Cauliflower Walnut Bolognese

As if this Cannibal Stew classic wasn't proof enough you can do an awesomely hearty vegan pasta sauce, here's another one, swapping in cauliflower & walnuts for chickpeas.

Recipe

• ~1 lb cauliflower (most of a head?) chopped into florets
• ~1/2 c walnuts (was doing some metric conversions here...)
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 c water
• 1 tsp sugar

Get your food processor out, and chop up your cauliflower, then add walnuts, then seasoning (nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper). Lay out on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast at 400 for at least 20 minutes, mixing up partway through.

Heat some oil in a big saucepan and add onions. Once they're looking good, add the other veggies, and cook 10 minutes or more.

Prob start your pasta in here.

Add the other seasonings to the saucepan along with the cauliflower mixture, and stir up. Mash in the tomatoes, along with the water and sugar. Simmer ~20 minutes.

OK maybe start the pasta now instead. Combine and serve!

Notes

This one came out really well! Despite a healthy appetizer of whiskey that may have resulted in some struggles with said metric conversions, and forgotten ingredients like water and sugar... Main note is, it seemed way less tomato-ey than expected, so we added an extra can of diced tomatoes and prob could have done more. Worth playing around with!

White Bean Pasta

Gave this one a try from Budget Bytes via social media...

Recipe

• 8 oz pasta (a long type like spaghetti or linguine)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape / cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• salt & pepper
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 4 oz baby spinach
• parmesan

Start your pasta. Heat the olive oil & butter in a skillet, on the medium-lower heat side. Add the garlic, then tomatoes, salt & pepper, and basil. Saute until the tomatoes pop - fun! Then add the spinach and wilt it a bit, then add the beans. Heat through and get a nice thick sauce going. Then toss in the pasta! 

Meatless Mushroom & Chickpea Pasta Sauce

Alright, here's another faux-meat sauce, this one courtesy of the America's Test Kitchen IG:

Recipe

10 oz cremini mushrooms*
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced*
1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes*
1/4 c tomato paste
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c vegetable broth
15 oz chickpeas, rinsed
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
*feel free to add more as desired!

• Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until in little (1/8-1/4 in) pieces.  Heat 5 tbsp of oil in a dutch oven over medium high and cook mushrooms (and a little salt) until browned.
• In the meantime, pulse the onion similarly (don't need to clean out the processor between all these ingredients).  Add to the dutch oven until soft.
• Mix the extra tbsp of oil plus the garlic, oregano, and red pepper in a bowl.
• Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook a minute or 2.  Reduce heat to medium and clear space in the middle for the garlic mixture; add it and cook and mix in until fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer about 5 minutes.
• Pulse the chickpeas similarly, and rinse in a strainer until the water runs through clear.  Add to the pot and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Stir in basil and salt & pepper, and serve over pasta!

Notes

This is a bit more complicated, but comes out really, really good!  Great to make a big batch and get a few meals out of it.  Might even be jefe-friendly?

Tofu Bolognese

Alright, now getting into the vegan phase - thanks Anne ;)  First up...

Recipe

2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 block extra firm tofu
3 c tomato sauce
1 lb spaghetti or other pasta

Preheat oven to 350, and oil or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Mix the seasonings and stuff into a brown paste, and crumble in the tofu.  Mix it in real good, spread on the baking sheet, and cook for 35-45 minutes.  Toward the end, cook up the tomato sauce, then add the tofu, and serve over pasta (cook that in there toward the end too).

Lentil Bolognese

A cheap, healthy, and plentiful Meatless Monday (plus a few extra days) recipe courtesy of reddit...

Recipe

1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 c red lentils
2 c water
olive oil, salt & pepper

Chop everything.  Start some oil in a large skillet and cook the vegetables until tender.  Next stir in the garlic, then the tomato paste, then the rest of the tomatoes and the herbs, baking soda, and some salt and pepper.  Then add the lentils and water, and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Serve over pasta.

Notes

I've struggled with this in a few recent recipes, and realized that you need plenty of liquid to cook through things like lentils (or sweet potatoes).  I let everything simmer longer than a half hour, and the lentils were still a bit underdone.

Overall, though, a tasty recipe to make in a big batch and have for leftovers (good with some sausage for non-veggie days)!

Pesto Salmon Foil Bake

Fresh seafood may not be as accessible here in the heart of the US of A, but there are still some ways to get your fix.  With a few salmon fillets thawing in the fridge and the end of a package of pesto, the internet turned up this intriguing concept, from Jamie Oliver via here...

