Rainbow Pasta With Brussels Sprouts, Soy Ground, & Cherry Tomatoes

A huge thank you to the essential workers at grocery stores, post offices, hospitals, and beyond for keeping up with colossal supply and demand during this current pandemic. It has been scary times right now and living in complete isolation frightened a lot of us. We have lost loved ones, dearest friends, colleagues, those who have inspired us from afar.

The New York Times cover 5/24/2020. Rest in peace to those lost. You are more than names. 

Toilet paper was not the only hard to find item. Pantry items like pastas, rice, lentils, bread, and frozen vegetables were scarce, nonexistent for weeks. Good friends sent me beautiful care packages with yeast to make bread, masks for venturing outside, and chocolate (very important in survival). People will let you know in several ways that they care, that they’re thinking of you. Phone calls, text messages, and mailed cards have certainly kept me grounded and made me feel less alone.
Summer is coming. That means fresh, colorful plates that only veggies and fruits can provide.
Luckily, cherry tomatoes —my absolute favorite— are available right now. I love them best in pastas, pizzas, and salads, uncooked. Thus, here is a simple pasta dish of buttery tri-colored rotini with Brussels sprouts, soy ground, and cherry tomatoes.

Rainbow Rotini With Brussels Sprouts, Soy Ground, and Cherry Tomatoes Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup rainbow rotini
2 cup frozen Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup Lightlife Soy Ground (or any other kind of plant based meatless crumbles)
1/4 cup Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds
1 tablespoon Mikoyo’s Kitchen Plant Based Butter
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
pinch of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare pasta, Brussels sprouts, and soy ground according to package directions.
Combine pasta, Brussels sprouts, and soy ground together. Add in the cheddar shreds, vegan butter, Italian seasoning, and salt.
Toss chopped cherry tomatoes with olive oil, black pepper, and garlic. Garnish the pasta with the cherry tomatoes.

Curried Macaroni With Lentils

Hello all. This was a week. A week. We had some very serious health concerns with a beloved family member whose been in the hospital since Monday. He left yesterday morning. My mom is monitoring him closely. Let’s just say it truly is the hardest sight to see in the world— a precious life in the balance and at so young an age. Dreams and thoughts of tubes, IV cords, syringes drawing blood, doctors alternating between “death,” “dying,” and “dead.” We have to take care of ourselves and those closest to us if they allow it.

On the positive side, in addition to his health improving, I published stories too— Arts of Global Africa at the Newark Museum, Excellent Contemporary Art by Artists of African Diaspora on the artblog and The Ultimate Vegan Guide to Dayton, Ohio on VegNews. Plus, Camille DeAngelis’ book, A Bright Clean Mind: Veganism For Creative Transformation, is coming out soon. She has interviewed creatives such as musician/writer Lacresha Berry of berryandco, poet/writer Donald Vincent of Mr. Hip, myself, and others.

Although I have unfortunately left my VeganMofo incomplete, I still have plentiful Caribbean style recipes to post and upcoming birthday plans to consider. It’s sad and inconvenient that the local Greyhound Station has closed as well. So visiting Cincinnati to get art supplies and delicious Asian cuisine or journeying to Columbus for the art museum and the best Midtown vegan donuts and croissants are out of the question. I don’t like asking people for rides to places, especially if they’re hours away.

I have shared a similar recipe for macaroni with lentils before, but this here has the addition of delicious curried appeal. I let the lentils cook for fifteen minutes then add the macaroni so that the macaroni soaks up the flavorful lentils. It is an incredibly fulfilling meal-- always a plus since one running unfunny joke is that a vegan can never be full.

Curried Macaroni With Lentils Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup lentils
1 cup macaroni
2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoon dried onion pieces
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

In two cups of water, cook lentils for fifteen minutes. Add pasta and olive oil, stirring evenly. Cook for fifteen minutes.
Drain pasta and lentils.
Stir in curry powder, dried onion, garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Serve immediately. 

