Meatless in the Mountains

You don’t need a lot of time to make something delicious.  Even when I’m in a rush, I don’t want to give up eating something amazing!  So, I was in a rush tonight for dinner, since I just got back from another trip home to Connecticut for my friend Lindsay’s Bridal Shower!  Of course I managed to make it to the ocean while I was there too, yippee!

Happy Bridal Shower Linz!!!!!

So without grocery shopping, I was able to whip this up tonight from a box of pasta and some frozen veggies & nuts.  Best part, it took only (and exactly) 7 minutes from the time the water started to boil!  Hope you give this a try!

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 Roma Tomato

2 Garlic Cloves

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasoning

1/2 Cup Frozen Cut Green Beans

Handful of Pasta (rice pasta, quinoa pasta, whole wheat…)

Handful of Pine Nuts

Red Pepper Flakes

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Start by boiling your pasta water then set your timer… this should only take 7 minutes! (well, I guess it really depends on which pasta you choose!) Drop your pasta, then while you’re waiting, heat some EVOO in a skillet then add in the minced garlic.  Sauté for a couple seconds then add in the chopped tomatoes.

Season the garlic & tomatoes with some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, then cook a couple seconds longer before adding in the green beans.  They don’t even need to be thawed, they will warm through and cook in the pan for the remaining minutes.  Season with more salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and stir occasionally as you wait for the pasta to cook.

Once the pasta is ready, reserve a small cup of the cooking liquid, and then drain the pasta and add directly to the sauté pan.  Mix well, and add some cooking liquid if it seems too dry.  Top with vegan parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and toasted pine nuts!

My adorable nephew <3

Hello!  I love eggplant parmesan.  It’s a great winter/comfort meal, but it’s really almost better in the summer with fresh garden eggplant, fresh basil and a light tomato sauce.  I’m sharing my version, which is gluten free and vegan.  I will admit, although good, it will never compare to my two favorite versions from my Mom, and Kyle’s Gram (two tiny little Italian cooking rockstars!)  You’d have to go to Connecticut to get those recipes… but for now, you’re stuck with this one….  enjoy!

1 medium eggplant

2 cups marinara sauce of your choice, homemade or a nice jarred selection

2 TBS plus of fresh basil, carefully sliced

1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese

3 TBS ground flax

9 TBS water

2 cups (approx) gluten free breadcrumbs

EVOO

Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Wash and chop your basil then set aside.  Now you’re ready to make your dredging stations.  Use a divided dish (like my amazing family heirloom in the picture below) or just use 2 separate bowls, and make the flax “egg” on one side, and the breadcrumbs on the other.

For the flax egg, mix the ground flax and 9 TBS water together and let set for a couple minutes.  It will become sticky and have an eggy consistency.  On the breadcrumb side, add the breadcrumbs and sprinkle in some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.  Mix with a fork.

Now you can get the eggplant ready for the stations.  Wash & dry the eggplant then cut in about 1/4-1/2 inch rounds.  Sprinkle the rounds with a little salt, then they’re ready to dip.

Spray a large sheet pan with EVOO spray and set aside.  Dip the eggplant rounds in the flax egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs, then carefully place on the baking sheet.

Drizzle the eggplant with some EVOO then bake for about 20 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t burn.  They will be nice & crispy and golden brown.

Keep the oven on, and now grab a baking dish. Put a couple spoonfuls of sauce down on the bottom of the baking dish, then add in some eggplant rounds.  Top the eggplant with some basil and vegan mozzarella, then add a dollop of sauce on top and continue the layers.

Finish with sauce and then vegan mozzarella as the last topping.  Baking for 10-20 more minutes until warm and bubbling.

Greetings!  I wanted to share my most-popular lunch delivery order: Southwestern Quinoa Wraps.  These are fresh, healthy, light and filling at the same time.  Great for summer, and they also pack and travel well if you roll them up in tin foil.  The filling will be enough for 4-5 wraps, but the actual wrap ingredients I listed for just one wrap.  (Does that make sense?) Hope everyone is having a great week.  Busy as a bee over here, cooking, working, and chasing the sun!

1 cup of Quinoa

1/4 cup Red Onion

1/4 cup frozen Corn

1/2 can Black Beans

Handful of Cherry Tomatoes

Handful of Cilantro

Juice of half a fresh lime

Salt

Cumin

Wraps of your choice

Handful of baby Kale

1/2 Avocado

Sprinkle of Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Hot Sauce (optional!)

Start by cooking your quinoa according to package directions.  While the quinoa cooks, start by finely dicing the red onion and place in a medium size bowl.  Add in the corn, black beans (drained & rinsed), cilantro and fresh lime juice.  Slice the cherry tomatoes in half or fourths depending on how big they are, and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle with salt & cumin and mix well.

When the quinoa is done, cool for a minute then add to the bowl with the veggies.  Mix with a fork until well combined.  Keep this mixture separate in the fridge until you’re ready to make your wraps.

For the wraps, (if you’re taking them to-go, fill the wrap on a piece of foil so you can fold it up easier when you’re done) start by laying down some kale (take the stems off!) then some avocado, cheese, hot sauce and finally the delicious southwestern quinoa mix.

Fold in the side then tuck the ends over.  Keep rolling & tucking as tight as you can.  Before eating, cut in half, admire your work, and enjoy!

Sunset over the Jordanelle….

Hello!  Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July weekend!  Unfortunately we’ve both been battling a nasty head cold, but did manage to get lost in the Uinta Mountains for one afternoon…

America the beautiful.

I wanted to share the recipe for Lemon Basil Pasta that I served for my family on our Cape Cod vacation with the Vegan Crab Cakes.  This was light, refreshing and delicious!

1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

1 box of whole wheat angel hair pasta (or your choice)

large handful of fresh basil

Pasta cooking water

Cook the pasta according to directions, and make sure to salt the boiling water to flavor the pasta.  While the pasta cooks, you can prep the sauce.  In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper.  Taste to make sure it’s delicious, and adjust with salt & pepper if necessary.

Wash & chop the basil & set aside.

When the pasta is finished cooking, make sure to save 2 cups or more of the starchy pasta cooking water from the pot before draining!  This helps to loosen the pasta and sauce.  Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well.  Pour in pasta water as needed to reach the consistency you desire.

Top with the fresh basil and enjoy!

Hello!  I’m excited to share this meal.  I made it last week and I thought it was delicious.  I love how the texture of tofu changes when it’s baked, and I was excited to use some fresh green beans from the farmer’s market – green beans have always been a favorite of mine… so much that my sister gave me a green bean poster in college and my Aunt Lu bought me a green bean platter.   They also remind me of picking them in my Nonna’s garden – our job was to “snap the beans!”  I would have liked to use brown rice, but I ran out, so I used up some jasmine rice but any kind (or quinoa) will do!

1/2 block extra firm tofu

1/2 cup good quality (or homemade) BBQ sauce

1 cup rice or quinoa of your choice

2 large handfuls of fresh green beans

1 bunch of broccoli

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

salt & pepper

large lemon wedge

2 TBS pine nuts

1 TBS fresh parsley

First drain your tofu, then wrap in paper towels or towels and press out the moisture by placing under something heavy.  Keep the tofu press going for as long as you can.  When the tofu is pressed, cut in chunks and pour the BBQ sauce over.  Let the tofu marinate while you prep the rest of the meal.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Next prep the veggies.  Rinse the beans and broccoli then snap or cut off the ends of the beans, and chop the broccoli into florets.  Spread out the broccoli and beans on a large baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Mix around with your hands, then bake for 20 minutes, checking them every 5 minutes or so and stirring them around with a spoon or spatula to make sure they’re not burning or sticking.

To bake the tofu, line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with canola or EVOO spray.  Place pieces carefully down and then drizzle the remaining marinade over the tofu slices.  Bake these for the same time as the veggies:  20 minutes, but flipping over after 10 minutes.

While everything is baking, fluff the rice with a fork & prep your toppings…

Now that all the ingredients are ready, create yourself a delicious plate and then sprinkle with fresh parsley, lemon juice and some pine nuts.  Enjoy your vegan feast!!