Pasta Bake with Cauli-'Cheese' Sauce

 

I love pasta! And I love a good pasta bake. Here's a way of adding some veggies to the mix!

Pasta Bake with Cauli-Cheese Sauce

Serves 4-6

250g wholemeal pasta (shape of choice)

1/2 head cauliflower

Cook the pasta per packet directions. Drain and then place in a large baking dish.

Break the cauliflower into pieces and place in a bowl of water & microwave on high for 10 minutes until softened.

In a blender combine:

1 small onion, quartered
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon sage
And the cooked cauliflower

Blend til smooth and thick.

Pour the cauli-cheese mixture over the pasta & gentle turn the pasta til the cheese sauce has been spread evenly over all the baking dish and all pasta is moistened.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, chives and black pepper.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned on top & warmed through.

Slice and serve.

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

 

I know tradition Parmigiana calls for deep frying but I have made my version healthier by baking it! And served in single slices they can become a finger food.

BAKED EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Cut a large eggplant into 1.5cm thick slices.

½ fill a shallow tray with veggie stock. Sit the eggplant slices into the veggie stock, turn after 2 mins and allow the other side to absorb stock for 2 minutes.

Place the soaked eggplant slices on a baking tray & bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes until softened.
Spread the tops of the eggplant slices with tomato paste and a sprinkling of Italian herbs.

 

Combine in a microwave safe measuring jug:

1 cup plant milk of choice
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon cornflour

Whisk until cornflour has dissolved and then microwave on high for 2 mins until thickened.

Spread cheese sauce over the top of the tomato paste.

Return the eggplant slices to the oven & bake for a further 20 mins.

Serve while still warm.

In My Kitchen - September (Bake-Off Month!)

Considering that I'm doing a month of baking, I had no trouble coming up with photo ideas for this month's In My Kitchen!

You'll be seeing a collection of items that I find handy to keep on hand when baking.

All bakers need supplies. One of these days I'm going to remove the "plain flour" sticker and replace it with one that says "SR WM Flour" as our home never uses white flour anymore.
This shelf's not quite as well organised as my dried fruit & nut shelf that is arranged alphabetically - but that's because I like to keep the products that are similar together.

I love these cork mats that are available from Ikea. They are great to use when removing baked goods from the oven, which I don't want to put directly onto our kitchen bench.

Mixing bowls. A must! 
I enjoy using these glass ones as I can see when everything is mixed together well.
Pink and purple kitchen utensils are far more enjoyable to cook with than black or wooden ones you know ;-)
I would add to the photo measuring cups - but you've already seen all the ones I own!

I mix most of my baked goods by hand, but occasionally I like to use our electric mixer. This mini one that I picked up cheap has lasted nearly 10 years so far! Sure, it doesn't work as well as the big mixers on a stand, and yes sometimes it's a little hard to add other ingredients whilst holding the mixer, but for the small amount of space it takes up and the price saving, I'm definitely not complaining!!!
These scales from Tupperware are fantastic. I love the ability to reset the weighed ingredients back to zero in order to add further ingredients (handy for brain-blur moments). It also has a great conversion chart on the front - however I don't believe that the scales currently available from Tupperware do.
And of course, we all need a kitchen timer :-)

I like to use silicone bake-ware as I find that most of our baked items then don't need to use oil-spray. They are also wonderfully easy to clean.

A cookbook stand. I would be lost without this in my kitchen!
Although I probably only cook from a cookbook about once a month, I love using this stand when I do!
It keeps the book open and clear of splashes and other cooking marks.


What kitchen items do you use when you bake?

Link your kitchen up on the Fig jam and lime cordial blog.

Meatless Monday - Baked Pumpkin Pudding

Today's Meatless Monday food is Kabocha Squash.

Or as us Aussies called it Japanese Pumpkin.

Or if you're like me and find these things too hard to find, just regular pumpkin ;-)

It all tastes the same right?!? 

But who wants to eat pumpkin plain?!?

Isn't it considered pig food in England?!?

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, but when its turned into sweet treats it suddenly grows on me ;-)

Baked Pumpkin Pudding

You'll need:

3 cups pumpkin cubes

200g soft silken tofu

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon cornflour

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cook the pumpkin til soft. I just put it in the microwave.

Combine the cooked pumpkin with all the other ingredients and blend til smooth - either in a blender of a food processor.

Pour into lightly oil-sprayed ramekins.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. They will be firm, but slightly wobbly.

Delicious served with coconut whipped cream.

 

 

Snack box

 

With all this baking I thought it might be a good idea to share this little tip!

I often hear people say they don't have time to make healthy snacks and that is why they buy packaged junk-food.

EXCUSE NOT VALID!

Next time you're at the grocery store, buy a container instead of junk food.

You see this box.... it cost $4.

It lives in our freezer.

Its never empty.

Most times when I bake, I pop a piece or two of cake, or cookies into the box.

I'm yet to find something that I've baked that doesn't freeze well!

I don't believe that there is a single person in this world who doesn't have at least an hour spare on a weekend, or midweek to bake at least one snack!

On those mornings when you're rushing out the door with hardly a minute spare - reach into the box & pick a piece or two to put into your lunchbox.

It'll be defrosted by morning tea time :-)

Far better choice that package food!

My daughter loves to hunt through the box on school mornings picking out a snack that she likes!

Here's some great snack box friendly recipes:

Fruity yum cookies

Easiest chocolate cake ever 

Okara apple banana loaf

Orange pulp layer cake

Banana currant soft spelt cookies

Healthier Anzac biscuits

Fruit & veg cake

Gingered date banana loaf 

Roasted Vegetable Roll

 

 

We all know how great baked veggies can be :-)

They seem to be the perfect accompaniment for all kinds of meals.

However, I really don't like it when the veggies are smoothered with oil. Not only is it not good for your health, but why destroy the natural taste of the vegetables?!?

Here's another way to have them that our family totally enjoy and I hope yours will too!

Place chopped veggies of choice on a lined baking tray.

Sprinkle with paprika and sage.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 40minutes, until tender & cooked through.

Serve in a bread roll with hummus and salad leaves.

Comfort food plus!

Great weekend cooking- when the smell of roast veggies will warm the home all morning, fill the stomach at lunch, and leave you perfectly satisfied all afternoon! 

Apple Crumble Pie

 

I haven't finished with pie yet.... can't have all the pie recipes being savoury ones!

Today I bring you a sweet pie.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

 

You'll need:

1 pie crust (see my recipe posted earlier for Mofo)

1 x 800g can pie apples

3/4 cup oat bran

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Pour the canned apples over the pie crust.

In a mixing bowl combine the oat bran, apple sauce, sugar and cinnamon.

Mix until crumbly.

Gently press over the apples.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Notes:

You can use your own pie apples if you like. 

Sometimes I really enjoy stewing apples - however when I don't have the time these are great because they are sugar & salt free and they use Australian grown apples :-)

If you don't have demerara sugar, you can use brown sugar in place of it & substitute 1/4 cup oat bran with crushed almonds to add some crunch.

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan

veggie nook

greenthickies