Zucchini Frittata

Abundant in vegetables, the tofu base and tomato topping make this the perfect addition to any brunch or lunch table.

Saute' lightly until tender-crisp:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
4 medium zucchini, sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced

In a separate bowl, mix together well:

3/4 lb. tofu, blended
1/2 cup tofu, mashed
1 Tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
3/4 cup flour (or gluten free alternative)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prehead oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the sauteed vegetables into the tofu mixture. Scoop out 1/3 cupfuls of mix onto a sprayed baking sheet. Lightly flatten into circles. Bake for 15 minutes on one side, flip and bake 15 minutes more, or until golden brown. Serve over wide flat noodles or garlic and parsley fettuccine topped with tomato sauce.

Tomato Sauce Topping:

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients together in small saucepan. Simmer 15 - 20 minutes. Spread over frittatas.

Spaghetti Primavera

This is a dairy free version of Spaghetti Primavera. The secret? The cashews that make the sauce so creamy and smooth. I hope you enjoy it.

1 lb. firm tofu, cut into 2" x 1/8" pieces
3 - 4 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)

Sauce:
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
1/4 cup unbleached flour (or gluten free alternative)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion npowder
1 tsp. salt

Spaghetti noodles, cooked

Marinate the tofu pieces for 2 hours in mixture of soy sauce and oil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the marinated tofu pieces lightly in the leftover marinade, adding more oil as necessary to keep from sticking. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat a small amount of oil. Add onions and mushrooms and saute' untl onions are soft and mushrooms are browned. Add broccoli and peas with a small amount of water to keep from sticking and steam until almost tender.

While vegetables are cooking, combine 1/2 cup cashews and 1 cup water in blender. Blend thoroughly until very smooth. Add remaining water and other ingredients and blend to mix.

Add blended sauce and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring often. Stir in tofu pieces and serve hot over spaghetti noodles (or zucchini noodles).

Fresh Noodles Lo Mein

Fresh and light, this recipe is sure to please your crowd. Easy-peasy, since it uses frozen vegetables, it saves on chopping.

1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 lb. firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
6 cups grated fresh ginger root
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
3 Tablespoons bottled teriyaki sauce or soy sauce/tamari
1 large clove garlic, minced
9 or 10-oz. frozen Oriental-style vegetables, unthawed
1 small onion, sliced lengthwise
2 scallions, finely chopped

Heat sesame oil and soy sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute tofu until golden on all sides. Moisture should be cooked out.

In a large stock pot, bring bouillon or broth powder and water to a boil. Add ginger, red pepper, teriyaki sauce, garlic and linguine. Simmer 2 minutes.

Stir in browned tofu, frozen vegetables and onion; return to a boil and simmer two minutes more. Stir in sliced scallions and serve.

Makes six servings.

Pasta Con Faggioli

Fresh, savory, and quick to make --- Pasta con Faggioli is great for a crowd. 
Serve with sandwiches and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends.

Pasta Con Faggioli

6 cups water

4 - 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1 sweet onion, medium

8 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 Tbsp. chili pepper, crushed

1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and chopped

15 ounces cooked Great Northern White Beans

8 ounces quinoa spaghetti, broken

In a skillet, sauté sweet onion and garlic until 

soft. Add seasonings, tomatoes, and beans. 

In a kettle, bring water to a boil. Add spaghetti 

and cook until tender. Add bean and tomato 

mixture to the spaghetti. Add fresh parsley 

and stir in gently. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

Cover and allow to sit for 2 - 3 minutes before 

serving.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

 

Alfredo sauce is a creamy favorite for many who enjoy pasta.  Since it is usually made from cream, butter, and cheese, it is usually high in calories and cholesterol.  If you are concerned about these things, you don't have to give up Alfredo sauce.  Instead, try this recipe for a delicious vegan alternative to traditional Alfredo.  It's delicious and contains no cholesterol!

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

  1/2 cup raw cashews, rinsed
  1  1/4 cups water
  1 Tbsp cornstarch
  1 Tbsp chicken-like seasoning
  1/4 tsp onion powder
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp sweet basil

Place the cashews, cornstarch, seasoning, onion powder and salt into a blender. Add the water and blend until creamy and smooth.Pour this mixture into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Stir constantly.  Add the basil and remove from heat.

For tabletop pasta, ladle over cooked fettuccine noodles and serve with steamed broccoli pieces.

For a creamy pasta casserole, pour one recipe of "CreamyAlfredo Sauce" over 6 cups of precooked pasta shells and bake for 30 minutes.

Or use as a creamy white sauce for an all-white pizza (add mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and soy curls).

*Gluten-free; use non-wheat pasta.

Jumbo Tofu-Spinach Pasta Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells (or 14 manicotti OR crepes)**
2 - 10 oz. packages frozen, chopped, spinach
1/3 cup minced onion
2 tsp. vegan margarine
1 lb. soft tofu, mashed
1 tsp. egg replacer, powdered
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
4 cups meatless spaghetti sauce (jar or homemade)
1 cup shredded soy cheese (or melty cheese)

Cook shells in boiling water until almost tender. Drain. Cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Cook onion in margarine until tender. In medium bowl, combine spinach, onion, mashed tofu, salt, and nutmeg. Fill each shell with about 2 Tbsp. of mixture. Pour about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove cover; top with soy cheese and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Note: homemade "melty cheese" can be substituted for the soy cheese.  

**This recipe can be made as a gluten free dish by substituting crepes (made from cornstarch or another gluten free flour) for the shells or manicotti.

Pasta con Faggioli

Fresh, savory, and quick to make --- Pasta con Faggioli is great for a crowd. Serve with sandwiches and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends.

Pasta Con Faggioli

6 cups water
4 - 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 sweet onion, medium
8 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 Tbsp. chili pepper, crushed
1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and chopped
15 ounces cooked Great Northern White Beans
8 ounces spaghetti, broken (gluten free if necessary)

In a skillet, sauté sweet onion and garlic until soft. Add seasonings, tomatoes, and beans. In a kettle, bring water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until tender. Drain spaghetti. Add spaghetti to the bean and tomato mixture. Add fresh parsley and stir in gently. Adjust seasonings as needed. Cover and allow to sit for 2 - 3 minutes before serving.

Jumbo Tofu-Spinach Pasta Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells (or 14 manicotti)**
2 - 10 oz. packages frozen, chopped, spinach
1/3 cup minced onion
2 tsp. vegan margarine
1 lb. soft tofu, mashed
1 tsp. egg replacer, powdered
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
4 cups meatless spaghetti sauce (jar or homemade)
1 cup shredded soy cheese


Cook shells in boiling water until almost tender. Drain. Cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Cook onion in margarine until tender. In medium bowl, combine spinach, onion, mashed tofu, salt, and nutmeg. Fill each shell with about 2 Tbsp. of mixture. Pour about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove cover; top with soy cheese and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.


Note: homemade "melty cheese" can be substituted for the soy cheese.  

**This recipe can be made as a gluten free dish by substituting crepes (made from cornstarch or another gluten free flour) for the shells or manicotti.

Walnut Sauce with Spaghetti

Imagine yourself at a health spa with a beautiful name like Cedervale, pampered with plant-based meals, detoxification treatments, facials, massages, and classes on natural health. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Julie recently returned from several weeks of pampering at such a place! Since then she has been trying new plant-based recipes at home and inventing some herself. She shared this one with me recently and our family loved it! Although it sounds unusual, it's tasty and filling. I've adapted the recipe slightly, as there are some ingredient variations between her home near Newcastle, Australia and mine, but I think this recipe is pretty close to her original intention.

Walnut Sauce with Spaghetti

3 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 onion
olive oil
2 tsp. sweet basil
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt

Sauté onions in olive oil. When tender, add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add sweet basil, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Simmer gently. In a food processor, grind walnuts until coarsely chopped. Add to sauce and stir. Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta.

*Photo shows walnut sauce served over corn and brown rice pasta for a gluten-free option.