Pasta E Fagioli with Spinach

I made this dish last night, and although it isn’t a recipe of my own, I wanted to make sure you could enjoy it, too! This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Appetite for Reduction. I HIGHLY recommend that this book become a staple in any vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian kitchen. The recipes are simple, use ingredients that are easily found in any market, and are very low-cal/diet friendly. This pasta is literally a foodgasm and a half!

Pasta E Fagioli with Spinach:
From “Appetite for Reduction” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (get it here! http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333376773&sr=8-1)

Active Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped roughly
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans (about 1½ cups), drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces whole wheat small shells or orecchiette
• 1 pound baby spinach leaves, washed well

DIRECTIONS
Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta and preheat a large skillet over medium heat.

In the pan, saute the garlic in oil for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the beans and then lower the heat to medium. Cook until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Once the sauce is thickened, simmer over low heat to keep warm.

Drain the pasta. In a bowl, alternate adding batches of pasta, beans, and spinach to the sauce, stirring with a pasta spoon to incorporate, until the spinach is completely wilted. Mix well and serve.

NUTRITION
Per Serving (1/4 Recipe):
Calories: 440; Calories from fat: 30; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.5 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Totalcarb: 85 g; Fiber: 21 g; Sugars: 9 g; Protein: 23 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 690 mg; Vitamin A: 250%; Vitamin C: 110%; Calcium: 25%; Iron: 45%

Valentine's Cupcakes!

I made these cupcakes yesterday because I wanted something that would be "pink" to go with the spirit of Valentine's Day! Not only are they insanely easy, but they're insanely delicious as well! So, here's my simple recipe for Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting!

Danielle's Strawberry Cupcakes

2/3 Cup Vegan Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Sunflower or Canola Oil
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 Cup pureed strawberries (I thawed frozen strawberries and threw them in the food processor for a bit)
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1-1/2 Cups Flour, double sifted

Preheat oven to 325 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a food processor, combine sugar, oil, vanilla, and strawberries until mixed well. Sift together the remaining ingredients (salt, baking powder, flour) in a large bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until well-combined, but avoid over-mixing so your cupcakes are light and fluffy. Pour batter into cupcake liners. Put in oven for 22-25 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle of the cupcakes and remove it clean.

Set aside and allow to cool while preparing the frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 Cups Vegan Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Soy Free Earth Balance Margarine
1-1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cream margarine, vanilla, and milk together with a small handheld mixer. Slowly mix in powdered sugar until frosting reaches proper consistency.

(For the pink, I added just two drops of red coloring while mixing).

Enjoy!