Vegetable Chowder

This soup is easy, delicious, comforting, and it uses up the ends of all the veggies left in your fridge at the end of the week. In other words, it's everything a soup should be.

2 tbsp oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large russet potato, diced
3/4 C green beans, trimmed and cut into inch long pieces
3/4 C broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 C each frozen corn and peas
2 C unsweetened almond milk (or whatever you have)
1/4 C white/light miso paste, dissolved into the milk
1 fake chicken bullion cube
1/4 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 small bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
finely diced red pepper, flat leaf parsley, and a dollop of plain soy yogurt to garnish, if you're feeling adventurous

In your soup pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to turn golden and soft. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potato and 3 cups of water. Allow to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through. Add the green beans, cook for five minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients, increase heat to medium to boil, then reduce heat and serve.

Lentil and Quinoa Stew with Roasted Buttercup Squash

Fall is here in the great white north, and I'm so excited! Fall is my favorite season :) Cool days and gray skies and back to school, these things get me revved up to start new projects. Seeing all these lovely fall vegetables in the markets inspires me to cook warm, tasty things that roast long and slow in the oven or in a pot on the stove, filling the house with delicious smells and warmth. This dish is savoury and comforting, a great way to enjoy Buttercup's rich, meaty texture without the brown sugar and cinnamon it's usually accompanied by (although it's good like that too!)

1 Buttercup or Kabocha Squash, halved and baked cut side down in a cup or water in a rimmed pan at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Then, turn over, smear 1 tbsp Earth Balance over the cut side and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for another 15-30 minutes. Baste with the margarine once or twice during cooking, and cut each half in half again when meltingly tender, to make four wedges.

1 cup green lentils, cooked with a bay leaf, a pinch of red chilis and a pinch of salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
olive oil and Earth Balance, for the pan
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp each: dried thyme, marjoram, and savoury
1 vegan beef bouillon cube, made in one cup of water
black pepper
lemon
fresh baby arugula, optional


Cook the onions and celery in a large pot with the oil and EB until golden. Add the garlic, and the lentils with the bay leaf, the quinoa, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the quinoa is cooked through, about 15 minutes total. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon, and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in the juice from half the lemon in and season with pepper just before serving. Serve one quarter of a squash with a cup and a half of the stew, a wedge of lemon, and a handful of fresh baby arugula. I'm sure some warm pita to sop up the stew would be lovely.

Asian Slaw

In the summer, or when life is otherwise too busy to spend much time in front of the stove, it's good to have a few salad recipes on hand that keep well in the fridge for a few days. Coleslaw is an old standby, and this Asian version is just right. Do try it, even if you don't like regular coleslaw. Napa cabbage, or Sui Choy, is a much milder, more delicate version of regular cabbage, and doesn't have much of the bitterness associated with it. For a lighter version, hold the Vegenaise, adding a few spoonfuls of water and a squirt of lemon or lime instead.

Dressing:
1/3 cup Vegenaise
3 tbsp seasoned white rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp agave nectar, or some other sweetner (start with less and add to taste)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic chili paste
1/4 tsp Asian 5 spice seasoning (or more, if yours isn't especially fresh)
1 clove garlic, minced

Slaw:
1 smallish head of Napa Cabbage (Sui Choy) cut into thin strips- about three cups
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup julienned snow peas (tips and tails removed)
1/2 cup julienned red pepper
1/2 cup julienned green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cashews

Whisk together dressing very well, toss to coat salad. This will last for a few days in the fridge, and carries well in lunches.

Summer Squash Casserole

I want to call this lasagna but it's not, cause there's no pasta in it. This casserole is rich and satisfying just like lasagna should be, but full of light summer flavours.

Body:
1 medium-large eight ball squash, or zucchini, sliced on the bias in 1/3 inch slices (about 2 1/2 cups total sliced)
1 medium-large summer (yellow) squash, sliced on the bias in 1/3 inch slices (about 2 1/2 cups total sliced)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 bunch spinach, sliced into strips
1/2 small head of garlic, chopped
1 small can navy beans
3 tbsp capers
1 small jar artichoke hearts marinated in olive oil
1 small can cherry tomatoes (or chopped tomatoes, if you can't find them)

Liquid:
1 vegan chicken bullion cube mixed in two cups of water
1/2 cup vermouth
3 tbsp Dijon
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

Grease a lasagna pan very generously with olive oil. Combine all the ingredients for the "Liquid" portion of the dish in a large liquid measuring cup. Layer the eight ball squash or zucchini along the bottom or the prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with a spoonful of oil, and top with all the ingredients that make the body of the dish in the order they are listed except the yellow squash. Pour in half the liquid mixture. Layer yellow squash prettily over the top of the dish, and pour the remaining liquid across the surface. Bake, covered, in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, and uncovered for another 20-30. Take it out just as things are starting to get golden, and most of the liquid is evaporated. If desired, you can top this with some vegan mozzarella and toss it under the broiler until bubbly. Serve with crusty bread and a nice, crisp summer wine.

Pasta with Black Kale and Criminis

This was absolutely delicious with a nice Chardonnay. Serve it with some grilled tofu steaks and crusty bread if you're feeling adventurous

1 box pasta, cooked according to directions
3 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups sliced criminis
2 cups sliced black kale, ribs removed
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup Chardonnay
1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Salt, pepper to taste

While cooking the pasta, cook the onions and mushrooms together in a fry pan until the mushrooms and onions are starting to brown. Add the kale and cook 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to incorporate, and cook 5 more minutes.

Broccoli Sesame Stir-fry

You can get these seitan stir-fry strips all over the place for not too expensive where we live, but if you don't have them tofu would work very well here, though you might have to marinate it or increase the seasoning. I found some brown rice vermicelli and harvested some broccoli and anise-hyssop from my garden this weekend, and this is what came of it.

1 package beef-style seitan strips or 1 pack of extra firm tofu, chopped into triangles
1 package brown rice vermicelli, pre-soaked to package directions
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
a two inch piece of ginger, chopped
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 carrot, julienned (about 1/2 cup)
about 2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup beet greens, sliced (or whatever greens you have)
1 tsp chili garlic paste
3 tbsp low-sodium tamari
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp chopped fresh anise-hyssop or thai basil

Brown seitan with garlic and ginger, about three minutes. Add the remaining vegetables save the greens, toss a few spoonfuls of water in the pan, and cover until starting to soften and bright in colour, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and add all the remaining ingredients and the pre-soaked and rinsed noodles, save the anise-hyssop or thai basil and sesame oil. Cook five more minutes, add the herbs and oil, and serve. Add more water as you go if things look dry, or soy is it's too light tasting.

Beefy Vegetable Pasta

I had half an avocado that needed to be used, as well as a bunch of things I normally would put in a sammich, but no bread. So, I thought I'd experiment with using the avocado in a sauce. The results were surprising- the avocado added the richness and mouth-feel of a beef sauce of soup, a sort of translucent texture that's neither creamy, as if thickened by soy products, or pasty, as if thickened using a roux. Next time I want to make a beef-y soup, I'll definitely be using an avocado.

Pasta, cooked according to directions (use something with ridges that can pick up sauce)
1 small can chickpeas
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large, very ripe avocado
2 cups lightly packed spinach
juice of 1/3 lemon
1/2 bullion cube of beef-flavour vegan stock made in one cup of water
1/3 cup vermouth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dry basil
2 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp dry oregano
a generous amount of black pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste

Put pasta on to boil, and preheat a fry pan. Brown yellow onions in a bit of olive oil in the preheated pan. Add tomato, red onion, pepper, a pinch of salt and pepper, cooking over medium heat until softened. Squeeze the avocado into the pan, smushing with your fingers as you go. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and vermouth, breaking up any lumps of avocado with the back of a spoon. Simmer about ten minutes, then add spinach and vermouth, and serve when just wilted.

