vegetarian pasta piselli

Ingredients

Sauce
olive oil
1 c frozen peas thawed
2 T tomato paste
1 small tomato diced
1/2 c hot water
1 T sugar
salt, pepper, to taste

Veggie Meatballs
1/2 c dry textured soy protein
1/8 c minced celery & carrots
spices: salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, thyme, cumin, bay leaf
1 T ketchup
1 T mustard
3-4 T flax meal
T soy sauce
1/2 c boiling water
1/2 slice of whole grain bread (ground)
muffin tin (12 count)

6 oz dry whole grain penne pasta
Italian cheese blend

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tin with oil. Mix ingredients for meatballs. Add more flax if necessary. The goal is to go from crumbles to what presents as clumped together meat. With a 1/4 cup scoop, form into balls and drop into muffin tin. This mix should form between 4-6 balls.

Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes. Brush tops with oil and bake uncovered for 15-20 additional minutes.

While meatballs are baking, prepare marinara sauce by mixing paste with hot water to form soup. Oil pot or skillet with 1 T of olive oil. Add diced tomato's and stir in soup. Reduce. Add meatballs and break into pieces. Before sauce is served, boil pasta. Rinse pasta in cold water and strain. Toss pasta with meat sauce. Garnish final dish with peas and cheese. Serve with Caesar salad.

multi-layer salad

Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce, torn pieces
Roma Tomatoes sliced
Broccoli chopped
Green Peas
Red Onion sliced
Carrots coarsely shredded
Hard Boiled Eggs sliced
Green Pepper diced
Cucumber sliced, quartered
Shredded cheese
8 slices Morningstar Farms bacon chopped
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T sugar

Preparation

1. Place torn lettuce layer in the bottom of a glass dish. Layer the remaining vegetables to your desire, alternating colors.
2. Mix mayo, sour cream, and sugar. Spread dressing over the top of vegetables completely to the edge of bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and vegetarian bacon.
3. Cover salad. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Serve. Enjoy.

arancini (rice balls)

Arancini (Rice Balls)

Recipe:

2 c. of cooked, room temperature brown rice

2-4 oz. cheese (2 slices of Havarti Cheese)

½ c Quorn grounds

½ c salsa or crushed tomatoes

½ c green peas

Garlic powder, salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, parsley

1 egg yolk

2 T butter

1 T oil

Oil for frying

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Coating:

1/3 c oat flour

½ c ground whole wheat cracker crumbs

1 egg white

1 T water

Heat grounds with salsa, oil, and seasoning. Stir in peas and reduce heat.

Mix cheese with rice over low heat with butter. Season the rice to taste. Allow to cool. Stir in yolk.

Mix egg white and water.

Using a half cup measurement, scoop full of cheese rice mixture. Form a bowl and spoon in 2 teaspoons of filling. Close up the rice mixture into a ball. Roll in flour, then in egg white mixture, and lastly coat in cracker crumbs.

Place on waxed paper on a plate and repeat until all rice is gone. Set plate of rice balls in refrigerator and allow them to firm.

*Served with sauteed green beans (or salad) and fried mozzarella cheese sticks with sauce.

These stuffed treats are traditionally filled with meat. I opted for the vegetarian route. They came out wonderfully. I used a pot of oil instead of my deep fryer. I have come to rely very heavily on my deep fryer with measures the heat of the oil. I'd suggest that you heat the oil to near smoke point, then reduce. 

Trial and error is always best.

Do enjoy!