Recipe

2 salmon fillets
two handfuls green beans
grape tomatoes
pesto
a lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 400.  Boil your green beans about 3 minutes, then drain and toss with some olive oil and salt & pepper.  Make nice little piles on two sheets of tin foil.  Salmon goes on top, spread on your pesto, and squeeze some lemon juice over.  Slice some grape tomatoes in half, toss with more olive oil, and they go on top.  Wrap up your foil and bake 20-25 minutes.

Notes

I'm not entirely sold on the difference the tin foil makes.  Other recipes basically just said put pesto on salmon and bake.  With the foil, it's hard to tell how done your salmon is, and then you have to unwrap everything while it's still hot and you're hungry...  But everything came out very tasty, with the flavors melding nicely.  So kind of fun, worth doing again!

Italian Meat Sauce

I may not have had an Italian grandmother, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a thick, hearty, meaty pasta sauce.  It may not be just like my imaginary nonna made, but it's got America's Test Kitchen's best time-saving and flavor-enhancing tips:

Recipe

4 oz white mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
1 slice white bread, torn into quarters
2 tbsp whole milk
1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 medium can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained reserving 1/4 c of juice
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c-plus grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper

Process the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl.  Next pop the bread, milk, and some salt and pepper into the processor and combine into a paste.  Add the beef and mix well.

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high, and brown the mushroom and onion.  Add in the garlic, tomato paste, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a minute or so, then add the tomato juice and oregano, scraping/deglazing the pan.  The meat mixture is next; cook until the pink is gone but don't let it brown.  Stir in your cans of tomatoes and simmer about a half hour.

Prepare some pasta toward the end.  Stir in the cheese, and serve with more sprinkled on top!

Notes

This is pretty good.  I'm sure it could be simplified, but altogether kind of a fun cooking project.  In true grandma-fashion, its a ton of food, so be prepared to refrigerate or freeze leftovers!

Chorizo Pisto

Buenas noches!  Donde esta la biblioteca?  Tengo mucho hambre.  Quiero una cena espanola.  Hacemos pisto!  La idea viene del New York Times aqui.

Recipe (I feel like I must have known the Spanish word for "recipe" before, but not anymore so back to English...)

1/2 lb chorizo, removed from casing (optional)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb zucchini or summer squash
1 14 oz can tomatoes
2-3 eggs
salt & pepper
olive oil

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Start with the chorizo, breaking it up and getting it a bit brown.  Next add the onions until well tender (about 5 minutes),  then garlic (a minute or so), then zucchini/squash until starting to soften (another 5 minutes).  Add the tomatoes and juice, lower heat to medium low and cook about half an hour, stirring and mashing with a wooden spoon periodically.  Finally, make wells in the stew for the eggs, break one into each, sprinkle with salt & pepper, cover, and cook until the whites are set but yolk still runs (6-8 minutes).

Notes

This is kind of a simplified, meat-ified version of the NYT's recipe.  I was hungry though, and regret nothing!  The chorizo gives it so much flavor, and the rest of the stew is essentially all vegetables so hearty and healthy.

Hot Sauce Pasta Salad

No idea how I happened across this recipe, but it stood out for (1) a hearty, healthy-looking dish that would keep for multiple meals, and (2) hot sauce!

Recipe

Pasta
1 lb cooked pasta: e.g., shells, ziti, penne, rotini
2 c tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 c artichoke hearts, quartered
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 c black olives, sliced
2/3 c red onion, chopped
2/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
olive oil

Cook the pasta, drain, drizzle with olive oil, and mix in the other ingredients.

Dressing
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 c olive oil
1 1/2 c tomato sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 c basil, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt

Heat the olive oil and garlic, then add the red pepper and cook a couple minutes.  Remove the garlic, then add the tomato sauce and hot sauce.  Simmer for five minutes.  Add basil, lemon juice, and salt, and pour over the salad.

Top with Parmesan.

Notes

There's a good bit of chopping and other prep involved here.  I took most of the measurements as whatever was convenient with what I had.  I aimed for about a half portion overall, but I also reduced the olive oil - a whole cup?!  I also upped the hot sauce considerably.  I felt a little bad for not using Cholula brand, but somewhat better about supporting Hot Sauce 4 Good.

Here's my finished product, topped with some popcorn shrimp(!) - they also suggest regular shrimp or chicken if you want more protein.  Didn't really need it though.  Pretty good, tangy, and hopefully the rest will keep for a bit.

