Vegan Made Easy

So tonight, in honor of our dear vegan friends, we have given this evening to you!  That's right.  You heard us correctly.  Here are two, count them, TWO recipes for you guys.  Pasta and cupcakes!

This pasta dish is light and filling, but packed full of a lot of flavor!  And guess what "non-vegan-ers," these are SO easy to make "non-vegan" if you choose with a few adjustments.  If you're not interested in this being a vegan recipe, saute-up some chicken with garlic and olive oil or toss some parmesan or feta on top, or even serve this as a side dish!

As for the cupcakes?  Well.... have we not seen a trend lately?  And really, who's going to pass-up a cupcake?  Just pretend these are healthy since they're banana based, minus the frosting.  :)



Sun-Dried Tomato, Red Pepper, and Spinach Farfalle Pasta
1 large onion
1 large red pepper
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
tricolore farfalle pasta (8 - 16 oz, depending on pasta/sauce ratio preference)
truffle oil (for drizzling at the end)

Begin to boil water and prepare pasta as directed.  If you'd like, you could substitute another pasta.

Dice onion, red pepper,  and sun-dried tomatoes.  In a large, pre-heated skillet, add about 2 tbs olive oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper, and cook down.  Once vegetables have begun to brown, add in the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to saute (adding the oils from the jar).  If needed, add more olive oil so the vegetables do not become dry or stick to the bottom of the pan.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  You may decide that you want the dish more or less spicy and add or omit some of the red pepper, however, it adds a nice, subtle zing to the dish.  :)

Once the vegetables have browned evenly, add the fresh spinach in and mix until lightly wilted (about two minutes).

Remove from heat and dish over pasta.  Drizzle with truffle oil, if desired, or more olive oil.


Banana Nut Cupcakes

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup oil
4 ripe, ripe bananas (mashed)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (toasted if you'd like)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside.

Mash bananas well and add to mixing bowl.  Brown bananas are great for baking, since they have such a high sugar content.  Make sure the bananas you use are nice and brown like the ones above!

Add oil, maple syrup, and vanilla to banana mash and mix until well incorporated.  Slowly add the dry ingredients in halves and blend into the wet mix.  Add walnuts last (if desired) and mix.  You may decide to toast the walnuts for a few minutes like we did (since the oven has already been preheated for the cupcakes themselves, but toss the chopped walnuts onto a cookie sheet and toast until lightly browned or desired darkness).  If you don't like nuts, omit them all together.

Bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  (Look!  Everything in here is vegan!)

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese (substitute)
4 tbs butter (margarine or other substitute)
1 - 2 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar until you reach desired sweetness and/or texture.  If you're not a vegan, then, by all means, use the regular ingredients, but here's a recipe that's easily made with substitutions!

Without the frosting, these are really just muffins... shhhh don't tell anyone!

Warming up with a bowl of soup!

Have you noticed HOW MANY people are sick right now?!  It's crazy!!!  You turn the corner and another person is coughing... or sneezing... or... blowing their nose.  We won't be too vivid here, but you get the drift.  And we all know that mom prescribes that bowl of chicken noodle soup for the invalids.  Nature's remedy?   Let's face it... probably not.  But there is certainly merit to the comfort that soup brings when we aren't feeling well.  It does something to warm-up the whole body and soul!  (Why else would there be countless books titled, "Chicken Soup for the _____ Soul?").  Soup can cure any sore throat and stomach ache!  (Or maybe that's really a cup of good tea with some soothing honey...).  Fear not, here's a soup that'll help the sick to feel better or one to warm-up with the chilly wind (or even snow...) that's still in the air!  And the best part?  This recipe is super easy and takes almost no time at all!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
2 15oz cans of tomatoes (either crushed, chunks, puree - whatever texture you're looking for in your soup!)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
4-6 tbs olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves (minced)
3-4 tbs basil "paste" or pesto
salt and pepper
1/2-1 cup heavy cream

Heat pot over medium-high heat.  Add 3 tbs olive oil, 3-4 tbs basil/pesto, garlic, and a little salt and allow to saute until garlic is cooked down (about 3-4 minutes).  Add tomato paste and 1-3 tbs more olive oil and season with a little more salt and some freshly ground pepper for another 2-3 minutes.  Mix and allow to fully incorporate before adding the canned tomatoes.  Mix all of the ingredients together and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Turn down the heat to low or medium-low and slowly add the heavy cream until you reach the creaminess you desire.  You may decide you want even more or less than the 1/2 to 1 cup.  Stir until the cream has fully been incorporated with the tomatoes and no white streaks are evident.  Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Taste test to see if you desire any more salt, pepper, cream, etc.  Allow to simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until ready to serve!

Just like with all soups and chilies, this recipe is always better the second day!  This an easily be made a day or two ahead and reheated to serve.

It's a great starter for a full course meal with guests!  Or just go "plain and simple" and serve with some toasted garlic bread, french bread, or even homemade spanakopita (like pictured here!  Only that recipe will come at a later date...!), or even toss-up a nice green salad and be adventures and grill a ham & cheese or a panini with mozzarella, tomato, and basil or whatever floats your boat!  The options are endless.