Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

One-pot Cheesy Farfalle (Bowtie Pasta) with Asparagus, Zucchini & Soy Curls, recipe below

I must apologize for not posting much lately.  I seem to be suffering from bouts of IFS.  I was just thinking of it as "Internet fatigue", but, apparently, it has a name already-- Information Fatigue Syndrome.  So, I've been curtailing some of my Internet activities and reading actual books.

But I have not been totally inactive.  Actually, my husband and I have been (and still are) on a mission-- to use less energy in our home.  And, in two weeks, we have lowered our energy consumption by 40%!  (This is according to our BC Hydro website, our provincial electrical company, where we can see our monthly, weekly and daily electrical consumption.)


I've also been experimenting with some different cooking methods, especially to avoid boiling pots of water.  For instance, when we felt like having mashed carrots and potatoes (a favorite of DH) I cut the potatoes in chunks and the carrots in smaller pieces and pressure-cooked them together, using only 1/2 cup water, in 8 minutes.  Perfect!

These days, our preferred method of cooking pasta is this:  Bring a pot of water to a boil-- but not as much water as you might be used to. I use about 2 qts. for up to a pound of pasta, and I bring the water to a boil in an electric kettle, then pour it into the pot before turning on the heat. When it comes back to a boil, add your pasta, bring back to a boil, stirring a bit, turn the heat off, cover and let stand for 8-10 minutes or so. (Spaghettini will take 8 minutes, other pasta, such as rotini or other shapes will take 10.) Drain and serve as usual.  Trust me-- this works beautifully!  The pasta is tender but al dente and there is no stickiness.

Gemelli pasta cooked by the no-boil method in the paragraph above.

This method can be used for cooking other foods and it is also known as "passive boiling".  It is mentioned in two books that I recommend (actually the ONLY books on reducing energy-use in the kitchen that I could find): "Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen" by Kate Heyhoe (she calls it "reducing your cookprint"-- clever), and "The Green Kitchen" by Richard Ehrlich, a British journalist. See if your library has them, if you prefer not to buy them-- they are full of good ideas.

NOTE: Apologies for my lack of posting and this short post!  I'm trying to get ready for Easter company and I have a knee that's acting up, so I'm not getting as much done as I would like.  I'll post a proper post very soon!
HAPPY EASTER AND HAPPY PASSOVER/PESACH!

Above is a photo of our dinner the other night-- Farinata (Italian chickpea flour "pancake") with a topping of lightly sautéed veggies and a bit of vegan cheese, accompanied by roasted cauliflower. This is one of my favorite dishes. The recipe for the basic Farinata (and some history, too) is at this post on my blog (and it's in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen"). It is far more delicious than the simple ingredients might suggest. The modern way to eat this very old peasant dish is to use toppings on the already-baked farinata, a bit like pizza (it doesn't taste like pizza, though). Personally, I like vegetable toppings, cooked ones in colder weather, raw or cooked ones at room temperature in warmer weather. You can let your imagination run wild, but I think less is more in terms of number of ingredients.

The topping in the photo (added AFTER the 10 minute baking and then pop it under the broiler or into a very hot oven to melt the cheese) was a combination of thinly-sliced onion, chopped brocolette, thinly sliced baby zucchini, and some organic oven-dried Roma tomatoes from a jar (they are from Costco, Kirkland brand, and contain herbs and oil-- I rinse much of the oil off them in a strainer before using), along with some basil and about 4 cloves of garlic, slivered. I added a bit of vegan  parmesan and sprinkled a handful of Daiya mozza shreds on top (but you could use whatever type you prefer). 

Honestly, it's such an easy, inexpensive meal and so very nutritious and delicious! DH is crazy about this!
PS: I usually make this in a 14" round pizza pan, but I this time made it in my little Cuisinart countertop oven (energy-saving!), so I used the 12" square pan that comes with the oven, lined with parchment.

Do give this a try!


Enjoy!

This recipe is an old one in our house-- I developed it for my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook", published back in 2002.  Nothing fancy, but nutritious and delicious. My granddaughter has been enjoying them today, too.  No need for butter on these-- just a little of your favorite jam!


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