Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta + Classico Riserva Giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Classico Riserva for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

I just love it when a recipe comes together so, so perfectly. Todd adores vodka cream pasta. Me? Not so much. It's always been way too heavy for me and let's be real, it's obviously not that nutritious; heavy cream, cheese, vodka, and ground meat... it makes my arteries wanna clog up just thinking about it!

It was time something had to be done about this. So, I created my own version! In this healthier take on vodka cream pasta, I use avocado instead of heavy cream, TVP instead of oily ground meat, and added an entire bunch of swiss chard for a boost of nutrition. I couldn't believe what a couple wonderful, creamy avocados could do to kick heavy dairy to the curb. This will definitely be a staple in our house. I'm telling you, wonderful things happen when you have two aging avocados mingling about in your fridge. 

A couple jars of Classico Riserva pasta sauce were eyeing me from the pantry and I knew I wanted to do something fun with them. They Riserva sauce line is free from artificial ingredients and added sugars! I wanted to create a dish that was as sophisticated and delicious as this thick and savory pasta sauce itself and a vodka 'cream' sauce was just the ticket.

Riserva comes in five, slow-simmered flavors: Arrabiata, Roasted Garlic, Marinara, Eggplant Artichoke, and Puttanesca. Perhaps the greatest thing about the new Riserva line (besides everything else I've already listed) is that all the flavors are totally vegan. Yay!! Usually I have to scour the ingredient lists (which is always lengthy for some reason) on the back of pasta sauce jars, but not with Riserva! In addition, these sauces only contains a few ingredients, as they should. 

I'm also hosting a giveaway for three full-price coupons for this new sauce. Tell me in the comments what dish you'd like to make with Classico Riserva to be entered to win. Winners will be drawn at random and will close on 6.6.16 at noon EST. Open to U.S. only. Thank you, Classico Riserva for sponsoring this post! Open up a bottle of the good stuff! *** This giveaway is no CLOSED, thank you!***

Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/20/2016

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta of choice (I like penne ), dry
• ⅓ cup vodka
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 28 oz jar of Classico Riserva pasta sauce
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted
• ½ cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 1 bunch of chard, destemmed and chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente, about 9 minutes; drain and return to pot.
2. While the pasta boils, simmer the vodka in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until it’s reduced by half.
3. Add the pasta sauce, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, and avocados to a blender; blend on high until completely smooth. Transfer to the reduced vodka and stir in the tvp. Cover and simmer an additional 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chard to wilt; cover and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Over low heat, stir the sauce into the pasta to combine. Stir in the cheese ; serve hot.

Yield: 6

Yum

Ranch Fiddlehead & Salami Tart

Flaky puff pastry is slathered with ranch dressing and then loaded with fresh fiddlehead ferns and vegan salami. Baked to a golden-brown, this tart is perfect for a light meal or appetizer. It’s sure to be a hit among those that are veg-friendly and meat-eaters as well.

Summer came early in Alaska this year. So early that we were shocked to see we missed the boat on tapping birch trees for syrup! Drat! Feeling my crunchy-hippie-wilderness-vibe slipping through my fingers, I was determined not to miss foraging the tender, new fiddlehead ferns. 

“There are three values: feel good, be good, and do good.”

— Yogi Bhajan

A friend and I had the most awesome time just lazily wandering around behind our house, down by a creek and found the ferns in abundance. Unfortunately, we were just at the very tail end of the season and most of the ferns were full-grown or pretty darn close. To think, already, almost one month before I harvested them last year! A happy ending though, we found a few that were still new and not yet unfurled .

I knew I wanted to make something really fun with the little green coils. I went to the kitchen to ponder, but I didn't have to spend much time daydreaming this recipe up! A puff pastry had been hibernating in my freezer for awhile and I thought a fiddlehead tart would be perfect. Just a few days earlier, I had bought a bottle of vegan ranch dressing to try out and knew it would be great as a sort of sauce. Finally, a super clearance package of vegan salami winked at me from the fridge. I had bought two packages earlier in the week to try out and one of them still remained. The rest is history; this super easy, super scrummy, beautifully vegan, foraged tart was born!

If you've never had fiddleheads before, they taste a bit like asparagus; I've also heard folks describe them as artichoke-like. They have to be cleaned and boiled. If eaten raw they can cause 'gastric distress', so definitely boil them no matter what. No worries if you don't have access to them or if they're not in season, just use asparagus for this recipe!

Curious about foraging fiddleheads yourself? Find out all about it in this awesome article, and check out my photos below! These were taken a couple weeks ago.

Ranch Fiddlehead & Salami Tart

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/23/2016

Flaky puff pastry is slathered with ranch dressing and then loaded with fresh fiddlehead ferns and vegan salami. Baked to a golden-brown, this tart is perfect for a light meal or appetizer. It’s sure to be a hit among those that are veg-friendly and meat-eaters as well.

Ingredients

• 1 (about ½ lb) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 cups fresh fiddleheads, cleaned and trimmed (or asparagus, no need to boil)
• 3-4 tbsp vegan ranch dressing
• 1 ½ tbsp large-flake nutritional yeast
• 6 slices of vegan salami, chopped
• ¼ tsp dried marjoram
• dash of kosher salt
• dash of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the trimmed fiddleheads and boil for about 10 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water to remove the chaff (brown leaves); set aside.
2. Roll out the thawed puff pastry into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Spread the ranch dressing on top of the puff pastry, leaving about 1 inch border on the sides. Sprinkle on the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and marjoram.
4. Evenly distribute the salami and boiled fiddleheads (or raw asparagus) onto the tart. Bake the tart on the middle rack in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 6 rectangle; serve warm.

Yield: 6

Yum

Did you read this awesome article all about aquafaba, that was whipped up in the New York Times? .... Get it? Whipped up... I'll be here all week.

Spring Asparagus Buckwheat Salad

Buckwheat groats are a neat alternative to cous cous, quinoa, millet, or rice. They’re most often associated with breakfast but make a wholesome, hearty salad as well! This salad lends an easy, springtime feeling; crisp asparagus, roasted arugula, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado bath in a basil-lemon dressing.

“We do not need to eat animals, wear animals, or use animals for entertainment purposes, and our only defense of these uses is our pleasure, amusement, and convenience.”

— Gary L. Francione

Spring is such an exciting time! It's warm enough to relax outside on the deck, basking in the warm glow of the early summer sun with Todd and a cup of coffee in the mid-afternoon. My runs are less of a "snow-storm" inspired look and more normal... just running tights and a long sleeve shirt, sans hat and scarf of course. The bright green budding leaves begin to cast interesting shadows, peeking in through the windows of our home making us feel as if we live in a treehouse and the bedroom windows are cracked open all night for a cooling breeze. 

Todd and I are thrilled to be spending the first spring in our new home. Last year at this time we were just finishing up clearing the land. Even though the super hard work is behind us we still have a lot to do! Gutters, stairs up to the doors, leveling out the 800 foot driveway, planting crabapple and lilac trees (and raised beds for a garden), building a greenhouse and woodshed, as well as putting in a lawn in. Todd's excited to slack line and throw the frisbee and I can't wait to set up a reading hammock and be able to play in the grass with the pups! So much work to do, but so exciting! #summergoals

I received a bunch of asparagus in my CSA box and saw I had some fresh cherry tomatoes juicy red and plump for the picking on my little indoor tomato plant; I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Buckwheat is rather new to do me and I love experimenting with it, so I decided to use it in place of quinoa. Here, I incorporate it into a salad that's perfect for spring and maybe just the thing to enjoy on the deck while sun napping.

Spring Asparagus Buckwheat Salad

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 04/22/2016

Buckwheat groats are a neat alternative to cous cous, quinoa, millet, or rice. They’re most often associated with breakfast but make a wholesome, hearty salad as well! This salad lends an easy, springtime feeling; roasted asparagus, fresh arugula, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado bath in a basil-lemon dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw buckwheat groats (or quinoa)
• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 bunch fresh arugula or spinach, chopped
• 1 lb 8 oz fresh asparagus (about 2 bunches), ends trimmed and chopped to bite size pieces
• ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• ½ large avocado, diced small
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
• - Dressing -
• 1 large lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup)
• ¼ cup agave nectar
• 1tbsp miso paste
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large pot, bring the groats and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the groats are tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the arugula to wilt.
2. While the groats cook, arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet in an even layer and roast for about 15-20 minutes until tender. Add to the large serving bowl.
3. Add the tomatoes, avocado, and basil to the serving bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and stir into the salad with the remaining ingredients.
4. Serve warm or chilled. Best if consumed within the same day.

Yield: 6

You didn't think I'd leave you with a picture of this adorable lil monkey would you? I'm not sure what he's doing, but he's super cute! Also, our vet told us that Anouk is at least two and a half years old; not seven months like the adoption agency told us. So that was interesting! He also has a broken upper canine tooth that will need to be removed. Poor baby! Have you ever had a dog that had to have a fang removed? I'm so worried!

So I know I am totally the last one aboard this train but, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, is totally amazing! I'm almost done with the book. Have you read it?