Tag: vegan

Stuffed Shells with Roasted Vegetables and Creamy Dill Sauce

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Roasting the vegetables adds a smoky flavour to whole grain stuffed shells with a new twist. The creamy sauce is deceptively rich, infused with garlic and fresh dill.

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Stuffed Shells with Roasted Vegetables and Creamy Dill Sauce

1 (227g/8 oz) package of jumbo pasta shells (I recommend Tinkyada)

For the roasted vegetables:
2 leeks, washed thoroughly and chopped into 1-cm cubes (just the whites)
1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1-cm cubes
3 medium carrots, chopped into 1-cm cubes
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1-cm cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

For the sauce:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, minced (just the whites)
3 tablespoons arrowroot flour
2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).Toss all chopped vegetables, except for peas, with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Lower temperature to 375°F (190°C).

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and scallions, stirring for about one minute, until fragrant. Add the arrowroot, whisking quickly, adding nondairy milk, a little at a time, to keep it smooth. After a few splashes, it should be a thick paste. Add the rest of the milk, continuing to whisk. Bring to medium heat, whisking frequently, allowing to cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in dill.

Once vegetables are finished, spread a bit of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Arrange noodles, stuffing each with about two tablespoons (30 ml) of filling. Top with additional sauce.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Raw Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

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A spin on hummus using cooked chickpeas, this version tastes similar to the one we’re familiar with, but has an undeniable freshness thanks to the sprouts and soaked sesame seeds.Using sprouted chickpeas has a bit of an earthier undertone, and is a very different flavor than any other hummus I’ve tried. I like black sesame seeds for their richer flavour, but you can use white sesame seeds, too.

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Raw Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

2 1/2 cups sprouted chickpeas (see Note)
Juice and zest of 1/2 large lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, soaked for 4 hours then drained
1 to 2 cloves garlic, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides, if needed. Serve with anything!

Note: To sprout chickpeas, put 1 heaping cup of chickpeas in a large bowl. Add about 3 cups water. Soak about 12 hours. Pour the chickpeas into a colander and rinse well. Set the colander over a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, rinsing every 6 hours or so. You’ll notice sprouts will begin to form; they’ll be best to use when the sprouts are about 1/4-inch long.

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Grilled Stuffed Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

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This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where the original — with baking potatoes — was served. If you don’t wrap them and bake them at 400°F (200°C) in the oven, they get a nice crispy texture, instead. The must-have side dish to these grilled stuffed peppers. For the sour cream, after pureeing the tofu, add salt and lemon juice to taste. After a few hours in the fridge, the flavours will mellow with the onions. Chives are a great addition, too.

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Grilled Stuffed Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, sliced
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea or himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Grill-worthy aluminum foil

Preheat one side of the barbecue to medium heat. Leave the other side off.

Make several slits in the potatoes (about 15 to 20).

Mix together the olive oil and crushed garlic. Drizzle it in the slits in the potatoes. Top with the onions and thyme, making sure to get into the slits. Season with the salt and fresh ground pepper.

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil. Put the potatoes on cool side of the grill and close the lid. Let roast approximately 35 minutes. They will be soft and bottoms will be slightly caramelized. Top with Pseudo-Sour Cream.

Pseudo Sour Cream
1 (10.5-ounce) package of lite firm silken tofu
2 to 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 green onions, finely chopped
Sea or himalayan salt to taste

Put the tofu in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stir in half of the lemon juice and a few pinches of salt. Add the green onions. Mix well, then add additional lemon and salt to taste.