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!

Feeling fresh

photo by pwisenberg

Hello and happy May! This was an easy little weekend lunch that turned out to be too adorable not to photograph. I basically grabbed all of my favourite ingredients (including my new found love, cilantro- apparently it no longer tastes like soap to me!) and tossed them in some fresh lime juice and fruity olive oil. The flavours were bright and vibrant and the cucumbers and fresh jalapenos added a welcome crunch. Obviously, a few salty tortilla chips didn't hurt either...

Avocado and spinach salad
Serves 2 

2 cups baby spinach
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
about 1 tbsp olive oil
about 1 tbs lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 handfuls of whole grain tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the spinach and tortilla chips, until it looks almost like  a very chunky guacamole. Spoon mixture onto a bed baby spinach and top with tortilla chips. Easy peasy!

Just a quick post tonight, I know... I'm currently watching the Canadian election results (no comment, grr..) and drinking tea while trying to pack/outfit plan for tomorrow when I'll be off to London to attend a swanky dinner with my mum and her colleagues. Speaking of swanky, this weekend I can't wait to go to one of Toronto's best vegan restaurants, Fressen, with some of my favourite friends annnd very soon I can share some exciting news with you all!

Have a great week lovely readers xo