Vegan Yum Yum (11 page)

S
o, this is an ugly duckling. It was hard to get it to look as good as it does, but it's still no beauty pageant winner. However, what it lacks in looks it makes up for in soothing, creamy, comfort food awesomeness. It's sort of a variation on baked mac and cheese. The sauce base is a slightly tweaked version of the sauce used in the Hurry Up Alfredo recipe on page 196, so if you like that sauce (and broccoli and mushrooms), you'll like this.

I use orzo pasta because it's quick cooking and small enough to help the casserole stay in a block when you cut it. You can use any smallish pasta shape you want, but you might have to make more than 1 cup depending on what size the shape is.

Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake

Makes 4 to 5 servings

step 1
To make the Alfredo sauce, mix the soy milk, margarine, soy sauce, tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, cashews, cornstarch, mustard, and garlic in a blender until it is as smooth as possible, then set aside.

step 2
Begin boiling water for the pasta and add when ready.

step 3
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 4
Separate the florets from the stem of the broccoli. Chop stem into smallish pieces and place in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break it down some more. Add the florets and pulse until the entire mixture is fairly fine, though some chunks of broccoli are fine (and even desired). Remove from the food processor; you should have 2½ cups.

step 5
Process the mushrooms until uniform, remove from food processor, and add to the broccoli. You should have ½ cup of mushrooms.

step 6
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté until softened and beginning to color. Then add the broccoli/mushroom mixture and salt and sauté until the mixture cooks down slightly and everything has softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.

step 7
Drain the pasta when done. Add it to the broccoli/mushroom mixture and then pour the Alfredo sauce over it and mix well. Taste and add more salt at this point if desired. Scrape out the mixture into a lightly oiled (important!) medium-size casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and sprinkle with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover tightly in foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce, Tweaked

1 cup soy milk

2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
(or vegetable oil with a small pinch of salt)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup nutritional yeast

¼ cup raw, unsalted cashews

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 to 4 garlic cloves
(optional)

1 cup orzo

1 stalk broccoli, 2½ cups after processing

1 cup mushrooms
(button, porta-bella, or cremini)
, ½ cup after processing

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ to ½ cup bread crumbs, for topping

1 pinch salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika black pepper, to taste

1 green or red bell pepper, for garnish
(optional)

step 8
Remove the foil and bake for an extra 5 minutes to brown the top. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions:
I like to serve this topped with fresh, finely diced green pepper on top. It gives a nice, crunchy, sweet pop to the soft, creamy casserole. Plus, it makes it look better. I also dust with more paprika. While this recipe keeps well, it becomes a little dry the next day, so add a splash of soy milk when reheating. It's also good with ketchup, if you're into that sort of thing.

Creamy Sweet Potato Bake

I
love the versatility of my Alfredo sauce. It's my go-to creamy sauce, and it goes wonderfully in this dish with tender sweet potatoes, dark kale, and some nutmeg, ginger, and thyme to bring the dish together. It's really easy to cook, but it makes a satisfying meal.

Creamy Sweet Potato Bake

Makes 3 to 4 servings

step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta.

step 2
Two or three minutes before the pasta is completely cooked, add the chopped kale to the boiling water. When pasta is cooked and the kale is bright green but tender, drain and set aside.

step 3
Chop the sweet potatoes into bite-size chunks. Boil in salted water until tender, but not falling apart. Drain.

step 4
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 5
To make the Alfredo sauce, blend the soy milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, tamari, margarine, tahini, lemon juice, mustard, ginger, nutmeg, thyme, paprika, and black pepper in a blender. Blend well for several minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and season, if necessary.

step 6
Combine the pasta, kale, and the sweet potatoes with the sauce and stir well. Place in a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve.

Ingredients

3 cups fusilli pasta
(or other similar shape)

1 head kale, deveined and chopped

1½ pounds sweet potatoes

Alfredo Sauce

1¼ cups soy milk

cup raw, unsalted cashews

cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons Earth

Balance margarine

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon powdered ginger

1 pinch nutmeg

teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
(optional)

black pepper, to taste

Bread crumbs, for topping
(optional)

Dal Makhni

I
made this dish after going out for Indian food with my best friend Sandy and seeing her order it every single time. I started to get jealous, because I could never taste her dish due to the cream. So here's my vegan version: a rich, creamy, filling lentil dish that's perfect for cold winter nights. Or any night. (Especially if you're Sandy.)

Dal Makhni

Makes 2 to 3 servings

step 1
Cook the lentils in 2 cups water until tender, about 40 minutes.

step 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until caramelized and reddish brown, being careful not to burn.

step 3
Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cardamom pods and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

step 4
Add the ginger and garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

step 5
Add the tomatoes and salt and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

step 6
Stir in the lentils and additional water, if needed, to thin.

step 7
Blend the cashews in a blender, slowly adding the water until it's all combined and a rich cream forms. Stir this cream into the lentils as desired, saving some for presentation when serving. Serve, garnishing with a drizzle of cashew cream.

Ingredients

1 cup masoor dal
(substitute French or green lentils)

2 cups water