Creamy Harissa Butter Beans

As you can see, the hubster loved it
and licked his plate clean.

Recipe from Sweet Greens Vegan

Makes 2 generous servings 

(I highly recommend doubling the recipe because it's just terrific.)

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Beans and greens may sound a bit boring, but THIS beans and greens dish is out of this world delicious.  This is quick and easy enough to make on a weeknight.  I was sorry I didn't double the recipe because we ate it in one take and now I don't have leftovers for lunch.  Live and learn.  Well, you and yours will absolutely love this dinner.  

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) butter beans*, rinsed and drained 
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced (I used ¼ of a red onion.)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1-2 Tablespoon harissa**
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetable broth (or more)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Handful of shredded kale or spinach
Kosher or sea salt, to taste (I used ½ teaspoon.)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon.)

Instructions:
Be sure to have all the ingredients prepared and at the ready.  This dish comes together quickly.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced shallots and cook for just 1-2 minutes. Next, add minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained butter beans and harissa paste, followed by the coconut milk and veggie broth.
Stir in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. 
Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes so that it begins to thicken.
Add the shredded kale and let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the kale is wilted and the stew has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and enjoy with toasted sourdough bread.

Notes: 
*If you can’t find butter beans you can use chickpeas, cannellini beans or navy beans instead. (I buy butter beans, Bush brand, by the case on Amazon.)
**Harissa is a condiment paste made of peppers, garlic, spices, etc. It can be pretty hot and spicy, however, I buy a brand called Mina Harissa Mild, and my husband, who is a panty-waist when it comes to spice, can handle it just fine as you can see in the picture. 

One Pot Creamy Hummus Pasta (vegan)

Recipe from This Savory Vegan
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Servings 2-4

This One Pot Creamy Hummus Pasta is ready in 20 minutes! This vegan pasta dish is kept light by using hummus in place of typical cream sauce.  Add whatever vegetables and greens that you like. I added peas to bump up the protein.

Ingredients
8 oz dry linguine
1 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil drained
1 Tablespoon sun dried tomato in oil
3 cloves garlic diced
¾ cup hummus + more for leftovers (No-Oil Hummus or a flavored hummus would be great too)
1 cup pasta water
2 cups baby spinach or thaw 4 oz of frozen spinach, squeeze out the water
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes optional

Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Place the empty pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add sun dried tomatoes, oil and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add hummus and pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Slowly pour in pasta water ¼ cup at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency. Add spinach and sauté until wilted (approx. 1 minute). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately* and enjoy!

Notes
*If you have leftovers, place in an airtight container in the fridge. When reheating add 1-2 Tablespoons hummus to pasta before reheating.
Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings, about 10 ounces) 317 Calories; 12g Protein; 6g Total Fat (1 g sat. fat); 53g Carbs; 2 g Sugars; 0 g Cholesterol; 439 mg Sodium

Notes from reviewers of original recipe:
• Add some Cajun spice and nutritional yeast and sauté with some green olives.
• Add about 1/2 cup of vegan kale pesto from Trader Joe’s. Add some peas & asparagus.
• Add some roasted red bell peppers and mushrooms.
• Add some steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
• Top with some vegan parmesan.
• If you don’t have sun dried tomatoes on hand, pour in a tiny bit of marinara and some nutritional yeast.
• Use ravioli instead of linguini.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Butter Bean Stew

Makes 3 servings
Recipe from Pick Up Limes
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This stew was mmmm-mmmm good!  It was very easy to make with just a few ingredients.  We didn't have any bread to serve it with, so I made a quick salad.  This would be great to serve to guests.  Loved, loved, loved it!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced 
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
⅓ cup (50 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
1 Tbsp (9 g) all-purpose flour 
1¼ cups (300 mL) water
1 vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled
3 cups (510 g) cooked butter beans
½ cup (120 mL) soy cooking cream 
5 cups (150 g) fresh spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar (If you don't like a vinegar taste, you might leave this out, but I thought it was yummy.  You might add just a Tablespoon and then taste it before adding the second Tablespoon.)
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Optional garnish for serving
chili flakes or chili crisps
fresh parsley
3 slices rustic bread, toasted 

Directions
Add the oil and leek to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
Next, add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and flour. Continue to stir, cooking for 1 minute.
Add the water and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until thickened.
Stir in the beans and cooking cream. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Lastly, stir in the spinach, white wine vinegar and black pepper.
Serve with toasted bread, garnish, if you wish, and enjoy!

Storage
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutritional Information: (per 1 of 3 servings) 500 calories; total fat 13.4 g; saturated fat 2.5 g; trans fat 0.0 g; cholesterol 0.0 mg; total carbs 79.0 g; dietary fiber 13.4 g; total sugars 18.0 g; added sugars 0.0 g; protein 18.9 g; sodium 809 mg; iron 9.02 mg; potassium 1776.8 mg; 192.7 mg calcium; 212.4 mg magnesium 212.4 mg

Broccoli & Cashew Cheese-Quinoa Burritos

Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 large burritos or 6 small burritos

This got a big thumbs-up from the hubby.  The filling reminds me of a really delicious broccoli cheese casserole. You won’t believe how cheesy, delicious, and comforting these vegan burritos are.  If you make the cheese sauce and quinoa in advance, the rest comes together quite quickly.  If you use gluten free tortillas or lettuce leaves for wrapping, this recipe is free of gluten. 

3 cups cooked quinoa*

1 Tablespoon or less olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ cup diced sweet onion

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¾ cup diced celery

2 cups diced broccoli

3-4 Tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Cashew Cheese Sauce**

4 soft tortillas or large lettuce leaves

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the celery, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Sauté over medium-high heat until the broccoli is tender, but still bright green.  Add the cooked quinoa and the cheese sauce.  Stir to combine with the vegetables.  Add the red pepper flakes, if using.  Cook until heated through.  Spoon the mixture onto whole-grain tortillas or large lettuce leaves, wrap, and serve.  (You can also grill or press the burrito before serving.)

Nutritional Info: (I used Calorie King app.) (1 of 4 burritos) 500 calories; 8.7 grams fiber; 4.0 grams protein; 141.2 mg potassium; 907.3 mg calcium. (1 of 6 burritos) 334 calories; 5.8 grams fiber; 11.8 grams protein; 94.1 mg potassium; 605 mg calcium

How-To Prepare Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.  Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add the 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  Cooked quinoa can be frozen once cooled.

Cashew Cheese Sauce (Makes about 1 cup sauce)

¾ cup raw cashews

1 clove garlic

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Place the cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover.  Soak the cashews for at least 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight.  Drain and rinse the cashews.  Place all the ingredients in the order listed in a food processor or high powered blender.  Process until smooth.  This can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta (Vegan)

Recipe from Oh She Glows Every Day byAngela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

4 generous servings (6 smaller lunch-size servings)

Ever since we’ve begun eating a more plant based diet (We still eat chicken and fish on occasion.) I have had tremendous fun trying out recipes that are vegan.  My husband and I, who were both born and raised on having meat at just about every meal, have been amazed at how delicious and satisfying these dishes are.  And we are feeling much better to boot!  Here’s another really scrumptious pasta dish even the die-hard meat eaters will love.

Sun-Dried Cashew Cream

½ cup raw cashews, cover with water and soak overnight and drain

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon water

2 or 3 medium cloves garlic

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (save the oil*)

½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt

Splash of reserved olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes or olive oil, if needed

In a high speed blender, combine cashews, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, water, and salt.  Blend on high until super smooth.  If your blender has a hard time getting the mixture smooth, add a splash or two of olive oil (or some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar) Set aside.  This can be made in advance and kept chilled in the fridge.

Pasta

16 ounces dry pasta of choice (fusilli, penne, macaroni, etc.)

5 ounces baby spinach

2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (save the oil*)

¾ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped or thinly sliced

Splash of reserved olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes or olive oil, if needed

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)

1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (optional)

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Herbamare or sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

VeganParmesan Cheese made with cashews (optional)

Sliced cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Place the spinach in a large colander in the sink.  When the pasta is done cooking, carefully and slowly, empty the pot over the spinach in the colander to drain.  This will wilt the spinach.  The spinach will turn a lovely bright green.  Make sure that all of the water has drained out of the colander.  While the pasta is cooking, put the cashew cream, the sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon zest in a large serving bowl.  Add the red pepper flakes, Herbamare or sea salt, pepper and white wine vinegar, if using.  Stir in the pasta-spinach mixture and add the basil.  Toss and stir gently to coat the pasta.  Serve immediately, garnished with the Vegan Parmesan Cheese and tomatoes, if using.

NOTES: Herbamare is an herbed salt mixture. 

Nutritional Information:   (By my calculations using Calorie King app)1 of 6 servings: 459 calories; 11.1 grams fiber; 17.3 grams protein; 86 mg. calcium