Meatless Manicotti, amongst other things.

I adapted this recipe from my mother's Meatless Manicotti that we used to eat growing up. Her version includes cheddar and cottage cheese with sloppy joe seasoning mix and tomato paste. I made tofu ricotta in place of the cheese and good ol' veggie marinara for the sauce.

Manicotti:
1 package manicotti shells
3 cups diced zucchini
Tofu ricotta
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce


Parboil manicotti shells for 6 minutes at a rolling boil. When done, shells will be slightly hard and hold their shape. Make sure shells are not touching while they cool. (Using the plastic trays they come in works as a perfect holder until you are ready to stuff them.)


Tofu Ricotta (basically double of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe):
2 blocks extra firm tofu, crumbled
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
Handful of fresh basil, chopped finely
4 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Mash all ingredients together with a fork (or your hands if you want to get messy).


Mix together the zucchini with the tofu ricotta. Use a spoon to stuff each shell with the mixture and place them in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.

(This would be great with Pine Nut Cream on top. That recipe can be found in Isa's Veganomicon, however I did not make it with it this time. Pee ess, sorry I didn't take a picture. I completely forgot.)

Bake covered at 375°F for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.


...


I just sent my 'thank you / goodbye' letter to my teachers. My stomach sank right after I finished it. I am REALLY sad. But excited. Hopefully this give and take thing works out for the best.. I think it will.

I am also *this* close to renting my apartment. Thank you, craigslist. (PLEASE SOMEBODY TAKE MY LEASE.) I am looking forward to catching my breath. But this house is really becoming more of a home lately, however obvious it is in its ephemerality.

I hung up this clothes line yesterday. So freaking cute. And it's outside of my house.





Peace out, faithful readers.