Ravioli with Zucchini, Onions, & Mushrooms

We're still stuffing ourselves with zucchini over here! My parents did a mega-sized zucchini drop off last week, which we shredded for baking & freezing. We also had one from our garden & another one from them, so it was time to start cooking!

Last weekend, we shopped at Roots Market in Maryland while we were down there. I love that store!!! They had this ravioli on sale. It was SO GOOD!! We both liked it better than just about any ravioli we've had. The raviolis were the perfect size with exactly the right amount of flavorful vegan filling. It was slightly less mushy than ravioli filling typically tends to be, which we preferred. I hope to see it for sale in more stores!

That said, this recipe will easily work with any ravioli, vegan or not. We've also cooked perogies the same way.

I like a good veggie-to-pasta ratio, so this is chock full of veggies in every bite. The amount you have really depends on the size of your zucchini, so if you like more or less, use a larger or smaller zucchini.

This meal comes together in less than half an hour. It's a perfect week night meal! My only regret is that there weren't leftovers. :-)

Ravioli with Zucchini, Onions, & Mushrooms

Serves 2-3

1 red onion, sliced

5-6 white mushrooms, sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced & cut into half moons

1/2 c dry white wine

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. black pepper (to taste)

1/2-1 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

1 9 oz. package fresh* ravioli (I used La Pasta Vegan Cheese Ravioli)

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion over medium-low heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms & cook another 3-4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add zucchini, white wine, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, pepper, & salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until zucchini starts to soften & wine reduces slightly. Gently stir in ravioli, cooking over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until ravioli is done. If pan gets too dry, add in either a splash of wine or water. Serve immediately.

*Frozen ravioli will also work, just let it thaw slightly before cooking. It may take a little longer & a little more liquid to completely cook, so test it to be sure it's done.

Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas

I made dinner the other night with no intention of it being anything worth sharing. We had some eggplant from the farm market & I wanted to make sandwiches, so I started building with what we had on hand.

We ended up loving these! They were quick & easy, with lots of room for variations based on what you have on hand. Kale could easily be replaced with other hearty leafy greens (chard, collards, spinach), eggplant could be replaced with zucchini, feta replaced with gorgonzola, and so on. We loved this particular combo & would definitely make it again, but if you have similar ingredients on hand, save yourself a trip to the store.

If you're looking for a quick dinner that doesn't require the oven, this is it! Great for summer nights. Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas
Serves 2

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
3-4 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or use 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to save chopping time)
4 large leaves of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped into small pieces
1/2 c dry white wine
2 whole wheat pita rounds, sliced in half
1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
4 T crumbled feta cheese

Sprinkle eggplant slices evenly with garlic powder, sea salt, & red pepper flakes. On a grill (or grill pan) lightly coated with olive oil spray, cook eggplant slices over medium heat. After about 6 minutes, flip slices & cook the other side about 6 minutes. Eggplant should be soft & lightly browned.

In the meantime, use a nonstick skillet to cook onions over medium heat until they start to soften. Add mushrooms, cook for 4 minutes, then add garlic & kale. Once kale starts to soften, add white wine. Increase heat & simmer until wine evaporates.

Once eggplant is done cooking, slice rounds into strips about 1/2" wide. Open pita pockets & stuff all 4 halves with equal amounts of eggplant. Divide mushroom & kale mixture between the 4 pita halves. Then add sliced avocado to each, plus 1 T feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Note:
Both the eggplant & the mushroom/kale mixture can be made ahead of time & stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat both briefly before stuffing pitas and serving.

Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette

This is one of our favorite meals! We first had it last fall, and then I mentioned it briefly in December. At some point, we also made it for my parents, who loved it, too.

The original inspiration came from a newspaper clipping of a recipe for Roasted Broccoli. It was meant to be a side dish, but I thought it sounded like a great way to serve pasta.

I made a few changes (as usual!) & paired it with a bag of frozen gnocchi, making it a quick & flavorful dinner. It's filling but not heavy, which I think is often the problem with gnocchi. Most times, it's topped with a creamy sauce & the pasta itself is already so creamy that it really weighs you down.

The bright flavors of the red wine vinegar, the creamy gnocchi, & the earthy walnuts really come together well. It's a melt in your mouth flavor burst! :-)

I hope you try it out!

Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette
Serves 2-4

4 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed into puree or microplaned
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, chopped
1/3 c walnuts, chopped
1 bag frozen gnocchi
2 oz. parmesan cheese, freshly grated + more for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread broccoli pieces on a large baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and roast for 20 minutes. Stir and return to oven for 20 minutes. Stir again, add walnuts, and roast another 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare gnocchi according to package directions.

Mix together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, both peppers, and salt. Set aside until broccoli and gnocchi are finished cooking.

Toss together roasted broccoli and walnuts, cooked gnocchi, and dressing in a large bowl. Top with cheese and stir briefly to combine. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce

Last week, I had friends over for dinner. We all love pasta & one of them suggested we have a cheese sauce. Because cheese sauce can be very heavy & highly calorie, I decided to lighten it up.  

As I was considering what to use for creamy texture, I thought of white beans. They provide such a creamy texture to bean dips (like white bean hummus) that I thought they'd be perfect. Since I had a feeling my friends would be skeptical (one of them doesn't like beans!), I made the sauce before they came & had them taste it. Both thought it was tasty & cheesy. They were surprised when I told them it didn't have any cheese in it at all. After that, I did add a bit of parmesan, but if you are dairy-free or vegan, this recipe doesn't need it. It's still cheese-like without it.

I hope you'll think outside the box & try this recipe. It's full of flavor & much healthier than traditional cheese sauces. Beans not only add creaminess, but also fiber, protein, & numerous nutrients. It's win-win! Comfort food at its best.

Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce
Coats 1 lb. pasta

1 tsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1.5 c cooked white beans (or 1 can, rinsed)
4-5 cloves of roasted garlic*
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 c unsweetened original almond milk
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-4 T freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit or use nutritional yeast to make vegan)

In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil & saute onion over medium heat. Once soft, about 3-5 minutes, add white beans, garlic, mustard & almond milk. Heat until it just starts to simmer. Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender, puree sauce until smooth. (Alternately, you can pour the sauce into a blender & blend. Allow to cool slightly before blending to prevent any explosions!) Turn burner back to low & gently heat sauce. Add Italian seasoning, salt to taste, black pepper, & parmesan cheese. Keep warm until ready to use. If your sauce cooks too long, it may get too thick. Add another 1/4-1/2 c almond milk to thin.

*To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350*F. Slice off the top of the garlic heads, to expose the tops of the cloves. Wrap each head seperately in aluminum foil & drizzle each head with 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until garlic is soft. Squeeze cloves out of the husks. Roasted garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Another great use for roasted garlic is my Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread. Roast several cloves at once to make sure you have plenty - it never seems to go to waste in our house!

Kale & Feta Portobello Caps

Along with our cabbage side dish, I made baked portobello caps. They look kinda fancy, but they were super quick to make. This whole meal came together in about 40 minutes, most of which was baking time.

I don't like my portobellos to be too juicy, so I prefer to bake or grill them with the gill side down first to cook off some of the juices. After that, I turn them over, top them, & bake them a little longer until heated through.  The Bup likes his a little juicer, so when he's grilling, he'll keep mine gill side down for almost the entire cooking time.

Since kale really shrinks when it cooks, I pre-cooked it prior to topping the mushroom caps. That way it would stay on easier & I could fit more on there. It also cut down on the baking time, since the kale mixture just needed to be heated instead of complete cooking.

This meal had a lot of flavors, but they went so well together! It was surprisingly warming, which made for a perfect dinner on a crisp fall night.

Kale & Feta Portobello Caps

Serves 2-3

3 large portobello caps, washed & destemmed (save the stems)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3 leaves of kale, destemmed & chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

3 T feta cheese, divided

3 tsp. Balsamic vinegar, divided

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place mushroom caps gill side down on the baking sheet & bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the stems that you removed from the caps. Cook stems, garlic, & kale in a skillet over medium heat until the kale is wilted. Add red pepper flakes if desired.

