Aparagus & Tomato Pasta, Three Thai Dishes

ASPARAGUS & TOMATO SHELL PASTA

There has been some lovely asparagus in the market lately, both the green kind and the purple. Being a little conservative for colour for this dish, I chose the green and teamed it with some lovely little grape tomatoes, basil, and green onions to mix with baby shell pasta. It was so good.

The recipe is just about what I've said above:

Shell pasta for two persons (I use about 100-120 grams or 3-4 ounces)
1 slice of onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
pinch of crushed chiles - or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
half a bunch of fresh basil, lightly chopped
2 green/spring onions, chopped
basil sprigs for garnish

While the pasta water is coming to the boil and the pasta is cooking (according to package instructions), put the onion and garlic in a little water in a skillet (large enough to contain all the ingredients in the recipe) and cook until soft.

Add the asparagus, tomatoes and chopped basil with the seasonings and stir over medium-high heat until the tomato skins start to look as if they are loosening up a little. Stop there. Don't overcook. If the pasta is not ready, remove the vegetables from the heat until the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables in the skillet, toss them together and return to the heat if necessary for a moment or two to make sure everything is heated through. Remove from heat, stir in the green onions and transfer the pasta to a warmed serving dish. Garnish.

It doesn't get much simpler than that :)


THREE THAI DISHES



I've also been playing around at making more Thai food - we both love it! This one in the photo above is EGGPLANT WITH BASIL. I usually like to add a little cubed tofu to this dish as well as the red bell pepper.

And this one . . .



. . . is a SWEET POTATO AND POTATO COCONUT CURRY. Tofu goes nicely in this one too.

And then there was the day I made (dah-dah dah-dah!) . . .



TOM YUM SOUP! This was my first time of making it, and I think I got a little carried away, putting in enough vegetables and tofu to make it into something approaching a stew rather than a soup. That is, however, easily corrected.

These dishes are keepers here. Actually, we love Thai spices and like to flavour all kinds of things with them. My problem, however, is being able to get fresh kaffir lime leaves (although I keep a good supply of dried ones up the cupboard) and fresh lemon grass, not to mention fresh Thai basil, which is so important to the taste. It's a bore to have to substitute other things :(

Now that spring is here I'm looking to more and more lovely vegetables to put into my stir 'fries' and curries. I remind myself that they have snow out west!

Variations On A Theme: Baked Pasta With Spinach, Gluten And Mushrooms

[Edited because I mistakenly added in part of another recipe - would ya believe!!!! Time for a rest!]

A little while ago I posted a pic and recipe (sort of) for something I whipped up on a slow day in the kitchen (or was it a frantic day? Point is, I made it from what I had on hand - AND I was feeling relatively lazy!). It was a Mushroom Pasta Bake and it was GOOD :)

Shortly thereafter I did a variation on that one. Feeling that I needed to use up some things in the freezer (in this case, some seitan/gluten I had made) and the refrigerator (in this case mushrooms - I always have mushrooms and use any excuse to use them up!), I decided to do another 'bake'. Tofu I usually have in because I buy some of those shelf-stable aseptic packs of silken tofu that I use whenever I run out of the regular tofu. Besides, silken is great for sauces and such - so there!

So here's my 'Variation On A Theme':

BAKED PASTA WITH SPINACH, GLUTEN AND MUSHROOMS



Following the previous recipe, more or less (see above) I assembled the following:

3 or 4 ounces quinoa macaroni, boiled just short of al dente and drained (or use whatever small pasta you prefer)
4 or 5 ounces mushrooms, chopped small
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained very very well
A few ounces (about 1 cup measure) of my own homemade gluten roast (seasoned as if for roast b**f), minced
Liquid from cooking the gluten roast (half a cup or so you could substitute a good strong veg stock)
1/2 pkg low-fat tofu (you might want to use more so that you have extra sauce to pass at the table)*
soymilk and/or stock - enough to thin out the tofu to a cream consistency*
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (optional but we like it most of the time)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 - 2 Tbsp lemon juice
black pepper
1 Tbsp white miso
herbs according to taste
salt and pepper throughout to taste
Nutmeg for the spinach
crumbs or vegan parmezan cheez for topping (I used my own mix that I keep on hand)

I cooked the pasta and while it was doing its thing I sauteed the mushrooms in a little stock and low-sodium soy. My spinach wasn't completely thawed, so I put it on a low heat at the back of the stove to finish defrosting. I had previously chopped the wedge of gluten roast (you could use some kind of commercial seitan - depending on flavour) very finely - to make it seem like soy crumbles.

