Vegetable Lasagna (Vegan)

This is a transcription of a YouTube recipe from Jane Esselstyn, which is heavily modified from a recipe in Rip Esselstyn's Plant Strong cookbook (p. 199 "Raise the Barn Butternut Squash Vegetable Lasagna).

1 butternut squash

1 onion

garlic

zucchini, diced

yellow squash, diced

8 oz. forest blend mushrooms, finely diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 stalks bok choy, diced

frozen or fresh spinach 

1 block firm tofu, drained

1/2 C. walnuts, crushed

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 clump fresh basil

1 tsp. thyme

1) Prep the butternut squash—halve it, scrape out the seeds, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes cut side down, then remove the skin and mash.

2) Season and cook down the chopped veggies.

3) Prep the tofu "ricotta" by pulsing in food processor with spices and walnuts until good "ricotta" consistency.

4) Stir "ricotta" into vegetables and mash together.

5) Split the quantity in half in the pan.

6) Layer into a deep lasagna pan as follows:

* a little marinara in the bottom of the pan

* uncooked rice noodles on top of sauce

* add half of ricotta/veggie mixture

* add sauce and noodles again

* add half of butternut squash

* repeat layers (marinara, noodles, ricotta/veggie mixture, sauce, noodles, more sauce)

* top with nutritional yeast, crushed walnuts, and snipped fresh basil

7) Bake in a preheated oven for at least 1 hour, covered with foil.

They like Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles. It will take two boxes.

Gluten-Free Javanese Chick-un Sauce (Vegan)

This is a transcription of that obnoxious BuzzFeed video on Facebook, which I can't save a link to so I can't put it here or on Pinterest or anything. It's as irritating as that song they play while showing you how to make this!

1. Peel and chop 2 yellow potatoes.
2. Boil for 2 minutes.
3. Peel and chop a carrot.
4. Add to the boil.
5. Boil for 5 minutes.
6. Add 1/4 of an onion, chopped.
7. Boil 7 more minutes or until soft.
8. Drain. Save the water!
9. In a separate pot, cook the pasta.
10. In a blender, blend: 1/2 C. cashews, 1 1/2 C. of the veggie boiling water, the veggies.
11. Add 1 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt.
12. Pour over cooked noodles.
13. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

NOTE: This is terrible if you're going for gluten- and dairy-free "macaroni and cheese"—and it is rather dull and bland even just as a creamy pasta (this is better, if that's what you're going for)—but it IS great, properly seasoned, as a gluten-free version of Javanese Chicken.

I totally swiped the photo from this totally different recipe, on the VeganYumminess blog.

Aunt Kim's Beach House Macaroni & Cheese

 16 oz tubular pasta, cooked

1 Tbsp. EVOO olive oil

6 Tbsp. butter

1/3 C. flour

3 C. whole milk

1 C. heavy whipping cream

4 C. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 C. gruyere cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

1.5 C. panko crumbs, for topping

4 Tbsp butter, melted, for topping

1/2 C. parmesan cheese, shredded, for topping

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika (or regular is fine), for topping

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large 3- or 4-qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheese in a large bowl and set aside.

2) Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.

3) Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.

4) Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.

5) Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.

6) Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.

7) Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.

8) Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.

9) Pour half of the mac n cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 C. of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac n cheese.

10) In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, melted butter, and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Beach House 2021

MuMama's Macaroni & Cheese

Cook & drain 1 8-oz box of macaroni. Set aside.

Make a roux/sauce of:

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

2 C. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Stir in 1/4 lb. grated Velveeta cheese.

Mix sauce & noodles. Top with another 1/4 lb. more Velveeta.

Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

NOTE: My recipe card had a note that it "needs more cheese," for whatever that's worth...

Gloria Wells's Chicken Enchilada Pasta

16-oz package pasta in small shapes (shells, elbows, etc)

1 pound chicken, cooked and chopped

19-oz can mild enchilada sauce

12 oz. sour cream

16 oz. shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or colby jack blend)

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

2) Dump in the chicken, sauce, and sour cream. 

3) Blend ingredients over low heat.

4) Add cheese, little by little, as you blend.

Cheri's Stuffed Shells

Serves 6-8

40 pasta shells (jumbo size, or manicotti shells)

32 oz. cottage cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

3/4 C. parmesan cheese, grated

6 eggs

3/4 tsp. oregano leaves (I use Italian seasoning)

1/2 tsp. salt (opt.)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

(Note: I use 1 tsp. SPG)

4 C. spaghetti sauce, or more to taste

1) Cook jumbo shells half of recommended time, or until just barely limp. Drain. Cool in a single layer on a pan or waxed paper.

2) Combine cheeses, eggs, and seasonings.

3) Fill each shell with 2 T. cheese mixture. (See TIP below!)

TIP: Using an icing bag with a wide tip works well, or you can make your own by snipping the corner off a freezer bag. This makes it much easier and faster to fill the shells, but you will lose some filling as it sticks to the bag.

4) At this point, you can freeze a quantity of shells for another meal in a rigid airtight container to prevent breakage.

5) To serve, thaw shells (if frozen). Spread 1/2 C. spaghetti sauce in bottom of glass baking dish. Arrange shells in dish and pour remaining sauce over the shells.

6) Warm at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Aunt Nita's Spaghetti

1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (2-3 cloves)
3 lbs. lean ground beef
chile powder (hefty sprinkling)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can tomato paste
1 can mushrooms (stems and pieces)—optional
parmesan for topping

1) Sauté onion and garlic in oil until clear. (Add garlic after onion has cooked a little bit to avoid burning it.)

2) Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.

3) Add seasonings.

4) Add tomato sauce and tomato paste. Then fill each can almost full with water and add to sauce.

5) Simmer until flavors are well-blended and sauce is right consistency.

6) Add mushrooms toward the end and simmer until warm.

7) Serve over al dente spaghetti noodles with a nice Italian salad and good crusty Italian bread.

8) Serve Mumama's Banana Pudding for dessert! :)

Asian Pasta (Vegan)

Salad:
1 pound thin spaghetti rice noodles, cooked al dente
1/4 C. sesame oil
3 C. mung bean sprouts
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped with heads and stems
1 C. celery, diced
2 C. frozen, shelled edamame, cooked al dente (doesn't take long)
3/4 C. toasted nuts (whatever kind you prefer or can have)

1) Combine the above ingredients.

2) Toss with Spicy Asian Ginger Sauce.

3) Serve warm or cold.

Creamy Walnut Sauce for Pasta

The original recipe is from the cookbook Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. If you are dairy- and wheat/gluten-free, I highly recommend it—but even if you're not, the recipes are all delicious! When we ate this pasta tonight, it didn't feel like we were being "deprived" on an Elimination Diet at all. Yummy!

My modified version of this dish appears below:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. walnuts
1 1/4 C. reserved cooking water (from blanching walnuts)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound rice pasta (I used the rice penne from Trader Joe's.)

Optional additions:
Sautéed vegetables, optional and according to preference (I used onion, asparagus, and broccoli.)
Chicken breast strips, pan fried on stove in a little oil (If I'd had them, I'd have done this.)
Finely chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
1/2 C. toasted walnuts, for garnish and texture

Preparation:
1) In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Add walnuts and cook gently for 15 minutes.

2) In the meantime, add the rice pasta to a different pot of salted, boiling water. Cook until al dente, according to package directions. Do not overcook!

3) While your walnuts and pasta boil, sauté any vegetables you want to add to your final pasta product and pan-fry your chicken strips, if using.

4) After 15 minutes boiling, strain the nuts from the cooking water, reserving the liquid for later use.

5) Transfer the blanched walnuts to the food processor. Add the nutmeg, crushed red pepper, salt, and 1 1/4 C. of the reserved cooking water. Process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds.

6) With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil and process until creamy, about 5 minutes.

7) In a large serving bowl, toss half of the the sauce together with the pasta and the sautéed vegetables. Add more sauce until it is the consistency you want. (This was more sauce than we needed, so I reserved some to use like a non-dairy "cheese sauce" in another recipe. It will keep about 3 days in the refrigerator.)

NOTE: Garlic and black pepper would be good in this, but we're having to eliminate those ingredients for our Elimination Diet. Silvana boils a clove of garlic in with the walnuts, then processes it together in the food processor. She also adds an equal amount of black pepper when she adds the salt.

Aunt Kim's Sausage-Stuffed Manicotti

2 lb. crumbled Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. instant minced onion
8 oz. pkg. manicotti
3 C. (28-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
3/4 C. parmesan cheese (grated)
2 eggs
1/2 C. seasoned bread crumbs

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is thoroughly cooked. Drain and remove from heat to cool for 10 min.

2. Cook pasta according to pkg. directions and drain.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

5. Stir 1/2 C. parmesan, eggs, and bread crumbs into sausage mixture until well blended.

6. Fill each pasta tube with mixture and place in baking dish.

7. Cover pasta with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

8. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes.

Aunt Kim's Sausage Marinara Sauce

1 lb. Italian sausage links, casing removed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 medium yellow pepper, julienned
1 tsp. olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)
1 C. chicken broth
5 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1. Oil skillet. Crumble sausage into skillet. Add onions and peppers and cook over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

2. Drain skillet. Add tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, sugar, basil, and garlic powder. Heat through.

3. Serve over cooked penne or pasta of your choice.

Aunt Kim's Shrimp Scampi

1/4 C. chopped onion
3 Tbsp. parsley
5 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 C. white wine
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
2 lb. shrimp

1. Sauté first 4 ingredients and add shrimp.

2. Remove shrimp after cooked.

3. Simmer first 4 ingredients with remaining ingredients until alcohol is cooked off.

4. Add about 3 Tbsp. more butter and about 1/4 olive oil to sauce.

5. Serve over pasta after shrimp warmed through.

Aunt Kim's Easy Baked Ziti

1 lb. dry ziti
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
52-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. sliced provolone cheese
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add ziti and cook until al dente, about 8 min. Drain.

3. Brown onion, beef, and sausage in large skillet over medium heat.

4. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 min.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Grease a lasagna pan.

7. Layer as follows:

1/2 of ziti
provolone
sour cream
1/2 of sauce mixture
remaining ziti
mozzarella
remaining sauce mixture

8. Bake 30-45 minutes in a preheated oven or until cheese are melted.

Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe originally came from a friend of college, Karen McDaniel. I have modified it slightly. She called it "Vegetarian Lasagna for a Crowd." It makes two, which I always do even if it's just us because it freezes nicely in a 9x13 pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

You will need:
* Lasagna noodles (10 for one; 20 for two. Uncooked is fine, but I throw them in boiling water just long enough to soften them slightly so that I can get more room when layering. This is a tall lasagna!)
* Your favorite Italian sauce (8 C.)
* 1 1/2 quarts chopped veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, onion, carrots, mushrooms)
* Cottage cheese mixture: 5 C. cottage cheese, 3/4 C. grated Parmesan, Italian spices

1) Grease pan. Place a little sauce in the bottom before the first layer of noodles.

2) You will do two layers, in the following order:

--> noodles
--> cottage cheese mixture
--> veggies (sautéed or not)
--> mozzarella cheese
--> sauce

3) Bake at 350, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours.

4) Uncover and top with optional extra layer of cheese during the last few minutes of baking, if desired.

5) Let set up 10 minutes before cutting.

NOTE: This often cooks drippy juices out of the pan and onto the bottom of the oven, so I place jelly roll pans on the rack beneath them as they cook to catch the drippings.

Nanny's Easy Lasagna

1) Brown 1/2-1 pound ground beef. (I've also used cooked lentils.)

2) Add 4 C. marinara sauce (canned or homemade) and simmer.

3) Layer uncooked noodles, half of cottage cheese mixture (see below), half of grated mozzarella, half of sauce. Repeat.

4) Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours.

5) Let stand to set up for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Cottage cheese mixture: 2-3 C. small curd cottage cheese mixed with 2 Tbsp. parsley, 1/2-1 C. parmesan, 2 eggs

Chicken over Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is from my friend Laurie Jones.  It is my daughter Elanore's request for her birthday dinner.  "She made this one time when I was over there and it was SOOOO good!" she told me. 

4 chicken breasts, cut in strips

2 C heavy whipping cream

2 C half and half

1 C Chardonnay

1/2 jar julienne-cut sun-dried toms, drained (8.5-oz Bella Sun Luci SDT w/Ital. Herbs - Julienne Cut)

2 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

fresh basil to taste

salt and pepper to taste

flour for coating chicken

In a dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, and any seasoning you like on the chicken to coat the chicken.  Sometimes I just mix the flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  I almost always only use seasoned pepper around here if that makes any difference. Fry the chix in olive oil and butter.  Remove and keep warm.  Place shallots and garlic in pan to brown scraping up bits of chix.  Stir in creams and wine and bring to a low boil and let simmer for a few minutes so it will thicken.  Reduce heat and stir in toms and basil.  When it thickens to your preference, add back the chix and warm for a bit.  Taste test it around this point as it generally needs more salt than one would think.  Serve over Cappellini noodles with freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

*If your boil is not very low, the wine and cream will separate and curdle, making a big mess!

