The Vitamix: My Kitchen Essential

What's my go-to kitchen gadget essential? Definitely my Vitamix! I was recently gifted this gorgeous blender--which is an update from the previous Vitamix model I had. It has an even more powerful motor (2.2HP!) that's somehow even quieter. Blends like a true dream. And even comes with a super large (64oz!) container (pictured below)--great for when you're making soups, family-size batches of anything, or whipping up large amounts of food for a little entertaining.




Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when you think blender is smoothie! And rightly so. It takes about 20 seconds to whip up a smoothie in the Vitamix. And when you're done, you just add a touch of soap and fill the container half way with hot water, blend for 60 seconds, and you've got a clean blender! Not bad at all. My frequent regular smoothies are a banana berry smoothie, and a peanut butter banana smoothie (with a touch of chocolate), but there are so many other delicious options (like green smoothies!).  And the Vitamix is also great for making frozen drinks and sorbets. The Vitamix comes with a fabulous recipe book with an impressive variety of ideas. So far everything I've tried has been delicious!



In the winter time, the Vitamix gets pretty heavy use in our home for soups (follow the link for some of my recommendations)! Again, too many great options here to count. One of my all time favorites is butternut squash soup. The Vitamix allows you to vent steam as you blend, so you can make pretty much anything in here. And, if you blend for several minutes, it will actually create heat!



The Vitamix is also a whiz with dips and spreads--pretty much anything you can think of, it can blend! If you're looking for some dip ideas--I love the curried carrot dip from Veganomicon, as well as the white bean aioli!




As far as dressings and sauces go this blender is great for any and everything you can imagine. If you're making nut-based pasta sauce, the Vitamix is a real life saver. Cashews are transformed into a smooth and creamy sauce in under sixty seconds. And you won't have to worry about anything chunky or gritty remaining when you're done blending. A high-powered blender is a real must if you're interested in making your own vegan cheese!



Vitamix also states their blenders are great for mixing batters and doughs, making juices, nut butters, flours, baby food, and non-dairy milk. I've yet to try these out. I think I'll try my hand at making some almond milk next. Can't wait to give it a whirl--pun intended!

Vegan Cheeze-a-licious

Today for the Vegan Month of Food we're talking all about vegan cheeze!

I wanted to go over some of my personal favorites, starting with the recipe above which is one of my go-tos for vegan mac and cheeze. The recipe comes from Isa Chandra, for her BLT mac and cheeze (complete with tomatoes and eggplant "bacon"). The sauce is cashew-based and creamy, and you'll have to work hard not to devour the eggplant before it gets added into the pasta!

Inspired by Isa's recipe, and a smoky mac I had at an NYC restaurant, I developed a smoky mac and cheeze that I also love, which involves a little liquid smoke for a flavor kick.



Don't have the time (or the blending power) to make your own cashew-based macaroni and cheese? How about trying out the instant mac and cheeze from Earth Balance. It's sort of like the Kraft mac 'n cheese of the vegan world--although I think it's even better!



You can often find these at Whole Foods, or from online retailers like Thrive Market.

If you're looking to have someone else make the mac, and you're in the New York area, I recommend going to Morgan's in Brooklyn. They have a delicious vegan mac with avocado, veggie chorizo and jalapeños!



Looking for vegan cheeze you can order online? Miyoko's Kitchen has some super amazing cashew-based options that are the best I've ever had (they also have a mac and cheeze sauce!).



For the ambitious home cook, Miyoko also has an amazing cookbook (Artisan Vegan Cheese) with recipes for cheeses you can make at home. Many involve creating your own culture (which is a lot of work, but very rewarding!).

For a simple cheese you can create in an afternoon, one of my favorites is this "goat cheese" from the Fork and Beans blog.



If that sounds like too much work and you're in the New York area, there are some great vegan pizza options!

I love Two Boots' V is for Vegan pizza--you can read more about it here.



What are your favorite vegan cheezes? I hope you have a chance to try one of these! I'm getting hungry just looking at them!

Risotto (i.e. Vegan MoFo, Day 1)

It's Vegan MoFo! After a hiatus last year, I'm back in full swing, looking forward to sharing some recipes--new and old--with you all.

Today we're talking about giving a standard veggie option--like a risotto--a little makeover. My friend Sarah (who has her own cooking blog) made an amazing risotto for us a few months back that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. Her version included sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, and green peas. When I asked her for the recipe, she mentioned that for fall a little roasted butternut squash is the perfect addition. Which got my wheels turning...

A few weeks ago, my stepmom (who also happens to be a fantastic cook) made us a delicious pasta which had--you guessed it!--roasted squash. As well as artichoke hearts. Delicious! So I thought I'd spice things up a bit with those additions, as well as the mushrooms. 

I'd actually never made risotto before. It was one of those recipes that I figured was too time consuming and difficult to tackle--but after Sarah's risotto, I realized it would be well worth it. 

And? I discovered it's actually not as hard as you may think! You've just got to be ready to stir--for about 20 minutes straight. So the real trick is to just have everything entirely prepped before you get going.

What You'll Need:

Artichoke hearts (jarred or canned), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

8 oz mushrooms (whatever type you like, such as cremini, I used Baby bellas)

Approximately one butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Zest from 1/2 lemon 

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/3 cup white wine

6-8 cups vegetable stock

1-2 tablespoons butter

1 cup Vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)

What You'll Need to Do:

Preheat oven to 425F. Get that squash roasting. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and approximately half the garlic (two cloves), then spread on a sheet pan (I like to cover my pan with baking parchment for no-mess cleanup later). Roast for approximately 20 minutes--you want the squash to be slightly chewy and tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in olive oil until they've released their moisture (about 5-7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, then add in artichoke hearts and butternut squash and mix to combine.

Okay! Ready? You're going to take your onion and saute it in the margarine until soft and translucent. Then add 1.5 cups risotto, and stir to roast rice for about 2 min (until the ends of the rice grains become translucent). Then deglaze your pan with 1/3 cup white wine.

Slowly add about 6-8 cups of hot broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. You want to use enough liquid to just cook the rice and get it to a nice consistency, without being too thinned out or runny. You can begin tasting after about 12 minutes or so--it should be done after closer to 20 (up to 30). Once you've got that nice, rich risotto texture, add the veggies, then stir in your Parmesan, if using. Finally, finish off with zest, and serve immediately!

Fresh Spring Pasta with Ramps, Peas & Asparagus

I've been waxing poetic about spring lately. (love those ramps!) This recipe has lots of great spring veggies, and is based on a salad recipe I found while trying to come up with some more creative ways to use my ramps. I added some pasta because I'm a sucker for a good pasta dish, but see tips and tricks below for more ideas. You've heard enough about spring veggies from me the last few weeks, so let's get right to the recipe!

Spring Pasta with Ramps, Peas & Asparagus dressed with lemon vinaigrette
What You'll Need:

1 16 oz. package pasta (such as fettuccine)
Vinaigrette: 

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon (~2 tbsp)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp minced shallot (approx. 1 small)
2 tbsp vinegar (white balsamic, apple cider, or just plain white)
Salt and pepper to taste

Veggies:
10 oz. defrosted frozen peas
2 cups fresh snap peas, ends trimmed, cut in half
1 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed, tips removed and separated
2-3 tbsp olive oil

~12 whole ramps, cleaned, ends trimmed

Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. While water is heating up, prepare an ice bath. Boil defrosted peas in the water until bright green (about a minute). Transfer to ice bath with a strainer, then add your snap peas to your boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes until also bright green and slightly tender, then transfer these to your ice bath with the strainer. Finally, add your asparagus tips (not the stalks) to the water, and boil until just tender (another minute or so), before also transferring to your ice bath with the strainer. Now remove all the veggies from the ice water and transfer them to some towels to dry.

Boil a separate pot of water to prepare your pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, drain, and mix in the "dressing" ingredients. When your vegetables are relatively dry you can mix them in.

Now for your asparagus puree. Transfer the stalks to the blanching water and boil them until they're very tender, just a couple of minutes. Transfer to a blender and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Blend until smooth, adding a bit of blanching water if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste then set aside to cool a bit.