When the mushrooms are shrunk to half their size and looking good :) add the gluten/seitan and its cooking liquid or stock. At this point you might need to add a little wholewheat flour to thicken this mixture (stir quickly so it doesn't glom) and add more stock, a bit at a time, until you have a good consistency for a gravy. Let this cook a little to take away the raw taste of the flour. Everything tasting good? (Need salt and pepper? More stock?) A nice rich 'gravy' is ideal here. Okay, set it aside.

For the tofu topping:
Mix the tofu with the remaining ingredients (except for the nutmeg and crumbs) until it tastes the way you want it to. This is a subjective matter and I even change my mind from day to day what I like to have in this kind of dish. You decide. You will want this to be nice and creamy - sort of like a thickish yoghurt.

* Alternately, you could simply whisk a some silken tofu with whatever you like of the same ingredients for an easier topping.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

Pre-heat oven to 375

Spoon the spinach into the bottom of a lightly oil-sprayed casserole, grate on a little nutmeg.



Add the macaroni-mushroom-gluten mix in a nice even layer over the top of the spinach.



Next comes the tofu sauce.



As you see, I kinda dump it in spoonfuls over the top then spread it with the back of a spoon to more or less cover. If there's more than you need, fine - it makes a good sauce to pass at the table. If not, then don't sweat it.

Finally top with crumbs, a mix of nuts and nutritional yeast or vegan parmezan cheez - whatever your heart desires :)

And here it is



- all ready to go in the oven for (how long did I say?) 20 minutes, lightly covered with foil, then remove the foil for a last few minutes to brown a little. The timing will depend a little on the heat of your oven (they all differ a bit) and the size and shape of your baking dish.

This had a rich 'meaty' taste - and the spinach was a pleasant complement to the rest of the dish. I'll do it this way in future.

NOTE: I tend to make things a little on the dry side by some people's standards, because we don't care for 'soupy' dishes - unless we're having soup! LOL You may want to add more liquid to everything, more sauce, depending on your taste. Just note as you go along whether or not it looks right to you, okay?

Eggplant Spiced North Indian Style, Baked Macaroni Bolognese

Those who know me know that I am essentially a lazy cook. I cook from scratch, but I take short cuts and I prefer things that can be left to cook themselves while we relax a bit before the meal. It helps if they can be kept warm on stovetop or in the oven (crockpot too) while we have our salad course.

These two meals were easy for me - and for that reason I'm likely to have them on the menu again and again.

EGGPLANT SPICED NORTH INDIAN STYLE



I thought a bit about what to call this dish - it originated as one of Madhur Jaffrey's in her Eastern Vegetarian Cooking. However, I adjusted the seasoning quite a bit so that it probably violates the whole idea of naming it after any region. In additiion, I made it for two persons, which always messes with a recipe (you can rarely just cut a recipe by two-thirds anyway, and I didn't), and of course I omitted any added fat/oil, as per usual, and omitted the salt. The proportions of spices were adjusted to suit our taste (and to compensate for the lack of salt). The method and the seasonings changed, that's what :) but the eggplant and onion stayed. The results were very pleasing to us. Here's my renamed version.

1 lb eggplant, cubed (I left mine unpeeled - looks so pretty that way)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste, if used

I put all ingredients except for the lemon juice into a large skillet (I can see what's happening better that way) and stirred over medium-high heat with enough water to keep it all from burning, allowing the spices to get thoroughly mixed through and to coat the vegetables. Then I added around half a cup of water, covered, and lowered the heat for around 20 minutes to half an hour - well, it might have been a little longer - until the eggplant was cooked through but not mushy. Stirring every now and then helps - and it lets you keep any eye out to add more liquid if it looks as if it's going to burn. During one of those stirrings I added the lemon juice.

When done - and you know how you like your eggplant to be - taste for seasonings (you might have wanted salt, so add a little more if necessary).



Serve with brown rice and whatever salad-like things please you. Indian accompaniments would be best, but it's a versatile dish. Lovely way to take your veggies!!!


The next one is a really lazy dish -


BAKED MACARONI BOLOGNESE



Yesterday I was stuck for ideas, so I thought why not just re-run Saturday's lunch - spaghetti bolognese (or is that 'bolognaise'? Never mind!). I had made this from mushrooms and tvp plus all the usual suspects required for a good tomato pasta sauce. It had been very good. You can find the recipe HERE - except this time I had lots of mushrooms and therefore used more.

I cooked some quinoa macaroni (love that stuff!) - or I should say I deliberately undercooked it - while I reheated the bolognese sauce and added a little more tomato paste and stock along with another half dozen or so quartered mushrooms, jazzing it up with more chilies and more nutritional yeast - this dish was not going to be boring! I then mixed together the sauce and macaroni, saving a little sauce for the top, and dumped it into a casserole.



As you see I also added a cheezy crumb topping and paved the surface with some sliced mushrooms. Lightly covering with some aluminum foil, it went into the oven (375 F) for around half an hour then spent a little time with its cover off while we had our salad. Easy. (Okay, so it was just 'leftovers' - but it was still good and still easy! LOL)

THE ARTICHOKE CAPER - 2 WAYS: Stuffed and Not

I usually do what so many people do - have artichokes as a first course hot or cold, lightly dressed, or in salad or pasta. A couple of days ago we saw some lovely young artichokes at the market and bought something like nine of the little dears. Then what to do with them! We have sworn off oils (except for a very little), so having them in a vegan 'butter' or a vinaigrette was out of the question. Hmmm, pasta or salad. Or something else? I have always enjoyed them stuffed in restaurants, so - nothing loath - I gave it a try.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES



I selected four artichokes and prepared them in the usual way, although I chose to leave an extra layer of leaves (not to be eaten) around the outside for ballast, as it were.

While they were steaming upside down in a little water, I threw together a stuffing made of a slice of bread (all I could find was dark rye - very un-Italian!) reduced to crumbs, around one-third of a package of firm tofu, crumbled, a couple of green onions, finely chopped, about half of an orange bell pepper, finely chopped, some sage, some minced garlic, nutritional yeast, crushed chilies (yeah I know, I put them in everything nearly), black pepper, a little low-sodium soysauce and lemon juice. I think that was all.

When I could handle the artichokes, I pushed the stuffing down wherever I could between leaves, etc., and then set the artichokes in a baking pan, covered lightly with foil, and shoved them in the oven (at around 325 F for 10 minutes to warm them up. Very nice to eat, but a little lacking aesthetically :)

ARTICHOKES IN TOMATOES



These were today's effort. It is much the same as in Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano, except of course adapted to our peculiar dietary habits. I prepared the rest of the artichokes (about a pound was left) as usual, then cut them in half lengthways. While they were sitting in a bath of acidulated water (gotta do that or they turn brown), I steam-fried 5 finely chopped cloves of garlic until softish, then added half of a 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes, which I had attacked with a potato masher to crush them in their juice. Works for me.

I cooked these with half a tsp of oregano until well blended then drained the artichokes and added them to the tomato mix along with quite a few grinds of black pepper. When it all came to the boil, I reduced the heat and simmered until the artichokes were tender, stirring it all now and then. Somewhere along the line I added half a cup of water or more, because it was fast disappearing on me. Indeed, as the photo shows, there wasn't overmuch sauce, but I added more from the pan after snapping the photo :)

We had them with bread and a version of the spinach and pear salad you've seen here before.

