Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus

I should probably start this post by admitting I've never really been a fan of creamy pasta. I've always preferred a tomato sauce or even a simple oil based dressing rather than any cream based pasta sauce like alfredo. That being said, I've finally found a creamy pasta that I really enjoy in this vegan version of fettuccine alfredo!

Instead of butter, cheese and heavy cream, the creaminess from this pasta sauce comes from tahini (sesame seed paste) mixed with almond milk. To add even more flavour and thickness, the liquid base is stirred into a mixture of pureed onion and garlic that's been sauteed on the stovetop.

The result is a rich and creamy sauce that coats each noodle perfectly and really does resemble a traditional alfredo sauce, but with much more flavour in my opinion!

The original recipe was a simple dish of noodles with sauce, but I always like to include extra vegetables in my pasta to make it more interesting. My first thought was to add asparagus, since its long shape goes well with noodles and it seemed like a fresh seasonal choice for this time of year!

I steamed the asparagus to avoid having to turn on the oven, and tossed it in a bit of lemon zest. A healthy dose of fresh lemon juice and parsley were the final touches to brighten up the dish.

I was actually surprised at how filling this pasta was because of the tahini, which also makes it the perfect transitional meal from hearty winter dinners to lighter spring and summer dishes!

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus

Adapted from Get it Ripe

~8-9 oz dry linguine or fettucine

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup pureed onion (from 2 small yellow onions, peeled and pureed in a food processor - mine was still a bit chunky)

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1.5 cups almond milk

1/2 cup tahini

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 lb asparagus (about half a bunch)

1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Lemon wedges for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, until browned.

Stir together almond milk, tahini, salt and nutmeg until tahini is fully mixed in. Pour into skillet with the onion mixture and stir. Reduce heat to medium. Add freshly ground pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and lemon juice and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Add the asparagus to a steamer basket and steam, covered, for 3-5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove from steamer basket and chop each asparagus stalk into three pieces. Toss asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon zest.

Return the drained pasta to its cooking pot. Add the sauce and stir well to mix (you may not need all of the sauce). Add the asparagus.

Serve warm. Season each serving with additional salt and pepper if desired and squeeze a lemon wedge over top.  Top with additional parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Eggplant, Chickpea & Pomegranate Stew

It seems like this week flew by - It was my first week back at school after the holidays, so I had extra work to catch up on. I also decided to try out a couple of workout classes at the school gym because they were offering a free fitness week, so that kept me at school later than usual too (not that I'm complaining - it felt great to squeeze in some exercise during the workday)!

With less time and energy left over to cook meals for myself this week, I was happy that I had made a big batch of this stew on Monday to get me through!

I saw this recipe in a magazine that my older sister got for me in Ireland before Christmas, and I was drawn in by the beautiful photo of the dish as well as the ingredients.  In particular, I was intrigued by the addition of both pomegranate seeds and pomegranate molasses - an ingredient that I've been meaning to try out for a while, after reading about it on Janet's blog!

The recipe was pretty easy to follow, although I made a few tweaks and changed the amounts of certain ingredients. Basically, you cut thin slices of eggplant and saute them on the stovetop to get them nice and brown, then you layer the slices in a casserole dish like a lasagna with a mixture of chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices.  The chickpea mixture is also enriched by the pomegranate molasses, which is thick and syrupy with a sweet and tangy flavour.

I have to say, this is probably my favourite eggplant dish that I've tried so far. By slicing it thin and browning it well, it loses some of its spongy texture and paired well with the other ingredients.

I also loved how the pomegrante seeds took this from a simple eggplant and chickpea stew to something a bit more interesting and flavourful!  And now that I've finally tracked down a bottle of pomegranate molasses, I can't wait to start trying it out in more recipes!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Eggplant, Chickpea & Pomegranate Stew
Adapted from Cook Vegetarian magazine (online version here)
Note: I called this a stew but unlike a typical stew, it does not have a lot of liquid, so it's more of a dry stew (for lack of a better term)!

2 medium eggplants (about 1 lb each), sliced lengthwise into ½” thick slices

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 green chili pepper (or other small pepper), minced

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

Dash of cinnamon

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (I used the no-salt added kind)

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Pinch of chili flakes (optional for a spicier stew, depending on how hot your chili pepper is - mine wasn't very hot)

Salt and pepper to taste

~1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4-6 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and lay in a colander (I divided them into two colanders). Let sit for about 20 minutes, then rinse the salt off with water and dry the slices with paper towel.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Heat 2 large skillets over medium-high heat.  Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl and use it to brush the eggplant slices. Brush one side of each eggplant slice and lay the oiled side face down in the skillet.  Repeat with as many eggplant slices as you can fit in the two pans without overlapping. Once the slices are in the pan, brush the top side with oil.  Cook each side for 3-5 minutes, until well browned, then flip over and cook the other side.  Transfer cooked slices to a plate and repeat process with the remaining eggplant slices until they are all cooked.

Bring one pan back to medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and spices. Cook, stirring often, for about 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and chili flakes (if using) and season with salt and pepper.

Layer half of the eggplant slices over the bottom of a greased 13x9” baking dish. Pour about half of the chickpea mixture over the slices, spreading with a spoon or spatula to distribute evenly.  Cover with the remaining eggplant slices, then top with the rest of the chickpea mixture. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the parsley and pomegranate seeds over top of the dish, or you can serve each portion and then add about 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (or more if desired) as a garnish to each plate. (Note: Before eating, you might want to use a knife to cut the eggplant into smaller slices; otherwise, you can just use your fork to break it up as you eat).

Makes 4-5 servings.

Couscous with Figs, Apricots & Pistachios

For the last month or two, I've been on a hunt for one particular seasonal item every time I visit the farmer's market: fresh figs.

Each time I went, I would think to myself: surely they'll have figs this week, they must be ready by now!  So I would start planning all the delicious things I would make with my figs when I got home, but each week, I came home disappointed and empty-handed.

Finally, last week my wish was granted and I was able to buy a small container of ripe black mission figs.  I ate some of them for breakfast - either sauteed with pears, or mixed into yogurt - and the rest of my figs went into this couscous dish.

I was inspired by Moroccan couscous dishes that usually combine dried fruit, nuts and fresh herbs.  So I put together a mixture of fresh figs, dried apricots, pistachios, and fresh parsley, along with some ginger, shallots and cumin for extra flavour.

I really liked the mix of fresh and dried fruit in this dish.  The figs were so juicy and sweet and tasted even better after being sauteed so they were nice and tender, and the pistachios added even more richness and texture.  I tend to be fussy about fresh parsley, but I actually thought it went really well with the other ingredients here and helped to brighten the dish up.

I used very little dressing, just adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil to the couscous.  I did find it a bit dry though, so feel free to add an extra drizzle of olive oil.  Another option could be to serve this with some plain yogurt, or a sweet chutney - I tried eating my leftovers with a couple spoonfuls of mango chutney on top and loved it that way!

I thought this was an interesting and really tasty way to use up my figs, and it would make a great side dish for Fall meals.  Although knowing my luck, fresh figs will probably be gone from the market already by this weekend, so I might have to wait until next year to make this again!

Couscous with Figs, Apricots & Pistachios

2-3 tbsp raw pistachios, shelled

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided

1 shallot, peeled and diced

1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger

1 cup water

1/2 tsp cumin

2/3 cup dry couscous

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

6-8 fresh figs (black mission), quartered

Honey or agave syrup (optional)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Plain yogurt, mango chutney or another fruit chutney for serving (optional)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the pistachios and toast for a few minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and ginger and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until shallots have started to brown.

Add water to the saucepan and stir in the cumin.  Bring to a boil, then stir in couscous and apricots.  Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the small skillet again to medium and spray with cooking spray.  Add the quartered figs and drizzle with a bit of honey. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

When couscous is done, lift lid and fluff with a fork.  Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, 1 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Mix in the pistachios and figs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with a spoonful of yogurt and/or chutney if desired.

Serve warm.

Makes 2 servings.

This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs and Healthy Vegan Fridays. 

Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas

Spaghetti squash seems to be one of the less popular varieties of squash. I can understand why - the taste and texture are quite different from other squashes like butternut and acorn, and if you're expecting it to taste anything like real spaghetti, you might be unpleasantly surprised!

But spaghetti squash can actually make a really delicious meal if you combine it with some spices and other tasty ingredients. For my first spaghetti squash of the season, I decided to create this Moroccan-spiced dish with chickpeas, raisins, apricots, and parsley. 

I loved the combination of flavours in this dish! The spices weren't too overpowering, especially when paired with the sweetness of the dried fruit. I used both raisins and apricots for the fruit, but you could leave out the apricots if you prefer. I also added a lot of chickpeas which helped to bulk up the meal, since spaghetti squash is not very substantial on its own. 

This was a nice comforting Fall meal, and it's very economical too - most of the ingredients can probably be found in your pantry already, and one spaghetti squash is enough to feed an entire family, so I had lots of leftovers to eat for lunches all week!

Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas
Adapted from Eat Drink Better, originally from Smitten Kitchen

1 spaghetti squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt (I used a bit less)
3-4 tbsp golden raisins
1/4 chopped dried apricots (optional)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro


Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the insides with 1 tbsp of olive oil and place face-down on a baking pan. Roast in the oven at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, until squash is tender.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned and soft. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring often, for about one more minute.

Stir in the spices, salt, raisins, apricots (if using), and chickpeas. Cook for another minute or two until the chickpeas are warmed, then remove from heat.

When the squash is done roasting, remove from oven and let it cool until it is ready to handle. Scrape out all of the flesh using a fork (it will separate into spaghetti-like strands) and transfer the strands to a large bowl. Add the chickpea mixture and the parsley or cilantro to the squash and toss to mix everything together.

Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.