Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones

They may not be the prettiest scones, but they sure are tasty. For today’s Pumpkin Week recipe I baked Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones from Veganomicon. These vegan scones are perfectly spiced and really more cake-like than scone- like.They also use fresh cranberries, which I had to coarsely chop. How do you coarsely chop fresh cranberries with out them rolling all over the place?

Vegan Pumpkin and Sage Cheesy Pasta Bake

I get so excited when an experiment works. I’ve been wanting to make the Mac Daddy (mac & cheese recipe) recipe from Veganomicon for awhile, but never got around to it. This week is Pumpkin Week on Pink Stripes and I was trying to think of a vegan pumpkin recipe for Vegan Tuesday. I wanted to cook something savory because I’ve plenty of sweets hanging out in my freezer, counter, and workplace.

I came up with the idea to make Mac Daddy, but substitute 1/2 of the Cheesy Sauce with pumpkin puree.  I also added in chopped fresh sage and used pumpkin pie spice to flavor it. I used whole-wheat linguine because I didn’t have any macaroni in the pantry.  The result was amazing. The pasta was very creamy and it smelled and tasted how Fall should taste. And it’s not just me saying that.  I bring in lunch to work at least once a week and feed some of my work friends (it’s so I can cook and not have endless leftovers that go on and on and on). They couldn’t believe it was so creamy and vegan. I made half of the pasta recipe and the full recipe of the Cheesy Sauce, which is great for nachos or pizza.

Adapted from Veganomicon

• 3/4 cup Cheesy Sauce, see below
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 12 ounces whole-wheat linguine
• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Pre-heat oven to 325° F.
2. Meanwhile, combine Cheesy Sauce with pumpkin puree and spice.
3. When pasta is ready, drain and set aside.
4. In small baking dish, crumble tofu until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add sage, salt, oil, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Stir in sauce and then add pasta, mixing well. Flatten down the top and place in oven, baking for 30 minutes until top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Serves 4.

Cheesy Sauce

Adapted from Veganomicon

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Several pinches freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon tumeric
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1. Combine water and flour and whisk until flour is dissolved. A few lumps are okay.
2. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium low heat. Add garlic and stir cooking for 2 minutes, making sure garlic doesn’t burn. Add spice, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add flour/water mixture, tumeric, and nutritional yeast. Increase heat to medium and whisk continuously for 3 minutes. The sauce will start to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and mustard. Taste for seasoning.

Makes approximately 3 cups.

Pasta Della California

Isa Chandra Moskowitz writes in Veganomicon that you can add avocado to anything and call the dish California. It’s true we do take avocados for granted here in California. I grew up eating them and adding them to everything. I’ve never had them in a warm pasta dish before and that’s why I wanted to try this recipe.

In addition to the avocado, Pasta Della California is made with broccoli and argula. A simple sauce of 8 cloves of garlic (yes, eight!), lime zest & juice, red pepper flakes, vegetable broth, and white wine coats everything. It did require a bit of prep work. I had to mince those 8 cloves , chop the broccoli, and slice the avocado. Once all the knife work was done, I made the sauce while the pasta was cooking.

You can find the recipe for Pasta Della California HERE. I used whole-wheat linguine.

Also, fruit from the farmers’ market this year is outstanding. The locally-grown blueberries are the best I’ve ever tasted. They taste like someone added brown sugar to therm. They are so sweet. I’ve been eating blueberries straight  out of the bag. I do occasionally make a fruit salad with them:

Please visit Michele’s Blog–Veggie Num Nums–to see what she cooked up for Vegan Tuesdays.

{dc} Vegan Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi

The Daring Kitchen is composed of two groups: The Daring Bakers, which has been baking monthly since 2006, and The Daring Cooks, which has been cooking monthly since, well, now. This is the very first Daring Cook challenge. We were challenged to make Ricotta Gnocchi from The Zuni Café Cookbook. Needing no excuse to buy a cookbook, I ran out and bought it.

When I first read the challenge, I planned on making the traditional recipe. I went back and forth about making my own ricotta. The recipe strongly encourages you to use fresh ricotta and we have store here that sells great in-store made fresh ricotta.  I finally decided I was going to make my own ricotta.

But then I looked at the calendar and realized I procrastinated too long and I would have to make this on my one weekend day left: Sunday. It’s hard for me to cook during the week with work and having to get up early.  Because I was going to have to make this on Sunday, I decided to make it vegan. You see, I eat vegan 3 days a week on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  I wasn’t going to make the gnocchi and not be able to taste it until the next day.

In reading The Alternative Cooks’ Forum, Shelly from  Musings From The Fishbowl posted that she made the recipe vegan by using the Tofu Ricotta recipe from Veganomicon. Score! I use that cookbook all the time. She already made gnocchi using the tofu ricotta and suggested we add between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of flour to help the gnocchi stay intact and that we don’t have to treat the gnocchi as delicate as suggested in the original recipe.

Yay! So I made my own vegan ricotta. You can find the recipe HERE. The recipe calls for basil. I didn’t have any, so I used lemon zest. The ricotta came together quickly and easily and I wrapped it up tightly in cheesecloth and set it in the refrigerator to drain.

Earlier in the week Isa Chandra Moskowitz, the author of Veganomicon and other great vegan cookbooks, tweeted (follow her on Twitter @IsaChandra) that she was free for the next 3 hours and shoot her any cooking questions.

pinkstripes:  @IsaChandra Okay…cool. I bought fava beans for the first time. What’s the best way to prepare/cook them?

IsaChandra: @pinkstripes Yum. Love them sauteed with creminis & garlic. Hit with truffle oil or salt at the end if you’ve got it.

So that’s what I did. I sautéed the fava beans with cremini mushrooms and garalic, added the boiled gnocchi (which held together marvously),  plated it on top of mâche, and drizzled truffle oil over all of it. OMG. I’m heaven. It may not look like much in my pictures but this was really too good.

Thank you to both Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, the founders of The Daring Bakers and now The Daring Cooks, for selecting the first challenge. I loved making the gnocchi. It was fun! Please see either of their blogs for the original recipe.

Vegan Tuesdays is Expanding!

Yay! Michele of Veggie Num Nums has decided to join me for Vegan Tuesdays.  Please visit her blog to see what she cooked up this week.

I made a Potato and Baby Spinach Masala from the current issue of Vegetarian Times. The suggestion was to serve it over rice.  I thought that was a little bit too much starch (especially this time of year!), so I served it over more spinach.  I think it would have been great over chickpeas or lentils.

Potato and Spinach Masala

From Vegetarian Times

• 1 lb baby dutch yellow potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1  13.5 ounce can light coconut milk
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Steam potatoes in steamer basket for 10 minutes or until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 8 minutes or until onions are soft and golden. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño, and sauté for another minute or until fragnant. Stir in coriander, cumin, and tumeric. Add in steamed potatoes and sauté for a minute or two to coat potatoes with spices. Add coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
3. Stir in spinach, garam masala, and 1/4 cup of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lime and cilantro.

Serves 4.

I also made the Banana-Wheat Germ Muffins from Veganomicon. Very delicious and moist. Not only is there wheat germ, but they are also made with whole-wheat pastry flour.  I added chocolate chips.

Banana Wheat Germ Muffins recipe HERE.