Cashew Fettuccine Alfredo

In my pre-vegan {pregan? heh} days, one of my favorite things to order in an Italian restaurant was fettuccine alfredo. Since going vegan, I have been searching for a good alfredo recipe, but as of yet have come up short.

This recipe from VegWeb, called Cashew Fettuccine Alfredo, is closer than anything I've tried thus far. I feel like I'm on the right track now. Some spice modifications, and I think this recipe will be spot on.

Cashew Fettuccine Alfredo
Makes 6 servings.

1 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked al dente
1 cup raw cashews
3 cups boiling water
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

1. Grind the raw cashews in a food processor or blender until finely powdered. Slowly pour in the boiling water and process until smooth. Add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and nutmeg, and continue processing until the sauce has thickened and is well blended.

2. Pour the sauce into a large pan with the noodles, and toss gently until the sauce thickens and is hot. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve with peas, broccoli, and/or garlic bread.

Pretty Much the Best Blended Salsa of All Time

As a counterpart to the ever-delicious Pretty Much the Best Hummus of All Time, I bring to you Pretty Much the Best Blended Salsa of All Time.

As a general hater of anything that includes raw onions, the only way I can truly enjoy salsa is in its blended form. I've tried many a time to make blended salsas at home, with raw tomatoes, only to end up with grainy, mushy, and sickly orange concoctions. While researching salsa recipes on the internet, I found a recipe where the author used canned tomatoes for his salsa.

Canned tomatoes? OH THE HORROR! Say it ain't so! But it is so. And they make the best blended salsa you will ever put in your mouth. Swallow your authenticity-related pride and make this salsa. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Pretty Much the Best Blended Salsa of All Time
Makes a large jar full.

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, slightly drained {how much liquid you keep is up to you, I like to keep about half}
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 or 3 Guajillo or other dried chiles, rehydrated in hot water for 20 minutes
juice from 2 limes
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Blend everything in your food processor or blender until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add salt as necessary. Store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Gnocchi with Zucchini and Portabella Mushrooms

As much as possible, I try to feature my own recipes on this blog. However, sometimes a recipe from a fellow vegan's blog stands out so much that I simply must mention it here as well. Gnocchi with Zucchini and Portabella Mushrooms from Fat Free Vegan is just one such recipe.

This simple dish is easy to put together, nutritious, and absolutely packed with flavor. It is one of my top 10 favorite foods, hands down. The author is critical of it on her blog, but I made the suggested change of cubing the zucchini instead of cooking it in ribbons, and it comes out perfectly for me every time.

I'm a cook who is not shy to add a little olive oil to a pan to help the cooking process along, and I have the belly to show for it. Despite the temptation to do so in this recipe, I refrained, and was richly rewarded with the deeply caramelized flavor of the zucchini and mushrooms. Every bit of the goodness is deglazed off the bottom of the pan by the tomatoes. You may not have faith in this dry cooking method as you're making this recipe, but trust me. Follow the directions, and you will come out with an end result that sends your mouth on a flavor trip through the planets.

This dish is so loaded with vegetables that you don't even really need a vegetable to round out your meal. The photo above shows the gnocchi served alongside some black bean croquettes with vegan hollandaise sauce. Scrumptious!

Mexican Rice

While in Arizona visiting a good friend, we went to a wonderful Mexican place for dinner. I thought we had good Mexican food here in Utah, but it's NOTHING compared to the Mexican in Arizona! I thought my tastebuds were going to die of happiness.

Surprisingly, the highlight of the meal was the chile and tomato-studded Mexican rice served on the side. It was extremely flavorful, and the little pieces of green chile and tomato throughout the rice were dynamite.

As soon as I came home, I had to recreate it.

Mexican Rice
Makes 6 servings.

2 cups white rice {long grain would be especially good here, as it wouldn't be as sticky as the short grain I used}
4 cups good vegetable broth {I used Better Than Bullion No-Chicken Broth}
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 6oz cans diced green chiles, mild or hot, depending on your spice tolerance, undrained
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, and fresh lime juice, to taste

1. In a medium pot, combine rice, broth, tomatoes, chiles, and olive oil over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover rice, and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

2. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and fresh lime juice. Serve alongside any Mexican dish. In the picture above, the rice was served alongside chile lime refried beans.

Filled Cupcakes

I've recently made a wonderful discovery -- most Jello Instant Puddings are vegan. The milk you would usually make them with isn't of course, but that can be remedied. Soy milk doesn't have enough fat in it to get the pudding to set up, but coconut milk has enough and more! In place of the 2 cups cow's milk called for, I make it with 1 1/2 cups coconut milk and 1/2 cup soy milk, and voila! Instant vegan pudding.

I don't like to eat the pudding straight as it is, with that amount of fat in it {although it's good for getting some extra fat and calories into Supertoddler on days when he's not eating enough}. However, pudding made in this manner is PERFECT for filling cupcakes.

In the cupcake pictured above, I used the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, poked my finger in the middle of the cooled cupcake, and piped the pudding right into the middle. I then covered the cupcake with gnache {you can also use vegan buttercream frosting}. It resulted in a delicious "Boston Cream Pie" cupcake, perfectly rich and decadent.

The flavor combinations are endless: pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with "cheesecake" filling and cinnamon buttercream frosting, vanilla cupcakes with chocolate filling and chocolate butter cream...use your imagination.

I've gotten dozens more compliments on my cupcakes since I started filling them with pudding, and little do they know...I cheated. Shhh...don't tell.

Super Toddler's Little Vegan Meals - Mac n' Cheese

Yes, I too sometimes feed my kid mac n' cheese and hot dogs, just like every other parent. The difference is that the mac n' cheese I make isn't from a blue box, and no animal ever had to suffer to make our hot dogs. Supertoddler's Little Vegan Meal on this occasion is mac n' cheese, sliced veggie dogs, orange sections, and steamed mixed vegetables. Quick, affordable, and nutritious!

I have many different mac n' cheese recipes that I make on a regular basis, but the quickest, easiest {and Supertoddler's favorite} mac n' cheese recipe is from the Fat Free Vegan blog. Supertoddler and I always halve the recipe {the full recipe makes a TON}, and we leave out the cayenne pepper. It can be whipped up in the amount of time it takes to boil the macaroni, and is made from ingredients that I always have on hand. As an added bonus, it has hardly any fat, lots of nutrients, and is extremely delicious {the Ninjahusband and I love it too!}

After you make the sauce, and while the macaroni is cooking, you have time to peel an orange, pan-fry a veggie dog {we like Smart Dogs brand}, and nuke some frozen vegetables. Dinner accomplished!

1000 Vegan Recipes Update - 1/28 - 3/12

Quick Apple Crisp

Vanilla Walnut Cookies

Drop Biscuits

Spiced Apple Pancakes

This last month I've been screaming busy with work, traveling, and re-tiling the kitchen floor. As my life starts to calm down, I promise both my posts for this blog and the 1000 Vegan Recipes blog will become much more frequent!

Anti-Superbowl Party -- A Much Belated Account

Ninjahusband and I are both completely disinterested in watching sports. We can both think of dozens of things we'd rather do than watch a sporting event. Thus, it's become somewhat of a tradition in our house to have an Anti-Superbowl Party, where we play video games and eat copious amounts of amazing food. This year we had my good friends Dean & Kristina, the Wondersisters, and Supertoddler's girlfriend {Super H} and her family over. We had an amazing time eating and playing Rock Band while laughing, talking, and creating a general ruckus.

The menu was elaborate and took a lot of effort, but was completely delicious. I served:

Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus Spears and Stuffed Mushrooms drizzed with truffle oil {pictured above}

A Variety of Dips: creamy hummus, blended salsa, smooth guacamole, and butternut squash dip, served with whole grain and blue corn tortilla chips

Mediterranean Pizza: hummus "sauce", sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, greek olives, and roasted red peppers

Veggie Patch Pizza: carrot butter pate, slivered red onions, shoestring beets, and broccoli

Thai Pizza: creamy peanut sauce, red bell pepper, grated carrots, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and cilantro

Taco Pizza: enchilada sauce, Mexican-style "ground beef", Favorite Cheese Sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and vegan sour cream {this was the favorite of the evening}

For dessert there was Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Cheesecake and fudge {not pictured}.

After that much work in the kitchen, it was nice to relax and hang out with my friends, and enjoy all that great food with them!

Vegan Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I don't feel like this recipe really needs any introduction; who doesn't love enchiladas? Especially creamy, cheesy, spicy enchiladas? Mmm, I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it.

This recipe was inspired by this recipe on VegWeb. After some major modifications, here is the deliciousness I came up with:

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Makes 1 9x13" Pan

4 oz "chik'n strips", or equivalent frozen, thawed and drained tofu (not silken!), diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 poblano chile, seeded and diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced small
1 cup corn, canned or frozen
1 cup black beans
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
6 oz Tofutti "Better Than Sour Cream", or to taste
1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, pureed
1 16 oz. can green or red enchilada sauce, or I like this recipe, with the spices majorly amped
1/2 recipe Favorite Cheese Sauce, found in this post
9 - 12 6" corn tortillas, softened in the microwave
lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, guacamole, black olives etc for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 500F.

2. Toss the chile, zucchini, onion, potato, and corn in olive oil. Spread on a foil-lined baking pan. Roast until starting to brown, stirring several times throughout. The amount of time you roast will depend on how dark you like your vegetables.

3. Turn the oven down to 350F. In a large bowl, toss together "chik'n" or tofu, roasted vegetables, beans, cilantro, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, sour cream, and chipotle in adobo until well combined. This is your filling.

4. Spread a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Dip each tortilla in the enchilada sauce, stuff with filling, roll, and place seam-side down in the pan. Continue until you run out of tortillas/filling, or until your pan is full.

5. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top, and carefully spread the Favorite Cheese Sauce over that. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese sauce is slightly browned and bubbly.

6. Serve immediately, topped with tomato, green onion, lettuce, guacamole, black olives, or whatever you'd like.

Supertoddler's Little Vegan Meals - Super Noodle Soup

Today I bring you another of Supertoddler's favorite Little Vegan Meals. In addition to fighting crime and destroying a tidy house in a matter of seconds, Supertoddler also souper loves...soup. This dinner features his favorite comfort soup - a brothy noodle soup with carrots and onions. Quick and easy to make, this pairs nicely with whole grain toast, fruit {Supertoddler's choice was grapefruit and blood orange}, and soy milk.

Super Noodle Soup
2 big servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth {I use Better than Bullion No-Chicken Broth Paste}
2 oz angel hair pasta, broken into thirds

1. Saute the onion and carrot over medium heat, until softened, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the angel hair pasta, and allow to bubble for 5 - 8 minutes, until pasta and carrots are both tender. Serve with toast or bread for dipping.

You can add just about anything to this soup, including beans, panfried tofu, vegan "chicken", or other vegetables. Supertoddler prefers his Super Soup just like this...but maybe someday I'll sneak in some celery.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Having grown up in the Mormon church, there will always be a special spot in my heart {and on my dinner plate} for casseroles. If you're not familiar with Mormon food culture, let me introduce you to our world in one quick sentence: Casseroles, and lots of them. There are casseroles for every occasion, but one of the most "telling" of the Mormon casseroles is the beloved funeral potatoes {aptly named because they are generally served to the grieving family after a funeral}. These creamy cheesy potatoes are comforting, full of fat, and decidedly not vegan.

Imagine my nostalgic delight upon finding this similar recipe on VegWeb. After a bit of tweaking, I think this recipe will satisfy any vegan's longing for Mormon Funeral Potatoes. Here is my version:

Vegan Funeral Potatoes
Makes 1 9x13" pan

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup no-chicken broth {I use Better Than Bullion No-Chicken Broth Paste}
8 oz. vegan sour cream {I use Tofutti Better-Than-Sour-Cream}
1 recipe Favorite Cheese Sauce {recipe below}
2 lb bag of frozen hash browns, thawed {squares}
3 cups corn flakes cereal
3 tbsp vegan butter, melted {I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks}

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13" casserole dish {preferably glass} and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together soy milk, broth, sour cream, and cheese sauce until well combined. Fold in hashbrowns gently until well coated. The mixture will be very soupy. Do not be alarmed, it will thicken in the oven. Spoon the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.

3. Crush the corn flakes and mix with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

4. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the casserole is heated and has thickened, and the corn flake topping is crisp. Serve immediately.

Favorite Cheese Sauce
Makes 3 cups

1 cup raw cashews {pieces is fine, they don't have to be whole}
2 cups water
1 small red bell pepper {or 1/4 cup canned pimentos or roasted red peppers}
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, several minutes. Pour the sauce into a medium-sized pan, bring to a slow bubble, and cook until it has thickened.

Roasted Radishes and Broccoli

I am a major proponent of roasting vegetables. The caramelization that happens during the process of roasting brings out all the inherent sweetness in the vegetables, without adding much extra fat.

I was in the grocery store one day, looking at the radishes and thinking "Radishes, you are the stupidest vegetable ever. What are you good for?" As I picked up some broccoli {my favorite vegetable to roast}, it dawned on me...maybe radishes would improve if I roasted them! I grabbed a couple of bundles, and went home to try my experiment.

I preheated the oven to 400F, tossed the radishes and broccoli in a drizzle of olive oil and a few grinds of pepper and salt, spread them out on the pan, and roasted them until they were starting to caramelize and brown on the outside {about 20 - 30 minutes, stirring several times throughout}.

The resulting radishes were nutty and full of a mild, sweet flavor. Alas I had finally found a use for that pesky no-good vegetable!

A word of slight warning: the texture is not what you might expect. In the roasting process, the radishes lose all of their denseness, and the result is an internal texture that is a touch on the mushy side. The Ninjahusband found it kind of weird, but I didn't mind it at all.

Give roasting a try...try it with any vegetable! I bet you'd be hard-pressed to find something that was not improved by a little olive oil and salt and a brief stay in your oven.