“Just Egg” New Yorker Omelet
“Just Egg” New Yorker Omelet is VEGAN & loaded with delicious Italian NY style flavors. Easy, healthy, done in 10 minutes! If you follow my blog, you already know how obsessed with JUST EGG I am. I literally eat it (mostly in omelet form) every morning that I can. I was a lover of real eggs back in the day, but Just Egg is even better in my opinion! Vegan eggs for the win – hell yeah.
Currently, I am on a road trip through California. You can follow my journey on Insta (https://www.instagram.com/foodgalleygab/) or some of it on FB (https://www.facebook.com/foodgalleygab). I left about 17 days ago from Portland, OR. Sadly, I have only had my Just Egg twice at the beginning of my adventure. I brought my camping stove so I could stay in motels and keep the trip cheap-o. The stove has somewhat worked but I am loving how vegan-friendly California is. And, I’m obsessed with Ike’s sandwiches.
2020 sucked for almost everyone. It sucked pretty extra hard for me with a fucked up post-divorce scenario. I needed 2021 to start with a bang so I made a decision to do my California road trip adventure with my kiddo, Greyson. I was gone a week later. And, honestly… it has been AMAZING so far. Taking the time to sort out my plans, be happy (first time in two years I’ve made it this long without depression), and be outside as much as possible. Thus far, a massive success.
I stopped in southern OR for one night. Then San Fran, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Venice Beach, Palm Springs (and surroundings), and Calabasas (and surroundings). I’m eventually hitting up Monterey and will then stay with my sister and fam in Santa Clara. I’ll take a breather there and then head to Mendocino, and back into OR. From there I’ll stay in Ashland, then Sisters, and finally, back home to Portland. I haven’t decided if I am going to stay in Portland before I get to China. They will aren’t letting in dependents so I am still stuck, teaching from abroad. I can’t believe we were supposed to move last July. I am so ready to be back in China living the glorious expat life! Like, yesterday…
Anyway, back to vegan omelets. “Just Egg” New Yorker Omelet is the bomb! This is great for breakfast or for any meal of the day! I have loads of delicious Just Egg recipes. Click on the name of the recipe below to bring you directly to that link. Cheers to making this year better. 🙂
More Just Egg recipes: (click on title)
Vegan “Just Egg” Southwest Omelet
Just Egg Hash Brown Omelet
The BOMB Just Egg Vegan California Omelet!
Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet
Vegan “Just Egg” 5 Minute Breakfast Sandwich
For your cooking pleasure – (been listening to lots of Bob Dylan on my road trip):
“Just Egg” New Yorker Omelet
Makes 1 large omelet
Ingredients –
1/2 bottle of Just Egg
1/4 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Violife)
2 tsp vegan shredded parmesan (I used Follow Your Heart)
1 Tbl capers
1 1/2 Tbl chopped marinated artichoke hearts
2 Tbl sliced olives (I used black olives)
2 C loosely packed baby spinach
2 Tbl (heaping) cannellini beans
1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme (less if using dried thyme)
1 tsp fresh chopped basil (less if using dried basil)
Salt & pepper to taste
Olive oil for pan
Directions –
Heat oil in small pan over medium low and then pour in Just Egg
Add salt, pepper, basil, and thyme (spread evenly on top of omelet)
Evenly spread beans, olives, capers, and cheese – let cook for about 2-3 minutes
Add the spinach and let cook for about 2 minutes more. The bottom of the omelet should be cooked and slowly cooking through to the top
Fold omelet over and cook for one minute on each side – the inside should be fully cooked
Serve with a delicious piece of fresh bakery bread! (I used a fresh roasted garlic clove loaf)
Pair with –
Cava sparkling wine OR a Blanc de blancs
The BEST Vegan Creamy Tortellini Soup!
The BEST Vegan Creamy Tortellini Soup! Has been my best creation all winter. Honestly, my sister and I scarfed this down and then laid comatose on the couch for about 30 minutes afterward. It was SOOOO good! We ate it too fast, therefore, we ate too much, then digested silently on the couch. When we stop drinking our wine because we are too full, you know we’ve hit our limit. LOL.
I had leftover Kite Hill Tortellini in my fridge which is how this idea came to be. Honestly, it had probably been about twenty years since I’d had tortellini soup. One of the most important parts of this deliciousness is using a GOOD marinara sauce. Don’t skimp out!
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! We ate and drank too much and it was amazing. Loads of FT and Zoom calls with friends and family from my sister’s house. I ended up crashed in a teepee with my kiddo on my sister’s bedroom floor. LOL. Didn’t feel fabulous for my body when I woke up; however, didn’t give two-shits when I went to sleep. 😉
I can’t believe how fast Christmas is approaching. I say this every year like it is somehow shocking. LOL. Anyway, this The BEST Vegan Creamy Tortellini Soup! Would be an awesome addition to any Christmas dinner. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to post some more Just Egg recipes and a bunch of holiday recipes. Enjoy the first week back to the grind! I’m on a 3-hour work reprieve (I have an incredibly odd and disjointed schedule) and fucking exhausted.
Enjoy The BEST Vegan Creamy Tortellini Soup! And let me know if you have soups that you make for Christmas!
Click HERE for more great wintery soup recipes!
One of my holiday faves…
The BEST Vegan Creamy Tortellini Soup!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients –
1 package (not frozen) of vegan cheese tortellini (I use Kite Hill -their package is 9 ounces)
1 1/2 C small white beans (navy beans)
4 C fresh baby spinach (can swap out for kale)
12 oz vegan sausage (I use Gimme Lean Plant-Based Ground Sausage – roll up in little balls)
3 cloves of garlic – minced
1 medium yellow onion – diced finely
1 Tbl ground oregano (can use fresh)
1 tsp ground basil (can use fresh)
1 tsp fresh thyme – finely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary – finely chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper – to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 C vegetable broth
1/3 C vegan milk (I use oat milk)
1 (8-oz) can GOOD tomato sauce (I use Mezzetta Marinara Sauce)
Directions –
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Once warm, add sausage and cook until lightly browned – about 3-5 minutes
Add garlic, onion, and herbs, salt & pepper – cook for about 3 minutes
Whisk in the flour – about 1 minute
Slowly whisk in vegetable broth and tomato sauce
Add tortellini and beans- let boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes -stir occasionally (tortellini should be cooked and sauce should thicken)
Add spinach until wilted but still bright green – 1 minute
Add vegan milk and any salt & pepper you’d like – stir well – about 1 minute
Done!
Wine pairings –
Red – Amarone
White – Sauvignon blanc
Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet
Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet is another “Just Egg” vegan breakfast concoction. Honestly, I’m obsessed with “Just Egg.” It has yet to fail me. Everything I make with it is delicious – my favorite obviously being vegan omelets, or “omelettes” for you fancier folk. Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet is like a faux Italian vegan egg breakfast. Soooo good!
I made this the morning my boyfriend and I planned a MUCH NEEDED weekend get-away to Sisters, OR. I have had zero time without the kiddo for almost a year. If you’ve never been to Sisters, it’s incredibly beautiful! It’s twenty minutes from Bend, in the high-desert, is quaint, and loaded with great food and badass antique shops that I can never stop myself from buying shit that I don’t need. Mostly because I convince myself that I do, in fact, totally need this “shit.” For example, the $55 mid-century Samsonite chair I snagged today. And, pretty sure I’m going back for this AMAZING Formica kitchen table with newly reupholstered chairs in bright oil fabric. I’m obsessed! I can already see it as being the focal point of the kitchen in my house in Joshua Tree (JT). That’s right, the one I don’t own yet, but plan on owning in 2-3 years max. LOL.
When I move to Shenzhen, China, as soon as the borders reopen and the consulates are reissuing visas, I’m putting all of my new (less than 2 years old) furniture in storage to await the JT purchase. My furniture and general decor are perfect for the style of desert house I am planning on styling. Why reinvent the wheel and buy anew?
Anyway, the Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet was the perfect breakfast for relaxing and planning our trip to Sisters. If you do go, check out the Five Pines Lodge. I’ve stayed there 3 times and every time it is better than the last. It’s such a beautiful place and incredibly private.
PS- Heard this on the 70’s Folk station on Alexa en route to Sisters with the lova. I had forgotten about this tune- love it! Sooo… go get down with your badass Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet cooking tunes! … 😉
Asparagus, White Bean & Parmesan Vegan “Just Egg” Omelet
Serves: 1-2
Total time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients-
Half a bottle of “Just Egg” ($4.99 at Whole Foods! Loads cheaper than anywhere I’ve seen -ironically!)
2-3 asparagus stalks cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 large lemon (fresh lemon only)
1/4 C small white beans (navy beans) – can sub out for cannellini beans
Optional- 2-3 Large fresh basil leaves – chopped
1/4 C red onion – diced (can replace with shallots)
1 large clove garlic – minced
1/4 C vegan parm shreds (more for garnish if you’d like)
1/4 C Vegetable broth
Pepper to taste (I used a 4 pepper blend & no salt because of the veggie broth)
Olive for pan
Directions-
Heat medium-sized pan on medium low – medium (pending on your stove) and add a bit of olive oil
Once oil is heated, add onions and stir occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more – stirring occasionally
Add asparagus,, pepper and veggie broth – cook for about 10 minutes (or until tender- not too soft) stirring occasionally
Place contents of pan on a plate and set aside
Keep same pan, pour more olive oil, and pour Just Egg in pan
Add vegan parmesan cheese – sprinkle evenly, and let cook for 1-2 minutes
Add contents from plate and basil – spread evenly, and let cook for a few minutes or until bottom of Just Egg is solid (I like mine browned a bit)
Squeeze about 1/2 of the (1/2) lemon on top of egg and veggies
Fold omelet, make sure inside Just Egg is not runny, and remove from heat
Let cool for a few minutes. Squeeze the rest of the lemon evenly across the top of the omelet
Garnish with vegan parmesan and fresh basil (both optional)
Done!
Wine pairing-
White – Pouilly-Fumé or blanc de blanc
Sparkling – Cava
Beer Pairing-
Belgian-style witbier
The BEST Vegan Pasta e Fagioli
The BEST Vegan Pasta e Fagioli, aka “pasta and beans,” or as us ‘muricans say it, “pasta fazool” (okay, so maybe we’ve derived that from Southern Italy – I dunno) – I have ever made is for your viewing and slurping delight below. I actually didn’t set out to make Fagioli at all. I was rummaging through my fridge and cabinets to concoct something for lunch from whatever the hell I had leftover. I do this often; however, this time, it was pure gold! I had a box of ditalini pasta in my cabinet forever in hopes to park it in some kind of soup. That was the day, and it was DAMN DELICIOUS!
I’d like to think that my inner Sicilian (or so Ancestry.com has stated) allowed me to make this fabulous vegan Pasta e Fagioli juuuussst right for my soup slurping soul. Yeah, we’ll go with that. 😉 This is FGG’s version of the perfect vegan Fagioli.
Honestly, COVID cooking has been the tits! I’ve been chefin’ shit up daily, and sometimes, even remembering or thinking to photograph it! My next conquest is going to be adding a tutorial video with every post. Hoping to start that next week. And, regarding my post the other day, MY SHOP IS UP AND RUNNING!!! WOO-HOO!!! I’ve had some sales, too! Okay, so I have no doubt it’s my family and the bf but hey, it’s something. 😉 You can just click on “My Shop!” in the tab on the top of the page. Happy shopping!
