Vegan Tortellini with Roasted Pepper Cream Sauce

Vegan Mom and I recently celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary and I wanted to commemorate the occasion with a great meal. Way back when we used to make a tortellini dish with green peppers, mushrooms, and a simple cream sauce. I thought I would re-imagine the dish by making it a little more refined with roasted peppers and a less chunky sauce. The sauce turned out really well, but you need to patience of freakin' Job to make tortellini by hand. They are awesome, of course, but I think I will have to save them for special occasions. Or, maybe I need to make them a lot so I get faster.

INGREDIENTS
Tortellini
- 1 recipe tofu ricotta
- 1 recipe fresh pasta dough

Roasted Pepper Cream Sauce
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp margarine
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 recipe cashew cream (remainder from making the ricotta)
- 1/2 cup veggie broth
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Make tofu ricotta, then make the tortellini like you see in this video. I found it very helpful to put the tofu ricotta in a piping bag--it really sped up the filling process. Let dry a bit before cooking.
2. Make the sauce: roast peppers, then skin, core, seed, and chop. Heat oil and margarine over medium heat in a saucepan. Saute onion and garlic for 7-10 mins, until soft and translucent. Add in chopped pepper, basil, cashew cream, and broth. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, then season to taste. Heat, but don't boil, and then serve over cooked tortellini.
NOTE: these freeze and cook really well (as do the ravioli). Once dried, place in a bad in the freezer. Drop as many as you want in boiling water and cook until they all float.

Thai Tamarind Chili Tofu and Cashews

Hopefully you've already made your tamarind chili paste and are ready to put it in a tasty dish for dinner. Keep in mind that you can alter this recipe to suit your tastes, making it sweeter or hotter as you see fit. None of my cooking is really all that precise, so take these recipes as a guideline. I have baked to tofu for this dish--I like my tofu to have some toothiness and this is a way to get a firm texture without frying.

INGREDIENTS
Golden Baked Tofu
- 1 pkg tofu, cut into cubes
- 1-2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 shallot, halved and sliced
- red curry paste to taste
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red pepper, cored and seeded, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, angle cut into about 1" pieces
- 3-4 tbsp tamarind chili paste
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock (or water)
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- salt to taste
- cilantro for garnish

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss tofu cubes in enough oil to coat, add salt. Place sheet in the oven and bake for 20 mins, or until golden, turning cubes regularly to evenly brown.
2. While tofu is baking, prep your veggies. Heat oil in a wok over med-hi heat. Add shallots and fry for 1 min, then add garlic and curry paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add red pepper and fry for 1 min more, until it begins to soften. Add green onions and fry 1 min more.
3. Add tamarind paste, stock, sauces, and sugar and mix well. Season to taste. Add cashews and tofu and heat through.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve over jasmine rice.

Italian Sub, Veggie Style

I decided to make some submarine buns today (or hoagie rolls, whatever you want to call them) but wanted to steer away from the rather obvious seitan route when filling them. Instead I went with a "bruschetta meets grilled veggies" route for a different spin on an Italian sub. If you have leftover sandwiches, wrap them up tightly in waxed paper and refrigerate--the flavours will meld together and the veggies really do taste great cold. Perfect for lunch at work.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 2 foot long sub sandwiches
- 2 foot long submarine buns
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tsp basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" slices
- 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" slices
- 1 red pepper, roasted
- 10 cremini mushrooms
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- sliced tomato
- shredded lettuce

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins until softened. Add vinegar and tomatoes and stor well. Cook until liquid has cooked off. Season with basil and salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. While tomato mixture is cooking, toss eggplant and zucchini in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a BBQ over medium heat until soft, turning regularly. Roast the pepper at the same time. Skin, seed, and slice when done.
3. Toss mushrooms in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. BBQ cap side down until water has been released. Remove from grill, thickly slice, and mix with smoked paprika.
4. Assemble sandwiches. Spread a thick layer of the tomato mixture on the bottom bun. Top with red pepper, then eggplant, then zucchini, then mushrooms. Top that with tomato slices and lettuce. Top with bun and enjoy!

ON SUBMARINE BUNS
The buns are Peter Reinhart's Italian bread recipe (p. 172). I subbed the biga with 180z of sourdough starter, then reduced the liquid by about 2 tbsp (add slowly until dough forms). I brushed the final buns with soy milk and baked for 15 mins at 450 degrees.

