Breakup Mac and Cheese

Someone dear to me is going through a tough breakup. Yea, I remember those well!! I made some super-decadent mac and cheese for him today. Sometimes you just need a big bowl of comfort.

Ingredients:

1 box elbow macaroni (or pasta of choice); cooked in boiling salted water according to package directions

1 small onion; diced

2 cloves garlic; minced

3 Tablespoons margarine

3 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese; shredded

2 Tablespoons salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon nutmeg; ground

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 cup sour cream and onion potato chips; crushed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese; grated

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 13X9 inch baking pan with cooking spray

2. While pasta is cooking, saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add margarine and  flour and stir, cooking until they turn golden and are a sandy consistency. Whisk in milk and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and spices.

4. Drain pasta and pour into prepared pan. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir slightly.

5. Sprinkle top with chips and then parmesan cheese.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes more until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.

One Pot Vegan Korma with Rice

Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Into a large Dutch Oven add:

1 cup rice; rinsed

2 small onions; diced

8 cloves garlic; minced

4 potatoes; peeled and diced

8 carrots; peeled and cut into diagonal slices

2 jalapeno peppers; seeded and diced

2 cups frozen peas

2 red bell peppers; seeded and diced

3/4 cup cashews; chopped

8 oz. tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons salt

3 Tablespoons curry powder

1 cup water

2 cups almond or soy milk

Cover and bake for 1 hour, then remove lid and bake another 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Serve with lots of warm naan.

Curry on my Wayward Son (one pot tofu curry)

After trying out his wings for six months, our youngest son is returning home today to live with us while he attends college. I couldn’t be happier. I wanted to make this tofu cashew curry since I know he loves it, but because we were so busy, I did it the lazy way and luckily, it turned out pretty delicious!!

One Pot Tofu Cashew Curry

Into a dutch oven add:

1 cup white rice, rinsed

2 1/2 cups water

1 block extra firm tofu; drained and cut into cubes

1 bag frozen cauliflower

1 bag frozen green beans

1 onion; chopped

4 cloves garlic; chopped

2 Tablespoons salt

4 Tablespoons curry powder

Give it a little stir and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully tender. Enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Lentil and Kale Soup

In your slow cooker add:

1/2 bag lentils; rinsed and sorted

1 bunch kale; washed, stems removed and chopped

1 onion; chopped

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons thyme

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours until lentils are tender.

Pasta with Vegan Oatmeal Mushroom Sauce

Yes, I know it sounds odd and a little disgusting. However, the oats and mushrooms melt into this sauce and create a really delicious meaty texture. This one is hearty enough for the coldest winter night.

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of choice; cook according to package directions

8 oz white mushrooms; finely chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon soy margarine

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup cracker crumbs; finely crushed

1/8 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1-2 jars pasta sauce (depends how saucy you want your pasta. You could also make your own pasta sauce, of course. I was too lazy today.)

1 can black olives; crushed (optional)

 

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in olive oil with the 1tsp salt until all liquid is cooked off.

2. Stir in margarine and cook until margarine is absorbed; 3-5 mins.

3. Add onion and cook another 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.

4. In a mixing bowl, stir together oats, crackers, Italian seasoning, soy sauce and water. Salt and pepper to your liking. Add mushroom mixture and stir. Let sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.

5.  Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring your sauce to a boil. Add olives if desired. Add mushroom/oat mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.

6. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Roasted Root Veggies with Rosemary and Cornmeal Biscuits

Roasted Root Veggies with Rosemary

There is no real “recipe” to these. Just take any assortment of root veggies you like; potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips, carrots etc. Peel and dice, then toss them in olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and sprinkle with rosemary. Spread them out of cookie sheets and bake at 350-400 degrees. Your baking time will vary slightly depending on how large you cut your veggies. It can be anywhere from 20 minutes if you use a small dice, to close to an hour for large chunks. Whatever the case may be, just check your veggies with a fork, if they are soft and fragrant, they are done!

Cornmeal Biscuits – Adapted from a recipe by Carla Hall (LOVE her!!)

Makes 8 2-1/2″ biscuits

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping the dough

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons cold soy margarine

3/4 cup cold water

Non-stick cooking spray

 

Preheat the oven to 450°.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the margarine and cut into the flour mixture until completely coated to form small, pea-sized pieces. Chill the mixture in the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Add the water into the flour mixture a little bit at a time until there are no bits of dry flour left. Use your hands to form dough into a ball.

3.  At this point you could go through the whole process of rolling and cutting out biscuits, but I am a little bit too lazy for that. You can  just pull of biscuit-sized chunks and smoosh them into a biscuity shape. Just call them “rustic” and no one will know the difference!

Bake the biscuits until the tops are golden and crisp, about 12 – 15 minutes.

Tofu and Veggies in Peanut Sauce

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Tofu and Veggies in Peanut Sauce

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 bag frozen broccoli or mixed stir fry veggies; thawed and chopped as needed (I used a mix of broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas and water chestnuts
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound firm tofu, cubed
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rice; cooked according to package directions

 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
2. Mix together cornstarch, flour, salt and ginger. Toss tofu cubes in the flour mixture to lightly coat. Fry in oil until lightly browned. Remove from oil to paper towels.
3. Saute broccoli, red bell pepper, mushrooms and tofu for 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl combine peanut butter, hot water, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Pour over vegetables and tofu. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Serve over hot rice.

Minestrone with Yeastless Focaccia

Minestrone

Yeastless Foccaccia

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taco Salad

 

I started out making Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritoes from  Gathered Table, but as with most things, it didn’t end up that way. The tortillas I had were completely stuck together and I finally deemed them unusable and just baked the whole thing like a casserole and served it on top of Dorito’s.

I also didn’t have the coriander, so I skipped it altogether. I must say I am a little confused about the point of boiling sweet potatoes. It removed a lot of the sweet potato flavor and (I would imagine) most of the nutrient punch as well. I think it would be better to bake the sweet potatoes first instead of boil. (Maybe a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes baked the day before??)

At any rate, it’s a decent recipe and a good one for a sub-zero day.