What's for Dinner: Mediterranean Pasta with Sauteed Asparagus

Also local to Walla Walla is some killer asparagus. The field around my childhood home was actually an asparagus field, so I grew up walking outside to the sometimes-putrid smell of the vegetable. It took me a few years, but I finally grew to like the little green stalks.

This is my favorite way to eat asparagus -- lemony and fresh atop a bed of delicious pasta.

Mediterranean Pasta with Sauteed Asparagus

Soy-free, vegan

Ingredients

1 lb. pasta of your choice (I used tomato-carrot penne)
4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced and divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and trimmed
1 C sliced white mushrooms
2 C frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 C sundried tomatoes 
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbs. white wine

Step-by-Step

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

While pasta is cooking, in a medium skillet, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is slick, add three cloves garlic. Sauté until garlic becomes slightly golden on the edges. Add asparagus to skillet, stirring once, then allowing it to cook without stirring.

In a separate large stock pot or wok, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium-high. When the oil becomes slick, add two cloves garlic. Sauté until garlic becomes slightly golden on the edges. Add white mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes. Sauté.

By this point, the asparagus skillet will have begun to get a golden-brown residue on the bottom of the pan. Juice half the lemon into the skillet, using the acidity to scrape the residue from the pan. Stir again, then allow to continue to cook.

Similarly, when the skillet begins to develop a residue, add the white wine to that pot, using the acidity to scrape the residue from the pot.

When the pasta finishes cooking, drain it then add it to the mushroom and artichoke heart mixture. Turn the heat on that pot down to medium. Continue to stir, heating through.

When the asparagus pan again begins to develop a residue, deglaze the pan again by juicing the other half of the lemon and repeating the scraping process. Once done, immediately empty the asparagus into the pot with the pasta and mushrooms.

Note: I kept the asparagus separate from the pasta in the picture, but I actually prefer combining the two. I ended up combining them on my plate after taking the photo. The citrus flavor of the asparagus is a little too strong without the pasta, but brings a wonderful flavor to the pasta.

What's for Dinner: Gluten-Free Tri-Color Summer Pasta Salad with Green Beans, Chickpeas, and Grape Tomatoes

I'm all moved back to my mom's house for the summer before making the move to North Carolina. My mom has a little cottage in the country outside of Walla Walla, Wash. What that means for me is great local produce and great wine. Mmmmmmm.

I hit up the farmer's market this last weekend and found myself some gorgeous green beans. I wanted to incorporate them into a salad that tasted distinctly summer.

Gluten-Free Tri-Color Summer Pasta Salad

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

1 lb. gluten-free pasta, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
2 C grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 C cooked garbanzo beans
1 C fresh green beans, cleaned and lightly blanched
3/4 C vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs creamy dijon mustard (not whole grain)
4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste 

Step-by-Step

Combine gluten-free pasta, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and lightly blanched green beans in a large bowl by tossing them with salad tossers. Be very gentle, as gluten-free pasta can often be less hearty than regular pasta.

Add mayonnaise, dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper to the mixture. Again toss with salad tossers until fully combined.

What's for Dinner: Slow-Cooked Artichokes with Bruschetta-Topped Rocket Salad

I've been quite busy packing myself for a grand move from Washington to North Carolina. Thus, I've had very little time to cook. At the same time, I have a fridge full of food and six days to eat it.

I found a bunch of globe artichokes and some leftover bruschetta topping in my fridge today, so this is what transpired.

Slow-Cooked Artichokes

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

4 small globe artichokes
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. red cooking wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 C water

Step-by-Step

Prep artichokes by cutting the stems and trimming the pokey ends off of the leaves.

Combine garlic, wine, rosemary, and water in your slow cooker. Place artichokes stems down in the liquid.

Cover and allow to cook for 4 hours on low.

Bruschetta Topping

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

1 C julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary, minced
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 C chopped fresh basil
2 C heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in sixths

Step-by-Step

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to sit in fridge for two hours to combine flavors.



I created the salad by topping rocket (arugula) with a couple spoonfuls of bruschetta topping and some garbanzo beans. The vinegar and oil on the bruschetta topping makes a perfect dressing for the salad.

What's for Dinner: Polenta with Vegan Creamy Pesto

I love polenta, and I love eating it all different ways. This particular recipe is the perfect combination of comfort and refreshing flavor.

Polenta with Vegan Creamy Pesto

Soy-free, gluten-free

Ingredients

2 tsp. + 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 pre-made polenta cakes (either make ahead or buy)
1 C raw cashews
1 C water
2 C basil leaves
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
dash cayenne pepper

1/4 C kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 C black olives, sliced
1 C baby spinach
1 15-oz. can chickpeas

Step-by-Step

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once olive oil is heated, place polenta cakes in the skillet to begin frying. Allow to fry for 5 minutes on each side, flipping three times and allowing 5 minutes of cook time after each flip.

