ratatouille pasta

 

Overview

Time: 55 minutes 
Dishes: large skillet, medium pot

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

When my son told me that he had a hankering for Ratatouille, I thought - great, I can make that. 

Then he told me he had made it before - the authentic way, and I thought - hey, I can do that. 

Then he told me it took him 3 hours to make, and I thought - yeah, um, no.  

Although I agree with him wholeheartedly that Ratatouille should be made properly - cooked so that all the vegetables sing in harmony but each keep their integrity; not be overcooked but be properly cooked to perfection. However, I could not devote 3 hours to it. 

After preparing the dish, while complaining that it was not layered properly in thinly cut disks, he managed to keep shoveling the pasta into his mouth, so I will follow his actions and not so much listen to his gripes. In the meantime, my husband was head down into the bowl of pasta and by the time I got back to the kitchen there were only a few lingering squash pieces left in the pan. 

In order to cook the dish properly, you have to cook it in stages, very much like the Hungarian Lecso or the Spanish Sofrito. Only after the current layer is partly cooked, do you add the next ingredient. The ratatouille is then braised in broth and finally baked in the oven.

It sounds complicated, but take a look at the recipe - it is easy to prepare and the instructions are clear. 

Don't miss out.     

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Chop the onion first and add to the  pan.
• Then mince the garlic and add it. 
• Chop the squash and eggplant while the onion cooks.
• Chop the tomato while the squash cooks.
• Cook the pasta while the ratatouille bakes.
• Save some cooking pasta water in case the ratatouille is too dry, but it shouldn't be needed.

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Ratatouille Pasta

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday/weekend

Preheat oven to 400-F

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 medium summer squash (18 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice

1 medium eggplant (14 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice

2 medium tomatoes (15 ounces), chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

12 ounces pasta 

1/4 cup minced parsley 

1. Onion: Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chili flakes and garlic. Cook until the onion is golden, covered, about 8 minutes. Stir as needed.  

2. Squash: Add the squash and eggplant to the Onion. Cook until squash is starting to brown, 4 minutes. Stir as needed.   

3. Tomato: Add the tomato and paste to the Onion. Mix well. Cook until the paste is browning, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.    

4. Broth and Bake: Add the broth to the Onion. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400-F. Uncover and transfer to oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Alternately, transfer to an oven-safe dish to bake.  

5. Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

6. Serve: Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss with Pasta. Serve.       

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

indian butter seitan

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large skillet, large bowl, air-fryer 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Excellent meal - and pretty easy, to boot! This  Indian meal is very tasty and it, too, comes with it's food lore.  Since I am using seitan, you can probably guess (or already know) that this dish is originally made with chicken. The story goes that the tandoori chicken at a restaurant was drying out as it sat waiting for customers to buy it, so the owner created a curry sauce to keep the dish tender. 

This sauce, like many North Indian sauces, tend to be made with tomato in some form or another, and this one is similar. It has tomato sauce and calls for cream. Since we are already marinating the seitan in a flavorful yogurt sauce (the tandoori part of the dish), I figured it would be great to just add it to the sauce and not need any cream at all.

This worked beautifully and tasted great! 

Be sure to make your own seitan and I give you the Making Monday version for making Easy Simple Seitan Loaf. It takes about 1 hour, including kneading, so there is no reason  not to make it. A few simple steps and you have tender, flavorful seitan, ready to make this dish.  

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Prepare the rice, if using.
• Make the marinade first and marinate the seitan while you prepare the sauce.
• Air-fry the seitan while the sauce simmers. 
• Use your impeccably clean fingers to pluck the seitan from the marinade (or use a fork) and gently shake off excess marinade. 
• Save the marinade for the sauce.

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Indian Makhani - Vegan Butter Seitan

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

Serve with rice or naan.

1 cup plain, nondairy yogurt

1-inch ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound seitan (Easy Simple Seitan or store-bought), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, finely minced 

1/2 cup cashews

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup tomato sauce

4 whole cloves

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon vegan butter or vegan ghee (optional)  

1. Marinade: Add the yogurt ginger, garlic, turmeric and chili powder to a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in the seitan pieces. Set aside.       

2. Onion: Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cashews, garam masala and cumin. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. 

3. Sauce: Add the broth, tomato sauce, cloves and cinnamon stick to the Onion. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, partly covered.  

4. Air-Fry: Remove the seitan pieces from the marinade (save the Marinade). Either air-fry on 4000F for 10 minutes, or bake in the oven for 20 minutes on 450F. Add the reserved Marinade to the Sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper. Thin with water if needed. Stir in the seitan. Stir in the optional butter. Serve with rice or naan.  

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

creamy vodka sauce pasta

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: medium pot, pot for pasta, immersion blender, stand or personal blender 

Heads Up! Nut milk bag and almonds 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This is a family favorite, for sure.  It is a meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish. The creamy tomato sauce over a hearty pasta is pretty terrific and I would classify this as a comfort food. 

I also classified this as easy, but there is a caveat: the nut milk must be made fresh. No processed milk will do this justice, or thicken. Freshly made nut milk thickens as it is heated and gives this sauce amazing body. 

This is the nut milk bag I recommend HERE. It is cotton and leaves all nut meal in the bag.

When you strain the milk, twist the top closed and strain right into the sauce (unless this is your very first time - then strain into a bowl to avoid burning yourself). 

With the top twisted closed, start twisting more, as the bag starts releasing the milk. You can massage the bag so you don't tear it with all the pressure. Once you do this a few times, I promise it gets very easy and intuitive. Think: massage and twist. 

And that right there is the most difficult part of the recipe. I used jarred pasta sauce here because it was more economical at the time. In essence, I doctored it. You can use pasta sauce already prepared, or use canned/jarred whole or diced tomatoes. 

When using whole or diced tomatoes, you don't need a lid, but with sauce that is already blended, use a lid ajar, otherwise sauce will splatter everywhere.

Once the nut milk is added, you simmer it until it thickens. Well worth the forage into the skills of nut milking.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Start the water for the pasta first. The water needs to boil and the pasta will take about 10 minutes to cook.
• Then start the sauce. 
• While the sauce cooks, blend the nuts. Strain it into a bowl if this is your first time doing this; it'll avoid mishaps and give you plenty of time to learn to press milk through a bag.

 

Creamy Vodka Sauce Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Serve with baked tofu and/or garlicky greens

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, until   al dente. Drain the pasta:

12 ounces pasta (rigatoni is good)

2. Sauce: Add the ingredients to a medium pot and cook over medium heat, 15 minutes:

1 medium carrot, shredded

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 (28-ounce) can diced or whole tomatoes

1/2 cup vodka (optional)

3. Use an immersion blender to blend the Sauce.

4. Cream: Blend the nuts and water very well. Strain the Cream using a nut milk bag. Strain right into the Sauce. Compost the nut meal.  

1/2 cup raw almonds

3/4 cups water

5. Return Sauce to a simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

6. Serve: Serve the Sauce with the Pasta.  

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: large, oven-safe skillet and lid, medium pot

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Ever wondered how to make a meatless, vegetarian, and vegan burger into a pasta dish? I have, too! Wonder no more. This pasta dish does indeed, surprisingly, tastes like a cheeseburger but it is so much easier to prepare and eat than one.

This dish is really versatile, since you can use beans instead of vegan grounds, and it still comes out fabulous. I used Beyond Beaf grounds in this one, but even homemade ground seitan would be great.

It is also very quick to prepare, and clean up is easy too, if you have an oven-safe skillet; if not, then use a 9x9 baking pan. Put your water for the pasta on right away since the rest of the dish comes together quite fast!

This one is complete with pickles and mustard - but, of course, make it your own. Add some ground bacon-type bits or Smart Bacon, Tofu Bacon or Tempeh Bacon for a great twist. If you wind up with leftovers, reheat in the microwave with a splash of water, to offset any dryness.

Serve with a green salad to act as the lettuce on your "burger."

Enjoy! 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the pots and pans prepared.
• Put the pasta water on first.
• Remember to reserve the cooking water.
• Remember to reserve the onion for the topping.
• Use a lid while cooking the onion for faster cooking.

 

Mac-n-Cheeseburger Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

Serve with: Green Salad

Preheat oven to 400-F

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water:

12 ounces elbow pasta

2. Grounds: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, garlic and grounds. Cook, covered, until golden, about 5 minutes. If using beans, add beans after onions have cooked 3 minutes:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-pound vegan grounds or 2 cans black beans

3. Sauce: Add the Reserved Cooking Water, tomato sauce, pickles, Worcestershire, mustard and salt and pepper. Mix well, bring to boil and add the cooked Pasta.

