Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Cookbook Week: Fettuccine with Figs and Walnuts

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A highly delicious, very filling meal of whole-wheat fettuccine, doused in a cashew-cream sauce with figs and walnuts, topped with toasted breadcrumbs. A simple salad with tomato and red onion balanced out the extremely rich pasta.

The Goods: As we're sure you're aware by now, all the dishes this week are recipes in Robin Robertson's latest work, 1,000 Vegan Recipes. Robertson mentions that this recipe is one of her favorites, as it's adapted from a dish that her mother would serve every Christmas Eve. Which leads us to two points: one, congratulations to phrog from yesterday's comments! Send us an email, and we'll send your copy of the book right out. Two, for today's copy, tell us in the comments: What is your most delicious holiday tradition?

54 comments:

Meg said...

Making Christmas cookies with my sister while listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack!

Sky said...

Over the past few years, it's been watching my dad veganize all the traditional family favorites. Converting my parents to veganism has meant good eats for me! :)

Unknown said...

Making chocolate coconut snowballs with my Grandmother and to make it sweeter last year I veganized the recipe!!

The Vegan Kitchen said...

Delicious tradition? That would of course be baking gifts for all my relatives! Several kinds of vegan cookies (including shortbread dipped in chocolate, nut crescents, peanut butter cookies, gingerbread cookies, chocolate orange drops, roll-out cookies, etc.) plus dried apricots & candied orange peel dipped in vegan dark chocolate. This year I'm adding mint brownie truffles to the list :)

Jessica said...

My most delicious holiday tradition is exposing my extended family to at least one new vegan recipe each holiday. Last Easter it was Robin's crockpot seitan roast. Thanksgiving was a herby bean salad.

Rob D said...

The traditional vegan Festivus meal is the most delicious of all!

coughingcolors said...

Making christmas cookies with my family on christmas eve, while getting a bit tipsy :]

Fat Bottom Bakery said...

Mimosas are one of my family's delicious holiday traditions! But perhaps more relevantly, every year I bake up a batch of vegan cinnamon buns and give them out in holiday tins to all my relatives. Pretty delicious!

Rev. Tera Little said...

Every Christmas my son and I travel to Cave City, Arkansas to visit our family. My tradition is introducing my family to simple, yummy vegan fare.

I always make some kind of vegan candy with my grandmother (love the chocolate fudge from Joy of Vegan Baking), and the holiday meal with my parents always has Cornbread dressing with shiitake mushroom gravy.

The best is when my dad says, "If you lived here and cooked for me, I'd become vegan!"

Krista said...

Making cookies with my mom, especially sugar cookies.

ill Mami said...

My most delicious holiday tradition is making "hot chocolate" with fresh made almond milk, raw cacao powder, agave nectar, and cayenne pepper. Yum!
That recipe looks amazing. Fettucine and figs? Who knew...

birdfeed said...

Making a big pot of chili and eating it together while trying to stay warm!

Carla said...

Gingerbread! I bake mini loaves for my daughters' teachers, wrap them all pretty and give them as gifts! My youngest likes it without the added crystalised ginger, and I like it with loads in!!

Unknown said...

fresh cranberry bread!

Unknown said...

mmmmmm... care to share that cashew cream recipe!?!?! YUM!

Elise said...

Probably the *most* delicious is going to Candle 79 with my family when I come home from school - but my favorite thing to make for my family during the holidays is sauteed brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts!

Alex Tellez said...

My dad wakes up early and makes my family mexican hot chocolate and then makes a seperate batch just for me made with soymilk!

After the gifts have been distributed and opened, we all sit around the table and eat tamales! Vegan for me, of course!
With all the fixins' to boot including salsa, salsa verde, guacamole and I like Parma on mine.
Suuuuuuuuuuper good.

anna said...

Making a nice romantic brunch for two - usually with a yummy tofu scramble included - and then settling down in pajamas for some bonding with the kitties.

Abby Bean said...

Stuffed artichokes!

Josiane said...

One of our most delicious holiday traditions here has to be our "sucre à la crème", a sweet and creamy kind of fudge. I'm sure I'll find a bit of time during the holidays to make my vegan version of this old classic!

Nichole said...

drinking cocoa made with soy milk while sitting in pajamas opening stockings!

TracyP said...

"Christmas in a Glass" from Nigella Lawson's book 'Nigella Express.'

Unknown said...

probably baking/cooking with my parents!

jerilee said...

Hot tea in the morning, opening up stockings and enjoying the love and kindness of my wonderful husband while we eat delectable vegan chocolates!

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

I'm starting a new tradition this Christmas: Spending Christmas Eve packing delicious, nutritious vegan lunches for the homeless and then passing them out on Christmas Day.

Trinity (of haiku tofu) said...

That fig fettucini is a dream boat.

My most delicious holiday tradition is something my partner and I came up with during our first holidays in our own home. We planned out a special, fancy menu- portabello wellington, cream tarts, potatoes, pies- and we got up early to cook everything. It was only the two of us, and we were feeling lazy, so we just made one dish at first. Then we ate it up while we watched DVDs. Then we made the next dish, and we ate that and continued watching DVDs. And so on.

We had this long, lazy day in bed, eating a really gorgeous meal (in really long courses). It was so relaxing and FUN. Anytime we spend holidays just the two of us, we do that. And this year, it's just us! Woo!

singerinkitchen said...

The most delicious holiday tradition is making a Chilean party drink called "Cola de Mono", or "Monkey's Tail." It is strong brewed coffee with condensed milk, cinnamon sticks, and Pisco, a chilean type vodka! What a great way to bring in the new year. I also like a Winter Sangria!

chellie_d said...

Seriously, the tastiest holiday tradition started with a friend making chocolate truffles for our wedding six years ago. Three ingredients - crushed almonds, soy milk and dark chocolate - make the most awesome truffle EVAH. Our anniversary is in the holiday season and so it's a nice treat to revisit at this time of year! Thank you for the opportunity to enter!

Sarah S. said...

Wowza, that pasta looks amazing!

I'd have to say that COOKIES are the most tasty holiday tradition (although I'm big time sugared out already this year, hand me a great big salad please!)

HeyitsBeth said...

Like every other family, it's the cookie decorating that's our yummiest tradition- although I'm trying to add roasting nuts to the list.

dining set said...

Mine would probably be making of Christmas cookies and preparing the Christmas table! We always have lots of food during Christmas!

Anonymous said...

This dish looks yummy! My most delicious holiday tradition is throwing a Christmas party with my friends. We all make different vegan treats and I always look forward to the food more than the gifts!

Dazzle said...

Making Vegan truffles and gingerbread! Yummy... but I will make this pasta as soon as you send me my cookbook ;)

Anonymous said...

It would have to be making cookies with my children for Christmas gifts. I also love planning all the different menus for the family.

nora said...

Take-out chinese on Xmas eve!

laura said...

my family traditions were not vegan and i haven't really started any of my own. i made and gave away gingerbread cookies last year. if i do it again this year, it's a tradition, right?

Heather (Where's the Beach) said...

I have two really. I make and jar a spaghetti sauce for family and friends. It's my great-grandfather's recipe. My sister and I always have a cookie baking day. Hard to beat the smell of freshly baked cookies and a day spent with my best friend!

Janet said...

Our whole family comes together to bake and decorate Christmas cookies. It is a very joyful time.

Nora said...

vegan rosettes!

Carole said...

Making hot chocolate from "scratch", using either skim milk or soy milk, sugar, and real Dutch cocoa. My youngest child is 21 now, but he still asks if I will make some when he comes home from college.

Chrissy said...

Gingerbread cookies. A few years ago I veganized a great recipe and it fills the house with such a Christmassy scent!

Kristie said...

cookie and pumpkin bread making with my family...

Anonymous said...

Spending the day baking cookies and making candies with all the women in my husband's family. :-)

radioactivegan said...

My most delicious tradition is probably gingerbread cookies. Or the peppermint pig :)

aimee said...

My grandmothers Poppyseed cake recipe. I have yet to successfully veganize it but I keep trying!

Unknown said...

Using yuba (tofu) skin to create individually wrapped stuffing rolls. When basted and baked or pan-fried, these come out crispy and delicious.

JessicaTheVeganMom said...

Instead of putting names on the presents for my kids (who are now teenagers), I make a puzzle out of it. When they were little there would be themes likes animals and the land/sea/sky animals would each be for a different child. As they have become older the puzzles are much harder incorporating math, histroy, etc. They look more forward to the puzzle than the gifts.

Anonymous said...

Making Candle 79's seitan picatta, only with tofu instead!

Kim Lutz said...

Throwing a big open-house Christmas Eve party for friends and family with super-yummy vegan and allergy-friendly treats!

HD said...

BAKED GOODS OF COURSE!!!!

Knitting and cookie parties!

Lebkuchen said...

Making Christmas cookies and listening to the Ally McBeal Christmas CD!

Yvonne said...

Making almond paste for the Christmas bread and throwing snowballs at each other!

CrazyVeganMom said...

my most delicious tradition is vegan versions of all the yummy food we used to eat prevegan: Lasagna, peppermint bark, raspberry chocolates, etc.
I love showing family and friends how delicious cruelty free food tastes!

Kris said...

Most delicious holiday tradition? Well, it's going to sound silly, but it'd have to be my Italian grandmother's nuggets of fried dough. See, she makes these elaborate Italian pastries that are naturally vegan, but the parts that are cut up and can't be re-used are rolled into little dumplings and then she fries them. They are so good. :)

Happy holidays to everyone here!