Veggie Cannelloni

The other day I wanted to surprise the Mr with a dish that I used to make him when we first met.  When you’ve been with someone for a long time, sometimes you run out of things to surprise them with so you have to keep reinventing stuff you already made.   The simplest thing is to go back to the basics and veganize.  Something simple but symbolic.  That is what this cannelloni dinner proved to be.

Usually, cannelloni are filled with ricotta, spinach and some some type of meat.  The best thing about a dish like this is that the filling is up to you…stuff the cannelloni with what you and your family like LOVE to eat!  This is a great way to get the entire family involved in dinner prep – lay out all the fillings and have each person stuff their own tubes with whatever they want – this is really great to do with your kids!

I didn’t have any spinach so I steamed my broccoli in the microwave for 1 minute and put it in my mini-chopper along with the basil

Add EVOO to help with the process.  You want it to be chunky though…not a gloppy pureed mess! Please ignore the step down monstrosity in the background – this is what happens when you move back with all 110V appliances. Sigh.

I decided to add sun-dried tomatoes because I love them and they pack a punch of flavor! UMAMI baby!

I chopped up some mushrooms and sauteed them up in some olive oil and a dash of red wine vinegar

Because I already have too many dishes to wash, I added my broccoli mixture and the tofu ricotta back to the same saucepan I sauteed my mushrooms in because…laziness!

Mix it up. I know, it doesn’t look appetising but you’ve got to trust me on this …it will taste heavenly!

Add your grated vegan cheese, if using and fold gently. I got this on my travels and brought it with me!

Get your cannelloni.  Because I couldn’t be bothered to boil lasagne sheets/shells/cannelloni, I always buy a brand that is “Pronti da infornare”  or Ready to Bake! If you can’t find this type just follow the boil instructions on your package. Also, most pasta is vegan but just check that your package does not say “all’uovo” (with egg). This one is made with durum wheat semolina and water.

Here’s how they look.  In my opinion, its actually easier to stuff these than those boiled ones… At this point, wash your hands good and get ready to stuff.

It’s quite messy but I’ve found that my fingers are the best tools I have.  What I did was get some filling into one end and then use my index finger to push the filling inside the tube.  Repeat the process on the other end and the cannelloni will be perfectly filled!  If you are a purist, go ahead and fill a  piping bag with the mixture and fill them but where’s the fun in that?  To each his own!

Pour the tomato sauce generously over the cannelloni, top with cheese and bake

After about 35 minutes,  pour yourself a glass of chilled wine and wait for the adoration from your loved one(s)!

See those burnt corners?  We fight for those in our house…yes, we are a little nutty.

Fork to mouth.  Fork to mouth…

Recipe for: Veggie Cannelloni

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Directions

14 Cannelloni 1 cup Broccoli 1 bunch Fresh Basil 1/3 cup Olive Oil Few pieces sun-dried tomatoes 1 cup Mushrooms 1 cup Vegan Mozzarella 1 cup Tofu Ricotta 3 cups tomato sauce (make your own or if you must, store bought but it won’t be nearly as tasty!) 1 tsp red wine vinegar Salt & Pepper to taste

In a microwavable dish, add broccoli along with 2 tsps of water and steam for about one minute. Once cooled, chop roughly and add to bowl of mini-food processor.  Add basil and olive oil and pulse until combined. If using, add sun-dried tomatoes and pulse twice more. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Chop your mushrooms and saute them in a saucepan with a little olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. When browned, add a dash of red wine vinegar. In a medium bowl combine the cooled mushrooms, broccoli mixture and tofu vegan “ricotta”. Gently fold in grated vegan cheese/nutritional cheese.  Fill no-bake cannelloni by pushing filling from one end then repeating the process on the other end. In an oiled 9X13 baking tray, spoon some tomato sauce on the bottom then arrange your cannelloni in one layer and pour the remaining tomato sauce over each cannelloni. Top with grated vegan mozzarella and bake at 350F for about 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

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