Creamy Tofu “Feta” Pasta - Vegan

Olive and her friend Bella brought this home. An easy vegan version of the viral feta pasta using a creamy tofu “feta” stirred into blistered cherry tomatoes, rich olive oil and pasta. Link.

INGREDIENTS

TOFU “FETA”

1 block firm tofu, drain and pat dry with a paper towel

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp miso paste

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

TOFU “FETA” PASTA
1 pint cherry tomatoes
6–7 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 of the Tofu “Feta” Recipe
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
4–5 leaves of fresh basil
8 oz of dry pasta
1/2 cup reserved pasta liquid
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, start by adding in your tofu, nutritional yeast, miso paste, salt and lemon juice. Process on high until smooth, then set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large baking dish, add in cherry tomatoes, crushed garlic, half of the olive oil and season with a generous amount of lemon pepper before stirring well to coat evenly. Make a well in the middle of your baking dish and scoop half of the tofu mixture in the middle of the tomatoes, reserving the remaining half to store in the fridge for future use.

Sprinkle in your sun dried tomatoes, dry oregano and dry basil then drizzle the remaining olive oil over top. Place baking dish into the oven for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst and release their juices.

As tomatoes and tofu are cooking, cook your pasta according to the package. Make sure to reserve your pasta water before draining the pasta.

Remove baking dish and carefully with a fork or cooking spoon mash the tomatoes and garlic well to release all the juices and stir into tofu to create your sauce.

To the baking dish, add in your pasta and pasta water and stir well to coat. Your sauce will thicken and coat the pasta as you stir to combine.

Stir in your fresh basil and adjust seasonings to taste before serving.

Orzo Salad With Peppers and Feta

  Link from NYTimes.

1pound orzo

Kosher salt and pepper

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

1medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)

3large or 4 medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers (about 1¼ pounds), cored, seeded and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1fresh thyme sprig

1tablespoon minced garlic

1medium tomato, diced into ½-inch pieces

1tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

4ounces feta cheese, thinly sliced or crumbled

 

Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.

 

Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.

 

Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.

 

Caramelized Butternut Squash

 

Yummy and simple squash.

• 2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes [Aloo Gobi] with Cucumber Scallion Raita

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F. Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. 

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Cucumber Scallion Raita

1/4 cup finely chopped English (seedless cucumber)
1 thinly sliced scallion
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix!

Chana Masala

from Smitten Kitchen Adapted from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe. The major changes I made were simplifying the addition of spices, adding more tomatoes and oh, the recipe calls for a tablespoon of amchoor powder, which I did not have. I looked it up and learned that it was dried unripe mango powder which is clearly a sour flavor, so I upped the lemon juice i used instead. The dish had a nice sour snap at the end, so I will presume this is a good swap.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used a quarter of this because my cayenne is extremely hot)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (see note)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (juiced) (see note; I used a whole lemon to swap for the amchoor powder)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Citrusy Glazed Carrots

Link: https://www.danpelosi.com/post/aunt-janet-s-citrusy-glazed-carrots

From The Amazing Grossy Pelosi

4 lbs carrots olive oil¾ cup dark brown sugar ⅓ cup orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 6 tablespoons salted butter
Preheat your oven to 400º. Peel and cut your carrots into 4 pieces, once in each direction. Coat your carrots in olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast at 400º for an hour or so, tossing them halfway until they are as dark and crispy as you deserve. Set your carrots aside. A note: This is great step to do in advance. You can roast carrots and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready for them. Just be sure to put them on the counter so they come to room temperature before the next steps!
In a large pan, add ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 6 tablespoons salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt. Over medium heat, whisk the HECK out of your ingredients until they reduce into the goopiest glaze you have ever seen that begins to bubble. Add your carrots to the pan, tossing them in the glaze to coat and reheating them as needed. After a few minutes in the glaze over medium heat, your carrots will be glossy and glowing and delicious!
Place your carrots in your serving dish, pouring all extra glaze over the top of carrots ensuring they are just the most decadent thing you have ever seen in your life!!!

 More ways to prepare zucchini. I did this on the grill.

4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Gazpacho

Via The New York Times, and on Jennie's recommendation.

INGREDIENTS

About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks

1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks

1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste

Salt

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

PREPARATION

Step 1 Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Step 2 With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.

