Broccoli Walnut Pesto

This creamy pesto, lightened up by using a smaller amount of oil, gets it's zing from lemon juice and miso. Pine nuts, move over because walnuts are taking center stage here. And for real, fresh basil in Alaska in January can be hard to come by. Plus, I'm not a bajillionaire. Broccoli it is!

“Oh my god, this is soooo so good!” ”Great! I’m glad you like it. It’s mostly broccoli and walnuts, so I was kind of worried that you wouldn’t.””Geeeeezzze, don’t tell me that!”

— Todd

Who says pesto can't be cheap, lower in calories, and seriously delicious...all while still being vegan? I say that it can and it shall be. 

If you have trouble getting your family members (husband included) to eat broccoli, this is your dish. Straight up. When Todd got home from work, I told him we were having pasta for dinner. This is usually pretty exciting because we don't tend to eat it very often.

Then, he walked into the kitchen and saw a giant bowl of broccoli. His face melted from delight to what can best be described as that of a kid who tore open a present on Christmas morning only to find a crocheted tie from Aunt Gladys. Disappointed and a bit bamboozled. 

He self-proclaims that he's "not-big-on-broccoli". That it's not really his thing. Well, four servings later, one for me and three for Todd...I ended up surrendering a big bowl of the pesto pasta to Todd for his lunch. I brought a PB&J to work. Best wife ever? Dang, now I really want some of that pesto!

Broccoli Walnut Pesto

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This creamy pesto, lightened up by using a smaller amount of oil, gets it's zing from lemon juice and miso. Pine nuts, move over because walnuts are taking center stage here. And for real, fresh basil in Alaska in January can be hard to come by. Plus, I'm not a bajillionaire. Broccoli it is!

Ingredients

• 1 large head of broccoli, florets only
• 16 oz. of dry pasta
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 small handful of fresh basil (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. walnut oil (olive oil will work, too)
• 1 Tbsp. miso paste
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. In a large pot of water, boil the broccoli florets for 3 minutes until bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon (keeping the water in the pot) and rinse under cold water; set aside.
2. Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package. Strain once cooked but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta. Return the noodles to pot and set aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, in a food processor combine the walnuts through the vinegar and process until it's reached a fine consistency. There will be a lot of scraping down the sides of the bowl, but it's a small price to pay. Add the florets and process until very smooth and creamy.
4. Stir the pesto sauce and some reserved water into the pot of cooked noodles until it’s reached a desired consistency. Salt to taste.
5. Serve hot with some crushed walnuts on top, if you like!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:15
Total time: 00:25
Yield: 6 servings

Listening to Portugal. The Man – Modern Jesus

Effortless Thai Pasta

I don't always feel like cooking. Sometimes all I want to do is throw everything in a pot, cover it and in 20 minutes have dinner ready. Pouf! Like magic! Oh wait, that is what I did last night. Well pretty much, there's some occasionally stirring that needs to happen but I hardly call that work. And just look, how delightful. Sometimes effortless is the way to be.

This thai pasta couldn't be easier. Indubitably. No fuss. It's sort of like a straight-up delicious, albeit bastardized version of pad thai. If you've got a family member or friend that is a little unadventurous or maybe even a bit naive with regards to the vast offerings of the largely diverse culinary world...or is just scared to try new things, this is a good dish to start with.

It's like pad thai, Americanized. I truly hate myself for even thinking let alone saying that, but it's what comes to mind. I apologize to every pad thai dish I've ever made.

Effortless Thai Pasta

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This effortless one-pot thai pasta couldn't be easier. Throw everything in a large pot and let it do it’s magic! Simple and done in 30 minutes flat. It’s loaded with veggies and has a beautiful thai sauce that is sure to be a hit.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. dry fettuccine (I used a spinach version)
• 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. fresh lemongrass paste or minced
• ½ tsp. fresh chili paste
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ lime, juiced
• crushed peanuts, for garnish
• chopped cilantro , for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, add all the ingredients except for the lime juice, peanuts and cilantro. The noodles won't be all the way submerged, and that's okay. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Then, stir to combine and push the noodles down a bit. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook over medium-low for about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to stir it every few minutes.
3. After this time, the noodles should be al dente. Uncover and allow to cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, until there's only about 1/2 inch of sauce on the bottom (or however much sauce you prefer). Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.
4. Serve hot and garnished with a liberal amount of crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:20
Total time: 00:25
Yield: 4 servings

Save Money!

I was buying Adam’s no-stir creamy peanut butter, but it’s just too expensive at the rate we go through it. 

I switched to Jiff natural and buy it here at half price!! It’s only $4 per 40 oz jar versus almost $8 per 40 oz jar at our local grocery store.

More Thai Noodle Recipes

Vegan Pad See Ew

Thai Purple Pasta

Veggie Thai Noodle Salad

No Chicken Vegan Pad Thai

Also, I found these sweet vegan doggy treats. Bob gets a lot of broccoli spears, carrot tops, sweet potato ends, etc. It's kind of like having a giant bunny around. However, I do like to have a dry dog treat to bring with me on his walks. He gets two a day, walks that is. I purchased these from Amazon. I'm not in anyway affiliated with Amazon or Old Mother Hubbard, I just happen to like both. Bob loves these splendid vegan treats! 

Head boppin' to Willy Moon – Yeah Yeah

Umami Udon Noodles

As vegans we don't get a whole lot of umami in our lives. What's umami? It's one of the five basic tastes. Surely you're familiar with the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes. Well, Umami is a kind of savory flavor that was first scientifically identified in 1908.  Meat and cheese are good sources of umami, as well as shiitake mushrooms, and I often find myself craving this savory type of flavor. Nutritional yeast is a source of umami, which is probably why I consume questionably monstrous large quantities of the stuff. If you want to read more about umami, you can do that here and here. Also, check out this interesting little article on umami by NPR, here, while you're at it! 

Tempeh, shiitake mushrooms, and miso combine their delicious powers for one hearty and savory udon noodle dish that's sure to cure that umami craving when it hits! 

Umami Udon Noodles  

Serves 4

• 8 oz. packaged udon noodles
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. tempeh, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 oz. dried (or 8 oz. fresh) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced & soaking water reserved
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste (or minced ginger)
• 1 tsp. lemon grass paste (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 cups shiitake mushroom soaking water or vegetable broth
• 3-4 Tbsp. miso (I like red)
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
• fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Notes: If you have an aversion to tempeh, feel free to use firm tofu, or neither!

Start by soaking the dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of very hot water. I like to put a big spoon over the mushrooms to help keep the, submerged. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain when ready to use but keep the soaking water for later on in the recipe. If you're using fresh mushrooms you won't need to soak them and you can just use vegetable broth or water to replace the soaking water.

In a small saucepan, cook udon noodles according to package instructions. This usually includes boiling the noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. We will not use the sauce packet, it's not vegan.

In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil. Add the onion, tempeh, and garlic. Saute for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions have started to brown and caramelize. 

Now, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and lemongrass. Saute for an additional 3-5 minutes. 

Add in the soy sauce, vinegars, water/broth, and the miso. Stir well to combine, dissolving the miso and deglazing the pan.

Add the udon noodles to the pan along with the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated and the spinach is wilted. You can even cover it with a lid to help the spinach wilt. 

Serve hot and garnished with some fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. 

Hello umami bomb.

Toe tappin' to MGMT – Electric Feel

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