This would be great with some garlic bread to soak up the juices.

Grecian Tofu Scramble

Everyone knows how to make plain old tofu scramble, here's one to pull out for company or when you've got access to great quality ingredients. It seems like a lot of things, but it's mostly just chopping veggies- get someone to do the chopping and you can whip up the sauce- it will take less than 30 minutes start to finish, promise.

1 block extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, and squeezed by hand (or not, I only had frozen tofu so that's what I used)
1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
1 cup tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1 small white onion, finely diced
1/2 cup red pepper, sliced
1 tbsp capers in their brine
1 tbsp low-sodium tamari
a few dashes garlic tabasco
1/3 a bouillon cube made with 1 cup of water
1/4-1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tbsp low-sodium greek seasoning mix
1 cup shredded meltable soy mozzarella
black pepper
olive oil
a few kalamatas, lemon wedges, and some chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Cook the white onion in a splash of olive oil until starting to brown- you want a nice caramelized onion flavour happening here. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add the remaining veggies and cook 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in the bowl you made the bullion in, except the mozzarella and garnish. Add to the veggies. Immediately crumble the tofu into the pan, give it a stir, and cook for five more minutes. Adjust seasoning, cooking for longer if the veggies aren't soft or if it's all too wet (you want it creamy, but not soggy). Sprinkle with mozzarella and bit of nooch for colour, and put under the broiler until bubbly and browning. Serve with the parsley and olives scattered over top and a twist of lemon. The lemon is key here so do encourage people to squeeze it on. Some warm pita to scoop it all up and soak up the juices wouldn't hurt.

This would be amazing with some super-garlicky home fries. Bake 4 medium-sized, unpeeled yellow-fleshed potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces, in a lightly oiled pan, turning once, until golden and cooked through. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic finely minced, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, black pepper and coarse salt. Add the hot potatoes straight from the pan into the bowl, tossing quickly to coat. Serve alongside scramble, go to your happy place.

With a breakfast like this, you really can justify a glass of something dry and red before noon.

Cauliflower Asparagus Pasta Sauce

This is a lower-cal alternative to your usual pesto or cream sauce that relies on the texture and body of cauliflower and the flavour of asparagus to pull it all together, rather than refined oils. It's also super easy to make. I served it on whole wheat spaghetti this time, and it clung to the pasta beautifully.

2 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bunch asparagus, tips reserved, trimmed, and roughly chopped
1 small white onion
6 cloves garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp dried basil
red chili flakes, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Steam or boil the cauliflower and asparagus stems until soft. Meanwhile, cook onion in a touch of oil or a non-stick pan until starting to turn golden. Add garlic, toss once, and immediately turn off the heat. Add to a food processor, along with all the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth, adding water if necessary to make a soft paste. To serve, cook pasta and drain all but about 1/2 -1 cup of the cooking water, add sauce and reserved asparagus tips to the pan and cook until warm through. I added a couple of handfuls of baby spinach, and topped with a sprinkle of pine nuts and nutritional yeast to serve, but you can use whatever veggies you want.

Shake n' Bake Tofu Sammiches

You can actually use shake n' bake on the tofu for this if you don't feel like making your own breading. Make sure you read the label for the shake n' bake you want to use, cause some varieties have gelatin or other animal products. You can fry it in a pan in a 1/4 inch of oil for a more fried-chicken type feel. This is a tasty, easy to whip up meal that people seem to really enjoy, regardless of their veg status. One of the better ways to introduce someone to the wonderful stuff we call tofu.

Shake n' Bake Tofu
2 blocks Extra-firm tofu, with excess water squeezed out, cut in haf widthwise, and each have cut into four 'cutlets'. Marinate in a water-tamari-apple cider vinegar-thyme-veggie stock mix if you like.

2 pieces sturdy white bread (such as sourdough or rye)
3/4 c nutritional yeast
1/3 c wheat germ
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2-1 tsp smoked paprika (depending on how smoky yours is, start with the lesser amount)

1 c soy milk, with a tbsp egg replacer mixed in (add a few tablespoons of tamari here if you didn't marinate the tofu)

spray oil or vegetable oil, for cooking

Sammich Fixin's
Fluffy white buns, romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, Vegenaise. Serve with pickles and fries on the side. Instead of plain Vegenaise, you can make a fancy mayo, by mixing it with fresh garlic and lemon, or curry powder, or smoked paprika.

Process bread slices until in crumbs, then add the remaining ingredients and process a few times until mixed through. Spread mix on a plate. Dunk tofu in soy milk/ egg replacer mix, then in the breading, pressing the breading in and shaking off the excess (you can be fairly generous with it though). Add to an oiled cookie sheet as you prepare each piece. Repeat with remaining slices. Spray or drizzle the tops of the coated tofu with oil. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 mins, turning and re-spraying with oil once. Assemble in sammiches. Nom.

Seaside Pasta

I have a thing for small pasta shapes, little stars, tiny rings, bowties and so on. They all have very cute Italian names, but I never seem to remember them. Whenever I can get my partner to swing me over to the Italian Market I indulge in a few new shapes (and usually a tin or two of dolmades and a jar of hot eggplant while I'm at it). This time, I whipped up something light and briny, using the leftover tinned black olives and chopped tomatoes from last night's tacos. This dish makes me think of the sea.

Small pasta, about two servings worth- cook as directed
2 tbsp capers plus a splash of brine
2 tbsp sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped tomato
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 a small onion, finely chopped
4 asperagus spears, trimmed and chopped into 2 cm bits
1/4 veggie boullion cube
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
black pepper
salt
the juice of 1/2 lemon
nb- this would go really well with some fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, if you have some on hand

While cooking the pasta, cook the onions in a splash of olive oil until fragrent, then add the remaining ingredients, smashing the tomatoes with the back of a fork as you go. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with a ladle of the cooking water, and simmer just a few moments until the consistency looks right for eating. Drizzle some more olive oil on top, and serve with a wedge of lemon and a generous sprinkling of black pepper on top.

Tofurky sausage and lentil stew

This has a great beef-y taste, really satisfying and easy to make. I used Copper Moon Shiraz in this, and served it alongside fresh sourdough bread with Earth Balance. Even the boy ate it, and he is a self-professed soup hater. You could add carrots and celery to the onions when cooking, or add green beans when you add the broccoli; stew is a great excuse to empty out your fridge, so go ahead and be creative.

olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, divided in half
2 Italian style Tofurky sausages, sliced thinly on the bias
About a cup of red wine, or to taste
1/2 cup green lentils, cooked (add a bay leaf, a clove and some peppercorns to the cooking water)
2 cups baby yellow fleshed potatoes, slices in half (or in quarters if they are very big)
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets slightly larger than the pieces of potato
1 1/2-2 cubes of beef-style vegan bouillon (or two, depending on how salty the brand you use is)
1 tbsp rosemary
2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Bay leaf
1/4-1 tsp smoked paprika, depending on it's potency and your preference (I was going for a very slight smoke flavour here, so I added the smaller amount)
a couple dashes of garlic Tabasco sauce
freshly ground black pepper

1) Brown onions in a large preheated soup pot over medium heat with some olive oil. When starting to get some colour but are not yet brown, season with salt and pepper and add half the garlic and the sausages, ensuring they touch the bottom of the pan.
2) Pour yourself a glass of the wine, watch the sausages but don't touch them until they are brown on the bottom. Flip them, drink some more wine, and when they are mostly brown on all sides toss in the rest of your wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This whole process should take about 3-5 minutes if your temperature is right.
3) Add six cups of cold water, the herbs and spices, and the bouillon. Bring to a low boil, then remove the sausages. Allow to boil for about half an hour, or until reduced by one third.
4) Add the potatoes. When tender, add the broccoli, remaining garlic, lentils tabasco sauce and reserved sausages, and a splash or so more wine. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until broccoli is tender.
5) Pour yourself some more wine, and serve with your favourite crusty bread

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

This little number is adapted from something Ricardo, everyone's favorite Quebecer, made. When it's finished, it tastes like the cheddary base of cheese n' broccoli soup. Next time I'm going to steam some broccoli, toss it in, and see how it goes. 

• 1 head cauliflower
  
• 1 c leek (one medium leek)
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 potato (peeled)
  
• 2 Macintosh apples (peeled)
  
• 6 c "chicken" broth

Slice leeks, mince garlic. Sautee them in a soup pan. Cut up potato, cauliflower, and apples. Add potato, cauliflower, and broth to leeks/garlic. Cook for a bit. Add apples. Puree when all cooked up.

2-minute Chili Burger

This recipe originated from my failed attempt at Jessica's sultry chili. It makes an approximate eff-ton of chili and, having read the recipe wrong, I added about 4 times as much chili as called for. This made things a little spicy, shall we say. In order to cut the heat and use up some of my ungodly large supply of chili, I made these. I cannot emphasize enough how easy they are. 

Makes: 2 medium burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 can of your favorite vegetarian chili (or about a cup of home-made)
  
• about 1 c vital wheat gluten 
  

Pour chili into a bowl and mash up the beans; more mashed usually works a little better. Add gluten, mix thoroughly, and start kneading. If your chili dough isn't staying together, add more gluten. Knead it until the gluten is clearly doin' its thang (this will make the dough look stringy), then taste it and make sure it tastes chili-y enough (not all chilis are spiced the same). Then divide and form patties. Pan fry or bake. As a person of little patience, I bake on a high temperature, and sometimes fry and THEN bake. Once firm, those babies are ready to eat. I like mine on toast with vegenaise. 

Sultry Sweet Potato and Chipotle Chili

This is a pretty cheap, healthy, warming chili that uses the classic flavour combination of chipotles and sweet potatoes and then adds a healthy dose of seductive depth from cocoa and cinnamon. This is a true pantry dish, you can keep the ingredients on hand and whip it up when you have a crowd coming over or when you need a special meal. You'll only need up to a third cup of chipotles in adobo altogether, depending on your heat tolerance. The remainder freezes well squished flat in a baggie, then you can break off however much you need the next time you want to spice up your rice or beans. If the chipotles are too hot, but you want some more smoky goodness, add some smoked paprika or natural smoke flavour. Be sure to use fair trade cocoa, preferably dutch-processed (darker in colour and flavour). You can substitute a couple of cups of cooked quinoa or even brown rice for the veggie ground round, just add some more veggie stock to balance the flavours. If you happen to live with someone who is afraid of vegetables (like I do), you can puree all ingredients up to the addition of bay leaves after cooking them, then return them to the pot and continue with the recipe.

Cans:
1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz. preferably no salt added)
1 small can Mexican stewed tomatoes (19 oz.,or 1 small can regular tomatoes plus 1 tbsp chili powder)
2 small cans pinto beans (14 oz.)
2 small cans black beans (14 oz.)
1 small can green chilies (7.6 oz., look in the Mexican section of your grocer)
1 tbsp from small can chipotles (7.6 oz. Start with a tablespoon, and slowly go up from there, checking for heat as you go. Chop carefully with gloved hands.)
1 can corn (or about a cup and a third of frozen corn- add the juice from the can if you're a big fan of corn)
oil for cooking

Veggies:
1 medium sweet potato, cubed into bites, about three cups
2 large carrots, diced, about two cups
1 large yellow onion, diced, about two cups
1/2 a head of garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, whichever kind you like, finely diced, about a cup
stems from 1 bunch of cilantro, about 1/3-1/2 cup, washed well and minced