If you make The BEST Vegan Pasta e Fagioli! – please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts! Buon appetitio!
For this post about soup, I only thought of one song because there IS only ONE perfect soup song in this world. That’s right, if you were a lover of Woodie Guthrie but have never heard of Cisco Houston, welcome to a new realm of awesome! They worked together often. Houston died in ’61 but this song, and many others, carry on his classic American folk music tunes. Houston’s, “Soup Song!”
The BEST Vegan Pasta e Fagioli
Serves: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients-
1 1/2 C ditalini pasta
Optional – 1-2 C vegan Italian sausage (diced until it is basically minced or just very finely diced – I love Tofurky’s Italian Sausage the most)
4 cloves garlic – chopped
1 yellow onion – diced
2 stalks celery – diced
2-3 carrots – diced (I recommend peeling first!)
3/4 C sliced white or crimini mushrooms
1-2 C baby spinach or Italian (Lacinato) kale (depending on how much you deem necessary – personally I use 2. If using kale, de-stem and chop)
2 cans of Great Northern Beans OR Cannellini Beans – drained
Olive oil for pot
4 C vegetable broth
1 1/2 cans good diced tomatoes (with juice from can)
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary – finely chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper (I used a 4 pepper blend) to taste
Vegan Parmesan to taste (some vegan parms are mild, some are goat-y, some are pungent, etc. For this soup, I prefer pungent, so I used Go Veggie)
Directions-
In a large pot, cook pasta
Heat olive oil in an additional large pot on medium
Once hot, add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes – stirring occasionally – then add garlic and stir occasionally for another minute
Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt – stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until they start to soften nicely
Add carrots and celery – stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes (make sure veggies are tender)
Add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and herbs. Add more salt and add pepper – bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer whilst covered for about 10 minutes. If using kale, add now and cook for 5 minutes more. If using spinach, cook for 13 minutes and add spinach for the last 2 minutes
Add the pasta and beans – stir occasionally for about 2 minutes, until everything is nicely combined
Serve and garnish each bowl with vegan parmesan (I used rosemary sprigs for a garnish, too)
Done!
Wine pairing-
Red – A light Chianti
White – Vernaccia or Pignoletto
Homemade Vegan Pepperoni Pizza
Homemade Vegan Pepperoni Pizza is something I do to cook with the kiddo. Grey, my 5 YO, loves to cook with me. This is an incredibly easy and always delicious recipe that we try to make together monthly. I tell him what to do, drink wine, and listen to Louis Prima and Dean Martin. Done. Fun for everyone.
Now, the bllloooooggg. Two months of the most ridiculous dealings with multiple people at Bluehost, and in the end, this unsavvy technologically challenged lady fixed the last leg herself. A frustrating and proud moment. LOL. Since I’m a teacher, I’d been running a Google classroom for months. This gave me loads of time to finally take care of myself and start cooking/photographing again. I was so pissed that I couldn’t post! However, at the end of the day, my divorce was FINALIZED (woo-fucking-hoo!), the ex had temporarily stopped threatening me and others in my life (unfortunately, he’s back on that crazy train for the umpteenth time) and he moved to Peru (!!!!!). This is why I didn’t make my Wednesday post as promised on FB – too many ex fires to put out. Grey and I spend our days outside playing basketball, soccer, and tennis. We ride bikes daily and play games inside almost nightly. Times during COVID have been shiny and pretty for the most part. If the blog was the one downfall, well, that was more than acceptable after this past year of absolute hell and anguish.
CHIIINNNAAAA! “Are you still actually going to China? What about the borders? What about the COVID?!” The answer is “YES!” China is amazing about quarantining and actually understanding the severity of the virus, unlike the insanity and delusions that Americans have been left to deal with on our own. My school in Shenzhen is amazing. We will be doing Google classrooms until we can arrive if they can’t get us there on time. There is always some finagling to be done with visas and the government so we shall see what happens as everything unfolds. I am incredibly excited about G and my new lives there. He’ll get the most bomb education any kiddo could ever hope to receive, the experiences of a lifetime, the opportunity to travel all over the world again, make moolah and save said moolah, and the opportunity to once again love my job.
Okay, back to pizza. Homemade Vegan Pepperoni Pizza requires very few ingredients, little mess (usually), and will make your kiddo/s smile. Mangia! And, it’s great to be back in the blogosphere again.
Homemade Vegan Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza dough (I love Pirate Pizza Dough)
Flour to roll out the dough
Olive oil for pan
1 15-oz can of GOOD pizza sauce (I use Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce)
1 8-oz bag of vegan mozzarella or vegan pizza shreds (I used 3/4 a bag of Follow Your Heart Pizzeria Blend and 1/4 bag of Lisanatti The Original Mozzarella Style Almond Cheese, Shredded)
Vegan parmesan to taste (I used Follow Your Heart Grated Parmesan)
Small package of vegan pepperoni (I used Yves)
Optional: Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary)
Optional: Cornmeal for bottom of pizza
Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees
Spread a thin layer of flour on a pastry board (or hard and flat surface) and a thin layer of flour on a rolling pin. Roll out dough into a circle or a rectangle, or if you let your kid do it, whatever weird shape you deem large enough
Oil your baking pan. If using cornmeal, place on top of the olive oil now. Transfer the dough onto your pan or your pizza stone
Get a cooking brush and evenly brush on your pizza sauce
Spread a thin layer (to taste) of grated parmesan on top of the sauce. Next evenly spread your shredded cheese over the top of the pizza. Optional – add another layer of grated parmesan on top
Place your pepperoni slices on top of the cheese (we use a lot)
Place pizza on the bottom rack of your oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until desired – move to top rack for one final minute
Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes
Optional – Top with fresh herbs or dried herbs
For a NY style slice, top each individual slice with grated parm, dried oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes
Wine pairings: Sangiovese or Barbera
Beer pairings: IPA or American Brown Ale (I prefer the latter with pepperoni pizza)
Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs
Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs is my favorite simple pasta. Plus, anytime I have an excuse to use bucatini, I’m happy. I am sure that I have mentioned this many times on this blog but I grew up eating Italian food, and I mean like, solely Italian food, for about the first ten years of my life. My mother is an incredible cook… now. Her mom, my most favorite woman to have ever walked this earth, was not an incredible cook. Crappy food… crappy German food. Need I say more?
My other grandmother, though not Italian, was married to my grandpa, Paul. An Italian who told us we were french. Long story. I didn’t find out I was Italian until I was sixteen. I chose French as my second language because that is what I thought I was. Well, now, thanks to Ancestry.com, I am aware that I am actually twenty-two percent Italian and that my family came from southern Italy, specifically, Calabria, Italy. Shockingly, I am French, too. A whopping twelve percent. 😉 All from spitting into a tube and mailing it back. If you haven’t done DNA testing, it’s pretty rad.
Anyway, about fifteen years ago my second cousin gave me a list with the names of my grandpa and his eleven, yes, ELEVEN, other siblings. His name was really Paulo, and his siblings were Gaetano, Carmella, Octtalia, Dominick, Rossina, etc. You get the drift. Super “French” sounding names, right? 😉
My Italian grandpa’s wife, Norma, whom I lived with when she passed; a beautifully talented and artistic soul, learned to make Italian food for her husband. They had lived in Sorrento, Italy for a bit while my grandfather was penning a book that my father tells me was about politics… possibly, in rhyme. I’d love to have a copy of that. My grandma gifted my mother a cookbook with typed out recipes on index cards. And this, friends, is what I was fed for a decade until my mother expanded outwards. Puttanesca and Aglio e Olio defined my childhood. This would also explain my unbreakable love for carbohydrates.
I’ve taken the classic Aglio e Olio and jazzed it up with asparagus, lemon, bread crumbs, capers, and yes, vegan parm. I read that parmesan is not really meant to be part of an Italian dish like this (with heat), but like my life’s mantra always says, “Fuck it.” On that note, have a fabulous vegan Tofurky day! Eat, drink, and be merry. Mangia! Salute!
PS- One of my favorite Louis Prima songs. Popped into my head right away when I was thinking about what song I should add to this post. 🙂
Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs
Ingredients:
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs – I used Panko
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup vegan parmesan cheese – I used Follow Your Heart (my new fave)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 lb. bucatini pasta
8 cloves (1 bulb) garlic – chopped
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper (depending on your personal heat index)
3 Tbl capers – roughly chopped
1 lemon – juiced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano, and basil – chopped finely. You can use all three as I did or use just one. You could also add thyme or rosemary pending upon your taste.
Directions:
Cook bucatini in salted water – save 1/2 C pasta water
In a steamer set over boiling water, steam asparagus, covered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil on low-medium. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and capers. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir the pan for a minute. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add asparagus, pasta water, lemon juice, and herbs. Turn off heat. Toss the pasta in until coated – about 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the vegan parmesan and breadcrumbs. I threw some sun-dried tomatoes on the center top of the bowl for my photos.
Wine pairings:
Sparkling brut wine or pinot noir
To contrast the tangy flavor, try a french chardonnay
Vegan Fusilli with Lentils, Sausage, & Peppers
Vegan Fusilli with Lentils, Sausage, & Peppers was made on a total whim, unplanned, yet totally amazing! It’s healthy, quick, easy, and delish. This is a broth based pasta with garlic and vegan parmesan cheese.
Okay, I’m gonna chat for a minute about vegan parm and vegan sausage. For this recipe (and for any recipe using parm), my go-to parm is Go Veggie! It is the best texture and flavor… or so I believe. I’ve just discovered a new wedge block parmesan as well… drum roll please… Violife Just Like Parmesan. I use this to grate parm atop my pastas and salads. I’ve tried the Smoked Provolone Slices as well and they’re absolutely incredible! To me, Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage is the BEST! You can mold it into whatever shape, size etc you’d like. The flavor is awesome, aaannndd it’s not expensive. If you’ve never tried any of these vegan products, you should! You can click on the title of the product above to bring you directly to their pages. Lastly, what is your favorite vegan parm and vegan sausage? Let me know in the comments! Always looking to try something new.
Yesterday, I went to Trader Joe’s on my way home from a sleepover at my friend Mandi’s house. I had interviewed her for my podcast, “One More Sip of Whine.” Of course, we drank through the podcast (part of the process) and then continued forth with prosecco. She lives far out in Vancouver so as usual, I stayed overnight. Was amazing. You are never too old for sleepovers with your girlfriends. Honestly, I think it’s incredibly important to maintain that youthful friendship. It’s so healthy! Well, except for the booze. 😉 Anyway, hurting, on my way home, I stopped at TJ’s, threw a bunch of shit in my shopping cart, without any real thought, returned home and was like, “what the fuck is this?” So, I had to get creative. Hence the beautiful discovery of Vegan Fusilli with Lentils, Sausage, & Peppers. LOL. Better than pouring ranch dressing on pasta. Seriously. As in, no joke. Welcome to my impoverished days of living in the East Village of Manhattan. 😉 Those stories from those days deserve their on tab on top of this blog! Hhhmmm…
Anyway, chow down and enjoy this hangover delight! It won’t disappoint.
-FGG
PS- Loved this song back in the day!
