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Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

9/9/2024

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Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min

Yields: 8 Pieces

What You Need

8 x 1" slices Parisian Baguette
1 clove Garlic, lightly crushed & peeled
Prepared Pesto
341g Medley Tomatoes + EVOO, Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes
GARNISH - Grana Padano, Fresh Basil

Pesto Recipes

MACADAMIA NUT PESTO
www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/macadamia-nut-pesto

SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO
www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/sundried-tomato-pesto

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Halve all of the medley tomatoes and add them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle them generously with EVOO and season the tray with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Toss to combine everything and once heated, add the tray to the oven. Bake the tomatoes about 25 minutes, flipping once or twice. To finish, switch the oven to BROIL HIGH / 500F, and let the tomatoes blister up a bit. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning.

If you're preparing the pesto, do so while the tomatoes roast up in the oven. If you're using store-bought or already have prepared pesto, skip this step.
Once the tomatoes are just about ready, begin heating a grill pan set to just about medium. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with EVOO and grill them until golden on both sides. Once they're finished, take your raw clove and give each slice a garlic rub down.
Spread some pesto on each baguette slice followed by spooning some of the gorgeous, roasted tomatoes on top. Grate grana padano over each slice, a sprinkle of Himalayan salt, and nestle a basil leaf or two on each piece. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Cottage Cheese Jumbo Shells with Roasted Pepper Sauce

9/7/2024

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Cottage Cheese Shells with RRP Sauce

Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min +

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

24 Jumbo Shells
1 C Pizza Mozzarella, shredded

FILLING

500g 4% Cottage Cheese (Full Fat)
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, torn / sliced thinly
1/4 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
1/2 C Pizza Mozzarella, shredded
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Large, Free-Range Egg
1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt

SAUCE

1/4 C EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Carrot, peeled & diced
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 C White Wine ( I used Pinot Grigio)
500ml jar Roasted Red Peppers (including liquid)
1 C Water
2 Tbsp. Prepared Red Pesto (optional)
Handful Fresh Basil
1/4 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper

GARNISH

Grana Padano, Fresh Basil, Parsley

Directions

FILLING - Mix everything together except the egg, in a large mixing bowl. Taste your filling and adjust the salt if needed. Fold in the egg, cover, and refrigerate until assembly.
Bring a large pot of cold, heavily salted water to a boil and leave covered once boiled.
SAUCE - Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a medium sized pot set to just about medium heat. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle together for a minute or so before adding the carrot, onion, celery, and a good pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook about 8 - 10 minutes. Make a well in the center of the pan and drop in the tomato paste. Let it sizzle for 30 + seconds before stirring everything together and continuing to cook another 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and let that simmer until reduced by about 2/3. Pour in the roasted peppers + liquid and water, and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiled, add the 1/4 tsp. salt, fresh basil, and prepared pesto. (I had an open jar in the fridge and decided to add it. You're fine to omit if you don't have it accessible or simply sub any pesto you have on hand) Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes. Once it's ready, blend the sauce in your Vitamix blender or use an immersion blender until smooth and gorgeous. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
Cook the jumbo shells until al dente. Strain and let them cool until you can handle them comfortably. I did not rinse them because I wanted that starch for the sauce.
Preheat oven to 375 F

ASSEMBLY - Add your filling to a piping bag. Cup the shells in one hand and pipe the filling in to them with the other until nice and full. You should get roughly 20 stuffed shells. We cook 24 in case of any breaking / extra filling at the end. Ladle sauce in to a 7" x 11" baking dish to coat the bottom of the dish. You want a nice bed of sauce to nestle the shells in to. Assemble the shells stuffed side up in to the baking dish until they're all nestled in there. Ladle sauce over the shells and top with the 1 C pizza mozzarella.
Cover and bake 25 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake 20 - 25 minutes until bubbly, melty, and delicious. Carefully remove the dish and set it on to a cooling rack for 5 or so minutes before serving.
Serve shells garnished with heaps of grana padano, fresh parsley, and / or fresh basil. ENJOY!
Store remaining shells in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

HAPPY VEG

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Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

9/4/2024

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Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 35 - 40 Min

Yields: 4 Bowls

What You Need

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. EVOO
2 large cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
A Few Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Bunch Green Onions, sliced & separated light & dark portions
1 Leek, thoroughly cleaned & chopped
2 stalks Celery, diced
2 Cobs Peaches & Cream Corn, stripped from cob (reserve 1 cob)
2 Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut in to large cubes (roughly 1")
2 Tbsp. All Purp Flour
2 C Whipping Cream, room temperature
2 C PC Brand Plant-Based Chik'n Broth
1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper
TATER GARNISH - 2 Small Russets chopped in to smaller cubes + EVOO, Salt & Pep, Pep Flakes
SOUP GARNISH - Sour Cream, Dark Portions Green Onion, Pepper Flakes, Shredded Old Cheddar

Directions

Begin heating the EVOO, butter, thyme, pepper flakes, and garlic on just about medium heat, in a large skillet deep enough to accommodate the soup. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle together for about a minute. Add the leek, light portions of green onions, celery, and a generous hit of both salt & pepper. Stir and cook for about 8 minutes - 10 minutes until the leek has softened up.
Stir in the corn and potatoes, seasoning again with salt & pepper. Continue to stir and cook another 5ish minutes. Whisk together the broth and flour, and pour that in to the skillet along with the room temperature cream. Let the soup come to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Add the reserved cob & 1/2 tsp. salt, stir, half cover the skillet, and let the soup simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are perfectly tender and soup is rich and thick.

TATER GARNISH - While the soup bubbles away, preheat your oven to 425 F. Toss the chopped russets with EVOO, salt & pep, and pep flakes, and transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until crisp and gorgeously browned up. Remove and season them with a pinch of salt.
To serve, remove the cob & thyme sprigs from the skillet. I wanted a thicker chowder for this recipe but you guys can thin it out with broth and bring it back to temperature if needed to get it to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve up your bowls and give them a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar on to the bowl followed by a scoop of the crispy taters, reserved dark portions of the green onions, and some pepper flakes. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Chik'n Pesto Provolone Ciabattas

9/2/2024

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Chik'n Pesto Provolone Ciabattas

Prep Time: 15 Min (If making Pesto)
5 Min (If using Store-Bought)
Cook Time: 25 + Min

Yields: 2 Sammies

What You Need

225g Ciabatta Style Baguette
EVOO
2 x Gardein Supreme Plant-Based Chik'n Patties + Cooking Spray, Pepper Flakes, and Himalayan Salt
Prepared Pesto
2 slices Provolone Cheese
Pickled Hot Peppers

Pesto Recipes

Macadamia Pesto
www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/macadamia-nut-pesto

Sundried Tomato Pesto
www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/sundried-tomato-pesto

Directions

Preheat your oven according to package directions for Gardein patties. Once preheated, place the frozen patties on a parchment lined baking sheet. Give them a spray with cooking spray a season each patty with salt & pepper flakes. Bake until crisp and golden brown, flipping at least once. Once they're finished, slap a piece of provolone on each one and finish them in the oven until the cheese is melty.
I would highly recommend fresh pesto for this recipe because there's so few ingredients that the pesto would really shine. With that being said, if you're using store-bought, skip this step. Prepare the pesto using one of the featured pesto recipes above. Set aside.

With about 10 minutes left on the chik'n patties, toss your baguette in to the oven for 5 ish minutes until warm and heated properly. Slice them open and brush the open sides of each ciabatta with EVOO
Preheat a grill pan and grill the buns until golden with gorgeous grill lines. Carefully remove and set the buns on to a cutting board.
Spread a generous amount of the pesto on both sides of each ciabatta. Slice the chik'n patties in half and nestle them on the bottom of the ciabatta. Pile on pickled hot peppers, close em' up, and ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Big Brekkie For 2

9/1/2024

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Big Brekkie For 2

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Yields: 2 Servings

What You Need

EVOO
2 Large Free Range Eggs
6 x Beyond Meat Plant-Based Breakfast Links
398ml can Tomato Sauce Baked Beans
Crumpets + Unsalted Butter
2 x Roma Tomatoes
1 C + Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
4 Mandarin Oranges
Diced Red Onion
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions

Empty the beans in to a small, covered pot set to medium low. Bring to temperature and reduce to low until service.
Preheat a large, non-stick skillet set to just about medium. On one side, add the sausages, and on the other, a good drizzle of EVOO, the creminis, and a good pinch of salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook the sausage son all sides until cooked through and and golden brown. Cook the mushrooms until tender, stirring as needed until ready. Once they're both cooked, push them to the side of your skillet and crack in your eggs, adding more EVOO if needed. Season with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and cook until the whites are set and yolks are perfect. Baste your eggs with oil around the whites to ensure they cook correctly.
Preheat a grill pan to about medium. Cut the tomatoes in half and grill them cut side down until charred. Season the charred side with salt & pepper.
Toast up your crumpets and slather them with butter.
Serve up your delicious breakfast. Serve up the eggs and spoon the mushrooms around the eggs. Place your sausages nearby and tuck the crumpets on to the plate. Serve up some beans in a small dish and top them with diced onions. Peel the mandarins and place them on the plate with the grilled tomatoes. That's it!
I love a brekkie like this because you can eat a little something different with every bite. Dunk the crumpets in the yolks or spoon some beans and a piece of egg & sausage on to the crumpets. However you eat it, it's hearty and absolutely delicious!
You could play around with the fruit of your choice. Some grapes or a sliced apple would be fabulous. You could also ditch the crumpets for toast of your choice or even sub in some crispy taters. I didn't have any :'( . It's easy to play around with.
ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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R E C I P E S

Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

What You Need

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Directions

HAPPY VEG

Cottage Cheese Jumbo Shells with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Cottage Cheese Shells with RRP Sauce

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Directions

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Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

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Chik'n Pesto Provolone Ciabattas

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What You Need

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HAPPY VEG

Big Brekkie For 2

Big Brekkie For 2

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Archives

Jonathan - Happy Veg

Categories

R E C I P E S

Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

​Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

What You Need

Pesto Recipes

Directions

HAPPY VEG

Cottage Cheese Jumbo Shells with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Cottage Cheese Shells with RRP Sauce

What You Need

Directions

HAPPY VEG

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

What You Need

Directions

HAPPY VEG

Chik'n Pesto Provolone Ciabattas

Chik'n Pesto Provolone Ciabattas

What You Need

Pesto Recipes

Directions

HAPPY VEG

Big Brekkie For 2

Big Brekkie For 2

What You Need

Directions

HAPPY VEG

Archives

Jonathan - Happy Veg

Categories

Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini