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Tag: vegetarian

Vegan spinach and basil pesto
When Jonathan and I first started dating, he would often cook for me (that definitely didn’t last too long lol). His Man Menu was usually some sort of meat or fish (fried/grilled in a pan) with a canned vegetable or rice. If he was feeling fancy, though, he would make me a special treat: Pasta Pesto (announced in an Italian accent as he arrived with a piping plate to the table). The recipe was simple enough, and honestly not bad: once your spaghetti noodles were cooked to an al dente perfection, drain, then stir in your jarred pesto sauce and about ½ cup of cream. Mix well and serve to your lovely girlfriend.

Bless his heart… he meant well and that’s one of the (many) reasons I fell for him, but I never really liked pesto, and pasta sauce out of a jar is basically a sin in my book. After all, why go for all the preservatives when you can make the same thing from scratch with only a few ingredients?!

Jonathan loves pesto though, and religiously orders it whenever we are in Italy (because we go every year!! I will never stop being amazed by the fact that we get to spend a few weeks in Italy each summer. Even after 10 years of living in Europe, I gotta admit: some things never get old.)

I have never been a big fan of pesto and I will always opt for a tomato-based sauce for my pasta when given the choice. Whenever I try to change it up, I’m disappointed and wish I had just ordered the spaghetti al pomodoro, pasta alla norma, or the Bolognese that I know I will love. Some non-tomatoey recipes, though, have a special place in my heart, and this pesto is one of them.

I’ve been trying to really seriously plan our meals to make sure that we’re eating well-balanced and diverse meals, and I realized that almost all of my go-to recipes have meat (and dairy) in them. So, in the spirit of incorporating Meatless Mondays into our routine, I decided to try my hand at one of Jonathan’s favorites! And thus, the vegan spinach and basil pasta recipe was born. You didn’t think I would waste this opportunity to sneak in some veggies, did you? 😉

To be fair, I didn’t plan to make this pesto vegan, but we didn’t have any parmesan on-hand, so I just skipped it and hoped for the best. The result is so surprisingly creamy and full of flavor that I can honestly say I didn’t miss the cheese (or tons of olive oil) one bit. The addition of spinach adds an extra dose of vitamins, and the basil gives it that pestoey zing and freshens it up.

This vegan pesto recipe is legit you guys, so much so that I’m wondering if I’ll ever go back to making “regular” pesto. Traditional pesto is usually made with a ton of parmesan cheese and olive oil, and to be fair, is pretty darn good too. This stuff, though, is full of flavor with just enough garlic and just a splash of olive oil. So you can have a totally guilt-free bowl of pesto and (whole grain) pasta without thinking too hard about all of the calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 cup of basil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup of pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- around ¼ cup of water
Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in the food processor, except for the water.
2. Slowly add in the water until reaching the desired consistency.
3. Serve over cooked linguine or penne (or whatever you prefer — those are just two of our favorites)
Note: If it’s too thick, then add a tablespoon or two of water, until you get the desired consistency.
June 14, 2015
Eggplant parmesan rolls
Spring is finally (kind of, sometimes) here, and all I can think of making are veggie-filled recipes that are light and fresh. This is one of those recipes that I really hesitate before making, because Jonathan doesn’t eat 95% of the ingredients (ie, eggplant and tomatoes). Being the lovely and supportive husband that he is, however, he always at least tastes my tomato-mushroom-eggplant-random other vegetable he’s never heard of recipes and sometimes he even likes them! (remember those Stuffed portobello mushrooms?). This one definitely falls into the category of recipes that Jonathan didn’t think he would like, but did. Add one point to Team Vegetable.

I’m not even a big fan of eggplant myself, but I luuuvvvv eggplant parmesan and this: aubergine millefeuille (or my take on it: eggplant parmesan rolls). It can be served as a starter or main dish, is vegetarian-friendly, and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Sometime last year on one of me & Jonathan’s “date nights” we went to La Bouteille d’Or, a fabulous little Parisian restaurant with views on Notre Dame. When we got there I remember thinking that I’d fallen into a tourist trap because I was surrounded by groups of…well… tourists. The lighting was a bit too bright for my tastes and the atmosphere wasn’t really that cosy chic that I was hoping for. As soon as our waiter arrived at our table, however, we knew we were in for a treat: he was super professional and attentive, making sure everything was perfect during our meal. When we looked at the menu, we had our second pleasant surprise: the prices were great (especially for the neighborhood!! Hello there, view of Notre Dame), and there was a fixed price menu for even better deals. All of our food was good, but my entrée was really the star of the show: mille-feuilles d’aubergine. I remember forcing Jonathan to taste it and even he said it was good! The recipe is very simple (like a lot of French cuisine) and comes out extremely flavorful with just a few basic ingredients. It’s kind of the French version of eggplant parmesan and it is sooo good. Tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, eggplant… yes, please!

