Buy This: DeCio Pasta

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Best recent discovery at the Prescott farmers market: DeCio Pasta.DeCio Pasta is vegan, handmade, veggie-based and so intensely flavored with the particular vegetables and herbs used in each kind that eating it with sauce is completely unnecessary... I'd even go as far as to say inadvisable. A sample taste test at the farmers market was the pasta mixed only with olive oil and sea salt, and that alone was divine.We bought the Wild Mushroom, Habanero, Tomato Basil Garlic and Spinach Basil Garlic varieties. For dinner one night (okay, the same day we bought the pasta - couldn't wait to make this!), I combined some Tomato Basil Garlic and Spinach Basil Garlic pasta with some trusty, go-to ingredients we already had on-hand in the kitchen:(fresh garlic, olive oil, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, a little salt, a lot of black pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and white kidney beans for substantiveness and protein)Side note... when it comes to savory smells, is there anything better than garlic sauteeing in olive oil??So, I sauteed two cloves of garlic, then added the tomatoes and olives, and a few minutes later added the beans and salt & peppers.The pasta cooks very fast - about 3 minutes in boiling water - and once it was done, I added it to the sautee pan to combine everything together. Then it was time to eat, and eat we did - every last bit that we cooked!The pasta was insanely delicious. I can't wait to try the other ones we bought and decide on what veggies will go best with each! I think it'd be pretty hard to go wrong though, the pasta is that good. I highly recommend checking out whether DeCio Pasta is sold near you - and if it is, go get some and make it for dinner tonight!The wine we paired the pasta with was also fabulous. Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling is described quite accurately as "Aromatic, smooth, vibrant and tasty. Think tangerine, pineapple wet stone, key lime, clove, and nectarine," and "Vivid, distinctive and immensely appealing for its juicy Winesap apple, apricot and citrus flavors, finishing with zing to balance the sweetness." Definitely tasted a lot of citrus and apricot in this extremely refreshing wine; it was sweet, but so light and clean that there was nothing cloying or syrupy about it. We bought a few bottles so we can keep enjoying this great Riesling!

A Vegan Dinner Party (Recipe for Vegan Veggie Burgers Included!)

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Good friends + good wine + homemade veggie burgers + roasted vegetable + quinoa salad + vegan brownies = a WONDERFUL dinner and evening!Our friends K. & E. hosted me and Peter and another friend visiting from out of town last night for dinner, and as all of our dietary habits range from full-on vegan to scaling back on animal protein, a 100% vegan menu made the most sense.K. wanted to test out a veggie burger recipe she recently found in a magazine - and her instincts were right on. It was SO good. I've been on the hunt for a solid, go-to veggie burger recipe - bonus points for a vegan version - and I think I found it in this recipe (check it out for yourself here - we made the "southwest" version and doubled the recipe; the only modification we made was to add a 14 oz can of organic corn for some color and texture). One great thing about the recipe is it gives you a nice "base" of quinoa, black beans and rolled oats that can then be seasoned however you like - so really, the possibilities are endless. With diced chilis, sliced tomato and avocado, ketchup and dijon mustard and some extra jalapenos to go on top of the southwest burger sandwiched in a whole wheat bun, this was a fantastically delicious AND healthy vegan veggie burger I plan to make at home over and over!I brought a side of roasted vegetables with quinoa (see my recipe here!):And also made vegan brownies (see my recipe here!):

Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with Quinoa and Garlic Basil Vinaigrette

Vegetables made any way you like - roasted, steamed, sauteed, raw - mixed with a grain like quinoa or rice is one of the healthiest, most versatile and cost effective ways to eat. Vegan or not, everyone should include food like this in their regular diet - but the fact that this recipe is vegan doesn't hurt! This roasted veggie and quinoa recipe and variations on it have become a dinner staple in our house.Any vegetable/grain combination you concoct can be a side dish, or eaten as your main meal any time of day. When it's the main event, throw in a can or two of beans for extra protein and heartiness. I'll be posting variations on the following basic recipe - it's amazing the difference the omission or addition a different veggie or two or three can make, or a slight tweak to the seasoning - but, here's a simple and tasty starting point. And remember - consider this recipe to be more of an outline or suggestion; one you can tweak in any way with the quantities and types of veggies and seasoning you include.(Click through for the recipe!)Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with Tricolor Quinoa and Garlic Basil VinaigretteWhat You Need

• 1 cup dried tricolor quinoa

• 2 med/large sweet potatoes, diced

• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes

• a few handfuls of kale, torn into small pieces

• 1 cup diced baby portobello mushroooms

• 1-2 cups broccoli

• 1 small zucchini, quarted and sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1/4 c white wine vinegar

• 1-3 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp dried basil

• ground pepper, salt, dried chili flakes to taste

What You Do

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Cook quinoa according to instructions on package.

• Toss diced sweet potatoes with fresh garlic, a drizzle of coconut oil, a pinch of salt and plenty of ground pepper in a 9 x 13 baking dish, and roast until potatoes are just soft (about 30 minutes).

• Add kale, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms to roasting pan and toss with sweet potatoes. Add another drizzle of coconut oil if you want.

• Increase oven temperature to 385 degrees, and roast all of the vegetables for about 15-20 minutes.

• Whisk vinegar, garlic powder, dried basil, ground pepper and a small pinch of salt in a small bowl; slowly pour in olive oil (I prefer a much higher vinegar to olive oil ratio than is traditional, but adjust to your personal preference) and whisk to emulsify.

• Combine cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, a few shakes of crushed red pepper and the vinaigrette in a mixing or serving bowl. Eat hot, cold or at room temp!

Recipe: Vegan Mac & Cheese

If you'd told me a couple of years ago that I'd eat and enjoy - let alone cook myself - vegan "mac and cheese," I'd have laughed. And rolled my eyes. And probably gagged. But curiosity got the better of me recently, after reading about different and new dairy replacement options, and I decided to go for it... still without much confidence that I would end up with a dish I'd feel compelled to eat.Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.Let me backtrack again for a moment to say I've personally never been a fan of soy cheese. For lack of a better word... yuck. Even since scaling way back on my dairy intake - a decision I'm happy with for the physical and health benefits - I don't find I miss it. And I was a dairy lover. Ice cream, yogurt, cheese, you name it. Dairy ice cream is easy to replace with non-dairy alternatives (more to come on that soon...), but as for straight up cheese I'd rather generally avoid non-dairy alternatives and instead just savor a few bites of the real deal (helloo Humboldt Fog) on a rare occasion.But then recently, I read about Daiya - a new non-dairy "cheese" that is also soy-free. I came across a few other blogs raving about it's authentic-like properties - the absence of a funky aftertaste, a pleasant flavor and texture, great melting ability, and all-around cooking versatility. So I decided to give it a try.I stood over the stove, beginning the cooking process with what I can only imagine was a skeptical look on my face (think eyebrows either slightly arched or furrowed) as I stirred the pot... literally, not figuratively... and my expression relaxed and morphed into one of happy intrigue (think eyebrows slightly raised while smiling smirkily).  I boiled some pasta, made the "cheese" sauce, combined the two and then baked them. And this is the happy dish I wound up with:This was my first attempt making anything like this, and it's a recipe I'd like to tweak and evolve - I wish I'd made brazil nut "parmesan" before making this dish, because I think it would be great sprinkled on top; I also think chopped broccoli and tomatoes would work very well baked in - but I do think this is a tasty starting place in the world of non-dairy macaroni and cheese.Without sacrificing taste and texture, I'd rather have the ingredients in this go into my body than the bagillion things I can't pronounce on a box of Velveeta or something along those lines, that's for sure - and it's vegan, soy-free and could also be easily made gluten-free with rice pasta or quinoa pasta.So, give it a go and let me know what you think!Recipe: Vegan Macaroni Gemelli & CheeseWhat You Need:

• 8-10 oz pasta (I used regular gemelli)
• 1 package of Daiya Shredded "Cheddar"
• 1 1/4 c coconut milk (from a carton - I think canned would be too rich in this case)
• 2 tbsp non-dairy "butter" (no margarine - try soy-free Earth Balance)
• 1 tsp ground mustard seed
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• salt to taste (a pinch or two should do)
• lots of fresh ground pepper
• garlic powder to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/8 c breadcrumbs (more about my thoughts on breadcrumbs here!)

What You Do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Prepare pasta according to instructions on package; cook to al dente doneness
• In a small/medium saucepan, heat coconut milk and "butter" over medium heat until "butter" melts and liquid is simmering
• Add all other ingredients - minus breadcrumbs - and whisk frequently to stir as everything melts and combines together
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until "cheese" mixture is smooth and creamy; taste for seasoning and adjust as needed to your preferences
• Mix "cheese" sauce and pasta in a large bowl, and pour into an oven-safe baking dish (I used a round, glass 9-inch dish)
• Sprinke breadcrumbs on top
• Bake on center rack at 350 for about 10 minutes, and then switch oven temperature to high broil
• Keep a close eye on the oven and broil for about 5 minutes (give or take a min. or two) until bubbling and the top is lightly browned
• Remove and devour!

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and reheat well in the oven. I froze some leftovers too, so time will tell how well (or not) it thaws and reheats.. 

Recipe: Quinoa Pesto Pasta with Sauteed Vegetables and Chickpeas

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Since making this pesto recently, I was eager to put it to use (beyond continuous tastes off of a fork or spoon dipped in... what?). In keeping on the kale and chickpea kick I've been on recently, here's what I wound up with:Quinoa Pesto Pasta with Kale, Chickpeas, Mushrooms and TomatoesYou can make this with whatever your favorite pasta is; I used quinoa this time - so as is this recipe is both vegan and gluten-free. I tend to prefer whole wheat or regular pasta, or quinoa - rice-based just isn't my favorite. But for something a little "different", quinoa pasta is a delicious alternative. Not all regular grocery stores carry it, but Whole Foods, New Frontiers, and other similar markets usually do.You can also break this recipe down into different components that work well on their own, as well as a combined whole.Warm, garlicky vegetables and chickpeas? I could eat this right out of the pan:And actually, we did just that... a few times...:And then there was the quinoa pasta, mixed only with pesto:But when this is the finished product, it's worth waiting for everything to be combined!:Recipe: Quinoa Pesto Pasta with Kale, Chickpeas, Mushrooms and TomatoesWhat You Need

• Prepared pesto (1/2 - 1 cup, to your preference)

• 8-10 oz quinoa pasta, cooked

• 1 large garlic clove, smashed and finely chopped

• 1 cup diced baby portobello mushrooms

• 1 pint grape tomatoes

• 2-3 cups torn red kale

• 1 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 2 tbsp olive oil, separated

• to taste: salt, ground pepper and dried chili flakes

What You Do:

• Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add garlic; saute for a few minutes until it begins to soften

• Add mushrooms and tomatoes; saute uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Cover loosely and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms are almost just cooked through and some tomatoes are splitting or peeling

• Add a pinch of salt, ground pepper (tons, if you're like me!) and a few shakes of chili flakes

• Add additional tablespoon of olive oil and kale, and continue to saute. Once kale begins to look coated or wet, turn heat down to medium-low.

• Add chickpeas to vegetable mix; stir occasionally

• In a medium/large saucepan (might as well use the one you used to cook the quinoa!), warm the pesto for a minute or two over low heat. If your pesto was frozen, this will obviously take a little bit longer. Stir to warm and soften through.

• Add quinoa pasta to pesto and stir to combine.

• Add vegetable mix, toss all to combine, serve & devour!

Recipe(s): Putting Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar to Delicious Use

