Pesto!

Here's a great addition to Cutie's last post since many pesto's have parmesan cheese. Here's a basic vegan pesto recipe.

1 1/2 cups basil (this is a great plant to grow in a pot in a dorm room)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup pine nuts (these can be expensive, any nut should do... maybe I'll try it with peanuts)

5 cloves garlic

1/3 cup nutritional yeast (this stuff is great! I use it as a topping to sprinkle on foods)

3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Put in a food processor and blend.

You can also try substituting in dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers, just an idea.

This recipe can make a lot, but pesto is fine to freeze and reheat later. I usually freeze it in ice cube trays so that they are thawable in convenient serving sizes.

Fun fact: Neither pine nuts nor peanuts are actually nuts. Pine nuts are a seed and peanuts are legumes. Oh, and coconuts are seeds too.

Vegan Pasta with Pesto and Tofu!

Hello, friends.
Okay, this one is short, sweet, easy, and fast. Not a lot to it, but it's realllyyyyy good!
Ingredients
- Packet of pasta
- Olive oil
- Pound of tofu
- Tofutti sour cream or cream cheese (optional)
- Pesto

First things first, grab some pasta and a pot.
Fill pot 2/3 full of water and boil. When boiling add pasta. Wait 5-6 minutes, test pasta, and when it is to your liking drain the water and put pasta in a bowl.
Put a frying pan on the burner add olive oil (and garlic if you want) and put on a medium heat flame. Let it sit for a minute, then add tofu. Cook the tofu a bit, stirring is, then add pesto and a few spoonfuls of tofutti sour cream or cream cheese. Mix pesto and tofu until it is completely and evenly spread. Turn off burner, add tofu and sauce to pasta, and eat! Super easy; even I can do it!
Pictures! Pictures! Look at the pictures!

Vegan Jelly Donut Cupcakes!

(From Veganomicon, by Isa Moskowitz & Terry Romero, www.theppk.com )

Makes 12 cupcakes

Time: about 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy or rice milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• ¾ cup + two tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• About 1/3 cup raspberry jam or preserves
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour the soymilk, vinegar, and cornstarch into a measuring cup and set aside.
3. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners (or use reusable, bear shaped ones).
4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients to pour your wet ingredients into.
5. Stir the soymilk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the flour mixture.
6. Add the oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about three quarters of the way full with batter, then place a heaping teaspoon of jam onto the center of the top of each.
8. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes until the tops are firm.
9. Let cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
10. Enjoy!