Ziti Baked with Spinach, Tomatoes, and 'Smoked Gouda'

I made a homey pasta casserole a couple of nights ago, and here's another version to try. On a personal note, I'm pleased to announce that this blog post is officially the ONE YEAR MARK of my blog! ::celebration and party hats:: I hope I've shown that a vegan can eat seasonally and healthfully and yummily - all with great variety - and never need to answer the question, "but what do you eat???" ever again. And don't worry - I intend to keep on blogging with a new batch of April recipes starting tomorrow.

Of course there's not actually smoked Gouda in this recipe, as the title suggests - instead I shredded the vegan mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods.

First, cook 8 ounces of ziti according to package directions. I used the ziti from Whole Foods' house brand. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion and 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper; saute 5 minutes. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and saute an additional 2 minutes.

Add one (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, along with 10 ounces (1 and 1/4 cups) of regular canned diced tomatoes. Increase the heat slightly to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 4 cups baby spinach and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts.

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked ziti and 3/4 cup of the shredded vegan cheese. Transfer the mixture to an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1/2 cup more 'cheese'.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. You'll have 5 servings, of about 1 and 1/2 cups and 390 calories each.

Cost:
ziti $1.99
yellow bell pepper $1.80
canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano $1.19
canned diced tomatoes $1.19
baby spinach $2.50

Braised Baby Artichokes and New Potatoes

Yum! The tastes of spring are upon us at last... A special thanks to the employee at Whole Foods on Bowery, who ordered a special delivery of baby artichokes upon my inquiry. This delicious baby variety - more tender than its bigger sibling, and thus with no need to take out the fuzzy choke - should just be coming into season. If you can't find them, substitute frozen artichoke hearts, in which case you can skip the soaking step below.

If you do have baby artichokes, combine 1 cup water and a teaspoon and a half of lemon juice in a bowl. Trim the stems off of 6 baby artichokes (about 3/4 pound total), to within one inch of the base. Peel the stems and peel off the tough outer leaves. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and place in the water mixture. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon and a half of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (whoops! my burner was on medium-high, so my onions got a bit more browned than they should have). Add 1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion and cook 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped carrot and 3/4 cups green peas - use fresh if you can find them, which you should be able to this time of year! Frozen will do in a pinch of course. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Drain the artichokes, and add to the skillet, along with 1 and 1/2 cups small red potatoes, cut into quarters. Because my potatoes were a bit larger, I cut them into eighths.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 3 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon chopped dill, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Remove from heat and add a tablespoon of lemon juice.

You'll have 3 servings of 1 and 1/3 cups and about 240 calories each.

Cost:
lemon juice $4.39
baby artichokes $4.51
fresh green peas $3.99
red potatoes $0.67
dill $3.29
mint $1.99

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

The original recipe suggested a couple different pasta shapes you could try in this hearty pasta casserole: gigli (not to be confused with the movie! a pretty cone-shaped pasta), or radiatore (a tight, coiled grill-shaped pasta). However, since both of those are fairly obscure, it's hard enough to find them in regular brands, much less organic versions! So I stuck with rigatoni, and used Whole Foods' house brand.

Cook 8 ounces of whichever pasta you choose according to package directions; drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, melt 2 teaspoons of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup sliced shallots and saute 3 minutes.

Add 8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps, 4 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves; saute 8 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon dry sherry and cook an additional minute, then remove from heat and set aside. For the sherry, I love the unfiltered Fino en Rama from Alvear, because I can be sure it is vegan.

Place 1/4 cup all-purpose flour in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add 2 cups plain soy milk (such as Silk), stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil, then cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup grated vegan cheese until it melts - the original recipe used Asiago, but I used the vegan mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods.

Stir in the cooked pasta and the mushroom mixture, tossing to combine. Spoon the mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with another 1/2 cup grated 'cheese'.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Divide into 4 equal portions (about 1 and 1/2 cups each), for 4 hearty entrees of 480 calories. Garnish with thyme sprigs if you like for a pretty presentation.

Cost:
rigatoni pasta $1.99
shallots $0.68
shiitake mushrooms $7.98
cremini mushrooms $1.16
fresh thyme $2.49
dry sherry $13.97
vegan mozzarella $3.39

Moist 'n' Dark Date Nut Bread

This recipe makes 3 loaves-worth of this yummy bread. Give away the extra loaves as hostess gifts or to friends - or, if you keep them for yourself, they freeze wonderfully wrapped in plastic wrap, so will last a long time. A couple of slices makes a perfect breakfast in the morning.

Combine 2 cups chopped and pitted dates in a bowl with 2 teaspoons baking soda. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the date mixture; stir and let cool. (The recipe didn't say exactly how cool to let it become - room temperature etc. - I let mine cool down for about 15 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups raw sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (such as Earth Balance), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the equivalent of one egg using egg replacer (such as Ener-G). Beat with a mixer until well blended.

Spoon out 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into measuring cups, leveling with a knife. Alternate adding the flour and the date mixture to the sugar mixture, starting and ending with the flour.

Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans (toast them first in a skillet for a couple of minutes, before you chop them).

Pour the batter evenly into 3 (8x5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Each loaf will yield 16 slices, each of which is 110 calories.

Cost:
dates $4.49
raw sugar $3.49
all-purpose flour $4.49
pecans $6.99

Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry over Rice

Stir fry night! My advice, as with any stir fry, is to prep all ingredients in advance, since cooking times are quick.

Make one cup of cooked brown rice according to package directions (if you buy in bulk, this is about 1/2 cup uncooked rice to 1 cup water; combine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook for about 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed).

Meanwhile...

In a bowl, mix together a teaspoon and a half of regular sesame seeds, a teaspoon and a half of black sesame seeds and 1/8 tsp. salt. Add 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into one-inch cubes, and toss gently to coat.

Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil and a teaspoon of dark sesame oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 5 minutes - be careful because sesame seeds will pop and splatter as they cook! Transfer the tofu to a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the burner and coat with cooking spray. Add 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add 1 and 1/2 cups (2-inch long) slices of asparagus, and stir-fry an additional 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in 2 tablespoons of sliced green onion.

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together 1/4 cup vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (I used the organic hoisin sauce from Whole Foods' 365 brand), 2 and 1/4 teaspoons soy sauce (use low sodium varieties, to cut down on sodium totals in the recipe!), 1/2 tsp. cornstarch and 1/2 tsp. chili sauce - that last is available in Asian sections of food markets, and should be vegan, but do read the ingredient list to be sure.

Pour the broth mixture into the pan, and remove from heat - the sauce will thicken. Add the tofu cubes, along with an additional 1/8 tsp. of salt. Toss gently to combine.

Place 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice on each of 2 plates. Top each with 1 and 1/2 cups of the tofu mixture. Each serving is 430 calories.

A quick side note: soy sauce is vegan, and pretty much should be regardless of what brand you buy. There are all sorts of varieties on the market including reduced-sodium and wheat-free, if you don't include wheat in your diet. I add this caution, however, because a waiter in a Japanese restaurant once told me their soy sauce was not vegan, and brought me a special dish of my own - I assume this is because the restaurant took the liberty of adding oyster sauce or fish sauce, normally. So if you eat out, do double check before ordering anything with soy sauce in it!

Cost:
shiitake mushrooms $3.99
asparagus $4.19
green onions $0.99
vegetable broth $2.69
soy sauce $3.39
brown rice $1.21

White Pizza

The original recipe for this pizza called for a blend of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in the topping. Instead, I used crumbled firm tofu for the ricotta, grated vegan mozzarella from Follow Your Heart for the mozzarella and grated vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods for the Parmesan (yes, I know that means I used two types of 'mozzarella' but the taste and texture of the two are quite different, so created a nice contrast in the final product).

So in a bowl, combine 1 cup 'ricotta', 1 cup grated 'mozzarella' and 1/4 cup grated 'parmesan'. Spread the 'cheese' mixture over a pre-made pizza crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. I'm happy to have discovered that Whole Foods' 365 brand now makes ready-to-go pizza crusts, which I find preferable to popular brands such as Boboli - for all I know Whole Foods has had this product for a while, but it's been quite some time since I needed pre-made crust!

Sprinkle the pizza evenly with 1 cup thinly sliced basil, 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots, 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach, 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (go up to as much as 1 teaspoon if you like more fire to your pizza!), 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.

Top evenly with 1 cup thinly sliced plum tomato. Bake the pizza at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 6 slices, each of which is 340 calories.

Enjoy!

Cost:
firm tofu $1.99
vegan 'mozzarella' - not sure! my boyfriend was sweet enough to pick this up for me at the health food store
vegan 'parmesan' $3.39
pizza crust $4.99
basil $2.99
shallots $1.24
fresh spinach $2.50
plum tomato

Mediterranean Vegetable Stew over Soft Polenta

Here's a quick entree for a weeknight - and I do mean quick! Have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go because things move fast once the burner is lit.

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat - the original recipe suggested using a large saucepan, but I used a medium skillet because I needed my saucepan for the polenta (see below).

Add 1 cup (1/4-inch thick) sliced zucchini and 3/4 tsp. minced garlic and saute 30 seconds. (Using bottled minced garlic makes prep time even shorter, but I minced a fresh clove).

Add 1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, 3/4 cups of undrained, canned stewed tomatoes (about half of a 14 ounce can), and 3/4 cups rinsed and drained canned chickpeas (about half of a 14 ounce can), along with 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the vegetable stew simmers, bring 1 and 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 cup dried polenta, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally - watch it carefully, because polenta expands and gets stiff quickly! In place of Parmesan, stir in 3/4 cup grated vegan cheese of your choice - I used the vegan mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods.

Place 2/3 cup polenta on each of 3 plates, and top each serving with 1 cup of the stew. Each serving is 360 calories.

Cost:
zucchini $1.55
garlic$0.42
canned diced tomatoes $1.19
canned stewed tomatoes $2.19
canned chickpeas $1.79
vegan mozzarella $3.39