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

Here's a quick, tasty family meal for a quick blog post!  I love the idea of one-pot pasta dishes (see here) and when I heard about Pastalaya, a modern Cajun/New Orleans dish similar to the rice-based Jambalaya, but using pasta instead, I was intrigued and had it on my list to "veganize".  It's spicy and super-flavorful (even better the next day!) and can be a full meal.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S ONE-POT PASTALAYA
Serves 4
Some recipes I've seen use rotini pasta in this type of dish.  I used some organic Garofalo brand "casarecce" pasta that I had in the house, but it took longer than it should have to cook, so, the next time I make it I'll use linguine, tagliatelle or fettucine, broken in half. 

2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 Field Roast Chipotle vegan sausage, thinly sliced (or use vegan chorizo, or a vegan Italian sausage and add some Cajun seasoning) 
2 cups reconstituted SoyCurls or other vegan chicken sub, or chopped vegan cutlets
6 medium mushrooms, quartered (Oyster mushrooms would be nice, but I just used white mushrooms)
Variation: If you have access to some vegan "shrimp" or "prawns", by all means add them, too!
1 green pepper (1/2 of it chopped, 1/2 of it sliced)
1 red pepper (1/2 of it chopped, 1/2 of it sliced)
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot variety, if you like it spicy)
1/2 tsp. EACH dried thyme leaves, oregano and basil
2 cups vegan broth
1 cup water
1 cup chopped, drained canned tomatoes
12 ounces dried pasta (I would use linguine, tagliatelle or fettucine, broken in half)
salt
4 large green onions, chopped (for topping each portion)





In a large heavy skillet or stirfry pan (flat-bottomed wok), heat the sesame oil over high heat.  Add the vegan sausage and chicken sub and stir over high heat until they are lightly-browned.  Remove them to a cooking pot and return the pan to the heat, spraying with a bit of oil.

Add the mushrooms and the SLICED red and green pepper to the pan and sauté over high heat, adding a squirt of water now and them to keep it moving.  When the vegetables begin to wilt a bit, remove them to the cooking pot.



Add the chopped onions, celery, peppers and garlic to the skillet or stirfry pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat, adding a squirt of water at intervals to keep them from sticking, until they are softened and  starting to brown.  If they seem to be taking too long, you can cover the pan and steam them a bit.


Add them to the cooking pot, along with the paprika, thyme, oregano and basil and toss everything together.


Stir in the broth, water, tomatoes and dry pasta.

Before the Pasta is cooked

Bring to a boil, turn to just low enough to keep it at a low boil, cover tightly and cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.  If the dish is too liquidy, uncover at the end and cook it down until it is "sauce-y". Taste for salt.

After the pasta is cooked

                       
Enjoy!

Vegan Scaloppine al Limone ( made with "Breast of Tofu") with Chanterelle Mushrooms on a bed of orzo pasta, with roasted asparagus Scaloppine is the term used for very thin Italian-style cutlets (or "scallops" or "medallions"), quickly prepared with a savory sauce.  My vegan version of this Italian favorite is made with thin seitan cutlets, commercial vegan cutlets, or my Breast of Tofu Crispy Slices, which I usually have marinating in my refrgerator for quick meals.       Scaloppine are sauced in a number of ways, and no doubt you will make up a few of your own once you get the hang of it.  (This is one of the most successful vegetarian dishes to serve to omnivores, by the way.) You are limited only by your taste, your pantry and your imagination. This type of dish is actually one of my favorite "go-to" dishes for occasions when I have to make a really quick meal (start-to-finish in 20 minutes or less).  My husband likes orzo, so I usually put some on to cook first. (I cook it like rice-- 1 cup orzo to 2 cups salted water or broth; add herbs if you like.)  It takes about 20 minutes to cook.  Crusty bread is a ready-made and traditional accompaniment, too.  Add a salad or some quick-cooked greens. Quick as it is, it's good enough for company-- really! The Method: I brown and crisp the "B of T"(Breast of Tofu) or the cutlets and set them aside, and then make a quick sauce with some wine (sherry, vermouth, Marsala, port, white or red wine) and broth and whatever interesting ingredients I have around. That could include bell peppers, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, fresh or canned tomatoes, onions, leeks, a variety of herbs, both dried and fresh, miso (my vegan equivalent of anchovies or anchovy paste, which is often used as an umami flavoring agent in Italian cooking), a tiny bit of chopped vegan "bacon" or "ham", unsweetened vegan creamer, ... even fruits like sliced apples or pears.   In this recipe, lemon is the primary flavoring and chanterelle mushrooms (which we can pick on our local walks at this time of the year) take the starring roll in this version of the dish.  Whatever you use in your recipe, follow the same method of cooking as in this recipe and it's hard to go wrong!     Printable Recipe BRYANNA'S VEGAN SCALOPPINE AL LIMONE  (WITH CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS)  Serves 4 This is adapted from a recipe in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen".  If you prefer, use 4  commercial or homemade vegan cutlets, floured or breaded and crisped  in a little olive oil, instead of the tofu. 1/2 recipe Breast of Tofu, Crispy Slices, made ahead and set aside (or alternate, see above) 1-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 T. minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried) 2 cups sliced chanterelle mushrooms (or use any type of mushroom  you have available) 1/2 c. dry white wine (can be dealcoholized) or dry white vermouth 1 c. vegetarian broth (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken) grated zest of 1 lemon (preferably organic) 1-2 T. fresh lemon juice freshly ground pepper In a heavy non-stick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rosemary and stir-fry for a minute.  Raise the heat to High and add the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms exude their liquid and then evaporate most of the liquid. Add the wine and reduce the liquid by half. Add the pre-cooked crispy slices of Breast of Tofu (or alternate) to the pan. Add the broth and lemon zest.  Bubble the sauce over high heat until a nice sauce forms.  Add the lemon juice and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately. In Italy you would probably eat this type of dish with crusty bread, but North Americans might prefer plain rice, orzo or egg-free pasta. Enjoy!