Mac 'n Greens, Fritto Misto with Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce

Dinner 6/09

Mac 'n Greens
(recipe below)

Fritto Misto
(recipe below)

Mac 'n Greens

Smoked Cream Sauce

smoker box
3/4 cup of cashews
1/4 cup of macadamia nuts
water
salt
1 tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 cup of soy/rice/almond milk

To make the smoked cashew/macadamia cream, start by smoking the nuts with alder wood for 20 minutes. Add them to the Vita-mix along with enough water to make a cream sauce. The amount will vary, but you're looking for a smooth, creamy sauce. Now, thin it out by adding 1/2 cup of soy/rice/almond milk and the nutritional yeast and puree together again. The resulting sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon easily. Check for salt and reserve.

(Don't want to do all that? Use 2 cups of soy/rice/almond milk. We won't tell anyone.)

Pasta

16 oz. macaroni

Cook the pasta as directed on the package. We used gobetti tonight, but the traditional macaroni will do. You'll probably have leftover pasta depending on what type you use or just make a couple of extra servings.

Greens

1 tbs. olive oil
1 small bunch of mustard greens, rinsed, stems removed & leaves thinly sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Chiffonade the mustard greens (kale or chard are also good substitutes). In a large saute pan, cook the leaves with the olive oil on med-low heat until wilted, and check for seasoning. Remove from the pan and reserve.

Sauce Base

2 tbs. soy margarine
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups of smoked cashew/macadamia cream sauce
1 tbs. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

In the same pan, melt the soy margarine, add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it bubbles and turns a nice golden color. Add the smoked cashew/macadamia cream (or plain soy/rice/almond milk) slowly, whisking quickly to avoid lumps. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens. Add salt, nutritional yeast and nutmeg and whisk to incorporate.

Cheese

4 oz. Daiya

Add the shredded Daiya, stir until melted, add pasta and reserved greens to combine.

Check for seasoning, and try not to eat all of it directly from the pan.

Place the pasta into a lightly greased (with soy margarine) Au Gratin dish or 6oz. ramekin. Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast on top (to taste) or bread crumbs (or both).

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.



The batter is not a traditional recipe, it's more of a modified tempura recipe with added spices and herbs.

Fritto Misto

1 cup soda water
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon salt

Scapes, tips trimmed, leaving the top 2"
Cauliflower, about half a head, broken into small florets

Canola oil for deep frying

Sift the flour, baking powder and cornstarch into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the soda water, salt, smoked paprika, parsley and rosemary. Allow to rest for a few minutes. Additional soda water may be needed to adjust thickness.


Scapes

In a wok or large pot, heat the oil to 375F, dredge the veggies in the batter and carefully drop in the oil.

Cook until until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes).

The quick spicy tomato dipping sauce combined onions, garlic, red pepper flake, smoked paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes.

Tags: pasta, daiya, cauliflower, scapes, fritto misto, mustard greens, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666