Vegan Fusilli with Lentils, Sausage, & Peppers
Serves approximately 4-6
Ingredients:
1 lb fusilli pasta – cooked
3 Tbl butter (I love Earth Balance)
3-4 cups veggie broth (depends on your liking)
1 C parmesan (I used Go Veggie!)
2 cloves of garlic – diced
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbl dried oregano
Salt for peppers
8 leaves of fresh basil – chopped
2 C colored peppers – sliced thin (I use a combo of red, orange, & yellow)
2 C cooked lentils (I used 3/4 package of Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils)
1/2 a package of Lightlife’s Gimme Lean Sausage – rolled into 1/2 inch balls
Optional: Violife Wedge Parm grated on top of individual bowls
Directions:
In a sauce pan, heat to low-med and add butter
Once melted add garlic and stir occasionally for approximately 1 minute
Add the peppers with salt, mix well, place lid on top of saucepan and let sit for 2-3 minutes
Add veggie sausage and mix well – put lid back on for 2 minutes
Remove lid and add lentils, onion and garlic powder, and oregano – mix well. Stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes
Add veggie broth, parmesan, and basil , mix very well and place lid back on pan. Let cook for approximately 5 minutes and stir again. Place lid back on and let cook on low for an additional 5 minutes
Mix well and pour sauce over pasta. Done!
DISCLAIMER: Picture totally sucks. Had no intention of taking pics, especially at night (always shoot with the sun), however, I realized I am slacking on my food posts, and this pasta dish was too damn good not to post. 😉
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan)
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan) is a go-to in my household. My kid thinks it’s mac n’ cheese so he scarfs it down AND I trick him into eating veggies. Score!!! For me, I love it because it’s incredibly easy, delicious, and healthy. I get loads of nutrients all at once. Lastly, I can make a huge pot and have lunches for me and the wee man for days. Another score for sure! Especially with my insane schedule and life. Time is incredibly valuable!
This is another recipe I made when I was sick. Honestly, I can’t even sit when I’m on my death bed. I feel like if I truly want to shift gears from teaching (I’m a music teacher) to branding myself via this blog, my books, and my upcoming podcast and vlog, I can’t EVER take a break! However, I fuckin’ love it. 😉
I thought I’d share the journey of my weight loss since I spoke about that in the last food post. Down another 3 in a week! Honestly, I tried to cut carbs out completely for a few weeks but it was hard af. Now, I’m limiting them. I don’t mind having one meal a day in carbs. That, I can handle. In a dish like this where the sauce is incredibly healthy, I feel even less guilty. I just re-tweaked my meds and the insatiable appetite did not come back. Fucking phew! How someone gains 60 lbs in 14 months is totally, completely, bat shit crazy, kinda fucked bs. At this point, since the 14 lbs fell off in 6 weeks and I’m still going down, I’m hoping that I’ll have a svelte bod by June. 😉 I miss my bikinis, cute dresses & jeans etc. We need a reunion – ASAP! The way I’m doing it outside of the med switch (albeit the most important part for sure) is by cutting some carbs, cutting some booze, going to sleep earlier, and getting back on the workout train since I just quit my tap dance class. I’m so fucking eager to be myself again, that moving toward that goal quickly is all of the motivation I need. Could I be doing more? Fuck yeah, but this is what’s working for me. It’s what I can give right now. The last thing I’ll say is this, don’t overdo it so you get tired and quit. It’s SO easy to quit. Start small and add on more workouts, dieting etc as you go so you stay in the groove. Gotta be in it to win it, right?! 😉
Happy Monday! -FGG
Here’s a great tune to liven up your Monday blues. 😉
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan) – Serves 4
Ingredients-
1/2 C raw cashews – soaked overnight from the day prior – drain them now
12 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles – cooked
1 1/2 C cooked butternut squash – scoop out of the shell
1/2 C carrot – diced & steamed
1 C coconut milk (I use the full fat milk for a better texture)
1/4 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp Dijon mustard (this may sound like a weird ingredient but trust me, it works and is totally necessary!)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to your liking)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pepper to taste
Directions-
Combine sweet potato, carrot, and 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water in a high powered blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy
In a bowl, add the cashews to the squash & carrot mix, coconut milk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, black pepper (if using), turmeric, garlic powder, and onion powder – blend until completely creamy & smooth
Pour the sauce over the pasta – mix well
Done!
Pair with:
Red – Chianti
White – Riesling
Beer – Pilsner
8 Awesome Vegan Pasta Dishes!
8 Awesome Vegan Pasta Dishes! The title says it all. 😉 I’ve collected my top 8 pasta recipes and compiled them all into one post for your ease and delight. They’re packed with flavor and loaded with crazy healthy ingredients. Think like a fatty, but eat like a fit f***. Side note: I feel like that should be a quote on a tee-shirt. Onwards… What’s better than that?! Short answer? Nothing. Food is life! Hence this crazy blog. Food shouldn’t taste like shit to be healthy as shit. Food should taste like delectable dopeness and be healthy as shit! I’ll stop now so as not to subject you to a ‘Heather’ diatribe. You’re welcome. 😉
Ooohhh pasta. Yesterday was National Pasta Day, which inspired today’s post. I f’in’ love pasta more than Bradley Cooper AND Brad Pitt combined. Say wha?! Yeah, I said it. And I meant it. The most challenging thing in the world for me is cutting back on carbs. However, I just have to do it when I’m not working out very much. It’s a fact. A shitty fact, but fuck, my thighs don’t lie. I literally find it more difficult to quit my carboholic ways than I did to quit my pack-a-day smoking habit. 🙁 #addictionisreal LOL. Now, with all of that being said, these 8 Awesome Vegan Pasta Dishes! are a much better alternative to their dairy partners. And remember, there are always zoodles to substitute for the grains! I’m a big fan of my spiralizer for that very reason. And of course, my thighs are its biggest fan. 😉 On that note, mangia! -FGG
PS- Feeling guilty about wanting carbs? Take a note from our musical selection below. Call up your pusherman, have a toke, and I promise, you’ll be chowing down on carbs guilt free. 😉 Similarly, I used to be super poor, go to the mall, swig down 2 well-mannered martinis from the Cheesecake Factory, as I knew this would easily open my wallet up for business, and then shop for clothes – guilt free. Until I came home, and hid them in the trunk of my car so my all-to-astute boyfriend wouldn’t notice that I had new clothes but somehow, couldn’t pay the rent. Oh man… from days of old!
CLICK ON RECIPE TO GO TO LINK!
Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan!
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera!
Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese!
Crazy Creamy Pesto (Vegan)!
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan)
Vegan Kale Pesto Lasagna with Veggie Tofu Ricotta
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies!
Vegan Fettucine Alfredo
Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan)
Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan) are truly one of the most delicious faux ‘meatballs’ one can make. I love the flavor, texture, and the fact that they are crazy easy and quick to chef up! This recipe comes from my mother via my Aunt Lisa, or so I think. The original recipe calls for egg and cheese so I’ve made my own vegan version for y’all. Honestly, they taste exactly the same and hold together just as well.
I became a vegetarian when I was 8 years old. I never faltered for even a moment after I had made the decision to go meat-free. Thankfully, my mother rarely cooked meat anyway and was incredibly health-conscious – far beyond where the rest of the world was. I was eating quinoa balls, tofu dishes, going to vegetarian cooking classes at the local health food store, chowing down on eggplant meatballs, etc FAR before anyone had ever heard of the word ‘quinoa’, none-the-less could even pronounce it! I am beyond grateful to have had a parent with this understanding of nutrition and food many moons before the health trends (grains, tofu, non-dairy milks, etc) hit the US.
I shattered both of my wrists when I was eleven. Yup. That sucked. I started my very first day of middle school with two casts and a new set of metal in my mouth. People would walk up to me and say, “So you’re the girl with two broken arms!” To which my drugged up and angry self would reply, “Who else do you think it is?!” It’s amazing that I had friends and wasn’t a freakin’ social pariah. Anyway, my point in sharing this with you is to mention that my doctors were concerned that I wouldn’t heal quickly because I was a vegetarian. My mother argued that I was far healthier than most children. Alas, I healed weeks before they expected. My sisters were quite thankful as well, as I no longer had two hard weapons to bang heavily atop their heads. Okay, so I wasn’t the model older sister. I was more of an asshole. So sue me! I was a pretty crazy kid. I’ve grown, or so they say. 😉
Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan) are a must for your recipe index. Give them a go and send pictures or use my Heyoya to speak your comment instead of writing it! Mangia! Your listening tune for this recipe below:
EGGPLANT MEATBALLS (VEGAN)
Yields: Approximately 15 eggplant balls
Ingredients:
3 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves garlic – chopped
1 large eggplant – peeled & diced
1 Tbl water
1 C seasoned bread crumbs (I used Panko & seasoned with Italian herbs)
1/2 C fresh parsley – loosely chopped
1/2 C grated vegan cheese (I grated Follow Your Heart’s Mozzarella)
Olive oil for pan
Marinara sauce
Your favorite pasta if serving as a meal (I used whole wheat spaghetti for a classic ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ dish)
Instructions:
In a large saucepan heat the oil and add the garlic – stir occasionally for about 1 minute
Add the eggplant and water and then cover
Reduce the heat and then steam until the eggplant is very soft – about 15 minutes
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese
Mix very well and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes
Form the mixture into balls and either:
Fry in oil
Bake at 400f for about 25 minutes on a sprayed baking sheet – turn them after 12 minutes
Done!
Add sauce and pasta for a delicious meal!
Wine pairings:
Red – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Chianti, or Sangiovese
Spaghetti Squash with Cheesy Marinara (Vegan)
Spaghetti Squash with Cheesy Marinara (Vegan) made all the members of my household drool. Seriously. I knew there would be skepticism at first sight, but mouth-watering, “MORE PLEASE!” hollers as soon as this was tasted and immediately scarfed down… annndd, I was right. The beauty of this meal, outside of the delish factor, is how incredibly easy and versatile it is. I made the adults spaghetti squash with shredded Miyokos vegan mozzarella, vegan meatballs (Trader Joe’s), and freshly chopped basil from my garden. I made my kiddo spaghetti squash with Quorn Chicken and parmesan cheese. The following day, I threw some left over olives I had from my Greek infused tofu scramble (recipe coming soon) in my bowl and my mouth melted just a teeny bit more. My point being, throw in whatever you’d like and it will still be awesome!
Many, many moons ago, my exe’s sister was in culinary school and taught us how to use spaghetti squash as pasta. I was hooked. As you all know, I’m a total f’in carb-whore, and my thighs really don’t appreciate that portion of my personality, so this discovery was pretty freakin’ fantastic to say the least. His sister also taught us a trick for cutting cilantro and parsley off the bunch. One day, when I actually have my YouTube channel that I’ve been talking about creating for over a year now, I’ll totally share that fabulous trick with you all. For the “one day…”
Anyway, enjoy the grub and the tunes! -FGG
Okay, so TOTALLY disappointing! My Yum Print Recipe card template isn’t working! Ugh… 🙁 I’ll post the recipe below without it. When I sort it out, I will revise this post with the recipe card.