SPINACH LASAGNA, SPINACH & PEAR SALAD

I guess "Italian" truly is the national cuisine of vegetarians and vegans. It seems whenever my dh and I are at a loss as to what to have for a meal (as in 'What language are we eating in today, dear?'), if it's not Indian then it's Italian - and many people I know say the same. Pasta lends itself beautifully to being combined with wonderful vegetables and varied sauces, so that even the most ardent carnivore (do you like that oxymoron?) enjoys a veggie meal. We don't use vegan cheese for lasagna, however, preferring to add flavour and texture in other ways, but I appreciate that others like to use some of the excellent vegan cheezes available. Anyway, here's the lasagna I made the day before yesterday (yes yes, I'm late with getting back to this blog! Sorry, everyone!):

SPINACH LASAGNA

whole wheat lasagna - as much as you need for your lasagna pan (most take nine for 3 layers) - cooked al dente
1 smallish yellow onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced
1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, chopped
a little more than half a 5.5-oz can tomato paste (save the bit that's left to help out later - or to freeze)
1/2 tsp dried thyme or to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers, or to taste
1 pkg soft or medium tofu, beaten to creamy texture
1 flax 'egg' (I add a little soy lecithin to mine)
several Tbsp nutritional yeast, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (optional)
salt to taste
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and chopped and pressed VERY dry (I use a strainer and a wooden spoon)
more nutritional yeast for the final topping, sprinkled

While the water for the lasagna is coming to the boil and all that, start the sauce.

Put your onion in a large skillet over medium-high with a little water to saute it until translucent. (You could use olive oil, but it works just fine without.) When the onion is soft, add the garlic and the mushrooms and 'saute' a little longer, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid. Add the tomatoes but NOT all of their juice yet - you may need it later, or not, depending on the heat of your pan etc. Add the tomato paste, stirring it in well, the thyme and chilies, bring all to the boil, lower the heat and continue to cook until the tomatoes have broken down more and the whole thing is starting to look like a nice chunky sauce. Add any extra juice from the can of tomatoes as needed.

While the sauce is simmering, beat your tofu into a creamier state. Add nutritional yeast, pepper, salt if using, perhaps a dash
of vegan worcestershire sauce (if using), and taste for flavour. More nutritional yeast will give a stronger 'cheezier' flavour, but remember that this will be in the whole lasagna and so the flavour will diffuse a bit.

When you have the tofu as you like it, add the VERY dry spinach and stir it around so that it is a nice green and white mixture. (This looks pretty - wish I'd snapped a photo!)

Assuming that your noodles are cooked by now (plunged into cold water to stop them cooking further and to await your pleasure) and that the sauce is ready, assemble your lasagna.

Preheat your oven to 375F.

A couple of spoonfuls of the liquid part of the sauce gets smeared in the bottom of your lasagna pan, then the first row of lasagna noodles. From then on, alternate the tomato/mushroom sauce/mixture with the spinach mixture and the next layer of noodles, as in any lasagna. Save enough WET sauce for the top (you can thin this out a bit with a little of the remaining tomato can juice and/or thicken with a little of the leftover tomato paste - this is not an exact science). Okay, wet sauce over the top, sprinkles of nutritional yeast over the sauce (I use a couple or so Tbsp), and you're ready to pop it into the oven.

Bake for around 45 minutes, covered in foil for the first half of that time. The top should have browned and the juices should be bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Feeds 4 - 6. Serve with a nice salad :)

Okay, I was on a roll with the spinach (love spinach!), so had some lovely organic baby spinach fresh from the greengrocer. Here's my salad -


SPINACH AND PEAR SALAD
For two people, around half a bag of baby spinach, stems picked off (I save for stock), 1 lovely ripe pear peeled and sliced in smallish pieces. 1 -2 Tbsp dried cranberries, soaked in as little water as I could manage. A few slivers of onion.

For the dressing, since we don't use oil or add salt, it was mild on the acidic and a little sweeter than I used to make. I mixed a little red-wine vinegar, a little seasoned rice vinegar, the tiny amount of liquid from soaking the cranberries, a couple of tsp. organic raspberry jam, a pinch of sugar and a tsp of mirin. All whisked together and tossed with the rest. Very nice :)

Penne With Artichoke Hearts, Winter Stew and Rye Sourdough

Today I was stretching for something easy for lunch (our main meal of the day) and spotted a lovely can of artichoke hearts. We adore artichokes in any form! So I concocted the following dish, bearing in mind that we are now embarked on a fat-free salt-free regime which requires some adjustments in ingredients (for us anyway) to distract attention from the two items that are 'missing' in such a recipe. I find a sweetish taste (as in red bell peppers) helps to make up for the lack of salt, and added herbs do the rest.

PENNE WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

For 2 persons. Can obviously be doubled, using a whole can of artichoke hearts and increasing the other ingredients appropriately.

120 g. penne, cooked according to package instructions
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated (in hot water for 1/2 hour, soaking liquid retained)
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large plum tomato, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed chilies, or to taste
1 red bell pepper (half to be sliced very thinly, half to be blended - see below)
2 or 3 canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little water to ‘saute’ the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and stir well for a minute or two and then the chopped tomato, basil and chilies. Add the sundried tomatoes, chopped, but save the liquid for cooking as needed. Cook on medium heat until the fresh tomatoes have broken down.You may need to add a little water or liquid from the sundried tomatoes.

Slice half of your red bell pepper very thinly and set aside until the tomato mixture is almost cooked.

Chop the remainder of the bell pepper and add a little water to liquify in a blender.

When your penne is almost cooked and the tomato mix is almost ready, add the finely sliced red bell pepper to the tomato mix and stir well, raising the heat a little if necessary to slightly soften the bell pepper. Then add the artichoke hearts and the liquified red bell pepper from your blender jar and heat through.

Drain your penne and add to the skillet, stirring to mix well and to coat the penne in all those lovely juices.

Serve on plates or in pasta bowls (with a ‘cheezy’ topping if you like vegan cheez).

WINTER STEW

Now yesterday's lunch was a 'Farewell To Winter' Stew, with a white potato, sweet potato, some cauliflower and broccoli, onion and garlic and celery and mushrooms all cooked together with some Indian spices picked not quite at random from my spice rack.

We had it over couscous with a hunk of the RYE SOURDOUGH I had made the day before.

This bread's recipe needs some adjusting, as it happens, before I share it here. I veganized a lacto recipe from the net, but something happened with the proportions of flour. Either I was distracted and measured incorrectly, or the recipe has a typo. Nevertheless, I adjusted as I made it (it was far too wet) and it turned out very nicely, if a bit dry (I think it should be cooked at a lower temperature). I'll report back next time I make it!

JAZZY GREEN BEANS & TOMATOES OVER POLENTA

But first things first. This is our lovely beagle Made' - she is nearly 10 and I've been off the air, as far as this blog and most other things are concerned, for the last couple of weeks because she's not been well. After x-rays, ultrasounds, specialist exams, etc., she had surgery (we took her down to Toronto on Monday) yesterday - removal of the soon-to-perforate gallbladder. She came through it like the trouper she is, but she's not out of the woods yet. We're also waiting on some four biopsies. We should, however, if she recuperates at the expected rate, be able to travel down to collect her in a couple of days - well, sometime over the weekend anyway. (Photo shows her poor little shaved tum - her pre-summer bikini wax, if you prefer.)

But of course we have been eating at the same time as worrying and fretting and staying awake at nights, although it has been mainly quick and easy food, comfort food, nothing much worthy of reporting here. Still, if you're interested in what two devoted animal guardians do between stressing about the fate of one of their lovely companions, here it is:

This should have been a fairly easy thing to give you, since I wrote it down at the time and copied it onto my computer, but I have just succeeded in erasing the whole recipe. Would ya believe!!!!!! Nevertheless, here it is as I remember it now (sigh!).

