Lentil Bolognese (vegan)

Servings: 6
Author: Nisha Vora

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

My husband and I thought this was especially delicious, perfect for company.  The texture is very "meaty" and the taste has depth.  Serve this up with a crisp green salad and some garlic toast for a grand meal!

Ingredients
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or use more oregano)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (5.3-ounce) (150g) tube of tomato paste 
½ cup (120 mL) dry red wine 
3 cups (720 mL) vegetable broth
1 cup (185g) red lentils, soaked 
¼ cup (32g) walnuts (or pecans), crushed finely
1 (14.5-ounce/410g) can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand 
12-16 ounces (340-454g) long, wide pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine; or tube pasta such as rigatoni or penne rigate; or gnocchi)
1 tablespoon high-quality balsamic vinegar 
Flat-leaf Italian parsley or fresh basil, chopped or slivered (optional)

Instructions
Soak the 1 cup of lentils in water for 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, prep all the other ingredients (i.e., chop the onions and garlic, chop the walnuts, etc.) 

Heat a 12-inch deep sauté pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. 

Stir occasionally and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. 

Add a few spoons of water to deglaze the pan, and stir. 

Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the onions are softened and golden brown, 9-10 minutes. 

Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir frequently and cook for 60-90 seconds. 

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize, stirring very frequently, until it’s darker red in color. 

Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the smell of alcohol has burned off and the mixture is jammy. 

Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan, stirring any browned bits on the bottom of the pot and stirring the broth into the tomato paste to combine. Add the lentils and walnuts, and stir to incorporate. 

Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking. (If using crushed tomatoes, you may need to add a little water or lower the heat as needed to prevent burning.) 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Reserve a ladle or so of pasta water (may not need it). 

Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. 

Taste the Bolognese for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Finish with the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. 

Add the hot cooked pasta to the Bolognese and toss until well coated in the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water as needed to ensure the sauce coats the noodles. 

Garnish with chopped parsley or basil, if using.

Notes
If you're not serving all of the Bolognese at this time, transfer the amount of Bolognese sauce you'd like to eat to the pasta pot. Add the hot cooked pasta, turn the heat to medium, and toss to coat. Store the leftover Bolognese sauce separately in the fridge. 

This recipe is best with tomato paste from a tube, not canned tomato paste. For the best tomato flavor, use whole peeled tomatoes and crush them by hand. Crushed and whole peeled tomatoes are hard to find in 14.5 ounce cans, so I usually use half of a 28-ounce can. 

You can try sautéing finely diced mushrooms after the onions to add in some of that natural umami, which walnuts bring. And/Or, if you have dried porcini mushrooms, you can blitz those in a spice grinder or small food processor into a powder (or use store-bought porcini mushroom powder), and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of that when you add the veggie broth. Enjoy!

Information: (1 of 6 servings)  Calories 378; Total Fat 8.2g; Saturated Fat 0.8g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 936mg; Total Carbohydrate 59.2g; Dietary Fiber 6.1g; Total Sugars 7.5g; Protein 14g; Calcium 50mg; 4% Iron 4mg 23% ;Potassium 650mg 14%

Stuffed Mushrooms (Vegan)

 

Recipe from From My Bowl

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

These little bites were absolutely scrumptious.  Make them for your next gathering! (Use tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce to make these gluten free.)

Ingredients

12 medium cremini mushrooms, stems removed (about 12 ounces / 340g)

2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari, divided

1/2 cup (55 g) raw walnuts

1/2 cup (75 g) pine nuts

1/2 small yellow onion, quartered

1 rib celery, cut in fourths

3–5 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

1 Tablespoon vegan butter (optional; or sub oil or water)

1/4 cup (60 ml) dry red wine

Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F and set a 9×9″ baking dish aside.

Marinate the Mushrooms:  place the mushroom caps in a large glass bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of tamari over them; use a spatula to gently toss them in the mixture, until evenly coated. Set aside and let marinate while you prepare the filling, tossing occasionally.

Toast the Nuts: bring a medium pan to medium-high heat; Add the pine nuts and walnuts to the pan and toast for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. The nuts should be fragrant and slightly golden when finished; set aside.