30 minutes // Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
1 spaghetti squash
25 oz jar of garlic marinara (I used Cucina Antica)
2 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Miyokos or Follow Your Heart)
1/4 C fresh basil – chopped
Optional add-ons:
Vegan meatballs (I used Trader Joes)
Vegan chicken strips (try Gardein)
Vegan sausage (Gimme Lean OR Tofurky: Italian Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Basil)
Olives
Capers
Artichoke hearts
Spinach
Fresh Parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the spaghetti squash in half – length wise and place in a large pot with boiling water, face down, for 25 minutes on medium high
While the squash is cooking, shred your mozzarella and chop your basil. Prepare any other ingredients you are using as well
When the squash is through cooking, scrape out the seeds with a fork or spoon. Next scrape each half of the squash with a fork. You should be able to scrape all the way to the shell leaving no “meat” left in the squash shells
Place the scraped squash back in the pot on low, and add the sauce, basil, and cheese. Stir well until the squash is thoroughly covered in sauce and the cheese has begun to melt
Add any other ingredients you are using and stir again
Remove from heat and serve immediately
Done!
Wine Pairings:
Red – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo OR Pinot Noir
White – Pinot Grigio OR a crisp Sauvignon Blanc
Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan!
Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan! was so freakin’ good that my kiddo housed it like a drunken frat boy chowing down on pizza after a wild night out. 😉 … Yeah, so that statement just produced a litany of SUNY New Paltz memories racing through my brain. Ahh… the good ole days. When livers were strong, friends were family, stoners still laughed when they got high, cigarettes were cheap, the walk of shame was lived by all – every weekend, and life was… well… fucking great! THAT’s how unbelievably awesome this pasta dish is.
This Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan! is made with a cashew and pesto based sauce. It’s loaded with vitamins, omega 3, iron, and all things good for your mind, body, soul, and of course, your tastebuds. 😉 This dish talks the talk and walks the walk. I have a load of oregano and basil pumpin’ in my garden. I dried the oregano the night before to use for this meal. I had to stop myself from over-carbing, as usual.
Since I hadn’t written a post in ages until my previous gyoza post, I totally forgot to do my new thanggg. Music! I’m super into adding some good tunes to every post. I always cook with music. If you have my e-cookbook, you’ll know that each recipe has a link to a song that accompanies that specific dish. Enjoy the dope tunes and grub! Mangia!
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta - cooked
- 1 C cooked lentils (I used 1/2 a pack of Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils)
- 1/4 C fresh oregano that has been dried - this will taste very different than dried oregano in a store
- 1 1/2 C basil leaves - loosely packed
- 1 & 1/2 C cashews - raw & unsalted
- 1/2 of a large red onion - diced
- 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 3 Tbs ground flax seed (I add this solely for health purposes - omegas!)
- 2 cloves garlic - chopped
- 1/4 C pine nuts
- 1/2 of a lemon - squeezed
- 1 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base
- 1 - 2 C unsweetened almond milk or soy milk (depends on how thick you want your sauce)
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Heat pan on medium with olive oil
- Add onion and salt - cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes
- Add garlic and cashews - cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes more
- In a high powered blender (I used my Vitamix), blend all of the ingredients, except the lentils and oregano, together until smooth and creamy - adjust salt, pepper, and milk as necessary
- Pour sauce over warm rigatoni and sprinkle with oregano
- Done!
- White - oaked chardonnay, soave, chablis
- Red - teroldego, pinot noir
Creamy Avocado Sauce over Black Bean Pasta
Creamy Avocado Sauce over Black Bean Pasta is the combination the world has been waiting for. Two soulmates who have finally found one another. A duo so perfectly paired there can never be another. Intrigued? Then this is the dish you MUST try this week! Seriously, SO tasty, healthy and easy! Also, it only takes a mere 10 minutes to chef up. What’s better than that? I literally feel like there are not enough minutes in my day for all that I do and try to get done. Ten minute meals are a slice of heaven for this busy soul of mine. Plus, my kiddo scarfs this shit down, aaand I hide spinach and white beans in the sauce – so that’s two for the win – Bam! I had mine with a margarita… naturally.
I’m obsessed with avocados. I eat 1/2 an avo/day. I blended spinach and small white beans plus a few more ingredients for this delicious Creamy Avocado Sauce. When I looked in my pantry and saw the black bean rotini it was a duh moment. Obviously, anything black bean is totally perfect with anything avocado. Thus began the sexiest pasta affair that man has ever known. You could swim in this sauce, bathe in this sauce, drink this sauce, and have a creamy avocado ‘mud fight’ in this sauce.
Remember, I have Heyoya now! Leave a voice comment instead of a written comment! Enjoy saucin’ yourself up! -FGG
- 12 oz black bean pasta (I used Trader's Black Bean Rotini)
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 C fresh cilantro
- 2 C baby spinach - loosely packed
- 1 Tbl lemon or lime juice
- 2 Tbl olive oil (you can substitute for water if you'd like)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3/4 C small white beans
- 1 Tbl taco seasoning
- Salt to taste
- While the pasta is cooking, put all of the other ingredients in a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) or processor and blend until completely smooth
- When pasta is done, pour sauce on top and serve immediately. Black bean pasta does not typically save well. If you want leftovers, use a different pasta.
- Beer - Pale Ales
- Wine - Sauvignon Blanc
Easy Vegan Mexican & Italian Inspired Food Cookbook
Easy Vegan Mexican & Italian Inspired Food Cookbook is my FIRST published e-cookbook! I wanted to thank everyone who has purchased it, and encourage you all to write me a review! If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, then check it out on Amazon for a mere $2.99! Every recipe comes with a music and drink pairing. The music is hyperlinked to send you directly to the YouTube video as well! You don’t need a Kindle to read it. The Kindle is a free download that will most likely automatically download on your device with purchase of the book. You can read it on any device! Let me know your thoughts in the comments as well. Remember, I now have Heyoya so you can leave me a voice comment, too. So cool! Hope you’re enjoying for those of you who have purchased my Easy Vegan Mexican & Italian Inspired Food Cookbook. Love, FGG
Two Vegan Breakfast Toasts!
Two Vegan Breakfast Toasts! Why two? Because it’s twice as nice. 😉 These delicious delights are incredibly easy, healthy, and quick to make. Everything you want in a breakfast! Lord knows, no one has endless amounts of time in the A.M. Mornings are the foundation of my day. If they start out shitty, the road is long for the rest of the day. I am a believer in starting your day right.
The first toast is loaded with avocado & shiitake mushrooms, and the second is loaded with spicy roasted red pepper hummus (click the name for link to my hummus recipe) & Italian veggie sausage. I LOVE glorified toasts in the morning. I usually have them with a green fruit smoothie and a cup of hot water with lemon, agave, ginger, and cayenne pepper. I feel like that perfect trifecta starts my body’s day at some form of homeostasis. No doubt I need that to cope with my 10 or 11 classes/day with 25-35 kiddos/class. Sigh… This is why my thighs will always touch. 🙁 Haha. I’ll never have enough energy to go nutty enough on the working out scene and I’ll always need my medicine, I mean, wine ;), after a long and crazy day of teaching, mommy-ing, cooking, blogging, writing, and house cleaning. INSANE! Let these two fabulous toasts at least ease some of the burden of your day, too! Wanna vent about it? Do it here! Leave your crazy lives and morning stressors in the comment section. I now have Heyoya as well which means you can leave voice comments. SO cool! Let’s get to know one another and our insane day-to-days!
Lastly, my very first e-cookbook, Easy Vegan Mexican & Italian Inspired Food, is now officially available on Amazon for a mere $2.99! And, no. You DON’T need a Kindle to read it! The Kindle is free to download (mine did it automatically with purchase) and therefore you can read on your iPhone, computer etc. What makes this cookbook so unique?! I have songs and well- researched drink pairings for every single recipe including slightly racy, and “Heather-style” inappropriate commentary for each page as well! Please leave me a review if you purchase it! They’ll be more to come by the end of the summer! Thanks for all of your support! Love, FGG
This album below (and Come Away with Me) are my 2 favorite Sunday morning albums to cook to and start the morning with!
UGH! CAN’T FIX THE GIANT GAP B/W THE PIC AND THE RECIPE CARD. WORDPRESS KILLS ME!
- 2 pieces of toast (I use black sourdough rye from Trader Joe's)
- 1 avocado - smashed
- 1 C of shiitake mushrooms (without stems)
- 1 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbl olive oil
- 2 Tbl veggie broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- 2 pieces of toast (I use large sourdough slices)
- 1/3 C spicy roasted red pepper hummus (I use my own recipe - link in blog post)
- 2 Tbl vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti)
- 1 1/2 C baby spinach
- 2 large veggie sausages (I use Trader Joe's Italian Vegan Sausages) - sliced
- 1 tsp oregano - fresh or dried. If fresh, chop
- 1 1/2 Tbl of olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Heat pan on medium with olive oil
- Add mushroom, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic & onion powders, and stir for about 3 minutes
- Add veggie broth and cilantro and stir occasionally for about 4-5 minutes more - shiitakes should be slightly crisp but not dry
- Remove from heat
- Evenly smear the smashed avocado onto both pieces of toasts
- Evenly divide the contents of the pan onto both pieces of toast
- Done!
- Heat pan on medium with olive oil
- When hot, add veggie sausage, salt & pepper
- Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes (we want to brown the outside of the sausages)
- Add the oregano and stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes more
- Add the spinach and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes - spinach should be bright green and slightly wilted - do not over cook
- Remove from heat
- Evenly spread the cream cheese and then the hummus on both pieces of toast
- Evenly spread the contents of the pan on top of the toasts
- Done!
- White wine - riesling or chablis
- Red wine - pinot noir or zinfandel
Vegan Mexican & Italian Food!
Vegan Mexican & Italian Food! Is a post that is revisiting two of my most all-time favorite blog recipes: (Click on recipe name for direct link to page)
Vegan Kale Pesto Lasagna with Veggie Tofu Ricotta
Cheesy Vegan Sweet Potato Fries Nacho Style!
I have just written a cookbook called, Easy Vegan Mexican & Italian inspired Food, and it will be released on Amazon within the next 72 hours! Only $2.99 for amazing Italian & Mexican style grub with music and booze to accompany each recipe… not to mention my inappropriate banter before you even get to the ingredient list. 😉 You know me! Wasn’t gonna keep my personality out of this cookbook or any cookbook that I’ll be publishing. My goal is to have 3 e-cookbooks out by the end of the summer, and my, “Crazy China SH#%” book will be released next month – tales of my expat days in Beijing, China told through a very candid and raw lens.
