Butternut Agnolotti with Walnut Cream Sauce, Crispy Brussel Leaves

Since I don't have a pasta attachment for my kitchenaid and I rarely have the patience to roll out dough that thin by hand, I like to use wonton wrappers for my pasta dough when making ravioli. They work great and take mere minutes to cook up. These agnolotti are a type of ravioli made by hand and shaped differently than the traditional rectangle. Why not switch things up alittle?


Roasted butternut squash stuffed inside thin sheets of pasta quickly boiled and served warm with a creamy sauce of walnuts, fresh oregano and garnished with crispy brussel sprout leaves.

Butternut Squash Agnolotti
serves 2-3
1 butternut squash, halved, pricked with a fork
1/2 white onion, medium dice
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
round wonton wrappers
10 brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, leaves seperated
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted

Preheat the oven to 425. Set the squash, flesh side up and the onion and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbl oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
Peel off the skin and transfer the squash and onion mixture to a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Lay out 15 wonton wrappers. Place a small dollop of squash mixture in each one. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water and fold over into a half moon. Bring the two corners together and press to seal.
Once all of the agnolotti are formed, drop in boiling water for 3 minutes.
In a small saute pan, heat 1 tbl of olive oil and saute the brussel sprout leaves until golden brown on the edges, 3-4 minutes.
Serve agnolotti with crispy brussel leaves, toasted breadcrumbs and creamy walnut sauce.

Walnut Cream Sauce
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup small diced white onion
1 heaping cup raw walnut pieces
2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
salt and pepper
2 1/2 cup vegetable broth, divided
2 tbl ap flour
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
2 tbl vegan sour cream

Sweat the onions in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, 4 minutes. Add the walnuts, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the walnuts have toasted, 4 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups of vegetable broth and simmer for 7 minutes until the nuts have softened somewhat.
Transfer to a food processor and add the flour and butter. Blend on high speed for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is very smooth.
If there are still chunks from nuts, strain the sauce through a fine mess strainer.
Transfer the sauce back to a pot and add the remaining 1 1/4 cup broth and sour cream. Simmer over medium-low heat for a3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened and come together. Taste and season.

Spicy Maple Tofu, Roasted Grapes with Brussels & Walnuts

I have recently discovered a whole new world of cooking that involves roasting grapes in savory food and I love it. The grapes lightly burst in the hot oven and add a delicate sweetness that is hard to find elsewhere. Roasting on the stem and serving them as is adds elegance to each plate.

Sweet and spicy tofu roasted in maple syrup, cayenne, fresh rosemary and garlic with crisp red grapes, lightly charred brussel sprouts and buttery walnuts.

Spicy Maple Tofu
1 cup maple syrup
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt and black pepper each
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
3 garlic cloves, halved
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, cut into 3/4" triangles
Combine all of the ingredients together. Pour over the tofu and marinate at least 2 hours to overnight for best flavor.
Preheat the oven to 425.
In a dutch oven or a long baking sheet with sides, pour out the marinade and tofu. Roast for 40 minutes, turning the tofu over after 20.

Roasted Grapes with Brussels and Walnuts
2 cups red grapes
1 cup small brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, halved
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
drizzle of molasses
1/2 cup raw walnuts

Preheat oven to 425.
Toss the grapes and brussel sprouts with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and molasses. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir and add the walnuts, roast 8 minutes more.

Seitan Stroganoff, Capellini and Brussel Sprouts

Hearty seitan and portobello mushrooms simmered in flavorful broth and red wine with soft, sweet onions, brussel sprouts and pasta tossed simply with olive oil and parsley.

Seitan Stroganoff with Capellini and Brussel Sprouts
10 oz seitan, medium sized pieces
1 portobello mushroom, gills removed, thinly sliced matchsticks
1/2 cup ap flour
salt and pepper
canola oil for frying
1 white onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
10 brussel sprouts, halved
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
6 oz capellini pasta, cooked according to package instructions
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil

2 tbl parsley

Preheat a thin layer of oil in a saute pan, a little less than 1/4" of the way up.

Toss the seitan and portobello strips in flour, salt and pepper and coat evenly. Shallow fry in 2 batches until crispy and golden brown, 5 minutes. Keep aside.
In the pan add the onions and garlic and toss to coat. Saute for 10 minutes to soften. Deglaze the pan with red wine, vegetable broth and worcestershire, scraping the bottom bits off. Add the brussel sprouts and seitan back in the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes just until the brussels are tender.
Add the sour cream and taste to season.

Toss the cooked capellini with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley. Serve underneath the stroganoff.

Chicken Fried Seitan Tenders, Pan Gravy, Roasted Greens

Inspired by seeing a chicken fried-steak recipe on T.V., I thought I'd go the extra mile tonight and make my own seitan for the dish.

Homemade seitan, breaded in loads of seasonings and fried until golden brown. Served with pan gravy and a simple side of roasted broccoli and brussel sprouts.




Seitan Broth

5 cups water
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbl tamari
2 tbl vegan Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot large enough to fit two large cutlets. Bring to a low simmer while making the cutlets.

Chicken Fried Seitan

3 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp creole seasoning
1 tbl vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tbl tamari
2 tbl oat milk
3/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
Peanut or Canola oil for frying

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients except the wheat gluten and oil. Whisk to combine completely and then add the wheat gluten. Mix until just combined and then knead for 1 minute. Don't knead too long or the seitan will become tough. Divide into 2 and flatten and shape into cutlets. Drop into the simmering broth and cook for 15 minutes, flipping once in between. If they cook too long they will become tough. Keep the cutlets in the broth, but remove from heat and let cutlets cool in the broth while you prepare the dredging mixtures. Once you are ready, remove the cutlets and cut long, thin slices, 1/4 " thick from the cutlets.

Wet:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oat milk
3 tbl stone-ground spicy mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbl all purpose flour
1 tbl nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all of the ingredients in a large shallow bowl.

Dry:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp baking powder

Combine all of the ingredients in another shallow bowl.

Prepare a pot of canola or peanut oil and heat up to 360 degrees.
Dip the tenders into the dry mix to coat, then in the wet, then back in the dry.
Fry until golden brown, drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Pan Gravy

2 tbl ap flour
1 1/2 cups oat milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Once you have finished frying the tenders, pour out almost all of the oil except 1 tbl of oil and all the remaining bits that have been left behind. Over medium low heat, add the flour and whisk quickly as it absorbs all the moisture. Continue whisking for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour flavor. Slowly add the oat milk, while still whisking to keep from getting clumps. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, while whisking to thicken and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Roasted Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
8 brussel sprouts, cut in half
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Combine the broccoli and brussel sprouts with the remaining ingredients and roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables have crispy edges but are tender.
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil