Cornbread Dressing

I know I'm posting this too late for Thanksgiving (this year), but here's something you can make for Christmas.  Vegans, I'm sorry this isn't vegan...it's got eggs.  However, I don't see why you couldn't use Ener-G's Egg Replacer in the cornbread recipe (here), and I KNOW you can skip the eggs in this recipe.  The dressing might not be as firm, but it will taste just fine.
The foundation of this recipe is from Irma Rombauer's Joy of Cooking with plenty of tweaks.  The cornbread recipe is from my sweet grandma.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. plus 2 T. canola oil, separated
1 recipe of cornbread (recipe here)
1 T. plus 1.5 t. dried sage
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. finely chopped celery
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
 3 c. vegetable broth/stock, separated
2 eggs, beaten, optional

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Pour 2 T. canola oil into a 9" x 13" baking dish, and use a paper towel to coat the dish with the oil.

Using clean hands, crumble the cornbread in a large bowl to the desired texture. (I like mine very crumbly, so I have almost no chunks in it when I'm preparing it.)  Mix the sage into the crumbled cornbread so that it is evenly distributed.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 c. canola oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onions and celery until the vegetables are soft.  Stir the salt and pepper into the vegetables, then stir the vegetables into the crumbled cornbread so that they are evenly distributed.

Mix 2 cups vegetable broth/stock and the eggs, if using, into the cornbread mixture, 1/2 c. at a time, so that the mixture is uniformly moistened.  Spread the mixture evenly in the oiled baking dish, and pour the remaining 1 cup vegetable broth/stock evenly over the top.  The pan will look very moist; this is normal.

Bake for 45 minutes, and serve hot.

Barley Hoppin' John

Not surprisingly, this is another slightly tweaked recipe from Eating Well magazine's website, which has supplied us with lots of great meals this year.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 3/4 c. vegetable broth
1.5 c. pearled barley
1/4 t. (rounded) crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. (rounded) Cajun seasoning, or to taste
1/4 t. (rounded) salt, or to taste
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4-5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add broth, barley, crushed red pepper, Cajun seasoning, and salt.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the barley is done, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in black-eyed peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 3-4 as a main dish. 

Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry with Soy Sauce Tofu

This recipe is slightly adapted from the Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2001 cookbook.  I serve this over white rice, but choose the "bed" of your preference.

Ingredients:

3 T. tomato paste

1.5 T. rice vinegar

1.5 T. soy sauce (or shoyu or tamari), plus additional sauce, to taste, for the tofu

1.5 t. curry powder

1/2 t. salt

scant 1/4 t. freshly-ground black pepper

1 lb. Chinese-style tofu (NOTE:  Tofu has a more desirable texture if it has been frozen for 24 hours, then thawed before use.  Plan ahead.)

1/4 c. canola oil, separated

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into wedges

1 c. chopped celery

2 bell peppers, chopped (any color works, but yellow and red are colorific)

1 c. frozen sugar snap peas in their pods or snow peas

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (any kind - green, red, Savoy, or Napa)

1/2 c. water

If desired, choose a "bed" (e.g. I use white rice.) for the stir-fry, and prepare that food according to package instructions.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Squeeze as much water as possible from the tofu, then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.  Place the cubes in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook until water is no longer sizzling out of the tofu.  Drizzle soy sauce, to taste, over the tofu cubes.  Drizzle 2 T. canola oil around the edge of the pan, and stir the tofu to coat.  Cook until the tofu is browned on one side, toss again, and cook until the tofu is browned on a second side.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large stir-fry pan, heat the remaining 2 T. canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and stir-fry for a minute or two.  Add the celery, bell pepper, and peas, and stir-fry for another 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage, and stir-fry until crisp-tender.  Add water and tomato paste mixture, and stir to coat the vegetables.  Remove from heat, stir in the tofu, and serve over the "bed" of your choice (e.g. rice).



Red Beans and Rice

This refreshingly interesting but still vegetarian version of red beans and rice came from none other than Southern Living magazine, so you know it's tasty!  Serve the dish with a pot of greens, and you're good to go.

Ingredients:
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
1 T. Creole seasoning
1 t. smoked paprika
1 vegetable boullion cube
salt, to taste
3 c. uncooked long-grain rice
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
garnish:  sliced green onions

Place the beans in a Dutch oven, add water to cover 2 inches above the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, cover, remove from heat, and soak 1 hour.  Drain.