Above are two of my recipes from the archives to get you super stoked about the upcoming Foodgalleygab cookbook! Enjoy! Love, FGG
Spaghetti Marinara with Chard & Burst Tomatoes
Spaghetti Marinara with Chard & Burst Tomatoes is loaded with veggies and incredibly healthy. I had left over vegetables in my fridge (as usual) that I didn’t want to go bad so I loaded what I had into this sauce and it was totally amazing! I am not a lover of anything bland so I am always guaranteeing a ton of flavor in my recipes! This one is no exception. I literally ate the entire pot of pasta in 2 days. Perhaps this is yet another reason why I am on a no carbs for the month of May (insert the saddest emoji ever right here) diet now. I’ve had a massive affair with carbohydrates over the past year and like most affairs, it’s completely blown up in my face, and then it trickled down to my thighs and some. Now that the weather is warm, I am missing my wardrobe, another thing that this “affair” took from me. Sigh, sigh, sigh… However, if you’re NOT reeling from a breakup with pastas and the like, than this is a fabulous Italian spaghetti dish that I highly recommend you eat… for me, if not for yourself. I can try and live vicariously I suppose. I’m gonna keep this short today, as I am short of time. Live, eat, (diet), be happy! 😉 XO
As per usual, my listening suggestion for you whilst you chef up this dope dish! MWAH!:
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (I use Mezzetta)
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- 1 shallot - diced
- 3 cloves of garlic - diced
- 1 C cherry tomatoes
- 2 C chard
- 1 1/2 C sliced red and yellow (or just one or the other) sweet small peppers
- 3/4 C cannellini beans
- 1/2 C fresh basil - chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano - chopped (optional)
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Nutritional yeast to taste for serving (optional)
- Start boiling the pasta (I like to cook it al dente)
- While pasta is cooking, heat a pan on medium with olive oil
- Add shallot and stir often for 3 minutes
- Add garlic and stir often for 2 minutes more
- Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt - stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes
- Add beans, peppers, oregano, basil, salt & pepper - stir for approximately 3 more minutes
- Add marinara sauce, chard, red pepper flakes, plus any additional salt & pepper and stir for about 5 minutes more
- Pour sauce over pasta and serve with nutritional yeast (optional)
- White - Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio
- Red - Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Chianti
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera!
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! will be your next favorite spring pasta dish! Crazy colorful, flavorful, and incredibly healthy… not to mention quick and easy to make. This is one of those meals where I sometimes say, “if you could purchase it in a store and didn’t absolutely love it, I’d give you a refund in full.” Dem be powerful words, pasta lovers! A rainbow of deliciousness awaits you. I found this rainbow array of veggies in my fridge left over from my Organics to You delivery and had to use them before they went bad. I had also purchased Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto. However, if you don’t wanna go out and spend too much dinero on that bad boy, I have an AMAZING recipe on my blog for a pesto just like Trader Joe’s – in the search box, type – crazy creamy pesto (not sure why my hyperlink wasn’t working).
On this fine and fabulous afternoon, I went nuts-o cooking dishes for the week and for the blog. Breakfast toasts, red pepper hummus, a spaghetti marinara with peppers and chard (recipe coming soon), and of course, the one and only Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! I was a cooking machine. It was sunny, I had the door and windows wide open, and I listened to some My Bubba. If you don’t know these super hot, folk-esk, Scandinavian duo, get to know their music asap. They’re freakin’ amazing! So amazing, that I feel the need to add one of their recording sessions from a totally dope hostel in Iceland to this very post. You’re welcome. 😉 To sum this short post up (well, for me, haha), if you like incredible pasta and fantastic tunes, I implore you to make this recipe asap whilst listening to these superb ladies serenade you. Mangia!
PS- There’s a gigantic gap b/w my last photo and the video and recipe card. I can’t fix it! UGH! WordPress woes… 🙁
- 1 lb fusilli pasta (I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli) - cooked
- 8 oz of kale pesto (I have a recipe on the blog for this but I used TJ's Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto)
- 1 1/2 C purple broccoli florets
- 3/4 C broccolini or something similar - diced
- 3/4 C small red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 C carrot - diced
- 3/4 -1 C thin aspargus - cut into approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 of a lemon
- 6 large basil leaves (or the equivalent) - chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- Heat a large pan with olive oil over medium heat
- Add the carrots and asparagus stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes
- Add the purple broccoli, broccolini, tomatoes, salt & pepper, and squeeze the lemon on top of the veggies - stir occasionally for about 5 minutes
- Add the basil and stir for approximately 2-3 minutes more
- Your veggies should be crisp but cooked - don't over cook
- Remove from heat
- Pour pesto over your pasta and mix well
- Pour the veggie mix from the pan over the pesto pasta and still well
- Done!
- Sauvignon Blanc, dry riesling, or Fiano di Avellino
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies!
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies! is flavor packed, nutrition packed, and simply: CRAZY DELICIOUS! Like I’ve said a million times before; I’m a total carb-a-holic so pasta scratches that itch hard core for me. Not to mention, anything crazy creamy is just icing on my carb-cake. I had no intention of blogging this recipe until I made it and it tasted like a creamy cloud of shiitake heaven in my mouth. So, the next afternoon I took some pics in crap lighting, but still needed to share this gem with all y’all. In my Organic to You delivery last week (see previous post) I received these tiny and scrumptious looking shiitakes. Mushrooms are my all time fave! Outside of missing traveling the world, the other thing I really miss about living in Beijing is the abundance of super cheap and plentiful mushrooms. I had such a wide variety to pick from that virtually every meal I made had some type of shroom in it. Ahhh… the expat days… I digress (I know, shocking, right?!), I used this vegan cashew-based alfredo sauce that I had purchased at Whole Foods and was curious to taste. In a sauce pan I cooked shiitakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in onions, garlic, olive oil, and fresh oregano, with a pinch of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth, nooch (nutritional yeast), a pinch of ground flax, and then combined that with the alfredo sauce. Feel free to use any vegan alfredo sauce, however, being that this didn’t actually taste like an alfredo sauce per se, but a lighter and very tasty creamy sauce, I believe it made up a good part of the flavor palate in this dish. If you don’t want to use it, I have a recipe right here for a homemade alfredo sauce. For the pasta, I used Barilla Veggie Rotini and smothered that creamy and delicious sauce all over the pasta, and then drooled all over my bowl. After basking in my pasta glow of pure heaven, albeit, one bowl too many, I knew I had to share this Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies! with the world. Mangia! -FGG
- 1 box of Barilla Veggie Rotini Pasta (12 oz) OR equivalent
- 3/4 - entire jar of Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauce (start with 3/4 of the jar and add more after the pasta is and sauce have been mixed together if you'd still like it creamier - I used 3/4 of the jar)
- 1 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 Tbl ground flax seed
- 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth (it's a paste) OR equivalent
- 1 1/2 C shiitake mushrooms - de-stemmed
- 2 C baby spinach
- 1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes in oil and herbs - julienned (I used Trader Joe's)
- 1/2 a white onion - diced
- 3 large cloves of garlic - chopped
- 3 Tbl fresh oregano - chopped
- Olive oil for pan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Boil and cook pasta
- On another burner, in a saucepan heat oil on low-medium or medium depending on your stovetop
- Add onions and a pinch of salt - stir occasionally for about 3 minutes
- Add garlic and stir occasionally for about 1 minute more
- Add shiitakes, oregano, and pepper - stir occasionally for about 3 minutes
- Add sun-dried tomatoes - stir occasionally for about 2 minutes
- Add spinach, flax, and nutritional yeast- stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Put the cooked rotini in the pot over low heat and add the contents from the sauce pan and the alfredo sauce - mix well
- If you would like to add more salt & pepper, do so now
- When fully mixed and warm, remove from heat and serve instantly
- Done!
- This serves 4-6 bowls depending on what size bowl you serve
- Red- Tempranillo from Rioja
- White- Un-oaked Chardonnay
Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo!
Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo! Totally satisfies my creamy pasta cravings. I’ve read so many recipes about how to make a vegan version of fettuccine alfredo but wasn’t loving the seemingly bland ingredient lists in these sauces. This recipe is somewhat plant-based, but also uses heavier ingredients like a true alfredo sauce would. This is how I finallllly came to create an actual delicious version of vegan fettuccine alfredo! Amen.
My mother used to make an AMAZING alfredo sauce in which she accurately called, “a heart attack on a plate.” So true, but too delicious to care; especially, when I was young and fabulously fit… ahhh… sigh… the good ‘ol days. I ate the shit outta her alfredo and definitely was devouring (very ungracefully might I add) more than a single serving of pasta. I’m now officially salivating on my keyboard. Side note: When I was younger, my mother told me never to eat pasta on a date. Another accurate statement from the madre. If you’ve ever seen me eat pasta, you’d understand. 😉
This recipe blends together cauliflower, cashews, vegan butter and cream cheese, and some. You definitely won’t be disappointed! If you’ve been underwhelmed before by bland alfredo sauces, I definitely encourage you to try this ‘Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo!’ recipe, as it is anything but bland! Mangia! -FGG
- 1 lb fettuccine noodles (I used whole wheat)
- 3 Tbl diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic - chopped
- 1/2 C cauliflower florets
- 1/4 C unsalted cashews
- 3 Tbl olive oil
- 1 - 1 1/2 C unsweetened soy or almond milk (I prefer soy for this recipe)
- 1 C vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
- 3 Tbl vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti)
- 3 Tbl vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
- 2/3 C vegan parmesan cheese (you can buy this OR make your own with nooch, garlic powder, salt, and a nut like almond or cashew)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Optional: Fresh herb for garnish (parsley and basil are common, however, I used chives because they were still in my garden)!
- In a pot, boil water and cook your fettuccine
- In a separate pan, heat to low and add olive oil
- Add onions, a pinch of salt, and stir occasionally for about 4 minutes
- Add garlic and stir occasionally for about 1 more minute
- Turn pan up to medium. Add butter, veggie broth, milk, garlic & onion powder, cashews, and cauliflower, plus any salt and pepper you'd like - stir occasionally until cauliflower is softened (about 10 minutes)
- In a blender (I use my Vitamix), add all of the ingredients from the pan, and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy
- Return mixture to pan on low- medium/low, and add cream cheese and parmesan. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes (make sure the cream cheese and parmesan has fully blended in), remove from heat and pour over drained pasta
- Serve with garnish
- Feel free to add peas or sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe! I often use both.
- Red- Barolo or Barbera
- White- Roussanne
Vegan Kale Pesto Lasagna with Veggie Tofu Ricotta
Vegan Kale Pesto Lasagna with Veggie Tofu Ricotta is one of my ultimate comfort foods. Really, anything Italian style and carb loaded ticks the box for comfort food in my world. My mom had no idea how to cook when we were little. She was raised on shitty German food at best, but my other gma had learned to cook ca-razzzzy good Italian food from her Italian hubster, and from living in Italy for a bit. Jealous! She gave my mom a cookbook that she had typed out for her. Totally amazing! My goal is to one day replicate this book vegan style! Anyway, now-a-days, my mother is an incredibly amazing cook and chefs up all styles of food. For many of my single digit years, I spent most of it consuming loads of delicious Italian grub… not too shabby! However, I definitely blame my love affair with carbohydrates on this long-winded stint in my life. 😉
Vegan Kale Pesto Lasagna with Veggie Tofu Ricotta is incredibly simple to make. It has a kale/arugula pesto (click for my recipe), pureed spinach, tofu, nooch (nutritional yeast), flax, and more as a vegan ricotta cheese, plus marinara. I love this because it gets in loads of protein and vitamins, plus, I can get my kiddo to eat all his veggies since he’s decided that whole vegetable are no longer for him… sighhhhh… Enjoy the good grub! Mangia!