Step 3 Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Step 4 Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

Hummus from ‘Jerusalem'

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ cups dried chickpeas (250 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste (270 grams)
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt
• 6 ½ tablespoons ice-cold water (100 milliliters)

PREPARATION

1. Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain chickpeas. In a medium saucepan, combine drained chickpeas and baking soda over high heat. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 6 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook at a simmer, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface, from 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.
3. Drain chickpeas. You should have roughly 3 cups (600 grams) now. Place chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine still running, add tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.
4. Transfer hummus to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, refrigerate until needed, up to two days. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

I found this on the NYTimes.

Wild Ramp Pesto

We picked ramps and made this with pasta. It’s yummy with peas and spinach too. 

1 bunch of ramps

1/2 cup walnuts (toasted)

1/3 cup olive oil (or 1/2 cup, you kind of have to eyeball it)

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

sea salt

pepper

a squirt of lemon

Wash and cut off the leaves of the ramps. Optional step: blanche the ramp leaves in boiling water. Some say this makes the pesto more bright and vibrant. I think it's plenty beautiful either way. Chop the ramps and walnuts just a bit and put them in your food processor. Add most of the cheese (save a sprinkle for serving) and a good dash of salt and pepper. Pouring the olive oil in slowly, process contents until they combine and look, well... pesto-y. Taste for seasoning and add a good squirt of lemon. Use to top your favorite pasta, or grilled bread... and enjoy.

(Eden washing the ramps in the river. May 2020)

Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime

from Bon Appetite Magazine

8 small sweet potatoes (about 3 lb. total), scrubbed, halved lengthwise

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  Kosher salt
  6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature (so the hot sauce can be easily incorporated)
  2 Tbsp. honey
  3 Tbsp. hot sauce (such as Tapatío or Cholula)
  ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  1 Tbsp. ground coriander
  Flaky sea salt
  Lime wedges (for serving)
  

  Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with ¼ cup oil, and season with kosher salt. Turn to coat. Arrange cut side down and roast until tender (the tip of a knife should slide easily into flesh) and cut sides are browned, 25–30 minutes.

  Meanwhile, smash together butter and honey in a small bowl with a fork until smooth. Add hot sauce a tablespoonful at a time, blending well after each addition. Season hot honey butter with kosher salt.
• Cook pumpkin seeds and remaining ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until pumpkin seeds are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coriander; season with kosher salt. Arrange sweet potatoes on a platter and spread with hot honey butter. Sprinkle with sea salt and spoon pumpkin seed oil over. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
• Do Ahead: Hot honey butter can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Classic Potato Latkes

By MELISSA CLARK from the NYTimes

We did these with sweet potatoes and they were even better.

• YIELD About 3 dozen

• TIME 45 minutes

• 2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters

• 1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Safflower or other oil, for frying

1. Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.

1. Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
   

spring salad with new potatoes

2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

from Smitten Kitchen: https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/spring-salad-with-new-potatoes/

Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, thinner longer ones are ideal here
• Olive oil
• Coarse or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 3/4 cups (from 1 15-ounce can) small-to-medium-sized white beans, drained (I used – Goya’s Great Northern beans)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• A 2-ounce bundle of basil (this is the small clamshell size at most groceries)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Coarsely grated parmesan, to taste

Prepare the zucchini: Trim ends and cut zucchini the long way into 1/4-inch strips. I use a mandoline for this (I have this one but will soon replace it with this) but a knife works too. Spread out strips on a large tray and brush lightly with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

On a grill (I use the full heat, but have a dinky, small grill; you might find a more moderate heat better here) or a grill pan, grill zucchini in a single layer until grill marks appear underneath, then flip over and repeat the same on the other side. Transfer zucchini back to platter and squeeze lemon juice over it.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine basil and garlic with a few good pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper until chopped. Drizzle in olive oil until it blends smoothly; you’ll want about 4, sometimes 5, tablespoons. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and blend until well-mixed; taste and add more vinegar, up to 1 more tablespoon, to taste. Season to taste.

Combine beans with about 2/3 of the dressing in a small bowl. In a larger bowl or serving platter, pour half of dressed beans in the bottom. Arrange grilled zucchini on top, twisting and turning it so that it looks extra ribbony. Spoon remaining beans in the spaces. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the platter, to taste.

Finish with a light blanket of parmesan and eat whenever you’re ready. As assembled, it keeps well at room temperature for an hour, giving you time to do everything else.

via Smitten Kitchen