Baked Butternut Squash Sticks

 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Who says July 4th fare can't be healthy? A loaded veggie burger on a multigrain deli flat, butternut squash french "fries," and loads of fresh watermelon with blueberries and strawberries on the side, makes a great Independence Day meal without blowing your arteries out. That's how we do it!
Now I know you may be thinking, "Butternut squash fries?! Why, God, why???" But there is no need to consult your maker on this one. These baked "fries" are delicious, and abundantly nutritious. Plus, they're easy to make - and it's really fun to dig into a weird looking squash. For added chuckles, let your guests' kids spoon all the seeds out for you, and then chuck the gooey innards at their slightly-hammered parents. That's 4th of July in nutshell right there. Ahhh, sweet Americana... 

1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of chili powder
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel the rind from the squash. Keep peeling until all the little green lines have disappeared.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and all that other goopy stuff.
• Now, cut the neck off of the squash and cut large wedges, as equal in size as possible.
• You can do the same with the "bowls" of the squash or you can save those for another recipe. Stuffed butternut squash, anyone?
• Toss your wedges and spices into a large bowl that has a tight-fitting lid. 
• Secure the lid and shake the wedges around until they are all well-coated.
• Place in a single layer on a large, lightly-oiled baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fries over, and bake another 10-15 minutes, until outside is crisp and inside is soft.
• Makes 4 servings.
• Enjoy!

Stringy Zucchini and Squash Pasta

1 pound of your favorite stringy pasta (I used fettuccine in this batch), cooked
2 Tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance preferred)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium yellow squash, shredded
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 to 1 C nutritional yeast, to taste
(Any combination of your favorite Italian seasonings will work. Here's what I used...)
1 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper

• While your pasta is boiling away merrily, heat your olive oil in a large skillet. When it's nice and hot, but not so hot that it's smoking (big no-no!), toss in your garlic and saute for a minute or two, until it starts to just barely change color. 
• Add your squashes, lemon juice and seasonings (except the "nooch") to the skillet and saute until squashes are soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 7 to 10 minutes. 
• When your pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot you cooked it in. Add the butter and toss to coat the pasta with it.
• You can either toss the "nooch" in with your pasta and then ladle the zucchini mixture on the top when you serve, if you like the main ingredient to be visible (hey, some people dig that - nothin' wrong with it). Or you can just chuck everything into the large pot and stir it up. Salad forks work great for this.
• Enjoy!

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The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

Whole Wheat Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu "Ricotta"

I am a slave to my cravings. I really am. And when I desperately crave something that I cannot generally find vegan-style at a restaurant or the grocery store, and I don't know how to make it, I have no choice but to experiment. Sometimes it works out and sometimes I'm left disappointed, with only my unsatisfied craving to keep me company.
Today I was craving Italian food. Chewy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, piping hot, carb-rich Italian food. As usual, I'm broke, so restaurants are out. Plus, not many Italian food joints cater to the veg crowd. We have a great vegan restaurant here in town, but they don't really have what I'm looking for with this particular craving anyway. And none of the vegan Italian offerings at the grocery store are up to snuff compared to their price. So, I went into the kitchen and started playing around. And, I'm happy to report that the result was delicious!
My methods may be weird, but try it for yourself. Here's the recipe...

TOFU "RICOTTA"
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained, squeezed and crumbled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning, or any blend of your favorite Italian herbs
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 C nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
1/4 C olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

•  Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is mixed and tofu is well-coated. Set aside.

LASAGNA 
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
5 or 6 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 can of regular tomato sauce (I used plain ol' Target store brand)

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer ingredients in the following order (or mix it up if you want), from bottom to top, in a medium casserole dish
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• 3 noodles
• half of the tofu "ricotta"
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• squash
• 3 noodles
• the rest of the tofu "ricotta"
• the rest of the marinara sauce
• zucchini
• mushrooms
• 3 noodles
• all of the tomato sauce
• Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast all over the top, or splurge and use veggie mozzarella!
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until veggies are cooked and the whole thing is hot and bubbly. 
• Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. 
• While lasagna is cooling, heat the plain tomato sauce in a small sauce pan.
• Enjoy!

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