Arugula-Pasta Salad

 

This is one of my favorite pasta salads -- it's heavy on the salad but still satisfies those pasta cravings!  First, I measure out about 2 cups of good pasta-salad pasta.  I used strozzapreti, but other good choices include orecchiette, fusilli or cavatelli.  I cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until it is just a little past al dente.
 

While the pasta is cooking, I peel and cut up one turnip into thin matchstick slices.

And I rinse and dry a bunch of wild arugula -- about 4 cups, and a few leaves of fresh basil, chopped.

Finally, I measure out about 1 cup of diced marinated artichoke hearts -- with or without pimentos -- either is fine.

When the pasta is ready, I drain it and rinse it in cold water to arrest the cooking.  Then I combine all the ingredients.

I dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette -- 1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/8-cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  I whisk that together, pour it over the salad, and toss.  Then I season with plenty of fresh ground black pepper and some additional salt, if needed.

This is the vegan version, and it's ready to serve, but if you are so-inclined, you may want to add some shaved Parmesan cheese for an extra bite.  I love this salad served alongside a crusty sourdough baguette.

Comforting "Chicken-less" Noodle Soup

Where I work in the entertainment business district of Los Angeles known as "Century City," it is very hard to come by a decent lunch for under $10.00.  And more often the cost is substantially higher than that.  So bringing my lunch to work not only allows me to control the kind of the food I am eating, but my wallet is happier as well.  Often I will prepare several servings of favorite vegan meals in the evening or on the weekend and store them in the refrigerator so they are ready to grab-and-go in the morning when I am super-pressed for time.  What with bathroom jockeying, last minute homework, missing uniform pieces (and other wardrobe malfunctions), preparing various meals (breakfasts, school lunches, and work lunches), and carpool duty all colliding at 7:00 am, I need all the shortcuts I can get!

Delicious and comforting, Chicken-less Noodle Soup, loaded with fresh chunky vegetables, is one of my favorite make-ahead, grab-and-go lunches.  And the substitution of fresh turnips for potatoes in this pretty basic soup recipe not only intensifies the flavor, but it raises the already high nutrition value while lowering the calorie count, making it an excellent VB6 lunch choice.

The ingredients for this simple recipe include 2 leeks, 2 carrots,1 turnip, a few mushrooms, 1 cup of whole wheat noodles (eggless), and about 4 cups of good vegetable broth.  (I really like Manischewitz, which is clear, delicious, Kosher, and MSG free.)  In addition, I season and garnish the soup with fresh lemon, a bit of Italian flat-leaf parsley, and some salt and pepper.

First, I bring about 2 cups of water to a boil and cook the noodles al dente, according to package directions.  I rinse them in cool water and set them aside.  Since the noodles will soften more when added to the soup, it is best not to cook them too much at the outset.

While the noodles are cooking, I wash, trim and slice the leek, including some of the tender greens.  Leek often has bits of mud hidden between the membranes, so it is important to wash it thoroughly, both before and after slicing it.  I also peel and slice the carrots into nice bite-sized chunks.  

Next I peel and slice the turnip into thin wedges (just as you might a potato), and I cut the mushrooms into bite-size chunks.  Because I love vegetables so much, I cut them into rather large chunks that I can bite into and really taste.  Tiny vegetables just get lost.

I start by sautéing the leek and carrots in just a bit of olive oil (about a tablespoon) over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the leek does not brown.  

Then I add in the turnip and mushroom slices and saute for a few more minutes.

Next I add the vegetable broth and the cooked noodles to the pot, and stir everything together.  I bring the soup to a boil, and then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.  It is done cooking when the carrot and turnip slices are "just" tender.

Next, I season the soup with salt, pepper, and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and I let it cool way down.

I prepare my grab-and-go containers by filling them with delicious soup, and garnishing each with some chopped parsley and a thin wedge of lemon.

Comforting, healthy, and yummy, the soup will keep in the refrigerator for several days, ready for the taking!

Enjoy!

Turkish Manti Deconstructed and Reconstructed

There is nothing vegan about Turkish Manti, a delicious meat-filled dumpling topped with yogurt and garlic, and drizzled with hot, bubbly, peppery butter.  One of the things I love about the VB6 plan is that it allows you to indulge in the non-vegan foods that you love and crave.  You can bet this dish will be hitting the dinner table after 6:00 pm.

Making manti is a labor of love.  True Turkish manti involves making and rolling out paper thin rounds of dough, cutting them into tiny little squares, and stuffing and folding them one by one.  It's a lot of work, and the few times I have made it, I've had the good fortune to have dear friends and family to help (Guler, Cheryl, Wendy, Meryem, Gloria, Lisa, Angela, and of course Asaf and Halil).  However, there are a lot of short-cut or deconstructed versions of manti, often called "yalanci" or "liar's" manti -- boiled shell or bowtie noodles tossed with cooked ground beef and onions and served with the traditional toppings.  Yalanci manti is delicious and a favorite in our home.  But sometimes I crave something more authentic, but without all the labor, and that's what I call Deconstructed and Reconstructed Manti.

You start with 1 lb. of quality ground beef, 1 cup finely chopped white onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, and salt and pepper.

Combine with your hands.  Next, start filling wonton wrappers with the beef mixture, like this.

As you fill the wontons, place them on a pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper.  You should have enough to fill all the wrappers in a package of 50.  Any leftover meat can be turned into little meatballs, like so.

Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a beef bullion cube.  In the meantime, mix together two cups of plain yogurt, and add two large cloves of crushed or grated garlic, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Set aside. 

Boil the manti in small batches until they float to the top and the meat inside is completely cooked.  Place manti in a large serving bowl or individual serving bowls and top with the yogurt mixture.  Next comes the Pièce de résistance - the butter sauce.  Melt 1/4 cup of real butter in a pan, sprinkle in paprika, and bring it to a frothy orange bubble.  Drizzle this on top of the yogurt. 

Finally top with any or all of the following (I like all of them, whereas Asaf does not really care for any of them):  Fresh chopped mint (or dried mint), fresh chopped dill (or dried dill), sumak, and red pepper (the best is Turkish dried red pepper, Pul Biber).  Afiyet Olsun!