Spaghetti with Garlic Walnut Pesto

It never surprises me how often my youngest will eat spaghetti. He will go to the grocery store and buy a package of spaghetti and sometimes eat it with nothing more than vegan butter and cracked pepper. Okay, I taught him that, but he definitely eats it more often than I do!

Spaghetti with sauce is such a dinner staple for many people. And it's understandable - it's quick, easy and it tastes delicious! I've certainly made my share of it that way. But I also like to play around with it and try different sauces and toppings.

Spaghetti with Garlic Walnut Pesto

In a food processor, add:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. fresh parsley
1/4 c. vegetable broth
6 cloves garlic
1 T. bread crumbs
1/2 t. salt

Give it a good whir until everything is chopped fine and blended smoothly. Mix it with an additional 1/4 c. vegetable broth and pour it over a bowl of steaming, drained, cooked spaghetti. Serve. Enjoy!

Dips and Savories

I have a fondness for delectable finger foods. Especially at Yule. Christmas Eve. New Year's Eve. Any day that ends in y. We refer to them as fun food. Sometimes we buy up a bunch of several different prepackaged kinds, but after awhile they become boring. Making my own ups the fun ante and the plus side is I get to experiment with new recipes.

Tiny Taco Tarts

30 individual frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed
1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
6 T. vegan sour cream
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 T. lime juice
Toppings of choice (we used cilantro)

Bake the phyllo shells at 375 for 10 minutes. Let cool. Mix the remaining ingredients (except for toppings) and spoon into the cooled shells. Top with chosen toppings and serve.

These were very tasty, but don't use too much of the mixture in the shells, or you'll taste more mayonnaise than anything else. Use a smaller amount and the mix of creamy ingredients with phyllo crunch is perfect.

Black Bean Dip

Half a red onion, cut in quarters
1 c. cilantro leaves
2 cand black beans, rinsed and drained
4 t. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1/2 c. orange juice

Add onion and cilantro to a food processor and whirl until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients except for orange juice and whirl again until well mixed. Place in a bowl, add orange juice and mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.

I would have liked the beans to be more mashed than they were, so would whirl it all a little longer. This, however, did not stop it from being devoured. Also, more than half an onion overwhelms all other flavors. Add more if you like that.

Cilantro Pesto

2 c. cilantro
2 T. walnuts
1 T. lime juice
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. water

Combine everything in a food processor and whirl until well mixed. Serve with raw veggies. We used cucumber and celery.

I initially left out the sugar, but discovered it really was needed to tone down the tartness. While it went well with the raw veggies, I found out the next day it went even better over pasta.

I woke up the next day really expecting leftovers. I should have known better serving these to a house full of twenty somethings. Everything was gone but for just over a tablespoon of the cilantro pesto.