Veganomicon

All I have to say about this cookbook is... YUM! Before I bought it, I was told that Veganomicon is the bible of vegan cooking and I can see why. I have only cooked several things from it so far but they have been very successful and my tummy has thanked me. Tonight, Brian and I had spinach linguine with basil-cilantro pesto and artichokes and it was delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Sometimes I shy away from making my own pesto--I prefer to buy it pre-made at the store. But I made this pesto (with the help of my son) and it was great. Here are the recipes for the pesto and the pasta...

Basil-Cilantro Pesto
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Place everything but the olive oil in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down sides occasionally. With food processor on, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Blend until smooth with no large chunks of almonds left.

Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes
1/2 pound spinach linguine (I used a full pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into half-moons
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I used 5 cloves--I always add more garlic to everything I make!)
2 tablespoons white cooking wine (I used Sutter Home Chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe basil-cilantro pesto
1 (15 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half (use the kind packed in water, not oil)

1. Cook pasta. While it is cooking, saute onion in a skillet with olive oil about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute more. Add white wine, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute or two.
2. When linguine is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it in batches to the skillet with the onions. When you add a scoop of pasta, add a spoonful of pesto at the same time. Mix it evenly and repeat until all the pasta and pesto are used. If the mixture seems dry, add a little pasta water to it.
3. Add artichokes and toss to coat. Cook gently over a low heat for about 3 minutes and serve.

This book also includes a recipe for chocolate chocolate chip cookies that are to die for. I highly recommend getting this book, if for nothing else, then for the cookies. You will forget all about any previously held, negative ideas you had about vegan cooking when you try the recipes in this book!