Stir the Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, boullion cube, and beans into 7 c. water in a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 - 1.5 hours or until the beans are tender.  Season with salt to taste.  (I usually use a scant tablespoon for a pound of beans.)

While the beans are cooking:
1.  Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Saute the celery, bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the olive oil 6 - 8 minutes or until tender.

Stir the sauteed vegetables into the beans, and serve over the cooked rice.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Here's another easy, healthy, and filling dish from the cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home by the Moosewood Collective.  Make this in advance, and you have an easy lunch to take to work that won't require you to stand in line for the microwave.

Ingredients:
salad -
1 c. brown or green lentils (I like using the tiny black French lentils.)
4 c. water
2 bay leaves
1 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
boiling water
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 c. minced red onion

dressing -
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:
Rinse the lentils.  In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils, water, bay leaves, thyme, and garlic to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the lentils simmer, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water in a heatproof bowl, soak for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened but remain slightly chewy, and then drain.  Combine the tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together.  (Alternatively, shake them together in a jar.)

Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaves.  Remove the garlic, mash it with a fork, and mix it back into the lentils.  Toss the lentils with the vegetables and dressing, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  Serve immediately or chill to serve later.  Serves 4.

Serving Notes:  We served this with washed baby lettuces, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, and crackers for a refreshing, light meal.

Roasted Cauliflower and Pepper Salad

I've been getting a lot of food inspiration from Food Network magazine, and that includes this recipe.  It goes perfectly with the tofu Cuban sandwiches previously posted.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

3 bell peppers, seeded and veined
3 T. olive oil, separated
½ t. cumin
½ t. salt, separated
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 T. lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut each bell pepper into 8 large pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 T. olive oil, cumin, ¼ t. salt, cinnamon, and cayenne.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss this mixture with the bell peppers, cauliflower, and celery.
Roast 15 - 20 minutes in the preheated oven, toss with remaining 1 T. olive oil, lemon juice, remaining ¼ t. salt, and black pepper.  Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Lemony Cauliflower Sauté

This is a good side dish for Middle Eastern food OR for Italian food.  It's one I made up, so it's nice and simple.  The photo shows it with green bell pepper, because that's what I had tonight, but I think red looks prettier.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 bell pepper, any color, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

12-oz. bag frozen cauliflower

2 scallions, chopped

juice of one lemon

 

 

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced bell pepper, onion, and celery with salt and pepper, to taste.  Sauté 5 minutes, then add the frozen cauliflower and additional salt, to taste.  Sauté until the onions are translucent and the cauliflower is soft to bite and lightly browned.  Add the chopped scallions and sauté 1 - 2 minutes more, then add the lemon juice and toss to coat.  Serve warm.  Serves 2 -4 as a side dish.

Creole Black-Eyed Peas

 Remember when Scott and I went to NOLA for his birthday (see post here)?  I was so impressed by the food at The Gumbo Shop that I bought their cookbook at a lovely little cookbook shop (called Kitchen Witch) in the French Quarter.

The Gumbo Shop is one of the few places in NOLA I've found where I can get local flavor that's vegetarian.  The food there is good.  I finally got around to making one of their recipes from the cookbook last week, so I'm sharing it with you here.  I've adjusted the seasoning only slightly.  The dish is served over steamed rice, so prepare that when the time is right.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

2 qts. water

1 bay leaf

1/4 c. olive oil

1 3/4 c. finely chopped onion

1 1/4 c. finely chopped yellow bell pepper

3/4 c. finely chopped shallot

1 T. minced garlic

1/2 t. freshly-ground black pepper (or more, to taste)

1/4 t. cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

1/2 t. sage

1/2 t. thyme

1 1/2 c. celery, sliced into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds

2 t. salt (or more or less, to taste)

1 1/2 t. Balsalmic vinegar

1 1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (or more or less, to taste)

1/3 c. sliced green onions (green and white parts)

Method:

Sort through the dried peas, removing any small rocks or other foreign objects, then rinse the peas well.  Place them in a large pot, cover with the water, and soak in the fridge for at least 8 hrs.

