Category Archives: food + drink

penne with sun-dried tomato sauce

4.24.18

a couple months ago, i went vegan.  i wasn’t sure if it was for a few days, weeks or ? but it is my lifestyle now and i absolutely love it!  i won’t go into the hows and whys (unless you really are curious) but i will start sharing my favorite recipes.  at first i was very nervous for this adjustment in shopping and cooking, but thanks to blogs, cookbooks, pinterest, magazines, etc. switching to vegan has been way more doable than i imagined (and its a bonus when the kids enjoy it too).

happy vegan cooking!

this one comes from my current favorite cookbook by chloe coscarelli.

ingredients:

1 lb penne pasta

1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

3 Tbsp olive oil

⅓ cup flour

3 ½ cups almond milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

pinch of crushed pepper

directions:

in a saucepan whisk the oil and flour over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.  add almond milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, basil and red pepper to the pan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  reduce heat to low and add ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes – simmer until the sauce thickens.

while preparing sauce, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  cook noodles according to directions and prior to draining, add remaining ½ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes.  drain.

once sauce has thickened, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  add the sauce to the pasta, toss.  serve with fresh basil and vegan parm.

 

please note: i am constantly researching and reading vegan recipes to try.  in no way am i creating the recipe itself.  i simply am posting dishes that i have tried + enjoyed and think you will too.

 

food + drink

giving thanks.

11.27.14

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we turned sweet potatoes into the most delicious sweet potato casserole for thanksgiving!  (which tasted like a dessert)

happy thanksgiving!

easton mike / food + drink

tangerine mojito

1.8.14

we are experiencing some records lows right now.  so we decided to bring some summer in the house! 

tangerinemojito

what you need:

2 tangerine slices

4 limes slices

1 ½ oz. bacardi rum

1 tsp sugar

8-10 mint leaves

seltzer

what you do:

put tangerine and 3 limes slices in a glass.  add mint and sugar.  muddle together to extract the mint and fruit juices.  add ice to fill glass.  pour in rum and fill with seltzer.  mix well.  garnish with frut!

stay warm!

 xojill

food + drink

beet bruschetta with goat cheese.

12.26.13

 
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it has been awhile since I posted a recipe mainly due to the fact that by the time i make dinner, it is dark and my lighting is horrible for getting images of the food!  so finally I had a chance to cook during the day.  this recipe was one of the many i made for our christmas eve celebration.  so good!!!  
 
what you need:
3 medium sized beets halved 
1 baguette, sliced at a diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices
olive oil for brushing bruschetta
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic
10 basil leaves  
1/8 C finely diced red onion 
4 oz goat cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
 
what you do:
preheat oven to 400F
in a medium put, cover halved beets with water and boil until just tender, about 20-30 minutes. 
slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices at a diagonal. brush both sides with olive oil and place on a sheet pan in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes, or until crisp. set aside.

place cream cheese and goat cheese in a bowl and either warm in a microwave until just soft enough to combine easily with a fork. mix until smooth. set aside.
when beets are fork tender, drain, refill with cold water and slip skins off the cooked beets.  dice into small ⅓ inch cubes and place in medium bowl. 
add finely chopped onion, salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil and balsamic.  stir to combine.
spread a little goat cheese mixture on each bruschetta and top with a tablespoon of beet mixture. garnish with basil.  

enjoy!
xojill

food + drink