Plant Based Pesto

I miss dairy.  Just a little.
I'm nursing a baby with a dairy sensitivity so I had to go cold turkey off of it 2 months ago.  It honestly hasn't been as difficult as I anticipated but there are still a few things I miss.  Like cheese.  We eat plenty of pasta in our home and tend to garnish it with a lot of cheese.
That's why I'm in love with this vegan pesto dish.  It's versatile, flavorful and oh so creamy.

Ingredients:
fresh basil
fresh parsley
walnuts
silken tofu
garlic
lemon juice
nutritional yeast (optional)
salt/sugar (optional)

In a high powered blender or food processor blend 2 cloves fresh garlic with 6oz extra firm silken tofu (about 1/2 package), juice of 2 small lemons and 1/2 cup walnuts (or pine nuts, toasted) until creamy.  I used one bunch of fresh basil (about 2 cups, rinsed leaves only) and 1/2 bunch of parsley (rinsed, stems removed).  Add greens and nutritional yeast and pulse until desired color/consistency.

In the photo {above} I used whole wheat noodles and added 1 can diced stewed tomatoes and 1 can sliced olives.  There are so many greens in the sauce, I don't bother with a salad.  "Green Spaghetti" night is quite popular with my children.    

*Tips: I salt to taste once the sauce is on the pasta (and sometimes add a teaspoon of sugar).  If your pesto seems too thick in the processor, add more lemon juice or even some olive oil.  Fresh garlic is far more potent than sauteed garlic so be careful not to add too much at first.  I buy nutritional yeast in the bulk section at a natural foods store.  It's a powder that has a cheesy/nutty flavor.  It's often used as a garnish in place of Parmesan cheese.  Sometimes I make an extra batch of pesto to freeze.  I fill ice cube trays with the pesto, freeze for a few hours then pop them into a large freezer zip lock bag.  The cubes are perfect for single serving pasta dishes and pizza sauce.

**This recipe is an altered version of 'Basil Pesto' from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook.

Baked Veggies

In an effort to feed my young family more vegetables, I've had to get creative in how I prepare/serve them.  It's been hit or miss lately but when I want a guaranteed veggie-meal without protests, I start with baked vegetables.

EVERYONE in our house likes these veggies.  They tend to caramelize when baked this way and come out of the oven tasting like candy.  So delicious!

To get started, chop an assortment of vegetables into bite sized pieces and put them in a giant mixing bowl.  I use whatever veggies I have on hand.  Pictured above are:

red and orange bell peppers

sweet potatoes

purple carrots

cauliflower

Other possibilities: 

broccoli

russet potatoes

zucchini squash

brussel sprouts

any vegetable!

Sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower are our family favorites.  Drizzle about a quarter cup of oil over the vegetables and mix well to coat.  I like to use coconut or olive oil.  Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on two baking sheets and bake @ 475° for 12-15 minutes.  Take the baking sheets out of the oven and mix the veggies around, turning them a bit.  Put them back in the oven for another 12-15 minutes.  If both of your baking sheets don't fit on the same rack in your oven (like mine), rotate them at this point. 

When the vegetables are done cooking, salt to taste and serve.  They are great as a side or as part of a main dish.  

Our favorite way to eat baked veggies is mixed with coconut curry sauce over brown rice.

These two products make this delicious meal truly quick and easy to prepare.  I find the microwavable rice at Trader Joes and the vegan curry sauce at Costco.

Please leave your meal suggestions using baked veggies in the comments.  I'm excited to read them!

*Tips:  When using coconut oil, melt the oil before adding to the vegetables.  Mix quickly as the cold veggies will return the oil to solid.  Try adding various seasonings to the vegetables with the oil.  Olive oil and Italian seasonings are a nice combination and coconut oil goes well with Asian spices.  I've even added taco spices and used them in vegetables enchiladas.   Get creative.  The possibilities are endless.

Spinach & Bean Pasta

I'm a big fan of tossed pasta.  It's become a go-to meal for nights when I don't have a lot of time--or ingredients.

I was at my best friend's house a few weeks ago and she tossed up this delightfully simple pasta dish.  I had never thought to put beans and noodles together, but I'm super glad she did.  I've made this several times now and my children {almost} don't complain about the spinach.

Ingredients:

whole wheat penne

fresh spinach

canned black beans

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Boil noodles till al dente, drain and return to pot.  Drizzle with olive oil and mix to prevent the noodles sticking together.  In a separate pan sauté spinach and beans then combine with noodles.  Add more olive oil if desired and salt to taste.