So-Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Crisp

There are many recipes out there for vegan mac and cheese. This is not one of them. Here is just a creamy pasta dish that doesn't pretend to be cheesy, but just revels in being delicious. Sawyer enjoys this in blissful ignorance of the fact that cauliflower is the main ingredient. While I believe that kids should enjoy vegetables in their "unhidden" state, Sawyer just doesn't, and I have stopped fighting it.  He will eat them in sauces, finely diced in rice dishes, in any number of veggie burger variations, in soup, but just eating them straight is such a chore that I only require him to gag through a bite or two of plain carrot, broccoli, etc. and then call it good.  A few weeks ago I bought those dried green beans from Trader Joe's for Abiline, and she was chowing down with such gusto in the car that Sawyer ventured to ask for one.  He cautiously chewed it, and then, in breathless disbelief, declared, "I just ate a green bean!"

1 red pepper, roasted and blackened skin removed

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets

1 lrg. yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 can)

1/4 c. tahini

1/3 c. full-fat coconut milk

1 c. plain non-dairy milk

3 Tbsp. chickpea miso (or mellow white miso, if no soy-allergy)

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 lb. pasta

1 1/2 c. favorite cracker crumbs

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425. Toss cauliflower and onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast cauliflower and onions for 30 mins., on a large baking pan, stirring halfway through. Turn oven down to 375 when you take the veggies out.

2. While the veggies are roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Place roasted cauliflower and onions in a blender with red pepper, chickpeas, tahini, coconut milk,  non-dairy milk, vinegar, and miso and blend until smooth. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.

4. Grease a 9x12 or 11x15 baking disg and add pasta and sauce and stir to combine. In a food processor, pulse crackers into fine crumbs and then add olive oil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle crumbs on top of pasta and bake covered with foil for 15 mins, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more. 

 

  
I know Easter is over, but we still love our bunny ears. This is about the only Easter thrill my kids get beyond a piece of allergy-free chocolate bar that we indulged in on Easter morning, since allergy-friendly candy is expensive and scarce.  I am fine with that, though, as it allows us to better focus on Christ and the importance of the resurrection instead of on Easter baskets.

This recipe is posted on Wellness Weekend,  Meatless Mondays and Allergy-Free Wednesdays.

Best Mock Meatballs and Maple Coconut Kale with Champagne Vinegar

As I've noted before, spaghetti is a family favorite--especially for Abiline and Daddy (who share many food preferences--who knew taste was so much a function of genetics?). I have tried out many a homemade meatless meatball recipe to accompany our beloved noodles with red sauce, but I have found that the tofu and beans used as the base make most of them too mushy.  I wanted my spaghetti to have a  slightly crispy, chewy counterpart to complement it, so I experimented around and found that the combination of quinoa, chia seeds, and wheat gluten in addition to some beans made for a more toothsome texture.  Anthony said that these meatballs were "awesome," Sawyer ate them without complaining, and Abiline scavenged for little morsels amidst her finely chopped noodles. We will definitely be making these again.

The meal was rounded out nicely by this magical kale, which I have been eating nonstop since I picked up some Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar at Trader Joe's and ventured to splash it on my greens. Combined with maple syrup and coconut oil, this kale has Abiline and I battling for the last bite.

This recipe is also posted on Whole Foods Wednesdays :o)

Mock Meatballs

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked kidney beans
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
dash of pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 375 and oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.  In a food processor combine all of the ingredients except for the water, starting with just 1/4 tsp. salt. Process until smooth, and then taste and add additional salt if desired. If necessary, add the water 1 Tbsp. at a time to get everything well-incorporated; you want the mixture somewhat firm like cookie dough, but not runny like batter.

Form the dough into about a dozen small balls and bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, then flip and bake for 8 minutes more, until lightly browned on both sides.

Maple Coconut Kale with Champagne Vinegar

1 bunch kale, washed, stemmed, and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp orange muscat champagne vinegar (If you don't live close to a Trader Joe's you could probably sub some OJ and regular champagne vinegar.)

Preparation Method 1: Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale, and saute for a minute. Add the maple syrup and vinegar, stir to coat, then cover the pan and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the leaves have cooked down and are starting to caramalize.


Preparation Method 2: Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave, then toss the kale leaves in a large bowl with the oil, maple syrup, and vinegar. Spread the kale out on the prepared pan so that no leaves are overlapping and bake until crispy, 5-10 minutes. Check the kale after five minutes and then keep a close eye on it if not yet crisp, as it can burn quickly.

Pumpkin Broccoli Sauce

As I've mentioned before, my kids eat a lot of pasta.  If Sawyer had his way, it would always be "cold pasta with no sauce," but I only allow that if he is eating his plain pasta with soup. Otherwise, we need a sauce to get some more veggies into the meal.  Marinara sauce is yummy from time to time, and the kids love tahini-miso sauce, but after a while, we need more options. So, in keeping with the abundance of pumpkin recipes I have been posting lately, I made pumpkin sauce for the pasta wheels that Sawyer had been begging for all week.  He enjoys "crashing" the wheels by smooshing them to bits before shoving them into his mouth.  Perhaps I should be telling him not to play with his food, but I am just happy to see him excited about eating.

Here is Sawyer demonstrating the face he likes to make whenever I offer up a new sauce. 95% of the time he ends up liking it despite the dramatics.  He just has an image to keep up of being a picky eater. 

2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer hemp, coconut, or oat milk)
2 Tbsp. soy-free Earth Balance margarine
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
dash of black pepper
1/2 cup well-cooked broccoli florets
1/2 cup white beans, such as cannellini or great northern
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional, but good and adds B vitamins)
1/2 tsp agave nectar (optional, to taste)

1. Whisk together the  pumpkin, non-dairy milk, Earth Balance, basil, salt, onion powder, and pepper in a small saucepan over med-high heat and heat until warmed and well combined.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin mixture with the broccoli florets, beans and nutritional yeast, if you are using it. Puree until smooth.  Taste and add the agave if you desire the touch of sweetness. This makes about 1 cup, which was enough for about 1/2 lb. of pasta.   

Soy-free White Bean Ricotta and Other Discoveries

When Anthony and I first got married, for Christmas my mom gave me the Vegan Planet cookbook by Robin Robertson.  We were vegetarian at that point, but once we tried one of the recipes for lasagna made with tofu-ricotta filling, we never went back to dairy ricotta. The tofu ricotta was so much lighter, not leaving that intense, heavy feeling in our stomachs that can come from cheese-laden Italian food.  When we had kids with soy allergies, though, I had to come up with a new dairy-free replacement for ricotta that was also soy-free so that our family could still enjoy lasagna. Pureed white beans and cauliflower seemed like they would create the right texture, but my first attempt was too dry and low-fat tasting. I gave it another go last week and got it pretty spot on, I think, creating a delicious filling that I could have even used as a dip.  I paired the filling with lasagna noodles slathered in leftover miracle rice sauce and marinara that I had on hand.  This recipe made enough ricotta for a huge lasagna--an 11x17 pan, or a 9x13 plus a 9 in square pan.  My lasagna was yummy enough to share with friends, but take my advice and remember to use a ton of sauce when you make lasagna with the no-boil noodles. They just suck up so much liquid that the lasagna wasn't saucy enough for my taste.

2 cups well-cooked white beans (cannellini or great northern work well)
1/2 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets and steamed until very tender
1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 c. shredded vegan cheese (I used homemade from the Uncheese Cookbook, but Daiya would work)
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast**
2 Tbsp. vegan mayo (I used Earth Balance, since the original kind is soy-free)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. tahini
1/3 c. non-dairy milk
1 1/2-2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place all of the ingredients in your blender and puree until mostly smooth, with a little bit of texture from the beans and cauliflower. Start with just 1 1/2 tsp salt, and then taste and add more if necessary, depending on the type of vegan cheese you use.

**I have had a few people ask me what nutritional yeast is, as it is not an ingredient usually known to those who are new to a dairy-free diet.  See this Wikipedia article and trust me that it is a fabulous ingredient that I wouldn't live without.

Vegan soy-free ricotta was a pretty thrilling discovery, but so was finding this ultra-cute smock in the closet, which my good friend made for Abiline when she was an infant, and now finally fits. I wish I could wear it, too.

 I was also overjoyed to find out that Sawyer was just joking with me when he exclaimed that his favorite blanket was eating him. Phew! We survive another day of fun in the Holden household! (Now we know why the laundry basket is in shambles, eh?)

Best (So Far) Uncheese Pasta Sauce

You may be aware of the delicious (or so I hear) cashew-based cheese sauce that is served at Real Food Daily here in the Los Angeles area. The recipe is in the restaurant's cookbook, and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau put it in her Color Me Vegan cookbook as well because it is just that good.  I decided to adapt the recipe to suit those with nut allergies, so I replaced the cashews with sunflower seeds, and found it to be super-delicious with the addition of 1-2 tsp agave nectar to compensate for the fact that cashews are much sweeter than sunflower seeds. This recipe can hardy be called my own creation, but I wanted to share with those of you who may not have tried this sauce because of the cashews. My kids LOVE it on their pasta.

