Artichoke Cashew Cream Stuffed Pasta

I've owned Chef Tal Ronnen's cookbook since it came out but somehow never got around to making Artichoke Ricotta Tortellini with Saffron Cream Sauce.  I've had good luck in the past using cashew cream for a mock ricotta so I was excited to use it in both the filling and sauce.  Click on the recipes tab of the chef's website for basic cashew cream instructions.  I made a few changes to the recipe: using a gluten free pasta recipe, omitting the saffron because I'm cheap, and adding a whole lot of lemon--zest and juice--to both the filling and sauce.  Large ravioli took the place of tortellini just to speed things up.

If you compare photos of my version to the original, you'll note that mine appears grainy.  That's because it is.  If you have a super crazy powerful blender, use it when making your cashew cream.  I actually like a bit of graininess for the filling but would have much preferred a smoother texture for the sauce than my food processor could provide.

Finally, this recipe didn't completely click with me.  It was just a little bland, I just kept adding more and more lemon.  I think it is just too much cashew cream based things at once.  I will definitely use the filling and sauce recipes again but probably not together.  Already thinking what a great cajun cream sauce I could make--pair it with some fettuccine, peppers, and onions.  And I have a bit of the filling in the fridge right now that I'll bake up with some pasta, red sauce, and mozzarella Teese.  Glad I finally tried out this!

Remember to check out my other ravioli recipes:

Pumpkin ravioli with mushrooms in a brown "butter" sauce

Mushroom ravioli with peas in a brown "butter" sauce

Bún Chay

Bun Chay is a Vietnamese rice noodle salad.  My photo has the ingredients separated but it is served/eaten in a bowl all together.  It is a great change from your typical pasta salad or warm noodle dishes.  I especially love the freshness of the dish and it makes a wonderful packed lunch. 

I based my bun chay on this recipe over at The Kitchn.  Make sure to replace the soy sauce with tamari to avoid gluten.  I added a bit of zest to my dressing.  Take the toppings list as a suggestion--use what you have one hand!  I was out of lettuce so I made sure I had extra herbs.  Bean sprouts aren't my favorite so I included carrots and jalapeno.  I was out of peanuts so I quickly roasted up some raw cashews I keep on hand for cashew cream.

And maybe make extra fried tofu.  I am forever telling people that fried tofu is super tasty.  It's great in the salad but a lovely snack on its own--especially with peanut sauce.

You'll like this- make it.

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Cornbread

I love cornbread.  I grew up on southern cornbread, the kind that isn't sweet.  While I appreciate a nice sweet corn muffin, it's something I prefer alone--not really to go along with my savory meal.  A bit of sweet is nice though and so you'll see the slightest bit of honey in my recipe.  Maple syrup or sorghum would taste lovely as well.  A few easy substitutions make the bread gluten and dairy-free.  Play with the cornmeal/flour proportions until you decide just what you like.  I go heavy on the cornmeal as I think it works better for gluten-free, but you may prefer more flour.  AND BUY GOOD CORNMEAL.  I get mine from Carriage House Farm through Green Bean Delivery but look locally for wonderful stone-ground goodness.

As I've yet to acquire my very own cast iron cornbread pan, this bread was made in a pie pan.  Any round cake, square, or muffin pan will work great.  My favorite way to cook cornbread is actually fried.  I first had fried cornbread as a little kid; made by my great-grandmother Mrs. Grant.   Fun fact about the great-grandparents Grant: even when I was a kid (I'm only 30) they still only had an outhouse. 

Heat your oven to 375

Mix together:

1 1/2 Cups Cornmeal

1/2 Cup King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)

1 Egg

1 Cup Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

I usually start off with this mix and may add more flour or liquid (just hot water) if the texture isn't quite right.

Lightly oil your pan and pour your mixture into it.  At this point, lightly drizzle honey over the top.  Do this to taste, somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.  I use a straw to drizzle.  Bake for 25 minutes or so until the top is brown and the edges begin pulling away from the pan.

Flip onto a plate.

Slice and enjoy.  I like a bit of Earth Balance on mine.

Thanksgiving Impatience

I was having a difficult time waiting until Thanksgiving for certain foods so a nice meal of dressing, mashed potatoes, and balsamic and brown sugar glazed carrots happened yesterday evening.  Since the holiday is soon I thought I'd pass along a few hints for easily making your meal gluten and dairy-free.

One of my favorite dressing recipes is for Dave Lieberman's Sourdough Bread Stuffing.  The only substitutions you need to make: use a gluten-free bread, Earth Balance butter, and vegetable broth.  It is important to use a hearty bread, Rudi's Multigrain works well- I dice and toast.

