Guacamole Fettuccini

Because I grew up in Minnesota back in the 40s and 50s, the word "avocado" was unknown to me, as was the fruit itself. Then came the day when an aunt and uncle visited us from The Golden State and nestled inside their suitcases were several large green things they called avocados. I was fascinated with the odd looking produce and even more astonished when I was told they grew on trees.

My aunt cut one of the dark green fruits in half to reveal a seed the size of New York--or so I thought. I was used to berry seeds or even citrus seeds, but nothing I knew came even close to the giant residing inside that light green mass.

My aunt removed the seed and scooped out some of the soft innards. Without any adieu, she slipped the spoon into my waiting mouth. To me, child that I was, it felt slimy and nasty and so mushy I quickly swallowed it. When asked if I wanted more, I shook my head no and escaped to another part of the house.

To my mind, an avocado was the armpit of produce world.

When I was sixteen, my family moved to California. And to my dismay, my mom discovered avocados. I remembered not liking them "way back when" and refused to eat them. Even the rest of the family considered them less than a perfect food. Looking back, I know that mom just didn't know what to do with them. Then one day a neighbor showed her how to make guacamole. Mom bought some tortilla chips and put the two products together on the table.

My sisters and I ate up every last scrap.

Thus began my love affair with the avocado and while there are many brands of the green spheres, the only one I really like is the Haas. These days I can slice an avocado onto fresh bread, add salt and pepper and tomato and sliced onions and eat my way through what I consider to be the perfect sandwich. I slice this lovely fruit into salads or serve it inside my vegan tacos or smear the creamy stuff on a flour tortilla and gobble it up without batting an eye.

So it was one day when I was looking through a vegan cookbook searching for dinner ideas, that I came across a pasta dish with an avocado sauce. I was intrigued. As usual, I tweaked the recipe to suit my own taste buds and served it to my carnivore company. We all had seconds. I guess that means it turned out pretty good. It looked so pretty, I even took its picture.

GUAC-A-CINI

1 lb fettuccine

2 avocados, pitted and removed from skin

1 big bunch of fresh basil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

4 sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup toasted nuts, any kind

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 dashes of hot sauce, whichever is your favorite brand

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted water, according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

Into a food processor bowl put everything from the avocados to the salt and pepper. 

I love one dish meal recipes. They make
being the kitchen bearable.

Pulse until the mixture is well blended, but not so much that it is an indistinguishable mess. There should still be some minuscule chunks visible as in the photo above.

I prepared a few ingredients that might be added, should the guest wish to add them to his plate: a small bowl of finely minced sweet onion, minced tomato--flesh part only, vegan Parmesan cheese for those who wished to sprinkle it on top of the pasta dish.

My guacamole. I changed the recipe
around to turn it into an avocado pesto.

I gave serious thought to using cilantro instead of basil, but came to the conclusion that it may be too spicy to go with the pasta. If I had been making true guacamole, I'd have used cilantro only.

Because the main course was a meal in itself, I served only garlic bread alongside.

Serves 4-6

Depending on how many you're feeding, cook the fettuccine accordingly as
this recipe does not keep well. I had a lot leftover and it quickly went to
a muddy color that was most unappetizing. Since I was feeding only
three, I should have cooked only a half pound of pasta, though I
would have still made the whole recipe of avocado pesto. It would
have made the fettuccine all the more flavorful.

Mushrooms, Spinach & Noodles--Oh My!

I've always loved spinach but have had an off-putting relationship with mushrooms since I was a kid. To me, they were rubbery and had little to no taste. I pretty much stayed away from them till becoming a vegan. Then I looked them over, saw how many recipes used them and decided to find out how to cook them so that I could eat them without gagging.

Well, I did it. For me, a fresh mushroom is still boring and way too chewy. I just plain don't like the feel of it in my mouth. But cook the fungi in a bit of vegan margarine till it is absolutely soft and glazed a dark brown, mix it with a few onions and a bit of garlic, and I have a starter for something tasty.

This whole recipe evolved from a dish I saw cooked up on television when Ina Garten made mushroom lasagna. Since I'm a lazy cook, I turned it into a simple noodle dish and added in some of my own ingredients-- all while turning it into a vegan meal that was beyond delicious. I served it alongside a dinner salad and some garlic toast. If you're a noodle lover, my guess is you'll like this meal. Let me know what you think.

MUSHROOM, SPINACH & NOODLES

In a large skillet put:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. any kind of mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
4-6 sun dried tomatoes, sliced
Big pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms begin releasing their water. Cover the pan and move it to a low-heat back burner for at least 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are well browned and soft. When the mushrooms are to your liking, add 1 bag of baby spinach to the pan. Cover and leave it on the back burner another 20 minutes. If the vegetables get too dry, add 1 Tbs. water and put the cover back on the pan.

Cook the noodles in a large saucepan:

4 quarts water, salted and brought to a boil
8 oz. noodles (I used No-Yolk)

Cook the noodles until they are al-dente, about 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles and transfer them into the pot with the mushroom ingredients. Pour the white sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and mix again. The nutritional yeast has a Parmesan flavor that goes well with the dish.

Serves 3-4

Vegan White Sauce

Into a saucepan put:

2 Tbs. vegan margarine or olive oil
2 Tbs. flour
Cook over medium heat until the roux is light tan in color. Do not let it burn or you'll have to start over.

Add in 2 cups non-dairy milk
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
A dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a white sauce that coats the back of a wooden spoon--about 8-10 minutes. Use as directed above.

Eating vegan is good for your heart!