Ratatouille Pasta

It may be Tuesday, but that's no excuse not to celebrate Earth Day. You might not have the time to plant a tree or the willpower to not use electricity for a full hour, but you certainly have time to make a delicious meal, especially one full of fresh seasonal vegetables.

Don't let the lack of meat and dairy products fool you; this may be another accidentally vegan recipe, but it tastes delicious. Plus what's better for Earth Day than something healthy and sustainable?

I think the Disney movie Ratatouille set unrealistic expectations for ratatouille (the dish). It's pretty difficult to layer the vegetables just so to make that gorgeous collage of colors, so I decided to make it into a pasta. That way, as long as you can chop vegetables into similarly-sized pieces (and if you can't, just call it "rustic"), you'll end up with a meal you can't wait to dig into.

The roasted squash, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes blend perfectly with al dente pasta, and everything is coated in an addictive garlicky herb tomato sauce. You won't miss the meat, but you can always crisp up some prosciutto and throw it on top. A sprinkle of parmesan adds a sharp flavor that cuts the richness of the pasta, making it a dish you'll want to serve every Tuesday, if not more often.

1 Cup Diced Zucchini
1 Cup Diced Yellow Squash
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
6 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/4 Cup Minced Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 T Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 lb Pasta

Heat oven to 400F.

Spread the zucchini, squash, onions, and tomatoes on a greased large rimmed baking tray. Whisk the olive oil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder together. Toss the vegetables in the sauce mixture until coated. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente and toss with the roasted vegetables.

Serves 4-6
Recipe Adapted from The Woks of Life

Lemon Cookies

It finally feels like Spring. It's warm and breezy and sunny, so I want something refreshing. The first flavor that comes to mind is lemon. Lemon cookies, in fact. The tart sourness of the lemon counters the sweetness of the cookies, and everything is topped off with a luscious lemony glaze. I actually had to make two batches in one day; the first recipe I used made cookies that spread out so much that my grandparents were all excited because they thought I made pancakes for everyone. Since I had plenty of lemons, I tried a new recipe, which baked perfectly.

This recipe will satisfy all kinds of cookie lovers. The edges get nice and crispy but the center stays soft and chewy. You can spread some of the glaze on top of one cookie, stick another on top, and enjoy lemon cookie sandwiches oreo-style. Or you could just douse them in glaze and enjoy the mess. Either way works. To make glazes, I usually just whisk powdered sugar and some sort of liquid and/or flavoring together. However, I use a spoonful of cream cheese in this recipe so that I get an opaque white glaze with an extra bit of tanginess. It's just as easy, but make sure your cream cheese is soft and you store the glazed cookies in the refrigerator.

These cookies do look pretty simple, but they are elegant enough for any occasion. The glaze dresses them up a bit, and I found some sprinkles perfect for Easter. You can also shave on some lemon zest, especially if you have one of the zesters that makes beautiful strands of zest instead of tiny flakes, although those would work well too.

The main secret to these cookies is the lemon sugar. I'm sure you could spend a few hours on the internet tracking down some overpriced gourmet stuff, but it is so easy to make your own. Simply zest your lemons and rub it into the sugar. Make sure you work quickly, though, because the zest will dry out and the natural oils won't permeate the sugar. If you do it properly, you should end up with slightly damp sugar with a very pale yellow hue, and it should smell lemony even without bits of zest. I do this before I beat the sugar and butter together so I know that the sugar is lemony enough. If you want a stronger lemon flavor, I recommend adding more zest instead of juice because it doesn't alter the texture as much. You could easily use oranges, limes, or a combination of any of the three instead; the pop of citrus is the perfect way to start Spring!

2 Cups + 2 T Flour
1 T Cornstarch
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
1 ½ Sticks Butter, Softened
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 T Lemon Zest
6 T Lemon Juice
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
2 T Cream Cheese, Softened

Heat oven to 350F and line cookie trays with parchment.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk, then stir in 2 T lemon juice and the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared trays and bake for 10 minutes or until just golden on the edges.

Whisk the cream cheese and remaining lemon juice together. Stir in the powdered sugar and drizzle on the cooled cookies.

Makes 28
Recipe Adapted from Cooking Classy

Pasta with Mushroom Marinara

It's not even 24 hours into Passover and I'm craving carbs, so I decided to continue my 18-year streak of not keeping Kosher by eating bread. And pasta. And cookies. I'm so good at this whole no-flour-or-leavening-just-matzo-and-sadness thing. Since I clearly failed already, I decided to just go with it and eat as usual, but I'd like to try to respect the laws of Judaism and make something that's at least Kosher on a regular (non-Passover) day, meaning no pork, shellfish, or mixing meat and dairy. Luckily, this recipe is accidentally vegan, so I don't have to worry about any of that.

We've all seen Rachael Ray work her 30-minute magic in the kitchen. She plans and executes this lovely multi-course meal in less time than it takes for me to get out of bed in the morning. It's a lie. She has an army of sous chefs and dishwashers and food stylists and probably half the workers of New York City hiding in the studio. It probably takes the average person twice as long to cook the same meal, but I promise that this recipe is ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.

Your inner Italian grandma may question how a marinara sauce--which is supposed to take hours to simmer into tomato-y heaven--can be ready in under 30 minutes. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. It just kinda works. It's full of earthy mushrooms bathed in bright fresh tomatoes as well as crushed tomatoes with a good splash of red wine to enhance the flavors. It's not the prettiest dish you'll ever make, but a generous spoonful of parmesan cheese makes it all better. You won't even know it's vegetarian or vegan, and it will make you feel better about breaking Passover. Unless you haven't. In that case, spoon this on some matzo and you won't even miss bread.

1 lb Pasta
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 lb Sliced Baby Portobello Mushrooms
½ tsp Thyme
½ tsp Basil
½ tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
2 Cups Diced Fresh Tomatoes
⅓ Cup Red Wine
1 T Tomato Paste
1 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 tsp Sugar
Parmesan Cheese

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, thyme, basil, and oregano and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Toss with the sauce and serve with the parmesan.

Serves 6
Recipe Adapted from Bake Your Day