Basil Bonanza!

How did I not know how wonderful basil is until recently?

This easy-to-grow, fragrant, delicious herb adds such freshness to food! It is my new cilantro.  Not to say that I am giving up cilantro, just happy to have another delicious alternative.  Fresh basil adds the same kind of fresh-food flair to Italian food, that cilantro adds to Mexican or Indian food.

Roasted Tomato/Basil Pasta Toss

In a baking dish, toss together:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
1/2 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp sea salt

roast at 350 for 45 minutes or so, until veggies are well-cooked.
Toss in 10-15 large basil leaves roughly chopped.
Toss with pasta to serve. Add fresh ground pepper.


Pesto

Another delicious pasta toss, sandwich spread, pizza topping....

mix together in food processor:
1 1/2 cups fresh basil (I have used frozen, and it worked great, too)
1 cup pine nuts (apparently walnuts are good, too)
5 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 c. nutritional yeast

drizzle in:
1/3 cup olive oil

Harvest Time

Fall is a great time to be vegan!  Well, anytime is, I guess, but fall is easy!
Tara and I enjoyed a cooking/baking weekend with some of the fresh veggies from her first garden.

My friend Rachel has been bringing her version of this borscht to work the past few weeks. It is so delicious that since I tasted hers, I have been dying to make it.

Borscht

3 medium beets, peeled and cubed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly chopped
1 can kidney beans with juice
2 bay leaves
10 cups water and 6 cups broth to get 16 cups liquid total
5 Tbsp ketchup
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp chopped dill

saute onions in oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until veggies are tender. 

Delicious with some whole grain toast or garlic bread.

Zucchini Muffins - moist and delicious!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 3/4 t. baking powder
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1/4 cup soy milk (or other milk substitute)
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini

•  makes 16 muffins

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease muffin tins.

2. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon until well mixed. In another mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, soy milk, and vanilla extract for a minute or two. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with half of the grated zucchini. Mix until well combined, then fold in the remaining grated zucchini.

3. Fill muffin tins. Bake for approx. 20 minutes.