Remove baked caps from the oven & drain juices from the baking sheet. Turn the caps over so they are gill side up. Top with equal parts of the kale mixture. Then add 1 T feta cheese & 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar each. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. They can be served now, or placed under the broiler for about 3 minutes to lightly brown the feta cheese (highly suggested!). Enjoy!



Eggplant Chickpea Dip

We have tons of eggplant! In the spring, we planted half a dozen seeds, figuring that we'd get maybe 2 plants if we were lucky. Instead, we have 4 very hearty plants, all of which are producing multiple eggplants.

They're gorgeous - shiny purple veggies hanging amidst light green leaves, mixed in with the lavender flowers.

We do like eggplant a lot & have used it for sandwiches, lasagna, cheezy layers, & chips, but never for a dip. One of my friends sent me a link for an eggplant dip she'd tried, & I was inspired to make a dip. What a great way to use up 2 eggplants at once! If you aren't swamped with eggplant, you could easily halve the recipe.

Because I used a green bell pepper & did not peel the eggplant, the dip turned out a funny shade of gray-green. Don't let that scare you off! It tastes creamy & delicious, with a hit of garlic & a kick of heat.

Eggplant Chickpea Dip

Adapted from Whole Foods

Makes about 3 cups

2 large eggplants (about 1 pound each)

1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)

1/4 c dried parsley

1 small bell pepper, seeded & roasted

1 jalapeno, seeded & roasted

2 T lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

2-3 T nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove stems from eggplants & slice in half lengthwise. Place halves cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 40 minutes. At the same time, place bell pepper & jalapeno on a small baking sheet & roast for about 30 minutes or until soft. Once roasted, allow eggplant & peppers to cool slightly before blending.

In a Vitamix or the bowl of a food processor, place all ingredients. Process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl & serve warm. This dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It is best served warm, so if storing, it will need to be reheated.

Note: The original recipe suggested removing the eggplant skin before processing. I kept it on for the added nutrients, however this could cause bitterness. Try a bite of the roasted eggplant to determine how it will taste before proceeding. You may also be able to leave half of the skin on & remove half for a good combination.



Creamy Tomato Vodka Pasta

I've been waiting a long time to have creamy pasta without it being laden with heavy cream or other fatty ingredients. I tried a few versions, our favorite being the Pumpkin Cheeze Sauce that I used for my Cheezy Eggplant Bake. That sauce is delicious, & perfect for anything cheesy, but doesn't help me with my dilemna.

For soups, it's easy to use potatoes to add a creamy thickness. For sauces, however, potatoes just don't seem quite right. I have used ricotta cheese at times, or a bit of cream cheese, but neither really get rid of the heavy dairy that I'd like to avoid. (If I'm having heavy, creamy dairy, I'd like it to be ice cream. Nothing else is worth it!)

When I came across a post on the Edible Perspective for creamy marinara sauce, I knew I'd found my solution! Since one of my favorite creamy sauces is Vodka Sauce, I decided to combine some recipes & work up a new sauce of my own. The result is full of flavor, creamy, & perfect for satisfying our tastebuds. No one will ever guess that you're serving them tofu, but they'll be healthier for it. Tofu adds protein to an otherwise carb rich meal, making it more balanced. Added bonus: you'll stay full longer!

I have a feeling this is going to be a new go-to meal. It doesn't take nearly as long as the lengthy directions imply. The hardest part is chopping up a few veggies!

I hope you try this & enjoy it. Let me know what you think!

Creamy Tomato Vodka Pasta
Inspired by Creamy Marinara Sauce & Vodka Cream Pasta
Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped

1 jalapeno

4 baby bella mushrooms (optional)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup vodka

5 oz. firm tofu*

14 oz. can of tomatoes

8 oz. pasta sauce

3 T nutritional yeast (or sub. parmesan cheese)

1 tsp. dried basil

pinch crushed red pepper

salt & black pepper, to taste

1 c chopped kale

16 oz. (1 lb.) shaped pasta (penne, rigatoni, etc. - I used chiocciole)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion & jalapeno. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions begin to sweat. Add mushrooms (if using) & garlic; cook until fragrant. Pour in vodka & bring to a simmer. Cook to reduce vodka by about half. 

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Using a blender, combine tofu, tomatoes, pasta sauce, nutritional yeast, & basil. Blend until creamy & smooth. Pour mixture into skillet with the vodka & veggies. Season with crushed red pepper, salt, & black pepper to taste. Allow sauce to cook until warm throughout.

Once pasta is done, drain completely & combine with sauce. Serve hot!

*If you have tofu leftover, which you surely will since I haven't found 5 oz. packages anywhere, the best thing to do with it is make dessert! Since you'll need to scale down the ingredients for the amount of tofu you have remaining, I'd recommend using a smaller dish instead of a pie plate. I used small custard cups so that we had single servings ready to grab!

Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli

This dish brings me lots of fond memories. Every year my dad would make a huge pot of the white style pasta fagioli & I would pick out all the beans, just eating the noodles. Our house would reek of garlic for days because he used a whole head to make it. Once, he used even more than that, giving it quite a kick.

When I asked him for the recipe, I think he might've been secretly surprised. It was never my favorite dish, plus it has bacon in it. I haven't had it for a few years, though, & lately I was craving the warm flavors. It's a great comfort food!

I skipped the bacon & used liquid smoke for extra flavor. Then I added broccoli for some greens because I love the flavor, color & nutrition it adds. We ate it for lunch & I was happy!

It's not exactly same as my dad's, but it's very close. I cut back on the garlic, but it's still has plenty! Bonus - our house didn't smell like garlic for days. :-)

Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli - White Style
Serves 6

1 T coconut oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. elbow macaroni (whole wheat*)
1 cup vegetable broth
3-4 cups water
1 can navy beans (or other white beans), drained
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 head of broccoli, chopped
parmesan cheese, to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add garlic cloves and cook until fragrant and lightly browned. Add macaroni, vegetable broth, and 3 cups of water. Cook macaroni for about 7 minutes, or until almost done. Do not drain! Stir in beans, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and broccoli. Add additional water if the liquid all cooked off. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes or until beans and broccoli are heated. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve!

Note: Originally (as you see in the photos), I cooked the broccoli separately. When we heated the leftovers, the broccoli was stirred in & the flavors melded deliciously. If you only like crisp broccoli, I would keep them seperate, but for great flavor, cook with the pasta, as directed above.

*I haven't tried it yet, but I think this dish would be even better with whole wheat macaroni.

Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread

What if every night could be pizza night? I think it'd take me a pretty long time to get tired of pizza, especially with all of the varieties out there. We make 2 pizzas so that there are leftovers for lunches. One is always topped with bbq sauce, the Bup's favorite & a standard in our house. The other one is always different & I like to experiment a little.

I wanted to try carmelized onions & pears, but that got vetoed. :-( Maybe next time...

Instead, I made up a roasted garlic & kale spread, inspired by Ashley's Kale Pesto. We had 2 heads of garlic that were ready to sprout, so I roasted them before they went bad. Roasted garlic is fancy. The garlic turns creamy & spreadable after a short time in the oven., transforming it into a different food altogether.

We used the spread as a sauce on the pizza, but I can see it being great as a topper for baked potatoes or crusty bread, a spread in a sandwich/wrap, or mixed with pasta. I have some leftover to use!

Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread
Inspired by Ashley's Kale Pesto
Yield: about 1 cup

2 heads of garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
2 c kale, chopped (about 100g)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 c roasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350*F. Slice off the top of the garlic heads, to expose the tops of the cloves. Wrap each head seperately in aluminum foil & drizzle each head with 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until garlic is soft. Squeeze cloves out of the husks. Place garlic & remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender & blend until combined. I left mine with some chunks, but if preferred, continue to blend until smooth. Taste & add additional salt and/or pepper if desired. Store extra spread in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for future use.