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.