A pretty penne

photo by pwisenberg

Happy Sunday! This recipe is my take on pasta with meat sauce, except in lieu of the meat I opted for crumbled tempeh. The tempeh holds its firm texture and makes the sauce hearty and filling. I also happened to have some Daiya pepperjack cheese (so good!) lying around so I threw that in and it proved to add just the right amount of rich creaminess to sauce. Comfort food at its best!

Penne with tempeh tomato sauce
Serves 4-6

1 package whole wheat penne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 package tempeh, crumbled
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp each of dried thyme, oregano and crushed chilli flakes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 18-0z can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by heating the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, add the onions, garlic and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly soft. Next crumble the tempeh by hand and add it to the pot, stirring it gently until it starts to get brown and crispy. Add the tomato paste, thyme, oregano and chilli flakes and stir until all the flavours have combined. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the balsamic vinegar and allow the liquid to cook off, this takes a couple of minutes. Next, simply pour in the crushed tomatoes and allow the sauce the simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it becomes thick and rich, about a half hour. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. Meanwhile, add the penne to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook the pasta until al dente and then add the noodles to the sauce, stirring in the cheese until it gets melted and gooey. Garnish with fresh ribbons of basil and enjoy!

P.S. Forks over Knives comes out this weekend, I can't wait to see it!

The right slice

photo by pwisenberg

When we ate here in NYC, I was thrilled to see this vegan pizza on the menu- so thrilled, in fact, that I decided to recreate it myself! The super thin crust (recipe here) is topped with a sweet balsamic reduction, creamy homemade hummus and chewy sun dried tomatoes. Add a generous sprinkling of fresh basil and it's time to feast!

Guilt-free vegan pizza
Makes 2 large or 4 medium-sized pizzas

homemade pizza dough
hummus recipe (see below)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste

Hummus
Makes enough for the pizzas with lots left over

2 can chickpeas
3/4 cups tahini
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine hummus ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy (adding the olive oil slowly as you blend). Roll pizza dough as thin as possible and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil, making sure not to forget the edges- this will help the crust to become golden brown. In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic over low heat until it has thickened and reduced by about one third. Drizzle onto the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around, and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Next, add a thick layer of hummus, followed by the sun dried tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Top with fresh basil and cool slightly before slicing.

Happy first day of spring everyone!

P.S. My apologies for the overabundance of hummus/chickpea recipes lately, it's gotten a bit out of hand! I'll try and mix it up more from now on, I swear...

That's amore!

photos by me

Anyone who says they don't like pizza is a liar. I love pizza, but I'll admit I was skeptical that vegan pizza could meet my personal standards. I'm so happy to say I was wrong! I got creative with these recipes, wanting to be sure to incorporate colour, texture and balanced flavours. The potato pizza offers an incredible pairing of both sweet and savoury flavours. The caramelized onions are moist and function as the sauce. Combine this with the taters, thyme and fresh arugula and you've got a lovely little pie that's both tasty and light. I know, I know, pizza should never be light. But, don't fret my friends, my "cheesy" pesto pizza takes care of this little problem. Light it is not, amazingly delicious it is! I was inspired by an episode of Giada at Home for this recipe (honestly, how can you not love this woman?). I combined vegan mozzarella and cream cheese with a ton of garlic and basil and puréed it all together. Top it all off with fresh tomatoes and it's soo yummy. "I can't even tell it's vegan!" exclaimed my non-vegan taste-tester friend, seriously what better compliment could I receive?

Sweet potato & onion pizza
Makes one large pizza

1/2 this homemade dough recipe
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 sweet potato, thinly sliced into coins
1/2 cup arugula
1 tbsp fresh thyme
olive oil, for sautéing and drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Sprinkle onions with salt and sauté on low heat until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes, set aside. In same pan, quickly sauté thinly sliced potatoes until slightly softened. Lightly drizzle dough with olive oil, spread out onions in centre and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, leaving a one inch border. Spread out potato coins and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Top with fresh arugula and serve.

"Cheesy" basil pizza
Makes one large pizza

1/2 this homemade dough recipe
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
2 cups vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya)
1 cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 plum tomato, sliced
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In food processor, combine both types of cheese, basil, garlic, salt and pepper until well blended. Lightly drizzle dough with olive oil, evenly spread cheese and basil mixture, leaving one inch border. Top with tomato slices and bake for about 15 minutes (I broiled it for an additional minute to ensure bubbly yumminess). Wow all your vegan and non-vegan friends alike with these phenomenal pizzas- do try.

Happy Saturday friends!