1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 1/2 c. oat milk
1/4 c. full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp. arrowroot powder
1/4 c. canola oil
2 Tbsp. chickpea miso
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tsp. agave nectar

1. Finely grind the sunflower seeds in a food processor. Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and pulse to combine.
2. In a saucepan, combine the oat milk, coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and oil and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and stir occasionally until thickened.
3. Add the milk mixture to the sunflower seed mixture in the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the miso, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. agave and blend again.  Taste and add additional agave if needed.

Ultra-Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta Bake

Growing up, we didn't eat pasta very much, and I'm really not sure why. It could be that my mom hates garlic (or at least garlic breath), and my dad is against onions, which tend to be prominent flavors in the pasta world. Mom would make spaghetti every once in a while by adding a scant amount of a package of Lawry's spaghetti seasoning (dated from 1974) to a pot full of tomato sauce and then ladeling it over noodles cooked into plump worms. You have to understand, my mother just loves soggy food. An al dente noodle would have been a violation of the Wonder bread truism that carbs can be wadded up into a squishy ball. I sure loved that spaghetti, but I showed signs at a young age that my tastes were leaning in another direction, as I always requested to crunch on some raw noodles while Mom was boiling the rest.

As an older child I swooned when I first ate a creation called "lasagna" at a friend's house. I was hooked, and from that time forward, I would beg my mom to buy me any type of Italian frozen pasta dinner, as I had no notion that I could make such dishes myself from scratch, and I knew Mom was not so inclined. After I would eat the so-called "frozen entrees," she would crinkle up her nose and smile ruefully at my garlic-enhanced aroma. Thanks, Mom, for still letting me indulge despite the stink! There is no guaranteeing that your kids are going to have the same tastes as you, which sure is tricky for the mom, as I am learning...

Fortunately, in the case of pasta, my kids are equally exuberant. And, lucky for them, I have learned that I can cook it up it oh-so-yummy without the help of any blue box of mac and cheese! This pasta dish I concocted last week is rich and cheesy, based on a pizza I used to make with bottled alfredo sauce and roasted sweet potatoes and onions on top. Perhaps I was pushing my luck with the kale "parmesan" sprinkles, but everyone ate with gusto.

For roasted sweet potatoes and onions:
2 medium-large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 in. dice (about 1.5 lb.)
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

For sauce:
2 c. plain don-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 c. grated Daiya vegan mozzarella
1/4 c. white flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 roasted sweet potato-onion mixture
1 c. cooked broccoli florets

For pasta:
1/2 lb pasta (I used whole wheat medium shells)
Additional 1-2 cups of broccoli florets

For kale "parmesan" sprinkles:
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp. shelled pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 and oil a 9x13 or equally large baking pan. Combine diced sweet potatoes, onions, olive oil, salt, thyme, rosemary, sage, and pepper in the dish until the veggies are equally coated. Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until the veggies are very tender when pierced with a fork.
2. While the sweet potatoes are roasting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear the leaves from the stalks of the kale, wash them thoroughly, and pat them dry. In a large bowl, toss the kale leaves with the tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay out in a single layer on the baking sheet and place in the oven with the sweet potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes, and then check on the leaves; you want them crispy. If they are still looking a bit soggy, put them back in the oven for a few minutes until they are just turning slightly brown. Be careful, as you don't want to burn them. Once the leaves are crisp, let them cool a few minutes, and then whiz them in a food processor with the nutritional yeast and pumpkin seeds until finely ground. Stick the mixture back in the oven for 5-8 minutes to crisp everything up again.


3. Once you've taken care of the kale, boil a large pot of water and cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions. Steam your broccoli florets until tender in the microwave or in a steam basket on the stove-top.
4. When the sweet potatoes are done, add all of the sauce ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Oil a 9x13in baking dish, and add the cooked pasta, remaining sweet-potatoes, onions, and broccoli. Pour the sauce over all and stir to evenly coat. Then sprinkle with the kale parmesan.
5. Bake in the 400 oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Vegetable of the Sea Noodle Casserole

The other day I was checking out at the grocery store, and there were shiny, brightly colored packages of "seaweed snack" begging to be grabbed as an impulse buy. Sawyer complied with the ploy and begged me to get some for him. Like any respectable mother, I gave in and bought my son the much-coveted seaweed treat, interested to see the look on his face when he discovered that it wasn't candy, per se. Who knows--maybe he would like it? He does insist that dark green is his favorite color. He was indeed brave and gingerly sampled a few morsels, but the real surprise was that Abiline devoured most of it. And ever since, she has been munching up daily doses of seaweed snack. So I decided that I would try to combine the kids' favorite meal-time foods--seaweed, peas (Abiline's other passion), and pasta (Sawyer's one true love). The "tuna-less casserole" idea has been done before, but I have never loved any of the recipes I have tried, so here is my own version, which Anthony called "delicious" and which the kids happily ate without complaint.

1 lb. pasta (We used spirals because those are easy for Abiline to eat.)
1/2 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced
1 tbsp. oil, for sauteeing the onion
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1. c. frozen peas
1 1/2 c. cooked white beans
1 1/2 c. plain dairy-free milk (I used hemp)
1/4 c. seaweed flakes (These are pretty readily available nowadays--Trader Joe's, Costco, your local Asian market)
1/4 c. tahini
3 tbsp. soy-free Earth Balance, or your margarine of choice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (If you don't want to buy this, you could just add some pepper and call it good)
1 c. cracker crumbs of choice
1/2 c. Daiya vegan cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 9x13in glass pan. Boil a large pot of water and cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the oinion, and saute until transparent and starting to brown.
3. Steam the cauliflower either in the microwave or in a steamer basket until tender. Thaw the peas.
4. Add 2/3 of the cauliflower, beans, dairy-free milk, seaweed, tahini, Earth Balance, salt, paprika, and Old Bay Seasoning to a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Add the pasta, peas, and the remaining cauliflower to the prepared pan, pour the sauce over it, and stir to combine. Sprinkle evenly with the cracker crumbs and Daiya, if desired. Bake for 20 mins. in the preheated oven.

Corn-Free Cornbread

Disclaimer: this post may only interest those who have to deal with a corn allergy. But read on; you may be intrigued enough to give it a try.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but it has been my holy grail as the mom of a son who is allergic to corn, but who got a taste for it before we figured out his allergy. I stumbled upon this cornbread-cousin completely by accident when I was just experimenting with some different flours yesterday morning. The ingredient combination sounds unlikely, but the bread truly does come out with a cornbready taste, minus the grittiness. Put butter and agave on it, and you have a darn good replacement for cornbread with your chili. We ate it last night with barbecue root veggies and seitan. Yum! This recipe is small, but it should double well.

Cornbread Muffins without the Corn

1/2 c. kamut flour
1/2 c. garbanzo-fava bean flour (You could probably use plain garbanzo bean flour, which is cheaper.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. full-fat coconut milk
1/2 c. crushed pineapple with juice
2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 and grease 6 muffin cups or a pan of 12 mini muffins. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Make a well in the center and add the coconut milk, pineapple, and maple syrup. Mix with a fork until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 17-22 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out dry.

Pesto From Our Garden!

We planted some Swiss chard, carrots, and basil on the back porch this spring, and Sawyer has been in charge of watering them every day. Although I know little about gardening, the chard and basil looked to me like they needed to be pruned a bit, so we picked a bunch of the leaves, and I made pesto sauce for our dinner last night. Sawyer had been telling me that although he likes to water the chard, he was not interested in eating it. He changed his mind after trying this sauce! Victory for Mom!

Chard and Hemp Seed Pesto

1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
1/2 c. Swiss chard leaves
1/4 c. shelled hemp seeds
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. chickpea miso (or any miso if you aren't allergic to soy)
Dash of pepper

Substitution Note: If you do not have miso, you can sub 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt, to taste. Also, hemp seeds could be replaced with pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Obviously the flavor will not be the same, but that will do in a pinch.

Directions: Puree all in a food processor or blender and toss with 1/2 lb. pasta and any veggies of your choice. We did radiatore and grape tomatoes with much success. Even Abiline ate it all up!

Sweet Carrot Tahini Sauce

My kids love pasta, but it is hard to find good veggie-based sauces that please them. A few days ago Sawyer wanted udon noodles and " something different" for the sauce. So I came up with this sauce that was eaten with what would pass for gusto in a picky eater like Sawyer. As a side note, I was pleased to find out when reading the nutrition label that 2 tbsp. of tahini provides 30% RDA of calcium!

Sweet Carrot Tahini Sauce

2 medium carrots, chopped and steamed until very soft
1 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. chickpea miso (or any light miso if soy allergies are no problem)
2-3 tbsp. hemp or non-dairy milk of choice to thin as desired

Substitution note: I have made this successfully with soy sauce instead of miso. That won't work if you have a soy-allergy, of course, but those who don't might prefer the option since soy sauce is more accessible.

Directions: Place steamed carrots, tahini, maple syrup, and miso in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Add milk 1 tbsp. at a time and blend to thin to desired consistency. I used it thick as a spread on some seitan sandwiches Anthony and I had for dinner, and then thinned it out to use as pasta sauce for the kids.