I made Stuffed Shells over the weekend, and I thought today…. let’s see if I can create something smooth for stuffing that’s vegan. I’m calling it Vegan Style Stuffed Shells.
So, you know what’s in your regular stuffed shells right?
NO CHEF!
Really? You’re kidding! Well, it’s ricotta cheese, some shredded cheese (I like white sharp cheddar and a little mozzarella when I’m eating cheese), parsley, salt and peppa and an egg to bind it. Then after I stuff the cooked shell, I drizzle tomato sauce down the middle and top it with thinly cut strips of basil.
SOUNDS YUM CHEF!
Well, yeeaaah. It’s good. But what about people who don’t eat cheese? People who really ‘get’ that our bodies don’t process most cheese?
Gotta do something for those readers and eaters, right?
RIGHT CHEF!
So here we go with a new dish I created today. Everybody into the pool: organic 3 bean salad, garbanzo beans, black beans…. and how about Amy’s spicy vegan chili? You know you can shred up a red pepper and put it in there. And a couple of spoonfuls of tahini (sesame seed paste). That’s another great flavor. Some garlic and lemon. Whiz. Whiz. Stuff it. Then you simply take a mushroom marina and drizzle that down the middle for extra flavor. Add a side salad and you’ve got dinner!
I’m thinking next time I’ll take some panko or bread crumbs to bind the inside better, since there’s no egg….
I was working with Vegan Expert Tracy Childs on stage this summer, and she showed me a vegan parmesan cheese that was pretty good. So that’s a possibility for someone with time on their hands to create! lol It’s actually not that much time. It’s just that after I have been cooking day after day till midnight and beyond, I can’t see myself cooking even one more thing today! lol After all… tomorrow is another day. I’m sure I’ll be back in the kitchen cranking new dishes out! It’s almost like I can’t stop myself. I see something on the computer, or tv and I can’t wait to make it and put my own spin on it!
But let me use this opportunity to tell you I will not ever be looking to compete. Ever. Looking forward to being the judge at the Lima Bean Festival in Encinitas, like I did last year, coming up soon. But not to compete.
How about Meatless Monday? Doesn’t that sound like something healthy and inexpensive to whip up? I’m telling you, you buzz it in the food processor and you’ve got instant filling! And if you’ve got kids you can always substitute refried beans. That’s got an interesting flavor kids like. So why not experiment?
If I’m about anything it’s ‘get yourself into the kitchen and try things out’! So get in there! lol
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian