Disappearing Lasagna. {Chef AJ}

I don't care who you are... meat-eater or a plant-eater... this stuff is gooood! While we eat our plant-based dinners, my husband and I are always asking ourselves if this meal would satisfy a "normal" meat-eater. This is a for sure, a yes. It's from Chef AJ's book Unprocessed... and is the best nonmeat lasagna I've had. And I've made a lot. And it quite possibly could beat out my meat one. You for sure don't have the cheese and meat hangover with this one.

 

It is somewhat of a pain to make because of the long ingredient list and the different steps. BUT, I make double and freeze the other. It does awesome being baked right out of the freezer too.

2 boxes of no boil rice lasagna noodles (or whole wheat)

6 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

 

"ricotta"

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed OR 1 box extra firm water packed tofu (19 oz. each)

2 ounces of fresh basil

1 cup pine nuts, raw cashews or hemp seeds

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup low-sodium miso

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds frozen, chopped spinach  OR 1 pound frozen kale (defrosted, drained with all liquid squeezed out)

 

Mushroom Mixture "Meat"

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds mushrooms, sliced (love crimini here)

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari

1 large red onion, finely diced

 

1 4oz. can sliced olives, rinsed and drained

faux parmesan (optional)

 

To make the "ricotta" filling in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade add the beans, basil, garlic, lemon juics, miso and nutritional yeast, pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. Add drained spinach/kale and process again.

 

In a large non-stick saute pan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons water until translucent; about 8 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Add 2 cloves of garlic, the mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture and add more garlic or tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no or very little liquid in the pan.

 

Pour 3 cups of the marinara in a 9x13 pan. Place one layer of the noodles on top. Cover the noodles with half of the ricotta mixture, then with half of the mushroom mixture. Place another layer of noodles on the mushroom mixture and add the remaining half of the ricotta and the remaining half of the musthroom mixture. Place one more layer of noodles on top of the mushroom mixture and smother evenly with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle the sliced olives on top of the sauce alond with a liberal sprinkling of faux parmesan.

 

I like my dumbed down version...

3 cups marinara

noodles

1/2 ricotta

1/2 mushroom

noodles

1/2ricotta

1/2mushroom

noodles

remaining marinara

olives/faux parm

 

Bake uncovered in a preheated 375*F oven for an hour. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing. 

And... you're welcome! And Thank YOU Chef AJ!!

8-Vegetable Soup with Mixed Herb Pesto.

I just had to try this soup because it was originally vegan by Rachael Ray. I was worried about the flavor, and hoping it'd have some. And wow, it sure did. LOTS of flavor and so healthy. A hit.

1 small butternut squash
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 3 tablespoons
Salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 small bulb fennel, chopped, reserve a handful of fronds
2 carrots, chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks from the heart, chopped, reserve the leafy tops
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
A small handful of thyme
2 large bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (i use white grape juice)
1 28- to 32-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar (agave nectar)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley
A handful of basil or tarragon
3 tablespoons pistachios or pine nuts

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and chop squash, and dress pieces with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast until just-tender, do not brown cubes, 25-30 minutes.

Char peppers over open flame on stovetop or under hot broiler after roasting squash. Place in dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let cool, peel, seed and chop.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO over medium-high heat. Add fennel, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Bundle the rosemary and thyme and tie together with kitchen twine. Add the herbs and bay leaves to the pot, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Deglaze pan with wine, add in roasted red peppers, tomatoes and sugar. Break up tomatoes with a spoon, stir in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at low rolling boil for 30 minutes.

Remove herb bundle and bay, puree soup along with squash in a food processor or industrial blender. Pass through coarse sieve for a smooth soup.

Wipe out processor and return to base. Add celery tops, fennel fronds, parsley, basil or tarragon, nuts, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in enough EVOO to form a thick pesto. (Add a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano if ya like.)

Top shallow bowls of soup with a swirl of pesto. Serve with crusty bread, gougeres or grilled cheese sammies.

Rollover Jerk Lentils with Roasted Peppers and Pineapples.

A Rachael Ray favorite that I veganized by taking the chicken out and putting in lentils. Yum! I didn't have any pineapples so I roasted to oranges. Um, double yum! Totally concentrated their flavor.

1 red onions, roughly chopped and divided
4 cloves garlic
4 scallions
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I omit)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, some for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place half the red onion, the garlic, scallions, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. While running, stream in the EVOO to form a thick paste.

Rinse lentils and add lentils and water to a pot. Boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and add 1/2 of the jerk paste. Let simmer 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender.

Place the pineapple, bell peppers and red onion on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with some EVOO. Place tray in the oven 30 minutes.

Serve over a bed of brown rice, lentils and veggies and pineapple on top. Or, just eat the mixture without the brown rice.

Black Bean Taco Salad With Lime Vinaigrette & Taco Bowls.

These yummy bowls is a recipe from my friend Brooke's blog, Simply Real Foods. I think I made them the day that I saw the recipe. Everyone loved them... and the only change I made was cutting the olive oil. Awesomeness Brooke, thanks!

If you can find a good whole wheat tortilla, when you toast them into bowls - the taste is nutty and totally adds to the overall flavors.

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled


Salad
1 cup chopped tomato
1 large zucchini, chopped (and/or 1 cup chopped green pepper)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup frozen corn, partially cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, diced
lettuce greens, torn into bite-sized pieces or shredded
crushed tortilla chips or Taco Bowls (directions below)

vinaigrette: combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor, process until smooth.

salad: combine all chopped veggies except lettuce. Pour vinaigrette over top and toss well to coat.

Serve on a bed of lettuce greens. Top with crushed tortilla chips or inside a taco bowl.

Baked Taco Salad Bowls
Whole wheat flour tortillas
cooking spray
salt

Preheat oven to 425*.  Place up to 6 tortillas between damp paper towels on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until steamed.  Arrange 6 empty metal cans or mold of your choice on a large sheet cake pan.  Drape steamed tortillas over molds and press sides down to form folds.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt if desired.

Bake taco salad bowls in oven for 7 minutes.  Remove taco bowls from forms and turn right side up on baking sheet.  Place back in oven for about 3 minutes.  Let cool on rack.  Repeat until desired amount of bowls have been baked.

Ancho Chili.

I've had this recipe in my arsenal since it aired on the Rachael Ray Show over 2 years ago. I figured it was about time because I was sick of seeing it, along with about 50 other bookmarks on my google homepage.

It was good... Ava loved it... but wasn't exactly worth the 2 year wait. Still trying to decide if it'll go into the much coveted rotation around this house. Although, while I was typing it up I realized that the avocado mixture was suppose to be use in the soup and not just as a garnish - which I omitted. So, I'll for sure be trying it again... and figured I'd throw it up here in case it suits someone else's fancy.

1 quart vegetable stock

4 ancho chilis (dried poblano peppers), seeded (next go round, I'll use 3)

1 red onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup raisins, roughly chopped (sounds beyond weird, but trust me-or Rachael)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon {i omit}
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1-2 cans of black beans {3 cups}

1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 ripe avocado
Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, for garnish {i used an almond pepper jack}

Yields: 6 servings

Place a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat with the stock and ancho chilies. Bring the liquid to a bubble then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until chilies have softened. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and -- very carefully, this mixture is very hot! -- puree it until smooth. Reserve.

While the chilies are simmering, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, steam fry the onion, garlic, raisins and spices to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook until deep golden brown and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add black beans.

Add the blended stock-chile mixture to the pot and bring the liquids up to a bubble.

While that's working, in a food processor {or just mash together} the cilantro, avocado, lime zest and juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

Add the avocado mixture to the pot of chili stirring to incorporate. Serve the chili garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and a little cheese with the quesadilla alongside.

Garden Bounty Tortilla Soup.

I got this recipe from Jami, who got it from her Peacocks on My Porch cookbook (read this if you're interested in what the name means... a clue: I loved it being the wife of a cyclist and somewhat of a cyclist myself). And I just veganized it. I love all the vegetables in here... but didn't quite understand why it was tortilla soup (maybe I copied it down wrong). Either way, next time I'm going to do the crisping and pureeing of the corn tortillas like I did in Brooke's soup next time (and probably take out the potatoes). I just love that flavor in the back of it. It's got a pretty sweet kick to it too, which Shayne loved.

8 cups vegetable broth
1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2-4 potatoes, peeled and dice
1 can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 cloves minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon canned chipotle in adobo (sliced)
1 teaspoon jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
1 can corn, drained
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
garnish: avocado, limes & toritlla strips

In a large stockpot over high heat, combine broth, onion, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle in adobo, jalapeno, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. 

Add the salt and white pepper, zucchini, squash, bell peppers and corn. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cilantro, lime and orange juice. Stir well and remove from heat. Garnish with fried tortilla strips, diced avocados, and lime wedges if desired.

If you don't like things very spicy, go easy on the jalapeno’s and chipotle peppers. If you find this out after making it - just add more broth.

Artichoke Pesto Pasta

I made this for the first time back in May (which feels like worlds away with how far I've come on all this foodstyle thing)... and have revamped it a couple of times. Every time it got better and better. Because my kids weren't big fans of eating the actual artichokes, I now puree them, and it turns them into this thick, cream-like stuff. Yum. Which has made this amazing pasta even yummier because now it's just full of yummy, creamy goodness. One of my most favorite recipes - by far.

Other then the taste, it's also my favorite because it's amazingly easy too. When I make it, I always double the pesto and freeze half of it. It's the best on-hand meal you could have on your shelf (artichokes) and in your freezer (pesto). Yum.

1/2 pound spinach or whole wheat pasta1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white grape juice, veggie broth, or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Basil-Cilantro Pesto (see below)
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and pureed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Once you've added the pasta to the water, proceed with the recipe.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and steam-fry the onion until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Puree in blender the rinsed artichokes. Add the garlic to the skillet and saute for a minute more. Add the white grape juice, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Lower the heat to low. At this point, the linguine should be done.

When the pasta is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it to the pan in batches. This is a good method because you can use the pasta water to thin out the pesto and make sure that everything gets evenly coated. When you add one batch, add a bit of the pesto, too, and using the pasta spoon, saute to coat. Proceed with the rest of the pasta and pesto until you've added all of it. Stir in the artichoke heart puree. If it seems dry, add extra splashes of pasta water.

Cook gently over low heat just until all is heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!

adapted from Veganomicon
page 191
serves 4
cook time: 35 minutes





Basil-Cilantro Pesto

In the book they say this is their "cheapskate" pesto because they're using a cheaper nut, almonds, instead of the traditional pine nuts. I guess "cheapskate" translates to awesome in my book, because that's what this stuff was... awesome! I could eat it by the spoonful. And with using my fat-free oil substitute instead of oil - I could... and did...

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered  or sliced almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free oil substitute

Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil substitute. Blend until relatively smooth and no large chunks of almonds are left. If you don't have a food processor and are using a blender (i did this so i didn't have to get out the big food processor), then just add the olive oil at the end, since many blenders aren't equipped with and opening to drizzle into.

Veganomicon, pg 214

makes about 1 cup

time: 10 minutes

3 Layer Quesadilla

The kids loooooved this, totally going into the rotation!

vegetable oil cooking spray

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups zucchini, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

kosher or sea salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

3/4 cup prepared chunky salsa

garnish: avocado & tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Coat a 10-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

Add the beans, 1/4 cup broth, garlic, oregano, and cayenne to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth but thick. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Put in the zucchini and corn and saute for 3 mintues. Add the cumin and cilantro and saute for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Place one tortilla in the prepared pie plate. Spread about one-third of the bean mixture over the torgilla. Using a slotted spoon, add one-third of the vegetable mixture on top of the beans. Add one-third of the salsa over the vegetables and top with another tortilla. Make two more layers in the same fashion, to make a total of three layers.

Baked uncovered for about 30 minutes. Cut into wedges, garnish with avocado & tomatoes then serve. 



page 137



Beanballs with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy & Mashed Potatoes.

I've morphed another one of our meat loving recipes into one we can now eat. And lemme tell ya, yum. I think I say yum for every recipe on here, I guess that's the point though. I need to pull out the thesaurus, change it up a little. Anyhow... try these... and if you want the meat try these... Mini Meatloaves with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy. It looks lengthy and forever long to make, but it's well worth it. And it comes together fast. When I make the beanballs, I usually double or triple the recipe, bake and freeze them. They're great to have on hand for spaghetti and subs.

Mashed Potatoes
1-2 red potatoes per person, cut in chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoon vegan butter

Put potatoes into a pot and cover with water - and then some, add the garlic cloves and bring to boil. Once potatoes are tender, drain water, and mash potatoes - adding vegan butter. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Beanballs

1 (20-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce or tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying or baking
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mash the kidney beans in a mixing bowl until no whole beans are left. You don't want them to be completely smooth, you should still be able to recognize that they are kidney beans. Add the soy sauce, steak sauce/tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest, bread crumbs, wheat gluten, and herbs, and use a fork to mix everything together. Use your hands to kneed the mixture for about a minute, until everything is really well combined and firm.