In a food processor, process cashews and water until graininess is gone. Add basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Layer polenta cakes, pesto, spinach, olives, and chickpeas. (I sautéed my chickpeas a bit with some cumin, which added a little kick, but this is not necessary.)

What's for Dinner: Portabella Wellington and Jeweled Brussels Sprout Salad | V

This was my first holiday season as a vegan. In the past, I was vegetarian and could subsist on cheesy, buttery sides and perhaps lentil loaf for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. This year's dietary restrictions challenged me to come up with something new.

Thanks to @chelsiehadden for the photo!

I served this with some instant mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. Lazy? Perhaps. But these other dishes take enough effort.

Jeweled Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients

2 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. agave or honey
3 Tbs. red wine
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

4 C. shredded brussels sprouts

2 C. walnuts, toasted and chopped

2 C. dried cranberries

Step-by-Step

1. Combine dijon, garlic, agave and wine. While whisking, slowly add olive oil until well emulsified.
2. In a large bowl, mix brussels sprouts, walnuts, dried cranberries, and dressing.
3. Allow to sit for 1 hour to allow the brussels sprouts to soak up the dressing.

Portabella Wellington

Ingredients

4 portabella mushrooms, cleaned

1 C. walnuts

1 bunch purple kale (other kale will work, too)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C. chives
2 Tbs. mushroom gravy
1 Tbs. red cooking wine
pinch salt
2 sheets pre-made puff pastry, thawed

Step-by-Step

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Scrape gills of mushrooms into food processor, being careful not to cut through the mushroom. Set caps aside.
3. Add walnuts, kale, 1 sprig rosemary, garlic, chives, gravy, wine, and salt to food processor. Pulse to combine into a coarse paste-like filling.
4. Roll sheets of puff pastry together, sealing the seams.
5. Fill mushroom caps with filling. Place cap side-down in a row at the center of your puff pastry. Stretch and fold puff pastry over mushrooms and press to seal. Brush with oil and press rosemary sprigs into dough. Mushrooms can also be individually wrapped by rolling and cutting puff pastry sheets to fit.
6. Cook on a greased baking sheet until pastry is golden brown, about 20 minutes. If the pastry seems to be browning too quickly in some spots, cover with aluminum foil.

Life Update

It's been forever since I've blogged here. I have good excuses. The last time I blogged was in May, just before I moved across the state to intern at Allrecipes.com in Seattle. I had a great experience there learning about editing and marketing recipes, but I missed my husband (who was still living in Spokane), and I was ready to come home in August.

When I got back, I jumped into school with both feet. At the same time as taking classes, I was working four jobs: An internship with Defending Dissent Foundation, a research assistantship, my office job, and an editor position with my college newspaper.

I had the awesome opportunity to travel to New Orleans in October to attend a national collegiate media conference. At the conference, I was able to meet Mary Beth Tinker, a hero in the student speech rights community.

Nothing could have prepared me for what happened when I got back. The morning of my cross-country flight home, I woke up before the sun rose. I gathered my things, took a taxi to the airport with my colleagues, got on the plane. We had a quick layover in Minneapolis, where I called my husband.

The entire plane ride between Minnesota and Washington, I was thinking about how excited I was to go home to my husband. It was our 6-year dating anniversary, and we were supposed to go to dinner when I got back and then spend the evening cuddled up and watching movies.

When I walked through my front door, my husband was sitting in the living room looking deflated. "We need to talk," he said.

"What's wrong?" I replied.

"I'm leaving you. I moved out while you were gone."

Needless to say, my life has been turned upside down. That said, I'm still the same person. I'm still a driven woman. I'm still passionate about civil rights. I'm still in love with cooking.

I've started a second blog to chronicle my experience as a young divorcee. You can find that here, if you're interested. I'll probably talk about my experience on this blog from time to time, but I'd rather keep this blog more focused on food, budgets, and lifestyle.

That said, I'll be posting a couple recipes tonight, because I'm back.

What's for Dinner: Vegan Wonton Soup

There's this restaurant in Spokane. Red Dragon. They have the tastiest vegan wonton soup ever. Until now.

This soup is perfect for summer. It's got a little bit of crunch and a little bit of spice, and it's full of good-for-you fresh veggies.

Vegan Wonton Soup

Soy-free

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 3" sticks

10 cremini mushrooms

1/4 C walnuts

30 wonton wrappers (make sure to buy vegan-friendly)

Water (for sealing wrappers)

4 C vegetable stock

3 C water

4 tsp. sriracha (less or more to taste)

2 Tbsp. coconut aminos

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1/8 C chopped green onion

3 C shiitake mushrooms, sliced thickly

1 baby bok choy, chopped

1/4 small head of cabbage, shredded

1 head broccoli, chopped
Bean sprouts to top

Step-by-Step

In a food processor, pulse carrots until they are thickly shredded. Add in cremini mushrooms, continue to pulse. Add walnuts and pulse until they are broken down into small pieces.

Assemble the wontons by placing about 2-3 tsp. of the mixture in the middle of a wrapper. Wet the borders of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half over the filling. Fold the corners in on the middle of the wonton.

In a large pot, combine stock, water, sriracha, coconut aminos, garlic, curry, green onion and vinegar. Place over high heat and allow the broth to come to a boil.

Drop wontons into the broth, one at a time. Lower heat to medium-high and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the wontons begin to float to the top.

Add in shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, cabbage, and broccoli. (If you use a pot the size of mine, you'll have barely any room.) Simmer until mushrooms are soft.

After the mushrooms are soft, ladle into bowls. Serve topped with bean sprouts.

What's for Breakfast: Vegan Benedict with Caramelized Onions

Before I became vegan, eggs benedict (without the ham) was one of my absolute favorite meals. I hate egg whites, so I would pick those off, but there was something about the slightly sweet thickness of the hollandaise sauce mixed with the runniness of the soft-poached yolk was just the perfect breakfast.

One day, my mom and I were brainstorming breakfast ideas, and I was lamenting my loss of eggs benedict, specifically hollandaise sauce. Mom took that as a challenge.

For Mother's Day, I'm sharing her amazing recipe for vegan hollandaise (with a few of my modifications), and my recipe for the perfect benedict.

Vegan Benedict with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

Hollandaise Sauce

1/8 C vegan margarine

1/8 C flour (I used chickpea flour, and it was delish)

1 tbsp. faux chicken seasoning (like better than boullion)

1 pinch turmeric

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 pinch paprika

1 pinch salt

1 13-oz. can coconut milk

Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced

5 cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp. garlic powder

Benedict Toppings

2 whole wheat vegan English muffins

1 Tomato, sliced

1 Avocado, sliced

Spinach

Step-by-Step

Hollandaise Sauce

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt margarine. Whisk in flour, chicken seasoning, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, and salt until all clumps are gone. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, letting the mixture thicken.
2. Add about 1/4 C coconut milk and salt, stirring vigorously to avoid clumping. Add the remainder of the coconut milk. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. If the sauce is too thin, add a little more flour or some corn starch.

Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated through, add onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add mushrooms and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, until onions are caramelized.

Benedict

1. Toast English muffins. Layer onto the muffins spinach, tomato, caramelized onions and mushrooms, then avocado. Pour hollandaise over the muffins.

Grocery Adventure: 5/10/13

I'm moving to Seattle for a while in about 5 weeks, so this will be my second to last grocery shopping for myself and my husband. (He's not going with me.) We're working on trying to keep our budget down, so we've been trying to stay under $80 for groceries. Success!

Okay. So as bitter as it is to leave my husband alone in Spokane, I'm going to be grocery shopping at Pike Place Market this summer. This makes me so excited. So excited! 

I had the pleasure of shopping there when I went on my nice weekend vacation. Two things I love about the market: 1) Cheap produce (which is my lifeblood); 2)Amazing customer service.

Awesome.

Lifestyle: Summer Business-Casual Fashion

I just landed my dream internship at an awesome company of which I've been a fan for about 10 years. That's almost half of my life. I'll talk more details once I have my formal offer, but needless to say I'm ecstatic.

With a new job must come a new wardrobe, mostly because my current wardrobe is a hodgepodge of clothes from high school (that was three years ago) and professional looks suited for Fall and Winter. I kid you not. Just glancing at my closet from my position at the other side of the room, I can count six shirts that I've owned at least since the 12th grade, and another six shirts that are some variation of black.

It's time for a fashion intervention.

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven

As you can see, I'm digging shades of yellow, mint, and a lovely hue of dusty peach. But finding colors I like isn't really the problem.

The tough part is fitting my body. I'm shaped roughly like this:

"A perfect hourglass," my mother chides. Yes. A perfect hourglass with an 8 inch difference between the measurements of my waist and my curves. 8 inches. Ain't no one got clothes for that.

And it's not that I need to lose weight, either (although I probably should). You know what happened when I gained my freshman 15? I gained a couple of inches around the waist, but my boobs and my hips kept their status quo.

I'm trying to find clothes that don't show cleavage (easier said than done with my 34H's), and don't make me look like my waist is as large as my breasts. 

I'm leaning toward some cute A-line dresses, a bunch of pencil skirts, and maybe a few somewhat form-fitting tops?

Suggestions?