Stanley Tucci's Pasta e Fagioli

Oh my goodness, this dish is just unbelievably good! I have made it three times in the last three weeks. It is filling, full of flavor, and easy to whip up on crisp Sunday afternoon. Serve it with a small side salad and a loaf of crusty bread and you are all set to go. 

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com.  It is adapted from Stanley Tucci's family recipe that he has shared with the world in his cookbook. 

Hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family does!

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained, and rinsed 
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 
• 2 1/2 (about one 24-ounce jar) marinara sauce 
• 1 Parmesan rind plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan for serving
• 6 cups stemmed, chopped Tuscan kale
• 1 pound small pasta, such as ditalini
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a large pot set over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion and garlic are softened, about 8 minutes.
• Add beans, broth, marinara, and Parmesan rind. Increase heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Add kale and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to transfer kale to the soup, reserving blanching water. Return water to a boil, add pasta, and cook following package directions. Drain pasta and portion among serving bowls.
• Stir vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper then ladle over pasta. Garnish with grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper, if using.

Cannellini Beans with Balsamic Onions

This delicious meal from Lazy Cat Kitchen was the perfect dish to serve on a crisp, fall evening. It was so flavorful; the crusty bread paired well with the creamy beans and the balsamic onions - it was perfection! I will make it again and again in the chilly months to follow. Not to mention the whole meal came together in about twenty minutes - incredibly easy. I served this with a side salad and of course, warm crusty bread. This meal fed four of us, but please note my family is made up of small appetites. So if you need to feed more than four people or there are some bigger appetites in the family, you may want to double this recipe. Also, if you eat meat, you can sub out the vegan sausages for regular.

I recently discovered this vegan blog called Lazy Cat Kitchen. Everything I have made from this blogger has been pure gold (she has beautiful pictures, too). This recipe is certainly included in that. I keep going to her blog week after week for inspiration. 

Here is  Lazy Cat Kitchen's recipe word for word:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp / 30-45 ml olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic* cloves, finely diced
• 3 x 400 g / 14 oz cans of cannellini beans*
• 240 ml / 1 cup soy (or other) milk
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup shop-bought onion chutney 
• 2 tbsp / 30 ml quality balsamic
• 2 tsp / 10 ml maple syrup
• 4 vegan sausages* (optional)

Rosemary Oil:

• 80 ml / 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 g / 0.3 oz rosemary leaves (from 4 sprigs)

Directions: 

1. Heat up two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add diced onion and 5-10 minutes later garlic. Sauté on low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant but not browned.
2. 
   
3. Season with salt and pepper, then add drained beans (squash a portion of the beans with a fork for a creamier texture) and soy milk. Season again.
4. 
   
5. Simmer on low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until creamy and thickened.
6. While the beans are simmering, heat up 1 tsp of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Slice vegan sausages on the diagonal into 1.25 cm / ½” pieces and pan-fry it until lightly charred on all sides.
7. 
   
8. Once sausages are done, remove them from the pan. Add onion chutney, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to the pan. Season well and simmer for a few minutes until thickened and caramelize.
9. 
   
10. Divide hot beans between bowls. Top with fried sausages, a spoonful of onion chutney sauce and a drizzle of rosemary oil. Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread.

Rosemary Oil:

1. Pick rosemary leaves, cut the hard ends off and chop the leaves into very fine pieces using a herb cutter, sharp knife or a mini food chopper.
2. 
   
3. Heat up olive oil in a small pot until the oil has small ripples on the surface, then take off the heat and throw all of the chopped rosemary in - rosemary should sizzle as it hits the oil but it should not turn brown (this means the oil is too hot - test with only a couple of pieces of rosemary to be sure first). 
4. 
   
5. Transfer to a small jar, and keep on the kitchen counter – use to top cooked beans, soups, pasta and hummus etc.

Vegan Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with Spicy Mustard Sauce

This was a yummy weeknight meal that came together quickly. I made the sauce the day before because I had the time - having the sauce ready made mealtime even easier.  Serve it with chips or fries and a side salad or smoothie. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 vegan sausages (we like Beyond Meat Original Brats)

4 soft hoagie rolls, split

1 onion, sliced thin

2 bell peppers, sliced thin, any color

4 slices of provolone or havarti OR vegan cheese (I like Violife), optional 

1 Tbl olive oil

Sauce:

3 Tbl ketchup

2 Tbl Dijon mustard

2 Tbl water

1 Tbl honey

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp onion powder

pinch of red pepper flakes, optional 

Directions:

Add olive oil to a pan oven low-medium heat, depending on your burner. Add sliced onions and sauté for 10 minutes or so, stirring only every four or five minutes. Add thinly sliced bell peppers and continue sautéing for another 10 minutes or so. Turn the heat down to low if the onions begin to burn. 

While the onions and peppers are cooking, make the sausages and the sauce. 

Cook the sausages according to directions on the package (I split mine in half down the middle length wise so they were crisp all over).  

For the sauce - whisk everything together and set aside. 

Toast the split rolls in the oven, if desired. If using cheese add a slice or two to each split roll and continue toasting until the cheese is just melted. Now assemble the sandwiches by adding the bell peppers, onions and sausages. Drizzle with the sauce. Serve with a side salad, and fries or chips. Enjoy! 

Hibiscus Thyme Tea

This tea is so refreshing and delicious. I have been making it all summer long. It is so simple and is full of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties from the thyme, hibiscus tea and raw honey. The freshly squeezed orange juice kicks up the vitamin C and enhances the sweetness. I love this tea so much and truly believe I will be making it even in the cooler months to come. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Large mason jar

Purified water

2 bags of hibiscus tea (I like Traditional Medicinals) 

5-10 fresh thyme sprigs 

2 Tbl of honey, raw and local if you can

2 oranges, juiced

Directions:

Fill 1/3 of a mason jar with hot water (do not fill the whole jar with boiling water as it could crack the glass). Put the honey in the hot water to dissolve it and then add the tea bags and thyme. Let this sit for a few minutes so the tea steeps. Fill the rest of the jar with room temp water. Add the juice from two oranges. Place the lid on top, swirl and put in the fridge. I usually leave this tea in the fridge for a couple hours to let all the ingredients come together. Pour into a glass of ice over a strainer and enjoy! 

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

This chilled soup may be the best gazpacho I have ever eaten! It is full of seasonal flavor especially now that heirloom tomatoes are at their peak taste of the summer.  This recipe is just delicious and comes together quickly in a high speed blender. I recommend chilling in the fridge before eating.  When I saw this recipe online I knew I had to make it ASAP. It comes from the incredible blog The Tasty Apple. 

Here is the blogger's recipe word for word:

INGREDIENTS

4 large heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 large cucumber, peeled and diced

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

1 large garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

1½ teaspoons chili powder

1¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Handful of fresh basil leaves

Aleppo pepper, optional, for garnish

METHOD

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Puree until silky smooth and

creamy. Pour into serving bowls and drizzle with additional olive oil and pepper,

if desired. Serve immediately.

Store leftovers in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sesame Crunch Salad with Mandarin Oranges

This salad is all about the dressing! It is sweet and tangy; it's delicious and takes about five minutes to throw together. There are a lot of ingredients in this salad, true. But it's mostly just raw vegetables...so grab a good knife and start chopping. If you want to add protein, baked tofu or shredded chicken work nicely. To save time I used pre-baked marinated tofu. You could also grab a rotisserie chicken. I haven't tried this, but I think you could put everything into a burrito sized tortilla to turn this salad into a wrap. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

I'm not listing quantities - make this salad as big or as small as you like....the dressing is enough for about five large dinner salads, in my opinion. 

Chopped romaine lettuce

Brown rice, cooked and chilled (I used left over rice - so easy!)

Cucumbers, chopped

Carrots, shredded

Green onion, chopped

Raw button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Red onion, sliced thin

Green bell pepper, sliced thin or chopped

Mandarin oranges, canned and drained (one can is enough for ~ 4 large salads)

Alfalfa sprouts, rinsed and patted dry

Sliced almonds

Ramen noodles, (I used one package for four salads - threw out the spice packet - just crushed the noodles into pieces and sprinkled over the salad just before serving)

Ripe avocado, sliced

Baked tofu, optional, sliced

Cooked chicken, optional, shredded

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbl sesame oil

2 Tbl fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 whole orange - or use juice from canned mandarins)

2 Tbl coconut aminos OR soy sauce (I used coconut aminos)

1 Tbl raw honey

3 Tbl rice vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbl sesame seeds

Instructions:

Put all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Shake well. Set aside. 

Add all salad ingredients to a bowl from romaine down to green bell pepper. Toss with as much or as little dressing as you like. Scoop salad into bowls. Top with mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, crushed ramen pieces and any of the other optional ingredients you might be serving. Enjoy!

Spiced Honey Yogurt with Citrus & Pistachios

I made this the other day when I was craving something tart and refreshing. I wasn't sure how citrus would pair with creamy yogurt, but it was a delicious surprise. Also, I liked the spices so much I am now putting cinnamon in my yogurt every time I make myself a parfait (which is often). The pistachios were also a great addition to this healthy snack. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1 cup thick, plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbp honey or maple syrup

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ginger, or even less 

1/8 tsp cardamom (optional), or even less

1 orange, (I used a Cara Cara), peeled, all pith removed, cut into small pieces

1 container of segmented grapefruits, I like Del Monte - No Sugar Added (found in the refrigerated section of the produce department)

2 Tbl pistachios, chopped

2 Tbl pomegranate seeds, (I also buy these ready to eat in a container found in the refrigerated section of the produce department)

1 Tbl hemp seeds, optional

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl mix Greek yogurt with honey, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, if using. Place spiced yogurt in a pretty bowl (yes, you are worth it) and add oranges, grapefruits, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and hemp seeds, if using, on top. If you like, add another pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy!