Ingredients:
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Directions:
Wash and clean tomatoes. Cut them in half, lengthwise then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on top and season with rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well so all the tomatoes are coated. Roast them cut side up, on 400′ for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and caramelized.
My hub and I celebrated our anniversary this week and my gift to him was this super creamy and tasty pasta dish that is, wait for it…not dairy! (if you are amazed that this counts as a wedding anniversary gift, we hit #6 so a favorite dinner and day off of diaper duty is pretty much where we’re at. If it’s the creamy non dairy factor that has got you wowed, read on to find out how this non dairy pasta dish tastes so good you would think there is heavy cream or cream cheese in it somewhere. But nope. Not even a little bit! It’s all about the Roux. (Pronounced rue.) A Roux is basically a combo of flour and fat, butter, that is the thickening base to a great cheesy sauce. I decided to swap the butter for earth balance natural buttery spread (which is non dairy) and then once that was bubbly, I added almond milk to create the thick sauce. Turns out you don’t need dairy to make a good sauce! Which is nice since my husband is lactose intolerant and his fav dish is fettucini alfredo. (which is why this makes the perfect gift! ok I know I’m a foodie and all but come on, pretty nice gift right?) I threw some spinach in there too since it’s another one of his favs (yes I like to score points as wifey when I can) and then some roasted tomatoes just cuz I was feeling fancy and bam. You got Creamy Spinach & Roasted Tomato Pasta that’s not dairy.
Ingredients:
1 pint of roasted grape tomatoes (get recipe HERE)
1 bag of spinach (about 4 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons earth balance natural buttery spread
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of almond milk (or soy)
8 oz. pasta (I used Trader Joes Garlic Basil Linguine but any long pasta will do such as fettucini or spaghetti)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon basil, chopped
Directions:
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. While the pasta cooks and you roast the tomatoes (recipe HERE) saute olive oil and garlic in a large pot. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Once wet and wilted, it will reduce in size. Remove from heat and set aside. Using the same large pot, melt the earth balance buttery spread and add the flour. Whisk until combined and slightly thick. Add the milk and whisk until combined and continue to whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick. If you want it to be thicker, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour. Once sauce is thickened, add the spinach and tomatoes and combine well. Add pasta to pot of sauce and whisk together. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir several minutes over heat then turn off fire. Add fresh lemon basil and mix together before serving.
*Tips&Tricks: You can easily make this recipe dairy by using butter instead of the earth balance, and using heavy cream or cows milk instead of almond milk. If you make this dairy, serve with parmesan cheese shredded or grated on top.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
6 mushrooms, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups of cooked quinoa
Directions:
Heat up a frying pan with olive oil. Saute onions until tender. Add the mushrooms and pepper and cook until soft. Combine cooked quinoa and vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
This is a great recipe for Meatless Monday! I also included it in the Passover section since many people eat Quinoa on the holiday. Please note, that not everyone eats Quinoa on Passover and you should consult your Rabbi before deciding what your customs will be for the holiday.
Ingredients for Meatballs:
1 small onion diced
3 cloves of garlc diced
1 8ox package of mushrooms diced
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cups of cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water mixed together. If you want to keep this recipe vegan, you can use PAM or egg substitute instead)
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Directions:
Chop up cauliflower into pieces and wash and clean. Dry off with paper towels then place in a mixing bow. Add the olive oil and spices and mix well so it’s all combined. Then lay out in a large baking pan and place in oven on 450′. Roast for 15 minutes before turning the cauliflower over and continue roasting for another 15 – 20 minutes until tender.
I am going through a quinoa craze. I love the stuff! It’s satisfying, and goes with just about everything. These mushrooms are stuffed with a savory tomato quinoa mixture that almost tastes like meatballs. That’s how Zach of The Yiddish Players Club described them! (which of course got me thinking of the next dish I MUST whip up, Quinoa Meatballs!)
*Tips/Tricks:
I had a lot of leftover quinoa mixture, so I decided to stuff boneless, skinless chicken breast with it and it came out GREAT! You could also stuff a baked potato with it,buy two containers of 8 oz. mushrooms so there are more mushrooms to stuff, or eat it plain.
Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa, uncooked
2 cups of vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 8oz. container of mushrooms ( I got mushroom stuffers, but button mushrooms or any other would work)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley (you can swap for basil or cilantro if you like the taste of those better)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup of bread crumbs plus more for topping
1 8oz. can of tomato sauce
Directions:
1. Wash and clean mushrooms with a paper towel.
2. Chop off mushroom stems and set aside.
3. Place mushroom caps in a baking pan.
4. Place quinoa and broth in a pot, bring to a boil then lower flame and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork, then set aside.
5. In a large frying pan, saute the diced onion and 4 garlic cloves until tender. Add the can of diced tomatoes, chopped mushroom stems, chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from pan and put tomato mixture in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, mix well. Add the cooked quinoa. Mix well.
7. Scoop quinoa mixture into the mushroom caps.
8. Drizzle tomato sauce on top of stuffed mushrooms, sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
9. Bake in oven on 400′ for 20-25 minutes until top is crispy and mushrooms are tender.
