Chow Vegan

Good Eat • No Meat

Cantaloupe Carpaccio

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Cantaloupe Carpaccio

With cantaloupes in peak season, I thought now would be a perfect time to try this melon carpaccio recipe from Gourmet. But as usual, I made a couple of changes.

I didn’t use the tarragon called for in the recipe. I had mistakenly bought sage instead of tarragon (this is what happens when I don’t make a shopping list). So the tarragon got left out and I knew better than to throw the sage leaves on there. I did add thinly julienne veggie bbq pork, for more of a savory contrast to the sweetness of the cantaloupe. It’s so good and so easy to make.

Cantaloupe Carpaccio

The secret is in the selection of a nice ripe cantaloupe. I employ the smell test. Give the cantaloupe a good sniff, if it’s ripe it should smell very sweet and very aromatic and you’ll know it’ll be very tasty.

Results of the Lucky 8/8/08 Giveaway!

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A huge thank you to everyone who entered the Lucky 8/8/08 Giveaway! It was fun reading your comments about which items you were most interested in.

Not surprising, the most popular items were the soy knots and jackfruit, followed by the pickled leeks and wood ear mushrooms. A couple of people were interested in the Kung-Fu ramen bowls and bringing up the rear was the lychees and rice noodles.

Now, the moment you all have been waiting for…

The winner is #4 Jennifer! Congratulations, it’s your super-duper lucky day!

Thanks again to everyone for playing, I hope to have more giveaways in the future.

Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo

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Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo

It’s been unusually cool here lately, I’m not complaining as I prefer the cool to the broiling hot. And it’s much more pleasant to be cooking in the kitchen when I’m not sweating all over the place.

So I feel like having something a little heartier but still somewhat light. On the menu is fettuccine alfredo – fettuccine noodles in a rich, creamy white sauce tossed with fresh vegetables.

Next time though, I think I’ll use regular organic fettuccine instead of the whole wheat. It just tasted a little too “wheaty” for me. Whole wheat spaghetti is fine, you don’t notice any difference but for fettuccine it’s a bit much, at least it was for me.

Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves 2

8 ounces whole wheat fettuccine
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup asparagus
3 ounces crimini mushrooms
Handful of cherry tomatoes

Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat a saute pan or wok, when hot add the olive oil, the garlic and then the broccoli, asparagus and mushrooms, cook until desired tenderness. Set aside. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.

Creamy White Sauce
1 12-ounce package silken tofu
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup strong vegetable broth

Mash the tofu in a bowl, combine the rest of the sauce ingredients except the broth. Blend, adding just enough broth to make it smooth and creamy. Transfer to a sauce pan and heat over low heat, do not boil.

To plate, add desired amount of sauce to the pasta and vegetables, mix well and divide between plates. Alternatively, place pasta/vegetables on plates and spoon sauce over the top. I like mine premixed.