Roll the bean mixture into walnut-size balls (I use a cookie scoop so they're all uniform). But don't make them too big; smaller makes for the best texture.

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil {i spray}. Place the balls on the sheet and then drizzle them with a little more oil, to coat {i spray a liberal coat}. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Tomato-Balsamic Gravy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pints grape tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil spray 
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Toss the grape tomatoes and onion slices onto a baking sheet along with a spray of EVOO spray, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the tray of veggies in and roast until the onions are caramelized and the tomatoes have burst open, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes and onion are roasting away, get the roux started: Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the balsamic and broth to the pan, whisking to incorporate. Cook until thickened, then remove it from the heat and reserve.

Add the roasted tomatoes and onion to the sauce and break up the veggies with a potato masher (I usually just pulse it in the blender, Shayne and the kids don't like chunks). Serve a  side of mashed potatoes and a handful of beanballs per person with a hearty ladle of the tomato balsamic gravy.

A merge of Rachael Ray, Veganomicon; Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook

Mexican Bowtie Pasta.

Here's another I got from LittleBirdieSecrets that's yummy... I loved it because I could get it ready earlier in the day, and not have to fuss with anything now that we're in the after school rush.

The original recipe called for mayo, and I subbed nayonaise for it {since they didn't have vegenaise at Sprouts}. Nayonaise has more soy in it then I'd prefer... so, I'll work on that or try it with vegenaise sometime. But it's so yummy and for sure going in the rotation!! The original has chicken and cheese added to it, if that's your flavor check out the link above.

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn, run under cold water for a minute
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup vegenaise {or mayonaise}
1 cup salsa of your choice
2-3 cups bowtie pasta (cook 2 min. less that directed)
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Mix mayo and salsa together and pour over cooked pasta. Chill. Before serving, add veggies to pasta. Toss with cilantro. Serve cold.

*You can also omit the pasta and serve as a yummy dip with tortilla chips!

belly biters: all {yum!!}

Italian Vegetable Hoagies.

I found this recipe on LittleBirdieSecrets and it was just calling to me. Especially with the pepperoncini... I forgot how much I love those. The original calls for provolone cheese, which I ditched. Athough, I'm not gonna lie... a slice of provolone would have made it even yummier... but I didn't give in and I'm not gonna dwell... my nonbloated belly thanks me. It's super simple and stuff I usually have on hand. I used hoagie buns and toasted them with a little bit of earth balance then rubbed a garlic clove on it. Yum....

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar {i used half for fear it'd be overbearing, it was perfect for us}
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain {hoagies}
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini {I added a little more to ours and didn't put any on the kids}

1. Place onion rings in a small bowl and add cold water to cover. Set aside.

2. Combine artichoke hearts, tomato, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece horizontally and pull out about half of the soft bread from each side. Drain the onions and pat dry.

3. To assemble sandwiches, spread on the artichoke mixture and top with the onion, lettuce and pepperoncini. Cover with the baguette tops. Serve immediately.

shayne {yum} - ava {ew.} - nolan {yum} - coco {yum}

Austin Crispy Steak Tacos with Salsa Verde

I was sure I had posted this before, since it's one of our favorites... but I couldn't find it anywhere. So here it is... and you will not be disappointed. I remember watching her make it on her daytime show like it was yesterday. I was salivating with each step... and could taste it in my mouth.

It's a meat meal, double meat actually, that we had for Father's Day. Nothing says "I love you"

around our house

these days like meat does.

So it was for sure a great treat. Shayne loves it. The kids love it. I've made a few adaptations so it's a little "healthier". It's based on a Rachael Ray, and the "real" recipe is here.

1 2-pound flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
2 medium onions, 1 peeled and quartered, 1 finely chopped, divided
2 bay leaves
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 fresno chile, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 pound soyrizo
6 tomatillos, husks removed, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 avocado, pitted
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Soft flour tortillas, for serving

Place flank steak into a crockpot with the quartered onion and bay leaves. Cover with cold water and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove meat from pot and discard water and veggies. {Rachael cooks it in a pot, but I love cooking meat in the crockpot because not matter what quality of meat it is, the crockpot will get it nice and tender.}

Shred the steak with a fork and transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl. Add red onion, 2 cloves garlic and peppers to the bowl and combine. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little bit of water along the bottom of the pan. Add the soyrizo to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the shredded meat and veggie mixture to the pan, spreading it out to cover the entire bottom, and cook until crispy on the bottom. Flip the mixture over and cook on the other side until crispy, about 5 minutes per side.

