Vegan Dinner Par-tay

Tonight my husband and I were the hosts of a dinner party. Fun! We made a yummy and light summer meal for nonvegan friends. Nothing was missing. I made whole grain fettucine with homemade fresh pesto, rosemary carrots, and an herb salad with creamy garlic aioli dressing. Dessert was a decadent dark chocolate pie with berry sauce and rice dream vanilla ice cream...mmm...

Farmer's Market Pesto
YOU. MUST. MAKE. THIS. PESTO!!!!!!!!!!

1/2 cup sunflower nuts, roasted & unsalted
1 cup basil, fresh
1 cup lemon basil, fresh
1 cup thai basil, fresh
1/2 cup to 1 cup cilantro, fresh (optional, yet delicious)
juice of one fresh squeezed lemon
1/2 cup olive oil, add more if needed
salt to taste (around 2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions: Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until pasty but not creamy.

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Rosemary Carrots

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon rosemary

dash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Put carrots in medium sized pot with broth and bring to a boil. Add other ingredients, cover pot and simmer for 20ish minutes until carrots are cooked through.

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Dark Chocolatey Pie

This is actually the Smlove Pie from Veganomicon.  I only used the basic recipe for the chocolate pie part, I did not add any of their toppings (peanut butter caramel sauce and chocolate sauce).  It is a pie with a silken tofu and baking chocolate base.  It is incredibly rich and decadent and, in my opinion, you cannot even tell there is tofu in it.  It has a graham cracker crust, so you could use any vegan store-bought one or veganize a recipe by using vegan butter and graham crackers.  Also, the pie filling is gluten free and the crust can be made that way by using GF grahams or subbing chopped nuts.

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Berrylicious Sauce

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup agave nectar (or to taste)

Directions: Place all ingredients in a medium sized pot, setting aside 1/4 of each fruit for end. Simmer fruit w/ agave for about 20 mins. Blend half of the sauce and return to pot. Add the remaining fruit and cook 3-5 more minutes. Chill until use.