Easy Peasy Pasta and Caesar Salad

Here's two more amazing recipes from my new favorite cookbook, Chloe's Kitchen!  I'm finally having some more time to cook during the week, so I am excited to try more of Chloe's recipes!  So far everything has turned out really well.  I followed these two recipes exactly according to her directions, so I'm just going to copy and paste from her cookbook.


Caesar Salad with Maple-Wheat Croutons
Maple-Wheat Croutons
6 slices whole-wheat bread, cut into 1/2 cubes (I actually used gluten-free bread here, but that's up to you)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.  Spread the bread cubes in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until crisp and lightly browned, turning with a spatula every ten minutes.  

Caesar Dressing
1/4 cup soft tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 table spoon apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
--In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, miso, salt, and pepper.  Process until very smooth.

To serve, chop up some romaine lettuce, mix with Caesar dressing and add capers and maple croutons!
Yum!  Caesar Salad without the anchovies!

Now for the pasta.  We loved this!  In the cookbook, it's described as a pasta salad for traditional Italian events, but I served it warm and it was delicious.  The next day I tried the leftovers cold as if it were a salad, but decided that with gluten-free pasta, it just doesn't taste good cold.  So, if you're using corn pasta like I did, this is better served warm.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

1 small new potato, red or white, peeled and quartered
1 pound pasta (I used Trader Joes corn pasta, rotini)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup cold water
2/3 cup olive oil

Place potato in a small saucepan and cover with salted water.  Bring to a boil and let cook until tender.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and let potatoes cool completely.

Cook pasta according to package.  Add frozen peas to the boiling pasta right before draining.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.  Transfer pasta and peas to a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile, combine cooled potatoes, garlic, tomato paste, mustard, capers, oregano, basil, salt, and water in a food processor.  Slowly add the oil in a thin stream and process until smooth.  Toss pasta and peas with sauce, and adjust seasoning to taste.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  (Remember, I served mine warm/hot and it was great.)

Will ate two huge helpings of both the Caesar salad and pasta, he loved everything so much.  It also might be a fact that I have a husband that is the best eater ever, but it's still nice to see someone enjoy my food as heartily as he does!  :)  This is a guy that loves to eat his steak and potatoes, so I think we can take this as a good sign that he loves my vegan, gluten-free cooking so much!