Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese

Little bites I adore, and that is especially true when I can transform local asparagus into something special. Although I can enjoy this treasured vegetable with little adornment, such as with butter and some salt and pepper, as it shines just as is, asparagus can dress up any dish with some imagination. Pair it with mushrooms and some fine goat cheese and Fontina and you have a plate that is heavenly. An ideal appetizer or a light meal served up with a simple yogurt lemon sauce and some leafy greens, this has to be one of my favorite early summer meals. Oh, and there was some jalapeño soup served up for dinner too and a fine olive loaf. This was one menu that took sometime to plan and cook, and was of course devoured in less than 20 minutes, but worth every bite.

Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Mexican Published on June 12, 2014 Golden brown tortillas stuffed with crunchy roasted asparagus and a zesty mixture of mushrooms, melted cheese and sun-dried tomatoes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 12 asparagus spears, ends trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced 1 teaspoon chipotle powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon paprika 8 oz (250 g) button mushrooms, rinsed and sliced sea salt to taste fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, trimmed and chopped 5 oz (140 g) soft goat cheese at room temperature, crumbled 1 cup Fontina cheese, grated 8 6- or 7-inch soft tortillas Instructions: Soak the dried mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes separately in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain, chop finely, and set aside. Coat the asparagus in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and transfer to a roasting pan lined with foil. Roast in a 400° oven until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1 inch pieces. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion or shallot to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Now add the spices to the pan, stir for another minute, and then increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms, stirring well to coat. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to brown and most of their liquid has evaporated. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another few minutes. Stir in the parsley or cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes and then stir in about 1/3 of the cheeses. To assemble the quesadillas, sprinkle the remaining Fontina evenly over 4 tortillas. Spread the asparagus and mushroom mixture evenly overtop and then dot with the remaining goat cheese. Top each one with the remaining tortillas and press down firmly. To finish, brush a non-stick skillet with a little oil and heat over medium heat. When hot, gently transfer one of the quesadillas to the pan and cook until the cheese has melted and the tortillas turn a nice golden brown — about 3 minutes per side. The quesadillas can be kept warm in a 150° oven between foil while the others are cooking. Cut into 6 wedges each and serve along with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa. Makes 4 quesadillas Serves 4 as part of a light meal or 6 to 8 as appetizer servings.

Other recipes with asparagus to have a look at:
Asparagus With Shredded Paneer and Tomato
Wild Rice and Asparagus Salad
Fried Halloumi Saganaki and Asparagus
Asparagus Pesto Lasagna with Mushrooms

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Pizza Pie + Balsamic Tomato Sauce + Roasted Vegetables

It's been awhile since I've indulged in pizza. I was so inspired by this post from the Minimalist Baker and decided it was time to add another pizza recipe to the list. Not only does Minimalist Baker have nice simple recipes, a lot of them are vegan too, but the photography is superb! Take a look and find some inspiration for yourself through both the recipes and photography. Of course for this recipe we aren't using cheese, only almond parmesan which is fantastic served on top of your slice of pizza pie. We are dousing this pizza with a nice balsamic tomato sauce and lots of beautiful veggies making this a colorful pizza with lot's of wonderful flavor. I just thought it was so cool to cook your pizza in a skillet but feel free to use your normal method such as a pizza stone, which I also love, or other baking dish that your accustomed too (just adjust directions to your baking vessel).

We'll be broiling our veggies in the stove under the flame, or roasting as some countries call it. One side of the baking sheet is for the toppings. I used zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, asparagus and red onion for this pizza. Feel free to add/subtract other veggies to suit your taste. I imagine mushrooms would be divine too! The other side is for the whole grape tomatoes we will be using for our tomato sauce. Also, if you would like to add some broiled onion to your sauce be sure to add a few pieces along with your grape tomatoes.

Once veggies are ready after 5 to 6 minutes under the broiler...your ready to carefully transfer your tomatoes to the food processor to make the tomato sauce. 

Your sauce should come out with a nice semi-thick consistency. If you find it's too runny, add a little more tomato paste. This tomato sauce is delicious and would be great on pasta too!

Assemble your pizza, cook and voila...pizza pie! 

Pizza Pie + Balsamic Tomato Sauce + Roasted Vegetables 

Ingredients

• 1 ready made pizza dough (pref. whole wheat)
• fresh basil leaves, to serve
• red pepper flakes, to serve
• almond parmesan, to serve

Topping

• 1/2 small zucchini, sliced thin and halved
• 1/2 cup aspargus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 orange bell pepper
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes (red & yellow), halved
• a few large basil leaves, chopped
• a guzzle of balsamic vinegar
• pinch or two mineral salt

Balsamic Tomato Sauce

• 1 dry pint (about 8 oz package or 1 1/2 cups) grape tomatoes
• 3 rounded tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings or a mix of oregano, basil, thyme, etc.
• mineral salt & cracked pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees or heat oven to dough directions. (We'll start with this high temp to move the pizza cooking along as quickly as possible.)
2. While oven is heating, prepare your vegetables, place them in a medium size bowl along with the tomatoes for the tomato sauce and add a guzzle of  your favorite balsamic vinegar. You can also add a tad of olive oil if you wish. Toss to coat. Place vegetables on a baking sheet keeping the cut topping and whole tomatoes separate for ease later on. 
3. Coat your cast iron skillet with olive oil, place your dough in the center, flatten out along the bottom and bring a small bit up the edges. Let set to rest until ready to layer.
4. Once oven has heated to 450, turn off oven and turn on the broiler (I had mine set on high but medium is good too), place vegetables under the flame and cook for about 6 minutes checking every so often. Remove and set aside. 
5. Turn oven back on to 450 degrees. The heat sensor should go off right away letting you know the oven is ready. If you skip the first heating at 450, this step will take around 15-20 minutes.
6. In a food processor or blender, being careful not to burn yourself, add the uncut grape tomatoes along with the other ingredients for the tomato sauce and process until blended and fairly smooth. Taste for flavor adding anything extra you might like. Your sauce should be a semi-thick consistency. If you find it's too runny, try adding an extra tablespoon or two of tomato paste. 
7. Finally, add a nice layer of your tomato sauce and veggies to the pizza dough. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before cutting to serve. Serve with red pepper flakes and a good dusting of almond parmesan. 

Notes:

I found that I needed to cook my pizza longer than the directions on the pizza dough package, about 20 -25 minutes worked for me but each oven is different.

If your crust doesn't become golden enough for you, place the skillet pizza under the broiler for a minute or so checking often so it doesn't burn.

If you have a hard time with your crust being soggy under the tomato sauce and veggies, try cooking your dough first for about 15 minutes, then add your sauce and veggies and cook another 5 minutes or so.

I would love to recommend a good pizza dough recipe but I haven't made one yet and find the ready made dough is quick and works great for me. If you have a good whole wheat pizza dough recipe I'd love know about it!

Hope this inspires you...Enjoy!

Cajun Quinoa Cakes + Lemon-Dill-Sriracha Rémoulade

I have been on a sriracha kick lately and happen to have found this recipe for these quinoa cakes with this great sounding rémoulade, and just had to give it a try. So glad I did as they were delicious! This recipe comes from Randy Clemens up and coming new vegan sriracha cookbook called, The Veggie-Lover's Sriracha Cookbook. This is the first recipe he is sharing from the book and you can find the original recipe here. His book will be ready to hit the shelves in the early part of July. You can also pre-order by clicking the book title link above. It will include 50 veggie loving recipes that will be based on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and beans...no fake meats...all will pack a punch with the sriracha chili sauce.

These were great quinoa cakes and the sauce was so flavorful! I started with a small amount of sriracha here but feel free to add as much as you like, or none at all. You may even like to add some spices to the quinoa cakes as these are really simple with minimal seasoning except for the salt and pepper. It's really all about the sauce in this dish. I didn't change up the recipe too much either except for subbing the vegan mayo base of the rémoulade to a cashew base (see note below).

Above are some of the simple vegetables for the quinoa cakes. I would suggest chopping your celery and bell pepper a little smaller than what I have here to help the patties stay formed. These were easy to put together, a little messy but once you do one or two you get the hang of it. I formed balls and flattened lightly, once on the griddle I pressed down with the spatula to flatten more. 

Pair it all with some fresh steamed asparagus and you have yourself a wonderful meal. Artichokes would also be great with this. I can see dipping the leaves in this rémoulade sauce...mmm!

Cajun Quinoa Cakes + Lemon-Dill-Sriracha Rémoulade

Ingredients

Quinoa Cakes

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup flour of choice + more as needed (I used GF oat flour)
• 1/2 red onion or 1 large shallot, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• himalayan salt & freshly ground pepper
• olive oil for the skillet

Lemon-Dill-Sriracha Rémoulade

• 2/3 cups cashews* (preferably soaked for 2 -3 hours)
• 1/3 cup water + more as needed
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, + more to taste OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 heaping tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• dash or two onion powder
• salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

In small pot over medium high heat, add broth/water and quinoa, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, remove cover, fluff with fork and let set for another 15 minutes to cool and absorb remaining water.

While the quinoa is cooling, start your flax egg by mixing the ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken.

Prepare the rémoulade by placing all the ingredients in a blender/food processor, except the dill, and blend until smooth (the magic bullet is a perfect tool for this job). If your mixture is too wet add a few cashews and blend again...if too thick add 1 tablespoon water at time until desired consistency. Stir in the dill by hand. Taste for seasoning adding more of whatever you like. Cover and keep at room temp or place in the refrigerator until ready to use (I served mine at room temp). This can also be made a couple days in advance and kept in the refrigerator (will stay fresh for up to a five or six days).

On to the quinoa cakes, in a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, flax gel, flour, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Mixture should be moist enough to stick together. Add additional flour or water, 1 -2 tablespoons at time if needed to adjust consistency. Taste for seasoning. Form into approx. 8 patties about 1/2 inch thick. (Patties can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan/griddle over medium heat heat 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the patties and cook, until nicely browned on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Keep finished quinoa cakes on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until all cakes are cooked. Serve the quinoa cakes with a nice dollop of rémoulade and pair with a steamed vegetable of choice. Serve immediately.

Notes:

* Feel free to use vegan mayo instead of cashews for this rémoulade. When making the rémoulade, replace the cashews and water with 1/2 - 3/4 cup vegan mayo. Mince your garlic and make sure zest of lemon is finely grated or minced. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix by hand.

The quinoa cakes can also be baked in the oven until golden brown and heated through on a lightly greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, flipping once after the first 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Skillet Asparagus & Tomato Medley

The simples are my favorite. Full of color and flavor, this is one of those easy dishes I could eat almost everyday. The tomatoes are bursting with juiciness and the sautéed lemon adds a wonderful touch. Something about adding lemon to the skillet brings out their sweetness in a most delicious way. Pairing all of this goodness over a grain of choice, as well as a bean, rounds this meal out by giving you extra protein and fiber to leave you satisfied without feeling weighed down. Feel free to add other vegetables to this as well. This is just a template. 

Skillet Asparagus & Tomato Medley

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 10 oz. asparagus
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• whole garlic cloves, as many as you like
• 2 lemons, quartered and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon or so olive oil
• himalayan salt & cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon or so thyme
• 1 can (15oz) white beans (I used cannellini)
• cooked quinoa, farro, barley, brown, jasmine or basmati rice (I used quinoa)

Prep your veggies and place in medium size bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, mix to coat. Add salt, pepper and a sprinkle of thyme, mix again. Heat skillet on medium to medium high. Add vegetables and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally, or until tomatoes soften. Serve on a bed of grains and beans...or however you like it! Serves two generously.

Enjoy the simples!

Simple Lasagna & Asparagus

 If you love lasagna than you'll love this. It tastes just like the lasagna I grew up with, not with the asparagus (that's a new twist) but the cashew ricotta cheese is just amazingly like the days of old. I can't believe it's made from cashews and has that same texture and taste as traditional ricotta. I call it serendipity! I just love a good find, especially when it's one of those comfort foods I love so much every now and then. This is an outstanding replication. This also passed the picky eater test...my daughter has approved it. This is another super easy meal to put together, nothing complicated here. Add whatever veggies you like to this. I pretty much stayed in line with the original recipe and it was nothing short of fantastic. I love the bean idea, it adds some extra protein. This will be a family favorite for sure! This comes from Hipster Food...they have a nice tutorial on this recipe if you need...

Simple Lasagna & Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 jar (28oz) organic pasta sauce (I used a simple marinara)
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 recipe cashew ricotta cheese (2 to 3 cups if not using this recipe)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 10 or so strips of lasagna, adjust to your needs

Make your cashew cheese ahead of time and keep in the fridge. If you're in a pinch you could just as easily prepare it right along with everything else. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook your noodles, al dente, and set aside. Start layering with pasta sauce first, then noodles, cheese, beans, noodles, sauce, cheese, beans, noodles, sauce and whatever cheese is left you can smear on top with the sauce. Top with asparagus, coating them lightly with some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top with a few twists of sea salt and cracked pepper. 

Bake for approx 20-25 minutes until asparagus is slightly tender. Serve with crispy bread.

If you manage to have any leftovers, store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.

FYI: my heart shaped dish is approx to an 8x8 dish...recipe reflects this size.

This is a keeper...enjoy!

Skillet Gardener's Pie

This is not the type of meal I typically eat but was craving something savory with that old home style feel. When I came across this recipe for a vegan version of Shepard's Pie using kidney beans as the main protein, I was off to pick up the few ingredients I needed. This is comfort food that I really get into. I love potatoes in all forms, they go so well with all vegetables. In this dish, I added a few extra veggies then the recipe called for. For one, I had some asparagus that I needed to use up. And the other was corn since it's in season and full of wonderful flavor and light color, it's a nice compliment. This dish hit the spot. Looking forward to the left overs, I imagine they will be even better. 

Skillet Shepard's Pie

• Ingredients
• 
  
• For the mashed potatoes 
• 2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes (I used gold)
• 1/2 cuunsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• mineral salt and pepper to taste

• Fillng
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup asparagus, sliced in 1" pieces
• 1/2 cup green beans, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1 corn off the cob
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
• 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch...add more as needed
• 2 tablespoons water (or veg. broth)
• extra rosemary or thyme for garnish
• mineral salt & pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. (I added a few springs of thyme to the water.) Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, add milk and oil, mash and stir until desired consistency. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside in a warm place.

While the potatoes are cooking, start the filling. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high, add onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms, sauté for 3 more minutes.

Turn heat to medium, add the vegetable broth, tamari, kidney beans, green beans, corn, asparagus and herbs, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There should still be some liquid in the pan, but if it has become too dry, add a little of the potato-cooking water. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.

In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with water until smooth, add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened.

Spoon the potatoes evenly over the top of the filling and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. If potatoes have cooled, put the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve immediately while hot.

Notes:

I usually just fill my bowl with the veggies and top with the potatoes and rosemary, salt & pepper. Seems simpler to me for this party of one.

Enjoy !

P.S., This would serve six as the original recipe says, I had tons of left overs even though I ate alot. At least I'm set for a few meals. :) 

Source: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen 'Skillet Gardener's Pie'