Vegan Dracula's Revenge

Delicious roasted garlic and browned vegan sausage mingle in a creamy, cheesy sauce mixed with penne pasta and baked to golden perfect. If you like garlic, cheese, and sausage this dish is going to become a staple!

Every september for years and years my family would make Dracula’s Revenge. It was my little brothers absolute favorite dish and he would always request it for his birthday. How he even found out about this oddly named pasta bake is beyond me. It seems like a weird request from a seven year old but what do I know.

For some reason, the other day, I was really craving it. Of course Dracula’s Revenge is decidedly NOT vegan but it certainly wasn’t hard to veganize this nostalgic dish. It did not disappoint! Have you ever had or heard of it before?

Vegan Dracula’s Revenge

By Kathleen Henry from Produce On Parade

Delicious roasted garlic and browned vegan sausage mingle in a creamy, cheesy sauce mixed with penne pasta and baked to golden perfect. If you like garlic, cheese, and sausage this dish is going to become a staple!

Ingredients

• 1 large garlic head
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ tube (7 oz) Gimme Lean Lightlife Sausage
• 8 oz dry penne pasta
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups plain, unsweetened soymilk
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt, to taste
• ⅛ tsp dried rosemary
• ⅛ tsp dry rubbed sage
• Dash of white pepper
• A few drops of liquid smoke (optional)
• ¼ cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta and preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Remove the excess papery skin from the garlic head but leave the head intact; wrap the entire thing in parchment paper then aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour then remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch. Turn up oven to 400° F.
3. Once cool, separate the cloves and squeeze to extract garlic the pulp. Smash the garlic in a small bowl with the back of a wooden spoon to make a paste; set aside.
4. In a large cast iron skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Break up the sausage into bite size pieces by hand and saute for about 5 minutes until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. When the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to package then drain and set aside.
6. In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about three minutes until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the milk, ensuring no lumps, and cook for about 8 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined; then stir in the pasta and sausage.
7. Spray a small casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray then transfer the pasta into the dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until thoroughly heated. Serve hot and topped with additional cheese if you like.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6

Cashew Cream Tomato Penne Pasta

This is a super quick and easy weeknight dinner that is so healthy and satisfying. It’s creamy and rich thanks to the nutritious cashew sauce yet tart and sweet. Cherry tomatoes burst in the oven alongside roasted garlic and mingle with fresh basil and miso for a sumptuous sauce that smothers hot, penne pasta.

Apparently I'm on a pasta kick?? #sorrynotsorry

This is life with a one year old... as a full-time working mom... who as of a couple of weeks ago was still pumping five times a day. Whew! Dinner must be quick and it must be easy. Quick enough that I'm not on my poor, tired feet for too long and easy enough to give that stay-at-home poppa a much needed break, while I can still keep my eye on said one year old. For some reason pasta seems to be just the ticket. Dinner has to be delicious and it better be filling: this family needs their energy.

Speaking of energy, Oliver's got a ton of it. We're loving getting outside every weekend for nordic skiing (praise be to the snow gods), where we pull the little one in the Chariot behind us. I'm thrilled that it's now light until about eight o'clock and we can get out after work for a family hike on the trails through the woods behind our house or go sledding down our ungodly long driveway (I knew it would show it's virtues eventually). 

How are you spending our weekends? Do you have tips for outdoorsing with littles? 

Cashew Cream Tomato Penne Pasta

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

This is a super quick and easy weeknight dinner that is so healthy and satisfying. It’s creamy and rich thanks to the nutritious cashew sauce yet tart and sweet. Cherry tomatoes burst in the oven alongside roasted garlic and mingle with fresh basil and miso for a sumptuous sauce that smothers hot, penne pasta.

Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 1 10 oz container of fresh cherry tomatoes, yellow or red (I used yellow)
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 1 lb penne pasta (we use whole wheat)
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 cup raw cashews
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• 2 tbsp miso (we use red)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F and arrange the cherry tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet along with the garlic cloves, still in their skin. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and the garlic is roasted. Once cooled, remove the skin from the garlic.
2. While the cherry roast, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the water, then drain and return to the pot.
3. Add the garlic and tomatoes to a blender along with the remaining ingredients except of course the pasta. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Stir well into drained pasta, adding additional water as needed to thin the sauce to your liking.
4. Serve hot and topped with vegan parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, if you like. If reheating leftovers stir a little water in for a creamier sauce.

Delicata Squash & Chard Penne Pasta

I love delicata squash. It's definitely my favorite of the squashes. I especially love that I'm not about to abscond off to the ER because I chopped off my hand trying to crack the darn thing open. Yep, these little buggers are so soft, the peel is edible! If you've never had delicata squash, now's the time. Particularly if you live in fear of other, more menacing, squashes. Butternut, I'm looking at you.

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the ways things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ”

— Lao Tzu

Don't you adore my tiny purple bell pepper I've been bragging about for weeks. It came in my CSA box and I think it's just the most delightful thing I've ever laid eyes on. If you can't get sheer joy from a tiny purple pepper, where can you get it?

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Delicata Squash & Chard Penne Pasta

by Katie @ Produce On Parade September-29-2014

A perfect early autumn penne pasta with roasted delicata squash, sautéed chard and bell pepper, dressed in a fresh, herbed tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash, washed and chopped
• 1 lb. penne pasta, dry
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch of chard, chopped
• -- Sauce --
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• dash of kosher salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 2 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking spray. Evenly arrange the chopped squash on the sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender.Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package.In a large rimmed frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sauté the 1 garlic clove and bell pepper for a few minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Now, add the chard and sauté for about 5 additional minutes, until wilted.Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for a couple minutes until very smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan to heat over low until ready to use. Drain the pasta and return to pot. Add the sauce, squash, and chard mixture. Stir well to combine and serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 6

Bob is so very handsome, don't you think?

Dutch Word of The Day

Purple --> Paars (pars)

Good Deed of The Day

Do you want to live a longer, less stressful life? Do you know what a key component of that is? It's meditation. For real. Don't take my word for it though. I always thought to meditate properly I'd have to sit cross-legged with a straight-back (this is puzzlingly difficult for me), with wind chimes in the background, incense burning, and chanting involved.

Um, not if you don't want to. I meditate comfortably lying down. Wind chime, incense, and chanting free (usually). People always say they could never meditate because they think to much. I'm here to tell you that my mind is like a browser with 35 tabs open. You don't have to force your mind to be silent. Thoughts come and go. You don't chase them, and you don't push them out. You just let them flow. So, try meditating, and see how you feel. I use the podcast Meditation Oasis and the app Insight Timer for guided meditations. If you want more tips, let me know!