Last night I made homemade vegan pesto with pasta. Sautéing vegetables, to me, is a cathartic experience. When the mushrooms break down along with (in this case) chopped asparagus and tomato, I become quite peaceful and lose myself in a bit of zen. If you're asking me what the greatest trifecta ever to be cooked down in oil is, I will tell you that it is peppers, onions, and mushrooms. A pinch or two of salt and some freshly ground black pepper? I don't even need a protein or bread. I will eat it straight from the bowl. The sauté is the easiest way to quell your worries.
Some people like to weed gardens or trim hedges. Other people move sand around little boxed-in gardens with tiny rakes. There's lots of ways to find peace in these stressful times if you know where to look. For me, I don't have to cast my eyes much further beyond a hot pan with a little bit of olive oil.
The basil and vegan-friendly cheese was blended together with the oil and began to cook. Once it had come to into a romantic kind of smell, I added a little soy milk to thicken it up and raise the color. (Keep in mind I have no real idea what I'm doing so I just wing it and taste, season, wing it and taste, season).
Anyway, what came together in the end was a lovely dish. I used whole grain pasta which was a nice alternative to the semolina stuff. If I had enough time, I may have tried my hand at homemade pasta, but unfortunately I didn't have anything to substitute egg. I will be looking into this. I poured myself some red wine and enjoyed my meal. All was well in the kingdom.
And would you look at that? Leftovers today for lunch. Score.
Barry