Carol L. Cain
Vegan Fettucini Alfredo:
Sauce Ingrediants: 1 lb tofu (soft is best but firm is okay--it must be completely bland tasting) 1 cup raw cashews (unsalted--I store them in the freezer and use them without defrosting) 1/2-2/3 cup lemon juice (fresh or in bottle) Fresh basil leaves (optional--use any amount from 2 leaves to 1 cup, depending on the taste and color you are looking for) 1-3 garlic cloves (to taste--don't use powder) Salt to taste (I find it needs at least a little) Water (use as much as you need to get the right consistancy; if you use firm tofu, you will need more water) Blend all ingrediants (you need a good blender or food processer) until very smooth. The sauce should be ever so slightly more watery than you want the finished product to be. This is a matter of taste, but try for the consistancy of dairy alfredo sauce. Put the sauce into a pot. Heat on low heat until warm enough to serve. Do not cook. Serve over noodles of your choice--I recommend fresh feticcini pasta (warning: supermarket versions contain eggs) but regular spagetti, amoung others, works well too. I usually serve it with sauteed veggies as below: Veggie ingrediants: Slices of veggies of your choice--I recommend carrots, brocolii, radishes, string beans, spinage, etc (not all at once, vary color and texture). I do not recomend tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, onions (well, maybe), ginger, but you can do whatever you want. Olive oil (or canola or anything bland) Pine nuts (optional but very good) A little white wine cooked in can be good if you're in the mood for the flavor it gives Saute veggies in oil until tender. Add pine nuts. Serve with pasta and sauce. See? Easy. The hardest part is cleaning the blender. Made with veggies, this recipe should serve 2 hungry people with some leftovers. If you add salad, bread, dessert, etc, you might be able to feed four average eaters. The whole thing (cooking 3 things at the same time) should take about 30-45 minutes to make (if you're an experienced cook--add 15-30 minutes if you're not).