Vegan Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

This is an easy and simple vegan spinach fettuccine alfredo made with a deliciously creamy cashew sauce. It’s a healthy and light alternative to it’s very rich counterparts made with cheese and heavy cream, but is still just as tasty!

Todd and I have been on a super frugal grocery budget challenge this month. Like… under $150! I had no idea how it would go but we are 19 days into a total of 30 so far for September and we are looking good. We’ve spent $95 out of the $150 I budgeted for us.

I see two potential obstacles to our challenge however. The first is that we of course live in Alaska where food is priced a lot higher than most other places in the states. We are almost on par with Hawaii (though they get all that wonderful fresh fruit which is not the case up here). If you’ve ever bought groceries there; you may have had sticker shock! The second is that Oliver drinks his weight in soy milk. And we can’t buy off-brand soy milks because they all have sugar added. Silk is the only brand I have found that offers an unsweetened version and it comes at a premium for the brand-name. We are trying to get him to drink less milk and eat more. It’s going… so so.

I think the problem is that he has inherited my gene for being constantly thirsty and Todd’s gene for not caring about food whatsoever and also somehow being a picky eater. The middle bit of that ven diagram of those two proclivities is, yep, milk. So, our soy milk budget is kind of eating up the vast majority of our grocery budget. Alas, I’ve been finding ways to make it work.

This is a somewhat wallet-friendly vegan dish. Cashews are pricey but we still try to get a variety of nuts in our diet and I use less than 1/2 cup in this recipe; that’s less than one serving of nuts per serving of this meal. Everything else is dirt cheap. We buy whole-grain pasta which normally costs slightly more than regular white pasta but we get the store brand so it ends up being about the same: $1.20 per box. If you so choose you can use olive oil (or no fat at all) to replace the butter, and bottled lemon juice is always less expensive than fresh lemons. There are lots of ways to save and we are challenging ourselves to rediscover them all!

What are your frugal food tips? Would you like to see more budget friendly recipes and be updated on how we do with our $150 per month grocery budget? What are your favorite cheap meals?

Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

Vegan Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This is an easy and simple vegan spinach fettuccine alfredo made with a deliciously creamy cashew sauce. It’s a healthy and light alternative to it’s very rich counterparts made with cheese and heavy cream, but is still just as tasty! Adapted from The Vegan 8.

Ingredients

• 8 oz dry fettuccine
• ½ tbsp vegan butter
• ½ large white onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, divided
• Scant ½ cup raw cashews
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• Dash of ground white pepper (black pepper will do)
• Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain pasta and return it to the pot; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and stir in the onion. Add 1 cup of the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion powder. Reduce over medium-high to high heat until all the broth has dissipated, about 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
3. To a blender add the remaining ¼ cup broth through the nutmeg. Add the onion mixture when done cooking and blend on high for about 1-2 minutes until very smooth and creamy.
4. Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the spinach and pasta water and stir until well combined. It will look like a lot of sauce, but let the pasta rest for a couple minutes; this will allow the noodles to soak up the sauce. Serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:15
Total time: 00:20
Yield: 3 servings

Save Money!

I’ve been using this vegetable broth and I really like it. I get it here. It’s way more economical than buying fresh broth and it also has less impact on the environment.

I pay $0.57 per one cup of broth that I usually buy from our local grocery store, Fred Meyer but one cup of this broth equals only $0.10!

More Creamy Pasta Recipes

Creamy Lemon Cashew Pasta with Kale

Creamy Fettuccine Miso Alfredo

Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Avocado-Cilantro Cream Angel Hair

Ranch Pitas w/ Roasted Potatoes & Chickpeas

This is a super easy and perfect way to use up those russet potatoes you found in the back of the cupboard that might have started sprouting (guilty!) The roasted chickpeas add a wonderful little crunch, and the homemade ranch dressing lends a nostalgic creaminess, all cozied up in a soft, warm pita! 

