Desdemona's Outrageous Layers of Italianate Yum

This ginormous pan of carbtastic goodness happened because I couldn't choose between making eggplant lasagna or penne with mushrooms and spinach. I finally decided to combine the two ideas and see what happened, and the result was like the love-child of lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and creamed spinach. (Please don't vex me with biological minutiae: the ways of foodstuffs are not our ways.)

And what a happy little cherub it is: a layer of pasta tossed in creamy vegetable sauce, topped with slices of baked, roasted - or even fried - eggplant, Veganomicon cashew ricotta, and marinara sauce, then baked in the oven until browned and beauteous. Who wouldn't want to adopt this protégé and...well, eat it? (Okay, I think we've taken this metaphor far enough, but you take my point.)

I realize that this recipe looks like a lot of steps that will keep you in the kitchen all day, but it only took about two hours from start to finish; it was also remarkably un-heavy, considering the number and variety of ingredients. More proof - as if any were needed - of the magical properties of vegan food: did you think it was a coincidence that Strega Nona's enchanted cooking pot is always full of pasta?

Desdemona's Outrageous Layers of Italianate Yum
The Vegetables
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 3 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
~ 1 tbsp. dried basil
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, oregano
~ 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
~ A few generous grinds of black pepper
~ 1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed

Directions
~ In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil and saute the onions over medium heat, about 3 minutes.
~ Add the garlic, mushrooms, and seasoings, and cook about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are giving up their juices.
~ Stir in the thawed spinach and combine thoroughly; cover the skillet and cook 5 minutes, until the spinach is just cooked.
~ Remove from heat while you make...

The Sauce
Ingredients
~ 1 lb. penne pasta
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 3 tbsp. flour
~ 1 cup grated Sheese or other vegan cheese (I used a combination of blue and cheddar flavors, but anything would work)
~ 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk

Directions
~ Cook 1 lb. penne pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
~ In a saucepan, heat the oil over low heat, and stir in the flour to make a roux.
~ Add 1/2 cup of the soy milk, stir until smooth, then add the grated Sheese and mix.
~ Gradually add the remaining soy milk, stirring constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens and there are no lumps remaining, about 3 minutes.
~ Add to the cooked vegetable mixture, then combine with the cooked pasta and set aside while you carry on with...

The Cashew Ricotta
Ingredients
~ 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water at least 30 minutes
~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu
~ 1/4 cup lemon juice
~ 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each salt, basil
~ Fresh black pepper
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (NB that this is my addition to the original recipe; I have a nooch jones)

Directions~ Drain the cashews, combine with remaining ingredients in a food processor, and blend to a smooth, delicious paste. (Easy, wasn't it?)

You'll also need...
~ 1 big-ass eggplant, cut into slices and baked, roasted, or (gasp!) breaded and fried as you would for eggplant parmesan (I confess that I used 2 packages of those Dominex frozen eggplant slices; highly recommended for taste and convenience)
~ 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or jarred, your call

The Assembly
~ Transfer the pasta/vegetable/sauce mixture to a large, greased casserole dish, then arrange the eggplant slices on top in an even layer.
~ Layer the cashew ricotta over the eggplant, smoothing with a rubber spatula (don't worry about it being super-tidy; we're not frosting a cake here!.
~ Spoon the marinara over the whole business in a thin layer, then cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
~ Raise the heat to 400, remove the foil, and bake another 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned on top.
~ Allow to rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

