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%

Vegan Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Crushed Tomato Sauce

Servings: 5
Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a treat.  I had bought some Beyond Meat Spicy Italian Sausage (4 links to a pack) on sale.  I used 2 of the links for this delicious pasta and the other 2 links for Sausage Kale and Bean Soup and we have leftovers of both dishes, so this was a win-win. 

1 large fennel bulb
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 links of vegan sausage (7 to 8 oz or 200g, ideally spicy or Italian-flavored)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup nutritional yeast
12 ounces bucatini (or spaghetti or linguine)
1 28-ounce can best-quality whole peeled tomatoes 
4 cups baby spinach or kale, chopped 
2 large handfuls fresh basil, sliced (I used ¼ cup pesto.)
For serving: Fresh toasted garlic breadcrumbs (optional, but very nice)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the pasta.
Slice off the fennel stalks and reserve any fronds for an optional garnish (roughly chop them).
With the fennel bulb, if the outer layer is very thick, remove it. Slice the bulb in half, lengthwise. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel crosswise, as thinly as you can.
Meanwhile, heat the 3 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep sauté pan. Once hot, add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some edges start to brown.
While the fennel cooks, pour the canned tomatoes with their juices into a bowl. Crush them with your hands. Set aside. Also, crumble the sausage with your hands if you have time (if it doesn't crumble, slice it). Add the garlic to the fennel and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Now add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the crumbled or sliced sausage into the pan. Break it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and a bit crisp (the exact cook time will depend on the brand of sausage used). Add in the crushed tomatoes with juices, a generous amount of black pepper, and the nutritional yeast. Stir to coat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. If desired, smash some of the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon from time to time. After you add the tomatoes and the pasta water is boiling, salt the water generously (about 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or 2 ½ to 3 teaspoons sea salt). Add the pasta and cook for the minimum amount of time for al dente pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Add the baby spinach to the tomato sauce and cook briefly until it just starts to wilt. Add in the hot cooked pasta plus ¾ cup to 1 cup of the pasta water. Turn the heat to medium-high and toss the pasta vigorously with tongs until it’s well coated in the sauce and is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Off the heat, garnish with basil or parsley or pesto.  Top with breadcrumbs, if using.

Notes
I love this recipe with Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausage. Field Roast Italian sausage also works great.
My favorite canned tomatoes are from Bianco Dinapoli. I also like San Merican, Cento, Mutti, and Bello Organic.
Feel free to use a bit more spinach if you want, as it wilts down a lot. You can also use baby kale, just cook it a minute or so longer.

Nutritional Information: Calories (1 of 5 servings): 505 calories; Carbohydrates: 69g; Protein: 27g; Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Sodium: 358mg; Potassium: 1777mg; Fiber: 11g; Sugar: 4g; Vitamin A: 17891IU; Vitamin C: 60mg; Calcium: 250mg; Iron: 9mg

Super Easy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from Taylor Stinson
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 6 servings

There’s no reason not to make this soup.  It’s quite easy to make and it’s delicious and filling to boot!  
 
2 Tablespoons olive oil (optional)
2-3 small sweet onions, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 ½ cups green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small zucchini, chopped or sliced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (796mL) jar/can crushed tomatoes (or passata)
3/4 cup dry macaroni
Chopped fresh basil, for topping (optional)
Grated fresh vegan parmesan, for topping

Dump all ingredients except for macaroni, basil and parmesan in Instant Pot. (I omitted the olive oil and it turned out just great!) Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to pre-heat and then the 4 minutes to cook. When complete, press cancel and do a quick release of the steam, waiting until the pressure gauge drops back down and the lid is safe to open.
Remove lid, stir soup and add macaroni, then replace lid. Let macaroni soak about 5 minutes (maybe more like 10 depending on the type of pasta you use.)
Remove lid again and stir. Discard the bay leaves. 
Serve in large bowls and top with fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes: 
Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.  Freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Microwave from frozen for 6-7 minutes or defrost in the fridge and reheat as normal.

Nutrition Information: (This info includes the olive oil, but if you omit it, the fat and calorie count will be less.)  Calories: 261kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 42g (14%) Protein: 13g (26%) Fat: 6g (9%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 674mg (29%) Potassium: 789mg (23%) Fiber: 12g (50%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 3550IU (71%) Vitamin C: 19mg (23%) Calcium: 130mg (13%) Iron: 4.1mg (23%)

Instant Pot White Bean Stew (Vegan)

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Make 4 generous servings

This stew is just delish and perfect to serve on a rainy day.  Good enough for company, in our opinion.

Stew:

12 oz. (340 g) dried white beans, such as cannellini or great northern beans, soaked overnight*

3 medium shallots, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 large or 2 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and grated (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes.)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

Bouquet Garni: 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley + a few sprigs of thyme, tied tightly together with kitchen twine

1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Gremolata Topping:

1 large handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)

1 large clove garlic, peeled and left whole

1 small lemon

Coarse or flaky sea salt

For Serving: (optional)

Lemon wedges

Extra-virgin olive oil

Crusty whole grain bread, toasted**

Pour the soaked and drained beans into the inner lining of the Instant Pot.  Add the vegetable broth, shallots, garlic, celery, grated potatoes, cumin, paprika, the bouquet garni, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Pour the crushed tomatoes and scoop the tomato paste on top of the other ingredients, but do not stir, allowing the tomatoes to sit on top.  (This prevents the tomatoes from the blocking the Instant Pot’s heat sensor and burning!)  Secure the lid and set the pressure release to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook setting at High pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.  When the time is up, press Cancel and allow a Natural Release.  While the stew is cooking, prepare the Gremolata Topping.  Roughly chop the parsley.  Using a Microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and zest the lemon on top of this mixture, taking care not to zest the white pith of the lemon underneath the skin.  Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the parsley and chop until everything is finely minced.  Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse salt.  Set aside.  When the pressure has released and the pin has dropped, open the lid.  Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, if needed.  Fish out the bouquet garni and discard. Transfer the stew to bowls and top each bowl with some of the gremolata.  If desired, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the stew.  Serve the whole grain toast.  Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

*To soak the beans, rinse them first.  Add them to a large bowl along with 1 ½ Tablespoons salt and enough water to cover the beans above 2 inches.  Stir until the salt has dissolved. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter overnight.  The beans will swell during this time.  Drain and rinse the beans before using.

**To make Garlic Toast, lay slices of whole-grain bread on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Place the cookie sheet under the broiler.  Broil the bread until it’s toasty brown. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and rub the raw garlic over the surface of the toast. Sprinkle with kosher salt (or sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper.  Flip the toast over to the other side and repeat the process.

Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from Healthyish via BonAppetit

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6

 

Oh, Mama!  What a delicious soup!  This was a cinch to make.  It’s a belly-warming soup perfect for a winter day. I think it would make a fabulous soup to pack in a thermos for work or school. Make a double batch and freeze one batch for a time when you are feeling puny and don’t feel up to cooking. This will perk you right up.  Check out the additions and substitutions at the bottom of the recipe for a change of pace.

2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2½-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated

1 Tablespoon medium curry powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¾ cup red lentils

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2½ cups water

½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus leaves for serving

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (13.5 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well, divided

Lime wedges, for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add lentils and cook, stirring 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, ½ cup cilantro, a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the water.  Set aside ¼ cup of the coconut milk for serving later.  Add the remaining coconut milk to the pot.  Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft but not mushy, about 20-25 minutes.  To serve, divide among bowls.  Drizzle with the reserved coconut milk and top with more cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Notes: 

·       To make ahead, prepare the soup (without toppings) and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

·       Soup can be frozen.

Additions and Substitutions:

Replace the coconut oil with extra-virgin olive oil.

Substitute 2 teaspoons jarred minced fresh ginger for the fresh ginger root.

Add a carrot, finely chopped, with the onion.

Substitute red curry paste for the curry powder.

Use roasted, crushed tomatoes for the crushed tomatoes.

You can also substitute regular canned tomatoes for the crushed tomatoes.

Substitute chicken or vegetable broth for the water.

Use fresh basil instead of cilantro.

Add some cooked shredded chicken or fresh shrimp towards the end of the cooking.

Serve over brown rice, if desired.

Nutritional Info: 

By my calculations, 1 of 6 servings of this soup = 197 calories if using light unsweetened coconut milk.

1 of 6 servings of this soup = 280 calories if using full fat unsweetened coconut milk.

Harira (Meatless)

Serves 8

Recipe from Martha Stewart Slow Cooker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Harira is the national dish of Morocco. There are many versions Harira.  I thought this was just delicious and perfect comfort food.  This slow cooker, make-ahead version of Harira is loaded with good-for-you protein and fiber.  While the chickpeas are resting, measure out the spices and prep the rest of the ingredients. 

1 cup dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed

Water

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch saffron

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Use Dorot frozen cilantro if fresh isn’t available.)

1 cup dried French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 cup dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed

8 cups boiling water

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste, before serving

Toasted flat bread and plain yogurt and more fresh cilantro for serving, if desired

For a quick soak, cover the chickpeas in a large saucepan with water.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.  Drain and set aside.

Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, saffron, and cinnamon stick.  Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cilantro.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 5 minutes.

Transfer the tomato mixture to the slow cooker.  Add the French lentils and red lentils and chickpeas.  Add the salt to the boiling water and pour into the slow cooker.  Stir to mix and then cover.  Cook on High until the legumes are tender, about 2½ hours (or on Low for 5 hours.) Season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, top with more cilantro, and serve with flatbread and yogurt, if desired.

Notes:

By my calculations, this dish (without flatbread and yogurt) is 313 calories per serving.