Pasta with Steamed Kale and Soy Curls

Vegetable Rotini Pasta with Steamed Kale, Soy Curls, Mushrooms and Asparagus

For lunch the other day we had a mix of vegetables and pasta with Tofu Garlic Sauce over the top (after I took the photo to show off what was going on with this dish).
Use the fresh vegetable you like, here is what we had on hand that day:


1 entire bunch of fresh asparagus, rinsed and cut into 1" pieces
1 entire bunch of kale, rinsed and center vein discarded, tear into pieces
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon herb seasoning such as Bragg's
1/2 cup mushroom or vegetable broth 
3 cups prepared pasta, drained but not rinsed
2 cups prepared soy curls (get these from Butler Foods if not available locally)
1/4 cup sliced olives, optional due to fat content


Place mushrooms in hot skillet and saute until golden brown on both sides.  Add garlic, asparagus pieces and broth, cook for one minute with lid to hold steam.  Add kale and steam for additional minute.  Remove from heat and add other ingredients, toss and serve with Tofu Garlic Sauce (recipe below).


Serves 6.


Additional ideas for add-ins:
black beans or garbanzo beans
frozen or fresh corn 
frozen or fresh spinach
broccoli
carrots
peas,
fresh tomato pieces
etc.












Tofu Garlic Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients to be placed in blender:

1 package soft silken tofu
1/2 cup low-fat almond milk or non-fat soy milk
1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme, vegan sour cream
2 Tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp non-dairy parmesan cheese, such as Galaxy Nutritional Foods Soy Grated Topping Parmesan Flavor
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste


This sauce will keep in your refrigerator for about 3 days, then it turns funny (but it will probably be all gone before you have to toss it out unless you lose it in there....)

Dear Restaurant, Please serve something like this:

What I long for while away from home is something like this:  a plate of steamed kale (that is still a nice bright green, so not too long on the heat please) with pan roasted mushroom slices and green beans that again are green and tender-crisp (not mushy and some gray-green color).

Green Beans, the fun way

After I took the photo, I added walnut sauce (it doesn't photograph well but tastes divine).
If you would like to make this for yourself, here is the recipe:

For the Kale:
2 or 3 cups washed, torn kale with the large vein stem removed
1/4 cup water
dash of Bragg 24 Herb seasoning
dash garlic powder

Bring water to simmer in skillet with lid, add the kale and other ingredients, replace lid and cook for one minute.  Turn off heat.

In a different skillet:
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced fresh green beans
1 clove garlic, diced fine

Saute in skillet at a high heat with lid until mushrooms are golden brown.  The water from rinsing the beans is enough to provide a nice steam.  Add garlic, if desired.

For the walnut sauce (this is derived from Anne Esselstyn's Walnut Sauce Recipe):
Omit this sauce if you are avoiding soy products.

In a Magic Bullet Blender or equal, combine the following (makes enough for several servings and keeps in fridge several days):
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or other soy sauce
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic, about one really large clove

Blend until smooth and creamy, pour a little over your plated kale (drain the water off first), mushrooms and green beans.  Feel the goodness seep through your insides.  Ahhh.