FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Archives for August 2012

Vegan Cremini & Kale Fettuccine

August 22, 2012 by Kristin

Finding a cream of mushroom soup with a non-sketchy ingredient list is darn near impossible, so I took it upon myself to go the homemade route.  I’m also back on the dairy-free kick.  Coconut milk will be this recipe’s non-sketchy, non-dairy hero.

I picked up a new fettuccine while at Central Market.  I’m a sucker for packaging that makes the noodles appear as if they may be more fresh than your typical boxed brand.  But with a mere three minute cooking time, that could totally be legitimate.

FoodFash Vegan Cremini & Kale Pasta (yields 4 servings)

1 tablespoon non-dairy butter (Earth Balance)

10 ounces of cremini mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter (Earth Balance)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup of frozen chopped kale

4 ounces of fettuccine noodles, cooked

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add sliced mushrooms.  Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt and let cook until mushrooms are wilted, stirring occasionally.  In a medium-sized pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour to make a rue.  When the rue is golden in color and thick, gradually add the coconut milk.  Whisk continuously until the sauce is thickened.  Pour the cream sauce and frozen kale into the saucepan with the mushrooms.  Add garlic salt and pepper and stir until all of the ingredients are mixed.  Add finished sauce to noodles, mix well, and serve.

At around 450 calories per serving, this comfort meal is wayyy lower in calories than your typical creamy carb dish.  The mushrooms and kale add umami and texture to the fettuccine.  And the coconut milk thickened up just as nice as milk or cream, making it my new, non-dairy go-to for baking.  I see coconut milk gravy and coconut milk pastry filling in my future!

 


Filed Under: recipes Tagged With: al dente pasta, cremini mushrooms, kale, vegan cream sauce recipe, vegetarian dinner recipe

Patty Pan, Patty Pan…

August 21, 2012 by Kristin

If you were shopping at the downtown Austin Whole Foods today after work, half of me sincerely apologizes.  Not only did I arrive without a list, but I decided to stay on the phone with my mom as I headed to the produce department.  And since I’m one of those people that paces like a crazy person while talking on the phone, I lapped around veggies at an abnormal grocery store pace, empty basket in hand, getting in everyone’s way for a solid 15 minutes.  That part of me apologizes.

The part of me that enjoyed talking to my mom after going days without a phone call, that part doesn’t apologize one bit.  That part is actually thankful because if I hadn’t lapped around produce a gazillion times, I wouldn’t have spotted the cutest little squash ever.  And then I wouldn’t have had an almost perfect recipe that became perfect when I found a box of California Walnuts waiting for me at my doorstep.  Talk about luck.

FoodFash Patty Pan Squash

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 lb patty pan squash, sliced

2 tablespoons garlic chives, chopped

1/2 cup California Walnuts, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

salt to taste

Warm coconut oil over medium heat and then add squash, garlic chives, and walnuts.  Stir until mixed and then add salt and white pepper.  Continue stirring so that the veggies don’t stick to the pan.  Cook until the squash is softened but not mushy (about 5 minutes).

I just recently cooked with chives for the first time and fell in love.  They’re an excellent way to add oniony flavor without the bulk of onions or any chance of overpowering a dish.  As far as patty pans go, other than the cuteness factor, I couldn’t really tell much difference between them and regular yellow squash.  What I could tell, is that squash, chives, and walnuts are a solid combination.

Filed Under: recipes Tagged With: dairy free, healthbuzz, healthy, non-dairy, paleo, patty pan squash, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

#HLS12 – The Last Day

August 20, 2012 by Kristin

After another yum-tastic Summit breakfast, my roommate from this year and last year (Emily), my roommate from last year (Krista), Mindy, and I, all decided to head back to Boston and spend the day in the city before heading to the airport.  Somehow amazing weather swept through the city last night and was still in full effect today.  I’m telling you, it was the best walking weather we could have ever hoped for.

Emily went to college in Boston and still lives in Massachusetts, so we left it up to her to lead the way.  She suggested lunch at Quincy Market since we were all hungry for a solid lunch before our upcoming travel agendas.  The walk to lunch lended itself to quite the picturesque path.

I trailed behind the group, taking in the oldness of Boston.

Growing up and Florida, and Texas being the only other place I have ever lived, historic downtown architecture is something that signifies vacation for me.  I totally look forward to it!

The picture of the older gentleman playing an unidentifiable instrument with his pup was my favorite of the day.

When we arrived at Quincy Market, we quickly realized it was the perfect lunch spot as we were all craving something completely different.  We parted ways to browse and made a plan to meet up on the steps so we could eat together in the sunshine.

Emily had Greek, Krista had Italian, Mindy had Thai, and I…

I had Boston!  There were three places in the market that served lobster rolls, so I checked each of them out and settled on the place whose roll looked the most lobster-rich.  If only this hot dog bun was a warm crusty sourdough roll, I would have been in heaven.  I ate half the sandwich as-is and picked the lobster out of the second half in order to save room for pastry.

Mindy hadn’t been to the North End yet and wanted to sample Mike’s Pastry before leaving town.  After posting about Mike’s Pastry, my mom let me know that Maria’s was her favorite and suggested getting the sfogliatelli.  We went to Mike’s first so Mindy could see what all the rage was about and then headed to Maria’s to order my mom’s fav.  Mike’s definitely had a better selection, but the quaintness of Maria’s was undeniable.  We munched on our sweetness as we headed back to the hotel, gave hugs, and parted ways.
I’m so happy to report that my second Healthy Living Summit was even better than the first!  I’m going to miss everyone SOOO much but know that it will be time for HLS13 in the blink of an eye!

Filed Under: lifestyle Tagged With: boston, healthy living summit, hls12, lobster roll, maria's, massachusetts, mike's pastry, pastries, quincy square

#HLS12 – Strolling Through Boston

August 19, 2012 by Kristin

After three days of Summit happenings on the Cambridge side of town, I was antsy to cross the river and see what Boston was all about.  I convinced four other exhausted bloggers (Mary, Danielle, Emily & Kelly) to join me for a dinner adventure.  We hopped on the T and made our way to Scollay Square.

Scollay Square was decent, but it wasn’t nearly as special as anything I’d eaten on the Cambridge side.  We finished our meals at record pace and decided to walk around the city and take advantage of unseasonably cool weather.

We made our way through the bustling North End on Mission: Dessert and found ourselves in line at Emily’s favorite, Mike’s Pastry.  The line was so out of control that you just knew anything would be amazing.  And knowing this, made it impossible to settle on just one sweet.

I ordered an eclair, a cannoli, and a neopolitan, perfectly aware at how ridiculous the order must have seemed.  And honestly, the over-ordering me had little intention of sharing.  But the post-few-bites me recognized that I was seconds away from a total food coma and would need to give away the extras.  I curled up in the covers and sent Emily and Danielle downstairs with my Mike’s Pastry box so they could spread the food coma love.

Filed Under: lifestyle, restaurant reviews Tagged With: boston, healthy living summit, hls, mike's pastry

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Kristin FoodFash Austin

Hi, I’m Kristin – Austin mom, core memory maker, and retired food blogger. I share kid-friendly vacation itineraries and local adventures that turn ordinary days into stories worth retelling.

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