The Cooking Streak: Double Bean Burgers with Spicy Basil Avocado Cream

Since day 4 of the cooking streak involved the mass consumption of cheese (see Spinach Zucchini Lasagna), I needed to return to healthier, more low key ways for evening number 5. After careful consideration, I decided on a compromise between proper football watching eats and healthy hippiedom- the double bean burger.

Double Bean Burgers with Basil Avocado Cream
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Servings: 4 large patties
Time: 20 minutes

Soon this mush will be transformed into goodness

Burger
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2-1 tsp onion powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
1 large egg + 1 egg white, beaten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive oil
Toasted buns

Spicy, creamy perfection

Spicy Basil Avocado Cream
2/3 cup sour cream
1 avocado
10 basil leaves
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
Sriracha to taste

1. Mash the beans together in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the cilantro, garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten eggs and panko together.
4. Combine the panko egg mix with the beans until well incorporated.
5. Form the bean mixture into patties.
6. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3-5 minutes per side until a nice crust forms.
7. While the burgers are going, combine the sour cream, avocado, basil leaves, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and sriracha together in a food processor or blender until smooth. 
8. Serve the burgers topped with the avocado basil cream on toasted buns.

Success! It looks like an actual patty!

Herbs were the key to this burger's deliciousness. The patty itself may have been primarily beans, but the cilantro really stood out. As for the cream, the powerful basil made its mark in a wonderfully smooth yet sneakily spicy sauce that helped even out the somewhat dry burger. Be careful when making this to get a good crust on the patty and a nice toast to the bun, or you may end up with quite the mushy mess on your hands. In the end, this was one non-traditional burger that really managed to pack in the flavor for a unique and filling meal.

The Cooking Streak: Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna

Momentum seemed to be building as my cooking streak hit 3 days last night, but if I was going to make it 4 straight, I was gonna need help. With my kitchen in shambles from the nonstop bombardment of pumpkin cheesecake muffins, veggie stroganoff, and my Indian extravaganza, I required a new workspace (maybe I should just move whenever the pots and pans pile up). Naturally, I decided to take over the kitchen of Kevin, the man who I used to take advantage of count on to keep my kitchen clean. But the great cooking streak bandwagon wasn't done yet. We also got a hand from new friend to the blog, Michaela, who is as renowned for her skill of stealing her sister's mandolin as she is for her gluten-allergy.

Could the three of us work together to create the perfect noodle-free lasagna, or would Kevin's shiny new kitchen be reduced to a pile of rubble?

Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna
Adapted from Primavera Kitchen
Servings 8-10
Time: 90 minutes

Is there anything Kevin can't do?

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes w/ juice
4 baby carrots, shredded
Red Chili flakes to taste
Oregano to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped fennel
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 cups spinach
15 oz. ricotta
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 medium zucchini sliced 1/8" thick
16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

If your'e lazy, just dip garlic bread repeatedly in this sauce.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Saute the onions and mushroom in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent (6-8 minutes).
3. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, shredded carrots, oregano, red chili flakes, salt and pepper.
5. Cover and bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the fennel and let cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
6. Remove from heat and add basil and spinach, incorporating well.
7. Mix the ricotta, Parmesan and egg together in a medium bowl.
8. Coat the bottom of a 9x12 casserole dish with the sauce.
9. Layer 5-6 zucchini slices to cover.
10. Make another layer of the ricotta cheese mix and mozzarella.
11. Repeat until you run out of room.
12. Top with sauce and mozzarella.
13. Bake 50 minutes covered (turning once) and 10 minutes uncovered. You want a delicate balance between the noodles being malleable but not mushy and the cheese not being burnt. 
14. Let cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Sadly, the foil took away a large chunk of cheese in the middle. This cheese still somehow managed to make its way into my stomach.