Thank you all for your support on my cookbook announcement and for the birthday wishes. You're all so incredibly sweet and kind. It's been a crazy few months over here, but in a good way. Todd and I just found out that we will be able to secure the builder we wanted for our house as well!  Hopefully, we'll be excavating in just a few weeks. Hurray! Are there any things you wish you had known when you built, bought, or renovated your home?

Between the house, the book, and a full-time job...whew doggy...some things can fall to wayside. Namely hair-brushing, using makeup, and my running regime. Do I look like a scraggly, homeless chef most days? Maybe. Some things though have been on the upswing though! Mostly my chocolate consumption...

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.”

— Mary Kay Ash

Potatoes hiding in the back of the cupboard that were about to start sprouting. Fresh spinach from my CSA box. Chickpeas taking up residence in the fridge after I used the liquid from the can (to make vegan meringue). That's basically how I came up with these drop dead delicious pitas. I was thinking of what could tie it all together and a homemade ranch was just the ticket! Just look how scrumptious! Comfort food! 

Ranch Pitas w/ Roasted Potatoes & Chickpeas

Recipe by Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

This is a super easy and perfect way to use up those russet potatoes you found in the back of the cupboard that might have started sprouting (guilty!) The roasted chickpeas add a wonderful little crunch, and the homemade ranch dressing lends a nostalgic creaminess, all cozied up in a soft, warm pita!

Yield: 4 pitas

Ingredients

• 3 medium russet potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (save the liquid for vegan meringue!)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh celery leaves, chopped
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• ½ tsp mustard (I use stoneground)
• ¼ tsp dried dill
• ¼ tsp dried tarragon
• 4-5 cups fresh baby spinach
• 4 soft pitas
• ¼ cup sprouts or microgreens, optional

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with parchment paper.
2. Dry off the potatoes and chickpeas and place in a medium bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat and transfer to the baking sheet, roast for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden-brown. Flip the taters halfway through and give the chickpeas a shake.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo through and including the tarragon to make the ranch dressing. Place the spinach in a medium bowl and stir in the dressing.
4. To serve, warm the pitas for about 20 seconds in the microwave. Divide the spinach evenly between the four pitas and top with a few wedges of potato, chickpeas, and sprouts each. Serve warm. There might be a few remaining potato wedges leftover, which are great with a bit of ketchup!

Dutch Word of The Day

Potato --> aardappel (ard-apple)

Information of The Day

"Back in April 2012, the Food and Drug Administration launched an effort to address a problem that had been festering for decades: the meat industry's habit of feeding livestock daily low dose of antibiotics, which keeps animals alive under stressful conditions and may help them grow faster, but also generates bacterial pathogens that can shake off antibiotics, and make people sick." (Mother Jones) Between 2009 and 2013, use of medically important drugs used in livestock grew 20%.

CDC

From The Viet Vegan - Grilled Tofu Soba Noodle Bowl with Greens

Greetings from Ohio! Yep, I'm a stateside little elf during this holiday season and having such a blast. Due to said fun, I'm pretty busy and I thought I'd invite over a dear friend of mine to keep you little snowflakes entertained. 

Lisa, from the Viet Vegan is such a treat. She's incredibly talented, with stunning photos and deliciously Asian-inspired vegan recipes. Her writing will keep you giggling all day until your co-workers give you the dreaded stink eye. So, I'll quit hogging my bloggin' BFF. Everyone, meet Lisa!

Hello Produce on Paraders! Paraders? Readers. Let’s go with readers.

Hello Katie’s lovely readers! My name is Lisa and I’m the over-sharing, feminist nerd behind The Viet Vegan (formerly known as Je suis alimentageuse). I’ve been an admirer of Katie’s food blog for a while now, her photography is awesome, her recipes look absolutely delicious, and she makes living vegan look so easy. I even bought Bogs ever since she did her winter gear post because they’re warm, not too shabby-looking, and vegan-friendly. Oh and since they’re made with stretchy material, they fit my calves! (which is a rare and momentous occasion).

I’ve got a soba noodle bowl for you today. It’s quick and easy, and only needs a minimal amount of prep the night before. I find noodle bowls so easy and comforting. They remind me of my childhood bi-monthly trips to Toronto’s Chinatown with my parents since we lived in a small town that mainly was all about meat and potatoes. After two hours of driving through sleet and snow (because Canada) and before we’d do groceries, we’d go for a big bowl of phỏ.

It was oddly comforting to be around the hustle and bustle of people who looked like me, slurping soup with chopsticks and Asian soup spoons. My hometown was super WASP-y and there were only two other Vietnamese families, and we all went to different schools. We all knew what hoisin sauce was, sriracha, and rice noodles and those fresh spring roll wraps that nobody had ever seen before. We’d come home with a big haul of things we couldn’t buy at home: banh mi sandwiches, bean sprouts, tamarind paste, and tofu.  

Glorious, glorious tofu.

Tofu has a bad reputation. People think it’s a tasteless block of whiteness. But only if you let it be that way! Tofu is like a big sponge, so in order for it to be able to soak up all the delicious marinade, it needs to be squeezed as dry as possible so that there’s room for marinade. If I knew more about physics, I’d say it has something to do with a saturation point. But I don’t know much about physics. So press your tofu so it can soak up as much flavour as possible.

Then you can eat it as it is, pan-fry, stir-fry, add to soup, sandwiches, but I love to grill it.

With a little sugar in the marinade, tofu gets a caramelized coating with beautiful charred marks that remind my taste buds that summer is coming closer day by day, even if dreary winter season is here. Adding frozen peas and fresh spinach adds a pop of colour to the soba noodle bowl, but you can always add in your favourite veggies. Red cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber… Add whatever you want.

Just don’t forget the tofu.

Grilled Tofu Soba Noodle Bowl with Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Marinated Tofu

• 1 block extra firm tofu (I used Organic Soyarie 350 g)
• ½ cup tamari
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ·1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

For the Dressing:

• 1 ½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
•  1 tbsp tamari

For the Bowl: 

•  4 servings of buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 cup frozen peas or edamame
• 3 cups fresh spinach, packed
•  sesame seeds to garnish

Directions:

To prepare the tofu the day before:

1.      Wrap the tofu in a clean and dry tea towel, paper towel, or dishcloth. Press between two flat surfaces (say two cutting boards) and place a heavy object on top, such as a couple cans of beans. Allow the tofu to be pressed for at least half an hour to get as much liquid out as possible.

2.      Prepare the marinade in a container that’s at least 2 inches deep.

3.      Cut the tofu into triangles (first in half, then cut those two halves diagonally to get the triangle shape. Slice each triangle until about 1/3 inch thick. Layer the tofu into the marinade and chill overnight for at least 8 hours.

To prepare the bowl:

4.      Combine all ingredients for dressing and whisk well. Set aside.

5.      Preheat a grill pan (or BBQ). Add adequate oil to the grill. Place marinated tofu on the grill. Flip once char marks appear. Continue cooking until both sides are well done. Remove from grill.

6.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add soba noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes, until almost cooked.

7.      Add frozen peas and cook until bright green. Quickly add the spinach, stir, and turn off the heat. Wait about 30 seconds until the spinach turns bright green and drain. Run cold water to shock and halt the cooking process so the greens stay bright.

8.       Divide soba and greens between four bowls and add the dressing on top.

9.      Sprinkle sesame seeds to garnish.

10.  Enjoy!

Lisa Le is the blogger behind The Viet Vegan. She’s a self-proclaimed feminist, vegan, and nerd who loves Star Trek and food in bowls. To see more of her recipes and reading about her life, visit her at The Viet Vegan. 

Thank you, Lisa, for visiting and for such a fantastic recipe. Long live the tofu soba noodle bowl!