Spring Pasta with Cashew Alfredo and Roasted Asparagus

Source: In Pursuit of More http://inpursuitofmore.com/2013/04/25/recipe-spring-asparagus-pasta-w-vegan-alfredo-sauce/

(1) bunch fresh asparagus
(1-2) tbsp olive oil
(1) pinch of salt
(3) cups dry pasta of choice, cooked according to package directions
(1-2) cups alfredo sauce, recipe below
(2-3) leaves fresh basil, slices into ribbons (optional)
black pepper as desired

Start by heating the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a flat baking tray with a little oil and set aside. Rinse the asparagus under cold water and trim off the rough bottom edges (about 1-2 inches). Toss the cut asparagus in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil or so and some optional salt.

Lay the asparagus spears flat on the baking try and place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for 12 – 15 minutes until browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before using as is or cutting into halves lengthwise to add to your pasta & sauce.

Once the asparagus is in the oven, put up some water to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta, drain, and set aside until the sauce and asparagus is ready.

 The Alfredo Sauce:

~ adapted from Silvers Hills Kitchen

Combine all ingredients except for the dried basil in a blender and blend until smooth, letting the blender run a full minute or two to ensure the cashews are well blended. Alternatively, you can start with 1/2 the water and add the remainder after the first 30 seconds or so of blending.

Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil, stirring as you go here and there. Once rthe sauce is bubbling and thick, add the basil and remove from the heat.

To serve this dish, combine the cooked pasta and a cup or so of the prepared sauce in a wok or larger saucepan. Add sauce as desired and taste for salt. Toss the hot sauce with freshly cooked pasta until desired sauce coating is reached, and the mixture is hot.

Serve immediately by arranging the pasta either in individual bowls or on a platter and top with roasted asparagus, basil ribbons, fresh pepper and additional olive oil if desired (I always desire olive oil).

Bourbon Maple Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Source: Averie Cooks  http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/bourbon-maple-slow-cooker-baked-beans.html

Yield about 8 cups

Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa Salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette

Source: Closet Cooking http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/04/roasted-cauliflower-and-mushroom-quinoa.html

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 1/2 cups water or veggie broth
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup goat, feta or blue cheese, crumbled (we skipped this altogether but you can use vegan cheese crumbles if you prefer)
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped

Directions

1. Toss the cauliflower and mushrooms in the oil, thyme, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a preheated 400F oven until they start to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes, flipping them half way through.
2. Meanwhile, bring the water and quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed the water, about 15-20 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
3. Mix everything and enjoy.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Orzo Pasta With Roasted Broccoli and Chickpeas

Source: Family Fresh Cooking  http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2013/03/11/orzo-pasta-with-roasted-broccoli-chickpeas-recipe/#.UcnAX5yOmIY

Yield 4 servings

1/2 pound (226 g) Orzo Pasta
15 ounces (425 g) canned Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), rinsed & drained
1 head Broccoli, cut into small florets
Curry Powder
Cracked Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
1 cup (57 g) Toasted Pine Nuts

Preheat oven to 375 F with the rack in the middle. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Cook orzo pasta, toss with olive oil and set aside. 

Dry chickpeas with paper towels. Toss broccoli and chickpeas with olive oil, curry powder, garlic powder and pepper. Roast about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and soft.

Toss orzo with roasted broccoli & chickpeas. To taste: mix with lemon juice and additional curry powder, pepper and garlic salt if needed. Top with toasted pine nuts.

To toast Pine Nuts: In a small skillet heat pine nuts over medium low heat for a few minute until slightly browned. Stir and shake the pan so they do not burn.

One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta

Source:  Apron Strings  http://www.apronstringsblog.com/one-pot-wonder-tomato-basil-pasta-recipe/?fb_source=pubv1

Serves 4 to 6 as an entree

12 ounces linguine pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish (we love the Go Veggie vegan grated Parmesan)

Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so.  Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .

Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with vegan Parmesan cheese.

Chickpea and Tomato Salad With Fresh Basil

Source: Green Little Bites  http://greenlitebites.com/2011/06/20/chickpea-and-tomato-salad-with-fresh-basil/

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
25 large basil leaves, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp agave nectar (modified from original recipe to keep it vegan)
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Source:  Whole Foods Market Recipes   http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/chocolate-mousse 

 

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup packed pitted dates (about 20)
• 1 (15 ounce) can puréed organic butternut squash
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage, more if needed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Fresh raspberries (optional)
• Grated coconut (optional)

Method: 

Place cashews and dates in a medium bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak for 2 hours to soften. Drain well.

Place drained cashews and dates, butternut squash and coconut milk in a high-powered blender or food processor and process until smooth (this may take 1 to 2 minutes). Add cocoa and vanilla. Process again, adding a bit more coconut milk if needed to make a smooth, mousse-like texture. Chill at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with raspberries and coconut.

World Vets - International Aid for Animals

Here in the United States, we have all heard about the overpopulation issue when it comes to domestic animals. The truths behind our farmed animal industry are being unveiled.  Archaic animal rights laws are being challenged.  But did you know that on a global basis, the situation is even more dire? Animal welfare laws and regulations are lax or non-existent in developing countries, opening the door for health hazards due to lack of infrastructure and resources when it comes to livestock, working animals and strays.  Overpopulation is a major issue; it’s estimated that 75% of the worldwide dog population are strays and even higher for cats.  This presents major issues not only from a human health perspective but also has implications on the welfare of the animal.  Most developing countries do not have the resources for spaying and neutering their strays and address the issue using methods such as shooting, electrocution and most often, poisoning. 

It’s hard to turn a blind eye to what’s happening on the global front once you learn more of the details or see it first-hand.  And that’s exactly what happened when Cathy King, a veterinarian here in the USA (and now Founder & CEO of World Vets), was volunteering inMexico in 2002.  As fate would have it, she arrived the day after a hurricane warning so instead of performing spay and neuter surgery all week, she was busy moving dogs back to the shelter from a warehouse they were in temporarily due to the storm.  Most of those dogs were street dogs and Cathy began to learn how hundreds of thousands of these dogs (and cats) are poisoned every year to control theirpopulation and that spaying and neutering is not common in Mexico or other developing countries.  That sparked an idea and when she returned home she shared her story with other vets, inspiring them to want to volunteer.  When she began her own practice, her idea along with a donation jar on her clinic’s counter has turned into one of the largest veterinary aid organizations in the world…World Vets.  In just six years, they now work in 36 countries on 6 continents and help tens of thousands of animals each year.  Their focus began on spay/neuter but their programs now cover nearly every aspect of veterinary medicine and all of their services are free of charge.

World Vets provides programs such as:

• Field services such as spay/neuter procedures, veterinary medicine to equines and disease prevention in livestock. 

• Disaster response in times of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and other natural disasters. 

• Annual humanitarian missions as the NGO represented on two US Navy aid missions to the South Pacific and Central/South America.  

• Veterinary medicine clinics in Latin America to train veterinarians within the developing countries. 

I asked Cathy what she thinks World Vets’ biggest accomplishment is, and while there are many to choose from, the fact that they have brought an end to poisoning street animals in several regions of the world is one that has ended so much animal suffering.  They have established formal agreements with several government municipalities to end the poisoning and in return, World Vets implements large scale spay/neuter services through their field service program to address the overpopulation issue in a humane way.  It was during one of these field service projects in Nicaragua when they met a two pound puppy near death with injuries, parasites and disease.  He wasn’t expected to live but with their round the clock care, he showed improvement.  They named him Chancho (Spanish for pig) because he looked like a little piglet with a white pot belly and a curly tail.  He was a street dog without a home and the volunteers could not leave him behind.  Luckily for Chancho, one of the vet students from Mississippi State University brought him back to the US.  Coincidentally Cathy was scheduled to speak at MSU and, you guessed it, came home with a new dog.  Cathy says “Chanco is the best little dog ever and he serves as a daily reminder to me of why we work so hard to help animals that wouldn’t otherwise have access to veterinary care.  Just because they live on the street, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve care.  They all deserve care and that’s a driving force behind World Vets.”

In staying true to our mission of giving animals a voice, I asked Cathy what she thinks the animals helped by World Vets would say if they could speak.  She said “I guess they would say thank you and please come back again!”  And World Vets does come back.  They send a team almost every week of the year to countries all over the world to help animals live a better life.

How can you help? 

Learn more about World Vets by visiting their website. Connect with them on Facebook and twitter and share with your friends .

All of their services are free but equipment and supplies are expensive.  You can donate to help them continue their great work.

Volunteers are critical to their work.  Check the volunteer opportunities and their project schedules if you’d like to volunteer your time.

Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

Source:  VegNews  http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=40&catId=10#

What You Need:

• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 8 ounces macaroni
• 4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
• 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
4. In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.
5. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.

Avocado Pesto Pasta

Source: VegNews  http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=2170&catId=11#

Serves 6

What You Need:

1 pound dried linguini
1 bunch basil leaves (about 2½ ounces)
½ cup pine nuts
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
3 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)

What You Do:

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to package directions. While pasta cooks, in a food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drain pasta. In a large serving bowl, toss pesto with hot, freshly cooked pasta and garnish each serving with a basil leaf. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with sun dried tomatoes.