- 12 lasagna noodles - cooked (I use whole wheat)
- 8 Oz vegan kale pesto (I used my own recipe. Click on link in post)
- 1 1/2- 2 C marinara sauce
- 4 cloves of garlic - minced
- 1/2 white or yellow onion - diced
- 1 Tbl dried Italian herbs
- 2 C loosely packed baby spinach
- 1/4 C previously soaked cashews
- 2 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbl ground flax seed
- 14 Oz extra firm tofu - drained and pressed dry - crumbled
- 1/4 C water
- 1 tsp vegetable broth base (this is a paste - I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
- Olive oil for pan
- Preheat the oven to 350f
- Cover the bottom of your lasagna pan with approximately 1/2 C marinara sauce
- Heat pan with olive oil on medium
- Add onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for one minute more - stirring occasionally
- Add tofu, vegetable broth base, and Italian herbs, and spinach - stir occasionally for approximately 5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- In a blender, on low, blend contents of the pan, flax seed, nutritional yeast, cashews, and water
- Blend until the consistency of a ricotta cheese (if need be, SLOWLY add more water)
- Place your first layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan (on top of the marinara - my pan is 3 pieces per layer)
- Evenly spread some of the ricotta mixture, pesto, and marinara on top of the noodles
- Repeat this process until done
- Above the top layer of lasagna noodles, add more marinara and save a bit for when the lasagna comes out of the oven as well
- Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes
- Let stand and cool for about 10 minutes and then add the remaining marinara on top
- Done!
- Oregon Pinot Noir
- Serves 9-12 pieces
Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese
Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese is creamy, easy, delicious, and healthy. You’ll fool all non-vegans for sure! I brought this to a friend’s Thanksgiving this past weekend and almost everyone said, “you’d have no idea there wasn’t any cheese in here.” Just another carb to add to your Thanksgiving day menu! This is a vegan game changer… no doubt.
A couple of my sibs are flying in for my vegan T-day. We have gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan amongst us. I am making this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese (with gluten-free pasta), a vegan meatloaf, Tofurkey roast, stuffing with ‘sausage’ (homemade of course), mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, spinach salad with candied pecans, and an apple pie & pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. I’m serving a vegan spinach and artichoke dip, some sort of hummus, and a vegan sour cream & onion dip for appetizers. They’ll be LOADS of wine and bubbly throughout the day and well into the evening. If any of us make it up the stairs for bed I will die in utter amazement! I’m carbin’ everyone the ‘f’ up and steering us into booze-ville. If we end the night with garage games I’ll be pleasantly surprised; though I won’t be holding my breath.
I didn’t anticipate shooting this pasta so these are all of the pics I have. I brought this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese, fresh flowers and herbs from my garden, and a bottle of pomegranate mimosas with pom seeds to my friend’s house. She hosted an awesome soiree and it was SO great to see her, as I’ve not seen her since I moved back to OR last year. Thanks for the hospitality, Bethany! 🙂
- 16 oz pasta (I used cellentani)
- 1/3 cup raw and unsalted cashews
- 1 small butternut squash - steamed and de-shelled
- 3 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 veggie broth cube (I used the equivalent with Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth)
- 1 small onion - diced
- 2 cloves of garlic - diced
- Oil for pan
- Boil water for pasta and cook when ready
- Heat a pan and cook onions for 3 minutes
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes ( like mine slightly browned)
- In a high powered blender (I use my Vitamix) add the onion/garlic mix and all other ingredients other than the pasta
- Blend until smooth
- Poor contents of the blender over the drained pasta and mix well (add water if needed)
- Done!
- Amazing dish for Thanksgiving! Also, I LOVE a good hot sauce on any mac n' cheese. If we are sympatico, go nuts!
- White wine: Chardonnay
- Red wine: Barbera
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan)
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan) is crazy delicious and easy! Yesterday, I was by myself for about 2 hours, a total rarity in life, and decided to take advantage of this randomly awesome moment and shoot some amazing eats! I drank red wine and danced around the kitchen listening to Billie Holiday. I truly did this. And, it felt sublimely amazing. “You Go to My Head” is one of my all time favorite tunes. I put it on repeat. 😉 I need more of these moments in life for sure! Not to say I don’t love my little guy to the freakin’ moon, but mama needs a break sometimes, too. Some me time. So, yesterday was suh-weet!
This recipe uses an arrabiata sauce (homemade recipe coming soon), and creamy vegan cheese sauce. You can buy a creamy vegan cheese OR you can make it yourself. If you’re looking for a recipe, I used mine from my Creamy Vegan Mac n’ Cheese recipe. I used Lisanatti Almond Mozzarella Cheese and shredded it for the top of the pasta bake. This is a simple but incredibly flavorful recipe!
Side Note: Upon reheating, I put the pasta in a sauce pan on medium, added a Tbl of Tofutti Cream Cheese, dash of garlic powder, flick of the wrist of olive oil, and crisped that baby up! A pasta that actually tasted just as good, if not better, reheated! One for the win! Mangia, my friends. 😉
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- Approximately 24 oz arrabiata sauce (can sub out for marinara) - a garlicky option is best
- Approximately 24 oz creamy vegan cheese (I used my recipe from my vegan mac n' cheese)
- Approximately 1 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Lisanatti)
- Fresh basil to taste (chopped) and for garnish
- Boil pasta and preheat oven to 350f
- On the bottom of an oven safe pan, smear both sauces and add spaghetti
- Top spaghetti with both sauces
- Continue this pattern until pasta has run out
- Top the pasta with more sauce, shredded vegan mozzarella, and fresh chopped basil
- Cover pasta with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes
- Enjoy!
- Sangiovese
Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese!
Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese! is my most favorite comfort food. This is a mac n’ cheese recipe for vegans and non-vegans alike. It’s crazy creamy, flavorful, and (drum roll please)… healthy! Don’t let that scary word deter you. I promise you that this kinda health will only bring you happiness. In a mouth watering, drooling, gimme some more, can’t stop won’t stop, this is the food bomb of the year, melt in your mouth, orgasmic kinda shit, kinda way. I know, I’m setting the bar high, but this will deliver. My kiddo, when asked what he wants for dinner, at least 3 days of the week begs me for “vegan macaroni and cheese puhleeeasse, mom!” Even the meat eating, vegan sceptic hubby thinks it’s incredible. His vegan fearing mother is coming for a visit from Scotland soon and he’s asked me to unknowingly feed her loads of yummy vegan food and drop the “V” bomb on her after she’s scarfed it all up. Now, this just feels wrong, but hey, it just might still happen. However, he can drop that dirty lil’ “V” word, not me. Judge us if you will. 😉
Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese! is the perfect lunch or dinner for all walks of life. I recommend saving some of the cheese sauce on the side so that if you actually have left overs the following day you can pour on some new sauce before reheating, otherwise it will be a bit dry like a ‘real’ mac n’ cheese. I used my fabulously beautiful and buttery crooked neck heirloom squash from my garden, however, you can use any yellow squash. That all being said, go get cookin’ into your carb coma! *IMPORTANT: Be sure you have someone to roll you from the table to the bed. This mac n’ cheese don’t mess around, aight? 😉
- 2 1/2- 3 yellow squashed - sliced
- 1 C vegetable broth
- 1/2 C nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2-3 Tbl flax seed (optional - but hey, so healthy, why not?!)
- 1 Tbl garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/3- 1/2 C raw and unsalted cashews
- 1 lb pasta
- Salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 400f and then roast squash until soft (about 25 minutes)
- Meanwhile, boil your choice of pasta and set all other ingredients in a blender (I use my Vitamix)
- When squash is done, place in blender with other ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth
- Pour over pasta and done!
- You will have extra sauce for another round of pasta! Make 2 lbs for a party size. Also, save some sauce if you will have left overs the following day when reheating. It will be too dry without extra sauce when reheating like a 'real' mac n' cheese.
- Beer- American style brown ale
- White wine- Dry riesling
- Red wine- Grenache
Crazy Creamy Pesto (Vegan)!
Crazy Creamy Pesto (Vegan)! is my new summertime spread. I use it on virtually everything I eat! My garden is overflowing with basil plants so I’m pumpin’ out pesto like it’s going outta style. I’ve been adding all sorts of things to my pesto: arugula, spinach, kale, cashews etc. My girl friends and I went camping recently and one of the ladies had made a pesto pasta salad using an edible lemon essential oil and it was amazing! If you get your hands on some of that tastiness I urge you to throw it into your pesto for a superbly refreshing summertime sauce.
The one thing I remember my father making plenty of every summer was pesto. Every time I’d pop over there for a meal we’d be eating it in some form or another. I, too, am a lover of pesto everything. This summer I’ve been making loads of rotini and farfalle with my Crazy Creamy Pesto (Vegan)! sauce. However, I rub that creamy green goddess sauce on sandbos, wraps, as a dip for veggies (peppers overflowing outta my garden), as a pizza sauce (both myself and G man’s most favorite thing to make together), or with any grain imaginable tossed up with some salad goodies. I think the gist is that you really can’t go wrong with pesto… ever.
Basil, spinach, kale, walnuts (’cause who can afford pine nuts these days?!), cashews (for extra creaminess), lemon, garlic, salt, and voila! Sub any of those salad greens for arugula or another healthy green. Add olive oil or any other oil for a different texture. As always, adapt and create to your tastebuds and whatever it is you have left over in your fridge or garden. Happy summertime eats to you all!
- Large handful of basil leaves (approximately 15-20 large leaves)
- 3/4 cup raw and unsalted cashews
- 1 cup raw and unsalted walnuts
- 1 cup raw spinach leaves
- 1 cup raw kale
- 1-2 Tbl lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt to taste
- olive oil/water for texture (as per your preference). I add a small bit of water to thin it out during blending and mix in a smidge of olive oil once in bowl.
- Put all ingredients into a blender (minus oil) except water and blend
- Slowly add water according to your desired consistency and blend again
- Sub out spinach or kale for arugula, or add less of the first two and use all three together!
- Add tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or sauteed mushrooms to liven up a pesto pasta!
- Sauvignon Blanc or Arneis
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Stuffed Portobello Mushroom is the most delicious stuffed mushroom you’ll ever eat! Easy, vegan, and a flavor explosion in your mouth! I saw this beautifully large fungus on the shelf at Trader Joe’s and knew it was mine. I went home and scoured through the fridge to see what I had left over to stuff this baby with. I decided that I did not want to add rice or any grain, as it was a huge mushroom and I didn’t want it to be too heavy. Plus, I always make my stuffed mushrooms that way and was ready for a change.
I remember the first time anyone had ever introduced me to this delicious mushroom. My mom and my neighbor had decided to knock down the fence we shared in the backyard to rebuild a taller one for more privacy. I was extremely disappointed to say the least because my next door neighbor, Erick, was the love of my thirteen year old life and had been since I was eight. We would always chat over the fence and hang out. I was beyond bummed! Didn’t our parents know what they were doing to us?! Literally building a wall in between our hearts. Okay, so we just walked out our front doors instead, but still, this led to a diminished ability to stalk one another and two bleeding teenage hearts. Years later my sister and his sister said they found one of Erick’s old sneakers that he had saved that had penned in it “I ‘heart’ HR.” My older teenage heart melted. Anyway, I’m sure you’re wondering why in the world I’m sharing my first love tales of woe with you. Being that we were rebuilding this fence into a fortress (hey, I’m allowed some dramatic license here) we temporarily had no fence in between the yards. “Ahhh…” and love hearts filled the air and love stalking each other was easier than ever. Erick’s mom came over often and BBQ’d with us. One day, she brought over a marinated portobello mushroom for the grill and couldn’t believe that my vegetarian self had never had the wonder of such a delicatessen. I was hooked! This was the best thing since, well, Erick! From that point forth, stuffed portobellos were in my top 5 grilled foods.
I hooked this baby up with canellini beans, baked tofu, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, spinach, and brushed the mushroom in balsamic and olive oil. This was the birth of the BEST and most flavorful mushroom I had ever eaten, and voila, we now have Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Stuffed Portobello Mushroom on this earth. Woo-hoo! Enjoy, folks!
- 1 large portobello mushroom
- Olive to brush the mushroom
- Balsamic vinegar to brush the mushroom
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried oregano to taste
- 4-5 basil leaves finely diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil - julienned
- 1/2 brick of baked tofu diced in small cubes
- 3 Tbl kalamata olives diced finely
- 2 C fresh spinach
- Approximately 1/4 C of cooked white beans
- Preheat oven to 350
- Brush the mushroom with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add the salt and pepper and brush over the mushroom again
- Wilt the spinach (pan or microwave) and place on the mushroom
- Add white beans and kalamata olives then top with dried oregano
- Add the baked tofu and basil
- Top with the sun-dried tomatoes
- Wrap the portobello (completely covered) in tinfoil and place in oven for approximately 20 minutes
- This would be delicious with feta cheese or parmesan cheese as well
- Red Zinfandel, Shiraz, or Syrah
Crazy Creamy Mexican Pasta
Crazy Creamy Mexican Pasta was created on a complete whim whilst looking for left over items in my refrigerator. I had NO idea it was going to be as incredibly delicious as it turned out to be. This may be my best invention yet. So good in fact, that it may solve all of the world’s problems in just one measly bite. I’m talkin’ world hunger, war, elephant poaching, your boyfriend/girlfriend’s nagging ways, crappy drivers, and yes, even mother-in-law madness. Don’t believe me? Well, you’ll certainly have to chow down on this Crazy Creamy Mexican Pasta for proof.
I am currently on my Spring break this week. Amen, because my students were beginning to drive me crazy, and I was itchin’ for some fun playtime with my favorite wee one, G-man. I wanted to use the left overs in my fridge (waste not, people!) but wasn’t really sure what to create. I noticed I had some left over mole sauce and POW! It hit me. Thus the birth of Crazy Creamy Mexican Pasta. So go get cookin’ and get down with this dope chow! You’ll be drooling cheese for a week.
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 2 C shredded cheddar
- 1 Trader Joe's Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burger (or any veggie burger) - diced
- 1/2 C corn
- 1/4 of a soyrizo tube
- 4 oz Mexican sauce of any kind (I used a mole sauce)
- 1 C cooked lentils
- 1 avocado - smashed (I squeezed a bit of lime on this)
- 2 Tbl chipotle mayo
- 2-3 Tbl taco seasoning
- 1/4-1/2 C grapeseed oil
- Cook the pasta and strain. Return to pot and add oil and cheese with stove on low. Stir continuously until cheese is almost melted
- Add the chipotle mayo and taco seasoning. Stir
- Add the avocado & sauce. Stir
- Add the soyrizo. Stir
- Add the lentils & corn. Stir
- Add the quinoa burger and stir.
- Remove from heat and serve
- If I had cilantro in my fridge I would've added that as well.
- Corona and lime or a light beer, as this is a heavy dish.
Tofu Scramble Italian Style
Tofu Scramble Italian Style is a scramble that I make quite often. Tofu scrambles for breakfast are one of my ultimate favorite meals. This particular morning, I had yet another snow day. Mind you, I now live in Portland, OR so it baffles me that as of today, we are on our 5th snow day! I’m convinced that when I moved back from Beijing the weather system got confused upon my arrival, and with me landed New York’s classic winter weather (I am from Long Island, NY so I am quite accustomed to the beauty of snow days). This being said, I finally had some time to spend in the kitchen again. It was about 6:00 in the morning on this fine Tofu Scramble Italian Style day that I decided to break out the camera and for the first time ever, actually write down my recipe. Fast forward a few hours and I was drinking sparkling wine with Pom juice in front of the fire with my pjs on. Not too shabby! I fully intended on making the most of this day.
Tofu Scramble Italian Style is loaded with flavor and delicious ingredients. However, like I always say, use what you’ve got in the fridge first! If it is not exactly what I have on my recipe card, don’t fret. Get creative and throw in ingredients that you already have opened and get crackin’! Waste not! In my particular scramble on this fine and snowy day I used artichokes, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, veggie sausage, arugula, small white beans, garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, and herbs. These are the ingredients I had floating around my refrigerator. I put my usual toast on the side: vegan cream cheese, avocado smash, and veggie bacon crumbled on top. A coffee and some water and that was me… done! Needless to say, I was both stuffed and super satisfied for hours! As soon as I could get off of the couch that I had become one with, that is the time I decided to crack the bubbly. It was an amazing day and I loved having extra time to play with my wee man, Greyson. If you have a snow day or any morning with a bit of time, give the Tofu Scramble Italian Style recipe a whirl. It will not disappoint! Mangia!
- 1 brick firm tofu-drained and squeezed dry
- 1 small yellow onion- diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic- diced
- 1 large veggie sausage link-diced. I use Tofurkey's Italian Sausage. Beyond amazing!
- 1 Tbl capers
- 4-5 marinated artichoke hearts
- 3 Tbl diced marinated sun-dried tomatoes- diced
- 1/2 a can of small white beans (not to be confused with cannellini beans-though you could substitute with these) and garbanzo beans combined
- 1-2 handfuls of arugula
- oregano to taste
- basil to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil for pan
- Heat the olive oil in the pan and then add onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for about 3 minutes
- Add the garlic, stir, and cook for about a minute more
- Take the brick of tofu and squeeze it through your hands so it crumbles into the pan. Add herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and occasionally stir for about 3-5 minutes
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and veggie sausage and stir for a minute
- Add the capers and artichokes and stir for a minute
- Add the beans and any additional herbs, salt and pepper. Stir for a minute
- Add the arugula and stir in. Let scramble cook, occasionally stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Done!
- If I happened to have had olives, I would've used them as well.
- Feel free to top with vegan or regular Parmesan cheese for serving.
- Serve with bubbles and Pom juice
G’s Creamy Veggie Sauce (no cream)!
G’s Creamy Veggie Sauce (no cream) was created for my lil’ man, G. He is now officially two years old and killin’ it everyday! Keeping him strong and healthy is obviously my mama priority. A few months ago I made this sauce for him and quickly took some pics. Again, not back on the food photography band wagon yet, as I simply do not have any time for that, however, I decided I can’t let this deter me from posting on my blog! G stopped eating most vegetables in whole form for a bit but I wasn’t willing to cut them out of his diet. I thought if I pureed them into sauces, soups, etc that he may hop back on the veggie ship and sail back into veggie love. Alas, it worked! Frankly, I adore this sauce myself. It most certainly was created for my toddler, however, it is a perfect sauce for adults alike. Use whatever you’ve got leftover in your fridge and toss it in. This recipe can serve as your guide or you can follow it completely. If you’re looking to pack your wee one (or yourself) with a protein/vitamin flavorful punch, then this is the sauce for you! Veggies galore, beans, tofu, tomatoes, herbs, parmesan (optional for vegans or sub vegan parm) make up this burst of deliciousness and health that will make your taste buds dance for more! Easy, healthy, delicious and done in only 5 minutes! This G’s Creamy Veggie Sauce (no cream) is a must-add to your recipe repertoire.
- 1/2 medium head of broccoli
- 1/2-1 cup red & yellow peppers
- 1-2 cups spinach
- 1/2 brick firm tofu (drained)
- 1/2 can of cannellini or small white beans (keep some of the juice to throw into the blender)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion (optional)
- 1 can of good tomatoes in Italian herbs if you have it OR the equivalent in marinara sauce
- 3-5 Tbl of pesto sauce (green or red)
- parmesan cheese to taste (optional for vegans or sub with vegan parm)
- oregano to taste (fresh oregano if you have it)
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste (I don't use pepper when making it for my toddler)
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Done!
- Makes approximately 3 pints of sauce
- Feel free to get creative in your sauce making and add the leftover veggies in your fridge
- I serve this over whole wheat rotini noodles
- Red: Cabernet Sauvignon
- White: Pinot Grigio
Green Goddess Cheesy Quesadilla
I have been on a quesadilla kick lately. Honestly, they’re amazing no matter what you do to them. Years ago when I lived in Oregon my roommate got a quesadilla maker. Now, I’ve always been partial to a quesadilla cooked in a pan, as my father had always made them for me this way, however, for this month long quesadilla binge that occurred post purchase of the quesadilla maker many moons ago, I was in love. We’re talkin’ breakfast, lunch, and dinner quesadillas. We couldn’t be stopped. Everything from eggs, tofu, every cheese in the rainbow, veggies, veggie meat and more had a place in a quesadilla at one time or another. Needless to say, I went on a quesadilla hiatus after this. Ahhh… old OR and quesadilla memories. Makes me smile! I’ve been creating all kinds of craziness lately in a tortilla or two. The Green Goddess Cheesy Quesadilla reminds me of the old farmhouse Oregon days. Yes, we lived on a 30 acre farm. It was awesome! I miss my gigantic gardens more than words can say. I loaded it with mozzarella cheese (it oozes as you slice it open…yum…), basil, tomato, spinach, and then topped it with smashed avocado & salt, and a pesto rosso (sun-dried tomato pesto). It was beyond fabulous, deliciousness to the extreme! Hence why I’ve given it “Goddess” status. Just to top it all off, it took ten minutes. Easy, quick, amazing. Crack open a nice Peroni and mangia!
- 1 whole wheat tortilla
- Approximately 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
- Large handful spinach
- Small handful basil - chopped
- 1 small ripe tomato -sliced thin
- 1/4-1/2 ripe avocado
- 2 heaping Tbl pesto rosso
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Dried oregano to taste (optional)
- Olive oil for pan
- Oil & heat pan
- Add spinach, salt & pepper, and oregano - cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat
- Place tortilla on pan. Add cheese, then basil, spinach, and tomato. Fold tortilla in half
- Heat each side until golden brown and cheese is fully melted
- Let cool for a minute or two and slice in half
- Top each half with smashed avocado and salt followed by your pesto rosso
- A cold Peroni or beer of your liking
One Pot Lightly Creamy Pasta To Die For!
One Pot Lightly Creamy Pasta To Die For! was going to be called “The Only One Pot Lightly Creamy Pasta You’ll Ever Need” until I quickly realized how incredibly easy, delicious, and amazing this dish is that I most certainly will be making many more one pot pastas in the near future! I’ve always been curious about this one pot pasta trend and didn’t have much faith in its alleged & wondrous glories. I am happy to report that despite my cynicism these can truly be incredibly flavorful meals. Woo-hoo! KISS factor on and topping out at the highest of tastebud scales! This particular one pot pasta dish features camembert, mushrooms, tomatoes, peas, and basil for a full on flavor explosion. Not to be missed, messed with, or frowned upon, I assure you. I’ll even stamp it with my 100% guarantee. Sold, or at least I certainly hope you are!