Broccoli Au Gratin

Considering that I grew up to be an insatiably rapacious herbivore, it's funny to look back on my childhood, when I was one of the most tediously picky eaters ever visited upon parents who loved to cook. One of the few ways I'd consent to consume vegetables at all was fried, and/or covered in some sort of sauce that disguised their essential veggieness. Nowadays I'll happily eat pretty much any member of the fruit or vegetable kingdom (turnips and lima beans remain notable exceptions), but sometimes it's nice to revisit those podgy preparations of yesteryear. Casseroles loom especially large in my memory, and this is my take on the baked broccoli in cheese sauce that my mom used to make; my sister still makes a version of it most holidays, but of course her rendition uses copious amounts of cheese, butter, and moo juice, whereas mine is not only considerate of our bovine friends, but (relatively) healthy as well. Best of all, it's delicious: the last time I made this, the leftovers were gone by lunchtime the next day, so if you make a batch (and I can't believe I'm actually typing this) you might want to double it. As the image reminds us, life - and vegetables! - can be wonderful; I mean, look at the joy on that guy's face. You just know that serving dish is full of vegan broccoli au gratin!

Broccoli Au Gratin

Ingredients
~ 2-3 tbsp. Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
~ 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
~ 3 tbsp. flour
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, dry mustard, paprika (plus extra for garnish)
~ 3 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk, heated
~ 1 tbsp. HP or vegan Worcestershire sauce
~ 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (more if you like, but we're going for "cheesy," not "noochy!")
~ Freshly ground black pepper
~ Good pinch of grated nutmeg
~ 2 heads broccoli, tops cut into small florets, and stalks into 1/2" pieces
~ 1 cup grated cheddar Sheese (or other vegan cheese)
~ 1/3 cup panko or fresh bread crumbs

Directions
~ Preheat to 400 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
~ In a saucepan, melt the margarine, and saute the onion over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't brown.
~ Whisk in the flour, salt, paprika, and dry mustard; cook, stirring, for about a minute to make a roux.
~ Gradually add the heated soy milk, HP sauce, nutritional yeast, and nutmeg and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
~ Stir in the grated Sheese and mix thoroughly to avoid any clumps.
~ Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
~ Season with black pepper and remove from the heat.
~ Place your vegetable steamer in a large pot, and bring about an inch of water to a boil over high heat.
~ Put the broccoli in the steamer, sprinkle it with salt, then cover the pot and steam until just bright green.
~ Transfer the broccoli to your prepared baking dish, and pour the sauce on top, making sure all the broccoli is coated.
~ Sprinkle the panko or bread crumbs over the whole business, dust with paprika, and bake uncovered until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
~ Allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Shiny Happy Tofu Scramble

I realize that tofu scramble is pretty much the most prosaic thing one can post on a vegan cooking blog - especially during Vegan MoFo, when people are producing veganized Beef Wellington, Coquilles St Jacques, and lord knows what else - but this humble breakfast staple turned out so well that I was inspired to share. Its particular deliciousness may have had something to do with my having very little in the way of supplies: what there was wound up in the pan. Since all I was really going for was workmanlike sustenance, the fact that it turned out so very yummy was an unlooked-for bonus. Anyway, it made us feel shiny, happy, and full, and I guarantee that it will do the same for you!

Shiny Happy Tofu Scramble

Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
~ 1 large onion, finely chopped
~ 2 stalks celery, diced
~ 2 carrots, diced
~ 1/2 large red bell pepper, small dice
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, dill, smoked paprika, marjoram
~ A few generous grinds of black pepper
~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and mashed
~ 1/4 -1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Directions
~ In a large skillet, saute the onion and celery in the olive oil over medium heat, about 2 minutes.
~ Add the carrots, bell pepper, and seasonings, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
~ Add the mashed tofu, combine thoroughly, and cook about 5 minutes more, until any liquid has cooked off.
~ Stir in the nutritional yeast, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes or so. You want a crust to just begin to form on the bottom, at which point you mix it all up and let it happen again.
~ Serve hot with toast, home-fries, or whatever else you like for brunch; this also makes great leftovers, if you actually have any!