Chicken Hash

Upstate cooking lab is in full swing.  Today's afternoon session was a nice Martha Stewart brunch option:

Recipe

1/2 a chicken breast, cut into 3/4" cubes
12 oz small red potatoes, boiled and quartered
2 ears-worth corn kernels
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, minced
4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c chicken (or veggie) stock
salt, pepper, evoo

Step zero is to get your potatoes boiling...  Heat a skillet up high.  The first thing in is your chicken; brown for a few minutes, then set aside.  Add a few tsps oil, then the potatoes go in until golden-brown, a few minutes, then set aside.  Add another tsp oil, then the corn, scallion, and jalapeno, just a couple minutes until the corn is dark brown in spots.  Next, add the tomatoes and cook a minute or so.  Then add the stock and chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the potatoes, and you're ready to go.

Notes

Martha's hash is a little upscale - you don't just plop things into a skillet one-by-one (or all at once) - you'll have some extra bowls to clean.  That said, this was a really nice one.  Everything browns up nicely to appropriate degrees...  I didn't follow the measurements too closely, eyeballing the amounts for pretty much everything.  Didn't effect the final product.  Fresh corn is a great element (I'm less of a tomato fan, but realize that's just me).  When I added the stock, whoosh it boiled almost immediately, but kept things from drying out too much.  All in all, Martha knows what she's doing.

Tofu Tacos

Yeah, I think I'll keep this intro brief and just present the links without comment: here and here.

Recipe

Tacos

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 brick extra-firm tofu
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt, pepper
6 corn tortillas
optional:
cheddar cheese, shredded
avocado, thinly sliced
tomato, chopped

Heat the oil in a deep pan, then saute the onions and cilantro, seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Crumble the tofu into the pan, add the tomato paste, and cook 3-5 minutes.

Line a baking pan with tin foil with three pockets for your tortillas.  Fill each tortilla with the tofu mixture and top with avocado, tomato, and cheese.  Bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Papaya salsa

1 whole papaya
1/2 a red onion, finely diced
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
juice of half a lime
1 tsp Mexican seasoning (or sprinkles of paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves)
salt

De-seed and -skin your papaya and chop into bite-size chunks.  Mix together with everything else.

Notes

As expected, it's really not quite as good as the real thing.  But it does have some nice things going for it - it's cheap and fast, feels very healthy, works well as a team effort, and (relatedly) I assume there's a reason you were looking for something vegetarian...  It came out as four big tacos.  Also just be aware that you'll have way more salsa than you need, so definitely plan on other ways to finish that off.

Steak alla Pizziaola

This recipe came from the folks at Lodge, makers of fine cast-iron cookware.  And lovers of good meat and veggies:

Recipe

Meat
4 strip steaks

Plant (& Fungi) I
1 onion, sliced
3 red bliss potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers

Plant II
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
3 sprigs thyme
a sprinkle (or a few) of red pepper flakes

salt, pepper, olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 and your (Lodge, of course) skillet medium-high with some olive oil.  Sprinkle the steaks with salt & pepper (or Montreal seasoning), and brown about five minutes per side.  Set the steaks aside, replenish the olive oil in the skillet, and in goes the first batch of plant (and fungi).  Saute for about 7 minutes, then add the second batch, stir up, and cook a few more minutes.  Put the steaks on top and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Notes

There's a ton of chopping (you want the potatoes small so they soften; at least you don't have to dice the garlic), but well worth it - chop everything in group I into a big, beautiful bowl of plant (and fungi) parts before you get started.  The small-ish steaks I used came out pretty well done, but still delicious!  Make as much as your skillet can hold (OK, so about as prescribed) because it's good left over

Chicken Milanese

After overlooking the 3-hour cook time for Goop-style brisket, I made her Chicken Milanese my fallback plan for the night:

Recipe

chicken breasts/cutlets
bread crumbs
milk
olive oil

Fold the chicken between parchment paper (leaving plenty of space around...) and pound the crap out of it.  Gwyneth prescribes a pseudo-scientific 1/6" thickness, but I think the key takeaway is to make it as thin as you can before your neighbors complain.  Dip the chicken in milk, dredge through bread crumbs, and pan-fry in about 1/4 cup oil.  If it's thin enough, it should just be a couple minutes per side.

On the Side

Gwyneth lists a couple options to pair some produce with your chicken.  I started with her roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula, but substituted based on what I had on hand (which also happens to be some of my favorites).  I ended up tossing the tomatoes along with chopped sweet potatoes and carrots with some olive oil and spices.  Roasted it at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes - until the tomatoes split and the sweet potato was soft - then stirred in a few handfuls of spinach.

Here's the finished product: