Creamy Coconut Basil Sauce

I. Have. So. Much. Basil.

Andrew is a big pesto fan, so besides winter squash, his only garden request was lots of basil. I planted it everywhere, in containers, pallet rows, and right in the ground. I lost track of how many seeds I actually planted, and now it's cropping up everywhere. It's not going to waste though! I've been making vegan pesto, dehydrating it, and freezing it.

Basil in the dehydrator.

Once the basil has dried (after a long run in the dehydrator),
I chop it up in the baby bullet so that I have dried basil through the year.

Taking a suggestion from my parents friend on a recent camping trip,
I froze basil in zip locks full of water. The leaves stay bright green and fresh
looking this way. Freeze two cups in each bag, so when you're ready to use them,
just defrost the bag, drain, and use the leaves in your recipe.

I found an on-line recipe for a creamy basil sauce. I've talked before about the value of coconut milk in vegan cooking, and it worked great for this recipe, too. Served over whole wheat pasta and roasted squash, this sauce was delicious.!

Creamy Coconut Basil Sauce

Serves 6-8

• 2 packed cups of basil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast   
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 2 cans of coconut milk

1. Blend basil and garlic together in a blender or food processor.
2. Add olive oil, and blend for a minute or so until everything is fully combined. 
3. Add nutritional yeast and arrowroot powder, and blend again.
4. Add the mixture to a sauce pan and pour in the coconut milk.
5. Simmer over a low flame for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. You could skip this last step to keep it raw, but it won't be very "creamy".

Squash from the garden, tossed in oil and roasted at 400º for 20 minutes.

Squash: 20 minutes 400

Vegan Penne A La Vodka

He's obsessed with wearing glasses.

Penne a la vodka is one of my absolute favorite meals, and is one of my go to comfort foods. It was also one of the first meals I learned to make. It was the beginning of my kitchen adventures, transitioning me from someone who hated cooking, to someone who realized how fun and satisfying it could be.

I've often shelved my craving for the pasta dish because I didn't want to make a separate meal for my son with the dairy allergy. While strolling down the beach recently, thinking about food (shocking), I had a stroke of culinary genius. I've used coconut milk in place of heavy cream before, like in chocolate mousse and whipped cream, so why not use it in penne a la vodka? The dish came out wonderful. I served it to Logan, Andrew, and my brother who was here for dinner. They said they could barely tell the heavy cream was missing, and they all loved it. I also added nutritional yeast and arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce and make a creamy texture.

I never realized how essential coconut milk is in vegan cooking. Using it has allowed me to make things that I thought would have to be given up in a dairy free diet. My favorite brand is the Thai Kitchen, but it's not available at my local supermarket, so Goya is the next best. But seriously, go stock up on cans of this stuff. They'll come in handy. I promise.

Vegan Penne A La Vodka

Serves 6

• One 24oz. jar of marinara sauce or canned tomatoes.
• One 13.5oz. can of full fat coconut milk.
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast.
• 3 Tbsp. arrowroot powder.
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced.
• 1 garlic clove, minced.
• 1 Tbsp. each of dried or fresh basil, oregano and parsley.

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Simmer over a low flame for about 30 minutes, or until onions are soft and the sauce is warmed.
3. Serve immediately over whole wheat pasta.

I also roasted squash from my garden to serve with the penne. It made for a quick and delicious side dish. Just cut in half, rub with oil, salt and pepper, and roast in 400º oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.

Basil Pesto

Basil pesto is one of my favorite summer meals. It's a breeze to make, and it's something that Andrew and I can always agree to. It's traditionally made with Parmesan cheese, but in this house that ingredient is out. I was lucky enough to stumble across a vegan recipe, and was even luckier that I had ingredients in the cabinet to make a similar version.

After realizing how delicious and easy this recipe was, I planted even more basil in addition to the dozen or so I already have growing in the garden. I anticipate the need for lots of basil this summer!

Top with toasted pine nuts- 10 minutes at 400º.

Basil Pesto

Serves between 6 and 8

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 packed cups of basil leaves
• 2 15 oz. cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• Juice from one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. safflower oil
• Dash of salt

1. Chop the garlic cloves in a blender or food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Serve over whole wheat pasta, use as a spread on sandwiches, as a dip for pita bread.. anything you can think of!

This recipe took so little time an effort that I actually had time and energy to make dessert.. all on a workday, too! I made my vegan banana bread, adding chocolate chips and frozen raspberries. Yum!

Quinoa Pizza Casserole

I'm getting desperate for quick, easy weekday meals. I absolutely love my job (how could you not with views like these?),

but it's exhausting! Fresh air and being physically active has never killed anyone, but it sure takes a lot out of you. At the end of the day I'm so tired all I want to do is crash, but I REFUSE to be lured by take out and fast food (not every night at least). If anyone has any ideas for simple, healthy, vegan meals, send them my way. In the meantime, here's one for you that I adapted from an online recipe. It can even be made ahead of time and baked before dinner.

Quinoa Pizza Casserole

Serves 4 generously

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 6 oz. can of tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp. each of oregano, basil and parsley
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan.
2. Cook over a medium flame until it begins to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
4. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large casserole dish.
5. When the quinoa is cooked, add it to the casserole dish, and mix thoroughly with the other ingredients.
6. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Mac and CheeZe

Following my tendency to think on the bright side, I normally look at Logan's allergies to egg and milk products as a blessing. They force us all to eat healthier, and they keep people from feeding him junk. I don't understand the compulsion people feel to feed babies like they're garbage disposals, but his allergies keep those people at bay. That said, home baked macaroni and cheese is still one of my favorite meals. It's quick, easy and oh so satisfying. If it wasn't for Logan's allergies, I'm afraid I would make guilty pleasure meals like that all too often, especially lately since the challenges of being a working mother are making themselves known! I do periodically get the crave for mac and cheese, but making that now means having to make a separate meal for Logan too. Kinda defeats the purpose of a quick and easy dinner.

In a stroke of luck, I came across a recipe promising a cheesy sauce, but without the cheese. Well the recipe wasn't perfect, but I was able to doctor it into a dish that Andrew likes even better than my original recipe that's full of dairy. I have to admit, it's pretty darn good considering it doesn't have cheese. And everyone knows how much I love cheese. It's pretty simple, too. Roasting the butternut squash (yes, the "cheeze" sauce contains butternut) is the only time consuming part, but the extra time spent on this dish is worth the healthier and more nutritious alternatives.

Kale chips

I usually top mac and cheese with breadcrumbs and Italian spices. I checked the label on the breadcrumbs I had in the cabinet and yup, whey. I'm glad I checked. I made kale chips and sprinkled a few crushed ones over the top instead. It was just as good! I rekindled my love of kale recently after having kale chips for the first time at a chickapalooza festival. They're a breeze to make. Just tear the washed leaves into bite sized pieces, toss on a baking sheet with a tablespoon of oil, some garlic and onion powder, and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Mac and Cheeze

Serves about 6

• 1/2 of a butternut squash, peeled and cubed.
• 1 Tbsp. of oil
• 1 lb. of whole wheat pasta
• 3/4 cup of cashews
• 1 3/4 cups of almond milk
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp. of ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Toss the butternut and oil on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until soft.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
4. Make the cheeze sauce by combining the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.
5. When the butternut is done roasting, add it to the blender and mix with the rest of the cheeze sauce.
6. Combine the pasta and the cheeze sauce in a casserole dish, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until warmed.
7. Serve immediately.

Pizza Hummus

I saw a recipe for pizza hummus on Pinterest. Thinking it too good to be true, I had to try it right away. I didn't have some of the ingredients, so I improvised. Now that I look back at the original recipe here, I improvised a lot. It still tasted like pizza though! Ok maybe it doesn't taste like you're biting into a slice of delicious NY pizza, but you still get a pizza like taste without all the calories. Besides, it's hummus.. hummus is always good. This was good eaten with carrots, celery, and pita bread. I bet it would be really good with pretzels, too. 

Pizza Hummus

• 1 15 oz can of chick peas, drained
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. 
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Chill in the fridge before serving.

Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto

The mild weather we've been having this week really has me looking forward to summer. Traditional pesto is one of my favorite summer meals. I've been craving it, but fresh basil is hard to come by this time of year (summer please hurry!). A quick Internet search turned up a recipe for a pumpkin seed pesto. I didn't have all the ingredients, so I searched for a few more similar recipes and decided to combine them using what I already had.

The result was very interesting. At first all I could taste was the cilantro. Like swamp soup, this is a recipe for cilantro fans. After I few seconds I started to taste the pumpkin seeds. The nutritional yeast and garlic added a kick to the flavors to give this dish a unique taste. It's no basil pesto, but it'll do until I get those basil plants growing!

I planned on eating this with spaghetti squash, assuming I had one. It was actually a butternut squash that I had, so I served this over pasta instead. I ate this cold, but it was just as good warm when I ate the leftovers the next day.

Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto

Makes 4 servings

• 2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 bunch of cilantro, thick stems removed
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 garlic clove
• Dash of salt
• Roasted red peppers for garnish

1. Combine all ingredients (except the peppers) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash, and garnish with roasted red peppers and extra pumpkin seeds.