You Can't Always Get What You Want

We have been eating like kings now that summer is unleashing its bounty upon us. Grilled tofu or veggie burgers have been flanked with fresh local corn and potatoes, as well as peas, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes from our garden. Ontario peaches and blueberries, along with our raspberries, have made for the most wonderful fruit salads. While all this has been awesome its not particularly blog-worthy, so I thought I would regale you tales of dishes that didn't quite make it.
First up: my attempt at a roasted Sunday dinner. I made this back in the early spring when the weather was crisp and cold (and snowy) and I was in the mood for that sweet taste vegetables get when they are roasted. I loaded everything into a clay baker and topped it with some tofu that had been quickly fried and coated in balsamic vinegar. The end result was disappointing. I didn't season the veggies enough and I think the whole thing needed a gravy of some sort. I will revisit this in the fall.Next up: I was going to call this Shaked and Baked Tofu. It was good, but not much different from other recipes I have made (like baked tofu for kids). Calzones with white beans and white sauce. This was actually very tasty but was such a minor spin on this recipe that I didn't think it warranted its own post. Just use white beans instead of seitan, and use a simple white sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. Lastly, Thai noodles with baked tofu. This one I want to rework very soon. First, I let my noodles soak too long and they broke up in the wok. Secondly, I finally found some tamarind but I squandered it in this dish. I would like to make a nice tamarind chili paste and come back to rework the flavours.

Ravioli with Pesto Cream

Do you like awesomeness? Then you will love this dish. The pesto cream is amazing and has no added fat, and is the perfect topping to tender homemade pasta. I know I said I would never make ravioli again, but I had some serious procrastinating to do today.

INGREDIENTS
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 1/2 cups water

Tofu Ricotta Filling (slightly adapted from Isa's recipe)
- 1 pound firm tofu, pressed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- handful fresh basil leaves, chopped fine (ten leaves or so)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dash fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup of the cashew cream (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

Pesto Cream (adapted from Isa's recipe)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3 cups basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- remainder of the cashew cream
- salt to taste

- 1 recipe fresh pasta dough

METHOD
Cashew Cream: place cashews in a blender and pour in enough of the water to cover. Blend into a paste. Add the rest of the water and blend until very smooth.

Tofu Ricotta (for ravioli):
1. In a large bowl, mush the tofu up with your hands.
2. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and basil. Mush with hands again until smooth and reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese.
3. Add cashew cream, stir with fork. You want the tofu to be creamy, but not wet or soggy. You should be able to form it into balls with your hands. Add nutritional yeast and combine all ingredients well.

Pesto Cream:
1. Dry roast pine nuts in a pan over medium heat until golden (around 5 mins). Place in a food processor with basil, garlic, and lemon juice. Process until blended together.
2. With motor running, drizzle in cashew cream and blend until smooth (does not have to be super smooth--a little texture is nice).
3. Heat pesto cream gently in a saucepan and spoon over cooked ravioli.

A NOTE ON RAVIOLI
When I made ravioli before, I used this method. I made the dough too thin, though. This time I rolled the dough to number 5, and used a pastry wheel to get the funky edge. I also made smaller ravioli (about 2 x 2 inches. This recipe will yield about 45 ravioli with a generous tsp of filling in each. I let them dry on a linen towel for about 30 mins. The end result was a durable yet tender ravioli that did not break apart in the water.

Grilled Mexican Tofu

It may surprise you to know that northern Ontario is not an epicentre of Mexican cuisine. There is nary a chile to be found anywhere, and if you ask for tomatillos at the grocery store you get blank stares. So, I was happy when I saw that the local bulk food store was now carrying chipotle powder. Not as good as the real thing, and not even as good as the canned stuff in adobo sauce, but better than nothing. Even so, this dish is really, really good. It's rather like a tostada but with tofu instead of a corn tortilla.

INGREDIENTS
Dry Rub
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1 pkg tofu, cut into 8 slices

Mexican BBQ Sauce
- 4 tbsp margarine
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup tequila
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp chipotle powder (or more)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- salt, if desired

Refried Beans
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 (approx.) veggie broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste

- sliced avocado
- chiffonaded romaine lettuce
- salsa (preferably freshly made)

METHOD
1. Mix together the dry rub ingredients and rub onto all sides of the tofu slices. Set aside.
2. Make the BBQ sauce: heat margarine over medium heat in a saucepan, then saute onions and garlic of 8-10 mins, until nice and soft. Add sugar, tequila, and lime juice and mix well. Add ketchup and spices and bring to bubbling. Remove from heat.
3. Make the refried beans: Heat oil over medium heat, then saute onions and garlic for 10-12 mins, until soft and starting to brown. Add beans and salsa and mix well. Cook for a few mins then begin mashing beans with a fork. As beans cook (about 15 mins), thin out with veggie broth to keep them moist, but not too goopy. When desired consistency is reached, add spices and season to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
4. BBQ tofu according to the method here.
5. Assemble the dish: place a piece of tofu on a plate and top with a layer of refried beans. Top that with 2 avocado slices, and then some of the romaine. Top that with a generous spoonful of salsa.

Roasted Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna

Vegan Mom gave me a beautiful extra deep, enamel-coated, cast iron lasagna pan for my birthday. Armed with my new fresh pasta recipe and a fridge full of veggies, I put together this lasagna. I'm not going to post an actual recipe since it did not come out perfectly, but I'll tell you what I did. The idea was to use this alfredo recipe combined with roasted veggies. I did not cook the alfredo sauce ahead of time, figuring that it would cook in the oven. The end result tasted amazing but the sauce did separate, giving it a curdled look. I wonder if cooking the sauce first would be a good idea. I also think the sauce should be a little thinner and that the arrowroot powder is not needed. Anyway, here is an idea you can play around with.

On the BBQ I roasted:
- 1 large eggplant (roast until soft and squishy, about 20 min), then skin
- 1 head of garlic (roast the whole head, skins on, for about 15 mins)
- cremini mushrooms (tossed in olive oil)
- zucchini, sliced lengthwise, tossed in olive oil
- red, yellow, and orange peppers
- red onion, roasted with skin on for about 15 min

- fresh lasagna noodles, dried for 30 mins
- 1 recipe alfredo sauce

I put some sauce on the bottom of the pan, then layered sauce and veggies, and topped the final layer of noodles with a thick layer of sauce. I baked it for 1 hour, covered, in a 350 degree oven. Then I baked for 15 mins, uncovered, to firm up the top.

Let me just say that Son#1 absolutely hated this lasagna. In fact, I think it is the only meal he has refused to eat. I suppose the combo of onions, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms was just too much for him. He never actually took a bite but he was convinced that it was gross. To make it up to him I made a more traditional lasagna with veggie ground round, tofu ricotta, and vegan cheese on top.

Easy Fresh Vegan Pasta

I know I have made pasta before--fresh pasta, pumpkin pasta, and whole wheat pasta. But last weekend my younger brother came for a visit and schooled me in the ways of egg-free pasta, and I realized that I was making things way too complicated. I was operating under the notion that the egg in fresh pasta needed to be replaced, but it really doesn't. Keep it simple, man. Making pasta is also fun for the kids. That is Son #2's hand in the pic above, helping me make lasagna noodles.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 lb
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- dash of salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- about 1/2 cup water

METHOD
1. Put flours and salt in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process briefly to mix.
2. With motor running (around speed 6-8), drizzle in oil and then the water. You will notice that the flour will resemble fine bread crumbs as the liquid is added, then coarse bread crumbs, then it will begin to bunch together. When it does this, it is ready.
3. Remove dough from processor and knead briefly until smooth. Pass through your pasta machine as per its instructions, dusting with semolina flour as needed.

TIPS
1. If you dough is too wet, you can work in more semolina as you pass it though the roller.
2. Drying the pasta for 20-30 mins after it is cut makes it more durable and less mushy, and is essential if you want to store the pasta in the fridge to be used later. Hang the pasta on a cupboard door while you get the water boiling.
3. Fresh pasta does not take long to cook--just a minute or so once the water comes back to a boil.