Finally, prepare your ramps. Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ramps once hot and sauté until lightly browned in some areas and the leafy green part is beginning to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon asparagus puree onto bowls or plates. Place pasta with veggies on top, and finally top with ramps!

Tips & Tricks:
Looking to cut down on the carbs? Want to make this gluten-free sans the gluten-free pasta? The original recipe I based this on was a salad, which is equally delicious. Substitute some micro greens or arugula for the pasta, and you're good to go!

Sautéed Fiddlehead Fern Pasta

Spring! It's such a wonderful time to take advantage of fresh produce. And as I said in my post a few weeks back, I have been doing just that.

This recipe features some wonderful local produce from Farmigo, but you should be able to find these ingredients in the early spring at a farmer's market or anywhere else selling local produce on the East Coast (the west has its own western fiddlehead fern, known as a lady fern).



Despite being quite intrigued, I'd never tried fiddlehead ferns before making this recipe. Frankly, they certainly look a bit strange and I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about them! Turns out they're delicious...essentially the texture of a delicate asparagus but with a richer flavor (almost nutty) that needs to be tasted to be fully appreciated.



Since I had never cooked with fiddlehead ferns before, I did some reading.  I checked out a few sites. GRACE Communications Foundation had a very thorough description of the history of their use, cultivation, characteristics, and how to prepare them.

There are mixed opinions on the health effects of eating ferns (see link above for more info), so it is best to eat them in moderation. It is also recommended to boil or steam them for 10 minutes before preparing. I was worried this might effect the flavor, but it did not! They were excellent. The site I used gave excellent instructions for cleaning and boiling, which I've included in the recipe below. said they paired well with ramps, so I incorporated both into my recipe. They compliment each other beautifully.



You essentially just sautée everything together, add your favorite pasta, a little splash of vinegar and lemon, and you're good to go!



Sautéed Fiddlehead Fern Pasta with Shallots, Ramps and Toasted Walnuts
What You'll Need:
8 oz. fiddlehead ferns, cleaned
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 bunch ramps, cleaned and trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried basil (plus a pinch)
1 tbsp white wine (optional)
1/4 c. toasted walnuts

1 16 oz. package pasta
1 tbsp white wine vinegar*
Juice of 1/2 lemon

What You'll Need to Do:
Clean your ferns. Fill a bowl with cold water, then gently add your fiddlehead ferns and swish them around. This should remove all of the brown, paper bits that can cling to them (which are just a part of the fern), and any dirt that may be hidden inside those tiny coils.

Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring two pots of lightly salted water to boil. Boil pasta until just al dente in one pot, then drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water and returning to the pot. Boil fiddlehead ferns for 10 minutes in another. Transfer the fiddlehead ferns to the ice water after 10 minutes, to stop the cooking. Then drain well and pat thoroughly dry.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, adding shallots once warm. After a minute or so, when the shallots are fragrant and just beginning to soften, add in the fiddlehead ferns. Sautée for a minute and then add in your ramps, along with red pepper flakes and/or black pepper and a pinch of dried basil. Throw in a splash (about 1 tbsp) of white wine to steam your ramps. Add your walnuts, toss and remove from heat.

Stir in 1 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to your pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add pasta to your sauté pan and return to medium heat, tossing the pasta with the vegetables to allow the flavors to really soak in for a minute or two. Turn off the heat, and add lemon juice (1-2 tbsp), to taste.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks
So many parts of this recipe are interchangeable. No ramps? Try some spring onions, or just another shallot. No ferns? No problem there either. Ramps will pair great with this pasta, as will spring onions. The combinations are endless!

*similarly, don't feel too tied to white wine vinegar, red wine, balsamic, or even apple cider will do in a pinch!

My Favorite Cuisine: Italian

Today for Vegan MoFo we are sharing our favorite cuisine.

If you've been following my posts, you know that I seem to be leaning in one direction...pasta! And piccata, and pizza...

Apparently, I'm a real Italian lover.

So here's a little roundup for my fellow Italian Foodophiles:


Seitan Piccata


Local Vegan Pizza


White Pasta


Red Pasta


Brussels Sprouts (they're kind of Italian, right?)


Garlic Bread


Tea Poached Pears


Home-Made Vegan Cheese--I'll also throw this in the "roughly Italian" category


Gnocchi

If you're not an Italian food lover--just try one of these recipes! You'll be a convert in no time!

Seasonal Produce Meal: Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon

Today's entry for Vegan MoFo asked us to make a meal with seasonal local produce. Sounds great to me! One of my friends has been all about the zucchini pasta lately, so I took a little inspiration from her and decided to try my hand at making my own dish.



My friend uses a spiralizer, which is awesome. In lieu of that, however, you can make great ribbons with your vegetable peeler! You simply fry up those ribbons in the sauté pan with some garlic, cherry tomatoes, basil and a splash of lemon, and you've got a delicious, super-simple meal!



Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
What You'll Need:
2 zucchinis, peeled into ribbons (as pictured) with a vegetable peeler
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. basil, loosely packed, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
zest 1 lemon (1 tsp)
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Need to Do:

Preheat a pan over medium heat. Add your olive oil and garlic and sauté until just fragrant and golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add your zucchini and tomatoes and toss in the garlic oil, continuing to toss as you fry. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Add half of your basil after a minute or so.You'll want to fry until the ribbons begin to relax, just about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and toss in your lemon and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.




Tips and Tricks:
This recipe makes enough for one person. That's the easiest amount to squeeze into one regular size sauté pan. If you have a larger pan, you can easily double the recipe. Otherwise, if you double the recipe, you'll want to fry up half of your zucchini (with the garlic and oil, as described above) first, remove it from the pan, and then follow the rest of the recipe, tossing in your first batch of zucchini along with the rest of the ingredients, at the end.

Lunch on the Go!

Today for Vegan MoFo we're talking lunch on the go!

I couldn't think of anything more "to go" than this great picnic backpack we received as another wonderful wedding present (thank you, Gretchen!).


This awesome backpack has all you need to enjoy a picnic for two--or four!

You just need a few good dishes to go with it! Might I recommend some balsamic tofu with cherry tomatoes?

This is a super quick and easy dish--you just need a little time to let your tofu marinate. Once you've done that, you just slice your tomatoes and basil, toss and go! It's a great "lunch on the go."



Balsamic Tofu with Cherry Tomatoes
What You'll Need:
Marinade:
4 tbsp vegetable broth
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste (several pinches of each)

One 14 oz package extra-firm tofu
12 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil

What You'll Need to Do:
Press your tofu first so that it will be able to absorb the balsamic properly. Cut into 1/2" cubes and then mix with the marinade ingredients. Cover and allow to marinate for an hour or so (or in the fridge overnight).

In the meantime, chiffonade your basil and slice your tomoatoes if you haven't already. Once the tofu is done marinating, toss it with the tomatoes and basil, and add in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper, as needed. Depending on how much of the marinade your tofu has absorbed, you may want to add another tablespoon or so of balsamic.

Tips and Tricks:
I paired this tofu with a nice pasta salad. I simply cooked some pasta, then added a bit of salad dressing (strawberry vinaigrette this time around). Then I threw in some spicy olives (I love Jeff's Naturals antipasto olives which are vegan!) along with the red peppers from the bottle, dried oregano, mustard powder, hearts of palm, arugula and a little bit of olive oil.

And don't forget your baguette!

Sharing a Meal

Today's prompt is all about sharing a vegan meal with a non-vegan. This was not much of a challenge for me, as I love having friends over for dinner! Most of our friends are omnivores, but they of course still love coming over for a good vegan meal whenever they're able.

For this entry, I thought I'd invite over one of my old friends who actually inspired me to start this blog in the first place several years ago. She's a curious woman by nature, and having not known any vegans particularly well before us, she was always asking, "but what do you eat?" After many meals together and sharing countless baked goods, this question no longer comes up, but she is always happy to come over and share a vegan meal together!



I had never made her a nut-based sauce, so I thought we would try out my fettucine recipe. It was a big hit! She and my husband especially liked the balsamic salad dressing I threw together for us, so I will be including that in a future post. Bon apetit!