4 cups of packed fresh basil
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup of olive oil (virgin)

Combine all ingredients in food processor.

Serve immediately over pasta, or store in air-tight container in the fridge. Should last for approx. 1 week.

Variations:

Replace the pine nuts with walnuts or pistachios
Replace the basil with parsley

*Note:
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender instead. If you have neither, simply chop all ingredients, place into a bowl, cover with oil. Stir until all ingredients are combined.

pesto

tags: food, pesto, recipes

I was visiting friends last weekend in LA, and Emily made this amazing vegan sandwich. (She really enjoys making vegan food for me!) I didn’t have the recipe, but I thought all week about how I would construct something. The Pesto recipe is the first step, though you could go buy pre-made pesto sauce. I’m a fan of making most sauces, dips, etc. on my own. There’s something special that comes from eating food you’ve made with your own hands. Add the rave reviews you’ll get from friends and it jumps up another notch!

Seitan, Pesto and Sundried Tomato Sandwichs

16oz. pkg of Seitan (works well if you use the Chicken flavored), chopped
8 oz. of Soy Mozarella, grated
8 Sundried tomatos from oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh Basil, coarsely chopped
1 loaf rustic bread, like Pugilese
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tbsp. Olive oil
Pesto Sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 400.
Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat.
When hot, add chopped Seitan. Season with salt and pepper.
Saute for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Slice loaf of bread in half, lengthwise. Arrange pieces cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Spread each side of loaf with desired amount pesto sauce.
Put seitan on bottom piece of bread. Add the sundried tomatos on top.
Divide chopped basil in half. Add to the top of the bread.
Divide mozarella in half. Add to the top of the bread.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melting.

Remove from oven. Put the top piece of bread onto the bottom piece. Cut into desired serving sizes and serve immediately.

Variations.

For meat eaters:
Replace Seitan with 1lb. of chicken and Soy Mozarella with 8 0z. of fresh Mozarella.
Cook chicken till cooked through. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

sundried

tags: basil, recipes, seitan, vegan

Excerpts from a sunny weekend in the rainy city….

1. Leaving work early, a few drinks in the airport bar and a flight that I don’t remember much of.
2. Walking into the “happy Asian market” down the street from Jenny’s boys house to purchase liquor and a utensil, and leaving, laughing at the “ignorance” shown by the proprietor in regards to the whip-its he sells.
3. A dance performance, UnderCurrents, by a very beautiful Michelle and the rest of the Lehua Dance company.
4. Drinks and laughs at the Elysian, explaining what I do, how I know definitions to obscure sexual terms and why men really are oblivious.
5. More drinks, the Sunday 4:00 Rock show and a cool band I have no clue the name of. My friend Jenny’s boy is in a band named Hang. I didn’t get a chance to hear him, but I heard his friends.
6. Yummy, vegan food all weekend long. There are soooo many good Seattle restaurants; the Sunlight Cafe or Silence Hearts Nest for breakfast. Imagine sweet potato biscuits, vegan sausage and cashew gravy! Beer was often accompanied with hummus platters, soy tacos w/ guac and salsa or crispy veggies. Dessert was anything from vegan donuts (damn skippy, Mighty O’s aren’t half bad) to Vegan Chocolate Mousse cake.
7. A Nazi rally that materialized in an area of Seattle that is fairly progressive. This was soooo strange, very weird and sickening to see. Flags, symbols; it was all there and real. I can’t imagine what intelligent people see in a movement built and powered by hate.
8. A 5:00 am wake-up call, coffee and vegan donuts, a flight that took much too long and stopped way too many places.
9. Sleep.

seattle

tags: friends, music, pikesmarket, seattle, travel