Pasta Salad

Another dish I made to bring to my friends house for our get-together. I wanted another protein source, so added a can of chickpeas. You could also add diced chicken or turkey to get the same effect.

1 box geminili pasta or pasta of choice, cooked al dente
1/2 bottle TED safe vinagrette dressing. I used Drew's All Natural Roasted Garlic. Also delicious is Brianna's Rich Santa Fe blend
1 package thawed peas
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1 can black olives, sliced into rounds
1 can chickpeas
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together, preferably adding the sauce when the pasta is still hot so it will absorb. Chill before serving.

Cheezy Pasta

Well, I'm honestly not really sure what to call this one. Ever since I learned that nutritional yeast has 8 grams of protein for 2 Tbsp, I have been trying to add it in every day. I don't have many good protein sources, so I really need to work at getting adequate amounts in.

1/2 box pasta of choice (about 8 oz.) cooked in salted water
4 Tbsp. smart balance light
5 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt to taste
3 Tbsp. dairy free milk

Combine all together with hot pasta and stir well to combine. Very tasty with a slight "cheesy" taste. My 4 year old loved the 1st time I made but balked the 2nd. Who can keep up with their tastes!

Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Manicotti

I so crave lasagna and manicotti on this diet, probably because I have NEVER figured out a way to make it work without dairy and soy! I got a little creative and the results were good, not fantastic, but good. I figured a vegetable stuffed manicotti shell should be quite tasty smothered in a creamy sauce. I made this over a month ago and just haven't gotten around to blogging it yet. So I don't remember my exact measurements! I'll do my best, but If nothing else, hopefully it can give you an idea to try something different.

Filling:
2 lbs of mushrooms, half button and half crimini (baby bella) roughly chopped
1 large zucchini, grated
1 onion, finely chopped or whizzed in the food processor
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Saute onion in olive oil, then add mushrooms and salt to release their water. Add in the zucchini when the mushrooms are cooked about halfway through.

White Sauce:
2 1/4 cups rice milk
2 heaping Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
seasonings (garlic and onion powder, salt)

Add the liquid to the blender and turn on low, add the flour and blend until smooth. Add seasonings then transfer to a pot and wisk over medium heat until thickened.

Stuff the uncooked manicotti shells with the cooled filling and place in an oiled casserole dish with several Tbsp. of sauce on the bottom. Pour remaining sauce over the top and bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook until the manicotti can be pierced with a knife. You can sprinkle nutritional yeast on the top towards the end of cooking to serve as the "cheese."

Mushroom Stroganoff

I have never in my life opened a bottle of wine, and I honestly I've only tasted a sip once or twice in the past. I'm not a drinker of alcohol, although I did have my experimentation years and tried plenty then! My husband had purchased a cheap corkscrew, so it was quite the adventure getting that bottle opened!

Anyways, I kept running across recipes calling for white wine in the sauce, and figured I would give it a try. I was a bit put off at first as the alcohol smell was just so intense, but it really cooked down to a fantastic sauce with a hint of sweetness and depth. I'll definitely use again!

1 lb pasta of your choice
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms, I used half button, half baby bella (crimini)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Maggis sauce (similar to soy sauce, but uses wheat instead, at Asian market)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy-free worshteshire sauce (I found a Caribbean-ish one with no anchovies or soy sauce at HyVee)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. savory (I would have used thyme but had none...)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups rice milk
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onion and garlic and add to a large sauce pan along with the white wine. Cook on low to medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until the liquid is almost gone and the onions and garlic are softened. Meanwhile, clean and chop the mushrooms into large pieces. Add to the softened onions along with 3/4 cup of water. In the blender, combine all the liquid ingredients and start on low. Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Once the mushrooms have begun to soften and release their liquid, add the sauce to the pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Adjust the seasonings as desired. Have pasta cooking in salted water during the above process and add to the sauce pan after being drained.

For those in your home that can eat sour cream, add a dollop onto their serving. It was delicious!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Primavera

I am always on the search for different pasta sauces. Pasta is probably one of my favorite meals, but I get tired of marinara. This creation was soooooooooo good and my daughter and hubby loved it as well. I made a huge batch which has actually been great as we've eaten it three times now!

I box of farfalle (bowtie) pasta, such as Barilla
1 large red pepper
1/2 package frozen peas
3 large carrots, peeled
2 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 1/2 cups rice milk
4 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. horseradish (optional)
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Core the red pepper and cut into chunks. Lightly grease a baking sheet and add red pepper and garlic cloves. Toss to coat in the olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, start pasta boiling in well salted water. Julienne the carrots into large sticks, and cook in a microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2 minutes, or steam on the stove. Reserve the peas for the final 3 minutes of the pasta being done, then add in to the boiling water and pasta to cook.

In a blender combine the remaining ingredients. Remove the red peppers and add to the blender, then peel the garlic and add as well. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer to a large pot and whisk over medium heat until smooth and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Drain pasta and peas when done, then combine with the sauce.

Note: You can also buy a frozen pea and carrot mix that would work great here. Consider adding in additional vegetables; mushrooms, corn, snow peas, you name it!

I was taking a picture of the food when my daughter wanted me to take one of her as well. She loved this dish!

Creamy Asparagus Mushroom Linguine

Early TED

This was a pre-TED/MSPI favorite that I was really craving. It handled the transition to "safe" very well!

1 lb. wheat or rice linguine noodles
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and blanched til al dente
1 package white mushrooms, halved and cut into thirds
1/2 a large onion, finely diced
2 cups rice milk
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Start the pasta cooking in well salted water. In a large skillet, cook the onions in the oil until almost softened. Add in the mushrooms and cook until both are done. Steam the asparagus until crisp tender on the stove or in the microwave. Transfer all to a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Pour into a pot and whisk on medium heat until thickened. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add the cooked vegetables and pasta to the pan and combine. Yummy!

Stellar Mushroom Sauce

From the Moosewood Cookbook. I love mushrooms and anything, so this sounds awesome!

2 oz. Dried Chinese black mushrooms
OR
¾ lb. Fresh shiitake, oyster and/or chanterelle mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 lb. Domestic white mushrooms, chopped
1 cup minced onion
1 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. dry sherry or 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup rice milk
2 Tbsp. rice milk powder or Dari-Free powder
1 lb. Fettucini or other noodles

If using dried mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Add 3 cups boiling water, cover with a plate and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, squeezing out and saving all the liquid. Beware of sand and sediment on the bottom of the bowl when using liquid later. Remove and discard the stems, coarsely chop the mushrooms. Measure out 2/3 cup of the liquid for the sauce.

Put pasta water on to boil.

Melt the margarine in a deep skillet. Add all mushrooms, onion and salt. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Stir in sherry (or vinegar). Turn heat to low and have a whisk ready. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, whisking steadily. Keep whisking for a minute or two after all the flour is in.
Add garlic and continue to cook and stir over low heat another 5-10 minutes. Dissolve powdered milk into liquid rice milk and add to sauce, mixing well until it is completely incorporated. Add to cooked pasta and serve.