Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Sage

Is anyone else out there having a hard time eating their vegetables? Didn't think it'd be me, but the chill in the air has me loathe to eat anything raw- I'm having trouble with green in general.
So, to get the Monster and I through, I'll just keep putting spinach and the like in tummy warming casseroles, soups and stews...save the salads for the 100 degree days that will be here all too soon. Cauliflower and green peas are the sneaker veggies in this dinner.

Tonight…a mash up of several recipes. One I've posted about before, the other has been made 3 times now and dug into greedily without giving the camera a second glance (much less a first glance). The first half of this dually inspired recipe today is from Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. Her recipe for butternut squash baked pasta is the 3 timer. I've always amended her basic recipe, and I've loved it in each and every one of it's incarnations.

The second half is Frugal Gourmet Alissa's cauliflower risotto…well kind of. There's a dose of my roasted mashed cauliflower in there too.
I'd wanted to put some nutritional yeast in the mix below, like Alissa's original recipe has, but found my pantry lacking this morning. No matter, tastes great without it, but you could always add 2-3 TBS into the sauce if you'd like.

I'd planned on taking step by step photos of the process today, but got really distracted and blew it. Another day...
You'll just have to trust that it tastes better than it looks. :-)

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Sage:

1 sizable head of cauliflower, washed, dried, sliced thinly (~1/8th inch thick)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half if large
olive oil
Kosher salt

1 3/4 cups milk of your choice (I used unsweetened soy, but I'll try with almond milk next time)
1 cup broth (vegetable, chicken…)
1 3/4 TBS corn starch, or arrowroot powder
~7 fresh sage leaves
~1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
~1/8 tsp ground clove
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
sprinkle of garlic powder to taste
1/4 tsp+ cayenne
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice…we love Tinkyada Brand brown rice noods in all forms)
zest of one lemon

3 slices of whole grain bread (we like Alvarado St.'s sprouted grain breads)
1+ TBS olive oil

Heat oven to 450.
Toss sliced cauliflower and garlic with a couple TBS olive oil and some Kosher salt on a large sheet pan.
Roast for ~15 minutes, then toss and return to oven for about 10 more minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.

To a high powered blender (I use a BlendTec, comparable to a Vitamix), add a packed and slightly rounded cup of roasted cauliflower with all of the roasted garlic pieces you can find.
Also add soymilk (or other milk), broth, cornstarch, sage leaves, nutmeg, clove, walnuts, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and black pepper…blend till smooth. Taste and amend salt and other spices to your liking.

In a large bowl combine, thawed peas, the uncooked pasta, the rest of the unblended roasted cauliflower left over, and the lemon zest.
Add sauce in and stir till all is incorporated.
Pour into a lightly oiled lidded casserole dish (I think the one I used must be around 1.5 qt.)

In a food processor, whiz up the whole grain bread slices, and pour a little olive oil over them while the machine is whirring. I like to add a pinch of Kosher salt too.

Heat oven to 350.
Bake casserole covered for 25-30 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven and evenly spread the bread crumbs over the surface.
Continue to bake, uncovered this time, for another 20 minutes, until the topping is golden toasty.
I like to put the whole casserole together some time during the day when I've got the time, then pop in the fridge uncooked until it's ready to go into the oven for dinner. Leave the crumb topping off of course until half-way through the baking.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

My cousin wrote to me the other day to say that he and his wife are having some vegan company for dinner this weekend (is it just me, or did that make them sound like cannibals??). Vegan company OVER for dinner this weekend. Better?
He wanted some ideas about what they might serve as an entree, figuring they could manage all the other courses pretty handily. Well I'm no vegan, but I was able to offer up this mac n' cheese as an option since I'd been planning on posting it soon anyway. After typing up the recipe for Steve, I just wasn't going to get it out of my head until I made it. The Monster was more than happy about that, so Friday dinner at home it was. Oh man...total. Comfort. Food.
Best part, my friends just happened to bring over their hi-powered, jet engine run blender for me to try out today. It worked like a champ in making the sauce! (Thanks ladies!!)

The original recipe is from VegNews and didn't call for any nutritional yeast...a common ingredient in most vegan mac n' cheese recipes. The Monster and I however like the taste, so I added in a few tablespoons worth to up the cheesy flavor. I also use half soy milk instead of all water, add a bunch of broccoli and reduce the Earth Balance a bit.
It's really quite a delicious concoction. Do try it if your tummy is in need of a hug. :-)

Vegan Mac and Cheese:
(adapted from VegNews recipe)

4 quarts water
1 Tbs salt
~4 cups bite sized broccoli florets
8 ounces of pasta (I use Tinkyada brand brown rice rotini...great pasta and all we use!)
3-4 small slices of bread (I used Alvarado sprouted whole wheat with flax)
2 Tbs. + 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
~2 Tbs. chopped shallots (if I have them I'll use them, if not I just up the onion amt. a bit)
~1 1/4 cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes (it was from a medium sized potato)
~1/3 cup diced carrots
~1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
rounded 1/4 cup raw cashews
1-2 tsp sea salt (original calls for 2, I use a little more than 1 then add large flaked sea salt to finish the top)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8+ tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
2-3 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes (or to taste since original recipe didn't call for)

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
Add the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes, then strain broc. and put it in ice water to shock it. Drain and set aside.

Once your water is back at a rolling boil, salt the water and cook pasta as directed. Rinse noodles with cold water after cooking, and set aside.

In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 Tbs of Earth Balance to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
In a sauce pan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and ~1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes on low or until vegetables are very soft. Drain vegetables saving the water for later use.
In a blender, process cashews, soy milk, salt, garlic, 1/4 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne.
Add softened vegetables, and 1/2 cup (or more if needed) of the cooking water from the vegetables and process until perfectly smooth.
Add in the nutritional yeast, blend and taste. Adjust spices if necessary.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, broccoli and cheese sauce until completely coated.
Spread mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish rubbed with Earth Balance and sprinkle top with prepared breadcrumbs (not that it tasted bad by ANY means, but I may have over done it on the amt. of breadcrumbs this time).
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown. I actually pop this under the broiler for a couple minutes after it gets bubbly to toast the breadcrumbs. Watch carefully that they don't burn.

Spinach and Rice Casserole

Lovely comfort food that's not too unhealthy...I'll definitely be making this casserole as a Turkey Day side dish. Great, quick-to-put-together weeknight dish that can be a vegetarian meal in and of itself, or as we served it, with chicken sausages and some sliced tomatoes. This is another casserole that hails from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook...a book I've been happily rediscovering of late.
We had brown rice already cooked and in the freezer which made putting this together a snap, but because of that I don't have a firm amount on the rice I used. I think using the recipe as written might end up using a higher ratio of rice to spinach? But heck, it IS a casserole. Just use what looks good to you! :-)
I halved the recipe the recipe as printed in the book because we were eating it as a side dish last night. Had plenty for a nice lunch the next day too. I'm writing up the halved version, so just double and use a 9x13 in. pan if you want more.

Spinach and Rice Casserole:
(Moosewood Cookbook; Mollie Katzen)

1 cup uncooked brown rice (I used a combo of brown and a little red)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb fresh spinach, finely chopped (I screwed up and cooked it first, then chopped, but I think that was a less messy way to do it in the end)
1/2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, divided (I questioned the use of these, but they really added a great texture! They also up the protein content if this is your whole meal)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne
fresh black pepper to taste
1/2 cup low-fat milk (I used unsweetened soymilk)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used Cave-aged Gruyere, but recipe suggests cheddar)
paprika
Optional: we enjoyed topping our servings with Cholula hot sauce. :-)

Cook brown rice as per package instructions.
Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 1 quart casserole (I think!...I just used what looked like half of a 9x13).
Heat oil in a deep skillet (I used a Dutch oven) on med-high heat.
Saute onion for about 5-8 minutes until soft; add garlic, spinach and salt and cook about 5 minutes more over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Add to the rice, along with nutmeg, cayenne, black pepper and half (2 TBS) of the sunflower seeds.
Beat together egg and milk and add to the spinach-rice mixture.
Add in cheese and transfer to your buttered casserole dish.
Sprinkle with remaining sunflower seeds and dust with sweet paprika.
Bake uncovered for ~35 minutes, or until heated through and lightly brown on top.

Turkey Tetrazzini-esque

Your average turkey tetrazzini calls for salt-and-who-knows-what-else-laden cans of condensed soup. Ick. Full stop.
In my search for a non-gross recipe I came across an unassuming site that had what appeared to be a nice little recipe to base my casserole off of. The original called for a can of sliced mushrooms...a no-no in our house due to Monster Law.
NO MUSHIES. None. Ever. Okaaaaay. I had a beautiful bunch of Swiss chard in the fridge, along with a couple of zukes that needed using...in they went.
I didn't have the evaporated milk called for, so just cooked down, stirring constantly, 3 cups of unsweetened soy until I had 1 1/2 cups of liquid (12 oz worth). Fat-free cheese originally called for? No. Cave-aged Gruyere? YES! :-)
I might add that the impetus for making a casserole came from the need to use up some awesome Central Market in-house roasted Provencal turkey lunch meat coated with herbs (that I'd bought too much of). Don't you just love fridge cleaner meals? They really can leave you feeling quite virtuous.
Oh one more thing, if you can't get a turkey that's coated in herbs de Provence, then you might consider adding some when the onions and garlic are sauteeing.

Turkey Tetrazzini-esque:
(Based off a recipe gleaned from Mehani's Kitchen)

5 oz spelt elbows, cooked (original called for 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti, cooked...any whole grain pasta should be great)
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey (I just used what I had and it was sliced for sammies. I'll make this again and buy a turkey steak to dice)
1 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups organic reduced salt chicken broth
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1 bunch of Swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped
1 large zucchini, diced and sauteed over high heat in a bit of olive oil til it gets a little color on it.
1 TBS olive oil
3 TBS cornstarch
salt
pepper
grated cheese (Cave-aged Gruyere cheese = NOM)

Heat a large skillet you have a cover for. Add wet chard along with a little extra liquid (chicken broth or water) and braise for about 5 min, or until chard is wilted and tender. Drain and squeeze to get much of the liquid out of the chard. Chop after it's cooled a bit.

Saute up your zucchini in olive oil with a bit of salt and set aside.

Cook pasta for the minimum time if using spelt elbows (5 min), drain, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine cornstarch and chicken broth until smooth. Heat a small dab of butter and ~1Tbs of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add chicken broth/cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened.
Stir in milk and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
Turn off heat and add chard, zucchini, turkey, and pasta, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the mix into a lightly greased casserole.
Sprinkle grated cheese over the turkey noodle mix, then cover with foil.
Bake at 350 for ~20, then remove foil and bake for ~10 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly.
Place about 6 inches from broiler, and broil until lightly browned.

Black Bean and Kasha Casserole Topped with Corn Pudding

A good way to get more wholesome buckwheat in you. I topped this with avocado and some Spicy Pepitas from last night and they added great crunch. I'd definitely recommend making some to go with this if you don't have any laying around like we did.

Update: Definitely top each piece with more grated cheese and enchilada sauce when serving. Yum! :-)

Black Bean and Kasha (buckwheat) Casserole topped with Corn Pudding:
(a combination of a recipe from Vegetarian Times and one from Seasonal Ontario Food's blog)

2 (15oz) cans of black beans, drained and washed
~1/2 cup sliced scallions (white and light green parts)
2 chopped tomatoes
1/3 (+some for garnish) chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash of chipotle chili powder
~1 1/4(+more to serve over top) cup of medium enchilada sauce (look for one that has a decent ingredient list label...no corn syrup, modified this that or the other...I use Rosarita's)
~1 cup (+more to serve over top) grated pepper jack cheese, or cheddar
~2 1/2 cups of cooked kasha (cooking instructions follow at end of recipe)
corn pudding batter (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375
In large nonstick skillet, combine black beans, scallions and tomato. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup cilantro, oregano, cumin and chipotle powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Combine bean mixture with cooked kasha, cheese, and enchilada sauce.
Lightly spray a Pyrex lasagna dish with canola cooking spray and spread the kasha bean mixture within. Set this aside while you whip up the corn pudding to top the beans with.

Corn Pudding Topping:

1 Tbs olive oil
2 cups of raw corn kernels; about 2 cobs (you could probably save some time and use frozen corn)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 tsp baking powder

Husk the corn and cut kernels from the cobs. In a blender, mix corn, water, salt and pepper. Blending until fairly smooth. Add the eggs, cornstarch and baking powder and blend again. Lastly, mix in the olive oil.

Pour the corn pudding over your bean mixture and bake for ~40-50 minutes, or until set in the middle and lightly browned around the edges.


Kasha:

2 cups veggie/chicken stock or water
1 large egg white
1 cup kasha (roasted buckwheat groats...if you can't find them roasted, place raw groats on a sheet pan and roast for ~30 min. at 300 degrees, stirring midway)
1 Tbs olive oil
kosher salt

Bring stock or water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Beat the egg white in a bowl with a fork then stir in the kasha.
Heat a wide skillet over medium heat, add the kasha and cook, stirring until the grains are dry and separate (about 3 minutes).
Add the kasha to the boiling stock/water, add olive oil and a dash of salt.
Lower the heat and simmer, covered until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes (check after 10...but mine took a lot longer).
Let stand 5 minutes before adding to bean mixture.