A lot of work may have gone into this lasagna, but it was absolutely worth it. The sauce was spot on with the perfect blend of Italian spices, that heat from the chili flakes, and the wonderful substance provided by the spinach and mushrooms. Zucchini was a superb noodle substitute (plus the term "zoodle" is pretty fun to say), but the real star (as it should be) was all of the glorious cheese. The ricotta/Parmesan combo was as satisfying as anything you'll find this side of manicotti, and the mozzarella provided all the gooey, stretchy cheese fun your clogged heart desires. This dish may not have gone a long way toward my goal of turning 30 in the best shape of my life, but it at least made sure I'll be a lot more satisfied when I do.

And now the stages of lasagna making!

1) The layering stage- a time of so much hope and promise.

2) The assembled stage- when you realize you still have over an hour before you eat and get sad.

3) The longing stage- note: be careful not to burn yourself on the oven.

4) The fall apart stage- because screw you, Pinterest, that's why!

The Cooking Streak Continues: Aloo Gobi

Last night's dinner was a little too simple to truly enjoy thanks to my penchant for multitasking and stressing myself out. If I was going to extend the cooking streak to three days, I was going to need something to properly wreck my kitchen and double as my exercise for the night. Given my love of all things Indian (see: The Triple C, Vegetarian Korma, and Robin), I knew exactly how to complicate dinner to perfection. I would make my favorite bhendi and garlic naan to go along with newcomer aloo gobi and stress my tiny apartment kitchen to its limits (I'm quite ready to have the house full time).

Aloo Gobi
Adapted from Love and Lemons
Servings: 4
Time: 35 minutes

Poor tofu had to wait all alone for so long

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup firm tofu, drained well and cubed
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 small yellow potatoes, chopped into small cubes
3 tsp curry powder (plus more for tofu)
1 tsp cardamom (plus more for tofu)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp grated ginger
1/3 cup water
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 handfuls spinach
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro
Red chili flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Just one of 3 pots I had going at once all for myself.

1. Sear the tofu in the olive oil over medium heat with a mixture of salt, pepper, curry powder, cardamom and red chili flakes.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until a light crust forms. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, saute the onions in coconut oil over medium heat until tender and translucent.
3. Stir in the curry powder, salt, black pepper, cardamom, and cumin and coat well.
4. Add in the ginger, garlic, and potatoes. Stir once then let cook for 3-5 minutes without stirring.
5. Pour in the water, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer 10-15 minutes until the potatoes become tender and the water is evaporated.
6. Mix in the cauliflower and cook until tender 5-8 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk, peas, spinach, and lime and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Stir in the cilantro and tofu to warm it back up. Adjust the seasoning and serve with naan.

So many things going on, but all of them working perfectly together for awesome veggie overload.

Aloo gobi was a fantastic compliment to the spicy bhendi and warm, comforting garlic naan. The potatoes, tofu, and cauliflower add much needed heartiness, while the peas and coconut milk bring just the slightest bit of sweetness. The curry and cardamom fuse it all together for a dish that tastes just as amazing as it smells and holds its own in the inevitable mixing of all components that is essential to any good Indian meal. 

Okra: an all-star in Cajun, Indian, and BBQ.

Stay tuned to see if I can extend the streak to four- a feat unheard of since the good old unemployment days of yore.

It's so pretty, multiple angles were required.

15 Minute Vegetarian Stroganoff

Following yet another Sunday of absurd food and alcohol (see Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Muffins) and a conversation with my sister who had just watched Fed Up, I decided it was time to take some action if I had any hopes of hitting my goal of being in the best shape of my life when I turn 30 in less than 9 months (which, given my eating habits during my near constant work travel, is quite the optimistic goal). Step one involves cooking more (and better) for myself (and all you faithful readers who have surely felt like your lives were missing something vital lately), while step two includes finding the time and energy to work out a lot more than I have been. So begins the quest to get back in shape (thanks, stupid ACLs).

Vegetarian Stroganoff
Adapted from Amuse Your Bouche
Servings: 3
Time: 15 minutes

I was almost certain the pan would overflow

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin
1 package Gardein beefless tips
1/4-1/2 cup vegatable stock
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Black pepper to test
Red chili flakes to taste
salt to taste
Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (Annie's has one)
3 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
Parsley (optional)
Noodles or rice

1. Saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and beefless tips in olive oil over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the veggie stock, smoked paprika, black pepper, red chili flakes, salt and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (normal has anchovies in it). Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the sour cream and parsley when ready to serve. 
4. Scoop on top of rice or noodles and enjoy.
5. Spend more time writing the blog post than cooking the meal.