Set the pot over medium heat, add the bay leaf, and slowly bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet, add the chopped onions, peppers, garlic, and shallots, and sauté until lightly brown.  (Use the stick and scrape method:  let the vegetables brown and somewhat stick to the bottom of the pan, then scrape them off and incorporate the brown scrapings into the dish.)  Add the black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, celery, and carrots, and sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir the entire contents of the skillet into the pot of simmering peas and continue cooking until the peas, celery, and carrots are tender.

Add the salt, vinegar, Tabasco, and green onions and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning and serve over white rice.  Greens or spinach make a nice side dish.

Serves 6 - 8.



Warm Kale Salad

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, and it is quite rich and tasty.  It serves about 4.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

5 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 t. Cajun seasoning

2 15-oz. cans kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 c. frozen or fresh kale (or other greens as you choose), chopped

Louisiana-style hot sauce

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the celery and scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (4 - 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add the beans, tomatoes, and 3/4 c. water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 - 12 minutes.  Stir in the kale and cook until tender.  Add the scallion greens and a hot sauce, to taste.  Serve warm.

Veggie-Tofu Pot Pie

Here's a FANTASTIC vegan vegetable and tofu pot pie.  I know it's wrong, but I reminisce about the little freezer pot pies of my childhood.  This is a healthier, more humane walk down memory lane.  This recipe is a compilation of ideas from The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer and The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook edited by Louise Hagler and Dorothy Bates.  Both of these cookbooks are HIGHLY recommended by moi!

The recipe is more of a weekend dish as it takes a while to make the crust and all the filling, then you still have to cook it.  But it's SO WORTH IT on a cold weekend evening!  If you like, make the crust in advance up to the point of shaping into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Irma Rombauer's pie crust recipe for a double crust goes like this.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. salt
3 T. cold unsalted vegan margarine, cut into chunks (I like Earth Balance brand.)
3/4 c. chilled vegetable shortening cut into chunks (Again, I like Earth Balance brand.)
6 T. ice water plus 1t. - 1 T. more ice water, as needed

Method:
Mix the flour and salt.  Using a pastry blender or working it in with your fingers, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture.  Cut in half of the chilled shortening using the same method until the flour has the consistency of cornmeal.  Cut in the remaining chilled shortening until it is pea-sized.

Sprinkle the dough with 6 T. ice water.  Blend gently into the dough until it just holds together.  If necessary to hold the ingredients together, add up to another 1 T. ice water, but no more.

Divide the dough in half.  Shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let it rest in the fridge for half an hour.



The rest of this recipe comes from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. flour
1 T. nutritional yeast flakes (Note that nutritional yeast comes in FLAKES and POWDER.  This recipe calls for FLAKES.)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 lb. Chinese-style tofu, excess water squeezed out, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I like to freeze my tofu for 24 hours, then thaw it.  It improves the texture.)
2 T. canola oil
1 c. onions, chopped
1/2 c. celery, chopped
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables (I used a mix that had peas, carrots, green beans, and corn.)
1 batch of Golden Gravy (second recipe in the post linked here)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder in a medium bowl.  Add the tofu and stir to coat the tofu in the powdered mixture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tofu and sauté until golden brown.  Add onions and celery to the pan, and continue to sauté until the onions are soft.  Add the frozen mixed vegetables and sauté until the vegetables are warm.  Stir in the Golden Gravy.

Using a cold rolling pin, roll out the first disk of dough for the bottom crust and fit it into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan.  Spoon the filling into the bottom crust.  Roll out the 2nd disk of dough for the top crust and fit over the pot pie filling.  Cinch the edges of the 2 crusts together with your fingers and trim off any excess dough.  Make an X in the middle of the pie and fold back the sections created by the X to make a vent for the pie.

Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until the top crust is lightly browned and the contents are bubbly in the vent.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.  Serves 6 - 8 as a single-dish meal.

Tortellini Soup Verdura

This soup is from Food Network magazine and can be made lacto-vegetarian or vegan. I highly recommend the vegan version, because the soup has a very clean look and feel that I think dairy kind of corrupts. BUT, you're the one eating it, so you decide!

 

 

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 t. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 t. dried thyme)

2 c. vegetable broth

1 9-oz pkg of vegetarian or vegan (like tofu or mushroom) tortellini or ravioli (You could also just use some sort of small, chunky pasta, but it won't be as "special.")

5 c. fresh baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped

salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and 3 cups water, and increase heat to high. Cover, and bring to a boil, then add tortellini or ravioli. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is tender. (See pkg label for approximate cooking time.)

Add the spinach to the soup and cook, stirring, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I use plenty of both!

Serves 4.

NOTE: To made the soup a little heartier, you can add 1 15-oz. can of white beans, Great Northern beans, or navy beans, rinsed and drained.

Cajun Rice Pilaf

Here's another dish I got from The Food Network magazine.  There recipe called for pork and sausage, but it was fine without the meat. As you can see, I served it with crowder peas, collard greens, and cornbread for an excellent meal.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1 c. wild rice blend
2 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 t. tried thyme)
1 t. Cajun seasoning
1 large paste tomato, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
salt, to taste

Method:
Cook the wild rice according to pkg directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bell pepper, celery, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 7 minutes.  Add Cajun seasoning, the cooked rice, the chopped tomato, and the chopped scallions and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until heated through.  Season with salt, to taste.

Serves 2 - 4 as a side dish.

Tofu Gumbo

Monday night I FINALLY made that recipe for a vegan tart I've been going on about since Christmas, and you know what? It was awful. Who posts a recipe for an awful, awful dish? I couldn't even get half of my slice of tart down. Luckily, Scott found it palatable enough to keep from wasting it, but I did not!

The good news is that I'm going to share a delicious tofu gumbo recipe with you. A couple of weeks ago, I reached into the freezer case at the market to grab a bag of field peas, and when I got home, the field peas had morphed into a bag of frozen okra. I don't really cook with okra, but I remembered that a few years ago I'd saved a Kwanzaa menu (with recipes) that was published in Vegetarian Times that included tofu gumbo. Sometimes I'll keep a recipe for years before it fits into my scheme. I made THAT recipe tonight, and it was delicious. As is often the case, I didn't make it exactly the way the recipe read, so I'm going to share it with you the way I made it. Here goes!

Ingredients:
3 T. plus 1/4 c. canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced (ribs and seeds removed, of course)
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, with packing juice
1 T. fresh thyme
1 T. fresh oregano
2 T. fresh basil
2 bay leaves
2 c. vegan vegetable stock
1 t. salt
freshly ground pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and tumeric, to taste
4 oz. frozen okra
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, water squeezed out, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I usually freeze my tofu when I buy it at the store and let it thaw the day I'm going to use it. This changes the texture favorably.)
NOTE: I served this over white rice, so you should also get some white rice ready to cook.

Method:
You’ll need 1 large skillet and one medium-to-large nonstick skillet.

Heat 1 T. canola oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, pepper, and garlic until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft. This takes about 10 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, the thyme, the oregano, the basil, the bay leaves, the stock, the salt, a generous grinding of black pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, heat 2 T. canola oil in the nonstick skillet. Sauté the okra until lightly browned. (I sautéed it for a couple of minutes, then I moved all the okra to the middle of the pan and let it cook until the bottom was lightly brown.) Remove the okra from the nonstick skillet.

NOTE: This is where I started cooking rice according to package instructions.

In the same nonstick skillet, add the tofu. Sprinkle the tofu with a generous grinding of black pepper, cayenne to taste, a couple of shakes of dry mustard, and a couple of shakes of tumeric. Sauté until it, too, is lightly browned. (I did the same thing I did to the okra, but I browned the tofu cubes on 2 sides.) Remove the tofu from the nonstick skillet.

In the same nonstick skillet, heat the remaining ¼ c. canola oil. Whisk in the ½ c. all-purpose flour, and continue heating until the mixture smells nutty (3 or 4 minutes). Stir this mixture (called the roux, unless you are Cajun or Creole, and then I apologize for any inauthenticity) 1 T. at a time into the tomato mixture until it creates a gravy-like texture. Remove the bay leaves and discard.  Stir in the okra and tofu.

I served the dish over white rice with some awesome white sesame-seeded bread and vegan butter. Scott drank his homebrewed beer, and I had a glass of red wine, then green tea. I wish I weren't full, because I'd love to eat some more! The recipe served about 4 as a main dish.

Granny's Potato Soup

My Granny was a no-nonsense kinda lady, and I adored that about her.  This is her potato soup recipe, and it's no-nonsense, just like her. I hope you think it's as fun and easy as I do.

celery - washed and chopped - use whatever amount is right for you
onion - peeled and chopped - use whatever amount is right for you
potatoes - peeled and chopped - use whatever amount is right for you (Granny was so no-nonsense that she just used a bag of Ore-Ida frozen potatoes most of the time.)
garlic - peeled and minced - use whatever amount is right for you
salt and pepper, to taste
water

Naturally, most of us will want the potato to be the dominant ingredient and everything else is just seasoning. So, you put whatever combination of the above vegetables that you like (I usually use about 3 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 3 celery stalks, and 2 cloves of garlic. This serves about 4.) into a pot large enough to accommodate them. You cover them with water. You start boiling the water. Let it boil until the potatoes are kind of falling apart and making a sort of thick, starchy broth. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add more water if you find you've let it boil down to be too thick, unless thick is what you like. (I usually find mine has gotten too thick and simply add water to the right consistency. Works like a charm.)

It's hard to believe that's all there is to it or that something that simple or that vegan could actually be delicious. But Granny was no vegan, believe me. She just liked simple food that was also good. Give it a whirl! If it does not taste right, it's only because the ratio of the ingredients is not right for you. Adjust, adjust, adjust. It CAN be right with just these ingredients, I promise!

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian pasta stew with beans)

This is a recipe I modified a little from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant by The Moosewood Collective. It's a really cool cookbook with recipes from various ethnic regions (including the Southeast US!) and countries.  The original recipe that I modified is in the Italy section.

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta (short, chunky variety, like penne)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 28-oz. can CRUSHED tomatoes (and with basil, if available), with liquid
1 can cannellini or Great Northern beans, with liquids
2 T. chopped fresh basil or 1 T. dried basil
oregano, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Start cooking the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for a few minutes until the celery is tender. Add kale. Stir until the kale is wilted down but not drying out. Add tomatoes with liquids, beans with liquids, and herbs. You can add water to make it thinner if you like.  Simmer until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain and mix with the bean and tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn out into a serving bowl, and serve hot.

Pasta al Salsa

I got this recipe from a Wild Oats cayenne pepper bottle - modified for my tastes.

It's easy, it's pretty, it's tasty!

Ingredients:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 celery rib, minced (I have been known to just throw in celery seed when sauté-ing the veggies if I'm out of celery.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced (I have been known to substitute 1/2 medium onion if I'm out of bell pepper.)
1 1-lb 12-oz. can chopped or crushed tomatoes (chopped tomatoes makes a lighter, hot-weather-style sauce...crushed tomatoes makes a heavier, saucier sauce suited to cooler weather)
16 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1 t. capers
1 t. dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (depends on your tastes and those of your guests...more = spicier)
1 lb. spaghetti or other long-noodle pasta

Method:
Sauté celery, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer while cooking pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain it, toss with the sauce, turn into a serving bowl, and serve immediately.

Szechuan Tofu

The original version of this recipe is from Molly Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook. This is my version. It is perfect over steamed white rice, so start cooking the rice when you start this. I always forget to and have to do it at the end!

Also, feel free to use whatever vegetables suit you - add bell peppers, baby corn, snow peas, etc.

lb. Chinese tofu - NOT the silken kind  (Tofu's texture improves if it has been frozen for 24 hours, then thawed.  Plan ahead.)
1/4 c. canola oil, separated
1/3 c. sherry or rice wine
soy sauce, shoyu, or tamari sauce (see step 4 for amount...If your food needs to be gluten-free, check ingredients.  Not all of these are gluten-free.)
1.5 c. water
2 T. cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
20-oz. bag of frozen broccoli
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 c. sliced celery

Squeeze as much water as possible from the tofu, then cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook the tofu over medium-high heat until water is no longer sizzling out of the cubes.  Drizzle with 2 T. canola oil, and toss to coat.  Continue cooking until 1 side is browned, toss again, and cook until a second side is browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a 1-cup measuring cup, pour the sherry or rice wine up to the 1/3 c. mark. Add enough soy sauce, shoyu, or tamari to make 1/2 c. of liquid. Add the water.  Put the corn starch into a medium bowl. Whisk in the tamari mixture. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in the skillet or a wok. Saute the broccoli, onion, carrots and celery until crisp-tender. Pour in the sauce, turn the heat up a little, and stir-fry/mix/whatever about 5 - 8 more minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken. Stir in the tofu Serve over your steamed white rice.