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Pesto Rigatoni with Sundried Tomatoes & Burrata

10/31/2024

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Pesto Rigatoni
with Sundried Toms & Burrata

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

450g Dry Rigatoni Pasta
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
2 Shallots, diced
1/2 Red Onion, diced
1/2 C Sundried Tomatoes, roughly chopped
2/3 C Grana Padano, finely shredded

P E S T O

Toasted Pine Nut Pesto - www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/smashed-meatball-ciabattas-with-pesto-whipped-ricotta
Sundried Tomato Pesto - www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/sundried-tomato-pesto
Macadamia Pesto - www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/macadamia-nut-pesto
1/2 Small Lemon, juice
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, chopped
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
GARNISH - Burrata, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Basil, Grana Padano

Directions

Bring a large pot of cold, generously salted water to a boil and leave covered.
Prepare the pesto according to one of the provided recipes. Once completed, set aside and begin your pasta sauce.
Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a large skillet set to just below medium. Once heated, let everything sizzle together for about 30 seconds before adding the shallot, red onion, and sundried toms. Season with salt & cracked pepper, stir, and let everything cook for 8 - 10 minutes. Stir as needed and reduce heat if needed to avoid browning.

Pour in the wine and season with salt & cracked pepper. Once it starts bubbling away, add your rigatoni to the boiling water. Simmer the sauce as the pasta cooks until the rigatoni is a minute away from al dente. Ladle pasta water in to the skillet sauce to keep it simmering as the noodles finish. You may need to do this more than once.
Once the rigatoni is just right, strain it directly in to the skillet. Continue to toss the rigatoni with the pan sauce over the heat. This will release starches allowing the sauce to cling to the pasta and will finish cooking the pasta in the skillet. Once the rigatoni is just right, turn off the heat and take the pan off of the burner. Add the grana padano, entire batch of pesto, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. Give the skillet a good ladle of that hot pasta water and start tossing until glossy and gorgeous, adding additional pasta water if desired / needed for a creamier pasta.
Once sauced to your liking, taste and adjust your salt if needed. Serve the rigatoni with a nest of gorgeous burrata drizzled with EVOO. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, some grana padano, and fresh basil. ENJOY!
Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container for for up to 4 days <3

HAPPY VEG

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Chili Dogs Featuring Sprague Plant-Based 3 Bean Chili

10/29/2024

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Chili Dogs

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Yields: 4 - 5 Dogs

What You Need

1 Pack Yves Veggie Cuisine Jumbo Veggie Dogs ( 5 Dogs)
Hot Dog Buns
425g Sprague Triple Bean Plant-Based Chili
Extra Old White Cheddar
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced
1 - 2 Jalapeno Peppers, sliced in to rings

Directions

Empty the chili in to a small, covered pot set to medium low. Heat until properly warmed through and leave covered until service.
Bring a pot of cold water to a boil and once boiled, add the dogs and cook according to package directions. Deduct a minute or so from the cook time as we'll be slapping them on the grill. Heat a grill pan on just below medium heat and once heated, spray with cooking spray and slap the dogs on the grill. Grill each side for a minute or so until blistery and bubbly. Once each side of the dogs is blistered up, transfer them to your buns.
I didn't heat the buns, but you're welcome to warm them up / grill them if that's your preference. Once your dogs are set up, smother them in a scoop of the plant-based chili. You'll get 4 smothered dogs, or, if you skimp a bit, you can spread it out to all 5. Top each dog with your desired amount of shredded cheddar, (the more the merrier), sprinkle them with red onions and slap a few slices of jalapeno on top.
ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Coconut Paneer & Chickpea Red Curry

10/27/2024

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Coconut Paneer & Chickpea Curry

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 - 40 Min

Yields: 3 - 4 Servings

What You Need

2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
7 Green Thai Chilis
1 Tsp. Minced Ginger
4 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
Small Handful Basil, torn
113g Vegan Red Curry Paste
400ml can Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 C Pres Choice Plant-Based Chik'n Broth
400g Bag Frozen Fried Paneer Cubes
540ml Salt-Free Chickpeas, drained & rinsed
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
SERVE - Basmati Rice, Naan Bread, Fresh Cilantro

Directions

Begin heating the butter, coconut oil, ginger, garlic, and chilis, in a large skillet set to just below medium heat. Once heated, let everything sizzle together for about a minute before adding the onion, bell pepper, and a good pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook about 2 minutes before adding the torn basil leaves. Let the veggies cook for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring as needed. Add the entire jar of curry paste and let that continue to cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the coconut milk & broth, season liberally with salt, and wait for the curry to start bubbling away. Once it starts boiling, add the frozen paneer cubes, rinsed chickpeas, and another good pinch of salt. Once it starts bubbling away again, reduce to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and adjust your salt to your liking.
For service, serve with fluffy basmati rice and garnish your curry with fresh cilantro. Bake up some naan if desired and serve with the curry. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Smashed Tater Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 Mins +

