Author: karenwpullen

Mac & Cheez

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes , , , ,

Whether it’s a kid’s favorite, holiday side dish, or dinner time staple, macaroni and cheese is on most family dinner tables at one time or another. Here’s a delicious plant-based version.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Mac & Cheez

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 2 cups potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 2 cups veggie broth can use the broth from cooking the vegetables
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 16 ounces pasta elbow, rotini, penne, farfalle
  • 1 bell pepper red
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, per package directions. Drain, rinse, and put back into the pot.
  • Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions to a pan of boiling water. Cook 6-8 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.
  • Add the cooked vegetables, the cooking water, the cashews, yeast, and seasonings to a blender, and blend until creamy and smooth. This is the cheez sauce. Pour over the pasta.
  • Sauté the bell pepper and green onion for a few minutes. Mix into the pasta & sauce.
  • Transfer the mac & cheez to a serving bowl and top with vegan parm.

Notes

I usually make this full cheez recipe and use half of it with 8 ounces of pasta; I freeze the other half of the recipe.
Also, when I sauté the red bell pepper, I will add other vegetables like broccoli florets or chopped zucchini.

Rice Pilaf with Asparagus

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Soups and Stews , , ,

I love rice pilaf. It’s the combo of rice AND orzo, those rice-size bits of pasta, enhanced with asparagus cooked just right–not hard, not soft. This is a pretty dish, too. Save some asparagus tips to garnish the top of each serving.

asparagus pilaf
Prep Time15 minutes
50 minutes
Print Recipe

Rice Pilaf with Asparagus and Pine Nuts

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice cooked in vegetable stock (1/2 cup dry)
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta cooked (1/2 cup dry)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil dried
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Cook the rice and orzo separately, per package directions.
  • Sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces at an angle. Add to the pan.
  • Add the lemon juice, turmeric, and basil, and turn the heat down low. Let the asparagus steam for 3 minutes.
  • Toast the pine nuts. Watch them – they burn easily!
  • Mix the rice, orzo, and asparagus into a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and pine nuts.

Indian Mulligatawny Soup

karenwpullen Recipes, Soups and Stews , , ,

I used to live in Reston, Virginia, and occasionally ate at a nearby Indian restaurant. They served a soup that was so heavenly, so warm and lovely in my tummy, creamy and flavorful. I always asked for the recipe, and the owner always just smiled and shook his head, no. I’ve been trying to re-create that soup ever since. Here’s a version that comes close.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Print Recipe

Mulligatawny Soup

Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Servings: 0

Ingredients

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger root grated
  • 1 apple peeled and diced
  • 1 can tomatoes diced
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk (I use light)

Instructions

  • Sauté the onion and carrot for a few minutes; add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute.
  • Add all of the spices and stir to coat the vegetables.
  • Add the apples, diced tomatoes, lentils, and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
  • With an immersion blender, puree most of the soup. I leave a few little chunks for texture.
  • Stir in the coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

For my cooking demonstration on Facebook, I pre-cooked the lentils in the microwave (10 minutes, with the broth) and apple (5 minutes). Still, I like to simmer the soup a full 30 minutes to develop flavor.
I find this doesn’t need salt because it has so many spices.
Garnish the soup with some toasted cashews, or chopped green onion, or a drizzle of plant-based yogurt.