Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce

Although many enjoy a carnivorous feast, it’s always a nice change of pace to allow yourself to go vegan!

Generally, great substitutes for meat and other animal products include: beans, lentils, and tempeh. Mushrooms, like portobella, are also a great alternative to meat because they actually mimic the texture, and sometimes taste, of meat. Pasta is also great for vegans, but often topped with heavy cream sauces, which is no good for vegans! Check out this simple, delicious vegan tomato cream sauce:

1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped)

1/2 Cup Raw Cashews

1 Tbs Tomato Paste

¼ Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional

1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth. Pour sauce from the blender into a saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add basil and let simmer for 4-5 minutes and enjoy!

What are some of your favorite vegan choices?

Snow Day Recipes

New York City just saw its first big snowstorm of the season, and winter has only just begun! When it’s chilly and blustery outside, the last thing I want to do is brave the outdoors, but I still want to enjoy a nice meal. So I came up with a couple easy recipes to warm up even the coldest of snow days.

For breakfast, frittatas are always a nice option. There are no rules when it comes to making your own. Sautee any veggies of your choice in an oven-safe skillet with some olive oil, whisk in eggs and and cook on the stove for about five minutes, then transfer to a 400 degree oven for about ten more minutes. Frittatas are perfect for snowy days because you can keep it on the counter or in the fridge, and they’re good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Another snow day favorite is Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. It’s a great option because it only takes four ingredients to make a warm, satisfying meal. Boil your spaghetti to al dente, mix in butter, Parmesan cheese, and cracked pepper and voila, you have an Italian original sure to satisfy all tastes.

Hope you enjoy these snowed-in recipes. Remember: stay warm and eat well!

-Chef K

Pesto!

I love a good, old fashioned pesto on my pasta. But sometimes, it’s good to mix it up and have a little fun with the classic sauce. To jazz up any dinner, try drizzling pesto over veggies, poultry, and fish. You could also spread it over some bread and enjoy it as a modified version of bruschetta or as a replacement for mayo on a sandwiches, for a nice healthy substitute.

You can also switch up the recipe altogether. For example, you can substitute the basil for spinach, broccoli rabe, or arugula for a zesty flavor. Another creative substitution is to make pesto with parsley and almonds or walnuts instead of the classic basil and pesto. Serve with some angel hair pasta and you’ll wonder why it took you so long to try! Also, if you have leftover pesto of any kind, mix with some red-wine vinegar and pour over salad mix for a tasty lunch!

-Chef K

Pasta: Sauces and Shapes

With all the different shapes and sizes of pasta, I am often asked how to choose what pasta to pair with a sauce. So, here's a little cheat sheet to help when cooking up your favorite pasta dishes!

Shaped pastas like orecchiette, farfalle, and fusilli are perfect for most sauces. However textured sauces in particular are best with shaped pastas, for example vegetables or meaty sauces. This is because the shapes are able to stick and hold onto chunkier ingredients. We use orecchiette for our lamb ragu sauce, so that each bite is filled with a little bit of that succulent lamb. YUM!

Tube pastas are best served with thick sauces. This could be anything from a simple marinara, to a bolognese meat sauce. The tubes and ridges hold onto the sauce and get enveloped in all the yummy flavors! A rigatoni would be best with a meat sauce, while a penne is ideal for a creamy pink tomato sauce.

When it comes to the flat and long pasta family, they need lots of olive oil love! You'll notice a lot of the thinner versions such as angel hair, spagetti or linguine will be served in lighter tomato or wine sauces. This is because they need the lubrication from the liquid and oil to stay silky smooth. For thicker versions such as fettuccine, or tagliatelle, these can hold up to cream sauces or ragus. 

Hope this quick cheat sheet helps! 

-Chef K