Crispy Kale Pasta Bake

Crispy Kale Pasta Bake
Vegan; Soy Free; Serves 4

This is adapted from Fig and Cherry. The first time I made this it came out really bland for my taste. Here I added poblano peppers and vegan Parmesan cheese. I omitted the cornflour and vegetable spread to make it lighter. Hope you all enjoy! My mom and I did.... Happy Eating!

1 1/2 cups shell pasta (or other small-shaped pasta)
1 bunch kale (or other leafy vegetable such as spinach or silverbeet)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups unsweetened hemp milk or non-dairy milk
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 small to medium poblano peppers, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons of chipotle cayenne vegan Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or as per packet instructions until almost al dente. You want it a little underdone because it will be heated again in the oven later on. Drain well and then place into a 1 1/2 quart ovenproof baking dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Destem the leaves of the kale. In a large skillet over medium heat kale, peppers, onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until just wilted (adding a Tablespoon of water at a time if needed). Transfer half the kale mixture to a mini food processor and add 1/3 cup hemp milk, mustard, pepper and chipotle cayenne vegan Parmesan cheese. Blitz for 30 seconds until finely chopped and smooth. Pour over the pasta in the baking dish and gently fold in the rest of the wilted kale mixture from the skillet. Slowly pour in the remaining hemp milk.

3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crunchy. Serve immediately.

Hominy Quesadillas with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Hominy Quesadillas with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
Vegan; Serves 8; 30 minutes or fewer

Welcome summer with this light tasty meal. Letting the grill and the food processor do a lot of the work, makes this a super easy meal to prepare on a weeknight. I soaked cashews in the morning, before going to work and was able to make a cashew cream to take place of the goat cheese that the original recipe from Vegetarian Times called for.

3 large or a combination of small and medium equal to 1/2 cup, husked and halved
1 large poblano chile, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded (I used 1 1/2 smaller poblano chiles)
1/2 onion cut into chunks
1 Tbs. lime juice, plus extra to cut into lime wedges for serving (about 3 limes total)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup cooked hominy or canned hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked pinto beans or canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
8 flour tortillas (I used green chile flour tortillas)
1/2 cup cashew cream
1/2 cup pepper jack daiya cheese
hot sauce

1. Preheat over medium heat, you may have to coat the grill grate or the grill pan with cooking spray. We didn't and didn't lose any veggies...

2 Coat tomatillos, poblano, and onion chunks with cooking spray. Grill for 10 minutes or until charred.

3. Pulse grilled onion chunks and tomatillos to coarse puree in a mini food processor. Add poblano and lime juice; blend until poblano is chopped. Transfer to bowl, and stir in cilantro.

4. Pulse hominy, pinto beans, and 2 Tbs. of tomatillo mixture in food processor until just beginning to stick together.

5. Press one-quarter hominy mixture over half of each tortilla. Add cashew cream and sprinkle pepper jack daiya cheese and fold tortillas in half. Grill quesadillas for 6 minutes or until filling is heat through, turning once. Let stand for about 2 minutes and serve with hot sauce.

Rajas

Rajas
Vegan

I had three poblano peppers and it would have been better to have the six, since I sliced them SO thin. The original recipe calls for heating the onions and garlic in a skillet, here I've made it easier for clean up and everything gets cooked together.

6 poblano chilies (1 lb.)
2 tsp. safflower oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Slice peppers and onion into 1/4-inch strips; place on cookie sheet and set aside. Add garlic, oregano and drizzle with oil, oven roast for 15-20 minutes.

Cajun Chickpea Patties

Cajun Chickpea Patties
Serves 4

I made these for Bruce and the boys when they got back from Florida. Bruce missing my cooking, loved these and what was even better-the boys liked them too! In this household, we tend to like things spicy so you may have to adjust the heat. I served these on toasted buns with the chipotle mayo and for a side made a cucumber and tomato salad. (That was not a big hit with the boys.)

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup diced onion
3/4 poblano pepper, diced and seeded
2 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp adobo sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying


1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, and poblano pepper for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 4 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

Adapted from Vegan Dad Blog