Process the Filling: add the onion and celery to a food processor and process until they are very finely chopped, almost at a chunky paste. Remove from the food processor and set aside. Then, add the toasted nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, rosemary, thyme, paprika, sage, and black pepper to the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are very finely chopped, almost resembling coarse breadcrumbs. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this mixture to top the mushrooms; place the rest in a separate bowl apart from the onions/celery.

Cook the Filling: heat the vegan butter (or oil or 3 tablespoons of water) in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the onion and celery mixture. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and slightly golden. Deglaze the pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of tamari. Then, add the ground nut & spice mixture to the pan; cook for 1 minute, to allow the nuts and spices to toast. Add the red wine to the pan and stir well into the mixture; it should begin to stick together and form a thicker “paste.” Sauté for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and additional pepper to taste, if necessary.

Fill the Mushrooms: Place each mushroom cap into the baking dish with the hollow side (where the stem used to be) facing up. Fill each mushroom with approximately 1 tablespoon of the cooked filling, using your fingers to press it in firmly (though some will remain on top). Sprinkle the reserved nut & spice “breadcrumbs” over each mushroom.

Bake: Bake in the top rack of the oven for 27-29 minutes, until the mushrooms have fully cooked and the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving tray; serve warm, or as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and are best served warm.

Notes:

Substitutions: walnuts and pine nuts can be replaced with another buttery nut, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, or brazil nuts. 

Red wine can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar + 1/2 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth.

If you do not have a food processor, you can use a knife and finely chop each ingredient.

Hearty Vegetable Stew (Vegetarian/No-Oil)

Recipe from Cheeky Chickpea 

(Adapted just a bit) Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes about 6 servings

This stew is m-m-good!  Once the veggies are all prepped, the stew will be ready to eat in less than 45 minutes.  Serve with a crisp salad and thick slices of whole grain bread for a real treat of a meal.  

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water (Add more if needed)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced OR 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery salt or 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

3 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)

1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (1 1/2-2 cups)

5 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 5-6 cups)

1/2 lb. (227 grams) sliced mushrooms

2 1/2 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No-Beef Base

1/2 cup beer** (Use gluten free beer to make this stew gluten free.)

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups water (Add more if needed)

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Stovetop:

Heat a soup pot to medium high.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth to the pot.  It will sizzle.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, adding additional broth if the onions begin to stick to the pot.  Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 1 minute.  Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the peas.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to a simmer and then cover the pot.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove a ladle full of stew to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended portion back to the stew. This will create a lovely "gravy" like sauce.  (You can also use a stick blender, as I did, and blend just a little of the stew right inside the pot.)   Add the frozen peas, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Serve.

Slow Cooker:

Heat a skillet to medium high.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth to the skillet.  It will sizzle.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, adding additional broth if the onions begin to stick to the pot.  Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 1 minute.  Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds.  Put the sauteed ingredients in a large slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the peas.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.  Remove a ladle full of stew to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended portion back to the stew. This will create a lovely "gravy" like sauce.  (You can also use a stick blender, as I did, and blend just a little of the stew right inside the pot.)   Add the frozen peas, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Serve.

Notes:  

To make this stew gluten free, use gluten free beer.

Do not add more than 2 cups rutabaga or the stew will turn out too sweet.  The same goes for the carrots.

Add a bit more water or broth as needed if the stew seems too thick to you.

I have another vegetable stew recipe on my blog that is made in the Instant Pot.  I haven't tested the Hearty Vegetable Stew recipe above using the Instant Pot, but I'm thinking the timing would be the same.  High pressure for 10 minutes and then use natural release until the pin drops.  Add the peas and then cook on saute for about 2-4 minutes.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings without peas) 123 calories; 0.5 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 204.9 mg sodium; 22.8 carbohydrates; 8.5 g sugars; 2.7 g protein

Mushroom Toasts

 

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

Makes 2 generous servings

(This is a vegetarian dish, but you can easily make this vegan by swapping the cheese with mashed avocado.)

There are many versions of mushroom toast out in the world.  And, no wonder!  It's a wholesome, scrumptious, low budget meatless meal that everyone will love. It's very simple to make, but be warned.  Because it comes together so quickly, you must have all the ingredients prepped in advance.  

4 slices sturdy bread such as sourdough or whole grain (Pictured is Dave's Killer 21 Whole Grains and Seeds Bread found in the freezer section at Whole Foods.) 

2 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 package) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese (For a vegan version, use 1 large mashed avocado.)

4 cups baby kale or baby spinach

3 cloves peeled garlic, divided (Slice 2 cloves.  Leave 1 clove whole.)

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 scallions or 1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon or less red pepper flakes

8 ounces or so Baby bella mushrooms or other mushrooms, sliced or quartered

1/4 cup red wine or good quality balsamic vinegar

Water, as needed

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Be sure to prepare all the ingredients in advance because it comes together very quickly.

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet.  Brush each slice with a bit of olive oil.  Set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium high.  Add some olive oil.  Add the mushrooms and onions.  Saute for a few minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and 2 cloves of sliced garlic.  Stir about 1 minute.  Add the red wine or balsamic vinegar.  Stir until the liquid has evaporated.  If the mushrooms begin to stick, just add a splash of water.  Remove the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.  Using the same skillet, add a bit more oil and once the oil is hot, add the greens and cherry tomatoes.  Stir until the greens are wilted.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the broiler.  Place the bread slices in the oven under the broiler.  Watch carefully.  Broil until the tops are toasty brown.  Remove the baking sheet.  Brush the tops with a bit of olive oil.  Rub the toast with the whole clove of garlic.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Flip the slices over.  Brush with olive oil and place the baking sheet back under the broiler.  Watch carefully because the second side will toast up much faster.  When the toasts are nicely browned with maybe a little char on the edges, remove them from the oven.  Again, brush with a bit of olive oil, rub with the garlic clove, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  

Smear some of the Boursin cheese or mashed avocado on each slice.  Add the greens and tomato mixture.  Top with the mushrooms.  Serve hot with a fork and sharp knife and a large napkin ;-)

Sparkling Red-Wine Cocktails

8 Servings

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

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Keep the ingredients to this fabulous cocktail in your pantry and serve it to your favorite people when you are in a partying mood! Serve with GoatCheese Stuffed Mushrooms for a perfect dinner party starter. YUM!

• ¼ cup sugar (The recipe called for 1/3 cup, but it was just too much for coating the rims.)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large fresh orange, cut into wedges (I trimmed out the edge of each wedge and then cut each wedge in half crossways.)
• 5½ cups Lambrusco or other sparkling red wine, chilled (I used Riunite Lambrusco Emilia Italia Soft Lively Red Wine.)
• 24 ounces sparkling orange beverage, such as Orangina, chilled (I used 2 cans of Sanpellegrino Aranciata.)
• 4 ounces bourbon or other American whiskey (I used Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.)
• Ice (I put ice cubes in a large plastic bag and used my meat pounder to crush the ice.)

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and spread on a small plate. Rub an orange wedge around the rims of 8 rock glasses (Those are the short stubby glasses.)  Dip the glasses in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.  (You can do this in advance and store the glasses in the fridge.) Just before serving, combine the wine, the whiskey, and the orange sparkling beverage in a large pitcher.  Fill the glasses with crushed ice.  Add the cocktail mixture, and serve with orange slices.

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Note:  208 calories per serving

Spaghetti with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Leave off the Parmesan cheese to make this delicious meal vegan.

Serves 8

Recipe from Vegetarian Times

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was so easy to make and very yummy and would make a great meal for during the workweek.  We drizzled a bit of Sriracha Sauce over the top to add a little kick because we like things spicy. Chickpeas and finely chopped mushrooms give this healthful sauce a hearty texture.

8 oz. (2 cups) sliced white or baby bella mushrooms

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 large leek, white part cut into chunks

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)

¼ cup red wine

4 to 8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

8 oz. spaghetti (I used whole-wheat pasta.)

Optional:  Sriracha Sauce and/or freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Place mushrooms, bell pepper, and leek in bowl of food processor. Pulse until ingredients are coarsely chopped.  (I didn’t bother with the food processor and with a good knife, it really took no time at all to chop everything myself.)

2. Heat oil in large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushroom mixture and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes, and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and wine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, or until spinach has wilted.

4. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Serve spaghetti topped with sauce.  Add a drizzle of Sriracha Sauce and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutritional Information per 1 cup Sauce and ½ cup Pasta:  Calories: 269; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 383 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 8 g  (Use whole-wheat pasta for more fiber.)