Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions & Sage Crumb Topping

I loved Thanksgiving this year, despite having dreaded the turkey-centric day. My family hid the turkey on a side table around the corner from the table, so I was shielded from the sad view of a dead turkey. They made me vegan versions of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and veggies, so it was great having the comfort food I grew up with. But the highlight was the dish I brought: Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from Veganomicon. I absolutely loved it and plan to make it for my in-laws for Christmas. I also made Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which everyone loves.

The base of this recipe is the Cashew Ricotta. I've made this ricotta before and love it. It's not only a great ricotta substitute, but it's also great dolloped onto veggie pizza, or even just slathered on crackers. I added pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and seasonings for the creamy, part-cheesy, part-pumpkiny filling.

When I asked on Twitter whether anyone had made this recipe, one person said she thought it was just okay. She said she thought it was missing something, but didn't know what. The recipe calls for two onions to be caramelized. I figured any dish will be better with more caramelized onions, so I added a third onion. Then I mixed the pumpkin filling, onions, and ziti together.

Last I made the Sage Crumb Topping from fresh baguette bread. Mmm. It looked so delicious out of the oven, I couldn't wait to eat it.

The final dish was creamy, rich, sweet, and cheesy, with the sage, pumpkin, and onion flavors perfectly complementing each other.

The only bad thing is this ziti is not a light dish. It's very rich and heavy, so save this dish for special occasions or when you have a lot of people to help eat it (or if you don't really care if a dish is light!). I haven't posted many recipes from Veganomicon, but I'll post this one because not only is it phenomenal, but it's a great advertisement for what a great cookbook Veganomicon is. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from Veganomicon
Serves 6-8

• 3/4 pound uncooked ziti or penne pasta
• 3 onions, sliced very thinly (original recipe calls for 2)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 recipe Cashew Ricotta (see below)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• white pepper and cayenne (the recipe didn't say how much; I used a dash of each)
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Sage Bread Crumbs

• 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs, preferably fresh and homemade (made from about half a baguette or four dinner rolls)
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, chopped in a food processor until resembling course crumbs
• 1/4 cup nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
• 2 teaspoons dried, rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• salt and pepper

Cashew Ricotta

• 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked in water for at least an hour
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

To make the Cashew Ricotta:
In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick, creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu in batches and process until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt. Taste before adding all the salt; I find that it needs a little less than the recipe calls for.

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9X11 baking pan. 
2. Cook the ziti according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the onions in oil until onion is very brown and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
4. Place Cashew Ricotta in a large bowl and fold in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white paper, cayenne, veg broth, and mix. Add the cooked ziti and caramelized onions, stirring to coat the pasta. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press lightly with a rubber spatula to level it.
5. For the bread crumbs, melt the margarine in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs, walnuts, dried herbs, and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is lightly coated, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly over the ziti.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cajun Beanballs & Spaghetti

Yesterday I made a spicy, Cajun version of spaghetti and meatballs from Appetite for Reduction that was fantastic.

First I made the Cajun Marinara Sauce, which was super simple and perfectly spicy. Isa is right: Why buy sauce when it's so easy to make? Her sauce starts out by sauteing minced garlic in olive oil (I added red pepper flakes for the Cajun variation), adding thyme and oregano, and then mixing in a can of crushed tomatoes. The Cajun variation called for Cajun seasoning and hot sauce. Mmm!

Next I made the Black-Eyed Pea & Tempeh Balls. My only other attempt at cooking with tempeh failed, but this seemed fool-proof: just steam the tempeh and mix it in to the mashed black-eyed peas, seasonings, and other ingredients.Roll them into balls, spritz with cooking spray, and bake for about 25 minutes. Last I tossed the beanballs with whole-wheat spaghetti, zucchini, and the Cajun Marinara Sauce and topped everything with scallions. The beanballs soak up the spicy sauce, and the end result is completely slurp-worthy. The recipe made a ton, so I'll be eating this for a while--lucky me!

Quiche with Greens

As a vegetarian, I ate a lot of quiches. When I first went vegan, I resigned myself to never eating quiche again. How naive I was. Of course you can make vegan quiches, and of course they are delicious!

I tried my first one from the Happy Herbivore website this past weekend (here's the recipe). It was ridiculously easy to put together and absolutely fantastic. I could see myself eating this every day for the next few weeks and not getting sick of it. Plus, at 78 calories, 1 gram of fat, and nearly 7 grams of protein a slice, it's a filling, light meal. I made mine with 6 cups of swiss chard. It didn't look much like the picture on the website so I didn't think it would turn out, but it was great. Hurray for vegan quiches!

Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta & Spinach

I've had my eye on this tantalizing recipe from Appetite for Reduction since I first got the book. But because it's one of the most time intensive recipes, I didn't try it until this weekend.

There's a lot of prep. First (obviously) you roast the cauliflower. Then you mash it with a mixture of tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper.Next you make the sauce, which is really just adding fresh thyme, minced garlic, and salt to a can of crushed tomatoes.Then you chop up some spinach and start building the lasagna layers.I topped it with thinly sliced tomatoes and baked it for 40 minutes.
And...it sucked. Really. It figures that the most time intensive recipe I've made from AFR so far was so bad. I made myself eat two of the six slices before I threw the rest out. For me, wasting food is an ultimate sin, so you know this was pretty bad.

The description said it had "so much flavor your head might burst." Instead, my head deflated with the lack of flavor. I love all the ingredients, especially roasted cauliflower, but to me it tasted really bland. The only thing I could taste really strongly was the fresh thyme in the sauce.

How disappointing...especially after I gave AFR such a glowing review! Oh well...I'll overlook a few flubs in an otherwise great cookbook.

Has anyone else made this? Is it something I did wrong???

Appetite for Reduction: Creamy Mushroom Fettucine

If you love mushrooms, you'll love this dish. It's all creamy, mushroomy goodness. And so quick and easy to make!

The recipe starts with sauteeing five minced cloves of garlic in a little olive oil, then adding sliced mushrooms with salt, pepper, and thyme. After the shrooms cook down a little, you add some white wine and let everything cook together.The secret to this recipe (don't tell Isa I told you!) is storebought vegan creamy portobello mushroom soup mixed with some cornstarch.When you add it to the mushrooms and let it cook, it forms a luxuriously rich and creamy sauce.
At this point I tasted it and fell in love. But the recipe wasn't done. The last addition was two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. I doubted this and, in the minute or so before the timer rang, ran through my head why Isa would possibly want to add the vinegar. To give the earthy flavor a bright note? To give the sauce more complexity? When the timer rang, I told myself, "Don't doubt Isa! How often is she wrong?"

So I added the balsamic vinegar...and guess what? I think I was right! I didn't like the final sauce as much as the pre-vinegared sauce. The final sauce tasted really good, but I could taste the vinegar as a separate flavor, and I think the sauce would have been better without it. Next time, I'll omit.
I topped it with sliced green onions, and a hearty, yummy dinner was ready in under 30 minutes. And I marked my calendar that I think my way would have been better than Isa's!

Happy Herbivore Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas

Last night I made Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. I love recipes like this that use very few, simple ingredients (tofu, black beans, and seasonings) that all come together wonderfully to create an absolutely delicious meal. This was awesome! You can find the recipe on the Happy Herbivore website.There's a recipe for enchilada sauce in the Happy Herbivore Cookbook that looks really easy and quick. But I had chile peppers I needed to use, so I used the Roasted Chile Enchilada Sauce from Veganomicon. So good!!!

Happy Herbivore Cincinnati Chili

There are three foods I sometimes miss: salami sandwiches, tuna fish salad sandwiches, and Cincinnati Chili (from Skyline in Cincinnati).

Of course, I had to try the version from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. It uses bulgur wheat, a high-protein and high-fiber whole grain that's fat-free. The HH version was wonderful. It's spicy and slightly sweet like Skyline's and very filling. I had it over whole-wheat spaghetti but want to try it with vegan cheese sauce too.I paired it with a simple romaine salad topped with Caesar Chavez dressing from Appetite for Reduction. The cool flavor of the dressing went great with the spicy chili.

Roasted Mushroom Quesadillas

I love that so many recipes in Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cook Book teach basic techniques, like the Roasted Mushroom Quesadillas recipe. Roasting mushrooms is pretty basic, but I'd never tried it before this recipe. I love the chewy, meaty texture of roasted mushrooms and will also make them for salads, wraps, or in pastas. I'd also never baked quesadillas before. Bittman was right: the whole wheat tortillas puff up, so this quesadilla was like a savory pastry that was wonderful. It would be fantastic with tofu sour cream and salsa. I had neither, but still really liked it served with Sauteed Collards for dinner. Roasted Mushroom Quesadillas
Makes 1 quesadilla

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon sage
• sprinkling of red pepper flakes (or a tablespoon minced chili pepper)
• 1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese (I used Daiya mozzarella)
• 2 whole wheat tortillas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Add oil to baking sheet and put it in the oven for 2 minutes to let the oil get hot.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until shrooms start releasing their moisture. (Note that Bittman's recipe calls for baking 20 minutes, which seems way too long.)
4. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and sage and toss to coat. Bake another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until they're dry but not burned. When done, add more salt and pepper to taste.
5. Put the tortillas side by side on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the cheese (it's just enough to get the tortillas to stick together) and add the mushrooms. Bake 5-10 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and it starts to puff up.
6. Put the tortillas together and press so cheese melds together. Bake another few minutes until it's golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Happy Herbivore Chickpea Tacos

These tacos are fantastic! Mix some spices with soy sauce and lemon juice, combine with chickpeas, and bake them, and you get "Wow!" The crunchy chickpeas are really flavorful. I topped them with spinach, tomato, and taco sauce (I like my tacos saucy), and they were great. I'd also add these to salads, chili, or just to eat as a snack. I used the recipe in The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, but the author posted a version on her website.

I made these last night between work and going out, so I had very little time. They're really simple and quick to make. These will definitely be in my weeknight dinner rotation from now on.

Happy Herbivore Red Lentil Dal

I love lentils so have high expectations for lentil dishes. This one didn't disappoint. As promised, it was extremely quick and easy to make. It was ready in about a half-hour, including prep time and the time to cook the rice. The sauce was thick and full of flavor. (I used tomato sauce because tomatoes aren't in season, per the cookbook's suggestion.) It was a little spicy even without the dashes of cayenne I added at the end; the cayenne made it just spicy enough. This is a perfect after-work meal that I'll be making often. Omnivore husband liked it too. And it's only 3 WeightWatchers PointsPlus!

The recipe came from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, but she's also posted it on her website.

And good news! The cookbook's author, Lindsay Nixon, is coming to Pittsburgh for a book signing! It will be at Right by Nature (what a perfect place!) on February 13 from 2 to 4. I'll be there!

Veganomicon Review: Chickpea Cutlets

WOW. This may be my favorite Veganomicon recipe so far. I planned to make the Red Wine Roux to go with them but ran out of time. After I pan-fried them, I ate one plain, and it was awesome just like that. I couldn't stop myself from reaching for a plain one for breakfast the next morning too.
The next day for lunch I had one on a homemade pita, topped with greens and Veganomicon's Mediterranean Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Dressing. Really delicious.
These are so simple and quick to make (about a half-hour) and packed with protein (15.25 grams per cutlet). And taste amazing. I'm planning on making another batch this weekend with the Red Wine Roux and baked french fries.

I'm posting the recipe because the authors posted it on their blog, so I'm not spilling any secrets.

Chickpea Cutlets
Makes 4 Cutlets

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika (smoked paprika)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• olive oil, for pan frying

Instructions

1. Mash the chickpeas and oil together until no whole chickpeas remain.
2. Add remaining ingredients and knead for 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.
3. Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium heat.*
4. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece and stretch to roughly 4x6 inches.
5. Add a thin layer of olive oil to to the pan. Place cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. They are ready when lightly brown and firm to the touch.
   

*You can also bake them. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly oil a baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden brown.

Dinner Party: Hummus, Cupcakes & Shepherd's Pie

Last night my husband and I went to our friends Maya and Ryder's new house in East Liberty (a gorgeous house built in 1890...with a turret!) to watch the Steelers game then have dinner.

I made the hummus recipe from Veganomicon. I usually make this recipe from Vegetarian Times that uses no oil because I love the intense chickpea flavor. Veganomicon's recipe used oil and not very much tahini. It was less chickpea-tasting and had almost a batter texture (my VT recipe is a little chunky). It was good and everyone liked it, but I think I prefer the no-oil VT recipe.I also made cupcakes! I hadn't made them since Thanksgiving because I'd been baking so many holiday cookies, so I was excited to make them again. Maya likes citrus (me too!), so I made Lemony Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. As with all of the recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, these were fantastic! Loved them. (Bonus: Steelers gold!)Maya and Ryder aren't vegetarian, but Maya not only made this Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie...she veganized it! Successfully! It was awesome. It had carrots, parsnips, pearl onions, mushrooms, and seitan in a rich, hearty, meaty-tasting-without-actually-tasting-like-gross-real-meat gravy, topped with potatoes. YUM! A simple tossed salad went with it perfectly.