I had no basis for a recipe when coming up with this one pot pasta. All I knew, like I always know, is that I wanted a ton of flavor. I am not one for the bland. I am a flavor junkie for sure. Are all foodies this way? Who knows. Anyway, I pretend that they are. Hubby was away visiting his other most favorite person on the planet for the weekend (yes, he most definitely has a bromance with an English lad. Cheers to you, John. Miss you! Xx – PS- they would both HATE that I used that word) and doing a photoshoot with wee man G can be crazy at best. I took full advantage of his nap (though much later in the day than I would’ve liked for my natural light…sigh, can’t win ’em all!) and went to town, creating as I went. The result? Magic! Magic in one freakin’ pot! Top that! I dare you. I was delighted to learn that one pot pastas kick some serious a**! It was slightly creamy and exploding with flavors, especially from the mushrooms and basil. I can’t suggest a pasta dish for your next meal more highly than I suggest this One Pot Lightly Creamy Pasta To Die For! Mangia!
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 wheel of camembert cheese - remove skin & dice
- Lg handful of basil - loosely chopped (about 3/4 - 1 C)
- 13 cremini mushrooms - sliced
- 10 small - medium ripe tomatoes - halved or quartered depending on size (should be about 1 1/4-1 1/2 C)
- 2 C frozen peas
- 1 shallot - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - diced
- 3 vegetable stock cubes
- Olive for pan (a healthy amount)
- 5 C water
- Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste (I'm not stingy!)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Add olive oil to pasta pot, heat on low, and add shallot - 1 minute
- Add garlic - 30 seconds
- Add mushrooms, salt & pepper. Stir. Cook for about 3-5 minutes
- Add tomatoes & half of the basil. Stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes
- Add veggie cubes and stir frequently for 1 minute
- Add water and bring to boil. Then add pasta and stir
- With 5 minutes left in your cook time for your pasta, add the peas. Stir
- When pasta is done, turn off heat, add the rest of the basil and the camembert. Stir well
- Cover pot with lid and let sit for a few minutes. Stir again & serve!
- Garnish with basil & parmesan cheese
- This serves either 4 large bowls or 6 medium sized bowls.
- To reheat, add a smidge of veggie broth with a wrist flick of olive oil
- Red- Rioja or White- Unoaked Chardonnay
Easy & Amazing Fettuccine Alfredo
I am sitting in this awesome Airbnb rental in Amsterdam as I write this. Not too shabby, right?! Husband’s putting the wee man to sleep and it has just occurred to me that I haven’t posted in a week! I’d been posting everyday to get this blog up and running but oh, Amsterdam! You’ve been a pleasant and well needed distraction and I have not touched my blog or my book (I am currently writing a book about the craziness of my last 5 years in China) in the past week. So, with my delicious beer, full on far too much cheese & bread, I sit here, looking out over the awesome balcony, ready to post. If you’ve never been, I can’t recommend it enough! Anyway, there will be a large Amsterdam post upon my return.
Easy & Amazing Fettuccine Alfredo is just that- easy & amazing. This to me is one of those sauces like a pesto sauce. Very few ingredients, easy to make, but I rarely enjoy it. When I do enjoy one of these sauces they are one of my top choices & favorites for a sauce. However, for some reason, I find myself a stickler for the perfect balance of ingredients in order to make sauces like these tasty. Anyone else this picky or find this to be true?
As my mom used to call this dish – “a heart attack on a plate” – I won’t even pretend to paint a pretty picture of health & weight loss. You are swimming in a sea of fatty deliciousness. A true comfort food. Let’s be serious. There’s almost always a time and a place for this type of food. I am quite a healthy eater on the day-to-day but sometimes, just sometimes, I must indulge, and when I do, I dive right in for a creamy & rich swim in this here Alfredo sauce. Yes ma’am. This is the recipe for when the boyfriend breaks up with you, a hell of a day at work, or anything that involves comforting your inner self. Enjoy!
- 1 lb (16 oz) of fettuccine pasta (fresh if possible)!
- 1 1/4 C heavy cream
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 3/4 C parmesan cheese - grated
- 2 Tbl lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste (I use a lot of cracked peppercorn)
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Optional: 1 garlic cloves (minced) or 2 tsp garlic powder
- Optional: 1 very ripe tomato – diced
- Boil pasta
- Over medium heat, put in butter (let melt for a few seconds) & add cream (I dash some s & p here)
- Add lemon juice & garlic (optional), and then stir in cheese until melted with the rest of your s & p
- Remove from heat and add pasta into sauce - stir until pasta is fully covered in sauce
- To serve: (optional)
- Top each bowl with diced tomato & garnish with fresh basil and additional cracked pepper
- White wine- Chardonnay for you chard lovers! (I don't love Chardonnay myself so I often opt for a Pinot Grigio)
- Red Wine- Pinot Noir
- This dish takes less than 15 minutes if you use fresh pasta!
Cheesy Mushroom & Onion Pizza
This is an amazing Cheesy Mushroom & Onion Pizza recipe. So easy, so delicious, and a must try. Go extra crispy to sweeten the deal! If you’re not one for the well done, no worries, cook for ’til your lil’ heart desires. As a native New Yorker, I find that buying pizza virtually anywhere further north than the Hudson Valley (some would even argue that’s too far north) is almost always an incredible disappointment. I’ve had some amazing pizzas that are clearly the style of the restaurant, but I’m talkin’ classic, thin crusted, bubbly, fold it, flop it, yet not soggy slice of heaven that is a true NY slice of life. My mouth is actually watering and I feel possible drooling coming on… I must continue before I raid my fridge for some complete and utter unnecessary caloric gorge. But oh, yuummm… Now, I am not even going to pretend that this recipe is supposed to imitate, even in the slightest, the unworldly goodness of the NY pie, however, this is an awesome recipe when you’re looking for more of a homemade style pizza, or if you simply don’t live in New York! Mushroom & Onion, a tad overly cheesy, and a bit ‘a garlic have always been my sweet slice. Hence why this is pretty much one of the only pizzas I make. Now go and pizza yourself to pieces!
- 12" pre-baked pizza crust (preferably thin)
- 1/2 - 3/4 C delicious pizza or marinara sauce (don't cheap out here)
- 1 1/2 - 2 C shredded mozzarella (how cheesy do you want it?)
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 small red onion - thinly sliced
- 2 C mushrooms - sliced (I use cremini, though white or most others would be okay as well)
- 1 Tbl dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
- Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)
- Heat oven to 425 f. and oil pan or pizza stone
- Heat pan, add oil, and cook onion with salt for about 3-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds - stirring
- Add mushrooms, oregano, basil, more salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Top the pizza crust with sauce, 1 - 1 1/2 C mozzarella, mushroom mix, and bake until your desired level of crispiness has occured (I love mine crispy)!
- Remove, let cool for a few minutes
- When serving, sprinkle each slice with remaining cheese and parmesan cheese
- Serves 2-3 people
- This would also make a great appetizer for a party!
- Serve with: Red zinfandel or a nice & cold lager
Brie & Basil Pasta
Okay, this is an amazing dish! It’s amazing because it’s delicious, quick, and super easy. Up until I was about 8 years old, my mother predominately cooked Italian food. She had me at a young age, didn’t know anything about cooking, and followed my grandmother’s (dad’s side) homemade cookbook that was comprised of recipes on index cards from the typewriter. Well, my mother most definitely mastered pasta dishes, and today, is an absolutely incredible cook. Honestly, I don’t think she even makes much pasta anymore. She cooks a wide variety of healthy and delicious meals. I never could’ve became a vegetarian at eight years old if she didn’t keep me so well fed. What 8 eight year old in 1989 was eating quinoa? No one had even heard of that grain at that time. My friends used to come over and ask what weird food we had that day. Not weird bad, just weird different. I remember her taking me to the local health food store when I was 9. The woman was holding a workshop about vegetarianism after the store closed for the night (1990- awesome, right?). She taught us how to make vegetarian jello, delicious grain dishes, and why it can be such an incredibly healthy way of life. In hindsight, this was so cool!
This Brie and Basil pasta was a VERY popular dish in my household when I was young. The smell of it today still reminds me of my childhood. It’s a tasty flashback indeed. This dish couldn’t be easier. If you’re looking for a quick and delicious pasta you’ve found your recipe here. Mangia!
Brie & Basil Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine pasta
- 1/2 C quality extra virgin olive oil (sometimes I add a splash more)
- 7 very ripe tomatoes - diced (preferably off the vine)
- 1 C fresh basil - loosely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic- minced
- 1 1/4 lb brie cheese - diced (peel off outer layer)
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
- Optional: Sprinkle each bowl with some freshly grated parmesan cheese & additional cracked pepper
- In a bowl, add oil, tomatoes, basil, garlic, brie, and salt & pepper - stir well
- Cook your linguine
- Optional: Let bowl marinate for about 30 minutes to and hour
- Pour bowl of ingredients on top of pasta and stir
- Optional: Add the parmesan & extra cracked pepper now if you'd like
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves
- A fair amount of freshly cracked pepper is key for me in this dish. Also, you can toss a very small amount of recycled pasta water into this dish if you'd like!
G’s Avocado Pasta
Greyson’s Avocado Pasta is incredibly easy, healthy, quick, and delish! One of his ultimate faves which works for my recently very busy schedule. Honestly, I usually make enough for 2 meals for the wee man and two meals for myself! And yes, I always use super cute pasta because it just makes the avocado shell bowl look even more fabulous. 😉 I always like to aim for ‘fabulous’. Hehe. Next time you have some super ripe avocados lying around, whip up some G’s Avocado Pasta!
- 1 avocado - smashed (save your avocado shells)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 1/2 Tbl cilantro - chopped
- 1 Tbl tofu - crumbled
- 1 Tbl plain greek yogurt
- 2 C cooked pasta
- Pinch of salt
- Mix the avocado and salt together in bowl
- Add the lemon juice, cilantro, tofu, greek yogurt - mix well
- Stir in the pasta and cover completely
- Place pasta in half of avocado shell
- Mix with diced tomato & sprinkle with parmesan cheese
Classic Baked Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy Mac n’ Cheese
- Approx 1 lb conchigliette pasta
- 1/4 C diced onion
- 2 Tbl butter
- 2 Tbl flour
- 1 1/2- 1 3/4 C milk
- 2 3/4 C shredded white sharp cheddar
- 2 3/4 C shredded smoked gouda (if you are not a fan of smoked gouda, 'sigh'- I forgive you, you may use regular gouda)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (sometimes I use a Mexican blend to spice it up for a change)
- salt & pepper to taste
- Cook pasta.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Heat the pan and add butter. Once melted stir in onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in flour. Stir continuously until a paste is created. This should be quick.
- Add milk and stir continuously until smooth.
- Add cheese and stir continuously until no bumps and completely smooth.
- Add salt and pepper and turn off heat.
- Slowly add pasta into the the pan of cheese. Be sure you are fully covering the shells before you add more.
- Once all pasta has been added to the cheese pour into a rectangular glass bakeware.
- Top with breadcrumbs and put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
- *I often put tinfoil on the the first half of the baking time and remove it for the rest.
- Enjoy your glutenous cheesy comfort!
- I think mac n' cheese deserves a decent amount of pepper for those who pinch small! I usually grind some on each plate afterwards as well.
- Wear spandex style pants before indulging. 😉