Asparagus & Mushroom Pie

This recipe took its inspiration from an asparagus pie featured in Practical Vegetarian Cookery, circa 1897, by Countess Constance Wachtmeister ("an early member and ardent supporter of the Theosophical Society, which promoted ethical vegetarianism"). To paraphrase the song, "don't know much about theosophy...but I do know that I love pie," so it was pretty much a given that I'd have a go at this thing. In addition to the asparagus, I had a whole bunch of mushrooms in the refrigerator, so they were sliced up and tossed in as well, and the result was (as Agent Dale Cooper might say) a damned fine pie.

Asparagus & Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
~ ¼ cup vegan margarine, divided
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
~ 1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, tarragon, parsley
~ ½  tsp. marjoram
~ Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
~ ¼ cup flour, divided
~ 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy (or other non-dairy) milk
~ 2 bay leaves
~ Generous pinch of nutmeg
~ Pastry for 2 double-crust pies (home-made or store bought)

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a large, deep skillet, melt 2 tbsp. of the margarine and saute the onion over medium heat about 5 minutes.
~ Add the mushrooms, salt, tarragon, parsley, marjoram, and black pepper, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
~ Add the asparagus, stir well, and cook until just bright green.
~ Stir in 2 tbsp. of the flour, mix thoroughly, and remove from heat.
~ Heat the soy milk, bay leaves, and nutmeg until nearly boiling (about 2 minutes in the microwave).
~ In a saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. margarine over low heat, then add the remaining 2 tbsp. flour, stirring to make a roux.
~ Gradually add the milk/bay leaf/nutmeg mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook about 5 minutes, until thickened.
~ Remove and discard the bay leaves, the pour the sauce over the vegetable mixture and combine.
~ Roll out the pastry dough and line two pie plates, then divide the filling between them.
~ Top the pies with the remaining dough, and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the tops with a little more soy milk, then cut a few small slashes in the crust to let steam escape during baking.
~ Bake uncovered at 375 degrees about 30-35 minutes, or until the crusts are basking in their own browned beauteousness. (Remember that ovens vary, so keep an eye on things and adjust baking time accordingly; mine tends to be slow.)
~ Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. We've been feeling particularly British lately, so had our pie with mashed potatoes and minted mushy peas: highly recommended.

Green Beans with Ginger and Shallots

Remember how I said that yesterday's scallion pancakes were not to be confused with the Asian appetizer of the same name? Well, today's recipe is my at-home rendition of those yummy, sauteed green beans one finds in Chinese restaurants: the garlicky, gingery ones with sticky bits of fried shallots mixed in. Although I've yet to try it, I imagine this treatment would be equally well-suited to broccoli or bok choy, but I'm telling you right now that these beans are so good that if you make them - especially alongside a batch of Terry Hope Romero's Salt & Pepper Tofu, served over steamed, short-grain brown rice - you will be every bit as happy as if you had gone out. And you can eat these in your pajamas!

Green Beans with Ginger and Shallots

Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. canola oil
~ 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
~ 1 tsp. hot chili oil
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tbsp. grated ginger
~ 1 cup chopped shallots
~ 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and washed
~ 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
~ 1 tbsp. soy sauce
~ 1 tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce (sub more soy sauce if you don't have any handy)

Directions
~ Wash green beans under cold running water. Cut off the root ends and discard.
~ Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the oils, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute or so, until it gets fragrant, about 30 seconds.
~ Add the shallots and cook a few minutes more, stirring constantly.
~ Add the green beans and toss a few times to coat everything evenly. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the beans turn bright green and begin to soften a bit.
~ Add the red pepper flakes, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Combine thoroughly and cook another few minutes, until everything gets some caramelization going on, then serve hot.

Sheesy Scallion Pancakes

These scallion pancakes are less like the Chinese restaurant appetizer (although I love those, too) than like a savory version of those light, fluffy breakfast pancakes that you find in a really good diner. The inspiration for them arose from a combination of factors: post-academic conference weariness, a weekend pancake jones, and a package of blue Sheese that had been burning a - purely figurative - hole in my refrigerator. The pungency of the "blue" flavor elevated them to airy climes of deliciousness only imagined by their humble IHOP cousins, but I imagine any vegan cheese would work nicely; I'm looking forward to experimenting with various flavor combinations in future batches (of which I feel certain there will be many). I'll offer the by-now standard disclaimer that this recipe produces a lot, so feel free to halve it if you like; on the other hand, they're not at all heavy, and we had only a few left over from three of us. With some sort of piquant sauce drizzled on top, these make a delicious and - dare I say it? - elegant weekend brunch, and would be a nice, light lunch or dinner, with the addition of a green salad. We had ours topped with Remoulade sauce, accompanied by a bracing brunchy cocktail while watching the 1963 film version of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House: ah, Sundays!

Sheesy Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients
~ 2 cups soymilk
~ 1 cup water
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 2 tbsp. egg replacer
~ 2 cups all purpose flour
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
~ 1.5 tsp. salt
~ 1 tsp. each: paprika, parsley
~ Plenty of fresh black pepper
~ 6 large scallions, sliced thin
~ 1 cup grated Sheese (I used the blue flavor)

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, paprika, parsley and pepper.
~ In a separate bowl or beaker, combine the the soymilk, oil, water, and egg replacer.
~ Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then stir in the scallions and the grated Sheese. Allow the batter to rest a few minutes.
~ Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium high heat.
~ Add the pancake batter in by 1/4 cup ladlefuls, and cook about 3 minutes, until dry around the edges and bubbles appear in the center (you know, like pancakes). Loosen and flip the pancakes to cook on the other side another minute or so, until golden.
~ As the pancakes finish cooking, transfer them to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
~ Serve warm, on their own or as part of a larger meal. (NB these also keep well in the refrigerator, and reheat nicely in the toaster oven.)

Pasta with Creamy Roasted Carrot Sauce

Another carrot recipe! I made this last week, on one of those nights before a huge grocery shop, when you seem to be out of almost everything. On this particular occasion, my vegetable crisper literally contained only a pound of carrots, a few sad, languishing cherry tomatoes, and an onion, while the cupboard's most appealing offerings were a box of pasta and a jar of red sauce. Since everyone loves roasted carrots, I decided to start there and then mess around; the outcome was a surprisingly substantial - it's the cashews, they're magical - cheerfully orange, autumnal-tasting sauce that I'll make again, even when I do have other options.

Pasta with Creamy Roasted Carrot Sauce
Ingredients
~ 1/2 cup raw cashews
~ 1 cup boiling water
~ 1 lb. organic carrots, sliced into 1" rounds
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
~ 1 tsp. each: kosher salt, thyme
~ 1 cup onion, chopped
~ 3 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. basil
~ 1/2 tsp. each: oregano, cinnamon
~ 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
~ A few generous grinds of black pepper
~ 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
~ 1 tsp. hot sauce (optional; more to taste)
~ 1 lb. penne (or other totally tubular pasta, dude), cooked and drained according to package directions
~ 1 cup pasta cooking water

Directions
~ In a bowl or beaker, combine the raw cashews with the boiled water and set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~ On a large baking sheet, combine the carrots, salt, thyme, and 2 tbsp. of the olive oil. Mix everything together with your hands - it's fun! - making sure the carrots are coated with the oil and seasonings.
~ Roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, until carrots are tender, making sure to toss them around a few times during their cooking time. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
~ In a skillet, saute the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the remaining olive oil, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until beautifully fragrant and golden. (Didn't I sound like Nigella for a second there? "Ooooh, they're so beautifully fragrant and golden!")
~ In a blender or food processor, puree the roasted carrots, onions, and garlic with the drained cashews and the soy milk.
~ Gradually add the marinara, hot sauce (if using), and enough of the pasta water to achieve a creamy sauce-like texture.
~ In a large pot or bowl, combine the hot, cooked pasta with the sauce, making sure everything is evenly coated. This will appear quite "saucy" at first (you minx!), but will thicken a bit as it stands.
~ Taste for seasonings, and serve hot.