Morningstar vegan burger yesterday)
• 3 large cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup kale, torn into pieces
• 1 cup baby spinach
• a dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste

Place all veggies except baby spinach in a frying pan with a small amount of water and stir fry until cooked. Make a space in the pan and add tofu. Cut the block into small pieces with a spatula, and add spices to the tofu and veggies. Stir fry until tofu is hot and browned. Add rice and toss, then add baby spinach and continue to toss over medium heat until the spinach has wilted. Add marinara and continue to toss until the entire mixture is nice and hot. Serve immediately!

Easy Almond Alfredo

Easy Almond Alfredo

Serves 1

• 1/4 cup of almonds, soaked in water overnight
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• a dash each of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and nutmeg
• your choice of pasta and veggies (I used whole wheat penne and broccoli/baby spinach)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Drain the soaked almonds and transfer to a food processor. Add almond milk, nutritional yeast and Dijon mustard and blend until as smooth as possible. Add spices. You can be liberal with the garlic and onion powders, but be very careful with the nutmeg and paprika. Add a tiny amount of each, blend, and adjust to taste. Too much nutmeg can break this dish, trust me. Steam your vegetables in water until cooked, then toss cooked pasta, veggies, and almond Alfredo in a frying pan over medium heat until warm. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Serves 1

For the gnocchi:

• 1/2 a large (or 1 medium) sweet potato
• about 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, plus more for the counter and your hands
• 1 tbsp chia seed egg replacer (I'll explain below)
• a dash each of salt, pepper, and dried thyme

Poke holes in your sweet potato and place over a paper towel in the microwave. Microwave on high for four minutes, turn, and microwave for another four minutes, or until fork tender. (You can also bake your sweet potato, but I was too hungry to wait.) In the meantime, make your chia seed egg replacer. Combine 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp water, and allow the mixture to thicken for 10-15 minutes. (This makes more than one tbsp, but you can use the rest in a smoothie or in some baked goods.) Once the sweet potato is tender, let it cool, and then peel and mash it in a mixing bowl. Allow the smashed sweet potato to cool to room temperature. Add 1 tbsp of chia seed egg replacer and the thyme, salt, and pepper. Add flour gradually, kneading with floured hands. The dough will be very sticky at first. Just add more flour until it's workable. A little stickiness in the final dough product is fine though. Flour the counter and separate the dough into two sections. Roll each section in between your palms until it becomes a long rope. Place on the counter and form the dough into a uniform 1-inch thickness. Cut each rope into small sections using a very sharp knife. Fill a pot 3/4 of the way with water and salt lightly. Bring the water to a boil and drop the gnocchi in. Once the gnocchi floats to the top, remove with a slotted spoon. 

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup of your favorite vegan marinara (Trader Joe's tomato basil is awesome)
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• dash of salt and pepper
• large handful of baby spinach

Combine corn starch, almond milk, and nutritional yeast in a bowl and mix until the corn starch is fully incorporated. Pour the mixture in a saucepan over medium heat and allow to thicken. Add the marinara sauce and baby spinach and stir until the marinara is incorporated and the spinach is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the gnocchi to the pan to warm it and toss. Garnish with oregano or some vegan parmesan if you've got it. Serve immediately.