Properly cooked down goodness.

In order to begin my more frequent cooking quest, I was going to have to find something tasty and fast. This stroganoff seemed like just the ticket. In half the time it takes to watch a sitcom, I had a hearty, healthy meal ready to devour. The dish had a great hint of smokiness from the paprika and a little kick from the red chili flakes, but it had a few areas that needed improvement. I made the mistake of buying the mushrooms pre-sliced, which led to them being a little too thick and taking over a lot of bites. Additionally, the texture of the rice was less than ideal, and the dish would have greatly benefited from some slippery noodles. All-in-all, though, the dish was definitely worth the (lack of) effort and deserves a second test run with the new insight.

Check back tomorrow night as I attempt to hit a streak of three straight days of cooking with aloo gobi.

The Paula Deen Vegan Challenge!: Glazed "Bacon"-Wrapped "Chicken" with Cheesy Asparagus & Rosemary Potatoes

As punishment for not posting a Weekly Vegan entry last week, I presented myself with the ultimate challenge. I had to turn Paula Deen recipes into tasty vegan dishes. The queen of butter and bacon was not gonna make this easy, but I was ready for her. Undeterred, I grabbed my trusty veganizing ray and set about on my mission, not sure if I'd ever return.

Whatever you do, don't look into the beast's eyes!

Glazed Tempeh Bacon Wrapped Gardein
Veganized from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible
Servings: 4
Time: 2 and a half hours (2 hours inactive)

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp tabasco
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
4 gardein patties, thawed
4 slices tempeh bacon
1/2 cup light brown sugar

So you're supposed to cover two kinds of meat with sugar. Yeah, that sounds about right.

1. Combine the soy sauce, orange juice, tabasco and garlic in a plastic bag. Add the gardein patties and coat well. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
3. Free the gardein from its marinade grave and wrap with a slice or two of tempeh bacon. Use a toothpick to keep it secured.
4. Dip the gardein in the brown sugar and coat evenly. Place the chicken on the wire rack and cook for 15 minutes, turning once.

The glazed gardein was somewhat of a mixed-bag. It turned out a little dry since I cooked everything at once at 400 F (so you should probably reduce the time and temp). Evenly coating the gardein patties was also a little tricky, so some bites had nice flavor and some were sadly lacking. These pieces were quickly remedied by the glorious tempeh bacon, which cooked perfectly in the oven. The tempeh was truly the highlight of the meal and went magnificently with the two sides.

Cheesy Asparagus

Veganized from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Servings: 3

Time: 15 minutes

1 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Daiya cheddar cheese

Breaking off the ends of asparagus is oddly therapeutic. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle on Daiya cheddar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the faux cheese melts.

The Daiya cheese had some issues with sticking to the asparagus.

Cheese covered asparagus brought me back to the unhealthy introduction to veggies we all have as children. The Daiya cheddar is a great imitation of the real thing (with an interesting and somewhat powdery taste). The only issue I had with this side was that the cheese mostly stayed on the baking sheet, forcing me to scrape it out. The extra work was worth it, though, and would also come in handy with the rosemary potatoes. 

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Veganized from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Servings: 4

Time: 40 minutes

3/4 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks

3/4 lb red potatoes, cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

2 strips tempeh bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. 
2. Toss the potatoes and tempeh bacon in the oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
3. Roast, turning occasionally until golden and tender or about 30 minutes.

Cropped so you don't see the burnt potato!

Rosemary potatoes are a killer weapon to have in your culinary arsenal. They can add the perfect starchy finish to any dinner or breakfast (see: A Very Vegan Christmas). Opening up your oven to that roasted rosemary smell just might be one of the most perfect experiences you can have in a kitchen. I noticed Paula Deen's recipe wasn't Deenified enough, so I upped the unnecessary quotient by adding some tempeh bacon to the equation. This proved to be a brilliant idea as the potatoes, tempeh bacon and cheese from the asparagus enabled occasional side quests to the land of the baked potato.

Battered and bruised, I emerged victorious from my assault on Paula Deen's cuisine (rhyming is fun). This was a great break from the wild baking tangent I went on (My first actual meal post in almost a month!) and a welcome addition to The Weekly Vegan. Also, now that I live much closer to a Whole Foods (and may have stocked up on enough vegan supplies for the upcoming apocalypse), I'm ready to continue fighting the good fight in my crusade against the ultimate Southern cook.

The Weekly Vegan: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

I had one of the most profound realizations of my life today. My grand epiphany shined light on the fact that The Weekly Vegan doesn't just have to be meals; it can also involve baking (perhaps I should have realized this given all the baking I did with my sister)! While suffering from a serious case of the baking DTs (It had been 4 whole days), I developed a craving for peanut butter, bananas and chocolate (Fortunately, I didn't also crave pickles, or I'd have to worry that I was pregnant).  The only cure for this would be to make some ridiculous cookies. Luckily, I found a recipe to get me started on a health site called Fat Secret (Google takes you to the darndest places). I knew it was the one based on the fact it had a 2 star rating due to it not being particularly diety.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Modified heavily from FatSecret.com
Servings: 15 cookies
Time: 30 minutes (plus cooling)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2-3 bananas
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup chunky peanut butter
16 oz dark chocolate (better quality should be milk free)

Luckily I only had room for 12 cookies leaving plenty of amazing batter.

3 straight tries without seizing!

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Mash the bananas then mix with the sugars and vanilla extract in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment .
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture until incorporated.
5. Add the peanut butter and mix well.
6. Drop tablespoon sized amounts of batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let cool on wire racks.
9. Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave on medium power in one minute bursts.
10. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate then place on a new baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the fridge until the chocolate hardens.
11. Serve with lots of soy milk and enjoy.

Surely, I couldn't stop at just a normal dessert.

Let's start with the cookie itself. I'm always a little disappointed with the consistency of banana cookies because they turn out too muffiny (the mushy banana in the batter really changes things). I figured it would probably happen again this time, so I cut back on the flour to counteract this a little. This still gave me one muffin-like cookie, but it worked really well with the flavors. The crunch peanut butter gave a fabulous roasted peanut taste that was smoothly finished by the banana backend.

Waiting for the chocolate to harden might be the toughest part.

What really made this cookie special was the dark chocolate shell. The hard coating provided a beautiful contrast to the cookie, and we all know chocolate and peanut butter are among the world's greatest combinations (somehow giving jelly a run for its money). All together, the three key components of this super cookie provide for one uber satisfying triple layered experience.

It's like two desserts in one. But seriously, you'll probably want to dip the whole thing.

Make sure you have a healthy supply of soy milk to go with these cookies to complete the ultimate in vegany desserts. Now, I need to make sure I still focus on vegan meals for the weekly vegan and don't just feed my love of baking (since I do want to keep this segment somewhat on the healthy side).

The killer line-up

The Weekly Vegan: Grit Cakes with Wilted Kale & Sweet Potato Soup

The Weekly Vegan has been a bit of a misnomer lately as this is sadly my first vegan dish of the month (but fear not, vegan faithful, I already have Potato Gnocchi with Vegan Vodka Sauce planned for this week).  This Friday I returned to the world of vegan cuisine with a wonderful two course meal of sweet potato soup and grit cakes with wilted kale to get my weekend started right. Most importantly, I made it with the power of love (or at least the power of the heart-shaped cookie cutter I had from Valentine's Day).


Grit Cakes with Wilted Kale
Adapted from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by A. Simpson
Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes

Grits
1 cup quick grits
1:1 soy milk to water for the grits liquid
1/2 cup shredded Daiya cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1 heart shaped cookie cutter

Wilted Kale
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large bunch of kale, torn
4 cups vegetable stock
Pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste

Some cayenne to spice up the grits

Oh, kale, you wilt with the best of 'em

1. Start with the kale because it's going to take a while. Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil until the onion begins to get soft and translucent (3-5 minutes).
2. Add the kale, pepper and red chili and stir well. Then pour in the veggie stock and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 35-45 minutes.
4. Make the grits while the kale is cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
5. Make a 1:1 mixture of soy milk and water to meet the package directions for the required liquid for 1 cup of grits. Bring to a boil.
6. Whisk in the grits and cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat then stir in the cayenne, salt and vegan cheese until melted.
8. Pour into a 9" round glass dish and cook for 10 minutes in the oven to make crispier grits.
9. Cut the grits into delightful heart shapes and plate.
10. Drain the kale then either place on top of the grits or create a bed for the grits (the bed looks prettier).

I've mentioned my love of grits before, so I was pretty stoked to get a chance to try a vegan grits dish. Despite my excitement, I was also fairly concerned. Normally you make grits flavorful with lots of butter and heavy cream, which aren't really options anymore. Instead, I used some soy milk to help out the the consistency and add a little flavor and richness. This worked nicely, and the Daiya cheese really added to that richness, while the cayenne helped instill some much needed kick. The kale provided a nice earthiness to the dish (with a little heat thanks to the red pepper flakes) and continued to challenge spinach for green leafy supremacy. Crisping the grits in the oven was key, so that there wasn't just one giant mushy mess on the plate. This was a fantastic main course, but, like with most of these vegan recipes, I still found myself missing some fake protein. Kevin makes a fantastic steak with wilted spinach and risotto that this kind of reminds me of, so I think using some Gardein meatless tips would really bring this all together to complete the meal.


Sweet Potato Soup
Adapted from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by A. Simpson
Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes

1 1/2 cups baked sweet potato (about one sweet potato)
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup soy milk

1. Bake the sweet potato in the oven at 450 F for 45 minutes until the sugars start to come out. Cut it open and scoop out the 1 1/2 cups needed.
2. Make a little mini roux. Whisk the flour and oil together over medium heat. Then stir constantly until it turns a light caramel color.
3. Whisk in the stock and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Add in the sweet potato, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes.
6. Puree the soup in a blender then return to the pot and add the soy milk. Keep warm over low to medium-low heat until ready to serve.

A nice refreshing and sweet soup to start the meal.

It had been a little chilly this week, so I was looking forward to a nice soup. Unfortunately, it warmed up by Friday, so I just had to employ the air conditioner (electric bill be damned!) to simulate the cold. The soup was pitch perfect with a subtle sweetness and amazing hints of cinnamon. I realized my grits were getting cold because I was too busy scooping this into my mouth as rapidly as possible (I somehow refrained from just slurping it straight from the bowl). To me, this was the highlight of the night and would be a perfect addition to any autumn meal (Which is obviously why I'm using it in February. I'm used to Los Angeles where there aren't actual seasons.).

The most important tool in a chef's kit.

It felt good to be back to some nice wholesome vegan cooking (especially after the health scare that was the 3 desserts for Valentine's Day).  This week will only get more vegany as I'll hopefully have the gnocchi up later and a special vegan addendum to the beer battered fish tacos compliments of Courtney (hooray people using my blog!).

The Weekly Vegan: Baked Ziti with Grilled Veggies

Since this week's vegan night fell on a work night, I wanted to go with something quick and easy yet delicious (Fortunately, my sister also gave me a vegan cookbook that starts with the words quick and easy. It felt like a sign to use it.). I had a particular hankering for Italian, so I went with a nice baked ziti, which is kind of like the most delicious lasagna impostor out there. I also had a new participant in vegan night, Sarah, who is no stranger to the ways of vegan cooking (meaning she might realize if I actually sucked at it). The pressure was on, but so were the grill and homemade pasta sauce, so I felt set to take on the challenge.


Baked Ziti
Modified from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by A. Simpson
Servings: 8
Time: 60 minutes

Faux beef FTW!

