Artichoke Zucchini Alfredo Pasta

 

A dear friend of ours has decided to go vegan.  We've been supporting him through the "What can I eat where?" and "that's vegan?" along with many other questions. I'm always surprised when someone thinks starvation is part of veganism. But to most people's surprise, and my dear friend's shock, one can't believe that most food is vegan and then we mess it up with other junk.  

 

Yesterday we had Mexican mushroom fajitas.  Today I thought an Italian meal (especially since I am Italian) would be good for him and I've been wanting to try to make a yummy creamy Alfredo sauce sans commercial products. My friend mentioned that he needed something filling with protein. (I honestly chuckled with the protein comment since we hear it all the time right?) So I knew this dish would be hearty and flavorful with bursts of fresh flavors too.

 

 

 

Sauce~
1 whole cauliflower
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
4 Tbs vegan butter
1 C unsweetened vegan milk (I used flax milk)
1 tsp each of
Rosemary
Pepper
Oregano
Basil
Salt

Boil Cauliflower until soft, about 20 min on medium. Remove Cauliflower, reserving hot water and put in Food Processor with all additional items. Puree until smooth and set aside for a few minutes.

 

1 box linguine noodles
3 small zucchini sliced
1/2  yellow onion diced
1 1/2 c mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 c marinated artichokes
1 can black olives

Boil linguine noodles with a little bit of olive oil, the remainder of the cauliflower water and added hot water to cover the noodles. Cook as directed. While pasta is cooking, add a bit of oil to a fry pan. Heat over high heat, add zucchini, onions and mushrooms. Saute for about 7 minutes and once veggies are starting to cook down, add the artichokes and black olives. Add the Alfredo sauce and cook an additional 3 minutes on medium heat. Drain pasta and toss with Hot Artichoke Zucchini Alfredo Sauce. Top with a little Vegan Parmesan cheese and Eat...

 

This was not only delightful, creamy and flavor fully delicious but my friend and my son's girlfriend repeatedly asked "This is vegan?"   I was tickled when at 10 pm I noticed my son's girlfriend heating up another bowl for seconds.  Everyone loved it, I loved it and it made enough for a family of six.  Paired with a nice glass of wine and a piece of rosemary sourdough bread, the meal was fit for a king or queen or whomever...

Southwestern Okra Soup

Today I received a package from Edward & Sons Trading Post.  I love packages.  Better yet, I love packages filled with delicious, nutritious vegan food! This beautiful bountiful box included new items from Edward & Sons too. One of the items in my gift box was canned Okra.  This "ain't" your grandma's canned food! Nope. And this nicely packed okra was not only the best from the Native Forest brand but it's certified organic and whole pods too.

Order here New products.

 

 Many days in my home can be kind of chaotic.  It's pretty much due to the fact that I love company.  And of course, I really love to cook for company.  But since this week had been pretty busy and I was pretty tired, I decided to make a one pot wonder.  (A meal that essentially cooks itself!)

So I got my large cooking pot.  I grabbed a few vegetables from my pantry and I opened my can of Native Forest  Organic OKRA and began...

 

And then I ate, and my company ate, and we were all content and happy. And it only took 25 minutes to cook.

 

Southwestern Okra Soup Recipe

8 C water
2 tsp Vegetable bouillon
1 onion diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
3 celery sticks diced
3 carrots sliced (I used rainbow carrots)
1 zucchini sliced
2 potatoes cubed     
1 ear of corn (slice off all corn)
1 kale leaf cut into small pieces
10 oz vegan chorizo
1 can NATIVE FOREST Organic OKRA, quickly rinse and slice the okra
salt and pepper to taste

Additional topping:
Vegan Parmesan cheese

 

 

 

 

Add first 8 ingredients to a large stock pot and start to boil. Once boiling, add the ear of corn with the kernels removed to the pot and cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove corn cob and add corn kernels, kale, and vegan chorizo. Cook covered for another 5 minutes, then add okra and stir gently.  Serve. Serve meaning eat...and eat...and oh snap...I'm getting carried away now. 

 

This Southwestern Okra Soup was delicious, nutritious and so contently filling.

 

 

Here I sprinkled on a bit of Vegan Parmesan Cheese...

 

...and boy oh boy was it delightful!

 

For more info and more products from Edward & Sons and to have organic, gluten free and vegan foods delivered right to your door...Click  Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Chili Vegan Shrimp

 

Today had been an extremely long work day. I had finally finished all my projects and low and behold, it was late.  It was not only late but I realized I hadn't had breakfast or lunch and now it was dinner time.  Sadly, my poor hubby was ever so patient and never complained about starving either.  Times like these, I grab for something quick. And today I just happened to have a box of Vegetarian Plus Vegan Shrimp in my freezer that I was saving to make my vegan fish/shrimp tacos

http://www.mydeliciousvegandiary.blogspot.com/2013/11/baja-vegan-fish-or-vegan-shrimp-tacos.html

but I knew that would take way too long for these starving folks.  And though the box of shrimp came with a chili packet, I wasn't in the mood for it. I sometimes just feel like being an original and want to create something with fresh vibrant flavors and thus...created this. 

It's lemony (my favorite flavor) and full of a nice subtle heat and a nice hint of sweetness too.

Try it, I think you'll love it.

Lemon Chili Vegan Shrimp

1 box  Vegetarian Plus Vegan Shrimp 
(This is out of site. I always think they must have really put real shrimp in the box mistakenly.  It's that good!)  Save the packet for a later use. (I use it on my tofu or rice at another meal)
1 tsp of each of these:
oil
lemon zest
chili pepper flake
sriracha sauce
bee-free honee
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
juice from half the lemon

In a hot pan over medium heat, add oil, chili pepper flake, sriracha sauce, garlic, lemon zest and shrimp and cook for two minutes stirring a few times. The zest of the lemon is going to hit you in the nose.  It smells wonderful!  Add the juice of the lemon and honee, stir a few times and you are ready to serve.  I served mine over rice but sky's the limit.  Enjoy...

Mushroom Shepherd's Pie

 

So here was another Holiday and I was wondering what to make for this St Patrick's Day.  After scouring countless meatless corned beef style cabbage recipes, I decided I'd do something with that left over box of mushrooms I had in the refrigerator instead.   I wanted something Irishy (if that's a word)  and by gosh...this was a delightful creation, flavorful and even the non vegans in my household woofed it down.

 

I guess that means it was pretty successful...

 

 

Mushroom Shepherd's Pie



 

2 c dry lentils
1 c shitake mushrooms
1 c button mushrooms
1/4 c celery diced
1/4 c carrots diced
4c water
4 tbs beaf vegetable seasoning
4 tbs soy sauce or Liquid Aminos
salt
pepper
1 sprig of fresh Rosemary
1bottle stout beer
peas about 1-2 cups 

Topping~
mashed potatoes made with cubed vegan butter (3 cups boiled potatoes)



In large pan over the stove, cook all ingredients except beer and peas and rosemary sprig. Cook on high until bubbling and then turn down to low and cover for about an hour. You want this to reduce down and cook the lentils.  Add the beer, stir, add the rosemary sprig to the top and cover.

 Cook on low another 15 minutes and check.  If the lentils are cooked,  and the juice is mostly reduced, it's done. If for some reason the lentils aren't fully cooked, add a little water, about 1/2 cup at a time and cook until the liquid is gone.  Set aside until ready to use.

 

In a casserole dish, place peas at the bottom.  You'll want a thin layer. Pour the mushroom mixture over the top. Set aside while preparing the topping.
For the mashed potatoes, make sure they are creamed until they are completely smooth.  You can spoon it on or pipe it on with a large frosting tip (I used a star tip) and a frosting bag.

 

Isn't that purdy? 

Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.  Brown top with broiler for a few minutes.

 For a side dish, I did a vegetable medley of root  veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper, and baked them for about an hour, covered, until they were cooked.

 

 

Yummo! St Patrick's day or any day...served!

 

Chorizo Meatballs

 

Oh my gosh...talk about amazing.  Vegan Chorizo Meatballs are the bomb.   I created this recipe out of necessity.  I'm a big juicer and I love my fresh juice but I hate the waste of pulp. Most of the time I compost it but sometimes I add it into a few baked items or freeze it until a later date.  I decided today I'd put it to good use and make this veggie pulp work for me. So thus, the Chorizo meatball was born.

 

I love these meatballs by themselves, in tomato sauce (yes, they are so flavorful that you really don't even need to flavor the sauce) or with vegan gravy.  It's your choice.  As for me, today I want a nice meatball submarine sandwich with sauce and some mozzarella style vegan cheese. Now...I'm complete!

Vegan Chorizo Meatballs

1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 cup sauteed onion
1 cup sauteed mushroom
1-10 oz tube of Soy Chorizo
2 cups (packed) veggie pulp.  (I used beet, carrot, spinach and red bell pepper)  Your meatballs will vary in flavor if you juice different veggies.  Try to avoid veggies that are stringy like celery but a little won't hurt.

 

In a food processor, blend oats,  and first four spices until mostly pulverized. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine for about a minute.

 Roll into small balls and place about an inch apart on a cooking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes approx 32 meatballs.

Serve or cool and freeze.  To Freeze, freeze on a small cookie sheet or plate and once frozen, place in a container or Ziploc bag and place back in the freezer.

 

 

 

So tell me...How are YOU gonna eat your meatless Chorizo meatballs?

Rosemary Garlic Kale Chips



Somedays are just plain outright snacking kind of days.   And when I need a quick fix, I always go for Kale Chips.  However, I don't go for the plain jane kind of Kale Chips but I love to make Rosemary Garlic Kale Chips.  And those, my dear friends, are my favorite!

 

 

So here is a picture of my wild Rosemary.  I love it.  I love the ease of walking out to my yard and picking it.  This stuff is like a weed and grows easily in a pot or the yard.

Get yourself some, it's great.  (I also put it in a pot simmering on the stove with an orange peel and drop of vanilla. This makes the whole house smell great!)

 

 

Rosemary Garlic Kale Chips

 

Kale, about 10 leaves, washed, dried and cut into large bite sized pieces ( you will have shrinkage.)

Fresh Rosemary, 1 sprig, needles removed and chopped

1 clove garlic chopped finely

1 TBS olive oil or more as needed

salt

 

Mix all ingredients until coated evenly.  If you are using a lot of Kale, you may need to add a bit more oil.

 

Add kale to a cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until looking lightly browned.  Cool completely.

"Coco-Rita" Vegan Margarita

Recently Hubby and I went to the beach to have dinner with some friends. They took us to this gorgeous Spanish restaurant and told us we had to try the coconut margarita. One sip and I knew I'd have to create this recipe at home. I lucked out and after one attempt, I think I nailed it. Here is my version of a Coconut Margarita "Coco-Rita" that I know you'll love!

This baby is super simple and easy to make. Trust me...

It'll be your new favorite adult beverage.

Coco-Rita recipe

1 can coconut cream (about 14 ounces)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 lime squeezed

1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1/2 tsp high quality vanilla

1/2 c. tequila

1 1/2c. ice

Rim glass with lime rubbed along edge and dip into superfine toasted coconut mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with white sugar

Put 5 first ingredients in blender and blend for about 3 minutes. Add ice and blend until super smooth. Pour into prepared glass. Drift away to the tropics with this delightful heavenly flavor.



Enjoy!

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