Flavour flavour:
1 veggie bullion cube (I use fake beef kind, more if substituting grains for soy, or to taste)
1 tbsp Ancho chili powder (or some other dark chili powder, not chili flakes)
2 bay leaves
1/4-1/2 cup fair-trade cocoa
2 tsp cinnamon

Soy:
2 packages veggie ground round, beef style (or substitute 2 cups of a cooked whole grain)

Garnish (optional, but awesome):
chopped cilantro leaves, chopped green onion, lime wedges, soy plain yogurt or sour cream, soy cheese

Saute the onions and carrots in a bit of oil with a pinch of salt over medium heat in your largest pot. When the vegetables are translucent, add the cilantro stems and the garlic, cooking for about a minute. Toss in the tomatoes, chipotles, bullion, chili powder, bay leaves and all the beans. Bring to a boil and add the sweet potatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and the liquid has reduced a bit, about 20 mins. Add the cocoa, cinnamon, ground round, bell pepper, corn, green chilies and adjust for flavour. This is where you may decide it needs more heat (chipotles or Ancho chili powder), smokiness (chipotles or smoked paprika, salt (bullion), or depth (bullion, cocoa, blackstrap molasses might do it). By starting with a conservative amount of spices, you can build it up slowly and hopefully avoid the risk of going overboard. Be careful not to add too much cinnamon--as tasty as it is, it's supposed to play a supporting role in this dish, and can easily overpower the subtle flavours of the chilies and cocoa. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then serve it up and allow people to garnish their own bowl. We served this with plain, steamed collards, cut into ribbons, and Jackie's tasty corn bread with margarine and agave nectar for dessert. Heavenly.

Sausage-stuffed pasta shells with walnut-rosemary breading in Alfredo sauce

I was planning to make homemade ravioli for new years this year, but upon extensive review I found out that it was easy to mess up and rather time consuming. So, borrowing from the idea behind Vegan Dad's sausage stuffed ravioli, and using the Alfredo sauce he cites from the PPK forum, I came up with this. Jackie was impressed with how smoothly and quickly it all went-there was very little clean up. The only catch is you need a food processor for this one. Trust me, it's the best investment a lazy vegan can make to her kitchen.

Pasta Filling
4 Tofurky Italian style sausages (other kinds of seitan/tofu blend sausages might work too)
1 small head garlic
1 tbsp fennel seeds (smashed in a mortar and pestle to release their fragrance)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or half of that if dried)
1/4 cup fresh italian parsley, chopped
1 onion
1 rib celery
1/2 cup walnuts
oil for cooking

Roast the garlic by wrapping the whole, unpeeled head in tinfoil and heating in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, chop the onion and celery finely and heat in a large, oiled skillet over medium heat. Break the sausages up into large chunks into the processor and process until crumbly. Add to pan with onions and celery. Process walnuts until crumbly and add to the pan. Things should be starting to brown by now, adjust heat if necessary. If you have some white wine on hand, now would be the time to add a splash (though be sure to let it evaporate completely). Add the roasted garlic (cloves squished out of the skin, about 3 tbsp all together), fennel, rosemary and parsley and remove from heat. While that's cooling, boil 25 large pasta shells until slightly firm but still edible aka al dente (mine are called conchiglioni) and make the breading.

Breading
1/4 cup vegan margerine
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs (use another kind if you must, but try it with panko at some point, it really makes all the difference)
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 cup processed walnuts
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Warm the margerine over medium low heat with the garlic. When fragrant (30 second or so) add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Continute to stir until breadcrumbs are toasted and set aside.

Oil a 9 inch square pan, including the sides. Stuff pasta shells with sausage filling and pack them tightly into the pan. Spoon breading over the filling and press down lightly. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven about 15 minutes to get everything warm again while you whizz together the Alfredo sauce.

I served these by spooning a crescent of sauce on the plate, placing five shells on top of it, and topping with another drizzle across the top. We had raw baby spinach with spicy marinated eggplant, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and simple steamed green beans as well. It was delish.