Drunken Spicy Red Wine Spaghetti

I made this Drunken Spicy Red Wine Spaghetti on Friday evening, so we could drink the rest the remaining bottle that evening.  The red wine in question this time came from Marks & Spencers Shiraz Six Hats which is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, its also Fair Trade.  We only drink once a week, either on a Friday or Saturday so it has be a good one.  Its also our acknowledgement that the weekend has started and thank goodness for it after a long week in work. 

Vegan Mofo theme this week is Rainbow Food and the prompt today is Monochrome: One Colour Food and wallah here is a bowl of Drunken Spicy Red Wine Spaghetti. So how would you describe this colour? Blush, cardinal, amaranth or just simply red wine.

My husband D, absolutely loved this Drunken Spicy Red Wine Spaghetti and said it made for a delicious change from our vegetarian version of The Red Lady  Putttanesca and The Angry Arrabiata that we so often have.  I did not have any home-made vegetarian or vegan Parmesan to hand and have never in my life had the real stuff, even in my non-vegetarian days I was put of by it as it smelled like baby sick to me, so I just threw on some waxy tasted pine nuts, but I wished that I had some of the Green Gourmet Giraffe's vegan Parmesan cheese to hand.  

By the way a few weeks back I saw Red Wine Brownies trending on blogosphere, neither the Red Wind Spaghetti or Red Wine Brownies are new, but they are to me.

Cavolo nero with garlicky butter beans

The first recipe I chose to cook from Vegetarian Suppers, the cookbook I won from Oraphan of Easy Veggie was Polenta squares with gorgonzola cream, braised greens and cannellini beans. Of course I had to adapt it a little. Deborah Madison suggests chard or broccoli rabe, the only green growing in my tiny garden plot at home is cavolo nero, so that is what I used. Cavolo nero is an Italian cabbage with dark green leaves that has a subtle flavour. It can be used in most cabbage recipes. This was quite tasty actually and the polenta was a nice change from potatoes and rice.

I am submitting this recipe to Grow your own (GYO), which celebrates it second birthday. It was started by Andrea Meyer of Andrea's Recipes. It is a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow ourselves and the dishes we create using our homegrown products. GYO#39 is hosted by Nate at House of Annie. The rules are really simple: Make a dish that uses at least one item from your very own garden, backyard or farm and post about it during the month. Your garden doesn’t have to be big. Tiny garden plots and container gardens are welcome, which of course suits me to the ground now! Also if you’ve foraged for a plant, herb or fruit, they are also eligible for entry. You can also use something that was given to you, but the giver must have personally grown the vegetable, fruit or herb. If you paid for it, then it doesn’t count. So why not participate. It’s also a great way of showcasing what is in season and growing locally in your area.

Polenta triangles with gorgonzola cream and Cavolo nero with garlicky butter beans
Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 – 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
Generous bunch of cavolo nero, washed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 400g tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add onion and cool over medium-high heat, until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, that add the green, season with salt and cook until the greens have all collapsed, add 100ml of water and turn down heat to cook for 15 minutes, then add the butter beans and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through. Check for seasoning and serve.

Mushroom and Tofu Marsala

I don’t recall ever having had Marsala wine before and I certainly have never had the classic Italian dish Marsala Chicken either. So to cook with it and make a vegetarian version of this dish was all going to be a new culinary experience for me. Marsala is a rich, fortified wine from Sicily. As one who has experience of drinking a variety of wines, spirits and beers, D forewarned me that Marsala had its own unique flavour, and not one that could easily be substituted with another fortified wine. So, if the recipe had recommended Marsala that is what I should use or not make the dish at all. I took his word. So on Friday, during my lunch hour I tentatively walked over the sheets of ice and 'dandruff' snow to the nearest supermarket, and bought a bottle of Marsala. It cost almost £8.00, blimey.

So was it worth it? It so was. I made this Mushroom and tofu Marsala yesterday. The sauce was so flavourful and in its short cooking time the Marsala had even infused the tofu well. I would go as far as to describe this as Restaurant food, in which case how much should I charge D?
I served this with crusty bread and pickled green beans. The book also recommends serving it with a winter salad and sour cream dressing.

Now I am thinking what other vegetable based recipes I can make with the remaining Marsala. Any ideas would be welcome.
Mushroom and Tofu MarsalaServes 4
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 red pointed peppers or I large red pepper, chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups of Marsala wine
250g firm tofu, cut into even size cubes
Chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
A handful of chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a pot on medium heat, cook the garlic in the oil until it begins to sizzle and then add the peppers, oregano and salt. Cook stirring often. After about 5 minutes, add the Marsala and the tofu and cook on high heat for another five minutes to reduce the wine a bit. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the basil and seasoning to taste. Heat through before serving with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the flavourful broth. Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers
For those of you who don't know, I accepted a 'Pay it Forward' gift from Ribbit of The Corner Yard with a promise to 'pay it forward' to another lucky recipient. So if you would like to receive a little something from mangocheeks, check out this link and leave a comment by Sunday. I will announce the recipients name the following day.