Healthy Orechiette with Cannellini Beans and Veggies

Unless you want a heart attack, you can't cover everything in a layer of potato chips and cheese. Even though I love indulgent comfort foods, I spend most of my time in the kitchen making much lighter dishes. This particular pasta will give you delicious dose of almost every vitamin, mineral, etc. you need (including some of the ones carnivores always say you don't get enough of as a vegetarian) with barely any fat.

I used kale, which is high in fiber, calcium, and a bunch of other essentials. It's basically one of the best things you can eat. If you don't have kale, swiss chard is an excellent substitute. And if you don't particularly like either green, just use spinach. The cannellini beans add protein, iron, and fiber - but most importantly, they make this sauce more substantial and filling. You can use another type of pasta if you don't have orecchiette (try whole grain, it's loaded with fiber but doesn't have the gross, pastey texture of whole wheat), but I like how the sauce pools in each little ear and the beans kind of get stuck in the indent which is nice. 

Anyway, here's what you'll need

Orechiette with Cannellini Beans and Veggies in Light Tomato Sauce

8 oz. orecchiette, prepared according to box directions 

14 oz. canned diced tomatoes (preferably with a lot of liquid and some basil, too)

About 1/3 cup rosé wine (you can use white if that's all you have around. the type doesn't really matter as long as it's not a sweet/dessert wine)

About 1/2 cup Imagine Brand No-Chicken Broth (this is essential to have in your fridge at all times!

1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained

About 1 cup of kale or other leafy greens (make sure you rinse, drain, and dry the leaves. I also like to discard any long, tough stems)

1/2 bag frozen peas

1/2 white onion, sliced

1-2 handfuls white mushrooms

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tbs. olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Fresh basil and fresh parsley to taste

Grated Parmesan for topping

Start by heating the olive oil over a medium-low flame and sauteing the garlic for about half a minute. Add the kale or chard (if you're using spinach you don't have to put it in so early, since it wilts quickly). Cook a minute or two until it starts to go limp, then add the onions and saute until they start to soften. Throw in the mushrooms and frozen peas. Add a little more oil if you need it - the kale seems to absorb a lot. Add the beans and saute everything a few minutes until almost the veggies are almost cooked through. If you're using spinach, toss it in now. Season with a few pinches of salt. Add the can of tomatoes/liquid, the broth, and the wine. Let the sauce come to a gentle boil so the alcohol cooks off, leaving a nice, subtle wine flavor. Add a pinch of sugar if you want - I personally like a sweeter sauce than most. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle in the basil and parsley. Pour over cooked pasta and top with Parmesan (or a vegan substitute).

Sweet and Spicy Seitan and Japanese Eggplant Stirfry (for beginners!)

This recipe is perfect for anyone who isn't yet confident enough to make their own sauce...or just feels like taking a very very delicious shortcut. Store bought, jarred sauces are ok, but they always seem just a little off. My solution? Mix a couple of them together until the taste is exactly what you're looking for. The following sort of resembles a typical General Tso's but with more soy/teriyaki flavor and less unabashed sweetness (honestly most General Tso's I get in restaurants is way too sugary). You'll need to buy 3 different sauces, but each is very useful, so I promise it won't be a waste!

Sweet and Spicy Seitan and Japanese Eggplant Stirfry 

Serves 2-3 depending how hungry everyone is

3-4 small Japanese eggplants, sliced into rounds and then
1/2 bag frozen broccoli
3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
Generous handful of water chestnuts (I buy the slices and then cut them in half one more time)
4-5 button or white mushrooms, sliced
Any other veggies you want to add - bamboo shoots, peppers, etc.
1 package chicken style seitan (you can get it in pre-shredded chunks but I like to buy it "cubed" and slice it myself)
Heaping plateful of cornstarch
4 tbs. vegetable oil, divided

For the sauce combination, start with the following approximation:
1 part sweet chili sauce (I used Thai Kitchen)
1 part sichuan stir-fry sauce (I used House of Tsang)
2 parts Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki (you can use this in a bunch of different Asian dishes or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, dumplings, etc)

You can adjust the ratio however you want to acheive your ideal balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy.

Heat 2 tbs. of the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok. Stirfry the vegetables in order of hardness, waiting about 45 seconds after each addition so that by the end everything is nicely softened. Start with the celery and carrots together, then the water chestnuts, then the frozen broccoli, and finally the mushrooms and eggplant together.

While the veggies are cooking, roll each piece of seitan in cornstarch on both sides. Heat the remaining oil in a different skillet over medium heat and fry the seitan pieces until golden brown. The excess cornstarch will mix with the oil and make what looks like a gross mess, but don't worry about it. The pan might get a little dry since the cornstarch is so absorbent, so add a little more oil if you need to. When the seitan is nice and crispy, place the pieces on a piece of paper towel to drain, then add them to the stirfried vegetables.

In a small saucepan, heat the sauce combination until warm. Drizzle the sauce over the seitan and veggies and toss to coat. Don't use too much sauce, since it's really flavorful and may overpower the stirfry...you just want a nice glaze. Serve over brown rice or noodles. Unfortunately this cell phone picture really does no justice!