White Bean Pasta with Garlicky White Wine Sauce

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 4):

• 2 cups brown rice pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• 1/2 red onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup green kale
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 16oz. cans white beans
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs Italian seasoning
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1 tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Begin Bringing a large oiled skillet to medium heat, using the olive oil.
2. Begin Bringing a medium pot of water to a boil, using 1tsp of salt.
3. Meanwhile, chop the onion and dice the garlic
4. Put the onion and garlic in the skillet until golden and tender.
5. While the onion and garlic are cooking, add your pasta to the water, and let boil until al dente, then drain.
6. Once the onion and garlic  have become golden, add the white beans, salt, nutritional yeast and italian seasoning to the skillet.
7. Pour the white wine into the hot skillet and let it reduce over medium heat for about 5 – 8 minutes.
8. Once the pasta is tender, drain and add to the skillet, gently stirring the ingredients together.
9. Dice the kale, and add to the mixture.
10. Serve hot, add salt & pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Pockets with Smoky Seitan, Mushroom Mousse, & Braised Apple

I tested this recipe out for thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! It’s savory, handsome, and sophisticated. It will please vegans and non-vegans alike! Try it out at your Chrismahanukwanzarammada table!

Make these now! ©TheDiscerningBrute.com

Continue reading below for the recipe!

Savory Summer

I am in heaven. The farmers’ markets in New York are starting to offer some of the northeast’s most amazing harvests. I picked up some local, naturally grown strawberries. I had no idea that ‘organic’ labeling was so prohibitive and damaging to small farmers (even if their products are considered ‘organic’). I spoke with some of the farmers whose produce I purchased and was appalled (but not surprised) to find out why USDA hates small farmers. Click here!

VEGAN CHEESE PLATE

Below, I made lunch for a few friends. The starter was a Cheese Plate featuring Dr. Cows raw, vegan, crystal manna blue cheese, toasted local sourdough bread, local strawberries, walnuts, and a Sweet & Sarah vegan coconut-crusted marshmallow. I drizzled some ‘Just Like Honey‘ which is an indistinguishable alternative to real bee vomit! Cheese plates are finally doable with Dr.Cow – for your own spin on this, try doing cheese & chocolate, cheese & veggies, or cheese & fruit! There usually is no way to go wrong with good cheese.

CHIVE BLOSSOM SALAD

I had no idea that a) chives even blossomed or b) you can eat the flowers that c) taste like spicy chives! Yum! Not only is this salad visually delicious, but the hearty mixed greens, NYS apples, powerful sliced radishes and hearty radish greens made an amazingly filling and tongue-invigorating dish. As for dressing, I made a simply apple-cider vinegar with coconut oil and black sesame dressing.

PICKLED RADISH & STEAMED VITAMIN GREENS

In this dish, I sliced some local radish and put them in my pickle jar along side Rick’s Picks ‘bee ‘n’ bees‘ pickles overnight. I steamed some local ‘vitamin greens’ and kale, drizzled a touch of sesame oil on top, and was good to go. Lesson here? Never throw out old pickle juice!

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Watch Ellen today. Yesterday she confronted John MCcain(who couldn’t even make eye-contact with her)and rumor has it she may reveal something quite excting (watch out Oprah…)! Special guest and friend of DB, Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch, Skinny Bitch in the Kitch) will be her guest.

2. For those that missed it, Oprah is vegan (for at least 3 weeks). All I have to say is wow…

3. Sign this petition to help call for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, and help end whaling!

3. Don’t Teese Yourself! Ok, fine – Teese yourself. It melts!

4. DB reader, MOR is a former employee of Whole Foods. He calls attention to Wholefoods’ not-so-socially-progressive policies. Read Wholefoods Breaks Their Promise.

.

5. Fujimori is being tried for Human Rights Violations in Peru. He is the first head of state to be extradited to his home country to stand trial for human rights violations. Praxis Institute for Social Justice invites you to visit their bilingual liveblog and follow current developments in the ongoing human rights trial of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.

“Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori served from 1990-2000 and is suspected of committing innumerable human rights violations during his decade in office. These allegations have been documented by the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in its Final Report, published in 2003, and the trial against the former president marks the fulfillment of one of the TRC’s most important recommendations for preventing future human rights violations by the state.”

For more info:

• BBC News Profile: Alberto Fujimori
• Articles from the New York Times
• Biographical information from Association Pro Human Rights (APRODEH)

6. Non-leather belts can be more than a hemp braid – thank god.

.

.

.

7. On Tuesday, the USDA made it official, implementing a no-downer policy for cattle in the United States. Read the article HERE. ‘Downers’ are animals too sick or injured to walk or stand, and are typically left to suffer – as veterinary care and euthanasia cost more than most farmers will make on the body of the animal – making it economically undesirable, and ethically disgusting.

7. Cruelty-free, vegan colognes (thanks Peta2):

Abercrombie & Fitch and Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch
Mesmerize Cologne Spray by Avon
California North for Men and O2XYGEN for Men by California North
Number Six by Caswell-Massey
Eau Dynamisante and Eau Tranquility by Clarins
Chemistry by Clinique
360° for Men and Perry Ellis m by Perry Ellis
Tommy for Men by Tommy Hilfiger
Aramis and Lauder Intuition for Men Cologne Spray by Estée Lauder
OP Juice by OP
REGENCY™Cologne by Merle Norman

8. RECIPE!

Joshua’s Vegan Baked Mac & Jeeeeze Casserole

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Block Silken Tofu
• 1 Block “Follow your Heart” Cheddar style vegan cheese (or Teese!)
• 2 Tbs “Earth Balance” or other vegan margerine
• 3 Tbs Nutritional yeast (more to taste if desired)
• 1 Tbs sugar or other sweetner
• 1 Tbs salt
• 1/4 cup vegan milk (soy, almond, rice, etc make sure it’s plain and not “vanilla” falvored)
• 1/2 cup Bread crumbs (make your own by putting crisp toast in a blender)
• 1 – 2 cups of elbow pasta

Directions:
Boil pasta. Combine all ingredients aside from bread crumbs and pasta in a blender or food processor. Mix the “cheese sauce” with the boiled pasta. place in casserole dish, and top with breadcrumbs. Bake on 350 for 15 – 20 minutes.

Tip - for a cheesier dish, shred additional vegan cheese over the bread crumbs before baking.

Dude Food: Cornmeal-Crusted, Drunk-Seitan w/ Dijon Tartar Sauce & Cauliflower Mash

Last night, my roommate Jodi and I made this recipe to add to our catering company, Savory & Seed‘s arsenal – it’s crispy, filling, and tender – satisfying enough for the skeptical meat-eater and delicious enough for people to ask how the heck you made that seitan so juicy and flavorful. So the next time you are having a few people over for grub – this recipe can be whipped up in under 30 minutes.

(serves 4)

You will need :

Seitan:
1 cup vital wheat glutan
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup matzoh meal or bread crumbs
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup beer (lager)
2 tbsp tahini or cashew butter
2 cubes (or 2 Tablespoons) vegan bullion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Soy or Tamari
1 tsp seat salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
canola oil

Tarter Sauce:
1/4 cup vegan mayonaise
1/4 cup sweet relish
2 tbsp dijon mustard
cayanne pepper

Cauliflower Mash:
1/2 head cauliflower
2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (rice, soy or almond)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp allspice

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl combine the wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast, bread crumbs, salt, and dry spices. Mix until uniformly combined.
• Add (but do not mix) the oil, tahini, soy, vinegar and bullion (dissolve bullion in 2 tbsp hot water if necessary)
• Add Beer
• VERY GENTLY fold the batter only a few times (this ensures the seitan will not become rubbery) then using your hands – form into a long, flat dough.
• If the dough is too wet (falling apart in your hands) add more gluten flour until it holds together.
• In a large pot of boiling water, boil dough for 15 minutes, flipping once. It will grow in size.
• In a separate shallow bowl, place cornmeal with salt and pepper
• remove seitan from boiling water, let cool for a few minutes
• cut seitan into 4 pieces, then press each side in cornmeal
• pan-fry on medium-high heat in 1/4 inch of canola oil until crisp and golden on each side

Tartar sauce

• combine vegan mayo (Veganaise, Nasoya) with sweet relish and mustard.
• add cayanne to taste

Cauliflower Mash

• Steam cauliflower 15 minutes until tender
• in a small pan, sautee garlic in Earth Balance until golden
• in a bowl, mash cauliflower with fork or mixers, adding all other ingredients

Serve on a large steamed leaf like swiss chard or collard. Try this dish with a spicy Malbec red wine from Argentina.

DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: When hosting a dinner, make sure your guests feel comfortable by cleaning up and setting the table ahead of time. Unless it’s a movie party, turn the TV off. Soft music is always welcome, but make sure to ask your guests if they mind – and lastly, don’t talk about yourself the whole time!