Sunday, February 14, 2016

Beet Linguine with Cashew Ricotta

1 lb beet noodles
1 head of garlic
4 tsp olive oil, divided
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
4 tsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
5 tsp apple cider vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Slice off top of garlic head, drizzle with 1 tsp oil and wrap in foil. Roast in oven for 1 hour.
2) When there is just 15 minutes left on the timer, place the beet noodles on an oil roasting pan (spread out evenly). Spray with olive oil spray and add to the oven. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft but not shriveled.
3) Now, rinse and drain the cashews. Place them in a food processor and add the remaining olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, apple cider vinegar and roasted garlic cloves. Process until smooth.
4) Serve cashew ricotta on top of a bed of roasted beet noodles. Serve immediately.

Review: The original recipe seemed more like a beet sauce on linguine. I wasn't feeling it, but then I found beet noodles at Whole Foods. It's just beets ran through a spiralizer and then packaged without instructions. I googled how long to boil the noodles, to find they are best when roasted. So, this made the whole recipe so much easier!! They roast at the same temp as the garlic, so I just slid them in as the garlic was finishing up. Once the garlic was done and I had processed the ricotta, the beets were just finished. It all came together so nicely. So, flavor? It tasted like roasted beets, which are tasty. The ricotta did not taste like ricotta, but had a similar texture. It tasted like tangy cashews with roasted garlic. It didn't wow me, but looked nice. It also seemed 'sticky' when eating, as it needed to washed down with a drink. I don't typically drink when eating because it gives me hiccups for some reason. So, this might not be made again.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/beet-linguine-with-cashew-ricotta/

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Chilled Edamame Vegan Spaghetti

8oz pkg edamame spaghetti
4 cups baby spinach
1 avocado
1/8 cup lime juice
4 Tbs fresh parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbs fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
6oz can medium-sized black olives, halved
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1) In a food processor, blend spinach, avocado, lime juice, parsley, oregano, basil and garlic until smooth. Set sauce aside.
2) Cook edamame spaghetti in boiling water according to package directions, stirring constantly. Pour spaghetti into a strainer and rinse with cold water.
3) In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, sauce, olives and tomatoes. Mix well and serve immediately.

Review: The edamame spaghetti has a texture more similar to ramen noodles than spaghetti. It's a little firm and a bit squeaky when chewed. Yet, the flavor is tasty. The pesto-like sauce is a good match. It tastes light, healthy and a bit spicy (from the garlic and basil). I really liked this.
Adapted from:
http://www.explore-asian.com/recipes/chilled-edamame-vegan-spaghetti/