*Adjust everything to your family’s preference.  It tastes a little different every time I make it!

*I use one of those counter skillets so there will be enough room for everything.

Leigh Ellen's Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

This dish is wonderful for a potluck or large group.  The epitome of comfort food and devoured by all age groups.  I double the recipe and cook it for the 3 recommended hours.

8 oz. elbow/macaroni noodles, cooked
3 eggs beaten
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 stick margarine melted
3 cups grated cheddar
2 teaspoons splenda

Mix eggs with milk, margarine and 2 cups cheese.  Add cooked macaroni and stir together.  Spray crockpot with cooking oil.  Put macaroni mixture in crock pot and cover top with last cup of cheese.   Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.  DO NOT OPEN CROCK POT

Enjoy!

Leigh Ellen's Spicy Asian Noodle Salad (Vegan)

This is a modification of my friend Leigh Ellen's original recipe. We make this a lot! 

(All measurements are loose and approximate. Modify to taste.)

Dressing:

3–4 T (or more) creamy natural peanut butter
2 large lemons or limes (juiced—grated zest optional)
2–3 T agave nectar
1/3 C. tamari sauce or liquid coconut aminos
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar (I've used both white and regular)

1/4 C. rice vinegar
1-2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1 T sesame oil (I omit this)

Salad:

1 pound spaghetti, broken half and cooked al dente (I use Trader Joe's quinoa brown rice spaghetti)
1/2 each red, orange, yellow, and green bell pepper (cored, seeded, and julienned)
3 C mung bean sprouts
1 bunch cilantro
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
I also add julienned snow peas, carrots, celery, edamame, bok choy, asparagus, zucchini, etc... 

1 T sesame oil (I omit this)

3/4 C roasted salted peanuts or cashews, for garnish at time of serving

1) Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate.

2) Break pasta in half or in thirds, especially if you're using a gluten-free pasta. It will help prevent its clumping together as it cooks. Add noodles to a large pot of rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente. Rinse briefly in cold water and drain well. Transfer into a large bowl.

3) As the noodles cook, julienne all the veggies into thin strips (like finger length and really skinny).

4) Heat a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add all the veggies except bean sprouts and snow peas. Flash sauté very briefly, just to take the hard "rawness" away. (Add a tablespoon or so of water if it starts to stick too badly.)

5) Add the slightly cooked veggies, bean sprouts, snow peas, nuts, cilantro, and sliced scallions to the pasta. Combine the pasta salad with the dressing and toss thoroughly.

6) Garnish with peanuts and serve immediately.

Crock Pot Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1-2 onions, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (green, yellow, or orange), chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
45-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained (save juice for soups)
24-oz can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1-2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Crumble and brown ground beef and sausage together with onion and garlic.
2. Drain excess fat.
3. Place meat mixture into Crock Pot with remaining ingredients.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
5. Serve over spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente.

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe is from a knock-off Olive Garden recipe site.  It is delicious!

1 stick butter
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
1 pt. heavy cream
1/2-3/4 C. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder

Melt butter.  Add cream cheese, soften.  Add cream.  Simmer 15-20 minutes on low.  Season with SPG (salt/pepper/garlic salt).

NOTE: I've made this without cream cheese in the past and it still works fine. I do add some nutmeg.


Patti's Alfredo Sauce

This is a version a friend who is a great cook gave me years ago.  I forgot I had it until a cousin just called asking for it.  I had given it to her about twenty years ago, and she's lost hers.  I assume it is good, because everything Patti makes is delicious!

2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 C. cream
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add cream and 1/4 C. cheese.  Simmer over very low heat 4-5 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.   Drain cooked pasta well (8 oz. dried or 12 oz. frehs) and add to skillet.  Lift and stir to combine all ingredients and coat the pasta.  Add remaining cheese, nutmeg, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper.


Apparently I extrapolated to a large quantity at some point with the following measurements:
1 stick butter
3 C. cream
2 C. parmesan