JAZZY GREEN BEANS & TOMATOES OVER POLENTA


You'll need the following:

Prepare first-
1 cup polenta prepared according to package directions, poured into a pie plate and kept warm. (I always say 'according to directions' because that makes it not my fault if this stuff doesn't turn out right. Frankly, I find a proportion of 3 to one for water and polenta works fine. I use water (not 'milk' or stock), I add no oil or salt, but I do like to stir in some finely minced/mushed garlic when it starts to thicken. You must please yourself how you like it.)

4 or 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and then chopped finely (reserve the soaking liquid)
4 or 5 sundried tomatoes, soaked and then chopped (reserve the soaking liquid)
Half a pound of green beans, cut into quarter-inch rounds, blanched for two or three minutes and set aside

a couple of slices of a large onion, finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5 large mushrooms, sliced

1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
dash of cayenne pepper
4 canned tomatoes (pureed to make a sauce)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste

In a skillet, 'saute' the onion, garlic and fresh mushrooms in a little water until the onions are translucent.
Add the fresh tomatoes, basil, cayenne pepper, the sundried tomatoes and the soaked mushrooms and as much of the soaking liquid for the above as you need to continue to cook the stew, another ten minutes maybe.
Cook until all is nicely blended and then add the green beans, pureed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a few more minutes until it all tastes just wonderful. Taste again to be sure (any left?).

Serve over triangles of polenta with a nice crisp salad.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Today I tried a recipe from fatfree.com for a Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce. I had wanted to use up the jar of roasted red peppers I had started a few days ago (for the Rotini, remember? - Rotini with Broccoli & Tomatoes) - and so googled and scouted around a bit. What I found was Mikes roasted red pepper pasta sauce which would use up all but three of what I had left. Made with already-roasted peppers, this was a Quick-and-Easy Fix for lunch.

It took two red bell peppers per person, so for two of use I used 5 of the jarred peppers, plus garlic, onion, sundried tomatoes, herbs and balsamic vinegar. Got all that!

I did as was asked - except my peppers were already roasted - and blended the ingredients, adding in some of the tomato soaking liquid as suggested. heated it and seasoned it and there it was, in no time at all!
It was thick and beautiful and tasted wonderful!

We had it with wholewheat penne and a side salad. A great lunch.

ROTINI WITH BROCCOLI & TOMATOES

This recipe is adapted from one by Jennifer Raymond in Neal Barnard’s _Eat Right, Live Longer_ (1995), p. 318. The original served twice the number of people, had less roasted red pepper, proportionately, and contained tahini and olive oil. (I am experimenting with cutting all oils out of all recipes right now.) The cooking instructions are changed to allow for no oil and for my hang-up about keeping fresh tomatoes actually tasting fresh :)

ROTINI WITH BROCCOLI & TOMATOES

Serves 3 or 4.

6 ounces rotini pasta (I used the tricolour kind, because I wanted to make it pretty)
2-3 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
1/4 tsp crushed red chilies (or more to taste)
Abt. 3/4 pound broccoli (half a bunch), cut into florets
Abt. 2 large tomatoes, diced (my single tomato weighed in at ca.12 ounces)
1 cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (if you use canned, save the liquid)
1/3 cup roasted red peppers (mine from a jar purchased for the recipe)
1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp (or to taste) freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Prepare your vegetables.

Put the water on for the pasta and then cook it according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a skillet set over medium-high heat, add the broccoli, garlic and chile flakes with abt 1/3 cup of water, mix very well to coat the broccoli with the flavours, reduce heat a bit and cover. Steam for around 3 minutes or until the broccoli is _just_ tender, no more.

While the pasta is cooking and the broccoli is steaming, puree the garbanzos, red peppers and lemon juice in a blender until smooth, adding a little water (or reserved bean liquid from the can) if needed to make it possible to blend properly. It will be a delightful pinkish colour! Set aside.

