Fusili in (no)-cream sauce

I'm just gonna say it. I miss fettuccine alfredo. Sometimes being a vegan has its downsides, particularly when being a vegan also conflicts with this Italian-American girl's comfort food. I discovered this recipe in a vegan cookbook my momma gave me for the holidays. While it tastes nothing like alfredo sauce (there's a recipe in the book specifically for alfredo, and this is not it), it totally satisfied my needs. I tweaked the recipe a bit to add more spice/flavor-- adding garlic and tomatoes. Serve it over gluten free pasta (the quinoa kind is so delicious and has a beautiful golden color.) Or regular pasta if you can eat it. :)  I chose fusili and it holds the sauce nicely.

Fusili in No-Cream Sauce
(musical accompaniment: Aunt Martha "Omaha")

1 15 oz can of creamy beans-- I used cannelloni beans, but I imagine butter beans would also do the trick
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic (more if you like garlicky sauce), minced
Sage (I used dried sage, and added lots. I say, adjust to your taste)
handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped-- add to taste (honestly, I just threw these in to make it a pretty color).
1 tbs of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups of low sodium veggie stock
1 lb of fusili (quinoa or semolina)

cook onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until fragrant
add sage, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and beans, cook for about a minute so the flavors all mix.
pour ingredients into a blender or food processor.
Add veggie broth and blend (add more broth if it looks too thick)

Boil fusili as usual. While it's cooking, pour the sauce mixture in a saucepan and cook on low heat.

Combine. Enjoy.

I'd post a picture but I keep devouring it before I can get a good shot. :)

Rosie's Raw Kale Salad

My friend Rosie came down from New York this weekend. I was pleasantly delighted to find out that we share our strange dietary habits. After milling about in the farmers market, we picked up some kale and cauliflower.

Rosie made this salad for me today. She tells me that the salt, vinegar and spices breaks down the  cell structure of the kale, making it taste as if it were cooked. I have to say I was skeptical at first-- just the idea of raw veggies, particularly raw kale, makes my tummy a little anxious. However, after the first bite, I was sold.

I give you Rosie's Raw Kale Salad:

Musical Accompaniment: Mumford and Sons, "Little Lion Man"

Finely chop kale
Squeeze half a lemon on the kale
Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over the kale.
add salt, pepper, cumin and any spices to taste.
Gently stir and massage the kale. 
Let sit for 10 minutes
Add cauliflower,  seaweed and any other veggies, and stir.

Vegan Yassa

A very dear friend of mine is an amazing Senegalese cook. He was kind enough to alter his Yassa Poulet recipe for me so that it is vegan. Spicy and tangy, this recipe is perfect after a long day of work. And the best part? Because it's not made from meat, it doesn't need to marinate for 3 hours, or stew nearly as long! I made this version with a mixture of seitan and tempeh. Please note that seitan is very NOT gluten free, so if you're avoiding gluten, I'd stick with the tempeh (tempeh is fermented soy bean, and has a great consistency for stews).

Vegan Yassa:
Musical Accompaniment: Trampled by Turtles: Codiene

1 cup veggie broth
2 large lemons
3 tbs dijon mustard
1 large onion, chopped
1 package cubed seitan
1/2 package lemon-pepper marinated tempeh
2-3 habanero peppers, whole and/or habanero powder
black pepper to taste
salt

Heat the veggie broth, the juice from the lemons and the dijon mustard in a large deep pan until warm and mixed.
Add onion cook over medium heat, until translucent.
Chop the seitan and the tempeh into small bite-sized cubes and add to pan.
Stir until the liquid is distributed evenly over the seitan and tempeh.
Add habanero peppers or powder to taste.
Sprinkle generously with salt
Cover the pan and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Serve over rice :)