baked ravioli {vegan}

Have you ever tried to find vegan ravioli? How many of you have succeeded?

I, for one, have had a hard time of it. Ravioli is often vegetarian, but almost always made with cheese. And when it is not made with cheese or meat, the pasta has egg in it.

What's a vegan to do?

I was excited to find that La Pasta, a new pasta and sauce company, offers two kinds of vegan ravioli. And they can be purchased at two local grocers, Gristedes and Union Market, for those of you who reside in NYC.

The ravioli is really delicious. But the eggplant tomato sauce they sent is out of this world. Check it out.

Baked Ravioli {Vegan}
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 package La Pasta Vegan Spinach & Cheese Ravioli
• 2/3 cup panko
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• La Pasta Eggplant Tomato Sauce (or your favorite sauce)

Instructions

1. Pour soy milk into a shallow dish. Combine panko and herbs and salt in another shallow dish. Dip ravioli in soy milk and then coat with panko mixture. 
2. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Heat in 400 F oven for 10 minutes, or until bottoms are browned, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Serve with cold or heated sauce.

Disclaimer: I was given ravioli and sauce samples to test out. All opinions above are 100% my own.

penne with pumpkin, kale, and goat cheese

Just a show of hands, how many of you have time to exercise?

I don't know how the time slipped by, but it has been months since I've been to yoga class. How did this happen? I love yoga class: it is rigorous enough to have me sweating bullets, yet gentle enough to keep my knees intact. And I've missed it dearly. But on the flip side, it is rigorous enough to make me very sore for a few days after which does give me pause when deciding whether or not to go.

But I have been exercising... sort of. I decided I needed to do something during this hiatus.

So, I devised a clever way to work my core and limbs without much fuss or stress. While watching TV, or waiting for the water to boil for coffee, or sitting with my son while he plays, I would do plank pose. Not push-ups, not sit-ups, just plank pose. It is deceptively easy and so beneficial. Try it and see.

Then I made the time and went to a yoga class. I just had to. And it was amazing. I was able to do all the poses without any stress at all. All due to plank pose. I highly recommend it.

This wonderful recipe comes to you from Joanne at Eats Well with Others. I made it when I got home from yoga class.

To shorten the prep process I boiled 1/2 pound penne, added 1/2 bunch kale for the last 2 minutes. Drained both and while still hot, mixed in 2 oz goat cheese, 1 - 2 cups cooked pumpkin and 8 sliced basil leaves. Some salt and pepper to taste and we have a great side dish to accompany the salmon my husband had already made. An easy, quick and healthy dish is always welcome in my kitchen.

{recipe}

sesame noodles with spinach and tofu {food matters project}

This new year I resolve to be nicer.

There. I said it.

It has occurred to me that the reason I have been unsettled, uneasy, a bit antsy, is because I've been getting on other people's (read - my husband's) cases, just a bit too much and too often.

I need to relax. Relax control. Relax expectations. Relax everything.

That and go to my yoga class more regularly {which, by the way, does not relax me, but makes me strong}

This Monday I bring you a very relaxing dish by way of the Food Matters Project. A combination of salty {I used a lot of salt}, peppery, crunchy tofu on a bed of soft and warm soba noodles and spinach. An easy way to make it through lunch, dinner, or anytime you get a little hungry.

This dish was chosen by Sara. Find out what everyone else did with it here.

{recipe}

pumpkin and sage wontons

I think my new favorite sauce is butter and sage. So rich and decadent, it compliments all things simple, and the crunchy sage leaves add a flavorful textured surprise. I have been meaning  to make pumpkin ravioli ever since peaches became scarce but haven't gotten up the nerve to make the pasta myself (even though I am inspired by this post).

Rather than make my own pasta, I bought pre-made wontons. My first time using them was almost a complete success. They sealed nicely with a little water and cooked perfectly, floating once done. Only problem I had was their stickiness. Once in a bowl together they all adhered to each other becoming one wonton. Just as tasty but not quite what I was going for. The sage butter was the perfect completion to this dish.

Pumpkin and Sage Wontons:
The flesh of one small pumpkin, roasted, seeded and peeled or 3 cups pumpkin.
2 Tsp olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1 Tsp fresh sage, minced
1 Tsp fresh thyme, minced
Salt and pepper
3 oz goat cheese
2 cups vegetable stock
3 Tsp vegetable spread (or butter)
6-10 whole sage leaves

I made the pumpkin days before I made this dish. I am not certain how much it was since I'd used some of it for my pumpkin brownies, but it was close to 3 cups.

Heat oil in pan. Add onion until translucent. Add herbs and saute for 1-2 minutes. Mix onion and herb with pumpkin. Process in food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add goat cheese and blend. Place blobs onto defrosted wonton wrappers. Fold in half securing with some water or egg white at the edge. Boil 2 cups vegetable broth with 2 cups water. Once boiling lower the temperature so that the water is not boiling rigorously. Place wontons into liquid.

While they cook saute the butter until boiling and add sage leaves. Cook until crispy.

Wait until the wontons float on the top of the boiling water/vegetable stock. It doesn't take very long. Scoop out with a slotted spoon. Drizzle sage butter on top. Enjoy!