Vegetarian (Gardein) Chicken Parm

Recipe from: http://www.gardein.com/recipe_detail.php?r=79

Ingredients:
1 package Gardein Chikn Scallopini (In this recipe you bread/fry it yourself. You can also skip this by getting the Gardein cutlets which are already breaded and come with sauce. But doing it yourself is better)


white all purpose flour
1 whole egg
bread crumbs

2 cups tomato sauce of your choice
~1 cup canola oil for frying
7oz | 200g dried spaghetti noodle of your choice
2oz | 50g olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
to taste: salt, black pepper

Directions:

for the spaghetti, bring to the boil heavily salted water. (follow cooking instructions on the box).

In a large flat bottom bowl (large enough to fit the scallopini) whisk the egg until smooth.
Dust the scallopini in flour, shake off excess flour and roll in whisked egg. gently roll in the bread crumbs and fully coat the scallopini.

Add canola oil (at least 1/4" of oil) and preheat pan to a medium heat. pan fry the scallopini for about 90 secs each side until golden brown.once golden, spoon enough sauce to cover the scallopini and top with the mozzarella and parmesan. keep the rest of the cheeses for the pasta. bake at 375°C until cheese is melted and lightly golden (about 5-10 mins).

once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, return to heat and add sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper.neatly arrange the noodles in the center of both plates, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. top with the gardein™ chick´n parmesan and garnish with a sprig of herb.

tip: do not rinse pasta under cold water, this rises off the starch and lowers the quality of the dish.

Vegetarian Buffalo Mac and Cheese

adapted from : http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/buffalo-chicken-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

7 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt
1 pound elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat elbows)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups Butler soy curls, soaked in water for 10 minutes then drained & pressed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's extra hot buffalo)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp dry mustard
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup additional half and half or milk
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup breadcrumbs (you are supposed to use panko but I used normal italian style)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (OPTIONAL - I didn't use)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (OPTIONAL - I didn't use)

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy curls and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spray the baking dish with cooking spray or coat with butter.
Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then add about 1/3 of the cheese sauce. Then, top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the rest of the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the breadcrumbs, plus blue cheese and parsley (if using). Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo

from: http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/175049/creamy-pesto-fettucine-alfredo

Shown here served with vegetarian chicken (Quorn gruyere cutlet)

Ingredients:
1 package (1 lb) fettuccine (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup pesto (store bought, or home made recipe here)
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 small heads broccoli (optional - or any type of vegetable you want to add)
salt and pepper to taste
italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic to taste (optional)

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and begin cooking pasta according to package directions. Cook until just UNDER al dente.
Cut broccoli into bit-sized florets. Steam for 8 minutes and set aside.
While pasta and broccoli are cooking, make the sauce. Pour the heavy cream and veggie broth into a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir in pesto and parmesan and simmer until combined and cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus any other spices you wish (I added some italian seasoning and some garlic and onion powder, and a little bit of minced garlic).
Once sauce is to your liking, put drained pasta and sauce in the same pan. Cook pasta in the sauce for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens - the starch in the pasta will thicken the sauce. Then, add the broccoli (or any other steamed veggies you are using) and stir well until combined. Serve with some parmesan cheese on top if you wish. We ate it with some vegetarian Quorn gruyere cutlets with some pesto on top.

Vegetarian Chicken Broccoli Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 12oz bag of tortellini (or a box/bag of any other kind of pasta)
2 small heads of broccoli (plus any other veggies you want)
2 Quorn Naked Chik'n cutlets
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
(optional) spices - such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasonings... (you definitely want to add these if you aren't using tortellini because the sauce can be bland)

Directions:

Cut up veggies and place in a frying pan with some olive oil. Add some salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning and  cook until desired doneness is reached. While veggies are cooking, bring water to a boil for the tortellini. Cook according to package directions (10-11 minutes) then drain. While tortellini is boiling, combine pesto and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes then add parmesan cheese and spices to taste. Stir to combine and turn off heat. Microwave 2 Quorn cutlets for 3-4 minutes and cut into small cubes.
Put pasta back in its pan and add Chik'n and veggies. Pour sauce over the mixture and then mix until it's coated. Serve with garlic bread.

Serves 4.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from : http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/826008-Butternut-Squash-Mac-Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (I bought the already peeled and seeded halves at the store)
1 pound elbow macaroni (I used cavatappi)
5 tablespoons butter ( I uses Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg from a spice jar)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 pound shredded sharp cheddar (about 4 cups)
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Trader Joe's bread crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice squash in half and discard seeds. Place, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour until very tender. ( I recommend cutting the squash in smaller pieces so it cooks faster. And coat with olive oil and stir occasionally).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Boil pasta to al dente - about 6 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

When squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard. Puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency. Set aside. (OR instead, see not below).

Melt 4 Tablespoons butter (set aside 1 Tablespoon) and slowly stir in 1/2 c flour to form a paste.

Off heat, slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk. Return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens.

Add pureed squash to the thickened sauce.

Add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1 3/4 cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls. Taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed.

Combine pasta, squash and cheese sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat evenly. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (LARGE rectangular dish).

Melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter and blend with remaining cup of cheese and the breadcrumbs to form topping. Sprinkle mixture over the macaroni.

Place macaroni under the broiler until topping is nicely browned - about 2-4 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*NOTE: Instead of using a food processor, proceed with melting butter and adding flour. After adding milk and it thickens, add the squash (cut in somewhat small pieces), vegetable broth, mustard, salt and cayenne. The use a HAND BLENDER to fully blend the mixture. After it is fully blended, stir in the cheese until it melts.

verdict : AWESOME.