Garlicky Kale and Sausage Pasta

This pasta dish came from a night cooking with my son. I was going to make a (boring) tomato sauce to go with our pasta and Tofurky Italian sausage. Mikey wanted a garlicky sauce and kale, so, we made it happen. 

We started out making a roux, like we would for mac-n-cheese. We wanted a sauce full of garlic and herbs that would be great with the kale. We also wanted it to be creamy like an alfredo sauce. This is our creation. It was easy, full of garlic, creamy, and perfect with kale.. just what we were looking for on this cold night.

Looking for more great vegan family meals? Try my Easy Sunday Dinner, Easy Red Beans & Rice, Portobella Philly Sandwich, Creamy Jackfruit Casserole & BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "rice"

GARLICKY KALE & SAUSAGE PASTA:

Ingredients :

1 (1 lb.) box pasta

1 package of Tofurky Italian Sausage ,  cut into bite sized pieces*

4 cups chopped kale

3 Tbsp vegan butter 

3 Tbsp of flour

5 cloves of garlic, crushed 

3 cups unsweetened plant milk 

1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Paprika to garnish 

Method:

Cook pasta according to package & drain well.

Sautée Tofurky Italian sausage* & kale over medium heat until sausage is brown and kale is tender.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and flour. 

Allow flour to cook throughly, then add garlic . Cook about 2 minutes. ( Don't allow garlic to burn.)

Add plant milk, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk continously while milk comes up to a boil to avoid lumps in sauce.

Cook sauce an additional 5 minutes after it boils.

Toss sauce, sausage , kale and pasta together. Garnish with paprika before serving . 

Makes 5 servings . 

* You can use 2 cups chopped mushrooms if you don't want to use the Tofurky Italian Sausage. 

Kale & Almond Pesto Pasta

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The other day, my dear friend, Jennifer, gave me the last of her basil for the year. I wanted to  make a dish worthy of such a lovely gift. This is not you "normal" pesto with pine nuts. Pine nuts are very expensive & this blog is all about affordable family meals. I did a little experiment tonight & it turned out delicious!! I used sliced almonds  ($2 a bag vs. $13 for pine nuts). I added kale, fresh lemon juice and nutritional yeast for a nutritional blast of flavor and tossed in some fresh, colorful cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. This was truly amazing and easy to make. It only took 20 minutes tonight for dinner!

Looking for more vegan recipes? Try my 3 Cheeze Baked Ziti Al Forno, Vegan Fried Chick'n & Gravy,  Italian Stuffed Eggplant, Roasted Tempeh with Whole Garlic Cloves, Baked Spinach & Artichoke Pasta, Sriracha Black Bean Burgers, & No Bake Banana Oreo Pudding Cups

Recipe:

3 cups fresh basil

1 cup fresh kale

1/3 cup nutritional yeast 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

5 cloves garlic, crushed 

2/3 cup olive oil *

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

2 tsp. salt

1 box of pasta**

3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 cup kalamata olives 

Method:

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain well. 

While pasta cooks, combine basil, kale, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, almonds and olive oil in a food processor on high. Process until smooth.

Toss pesto, tomatoes and olives with prepared pasta and serve.

Makes 4 - 5 servings. 

* You can use an avocado if you are oil free. 

** Use gluten-free pasta if you are gluten-free

16 Bean & Sausage Stew

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I LOVE crock pot meals for the Fall. Start it before work and come home to a finished stew. That's as easy as it gets! This was an idea I had when I noticed a bag of dried beans called "16 bean soup". I checked the label, it was vegan ( you never know, so always read the label!). Now I had something new to prepare and I was already thinking up ideas. The classic combination of sausage and beans was the route I decided to take with this bag of beans. I bought some fresh kale, carrots, a few potatoes and some Tofurky Italian sausage. 

Just had to soak my beans overnight, rinse well and remove "debris" before starting my stew idea. I woke up today and put my beans, potatoes and carrots on while I was making lunches for the kids. Covered my beans and veggies with salted water. Turned my crock pot on to low and left it cooking while I worked today. With about 10 mins work, I had dinner ready!

Looking for more Fall Recipes? Try my Easy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Cheezy Butternut Macaroni, Sothwestern Sweet Potato Soup with Applesauce Cornbread, Award Winning Chili, & Sriracha Black Bean Burgers

Recipe:

1 ( 20 0z) bag of dried 16 bean soup mix

water

salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

1 ( 14 oz.) package Tofurky Italian Sausage, cut into bite sized pieces.*

2-3 potatoes, cubed

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 bunch kale, sliced into ribbons

olive oil

red pepper flakes (optional)

Method:

The night before: Rinse beans well. Remove and debris. Cover dry beans completely plus about 2" of water. Cover beans tightly and allow to soak over night.

The next morning: Drain water from beans and rinse well. Pour beans into your crock pot. Cover with enough water to fill crock pot half way. Add salt, pepper, cumin, potatoes, carrots, and red pepper flake.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

When you come home: Cook your Tofurky Italian Sausage* and kale in a little olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until kale is wilted and Tofurky is slightly brown.

Pour Sausage and kale into beans soup. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread for a delicious country style meal.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

* If you can not find Tofurky, any Vegan sausage or seitan will work. You can also use mushrooms as a substitute if you don't use vegan proteins.

BBQ Tempeh & SouthWestern Cauliflower "Rice"

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This recipe is fun to get the kids involved in cooking. My kids enjoyed pushing the pulse button on my food processor and watching the cauliflower become "rice". They liked dipping the tempeh in BBQ sauce because it was messy. They liked helping me mix everything together and layering up their plated full of food they created. It was a very quite dinner table tonight, which is rare. My kids cleaned their plates and didn't even stop to speak! My husband was in a "food trance" too, completely quite. ( Which is weird because he usually eats the tempeh, but he doesn't like it). After we were finished eating, everyone asked me to please make this again and post it on the blog! so, here it is, for you all to enjoy in silence! 

Looking for more great Vegan recipes for your family?  Try my Cheezy Butternut Macaroni , Cabbage and Bean Soup, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, "Beefless" Hand Pies, & Mediterranean Hummus Pizza *don't for get desert!! Try Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

Recipe :

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets 
2 Tbsp vegan butter (or veggie broth if you don't use oils)

1 /2 tsp turmeric (optional, but it makes your "rice" a beautiful yellow color & adds nutrition )
1/2 tsp of paprika 
1/2 tsp. Cumin 
1 (15 oz )can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of corn 
1 fresh jalapeno, diced (optional )
1 medium onion, diced 

1 mediumred pepper, diced
1 bunch of kale, steamed & chopped  (or spinach )

Salt and Pepper to taste
2 (8 oz) packs of tempeh, sliced into 1/4" pieces 
BBQ sauce of your choice 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

Grease a large baking sheet  

Dip tempeh in BBQ sauce and place on baking sheet. 

Bake 10 - 12 minutes.

Place cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is rice consistency. 

Cook cauliflower in a deep skillet over medium heat with butter, turmeric, paprika, cumin ,salt and pepper for about 6 minutes (until tender ).

Pour hot rice into a mixing bowl.

You can use the same pan you used for the rice to char your veggies. Just turn your heat to high.

Add jalapeño, red pepper, onion, and corn to your pan. Cook about 4 minutes, until charred slightly.

Add hot veggie mixture and black beans to the mixing bowl with the "rice".  Stir to mix well.

Remove browned tempeh from oven.

Layer tempeh on top of cauliflower "rice" before serving. Top with extra BBQ sauce if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Easy Pulled Jackfruit

New Year's Day is a big celebration around our house. It is my husband's birthday and, in the South, we have to cook a big traditional meal. That meal ( greens, black eyed peas and pork) is supposed to bring us luck and money in the new year. As a vegan, obviously, we won't be eating pork. What do Vegans eat for New Years? 

This year I decided to try one of the latest vegan food trends - Jackfruit. This is an Asian fruit that shreds like meat when cooked. It has a bland flavor which takes on any sauce you cook it in and is perfect for making pulled jackfruit sandwiches! You will probably have to go to an Asian specialty supermarket to find the cans of green jackfruit. Make sure you get the jackfruit in water or brine & not in syrup...that's a whole other thing. 

So...Happy new year!! Go celebrate and try new things!

Looking for some more southern classics?  Try my Buffalo Tempeh over cheeze grits, fried green tomatoes, Banana Pudding Pie, Applesauce Cornbread Muffins, Vegan "Chicken" (jackfruit) Casserole , & Cheezy Butternut Macaroni

Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches:

I made 6 sandwiches from this recipe...

4 (17oz.) cans of green jackfruit in water, drained.
1 (16oz.) Jar of vinegar based NC BBQ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce)

1 package of hamburger rolls
Vegan Coleslaw (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. spread your jackfruit out on a greased 11x13 casserole dish.

3. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring after about 10 minutes. Continue to cook until jackfruit begins to brown on the edges and no longer looks transparent.

4. Remove jackfruit from the oven and toss with 2/3 of your BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven about 10 minutes.

5. Remove jackfruit and allow to cool about 10 minutes.

6. Using 2 forks, pull your jackfruit apart. It should resemble shredded meat. Make sure you pull the rougher core pieces, and large seeds apart also for a better texture. 

7. Place jackfruit on your roll and enjoy!

Serve with vegan coleslaw for authentic NC BBQ sandwiches. 

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Stuffed Eggplant "Parm"

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If I had to choose a "signature dish" that my husband gets excited over more than any other, my stuffed eggplant is the hands down winner. This dish takes a little more time and love than some of my other dishes, but it will impress even the most hardcore omnivore at dinner time. Get ready to be impressive!

Looking for more impressive Vegan dishes? Try my Sriracha Roasted Tofu with Rainbow Veggies, Award Winning Vegan Chili, BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower rice, and finish the meal with my Vegan S'Mores Pie

Stuffed Eggplant Parm:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4" slices
3 Tbsp aquafaba (the liquid from canned chic peas!)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup plant milk
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. onion power
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
1 large bunch fresh kale, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small orange bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Oil
1 recipe  Perfect Marinara Sauce
Vegan mozzarella cheese
1 lb. prepared angel hair pasta

Place eggplant slices on a wire rack over the sink. Salt heavily and allow to sit at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Set aside.

To make your "wet" batter - mix aquafaba, milk, flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp.oregano, 1/4 tsp.onion powder, 1/4 tsp. basil, salt & pepper to taste. Whisk together until smooth in a shallow bowl.

In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. onion powder, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. dried basil, salt & pepper.

Add about 1/2" of oil to a heavy skillet and allow to heat up over medium heat.

Check on your eggplant. Eggplant will be covered in bitter liquid and salt, rinse extremely well. Pat completely dry. 

Dip each slice of eggplant into the wet batter and then into the bread crumbs mixture.

Check to make sure oil is ready by splashing a drop of water into the pan. If it sizzles, it's ready.

Fry each slice in the oil until golden brown on each side. Allow to dry on a paper towel lined plate.

Cook kale, peppers, and onions in a non stick skillet over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. 

Coat the bottom of an 11 x 13 casserole dish with marinara sauce.

Match up eggplant slices that are similar sizes. Place one slice from each pair on top of sauce.

Top each slice with kale mixture and sprinkle generously with vegan mozzarella.

Top kale with matching eggplant slices.

Top each stuffed eggplant slice with marinara sauce and more vegan mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 minutes.

Serve with a side of angel hair pasta.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Hidden Veggie Spaghetti

This spaghetti was so thick, meaty, cheesy and fragrant! I got my picky eater to eat so many veggies tonight because they form the "meaty" texture and basically disappear into the tomato sauce! This "trick" was so successful, that I will be using it in the future for Vegan "meatloaf" and all kinds of other "meaty" dishes like sloppy Joes!

The sauce was so fragrant, that I couldn't keep my family out of the kitchen. My husband kept waking in saying " that smells amazing. When can I eat it? "

Best part about this dish is that I didn't use any fake meats, oils, or fake cheese. It's just all "veggie" goodness made with love.

Looking for more Italian Vegan dishes? Try my Garlic and Lemon Pasta , Italian Roasted Tempeh and Veggies or ( My most popular recipe) Stuffed Eggplant Parm
Hidden Veggie Spaghetti :

1 package sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
8 baby carrots
3 handfuls of chopped kale
1 red bell pepper, sliced and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced and seeded
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp mint
2 tsp fresh parsley
3 cloves fresh garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chai seeds
14.5 oz canned tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. prepared spaghetti

In a food processor, pulse mushrooms, carrots and kale until a "meaty" texture. Pour into a deep sauce pot.

Add peppers and onions to the food processor and pulse until very fine texture. Add to the sauce pot.

Cook all the veggies over medium heat until tender.

Add thyme, mint, parsley, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook an additional 2 minutes (this is where the fragrant part will start drawing the family through the door! )

Pour crushed tomatoes, canned tomatoes and chia seeds over veggie. Stir to incorporate. Cook until warmed through.

Add nutritional yeast and stir well. Reduce heat.

Allow sauce to simmer about 10 minutes until thickened and bubbly.

Toss spaghetti into the pot to coat. Top with more nutritional yeast and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.