Pasta with Greens

If you've followed my blog for some time it will probably come as no surprise to you that I'm a pasta lover! In fact our whole family is! I am very pleased that I have finally got my husband to be a pasta eater too now!
I love to serve pasta in ways that aren't always just a standard red sauce and this is one of those alternative ways :-)
The little kick of sweet chili sauce adds a lovely touch without too much heat - don't skip it! 

PASTA WITH GREENS

You'll need:
250g pasta of choice
1/2 bunch kale, chopped into little pieces
8 large broccoli florets, chopped into little pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained

1 cup soymilk
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for recommended time. With 3 minutes spare, add the kale, broccoli and chickpeas.

Drain the pasta and vegetables.

While the pasta is draining, use the pot to make the cheesey sauce. 
*Remove the pot from the stove*
 
Combine all the sauce ingredients (soymilk, cornflour, sweet chili, nutritional yeast, garlic) in the pan and whisk together til cornflour and nutritional yeast has dissolved and the sauce in smooth. *This won't work properly if the pot is on the heat still as you need to dissolved cornflour in COLD fluid.






Return to the heat and continue to whisk until slightly thickened. Approx 3-4 minutes. 
Pour the drained pasta and vegetables back into the pot and stir well until all pasta has sauce over it.

Serves 3

Baked Tofu Strips 2 ways

Guess what I'm eating this Wednesday.....

If you answered oats for breakfast and salad for lunch then you would, of course, be right ;-)

My salad today incorporated my Vegan Mofo theme.....

The "bake-off" series includes finger food.
But without the use of high fat pastry I had to make something other than standard "sausage rolls" and "meat pies". 
So today I bring you a different type of finger food....

BAKED TOFU STRIPS

                                            Cut firm tofu into 1cm thick strips.
Place in a baking tray.
Spread a thin layer of either soy sauce or sweet chili sauce over the tops of the sliced tofu.

Pour water in the baking tray til it reaches 3/4 of the way up the sides of the tofu (amount of water will vary depending on the size of your tray and the amount of tofu you use).
 
Place in a preheated hot 220C oven.
Bake for 15 minutes then flip the tofu pieces over to their other side, cover again with the sauce and then return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
The water will have evaporated and the tofu will be slightly crispy. 

Serve.

Options for serving these strips is endless --> they make great 'nibble' food, or served on top of a salad, or as part of a meal :-)

Lunch Veg & Noodles

As the days are getting cooler I am thinking more about warm lunch options.
This is a great option! So quick and easy. You could whiz it up before work, or take 5 minutes to prepare it there if you have kitchen facilities :-)

To serve one you'll need:
90g of soba noodles (the packets I buy come in 3 parts - each part is 90g. But you can use as much or as little as you like!)
Soak the soba noodles in boiling water while you prepare the veggies.

1 carrot
1 onion
2 spring onions
100g snow peas (tops and ends trimmed)
1/4 large green capsicum
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mince ginger
1 Tablespoon each: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Preheat a wok. Chop the onion, spring onion and capsicum. Chop the carrots into long strips. Toss them into the wok with the snow peas. Gently toss around the wok for a few minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. When the veggies are cooked to your desired texture then add the sauces and the allspice. Mix well. 

Serve on top of the drained noodles.

Chili Pasta

Another super basic one
Works well for those days when you come home & really can't be bothered to cook! Why is it that on those nights we seem to feel like a more tasty meal than other nights!!!!!!!

It's also a quick & easy one for times when there really isn't that much left in the fridge.

I used:
1 cup Pasta
2 x zucchinis
1 onion
1/2 can four bean mix
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Cook pasta per packet directions.
Slice zucchini into long, thin strips. Lightly fry in a nonstick frying pan with a chopped onion for about 7 mins til soft & lightly browned.
Stir in the mixed beans & continue stirring until warmed through.
Add to the cooked pasta. Mix & add sweet chili sauce.
Enjoy (in front of the tv is recommended)!