So far, we've used the vanilla balsamic vinegar we purchased from Olive Creations in two dishes - one sweet, one savory (both vegan!) - and both were delicious. The first:Brussels Sprouts with Beans & GrainsThis was one of those on-the-spot, use-what's-in-the-fridge/cupboards meals that was simple and super healthy. It's a combination of some of my favorite foods, and the vanilla vinegar added a special touch (though regular balsamic vinegar would be more than fine as well!)What You Need:- 20 (approx.) brussels sprouts, halved- 1/2 package Trader Joes Harvest Grains blend- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed- Virgin/unrefined coconut oil (a couple of tbsp, to taste)- Sea and/or truffle salt and ground pepper, to taste- Garlic powder, to taste- Vanilla balsamic vinegar, to tasteWhat You Do:- THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Heat a (preferably nonstick) cast-iron griddle pan on the stovetop over low-medium heat. Melt about 1 tbsp of coconut oil (add or reduce the amount of oil based on your preference and the pan you're using) on heated pan. Place brussels sprouts flat side down on the pan and season with salt (consider using truffle salt if you have it!) and pepper; cook until they are lightly browned and begin to soften, and then flip and continue cooking to desired doneness. When finished, place in a bowl and toss with approx. 1 tbsp of the vinegar.- THE GRAINS: Cook on stovetop according to directions on the package. I used coconut oil in place of butter or olive oil, and once the grains were finished cooking I added approx. another 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil. Then, season to taste with ground pepper and garlic powder. Keeping the flame beneath the pot on the lowest setting, add the kidney beans and stir; wait until they are warmed through.- SERVE: Combine all in a bowl and enjoy! (Side note: I love the vanilla vinegar so much I also added a bit to the grains in my bowl)Coconut Milk Ice Cream with Vanilla Balsamic VinegarWhat You Need:- Coconut-milk vanilla ice cream- Vegan chocolate chip cookies, or whatever you have handy (I will be posting my recipe this week!)- Vanilla balsamic vinegarWhat You Do:Kind of a no-brainer here - just combine all of the ingredients together in whatever amounts you prefer in a bowl! For three small scoops of ice cream totaling about 3/4 cups, about 1 tsp of vinegar was added on top. You may be surprised at just how tasty the vinegar is with the ice cream! And I'd bet regular aged balsamic vinegar would do just fine as well. 

Cold & Spicy Sesame "Salad"

Particularly when it comes to cooking (vs. baking), I like to look at recipes as a framework or starting point from which you can make adjustments or customizations to suit your taste preferences, dietary needs, ingredients you have at hand, etc. It can be tricky depending on what it is you're making, but this spicy sesame "salad" is a pretty fool-proof recipe that is easy to tweak. I've made it a couple of times now - a little differently each time - but have enjoyed the finished product of each attempt equally.It's teeters between light and hearty, and is quite filling and satisfying - thanks to the hefty dose of fiber and protein from the whole grains and vegetables. The hot sesame oil and Thai chili add a decent kick to this, so if you don't like spicy food, eliminate the pepper and use regular sesame oil instead of hot.What You NeedVegetables/Noodles

• About 5 cups shredded/chopped vegetables(This time, I went for a mix of julienne yellow and red peppers, finely sliced green onion, chopped broccoli, edamame beans, chopped red cabbage and shredded carrots. Other possibilities include zucchini, squash, tomatoes, tofu, bok choy, bean sprouts, etc.)

• 8 oz whole wheat linguine, cooked

• 2-3 tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing

• 5 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp water

• 3 tbsp natural peanut butter

• 2 tbsp hot sesame oil

• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1 tbsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tbsp honey*NOTE: to truly make this recipe vegan, swap out the honey for agave

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 minced small red Thai chili pepper, seeds and ribs removed (a green chili or habanero also does the trick)

• 1/3 cup peanuts

What You Do

1. Cook noodles according to instructions on package.*NOTE: Since this is a cold dish, when I drain the linguini in a colander I run cold water over the noodles as well to stop the cooking process and reduce the heat.

2. Prepare vegetables and combine in a large bowl.

3. Puree all of the dressing ingredients - minus the peanuts - in a food processor until smooth.

4. Add peanuts to food processor and blend until finely chopped.

5. Combine vegetables, noodles, dressing and sesame seeds in a large bowl, and toss to distribute the dressing evenly.

6. Refrigerate to chill, and then devour!

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Recipe adapted from PinchofYum.

In the Meantime...

As I work through fully implementing site updates, here are some of my favorite recipes from past posts to check out:

• Slow-roasted grape tomatoes
• Vegan banana bread
• "Crack" kale
• Halibut with mango avocado salsa and tomato oreganata pasta
• Fresh focaccia
• Chocolate lace cookies
• Pumpkin spice cream cheese muffins
• Ham & gruyere bread
• Banana cocoa muffins
• Chicken marsala with prosciutto