In general it has mild flavors that do come together to make a very tasty meal. The recipe was simple to veganize by substituting vegan cheese for the feta. Her blog is bi-lingal, just scroll down for the English version.

We basically used her recipe, although we did not have fresh asparagus, so used our regular vegetable mixture, the one we usually use for our paella recipe. We really enjoyed the meal, although found it to be a bit on the mild side, so we added some sambal oelek, each as they wished at the table.  We will make this again, as it is  a nice alternative to our favorite paella which we often enjoy through the year.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, halved and quartered
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1 cup large couscous (e.g. ptitim, also known as Israeli couscous or Jerusalem couscous)
• 2 & 1/2 cups water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 2 cups rucola or argula leaves, trimmed and hoped
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• simple herbed vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons fine olive oil
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or other fine vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons mixed Italian herbs

Directions:

1. Bring the water and vegetable bouillon cube to a boil.
2. Add the large couscous balls and cook.
3. Once the liquid has almost completely evaporated, put a lid on the pot and remove from the heat. Allow the couscous to absorb the rest of the liquid and cool.
4. Dry roast the pecans in a frying pan. Be careful to watch that they do not burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Slice the shallots and halve the cherry tomatoes.
6. Clean the rucola and chop roughly.
7. Slice the artichokes in quarters.
8. The cooled couscous may stick together, either separate with a fork, or place in a colander and rise under cool water. Shake dry.
9. Place the couscous in a large serving bowl.
10. Add the sliced shallots, chopped rucola and halved tomatoes.
11. Add the artichoke pieces.
12. Mix the herbed vinaigrette.
13. Pour over the salad and mix gently.
14. Sprinkle the pecans on top and lightly mix a few into the salad as well.
15. Enjoy the salad cold or at room temperature.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces dry wholewheat spaghetti
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut in small florets
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (separated)
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon sambal ulek (optional)
• 10 ounces smoked tofu pieces of choice
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional but nice)
• handfull parsley, chopped
• vegan cheese to grate on top
• few red pepper flakes as garnish and flavor

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 204 C.
2. Cut the cauliflower in small florets.
3. Place in a oven-proof baking dish.
4. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over and toss to mix.
5. Place the cauliflower in the oven to roast for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. While the cauliflower is roasting.
7. Melt the vegan margarine and the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan.
8. Add the minced garlic and keep the temperature low.
9. If using the sambal, add it and and a bit of salt and pepper.
10. Add the smoked tofu pieces. and mix well.
11. Add 1/2 the chopped parsley and mix.
12. Add the 1/4 cup of white wine and mix to make a light sauce.
13. Keep the heat on warm.
14. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti.
15. When the spaghetti is cooked al dente, drain in a colander and return the spaghetti to the pot.
16. As the cauliflower is done, remove from the oven.
17. At this point you can prepare the meal, as you wish to present it.
18. You can toss all together in a big pot. Then place it in a large serving bowl and grate the vegan cheese on top add the parsley and chili flakes.
19. Or, you can serve the spaghetti as individual servings, with a portion of the garlicky smoked tofu drizzled on top, then the roasted cauliflower and garnished as above with the chopped parsley grated vegan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces spirali pasta
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2-3 cups romanesco broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup fresh basil,chopped

for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons miso
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 ounces soy cheese grated as garnish and handful toasted almonds

Directions:

1. Steam the romanesco florets al dente.
2. Cook the pasta according to the recommendations of the package.
3. Prepare the peas – frozen can be thawed with boiling water, fresh should be cooked al dente.

to prepare the sauce:

1. Place the miso in a small saucepan.
2. 
Add the white wine and stir to evenly dissolve the miso.
3. Add the ground almond and pepper flakes if using.
4. Lightly warm the sauce.
5. Season to taste as desired.
6. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan.
7. Grate the soy cheese.

to prepare the meal:

1. When the pasta is coked, drain off the water and return to the pot
2. Add 13/4 of the miso sauce and mix well.
3. Add 3/4 of the chopped basil, the peas and mix.
4. Add the romanesco and lightly mix in.
5. Serve the meal in a large serving bow, or on individual serving plates.
6. Garnish with a few more basil leaves, some toasted almonds, and the grated soy cheese.
7. The rest of the miso dressing can be served in a bowl for people to help themselves I they want more.

We enjoyed the cashew basil cream sauce with pasta as a main meal with lightly steamed green beans. The recipe is perfect and easy to make. Do give it a try, you will be quite pleased I am sure.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spiral pasta
• 1 lb. fresh asparagus
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 6-8 slices vegan cold cut (smoky taste)
• 4 tablespoons fine olive oil (or walnut oil)
• 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Clean the asparagus and cut off the woody stem end.
2. Cut the asparagus in bite sized pieces.
3. Slice the garlic in fine thin slices
4. Chop the walnuts
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the pasta.
6. In a separate pan, bring a lightly salted water to boil and cook the asparagus al dente.
7. In a small saucepan, heat the oil, add the garlic and walnuts. Keep the oil warm, but do not over-cook the garlic as it becomes bitter when browned.
8. Cut the vegan cold cut into small bite-sized pieces and add to the walnut garlic sauce.
9. When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot.
10. Add the oil with garlic, walnuts and vegan cold cut pieces to the pasta and mix well.
11. Add the cayenne, and nutritional yeast and again mix well.
12. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Shortly before serving, drain the asparagus and add to the pasta. Gently mix the asparagus so s not to damage the tender pieces.
14. Serve the pasta and enjoy.

We made it according to directions, the only difference was that we put a vegetable bouillon cube in the water as the couscous “pasta balls” cooked and a pinch of saffron. I can see how this would be popular with the kids, but it’s not just for the kids, as this tasty salad was really popular with us adults as well.

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cup vegan cheddar sauce (see below)
• 1 & 2/3 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 1-2 slices day old bread
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for the baking dish
• optional dried bread crumbs for the top

for the vegan cheddar sauce:

• 2 medium carrots, washed peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon light miso
• dash cayenne (optional)
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• pinch sugar (optional)

Directions:

to make the vegan cheddar sauce:

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots and place in a small saucepan with water that is 1/2 inch above the level of carrots.
2. Cook until they are soft.
3. Puree the carrots.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and return to the stove to cook until thick and creamy.
5. Season to taste with additional salt, cayenne or mustard.

to make the macaroni and cheese:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.
2. Add the macaroni and cook until soft.
3. Make the vegan cheddar sauce.
4. When the macaroni is cooked, remove from the heat, drain the liquid off and place in a large owl.
5. Pour the vegan cheddar sauce over the macaroni and mix well.
6. Cut the bread slices in small cubes and add to the macaroni.
7. Season to taste. You may want to add a bit more mustard and some freshly ground black pepper.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.
9. Oil an oven-proof baking dish.
10. Put the macaroni mixture in the baking dish.
11. If you wish, sprinkle dried bread crumbs on top of the macaroni for a crispy topping.
12. Bake the macaroni for 20-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.

Notes:

This recipe offers a nice serving for 4 as a side dish, or 2 as part of a main meal. We served it with a vegan omelet with sauteed fresh spinach as filling, using Vegan Dad’s omelet recipe.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

• 10-12 large pasta shells
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, cut in small cubes
• 1 package fresh spinach- about 4 cups, cleaned

for the soy ricotta:

• 1 cup soy yogurt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• dash dried onions
• dash dried garlic
• 1 tablespoon miso
• pinch salt and pepper
• optionally paprika and dry mustard as desired

for the tomato sauce:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
• splash lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• splash Tabasco (optional)

Directions:

Begin by making the soy ricotta.
In a medium bowl, mix the soy yogurt, nutritional east lemon juice, miso salt and pepper.
Season to taste with additional spices as desired

Steam the small pumpkin cubes al dente, remove from the heat and set aside.
Steam the spinach, when wilted and soft, place the spinach in a medium bowl.
Chop with a knife and fork as you would on a plate.
Drain any extra liquid that comes from the spinach.
Add the soy ricotta a tablespoon at a time. At about 2 or 3 tablespoons, it should be the right consistency for your filling. The rest can be used as dollops on top of the shells and around the baking dish.

Make the tomato sauce.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan.
Saute the onions.
Add the tomatoes, herbs and garlic.
Season to taste with a splash of lemon juice, Tabasco, alt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
Put the pasta shells in ad cook about 5 minutes until al dente. Be careful to not over cook, as they will become too soft to fill and tear.
Place a bit of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.
Remove the shells from the boiling water. Drain and extra water that may be in the shell.
Fill the shell with about a tablespoon of spinach mixture and add the pumpkin cubes.
Place the shell on the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Continue filling all the shells.
Place any extra tomato sauce around the shells and dollop some of the soy ricotta.
Place a lid or aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Notes:

We enjoyed this meal with a mixed salad, a whole grain baguette and a lovely organic wine.