1920s Dinner Party

I hosted book club at my apartment this last week. The book was Great Gatsby so of course I wanted to do a little 1920s theme. The only problem? The prohibition-era was all about dairy, eggs and meat. The solution? Mason jars, vintage fonts and a huge Waldorf salad. I typed out labels in a vintage-style font and stuck them into wine corks. For the food, I used a sweet lemon dressing for the Waldorf salad instead of the heavy, mayonnaise-based dressing that is usually used. After adding some pasta, roasted veggies and pudding (topped with Oreo crumbs!), I ended up with delicious vegan meal. My sister’s wedding had a 1920s theme and she served a drink called Bee’s Knees. It consists of gin, honey and lemonade. I did a slight twist on this drink and simply used gin, lemonade and  a splash of orange juice. It was very refreshing and not too sweet. The dinner went well and I’m already looking forward to my next opportunity for a themed veggie dinner party!

Links to select recipes:

Sweet Lemon Dressing

Chocolate Pudding

Italian Roasted Vegetables

Gluten-Free Pesto Pasta

I think I’m on day 9 of my cleanse but I’m honestly not trying to keep track very closely. I still crave sweets and pasta and since I won’t let myself cave in to sweets right now, I figured I might as well allow myself some pasta. I have been wanting to try gluten-free noodles lately so this GF cleanse provides a perfect opportunity. I found some pasta noodles made from wild rice. Since I am also not eating tomatoes right now, I decided to pair this pasta with pesto. I typically eat about 5 lbs of tomatoes every hour… yeah probably about that much. However, I love pesto so I knew this would still be delicious without involving tomatoes. I am also striving to get plenty of protein while cleansing hence the addition of the chickpeas to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. gluten-free pasta
• 1/2 cup basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/4 cup matchstick carrots
• black pepper, to taste
• fresh dill, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. I noticed that my rice-pasta cooked up a little faster than wheat-pasta so keep a close eye on it. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

2. Combine the basil leaves, pine nuts, and olive oil in a blender until smooth. Add water as needed to smooth out the consistency. Set pesto aside.

3. Saute the zucchini, yellow squash, yellow onion, chickpeas, and carrots in a pan over medium-heat until cooked through. Add black pepper and fresh dill to taste.

4. Pour the veggies over the pasta and top with the pesto sauce.

Yields 3-4 servings.

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Pasta Primavera

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Raw Tomato Zucchini Lasagna with Basil Pesto

This post is my contribution to the Virtual Vegan Potluck and it includes some serious lasagna. When I was a kid, lasagna had meat and cheese in it and it was baked perfectly in the oven. I loved meat and being a vegetarian was impossible and something I would never consider doing in a million years.

Then I became a vegetarian. I no longer cared for lasagna because it needed to have meat in it. Lasagna without meat just wasn’t lasagna. Eventually I started eating veggie lasagna packed with spinach and zucchini and tomato sauce and cheese and cheese and cheese. I could never give up cheese. Ever. I loved cheese. I could totally do this whole vegetarian thing forever but giving up cheese would be impossible and something I would never consider doing in a million years.

Then I became vegan. And suddenly there was no way I was eating lasagna without cheese. That would be crazy! If you don’t have meat in the lasagna, you should at least have cheese. Eventually I started eating lasagna made with tofu instead of cheese. Had I truly gone mad? Would I someday… dare I say it… eat completely raw, vegan lasagna?!

Today is that day. And today I know that my history with vegetarianism and veganism is proof that I can never say never (ugh, Justin Bieber has ruined that phrase forever). Someday I could become a raw vegan. Or a magician. Or a princess. Or an inflatable couch. I can accomplish anything because, after all, I’ve already completed the impossible twice.

Ingredients:

Ricotta Cheeze

• 1/2 cup untoasted pine nuts, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Dash of salt

Marinara Sauce

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (or 1 small ripe tomato, diced)
• 1/8 cup onion, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of salt
• Dash of red pepper flakes

Basil Pesto

• 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 Tbsp water

Lasagna Noodles

• 1/2 medium zucchini, cut widthwise
• 1 large tomato
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. For the cheeze, marinara, and pesto, blend the listed ingredients together and set each of the three sauces aside. A blender will work faster and more effectively than a food processor for this step.

2. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin, long strips for the noodles. I found using a chefs knife to be the easiest way to do this although you could use a mandoline or a vegetable peeler. You only need about 6 strips so it’s ok if a couple slices don’t turn out beautifully.

3. Slice the tomato into three large round slices.

4. Lay a couple zucchini noodles flat on a plate side-by-side for assembly. Brush the zucchini with olive oil. Top with 1/3 of each of the three sauces prepared earlier. Place one slice of tomato on top and sprinkle with oregano and thyme. Repeat the stacking process twice more until you have a little tower of raw lasagna to stand back and admire. Garnish with basil leaves and enjoy!

Yields one lasagna slice

Adapted from: New York Magazine & The Pink Avocado

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Pasta Primavera                 Kale-a-flower Pasta

Pasta Primavera

Spring is here which means it’s finally time for lemon, asparagus and pasta primavera. This pasta is light, refreshing and packed with colorful vegetables. It was the perfect complement to my 5 mile run today. I unexpectedly ran the last 2 miles of my 7 mile run yesterday in the pouring rain. There’s something about running in the rain that just feels carefree and fun. And then the reality sets in that you are soaked from head to toe and your iPhone might be damaged beyond repair. Since my run yesterday, both my clothing and my phone have survived to tell about the April showers. Despite the rain, I’m glad it’s springtime because the weather has been mostly perfect for running. And the running gives me an excuse to carb-load, which is always ok in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium-sized zucchini
• 10 stalks of asparagus
• 10 baby carrots
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 1/2 of a red pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp Italian herbs
• 2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 15 grape tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut zucchini, asparagus, carrots, red onion and red pepper into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large bowl, toss veggies with oil, salt and pepper, and herbs. Arrange veggies flat on a baking sheet.

4. Bake veggies for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through.

5. Cook pasta until penne is al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta.

6. Toss veggies with pasta, lemon juice, parsley and grape tomatoes.

7. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serves 3

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-primavera-recipe/index.html

Kale-a-flower Pasta

I have always hated nuts. Walnuts. Pine nuts. Almonds. Pecans. I dislike the texture. The taste. The way they get stuck in your teeth. I forced myself to buy pine nuts a while back and I survived the few meals I made with them. I threw them in a couple pesto pastas for example and apparently I’ve lived to tell about it. I have been weaning myself off soy milk lately and drinking almond milk instead. The switch has gone well so far and therefore I decided I was ready to eat actual almonds. I bought them at the grocery store today. It was a big step and a long time coming. The kale and cauliflower also looked good at the store today so I decided to whip this together today.

This turned out really well, however, I picked out every single piece of almond that I put in it. Oh, well.

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/4 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 red onion
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 Tbsp Earth Balance spread
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 clementine
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut up the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Fill a roasting pan with the cauliflower, minced garlic, diced red onion and diced carrot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Coat thoroughly with the olive oil. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Boil water and cook the whole wheat pasta until al dente.

4. Finely chop the almonds and add them to a skillet over low heat. Cook for five minutes. Add Earth Balance spread and cook until melted. Add the kale and 2 Tbsp water to the skillet and cook until soft and dark green. Crush clementine slices over the kale for extra flavor.

5. Combine the roasted vegetables with the kale and almond mixture. Add to the pasta and top with dried cranberries.