Fire Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Salad

This is a pretty easy dish to make if you already have the BBQ on. Fresh thyme really is a must here so you get those wonderful bursts of flavour when you bite down. I didn't even try to get the kids to eat this one, what with Son #1's professed hatred of both peppers and mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 1 red pepper

- 1 yellow pepper

- 1 orange pepper

- 10 large white or cremini mushrooms

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

- fresh thyme sprigs

METHOD

1. Roast peppers on the BBQ over med-hi heat for 12-15 mins, turning regularly, until skin is blistered and wrinkled. Place in a large bowl, cover with a plate, and steam for 10 mins.

2. While peppers are roasting, toss whole mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and place cap side down on the grill. Roast for about 10 mins, until mushrooms release most of their water.

3. Skin and seed peppers when they have cooled enough to touch. Dab off excess water and cut into chunks. Thickly slice mushrooms. Place peppers and mushrooms in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, add lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Place in serving bowl and top with fresh thyme. Serve.

Sweet n' Sour n' Hot Tofu n' Noodles

I bought a pineapple a while ago and it has been sitting on the counter begging to be made into something. So, I decided to pull out the juicer and use it as the base for a sauce. I am not the biggest pineapple fan, but this dish is quite tasty and very easy to make on a busy night. I like the addition of heat to a fairly standard sweet n' sour sauce--you can always add more curry paste if you want it hotter.

INGREDIENTS

- 150g noodles

- 1 1/4 cups pineapple juice

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp white vinegar

- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce

- 1 tsp yellow curry paste

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- salt to taste

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 pkg tofu, cubed

- 1 green pepper, chopped

- 4 green onions, sliced

METHOD

1. Cook noodles as per the directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile whisk together pineapple juice, hoisin sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic sauce and curry paste. Whisk in cornstarch.

3. Heat a wok over med-hi heat. Add oil and fry tofu cubes until golden. Add green peppers and fry for 2 mins, until softened but not soggy. Add sauce to the wok and bring to bubbling. Add cooked noodles and mix well. Add some salt, if needed. Let sauce thicken and coat the noodles. Stir in green onions and serve.

Sweet and Hot Tofu

The recipe is super easy to make and tastes great (and looks nice, too). Frozen and thawed tofu is key here because it acts like a sponge and soaks up the sauce. I usually throw a package or two of tofu in the freezer when I get home from the grocery store and thaw it when I need it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup white vinegar

- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic chili sauce

- 1 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 pkg firm tofu, frozen and thawed

- 1/2 green pepper, large dice

- 1 red pepper, large dice

- 4 scallions, cut into 1/2" sections

METHOD

1. Heat sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over med-lo heat. Add chili garlic sauce and salt and mix well. Turn off heat.

2. Squeeze water out of tofu and dice. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over med-hi heat. Fry tofu for a few mins, until golden. Remove from wok. Add 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry pepper for 2-3 mins. Add scallions and fry for 1 min. Add tofu and sauce to the pan. Reduce heat and let bubble for a few mins, allowing the sauce to thicken. Serve over rice.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Here is the other dish from our Italian date night. Ontario red peppers are in season which means they are huge in size and low in price. This is a fairly simple soup that tastes great (if you like roasted red peppers) and has a deep red colour. They say that red stimulates the appetite, so this is the perfect starter for your Italian meal.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 large red peppers (5 regular size)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 large sweet onion

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

- 4 or 5 cups of vegetable stock (see note below)

- 1-2 tsp oregano

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup soy creamer

METHOD

1. Roast peppers under the broiler or on the BBQ (I think this is the easiest way), rotating until skins are blackened and wrinkled all over. Place in a large bowl, cover with a plate, and let steam for 15 mins. Skin peppers and chop.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins, until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and fry for 1 min. Add peppers and water and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins, or until potatoes are soft.

3. Blend soup with a hand blender until smooth, then season to taste. Before serving, stir in soy creamer.

NOTE: If you are in a rush, use only four cups of water and serve after you have blended and seasoned the soup. If you have the time, use 5 cups of water, but let soup simmer, uncovered, for a few hours after blending. This will thicken the soup and let the flavours develop.

Grilled Jerk Tempeh and Mushrooms with Roasted Peach Salsa

I decided that since it was Sunday I had some time to do a wee bit of grilling. They don't have a propane BBQ where I am staying so I purchased some hardwood charcoal at Trader Joe's and went totally old school. The idea for the dish started with a packet of jerk seasoning I bought at the Reading Terminal Market the other day. As far as jerk seasoning goes, it is fairly mild. I thought it would taste good with tempeh and so I began constructing what was in my mind was a terrine-like dish. In the final analysis, I don't think it works as a coherent dish, but all the different elements of the dish are tasty (I particularly like the roasted peaches). I am posting the recipe and you can do with it what you want. Instead of tempeh on the top and bottom I think it would work better to pile everything on a slice of tempeh.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1/4 cup orange juice

- juice of 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp jerk seasoning (or to taste)

- 1 pkg tempeh, cut in half vertically and horizontally

- 1 portabello mushroom

- 1/2 red pepper

- 1/2 cup (frozen) corn

- 1 large peach peeled and halved

- salt and pepper

- 1 cup chickpeas

- 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning

- 1/4 tsp salt

- splash of oil

METHOD

1. Combine ingredients for the marinade and marinate tempeh and mushroom for a few hours. Steam or boil the tempeh first if you think it has a "taste."

2. Make 2 rectangular containers out of heavy duty foil. Place corn in one. Toss chickpeas with spices and oil and place in another. Wrap peach in foil.

3. Start roasting the red pepper (BBQ should be nice and hot). When skin in blackened, remove from grill and place in a bowl. Cover with a lid and let steam.

4. Place corn and chickpea foil containers on med-hi grill (stir every min or so to keep stuff from sticking). Place peach on the grill, turning every few mins. Grill tempeh and mushrooms, basting with extra marinade, until done. Mushrooms should have released some water, tempeh should be golden, as should corn and chickpeas.

5. Remove skin from roasted pepper. Chop pepper and peach, and mix with roasted corn. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Mash chickpeas with a fork (add splash of water, if needed). Slice mushroom.

7. Put a tempeh slice on a plate. Top with mashed chickpeas and mushroom slices. Top with another tempeh slice (if you want) and peach salsa.

Spicy Tempeh Tacos

I think it is safe to say that spring has finally come to stay. After a few days of snow flurries and temperatures near freezing, today was bright and sunny, and the forecast looks like more of the same. The ice is finally all melted on the lake, and plenty of people and their pets were out and about today.

Warm weather always makes me hungry for Mexican food, and tonight I wanted something spicy. I made tempeh strips a la my tempeh gyro (but with no marjoram and rosemary, and more sage) and topped them with these spicy onions.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 vidalia onion, halved and sliced

- 2 jalapeno peppers

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- few dashes Tabasco sauce

METHOD

1. Make tempeh as per the instructions in this recipe (spice as you see fit). When tempeh slices are cooked, slice into smaller strips.

2. Heat a frying pan over med-hi heat. Roast whole jalapeno peppers on the pan, turning regularly to lightly char the skin. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool, slice in half, deseed, and thickly slice.

3. Add oil to frying pan and increase heat to med-hi. Add onions and saute for 5 mins, until onions are just beginning to brown. Add garlic and pepper and fry for 2 mins. Add Tabasco to taste and remove from heat.

4. Place a few strips of tempeh on a small wheat tortilla and top with onion mixture. Top that with tomato and salsa.

Sausage and Pepper Sub Sandwich

I am taking a few days off now that the semester has ended. Time to relax a bit before my summer research and writing program starts up. That means I have more time to make a nice hot lunch. I bought some sub buns and whipped up these sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS

Makes two 12" sub sandwiches

- 2 12" submarine buns

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 vidalia onion, cut in half and sliced

- 8oz sliced cremini mushrooms

- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

- 2 vegan sausages, sliced

- 2 tbsp tamarind date sauce, or BBQ sauce

- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

- vegan mozzarella

- topping of your choice

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onions for 5 mins, until soft and just beginning to brown. Add mushrooms and cook until they soften and release their water. Add sliced pepper and sausage and cook until pepper is softened but still firm. Add sauces and mix well.

2. Place slices of cheese on sub bun and top with sausage mixture. Top with whatever else suits your fancy, or eat as is.

Sweet n' Sour Skewers

This is really just a variation on this recipe, but with a fancier presentation sure to wow your guests at the next BBQ (or, cookout, for you Americans). The pineapple provides the sweet, the citrus provides the sour, and the grilling just enhances the tastiness.

INGREDIENTS

Amounts will vary on how many skewers you want to make.

- red pepper

- green pepper

- onion, quartered

- firm tofu, pressed and cubed

- pineapple

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- juice of 2 limes

- juice of 1 lemon

- juice of 1 orange

- splash of tequila (optional)

- 1-2 tsp chili powder

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Cut veggies into large chunks and toss in oil, juices, and spices. Let marinate if you have the time.

2. Stick veggies tightly on skewers, and grill on a well-oiled grill over med-hi heat for about 15 mins (until veggies are done). Make sure to rotate the skewers to get the veggies cooked evenly, and to brush the veggies with the extra marinade at least twice.

Fusili With Fire Roasted Sauce

I love roasted red peppers, and when blended with roasted tomatoes and garlic they make for a fantastic sauce that is a great alternative to marinara. I put thinly sliced zucchini into the sauce for some extra flavour and colour contrast. And, when paired with this focaccia . . . well, things just don't get much better.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 red peppers

- 2 large tomatoes

- 1 head of garlic

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced

- cooked fusili pasta (about 6 cups)

METHOD

1. Roast red peppers, tomato, and head of garlic on BBQ, or under a broiler. When skins are blackened, put peppers in a bowl and cover with a plate. Let steam for 15 mins, then skin and de-seed. Skin and de-seed tomatoes, and peel garlic.

2. Blend everything in a food processor, or in a container with hand blender, until very smooth. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat and season with salt and pepper.

3. While sauce is heating (and pasta is cooking), saute zucchini slices in oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 10-15 mins, until zucchini is golden brown. Add to sauce.

4. When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add sauce and mix well. Serve

Roasted Peppers with Herbs

Here is the side dish we had with the baked rigatoni. It is a simple dish that can bake along side the rigatoni and delivers a garlicky-herby burst of flavour. You could always just put some pesto in these, but I did not have any on hand.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 yellow pepper

- 1 orange pepper

- 1 large garlic cloves, cut in wafer thin slivers

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tbsp dried basil

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp salt

- fresh ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Distribute garlic slivers evenly between the four halfs.

2. Mix together oil with basil, oregano, yeast, salt and pepper. Put 1/4 of mixture into each pepper half.

3. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 mins, until peppers are browned but still have some firmness.

Mushroom and Pepper Tacos

Tonight we just did not feel like leftovers (even though last night's curry was pretty tasty). The boys wanted something fun, so we did another breakfast for dinner. I wanted something a little more substantive than pancakes, and the mushrooms in the fridge weren't getting any younger. I had also bought sun dried red peppers on a recent trip to the bulk food store and thought I would put them into something. The result? These tacos. Tasty, but I wish I had made some tofu sour cream.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 red onion, halved and sliced

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 8- 10 large mushroom, thickly sliced

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp oregano

- 1/2 tsp salt

- juice of 1 lime

- 1/4 cup sun dried red peppers, roughly chopped

- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp enchilada sauce

- cilantro to garnish

- wheat tortillas

METHOD

1. Heat oil in frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onions for 8-18 mins, until golden brown. Add garlic and fry 2 more mins. Add mushroom and fry 5 mins, until softened.

2. Add spices and mix well, then lime juice, peppers, and enchilada sauce. Reduce heat. Cook 5 mins, or until mushrooms are done to you liking. Garnish with cilantro and serve in a warm tortilla.

Roasted Pepper Pizza

We are getting a new (read: used, but new to us) fridge tomorrow, so we have not been stocking the old one. Basically we have soy milk, carrots, tofu, and a bunch of peppers we bought on sale. So, what to make for dinner? Pizza, of course! Vegan Mom made the dough while I was at work helping my students prep for their upcoming midterm (insert Imperial March music here). I can't remember if I sang the praises of the pizza dough recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance already, so let me sing its praises now. If you like a New York style crust, the this is the dough for you. It is light and crispy and pretty easy to make.

Anyway, on to the pizza. I love roasted peppers, and it is really easy to roast them on the BBQ. Never mind that we just had a few feet of snow and that it was -10 degrees outside, I shovelled my way to the BBQ on the back porch and fired it up on high.

On the Bottom Rack:

- 1 green pepper

- 1 red pepper

- 1 yellow pepper

On the Top Rack:

- 1 yellow onion, skin on

- 1 red onion, skin on

- 1/2 clove or garlic, skin on, wrapped in aluminum foil

Turn peppers every 2 mins or so, until skins are blackened and blistered (about 10-15 mins). Turn onions and garlic as well to keep from burning. When done, place everything in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 mins. The skins should then peel of easily. Skin and seed pepper, then slice. Peel garlic and onions and roughly chop.

I also made the Tofu-Basil Ricotta from VWAV. Isa posted the recipe on the PPK website. The pizza went down like this: thick layer of tomato sauce, layer of tofu ricotta, veggies on top, then cooked at 450 on a pizza stone for about 15 mins.

I should point out that the kids did not eat this pizza. We made them their own small pizzas with veggie meat and Tofutti mozzarella (blech--kids will eat anything).