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mustard

 4. Bake: Cover the pan with an oven-safe lid (or foil) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese, cover again and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes: 

8 slices vegan yellow cheese

5. Serve: Top with the optional tomatoes and Reserved Chopped Onions:

2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes (optional)

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

vegan meatball sub

I've always had a soft spot for a terrific meatball hoagie. Native Foods has a great vegan meatball sub that at least one family member gets whenever we go, but I only get to snag a bite of. I decided it is time to make one at home.

We have at least one sandwich for lunch during the week and since sandwiches are supposed to be on the faster side, I just used store-bought vegan meatballs, but you can, of course, make your own. I've been making so many different components of meals that I just wanted a bit of a break.

As it is, I made the rolls at home and you can, too, if you have a Fridge Dough.

This sandwich has two sauces, but you can pick one or the other to do if you don't feel like making two different ones. If you make the red pepper sauce only, double or triple it for 4 sandwiches.

I added oven-roasted tomatoes to this sandwich and I have to tell you, I was eating them right off the baking tray; they are good! If yours cools by the time the sandwich assembly comes, heat them a bit in the oven or make sure your sauce is pipping hot - it will warm the tomatoes, too.

I'm getting the family ready for the fall, since I am going back to school, too, so I've streamlined the menu and we now have two week rotations of lunch and dinner ideas that can be customized so we don't get bored.

For example, for lunch on week 1 we have:

Sunday- Tofu Scramble
Monday- Cup of soup and simple sandwich
Tuesday- Salad
Wednesday- Sandwich
Thursday- Mom's pick
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday- Veggie Dogs

As you can see, for example, the tofu scramble can be further customized into Migas, Hungarian Scramble, Benedict, Frittata, etc. The Veggie Dogs can be California Dogs, Chicago Dogs, Potato Dogs, etc. You get the idea.

Next order of business is to announce the winner of The China Study Family Cookbook giveaway! The winner is: RunLonger45! Congratulations! Contact me so I can get you a copy of the book!!

Vegan Meatball Sub
Makes 4 subs

Tomatoes:
2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic oil*
1 teaspoon dried basil
Sea salt

Red Pepper Sauce:
3 large roasted red peppers (jarred is fine, but freshly roasted is better)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic oil*

Tomato Sauce:
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon garlic oil*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Sea salt and black pepper

Other: 
4 (5-inch) crusty rolls, split and toasted
20 vegan meatballs, semi-thawed, if frozen
1 tablespoon garlic oil*
1 cup shredded vegan cheese 

1. Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F (or air-fryer to 335-degrees F). Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch wedges and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the basil and sea salt and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the sheet pan and set aside. Add the meatballs and another tablespoon of garlic oil and bake the meatballs until golden on one side. Flip the meatballs, add the cheese, cover the meatballs with a cake pan and bake until the cheese melts. Add the bread to the baking sheet to toast while the cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not burn the bread.
2. Red Pepper Sauce: Add the peppers, broth, herbs, salt (to taste) and oil to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend the sauce ingredients in a standard blender before heating.
3. Tomato Sauce: Add the tomato sauce, oil, herbs, sugar and salt and black pepper (to taste) to a small saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Season to taste. 
4. Assemble the sandwich: add the meatballs to the split rolls (with the melted cheese), top with the tomato sauce, add a few slices of roasted tomatoes and add a few tablespoons of the red pepper sauce. Serve immediately. 

* If you don’t have garlic oil, use 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 garlic clove, minced, for each tablespoon of garlic oil. 

© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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french twist pressed sandwich

Another insanely busy week this week. My girls are planning their new semesters in college and my son is moving back home until the spring. He leaves his the apartment he and his boyfriend shared for almost a year, so the time is bitter-sweet: Berkeley done, but USC beginning.

This, of course, means that the garage needs cleaning to accommodate the things he's picked up in Berkeley. I'm not sure I know of anyone who relishes cleaning the garage. 

So, I prepared a quick pressed sandwich, reminiscent of the French Twist from Roly Poly sandwich place. 

If you have a large tortilla, use that, but to make things easy, these are the regular sized tortillas. I prepared a French-style cheese sauce, which is made from yogurt and not oil or cashews. I really liked it and will be modifying it with other flavors. It's easy and fast and tastes good. My favorite things.

Inside the wrap is Swiss chard, mushrooms, scallions and tomatoes. The sauce is an easy Dijon mustard-maple sauce without mayo. If you like, you can add a few tablespoons of mayo to make it creamy, but I liked it without the added fat.

That's it for the sandwich. Serve it with chips, steamed broccoli or edamame. Enjoy!

French Twist Hot Pressed Sandwich
Makes 4 regular pressed sandwiches

Cheese Sauce:
1 (5.3-ounce) container nondairy yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon lactic acid (optional)
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon dry vermouth
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Mustard Sauce:
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch cayenne

Vegetables:
2 leaves Swiss chard, shredded
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 tomato, sliced 
4 scallions, sliced

Rolls:
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

1. Cheese Sauce: Combine the yogurt, starch, yeast, salt, lactic acid (if using), miso, vermouth and vinegar in a small blender. Blend until very smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook until thickened over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Mustard Sauce: Combine the mustard, syrup and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. 
3. Chop the vegetables. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortilla before rolling to prevent splitting. Spread 1/4  of the cheese sauce on a tortilla. Add chard, mushrooms, tomato and scallions. Fold over and place in skillet, seam side down. Use another pan to press on the sandwich. Cook until golden. Flip and repeat. Cook 2 tortillas at one time. Repeat with the other 2 tortillas. Serve with the mustard sauce. 



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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pantry+ caprese sandwich

There is a restaurant in San Diego that serves a Caprese Sandwich that I have been eyeing. It's actually pretty simple: fresh mozzarella slices are marinated in olive oil with garlic and capers. Of course, the rub is that it is not vegan. In cases such as these we again turn to the Great Sandwich Remake!

What makes this sandwich even more special is that it is a Pantry+ recipe, to boot! (Find the limited pantry list HERE.)  It requires only 3 pantry items and 5 fresh items. Rejoice!

Caprese Sandwich.

Equipment:
Bowl
Toaster
Medium pot

Pantry ingredients are:
Capers
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

Fresh ingredients are:
Basil
Tomato
Bread
Garlic
Fresh vegan mozzarella

Ah! I hear the breaks screeching to a halt. What about the fresh vegan mozzarella?!

Yes, you definitely need that for a caprese anything! Fortunately, it really isn't that difficult or time consuming to make. Or even buy.

But, I did make my own and it turned out really good!

I've collected a few great looking recipes, so go forth and make a batch!

Fresh Mozzarella Recipes from around the web:

Buffalo Mozzarella from DIY Vegan by Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman [AMAZON]. Recipe is available on Dianne's Vegan Kitchen. [Incidentally, I bought this book and it is very good.]

Easy Buffalo Mozzarella by Miyoko Schinner on Artisan Vegan Life. [Of course, I bought her Artisan  Vegan Cheese [AMAZON] and her Homemade Vegan Pantry [AMAZON], too, both great books.]

Fresh Mozzarella by Jay Astafa (video by Jay).

If you really don't want to make it, you can even buy Follow Your Heart block mozzarella [AMAZON] and use that. The texture and flavor of that version is highly appropriate in this recipe.

Now that you are comfortable with your ability to make fresh vegan mozzarella, let's turn it into a slammin' sandwich.

Marinate those babies:

Yes, I used a ton of garlic! It's good for you!

Um, yeah, that's about it. Toast your bread lightly and build your sandwich right away, while the bread is still warm (it's better that way.)

Naturally, use a good crusty bread for this. When ingredients are limited, quality counts so don't gyp yourself; bake or buy some delicious bread.

A word about the balsamic reduction. It is really, really good! Grab a sauce pot and reduce the balsamic vinegar by half. Make sure to turn on your stove fans because it does get sour before the sweet.

Caprese Sandwich (a Pantry+ recipe)
Makes 4 sandwiches
Pantry list is HERE.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons capers, drained
4 balls of fresh vegan mozzarella, about 6 to 8 ounces
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices freshly lightly toasted bread, still warm
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 4 slices each
8 leaves fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic reduction*

1. Add the oil, garlic, and capers to a medium bowl. Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick slices and add to the bowl. Season with black pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients gently and set aside until needed (or at least 5 minutes).
2. Add 2 slices of tomato to each of 4 warm toasted breads. Add 2 leaves of basil. Season with salt if the cheese is not too salty. Divide the cheese evenly over the 4 sandwiches and drizzle with the reduction. Add the other bread slices and serve immediately. 


*Balsamic Reduction

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Add the vinegar to a medium saucepan. Turn on the oven vents; the vinegar smell will be quite strong. Bring to a boil, reduce to a strong simmer and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Transfer to a mason jar set on a kitchen towel and allow to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container in the pantry. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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