When the broccoli is done, remove it from pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the pan with a couple of Tbsp water, cover and cook around 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the tomatoes and stir very well, carefully reheating the broccoli but not letting it overcook. Broccoli should be still a little resistant rather than soft.

Stir the garbanzo mixture into the cooked pasta. Spread the coated pasta on a serving dish and sprinkle with pepper. Add the broccoli-tomato mixture to the top.

Serve NOW! :) Truly delicious!

SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE WITH KIDNEY BEANS

SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE WITH KIDNEY BEANS

Quick and Easy. Serves 2. Can be doubled, tripled, etc., as needed.

This is adapted from Donna Klein’s Vegan Italiano.

1 medium onion (about 4 or 5 ounces)
1/2 lb cabbage, finely shredded
12 cup vegetable stock (homemade if you have it)
1 cup cooked red kidney beans (I like the dark red), drained (or use half a can, drained)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (I use Eden brand)
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
salt to taste

Put the onion together with 1/4 cup water or so in a skillet over medium-high heat and
cook until onions soften, stirring the while (about 4 or 5 minutes). Add the cabbage and the stock, bring to the boil on high, then reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring now and then, for
around 12 to 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. It shouldn’t be mushy.

Remove the lid and, if necessary, return to high heat in order to evaporate any excess liquid.

Now add the beans together with the remaining ingredients, stirring until the beans are hot and there is no liquid remaining. This will take a couple of minutes only.

Taste for seasonings and serve over rice, polenta, or grain of your choice. It also tastes remarkably good chilled, so any leftovers make a handy salad dish without further ado. Reheats nicely too!

EGGPLANT & MUSHROOM LASAGNA

My own lasagne for our two-person household which always has one of us watching my weight. While this is my standard recipe, I do vary it a bit from time to time - sometimes of necessity. Today I was short on noodles and (gasp!) only had one container of (soft) tofu that wasn't in the freezer, I realized at the last minute. As a result, the topping was a little thin, but the taste was great!

EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM LASAGNE (includes sauce recipe)
(This serves 2 - and we usually have some left - but can be doubled, trippled, etc. for more. No prob.)

This dish is, however, not recommended for freezing.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Put water on for noodles.

One pound of eggplant - sliced thin and sauteed lightly until tender (steaming works okay) - if I don't have enough eggplant, I slice in zucchini and yellow summer squash too.

One and a half cups homemade tomato pasta sauce (recipe at foot of page - I make up a bunch and freeze mine) OR your favourite commercial sauce (but don't forget to add some chilies or the like).

Quarter pound or more mushrooms - sliced and sauteed/steamed

Half cup mozzarella 'cheez' - grated
Quarter cup parmesan 'cheez' - grated

Half pound tofu (I use firm and thin out with veg. stock) - whooshed in blender and seasoned with salt, pepper, dash of tabasco, half the soy 'parmesan' - other seasonings, your choice.

Quarter cup brown breadcrumbs
Herbs: parsley, thyme, oregano - your pick
salt and pepper to taste.

Lasagna noodles - However many you need for your usual lasagna. I use five or six wholewheat noodles for an 8 by 10 inch baking dish (there are just two of us here) and skimped on the middle layer of noodles). That size dish usually takes 9 or so strips of lasagne.

METHOD:
Cook noodles for around ten minutes while the eggplant is being sauteed.

Lightly sauce the bottom of the baking dish, add layers of noodles, sauce, eggplant, mushrooms, soy 'mozzarella', herbs, salt and pepper, etc. (just as with any lasagne).

Top with tofu mix, then sprinkle on breadcrumbs and soy 'parmesan' and bake for 30 minutes or so or until lasagna is heated through and top has browned.


Let it stand for around 10 or 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with salad of choice.

And now for that pasta sauce I promised you:

QUICK PASTA SAUCE

(I double or triple this amount and freeze in batches)

One medium onion, half a medium carrot, and two or more garlic cloves chopped/grated and sauteed in olive oil.

