Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms and Asparagus tips

This was the first time I tried Gnocchi, and it was AMAZING. So amazing, that I forgot to take a picture :) Don't worry, I have a feeling I will make it again soon (considering the second unopened package of Gnocchi taunting me from the fridge) and when I do I'll update with a pic.

I found this recipe on Vegan Yum Yum's site. I use their recipes on a regular basis and am never disappointed. Their recipe called for morels (a wild mushroom) and fresh fiddlehead ferns, both of which I could not find at Whole Foods. Next time I'll try PCC or Uwajimaya. I subbed oyster and portabella mushrooms along with the asparagus tips that Vegan Yum Yum recommended and it turned out great.

Ingredients:
*Serves one filling meal, or two very light meals

2 Tbs Olive Oil, give or take
1 9-oz Package Fresh Gnocchi-read the label, not all are vegan
3-5 wild mushrooms
1/3 Cup Fresh asparagus tips
1/4 Cup Roasted Red Pepper, diced
2-3 Canned Water-Packed Artichoke Hearts, sliced
1/8 tsp Salt, plus more for seasoning
Fresh Black Pepper

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and a teaspoon or so of oil. Saute until golden brown, 2-3 minutes, adding a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Add the asparagus tips, roasted pepper, and artichoke hearts to the pan, with a teaspoon or so more oil if needed. Add 1/8 tsp salt to season. Saute for 2-3 minutes until tender and the artichoke hearts and ferns are beginning to color. Remove from pan and set aside.

While the pan is still hot (medium-high heat), add the raw gnocchi and enough oil to coat well. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on all sides and slightly puffy. Once cooked through, add the asparagus tips/artichoke/pepper mixture back to the pan and toss gently until well combined. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Plate, adding the cooked mushrooms to the top before serving.

Cheesy Vegan Lasagna

I wanted some tasty cheesy lasagna. But how to make it vegan?

I used this recipe as a basis for my inspiration. However, it calls for "2-3 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce," and I wanted to make my own sauce. So here is my version:

Ingredients:

1-2 16 oz bags of spinach leaves

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cheesy Filling
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup canned low-sodium veggie broth
1 lb. tofu
8 oz. vegan herbed cream cheese
2 T lemon juice
1/8 t nutmeg
1 16oz package of lasagna noodles
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, optional

Directions:

1. Make the sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion, saute for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Add garlic, cook for another 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and parsley.
Stir well, turn heat to low and let sauce simmer covered for 1 hour.
Add salt and pepper.

2. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the box, or buy the kind that don't require you to cook them first. You just layer them with the sauce the way you normally would, and they cook while the lasagna bakes. They turn out pretty good!

3. Make the cheesy filling:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add parsley and garlic, saute for about 1 minute.
Add veggie broth, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add tofu, herbed vegan cream cheese, and lemon juice.
Stir well.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until cheese starts to melt.
Stir in nutmeg and nutritional yeast.
Remove from heat; keep warm.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Assembly:

Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish
Spread 3/4 of the cheesy mixture over the top.
Place 3 noodles over that.
Spread tomato sauce mixture over noodles.
Layer with all of the spinach leaves.
Spread remainder of cheesy mixture.
Layer remaining noodles and sauce, finishing with sauce.
Sprinkle a bit of nutrional yeast on top. (optional)

6. Cover and bake 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes, or until done.

Makes the best lasagna ever, and a lot of it.

Easy Black Bean Burgers

After searching the internet high and low for an awesome black bean burger recipe that actually turned out as tasty as hoped, I finally discovered "Kate's New and Improved Black Bean Burgers."

Ingredients:

1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup grated red pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon (or 1/2 for very spicy burgers) each of dried red pepper, cumin and chili powder
1 teaspoon each of oregano and basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 15.5 oz. can black beans
2 tablespoons of water
3/4 cup of wheat germ

Directions:

After grating the red pepper and onion set them aside in a medium bowl. Combine the garlic, spices, almonds, sunflower seeds, and oil in a food processor and pulse until texture resembles bread crumbs. Transfer mixture to the bowl. Put the black beans and water in the food processor and process until smooth. Add this mixture to the bowl along with the wheat germ. Mix (preferably with your hands) completely. Separate into five balls and shape into patties. Make sure the patties are not too thin or they will fall apart. Grill for 8 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. Enjoy with your favorite burger fixings.

Ciara's addendum: I left out the almonds (but didn't forget the sunflower seeds!) and used olive oil instead of sesame oil. They were fantastic! Thanks Kate!