Yields: 1 Main / 2 Side

What You Need

1 Large Russet
(EVOO, Himalayan Salt, Cracked Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder)
1/2 Head Romaine, cut in to shreds
Grana Padano
Caesar Dressing
1/4 Red Onion + , finely diced
2 x Lemon Wedge

Directions

Give the russet a good scrub. Cut it in half lengthwise and cut each half in half lengthwise. Give the halves 4 equal cuts giving you 16 equally sized chunks. Salt a pot of cold water and add the potatoes to the pot. Set to medium high and bring to a boil. Once boiled, let the potatoes boil away for 10 - 12 minutes until fork tender. Strain and let cool briefly.
Preheat oven to 425 F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle it with EVOO. Make sure to spread the EVOO around the tray to coat the parchment. Transfer all of your potatoes to the tray, spacing them out. Grab a drinking glass ands use the bottom to smash the potatoes down a bit. You just want a gentle smash, not a complete mash on the tray. Once they're all smashed up, give them each a small drizzle of EVOO. Season each smashed tater with salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and garlic powder.

Bake the taters for 20 + minutes, flipping halfway until gorgeously crisp and golden brown. Remove the tray and set it on to a wire cooling rack. Squeeze one of the wedges over the tray of potatoes before transferring them to a mixing bowl. Give them a generous drizzle of Caesar dressing, sprinkle in the onions, add most of the romaine, and finely shred a generous amount of grana padano in the bowl. Toss to combine, adding additional dressing if needed for a perfectly dressed salad.
Transfer the salad to your serving plate and garnish with the remaining shredduce, heaps of grana padano, and serve it up with a lemon wedge and an extra drizzle of Caesar dressing. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Hashbrown Patties

Prep Time: 15 Min
Freeze: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 10 - 15 Min

Yields: 4 Patties

What You Need

2 Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut in half width wise
2 Heaping Tbsp. All Purp FLour
1 Large, Free-Range Egg
1 Small Onion, finely grated (About 2 Tbsp. Grated)
1 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
EVOO for Frying
SERVE - Ketchup, Chipotle Mayo

Notes

The Recipe I used was from https://iamhomesteader.com/hash-brown-patties-recipe/ . I halved the recipe, added onion, and a bit more flour.
There were some flaws in how the recipe was written. First of all, no indication of the quantity of shredded potatoes. This can be detrimental to the recipe as her "large" russets could be larger or smaller than what I used. A quantity would've helped just for reference. However, I made the recipe as she wrote it.
Her Air-Fry method was completely incorrect. We'll go over that!

Directions

Add the potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiled, let the taters bubble away for about 6 and a half minutes. They will not be cooked by any means. Strain and wait for the potatoes to cool enough to handle.
Shred the potatoes on the larger side of your box grater. Add all of the shreds to a mixing bowl followed by the shredded onion, flour, egg, and salt. Mix to combine, you'll likely need to use your hands to fully work everything together. Once combined, split in to four portions and line a baking sheet with parchment. Drop the four portions on the tray and work them in to hashbrown shapes.
Freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

NOTE - In her recipe, she did not indicate whether they would be fully frozen or not. My patties held together, but were not entirely frozen. This wasn't as problem!

COOK - Originally, I started with her Air-Fry Method which said to cook them for 10 - 15 minutes on 380 F. Well, after 15 minutes, I flipped them and continued for 10 more. At this point, the center of the patties was beige while the edges were nearly burnt. Her method for air-frying was a bust. Cook time was incredibly inaccurate.
I shifted gears and heated up about 1/2 C EVOO on just about medium heat in a large skillet. You're looking for 350 F. Test the oil to ensure it is fully heated by placing the bottom of a wooden spoon in to the oil. If it bubbles away, it's ready. A thermometer would obviously also be the best way to check the temperature lol Once heated, drop two patties in to the bubbling oil and let them cook until golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes. Flip and finish on the other side until golden and crisp. Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and hit them with salt. Fry up the other two patties and finish the same way.
After frying, they were golden brown, crisp, and absolutely delicious. I dipped away in both ketchup and chipotle mayo, both of which were legit.

As you can see from the pictures above, they were looking sad out of the air-fryer even after having been cooked for 10 additional minutes. These needed emergency help.

Thoughts

As stated, her air-fryer method was a complete bust. They were pale, undercooked, and burnt around the edges. I would NOT recommend using her air-fryer method.
Follow her method for frying and you should end up with crispy, golden brown hashbrown patties.
Don't skip the shredded onion. The patties would be pretty boring without that onion flavour in my opinion.
Would these patties stop me from buying the frozen variety? Probably not, but they were delicious once fried nonetheless.

HAPPY VEG

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Ravioli Lasagna with Whipped Ricotta & Pesto

10/20/2024

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Ravioli Lasagna
with Whipped Ricotta & Pesto

Prep Time: 40 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Min (approx)

Yields: 6 Pieces

What You Need

OTHER - 2 x 300g bags fresh Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli, 2 C Pizza Mozzarella, shredded, Fresh Parsley & Basil for Garnish, Grana Padano for Garnish

Sauce

1/4 C EVOO
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Carrot, peeled & diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 C White Wine (I used Pinot)
340ml jar Roasted Red Peps with liquid
1/2 796ml can Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
Small Handful Fresh Basil
1 x Hard Cheese Rind
1/2 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper

Filling

WHIP 475g Full Fat Ricotta
WHIP 1/2 Lemon, juiced
WHIP 2 Tbsp. EVOO
WHIP 1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
1/2 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, rolled & sliced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Large, Free-Range Egg
1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Clubhouse Roasted Garlic & Pepper Seasoning
Himalayan Salt

Pesto

1/4 C Pine Nuts
Small Handful Roasted & Salted Cashews
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 Lemon, juice only
1/4 C EVOO
1/3 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
1 Tbsp. Hemp Hearts
28g Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 C Fresh Parsley
1/4 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes & Cracked Pepper

Notes

* The whipped ricotta filling is admittedly a bit extra. I happened to have it in my fridge from a recently tested recipe. With that being said, you don't have to whip it first and can simply omit the whipped portion of the recipe. Just add everything to a bowl and mix to combine.

** When I was assembling, I realized that I didn't have enough ravioli for 3 perfect layers of 12 noodles, I believe I was 3 or 4 short. With that being said, they plumped up so much that I couldn't even tell when it came to service. You can buy / add more ravioli but also, don't be discouraged if you're short like I was as it baked up perfectly!

Directions

SAUCE - Begin heating the EVOO, smashed garlic, and pepper flakes, in a large, deep skillet set to just below medium. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle together for about a minute. Add the onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and a generous pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir and cook about 10 minutes before dropping in the tomato paste and continuing to cook another couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and let that simmer away until reduced by about 2/3. Pour in the roasted peppers & liquid and half the can of tomatoes, reserving what's left in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 - 5 days. Rinse out the can with some water and pour that tomatoey water to the skillet as well. Let the sauce come to boil and once boiled, reduce to a simmer. Add the basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and cheese rind, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Once finished, pluck out the rind and add to your vortex blender. Blend in batches if needed. return the sauce to the skillet, taste, and adjust salt if desired. Leave covered on low.

PESTO - As the sauce simmers away, get that pesto going. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet set to just below medium until toasty and golden. Keep a watchful eye so that they don't burn as they're quite pricy! Add the toasted pine nuts along with all of the other ingredients to a small vortex blender. Blend until smooth, adding additional EVOO / lemon if desired / needed. Transfer to a small bowl and cover.
WHIPPED - Add the ricotta, lemon, EVOO, and salt to your food processor and whip until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt if desired. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients except for the egg. Fold together, taste, and adjust salt if desired before folding in the egg until combined. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY - Preheat your oven to 350 F. Ladle some sauce to coat the bottom of a 7" x 11" baking dish. Arrange 12 ravioli in a single layer and ladle sauce to coat the first layer. Sprinkle some pizza mozzarella and continue with a second layer. Spread your creamy whipped ricotta filling over the second layer followed by dollops of pesto and sauce, and some more mozz. Lay out your final layer, gently pressing them down to keep the layers tight. Finish with more sauce to coat the layer, the remaining pizza mozz, and more dollops of pesto.
Place a tray under the dish to catch any spillage! Bake uncovered for 40 - 45 minutes until golden and perfectly cooked. carefully remove and set on to a wire cooling rack for about 10 minutes before serving.
I cut the lasagna in to 6 pieces! Spoon out your serving on to plates and garnish with additional pesto if desired, finely shredded grana, chopped parsley, and fresh basil. ENJOY!
STORAGE - Store remaining lasagna in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 - 5 days or freeze. Remaining pesto can be reserved in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 - 5 days.

HAPPY VEG

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Caesar Sprouts

10/18/2024

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Caesar Sprouts

Prep Time: 15 Mins
Cook Time: 20 - 25 Mins

Yields: 2+ Servings

What You Need

1 Lb. Brussel Sprouts
EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Lemon
Grana Padano
Caesar Dressing
Fresh Parsley, chopped
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 F
Trim the ends off of the brussels and clean off the outer leaves. Give the sprouts a good wash and let them dry / pat them dry before slicing them in half and adding them to a mixing bowl. Pour a couple tablespoons of EVOO over the sprouts and add the garlic, a generous hit of pepper flakes, and some salt & cracked pepper. Toss to combine.

Arrange the sprouts cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Make sure to bring along all of the garlic & pepper flakes from the bowl! Once arranged, place them in to the oven. Bake roughly 25 minutes until nice and browned. No need to flip! Start peeping them around the 20 minute mark and look for tenderness / colour, removing them if they're done prior to 25 ish minutes.
Place the tray on a wire cooling rack. Squeeze the lemon juice over the tray followed by drizzling the tray with Caesar dressing. Garnish the tray with a generous amount of finely shredded grana padano and some fresh parsley to finish. Give the tray a pinch of salt and serve! Eat directly from the tray or transfer them to a serving plate and ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Dill & Garlic Roasted Toms

10/16/2024

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Whipped Ricotta Crostini
With Dill & Garlic Roasted Toms

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min

Yields: 12 Crostini

What You Need

12 x Slices Baguette (approx 1/2")
Fresh Dill & Grana Padano for Garnish
1 clove Garlic, gently crushed

ROASTED TOMS

341g Medley Tomatoes, halved
EVOO
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
Fresh Dill
Himalayan Salt & Red Pepper Flakes

WHIPPED RICOTTA

475g Full Fat Ricotta
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Toss the halved tomatoes together with a good drizzle of EVOO and a generous pinch of both salt and red pepper flakes. Transfer to a parchment lined baking dish. Nestle the smashed garlic cloves in to the tomatoes along with a couple good handfuls of fresh dill. Bake 25 minutes and then switch to BROIL HIGH / 500 F for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes have blistered a touch. Remove them from the oven and hit them with a pinch of salt.
While the tomatoes roast, add everything for the whipped ricotta to a food processor and whip until combined. Taste and adjust salt if desired.
Heat a grill pan to just below medium. Brush the baguette slices on both sides with EVOO and grill until golden on both sides. Once grilled, use the garlic clove to rub down both sides of each crostini.

ASSEMBLY - Start by spreading a generous amount of the whipped ricotta on to the crostini. Spoon some of the roasted tomatoes on top of each crostini. Don't be shy about mashing up the roasted garlic and using that on the crostini as well! Once completed, finish with a sprinkle of salt, some finely shredded grana padano, and garnish with some gorgeous fresh dill fronds. ENJOY!
Refrigerate any remaining whipped ricotta in an airtight container for roughly 3 days.

HAPPY VEG

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Cheesy Stuffed Meatball Sliders

10/14/2024

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Cheesy Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Prep Time: 40 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Min (approx)

Yields: 8 Sliders

What You Need

8 x Brioche Slider Buns
For the Buns - 1/4 C EVOO, 2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced, Pinch Pepper Flakes, Pinch Salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp, Fresh Parsley, chopped, 1/2 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
Grana Padano

SAUCE

1/4 C EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Carrot, peeled & diced
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2/3 C White Wine ( I Used Pinot)
796ml Whole Italian Imported Tomatoes
Handful Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper
1/2 C Whipping Cream, room temp

MEATBALLS

340g Impossible Foods Beef
1/4 C Cooked Brown Rice
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1/2 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, rolled & sliced (chiffonade)
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper
1/2 C Pizza Mozzarella, shredded

Notes

I made an entire batch of sauce knowing I was utilizing it for other things in the week. If you don't have any plans for the remaining sauce, freeze it in an airtight container in the freezer for a couple of months.
Want to save time? Don't hesitate to grab your favourite store-bought brand of sauce and heat up only what you'll need reserving the remaining for a future use.
While your sauce is simmering, get the meatballs started ASAP. By the time the balls are done in the oven, the sauce will be blended and you can assemble.

Directions

SAUCE - Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large, deeper skillet set to just about medium. Once that starts sizzling, stir and let the garlic sizzle away for about a minute before adding the onion, carrot, celery, and a good pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir and let those veggies cook about 7 - 10 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly if needed to avoid any browning.
Drop the tomato paste in the center of the skillet and let it sizzle for about 30 seconds before stirring and letting everything continue to cook another minute. Pour in the wine and let that simmer away until reduced by about 2/3. Pour in the tomatoes, rinsing any tomatoes from the can and pouring that water in to the skillet as well. Mash up the tomatoes a bit in the skillet and wait for the skillet to start bubbling away. Season with the salt and drop in some fresh basil leaves. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes.
When the sauce is completed, transfer it carefully to your vortex blender and add the cream. Run the HOT FOOD cycle until the sauce is creamy and blended. Return it to the skillet and leave on low until service. Taste and adjust salt if desired, I found I needed a finishing sprinkle myself.

MEATBALLS - Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl and work together with your hands until combined. Take heaping 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the mixture and roll in to 8 meatballs. Take 1 Tbsp. of the shredded mozzarella and start pressing between your hands until it warms a bit, and then roll it in to a ball. Do this until you have 8 balls of mozzarella. Cup a meatball in one hand and use your fingers to create a well in the center of the ball. Nestle the mozz ball in the meatball and form around it. Roll the meatball again until sealed and continue until all of the meatballs are stuffed.
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Once preheated, bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, flip, and continue another 7 - 8 minutes.

ASSEMBLY - Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Spray the inside of a baking dish large enough to accommodate the sliders with cooking spray. Slice open the buns and place the bottoms of the buns in the baking dish. Spoon some sauce on to the buns followed by placing your stuffed meatballs on top. Spoon more sauce over the meatballs before nestling the tops on. Whisk together the EVOO, parsley, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt. Brush this over the tops of the buns making sure to pick up some of the herbs / garlic. Once they're brushed & glossy, place the dish in the oven and bake uncovered for 12 - 15 minutes until golden on top. Carefully remove and set on to a wire rack for 5 + minutes until you serve them up. Grate some grana padano over the sliders as they sit.
Carefully remove the sliders from the dish and serve them up! You can serve with additional sauce for dunking if desired. Enjoy these cheesy stuffed sliders!

HAPPY VEG

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Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole

10/12/2024

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Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Min (approx)

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

4+ C Broccoli Florets ( 1 Large Head Broccoli)
1/4 C Unsalted Butter
Drizzle EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 Heaping Tbsp. All Purp. Flour
1 C Whipping Cream, room temperature
2/3 C 2% Milk, room temperature
1 Tsp. Dry Mustard Powder
Few Dashes Nutmeg
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 1/4 C Extra Old White Cheddar, shredded
1 C Marble Cheddar, shredded
1/4 C Grana Padano, shredded
1/4 C Full Fat Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 C Cooked Brown Rice
1/2 Tsp. + Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper
TOPPING - 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Couple Handfuls Ritz Crackers, crushed in to crumbles

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli florets and let them cook until bright and vibrant. 2 - 3 minutes. Strain to an ice bath and once cooled, strain again and set aside.
In the meantime, begin heating the butter, drizzle of EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a large non-stick set to just about medium. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle together for about a minute. Add the onion along with a good pinch of both salt & pepper, stir, and let the onions cook 7 - 10 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and let the roux / onions bubble away for 2 minutes, stirring as needed. We want to cook out the raw flour flavour without browning or colouring the roux.

Whisk in the milk / cream, making sure to break up any clusters of roux & onion. Once the mixture starts to bubble away, reduce the heat to medium low, season with the 1/2 tsp. salt, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne, and simmer for approximately 8 minutes until thick and creamy. Turn off the heat and start folding in the cheeses in batches until melty and combined, reserving a tiny bit to sprinkle on top. At this point, taste the sauce and adjust the salt if desired.
Fold in the cooked rice & broccoli until everything is creamy and combined. Don't worry if the mixture looks thick as it will bake up beautifully. Transfer this to a greased 7" x 11" baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 F
Quickly melt two tablespoons of butter. Crush up a couple handfuls of Ritz crackers in a ziplock and once the butter is melted, pour it directly in to the ziplock and use your hands to work the crumbs & butter together from outside the ziplock. Sprinkle reserved cheese on the casserole followed by the buttery Ritz crumbs.
Bake uncovered 40 - 45 minutes until crumbs are golden and casserole is bubbly and fab. Carefully remove to a wire cooling rack and let cool 5 - 10 minutes before serving. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Pesto Rigatoni
with Sundried Toms & Burrata

Ravioli Lasagna
with Whipped Ricotta & Pesto

Whipped Ricotta Crostini
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