Chard-Stuffed Manicotti with Creamy Cashew Sauce

After Thanksgiving, I was taking it easy in the kitchen for awhile. But last night, I felt like making something a little fancier. I came across this recipe in 1000 Vegan Recipes and realized it had been too long since I made manicotti.  It can seem daunting -- boiling the manicotti shells, making the stuffing, making the sauce, and of course stuffing the shells and baking it.  But none of this is difficult, only time-consuming.  And it always looks nice when you serve it up.

I'd always used spinach in my manicotti, and I'd never made one with a white sauce before. I found that the chard was an excellent substitute for the spinach -- I always love chard.  But, the tofu filling could've been more flavorful. Next time I'll mix in some lemon juice, nooch and garlic, like I usually do when making a tofu ricotta. The white sauce was also on the bland side. I do like the idea of using cashews to make a creamy sauce, but cashews and milk alone do not make a good sauce. (The sauce, by the way, was really thin when I poured it over the pasta shells, which made me nervous. But it thickened up nicely in the oven. I let it cool for about 10 minutes afterwards, and it was perfectly set when I cut into it.)

Tony and I improved the flavor by spooning a little marinara on top, although we still couldn't get Jackson interested in it. We ate it for dinner and again for lunch today with some roasted brussels on the side. Yep, I still can't get enough of them.

Check it out -- Averie at Love Veggies and Yoga is giving away a $50 Chocomize gift certificate to create your own customized chocolate bars, yum!

The Evolution of the BLT

I decided to class up my beloved BLT sandwich with this fancy bread that caught my eye at the supermarket. It's organic sprouted rye bread from Alvarado St. Bakery.  It's got such a great texture -- soft but dense, with little crunchy bits of caraway seeds and stuff.  

Then I added some Smart Bacon, yum.  Tempeh bacon is good, but I'm not always in the mood for tempeh. Sometimes I just want my fake processed bacon that looks like dog treats.

Behold. I guess it's technically more of a BST, since that's spinach in there. Awesome, none the less.

Spinach Pesto

Are there any foods whose smell alone you find irresistible? Whose scent makes you happy before you even take a bite?

My top five food scents

1. Basil

2. Oatmeal cookies baking

3. Garlic cooking in olive oil

4. The interior of a pumpkin when you cut into it

5. Tomatoes fresh from the garden

I know I'm not alone in loving the scent of basil.  That's probably why I make pesto so often during the summer, when fresh basil is abundant.  

For the winter months when it's harder to come by, this alternative helps me miss it a little less.

Spaghetti with Spinach Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

1 lb. spaghetti

8 oz. cherry tomatoes

4 oz. baby spinach

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Boil spaghetti according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, puree the spinach, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes in the food processor. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the cherry tomatoes to the pasta. Drain the pasta and tomatoes, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Gently toss the pasta and tomatoes with the pesto, adding cooking water as needed to help the pesto stick to the pasta and prevent it from being too dry.

Look at that lovely emerald green color.

Quickly boiling the tomatoes helps them become tender and juicy, so they burst when you bite into them.

Jackson loves this one. 



Christmas at Rockefeller Center

On Saturday we headed to the city to see the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.  We didn't make it last year, and we were really curious to see what New York City is like at Christmastime.  So as soon as we heard that the tree was lit, we made plans to go.

On our way out of town, we ate lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant called Tanjore. 

I gotta admit, I'm pretty sure this meal was not 100% vegan. When I'm eating outside my home, as long as the food is vegetarian and not oozing melted cheese, I don't ask for specifics.  I guess I could ask them to prepare me something special, but I don't want to make a big deal.  Do you ask for special dishes or do you have more of a "what I don't know won't hurt me" attitude when dining out or at the homes of family/friends?  I know some of you are more strict, or have allergy issues which force you to be aware of what you're eating at all times. 

Olivia ate her first bites of Indian food.  I gave her some naan and carrot halwa (pudding).  Now that she has a couple of teeth, she thinks she is the champion of eating solid food.  She wants to eat what we're eating, whenever she can.

When arrived in the city and walked towards the tree, the first landmark we saw was St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Then we came to Rockefeller Center.  I recognized it from 30 Rock.  I wanted to find Jack Donaghy and have him advise me on how to be more awesome at life.

 I was all excited when we spotted the tree.  I love Christmas lights and decorations.  I must have a little Griswald in me because, seriously -- the more lights, the better.  They just make me feel happy and festive.

I wanted to get closer to the ice-skating rink and watch the skaters, but the whole area was super crowded.

Jackson and Olivia didn't know what to make of the giant tree, but Jackson loves to people-watch, so he was all set.

As we headed back to our car, I saw these random giant Christmas ornaments. On the next block, there was a strand of giant Christmas lights.

I didn't get any pictures of all the shop windows we passed, with their holiday-themed window displays. The crowd in front of the Cartier shop was so huge, I couldn't even tell what was going on inside!  It must have been something interesting. 

As we walked past Radio City Music Hall, a show was just letting out. The crowd of people was so thick that we were literally at a standstill on the sidewalk for half an hour. I had plenty of time to snap a picture.

It's funny, now that I've been to the city several times, I gotta say I have no idea where the stereotype of "rude New Yorkers" comes from.  Nobody has ever been snotty to me in a restaurant or glared at me for pushing a stroller on a busy street.  In fact, on Saturday, making our way through that insane crowd, so many people went out of their way to make sure that us parents with strollers were able to squeeze by, and that kids didn't get separated from their moms and dads.  Once, Olivia dropped her little hat, and I had no idea she'd lost it until a guy ran up and handed it back to her, having picked it up off the sidewalk. 

How was your weekend?  Hope you had fun!



Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

It's been a busy week with the kiddos -- Olivia is figuring out how to crawl, and Jackson is progressing with his potty training.  So now I have two mobile toddlers to look after, but way fewer poopy diapers to change. That's a trade-off I'm happy to make! I'll have some food pics tomorrow, maybe. (After talk of poopy diapers, did you really want food pics today?)

For today...the cold temps outside are making me nostalgic for summer.  One of the highlights of this past summer was our trip to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Luckily we live only 1 1/2 hours away, and it was a great opportunity for Jackson to meet all kinds of different animals. As one of the owners showed us around the farm, he patiently told us the background stories of the turkeys, cows, goats, and other sweet animals who are fortunate enough to be rescued and come live at WFAS. 

I was amazed that our guide seemed to know the personality of every animal, down to each individual chicken!  But I suppose it's no different than me understanding my dog's personality after living with him for awhile.  As their website states, "Woodstock Animal Farm Sanctuary is driven by the simple philosophy that kindness and respect to animals is our moral duty and that all the creatures that share this earth are here with us and not for us. Farm animals are feeling individuals who deserve to be treated with compassion."  Absolutely!

Kale Potato Soup

Almost every vegan cookbook offers a variation on this recipe. I couldn't choose among them, so I created my own. Frying up some seitan sausage or chorizo to crumble on top really brings it all together.

Kale Potato Soup
1 tsp. olive oil
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2" cubes
6 cups kale, cleaned and chopped
1 cup chickpeas (or throw in the whole can, it doesn't really matter)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano

In your soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium and saute the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, stock, thyme and oregano. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the kale and simmer 15 more minutes. Crumble in your favorite seitan sausage and serve.

Sesame Seitan Spring Rolls

Another Asian-inspired dinner tonight...keeping it light and healthy after days of Thanksgiving feasting. There's a time and a place for pumpkin pie for breakfast -- but that time was last week, not this week! So tonight we had Sesame Seitan Spring Rolls with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce, from 1000 Vegan Recipes.

The sesame seitan was so tasty all by itself. The thin strips of seitan are marinated in hoisin sauce and then rolled in sesame seeds before being sauteed. The seitan is sweet and smoky, and the seeds give it a nice little crunch.

The seitan tasted awesome bundled up in spring roll wrappers with baby spinach and grated carrot, and dipped in the citrusy, gingery sauce. If you haven't made spring rolls, give it a try, it's easy! My directions are here.

Happy December! Do you have snow yet where you live? We got some flurries the other day but only for a little while.  Winter will be here soon enough, though!