Main Dishes

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes , , ,
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

A quick and delicious summer-time dish.
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 pound asparagus preferably thin
  • 1 teaspoon thyme dried
  • 12 oz pasta of your choice
  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan

Pesto

  • 4 cups fresh basil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup aquafaba liquid from a can of chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the over to 425° F. Start a large pot of water to boil.
  • Cut the tomatoes in half and spread on a baking sheet. I cover the baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean-up.
  • Snap off the woody end of the asparagus spears and cut them into two-inch pieces on the diagonal. Spread onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle the vegetables with the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Roast the vegetables for 10-12 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the asparagus are tender.
  • Cook the pasta as directed on the package.
  • Mix the roasted vegetables, pasta, and pesto (below) together in the pasta pot, then spoon it all into serving bowls. Garnish with more basil and a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan.

Pesto

  • While the vegetables are roasting and the pasta cooking, make the pesto. Start by toasting the walnuts for a few minutes.
  • Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process until mostly smooth.

Chickpea Fritters with Tzatziki

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies ,

Serve in pita or a lettuce wrap, and drizzle with the cool & creamy tzatziki sauce.

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Chickpea Fritters

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups cooked)
  • 1 flax egg 1 Tbs flax seed & 3 Tbs water
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 cup basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan parmesan
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 cup vegan yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • 1/2 cup cucumber peeled, seeded, chopped small
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Make the flax egg by combining the ground seed with water; let sit 3-4 minutes until it's a gel.
  • Sauté the onion and garlic until the onions are soft.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are combined and the chickpeas are chopped. Don't over-chop. It's OK if some chickpeas are still whole. The mixture should be chunky.
  • Using your hands, form patties.
  • In a non-stick pan, brown each patty about 4 minutes per side until crisp.
  • Or, place on a baking sheet and cook at 400° for 20 minutes, flipping half-way through.

Tzatziki

  • Whisk together all ingredients.

Plant-Based Palak Paneer

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

Palak paneer is a north Indian dish of creamed spinach (palak) and, traditionally, cubes of cottage cheese (paneer). I replace the cream with cashews, and the cottage cheese cubes with tofu. The ingredients are simple: a curry of the spinach puree, tomato, onion, ginger and garlic.

Print Recipe

Palak Paneer, Plant-Based No-Oil

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch fresh spinach about 4 cups, washed, stems trimmed, chopped
  • 16 ounces extra firm tofu pressed
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews softened by soaking 1 hour in hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast and curry powder.
  • Bake the tofu cubes at 400° for 15 minutes.
  • Blanch the spinach by dropping it into boiling water for 2 minutes. Take it out and put it in a bowl of ice water (this helps keep it green). Remove and drain off the water.
  • Sauté the onion, garlic, and spices in a small pan for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
  • Drain the cashews.
  • Place the onion mixture, spinach, cashews, tomatoes, water, and salt into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
  • Add most of the tofu cubes to the paneer; save a few to garnish on top.

Notes

Chopped roasted cashews make a nice garnish, or a swizzle of plant-based plain yogurt. Serve with rice or naan, maybe some mango chutney and plant-based raita.