Two Tablespoons fresh herbs - oregano, thyme - whatever - or use half amt. of dried
1/2 tsp or more to taste of crushed chilies
28 Ounce Can of crushed tomatoes.

Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for around twenty minutes, longer if you have the time. Sauce should be a bit like sloppy porridge in texture.

There you go - use it to layer between the lasagna layers (above) and/or on your fave pasta :)

TUSCAN-STYLE BEANS WITH TOMATOES

(Serves 4 as a main dish, up to eight as a side dish)
A Quick Fix.

While this dish is traditionally made with cannellini beans, we use navy beans or northern beans, according to what we have cooked and ready. We make it without olive oil to sautee the garlic, etc. for another fat-free dish which is also quick and easy.

4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 cups (two cans, if you prefer them, but rinse and drain) white beans, cooked and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, homemade if you have it
14-ounce can of tomatoes, chopped, including juice
a good pinch of dried sage or use four or five fresh sage leaves if you have them handy
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the garlic in a very little water for a few minutes to soften in a large pot, then add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer - without a lid - for 20 minutes or so, until thickened nicely. Give it a good stir now and then while it does this. When the mixture is lovely and moist but no longer runny it's done. Easy and delicious.

GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS & TOMATO

GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS AND TOMATO
This is easy, and it can be made no fat, which is the way we do it.
It makes a tasty side dish or a light lunch with rice.

To Serve Two (Can be doubled or tripled for more):

1/2 lb fresh green beans - trim but leave whole
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 oz sliced fresh mushrooms, your choice
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Add beans to boiling water and cook until barely tender over
high heat - around 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook your onion in a little stock or water
until softish and then add the mushrooms and tomato and
stir until the mushrooms have released their liquid, around 5
minutes. By now your beans will be more than ready.

Add the drained green beans, salt and pepper (if used) and
toss beans in the mushroom mix until beans are reheated.
Serve warm.

Tastes even better than the sum of its parts! :)

POLENTA PIE WITH SPINACH

Here's something I've only made a couple of times - and it keeps getting better!

POLENTA PIE WITH SPINACH

Serves 6 to 8.

1 lge onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or to taste)
2 - 10-oz pgkgs frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squozen as dry as possible*
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, reconstituted and finely chopped
4 or 5 mushrooms, finely chopped
pinch of crushed chiles or to taste (optional, but we like it)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups water and 3 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
2 cups polenta or coarse-ground yellow cornmeal
Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
2 cups favourite pasta sauce (optional)

*I thawed the spinach, did not cook it, but squeezed it very dry.

Set your oven to 375 F. Oil a 10-inch pie dish and set aside.

FOR THE FILLING:
Heat a couple of Tbsp water in a skillet on medium, and soften the onion in it, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they give up a little liquid. Add half the garlic and cook for another minute and the sundried tomatoes and cook for another minute.

Put in the spinach together with the chopped or dried basil, if using, the salt and pepper and
stir well with the other ingredients for a minute or two.

FOR THE POLENTA:
Bring the combined 6 cups of water and broth to a boil over high heat in a LARGE pot. Slowly add the polenta, whisking it in so that it doesn’t go into lumps - or use a wooden spoon, stirring all the while. Reduce heat to a bare simmer. Stir in the remaining garlic and salt. Cover the pan and cook, stirring now and then, around 15 minutes or until the polenta is cooked. Remove from the heat but leave it covered for about 5 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Immediately spoon half of the polenta into your prepared pie plate. You will need to use the back of a large spoon to press it down and smooth it out nicely. Spoon the spinach filling over the top of the polenta ‘piecrust’ - to within 1/2 inch of the outside rim of the polenta. Put the remaining polenta on top, carefully spreading it (I used my fingers) and smooth the surface with the back of your big spoon.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 mins or until the top begins to brown a little. Remove from oven and let it settle for another 15 minutes.

Cut into wedges, garnish and accompany with the sauce if you are using it.

Can be assembled a day before actually baking it. Reheats nicely.