Ingredients:
- ½ eggplant*
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Bread crumbs**
- Marinara sauce***
- 10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
- Extra olive oil (to drizzle on top)
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350degrees F // 180 degrees C.
2. Spread about 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce in a small baking dish, set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder and olive oil.
4. You eggplant should be cut in half vertically, in 1/4 inch thick slices (using a mandoline if possible).
5. Layer on the following for your eggplant rolls:
  - A spoonful of marinara sauce
  - A spoonful of chopped spinach & basil
  - A spoonful of mozzarella
  - A spoonful of breadcrumbs
6. Carefully roll up the eggplant slices, and place them crease-down into the baking dish.
7. Drizzle a bit of the olive oil & garlic powder mixture over each one, then season with salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and some extra mozzarella on top, then add a halved cherry tomato to each roll.
9. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and golden.
10. Garnish with more fresh basil, and serve immediately.
*What to do with the rest of that eggplant, you ask? Well, you could double the recipe and make some extras for your lunch or freeze them. Orrrr… you could make Roasted eggplant caviar
(I’ll be adding the recipe for that, soon! Picture the easiest and most flavorful (vegetarian) eggplant dip…ever!).

**I don’t use pre-packaged breadcumbs, but they’re of course fine. If you want to go the fully homemade route, then try this: Place 1 cup of corn flakes, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and a tiny pinch of hot cayenne pepper, then grind in a food processor until about the size of breadcrumbs.

***If using my marinara sauce, no need to cook the sauce: simply combine all of the ingredients and then spoon the cause onto the eggplant slices. You might want to run the sauce through the food processor first to get it nice and smooth.

This makes two servings as a starter, but can be doubled to make a main dish.

If you don’t usually like eggplant then I suggest giving this recipe a try – it might just convert you!
June 12, 2015
Stuffed portobello mushrooms
In my quest to get the Mister to eat more veggies, I may have stumbled upon the most unlikely of dishes for Meatless Monday* that he will actually eat! So, some of my favorite things to cook with are mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese…Italiany-type ingredients, basically. I would swap out mushrooms for meat any day, but Jonathan… not so much. In fact, there are only a few things he doesn’t eat, but they just so happen to be… mushrooms and tomatoes.

As you know, we’ve recently moved to London and one of the best parts, you might be wondering? Grocery shopping. Sure… London has all sorts of amazing tourism, incredible museums, a Royal Family… but I’m all about the grocery stores! That’s not to say that Paris doesn’t have amazingly fresh produce and all sorts of fancy ingredients, but some things are just impossible to find. Like portobello mushrooms. These things are amazing: baked, sautéed, grilled… absolute perfection. So the other day I ordered a few with my weekly shop because they sell them here (hallelujah!), thinking I’d have them all to myself (cue evil laugh).

So I made our regular dinner, but made a starter for myself of these bad boys. Stuffed with Italian chicken sausage and cherry tomatoes, topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. In the oven for 15 minutes they went, and the cheesy and bubbly masterpiece that came out…well, there are no words. As I began to dig in to my mushroomy feast, I looked up to see Jonathan curiously eyeing the plate.

Of course I jumped at the occasion and cut him off a little piece, perfectly balanced with a little bit of tomato juice, gooey and crispy mozzarella, and a few little crumbles of the sausage. As he tasted it, then tasted some more… I couldn’t contain myself when he gave his head-nod of approval!

Long story short, these are amazing and if my tomato-hating mushroom-disliking husband approves, then just imagine how good they must be 😉

Ingredients:
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- Italian sausage (I used chicken sausage), cooked and crumbled
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh basil
- Mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
Instructions:
1. Wash your mushrooms to make sure you get any dirt off, then pat them dry.
2. Arrange them in a baking dish, then remove the stems (I just throw the stems into the dish, so they’ll bake too)
3. Layer in the toppings: crumbled sausage, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese
4. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, then bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
*These would be perfect to add to your Meatless Monday rotation – just take out the sausage!
May 28, 2015