While the meat is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-high heat with a little bit of water on the bottom. Add the remaining chopped onion, garlic, tomatillos, and cumin to the pan, and cook until the veggies are tender and the tomatillos have begun to release their liquids, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add in the honey, avocado and cilantro and pulse to puree.

To serve, spoon some of the meat and veggie mixture in soft flour tortillas and top with the salsa verde. Serve Confetti Rice and Refried Pinto Beans alongside.

Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

When I made the pesto earlier in the day, it was heavenly... and I knew any addition to it would be awesome too. And it was. I'm going to try this pesto with the sandwiches we love from Corner Bakery.

1/2 pound spinach linguine (i used brown rice spinach spaghetti)
2 tablespoons of fat-free oil substitute
1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white cooking wine, veggie broth, or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Basil-Cilantro Pesto (see below)
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in fourths

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Once you've added the pasta to the water, proceed with the recipe.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion in the oil substitute until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add the white wine, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Lower the heat to low. At this point, the linguine should be done.

When the linguine is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it to the pan in batches. This is a good method because you can use the pasta water to thin out the pesto and make sure that everything gets evenly coated. When you add one batch, add a bit of the pesto, too, and using the pasta spoon, saute to coat. Proceed with the rest of the pasta and pesto until you've added all of it. If it seems dry, add extra splashes of pasta water.

Add the artichoke hearts and toss to coat. Cook gently over low heat just until the artichokes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!

Veganomicon, pg 191

serves 4

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Basil-Cilantro Pesto

In the book they say this is their "cheapskate" pesto because they're using a cheaper nut, almonds, instead of the traditional pine nuts. I guess "cheapskate" translates to awesome in my book, because that's what this stuff was... awesome! I could eat it by the spoonful. And with using my fat-free oil substitute instead of oil - I could... and did... and not feel a bit bad about it!

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered  or sliced almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free oil substitute

Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil substitute. Blend until relatively smooth and no large chunks of almonds are left. If you don't have a food processor and are using a blender (i did this so i didn't have to get out the big food processor), then just add the olive oil at the end, since many blenders aren't equipped with and opening to drizzle into.

Veganomicon, pg 214

makes about 1 cup

time: 10 minutes

BELLY BITERS:

Jen {Mmmm} Shayne {yum} Ava {yum} Nolan {yum} Corynn {tore.it.up}

Sloppy Veg-Head Joes.

This is from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book that I got for Mother's Day... this is the first recipe I've tried and it's yummy! I made whole wheat hamburger buns with it {good buns, but use half the salt - they were way too salty for us}. Made it nice and cheap being meatless and with homemade buns and all... and when you borrow the yeast from your neighbor, it makes 'em even cheaper! ;) thanks Dude

1 T. canola or vegetable oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 (21-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted or chunky-style crushed tomatoes
1 rounded T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (see Note below) or vinegar of any kind
1 lime
4 crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot oil, add the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Fold in the black beans, cumin, and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and Worcestershire or vinegar and simmer the mixture for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and stir. Serve the joe mixture on buns with cilantro to top.

SERVES 4

NOTE Worcestershire sauce contains everything but the kitchen sink, including anchovies. I love it, but if you follow a strict vegetarian diet you might prefer to substitute vinegar.

Tex-Mex Fried Rice.

I love this rachael ray side! It's so good with anything mexican food related. To use as a side or to put in burritos. Love the hominy! When I make it I usually cook the rice sometime during the day or use any leftovers.

extra virgin olive oil

1 14-ounce can hominy or 2 ears of corn, kernels removed

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

2 cups cooked short grain brown rice

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 to 3 small tomatoes, seeded and diced

A few dashes hot sauce (more if you like it spicy!)

Salt and ground black pepper

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about a tablespoon. Add the hominy, onion, jalapeño and garlic to the pan, and cook until the veggies are golden brown, 5-6 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and continue cooking until the rice is light golden and crispy, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro, tomatoes and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.