Springtime Pasta Primavera
Pasta ingredients:
2 or 3 Leeks prepped, as seen below
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon vegan butter
One bunch fresh asparagus
8 oz. linguine
1/2 cup shelled edamame - frozen
1 cup petite green peas - frozen
Several handfuls of fresh Parsley, Mint, Chives, or Marjoram, or a combination
Crème Fraiche -
11 oz. tube of Soon tofu (sourced at H-mart) or soft or silken tofu
6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup plant-based milk
Final plating options:
Vegan Parmesan Cheese - 3 ingredients prepped in advance. Pulse all 3 ingredients in a food processor on low until finely mixed. Store in a glass jar and refrigerate up to six months.
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
Lime (spritz) as garnish
Preparation:
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In a food processor blend tofu, 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1/2 cup plant based milk until creamy. Add a bit of water if it appears too thick. Crème can be made in advance and refrigerated up to one week.
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Slice the white and light green portions of leeks into circles and place in a medium bowl of water. Discard dark green tops. Swish leeks with your hand to clean and allow sand to settle for 5 minutes.
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon oil and butter. Lift the leeks from the water bowl with your hands so the sand remains at the bottom of the water bowl. Place cleaned leeks in the skillet with the melted oil and butter. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes, then lower heat and set aside.
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Heat a large stock pot of water and follow pasta cooking instructions.
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Snap off tough asparagus ends and cut into 2 inch pieces.
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Clean and chop fresh herbs.
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Steam asparagus, peas and edamame for 2 minutes or until crisp and tender.
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Toss pasta, vegetables, and crème fraiche in your skillet or a large bowl. Mix in fresh herbs. Squeeze lime juice over pasta. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.
Early Spring Devilish Potatoes
Ingredients:
18 early potatoes the size of eggs, Yukon gold or white
3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, we used “Follow Your Heart Vegenaise”
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
•1 teaspoon kala namak (sea salt from India) or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
Paprika, or smoked paprika, and or dill fronds for garnish
Preparation:
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Boil water in a large stock pot and cook potatoes until soft and tender 25 to 30 minutes. A skewer should slide through flesh without resistance.
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Drain and drop potatoes back into a dry pot on high heat for 30 seconds or until potatoes squeak. A quick technique that will pull water out of spuds. As you slice potatoes in half become aware of the round and flat side to reduce rolling.
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Use a small melon baller or tiny spoon to scoop out a little flesh from each potato and place potato halves on a serving plate. The scooped-out potatoes will be mashed and incorporated into your vegan egg yolk mixture.
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In a medium mixing bowl add scooped potato, mayo, mustard, vinegar, kala namak or sea salt and turmeric. Mix well until creamy.
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This yellow cream filling can be spooned into your potatoes or placed into a pastry bag with a large serrated or star tip. You can also snip the end of a freezer bag and pipe filling on.
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Sprinkle your platter with paprika, fresh dill fronds, or minced chives befoe plating.
• Indian kala namak sea salt has a sulphur essence that mimics the egg-y flavor. Our salt was sourced at the Bombay Bazaar market on Parker Road, Aurora. Also, available on Amazon.
Debbie Devore is the founder of Almost Vegan Cooking School. Her internet cooking course "Almost Vegan" has introduced thousands of students to her home style of cooking plant-based meals. The school is a non-profit charity located in Centennial. The school is dedicated to healing ourselves, each other and the world, one recipe at a time. AlmostVeganCookingSchool.com