No matter the recipe, just make these simple changes in the butter, broth, and bread (BBB) and you're back to enjoying your dressing.  I love a cornbread dressing too!

For a little something different, bake the dressing in a muffin tin for some stuffin' muffins!  It gives everything a bit more crunch and makes handing out portions really easy.  It also makes transportation easy if you're taking your own side of stuffing to the family dinner.

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For mashed potatoes: substitute in Earth Balance and unsweetened original almond milk.

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Balsamic and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Peel carrots and slice into diagonal coins.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a touch of olive oil, and add the carrots.  Sautee until tender--I added a bit of water to mine to help steam them into tenderness ever more.  Turn down the heat and add two tablespoons or so of Earth Balance, enough to coat the carrots and have a bit of extra sauce.  Add a tablespoon each of Balsamic Vinegar and Brown Sugar, adding more sugar and butter if needed.  Salt and pepper to taste if desired.  The best is when your mashed potatoes and the glaze mix together.

Buffalo Tempeh Tacos with Vegan Ranch

Buffalo Tempeh Tacos are one of my favorite quick and easy meals.  I started using tempeh after becoming gluten-free and actually prefer it to the vegan chicken substitutes (containing gluten) I used previously.  The texture is amazing for this.  I finish the tacos off with a quick vegan ranch dressing and my favorite toppings.

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Buy a package of tempeh, I use Lightlife.  Slice and chop into bite size pieces.  You can make as much or as little as you want but I use about 1/4 of a package for myself.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a spritz of oil.  Toss in the pieces of tempeh and cook until they begin getting crispy, turning as needed.  Turn down the heat and add your favorite buffalo sauce.  To make the sauce vegan, use Earth Balance in place of butter or margarine.

I usually just throw my sauce together as I go, adding a tablespoon of Earth Balance, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Garlic Powder, and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to the pan.  Toss well.

Move to a tray or platter with warmed corn tortillas, ranch (instructions below), and your favorite toppings.  I like arugula and tomatoes.  Green or red onions are great as well.  I prefer serving it this way so that my tacos don't get soggy while I'm eating.

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Vegan Ranch:

Spoon your favorite vegan mayo into a bowl equivalent to the amount of ranch you want.  Thin out with red wine vinegar, whisking well with a whisk or fork.  Sprinkle in some dill, parsley, garlic powder, and salt to taste.  Stir until well combined.

Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin is a great ravioli filling and paired with mushrooms and a sage brown butter sauce, this meal turned out quite tasty.  I've made ravioli on the blog before and so you may find referencing my mushroom ravioli post helpful.

The main difference this time is that I decided to make the ravioli vegan.  Instead of eggs, I used olive oil to form my pasta dough.  Throw your favorite gluten-free flour mix on a cutting board, form a well in the middle and slowly add in olive oil.  Slowly mix the dough with your hands, adding water until the dough forms a ball.  Roll or pat flat and cut into equal pieces.  Place in the fridge.  I made this while my pumpkin was roasting.

Now for the filling.  You'll need a sugar pumpkin to make your own pumpkin puree or buy a can.  Preheat your oven to 350.  Cut off the stem of your pumpkin and cut it in half.  Scoop out the seeds.  Spray a bit of oil on the pumpkin and place cut-side down on a foil or wax-paper lined pan.  Roast until tender, up to an hour.  A butter knife will easily pierce the pumpkin.  Remove from the oven and scoop the flesh away from the skin.

 

Place the flesh in a blender or food processor.  Pulse and blend until smooth.  Move to bowl.

Add:

1/2 cup walnuts, ground in food processor

1 tablespoon vegan parmesan

1 teaspoon brown sugar (this can vary depending on your pumpkin)

1/4 teaspoon Sage

1/8 teaspoon Thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Mix or blend well.  Feel free to change around the spices to your own tastes- I think some rosemary, garlic, and shallots would taste great in the filling as well.

Now it is time to make the ravioli.  Place a small amount of filling in the middle of one piece of dough, place another on top and crimp with a bit of water if needed.  You can cook these right away or place in the fridge until later.  To cook: place in boiling water for a few minutes until the ravioli float to the top.

Sauce: To a medium heat skillet, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a few tablespoons of Earth Balance.  Let the "butter" mixture cook/brown a bit and add 1/4 teaspoon sage and black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste if desired.  Add a handful of chopped mushrooms--I used a gourmet blend.  Cook until tender.

Add your ravioli and coat well in the sauce.  Plate and sprinkle with some vegan parmesan if desired.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

I am loving butternut squash this fall and this is one of my favorite recipes so far.  I make gnocchi with leftover mashed potatoes fairly often but this is my first time using squash.  I must say, these are my favorite I've ever made-the texture was perfect.

--Instructions--

Clean off your butternut squash and stab a few holes all over it. Place in an oven preheated to 375 and bake for an hour, until soft. Remove from oven and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds. Scoop the flesh out of the skin into a bowl. One very small squash made all the gnocchi in the photo above.

Mash the flesh and add a pat or two of Earth Balance and a splash of unsweetened original almond milk to smooth out the texture. You're just smoothing, don't thin it out too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Begin gently mixing in flour, I use King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour, little by little. You want the dough to just come together. It is right when you can pick up a chunk of dough and roll it into a thin log. Make several logs with your dough, flouring your hands as needed. 

With the log on a surface, take the side of a fork and cut each gnocchi. I like to go back and carefully press the fork on each gnocchi to create texture. Your sauce will better attach to this.

At this point I like to put my gnocchi on a plate (sometimes I cut them on a plate) and place them in the fridge for a bit. You can also freeze them flat, on a cookie sheet, bag, and freeze for later.

Too cook: throw the gnocchi in some boiling water. When they float to the top, they're done. Only takes a couple of minutes.

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This time, I enjoyed my gnocchi with mushrooms and red onions in a sage butter sauce.  In a pan over medium to medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance. Melt (if you're using actual butter, let it brown a bit, you'll thank me) and add in some sage. Half a teaspoon or so.  Throw in sliced mushrooms and onions or whatever veggies you're in the mood for and let them get soft. 

Now you can add your cooked gnocchi. Stir everything together, add some fresh chopped Italian parsley and cracked black pepper. Plate and sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan cheese. Enjoy. 

This is a very "eye it" recipe so feel free to comment with any questions.

Squash Dressing

Squash Dressing is a summer staple of southern cuisine.  I always found the mushroom soup laden version of my youth a bit lackluster, so I looked for ways to improve the taste while updating it to be both gluten and dairy free.

-You'll need-

2 yellow squash/zucchini

1-2 stalks of celery

1/2 small sweet (Vidalia) onion

2 cloves garlic

1 cup mushrooms

2 tablespoons Earth Balance

Olive Oil

Fresh Sage, Rosemary, Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 pan (or 6 muffins) of Cornbread 

(I use Hodgson Mill cornbread mix made with unsweetened original almond milk)

1-2 cups of Vegetable Broth (make sure it is gluten free)

1/4 cup Vegan Sour Cream

-Instructions-

Chop your squash into quarters and then slice.  Steam with a bit of water in a large lidded skillet until just tender.  Remove the squash and discard the water.

Add the Earth Balance to the skillet and melt over medium to medium-high heat.  Diced onions, celery, garlic, and sliced mushrooms go into the skillet now.  Saute until soft, adding olive oil if needed.  Chop up the fresh herbs--a few teaspoons worth total, to taste, and add to the vegetables.  Add the squash back in, followed by a cup of vegetable broth, and the vegan sour cream.  A few cranks of fresh black pepper and sea salt are great now too.

After heating this mixture a while, slowly crumble in the cornbread while stirring everything together.  Add more broth if needed.

Grease your pan--I use a large loaf pan but an 8x8 or casserole dish will work as well.  Pour in the mixture, spread evenly, and put in an oven that's been preheated to 350.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

Serve with other freshly cooked garden-fresh vegetables or a nice salad.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For my birthday party a few weeks ago I made a gluten-free vegan pineapple upside down cake.  The texture of a gluten free cake lends itself to this recipe quite well.

Preheat your oven to 350.  

In a 9" round cake pan

Place 1/4 cup Earth Balance

Melt in oven and then remove.

Optional: Stir in a shot of good dark rum.

Sprinkle on 3/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon.

Place pineapple rings in pan with a maraschino cherry in the center of each.

For the cake :

Mix up your favorite yellow cake recipe (I use Hodgson Mill ) with the following changes:

Instead of eggs, use your favorite egg replacer.

Use juice from the pineapple slices for as much milk in the recipe as it fills.  I use unsweetened original almond milk for the rest.

Replace butter with Earth Balance.

Mix very well and gently pour half of the batter over the topping.  Smooth the batter with a rubber spatula.  Bake in the oven until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

(Bake the rest of the cake as usual--you can easily freeze it for later consumption.)

Remove from the oven, run a knife between the cake and pan.  Let sit for a few minutes before flipping over onto a cake plate.  Enjoy.