VeganMoFo Day 29: | Meet the Wikos

It was a busy day yesterday, and I was suffering from a severe case of combined MoFo-Monday mania. After cooking and cleaning and taking photos, I jumped in the shower to relax then sat down to write up my daily MoFo post, only to realise that I?d forgotten to take a dress photo! Frankly, I?m kind of impressed that it took me 29 days to forget. But these things are better late than never, so I grabbed?a couple of photos first thing this morning- a process that the dogs were thoroughly confused and then excited by.

Pants was particularly keen to be involved- unfortunately, her morning face might even be?less photogenic than mine.

Notice her filthy paws- someone recently discovered that basil is delicious, and helped herself to our newly-planted herbs. It seems that a bit more dog-proofing of the veggie garden is in order!

Anyway, this dress made its first appearance in the pages of Vegan Pie in the Sky, but I figured it deserved a look-in here, too. Because of the long yellow flower print on the dress (a bit hard to see in the photos- it was bright outside this morning!), I had planned on stuffing some zucchini flowers. I?d never tried it before, but had always wanted to. MoFo would be the perfect excuse! I had some macadamia ricotta left over from my ravioli in the freezer and everything. But alas, it was not to be. We searched high and low at the markets for zucchini flowers, and came up with nothing.

I decided to throw together a simple pasta dish with the ingredients I had, instead.

Let?s just call it ?deconstructed?. This was loosely based on a memory of a recipe I made a few times back when I was just vegetarian, possibly from one of my mum?s Donna Hay cookbooks. Shell pasta, tossed with macadamia ricotta, sauteed zucchini,?tarragon, lemon and a healthy dose of black pepper. After the pasta had cooked, it was only five minutes to having dinner on the table. Perfect for a busy day!

Of course, having Miyoko?s macadamia ricotta (from Artisan Vegan Cheese) in the freezer was a huge help. I wasn?t sure how well this would defrost, but it was fine- it looked a little less fluffy than it originally had, but the taste might have even been better than before.

I mentioned the lightness of this ricotta last time, but it bears repeating here. I love tofu ricotta, but it would be too heavy for this kind of dish. The macadamia ricotta is perfectly light and clean-tasting, and makes for a great spring dish that lets the other flavours shine through. I really enjoyed this meal (probably especially because it?s so quick!), so I?ll definitely be filling my freezer with more of Miyoko?s ricotta cheeses in preparation.

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Ingredients

• 200g large shell pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1cm thick half-moons
• 1 cup vegan ricotta cheese (macadamia ricotta from Artisan Vegan Cheese is highly recommented)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons white wine or reserved pasta cooking water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Pinch salt
• Fresh black pepper to taste

• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: easy

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to packet directions. In the meantime, saute the zucchini in oil until browned on both sides.
2. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the zucchini.?Gently toss with ricotta, tarragon, lemon zest, wine (or reserved pasta water). Stir through 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, adding another tablespoon to taste if necessary.
3. Season with salt and pepper, and serve!

Tagged: artisan vegan cheese, italian, pasta, veganmofo

Source: http://www.meet-the-wikos.com/2012/10/30/veganmofo-day-29/

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