1 cup vegetable broth + 1/4 cup 
1 1/2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
1 bag Boca meatless crumble
1 pound ziti, cooked according to the package
1/2 onion, diced
4 cups marinara sauce (see below)
Pepper to taste
2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella

Stop now and you have "beefy" mac

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Bring 1 cup of the veggie broth and the liquid smoke to a boil in a pot. Add the meatless crumble and let cook until all the broth is absorbed (about 7-10 minutes)
3. Mix the meatless crumble, cooked ziti, onion, marinara sauce (see below for a recipe or use store bought; I won't judge), remaining veggie broth and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Lightly oil a casserole dish.
5. Pour half of the pasta mix into the casserole dish then sprinkle on a cup of the faux mozzarella.
6. Repeat step five making sure to take a sample of the deliciousness you're about to be in for.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts (if your veggie cheese is having trouble melting like they sometimes do, you can put it under the broiler for about a minute to help).
8. Scoop out like lasagna and enjoy.

It looks kind of like the ziti is trying to escape from a delicious melted cheese pool (fun fact: one day when I'm rich I will have a delicious melted cheese pool)

Like I mentioned above, this is essentially lasagna with different noodles (which in their tubular shape are much more fun to play with). The ziti was cooked just right, and the beefless crumble (with a great hint of smokiness) really simulated your usual carnivorous varieties (seriously you could pretend this was a meat dish and no one would have a clue you were lying). As always, though, the true star was melted "cheese". I've been quite impressed with the cheese substitutes available, and this was no exception. It had the mozzarella taste down perfectly and melted superbly to make each bite incredible (and even a little stretchy).


Marinara Sauce

Randomly thrown together in my head

Servings: 1 baked ziti

Time: 20 minutes

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

1/4 cup Red Wine, preferably a cab (here's a handy list of vegan friendly wines)

4 cups tomato sauce

Basil to taste

Oregano to taste

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

I find the sauce comes out better when I dress and talk like an old Italian woman.

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add in the red wine and reduce to about half.
3. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir well.
4. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt and pepper and let the flavors marry for about 15 minutes.
5. Let cool somewhat (like 10 minutes) then add to your ziti mix.

This was a pretty good pasta sauce for our baked ziti. There was a sweetness and saltiness to it that worked very well together (and helped make the final product not require additional salt). The big impact, however, came from the onion component. Cooking them in the red wine really helped bring out some of their inert sweetness and flavor that shined throughout (and was further emphasized by adding more onions to the ziti). The only real change I would make would be using crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce to provide a little more texture.


Grilled Veggies

Modified from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by A. Simpson

Time: 50 minutes (30 inactive)

Asparagus, ends trimmed

Squash, sliced

Zucchini, sliced

Olive Oil

Balsamic

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Not pictured: Grill Master Alexis rocking the veggies.

1. Put the veggies in a plastic bag and drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic.
2. Sprinkle in the spices and mix well.
3. Let marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Get your neighbor to start up your grill your and lose one man point (If you don't have a grill, bake these in the oven around 400 F for 12-15 minutes. And if you don't have a neighbor, well you're screwed.).
5. Grill on low for 20 minutes flipping halfway through or at high heat for 3-5 minutes per side if you want those grill marks.
6. Realize that strange feeling is your body trying to leach all the nutrients out of the veggies it's been so deprived of.

Apparently, I am incapable of turning on our grill. Luckily, Alexis is a pro and was able to take over grill master duties while I worked on the baked ziti. These grilled veggies were a fantastic side for our baked ziti. The balsamic was key to their wonderful flavors, and the rosemary and thyme created a splendid aroma that enhanced the experience. Plus, Alexis grilled them to perfection lending to their speedy disappearance. 

They were right when they said I couldn't fit it all in my mouth at once...

I think this is the early frontrunner for vegan night of the year. I knew this was a winner when I saw people grabbing stray pieces of ziti on the foil and in the casserole dish while we were cleaning up. Also, this was great introduction to the other vegan cookbook that I know look forward to using for the next several entries in The Weekly Vegan. Three weeks in, I can definitely say that I finding myself looking forward to vegan night every week (and not just because of my strange phobias about touching raw meat).