Peanut and Sesame Tofu and Zoodles

Zoodles can make you not miss pasta at all.

My budget summer continues with a yummy bowl of peanut butter sauced spiraled zucchini and tofu. At Kroger, I bought two beautiful zucchini squashes for $1.59. Their two ingredient peanut butter (roasted peanuts and salt) is $1.79 throughout August (plus I loaded a 30 cent off coupon onto my frequent buyer card) and extra firm tofu is on sale for $1.59.
I'm obsessed with peanut butter-- sweet or savory. Nothing matters. If peanut butter is involved, my taste buds are all for it-- well, all-vegan of course. I prefer the crunchy over the creamy, but my childhood was the exact opposite. For some reason, I hated the texture, especially picking the random peanuts off my tongue.
Peanut and Sesame Tofu Zoodles is definitely for those needing an extraordinary salad. It is best served at room temperature. Yet I'm sure this would be amazing pan fried as well.

Peanut and Sesame Tofu and Zoodles Ingredients and Preparation

1 zucchini, rinsed and spiraled
1 cup chopped tofu
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Toss all ingredients together until evenly distributed.
Serve either cool or warm.

These dynamite, flavor packed zoodles will make you not mourn the loss of pasta.

Baked Pumpkin Walnut Rotini

A baked pumpkin pasta is the perfect start to bringing in that traditional autumn flavor.

Happy October-- my favorite month of the year! I'm looking forward to pumpkin flavored meals, new themed treats to review, birthday cakes (gotta have more than one), and scary movie marathons.
I start off with a dish inspired by bonnie_rabbits Instagram. She had created a scrumptious pumpkin lasagna during Vegan Mofo 2018 commemorating the pumpkin emoji. Now I used rotini pasta as opposed to prepping lasagna-- that's a challenge for another day. 
The simple orange sauce is rich and nutty, complementing the pasta and broccoli beautifully.

Baked Pumpkin Walnut Rotini Ingredients and Preparation

2 1/2 cup rotini
1 1/2 cup broccoli (or any green vegetable like spinach or kale)
1 1/2 cup walnuts (soaked for 6-8 hours or overnight)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoon almond milk
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pumpkin seeds (optional)

Cook pasta and broccoli according to package directions. Pour into a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, combine walnuts, pumpkin, nutritional yeast, almond milk, garlic, turmeric, salt, basil, and black pepper until thick and creamy.
Fold sauce into pasta and broccoli. Top with pumpkin seeds if desired.
Bake for thirty minutes.

Out of the oven.

And straight to the plate.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 11: Jollof Pasta

Jollof pasta and the mistake beside them.

We head to Nigeria--the seventh most populated country and twentieth largest economy in the world respectively-- is in the western part of Africa and is supposedly the place my father's side of the family hails. So the ancestral ties are weaved deep into this part of the region, where Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities still have a strong residual history and present. There are over five hundred languages spoken here, some extinct, abundances of tourist attractions like waterfalls, rain forests, and landmarks, and literature, film (Nollywood), and art are much respected. Realist artists such as Chiamonwu Joy and Oresegun Olumide are bringing clout and inspiration with their commendable rendering techniques.

As for Nigerian cuisine, herbs and spices provide variety to favorite items like groundnut and chili peppers.

Now I would be lying if omitting countless trials and tribulations that have occurred during the creating process of my foods during this month of experimentation. Along with my Jollof Pasta, I attempted moin moin and failed miserably. They are black eyed peas pureed with onions, garlic, and spices, turned into steamed buns. Well, let's just say this would have worked out better with ramekins, a pan of water, and foil instead of pouring the batter into muffin tins and hoping for the best. This wasn't my proudest plate moment. Still, the pasta (a quicker choice than the standard rice) was a delicious choice. Essentially, the idea is to throw everything in a pot and allow all the flavors to marry together. It is definitely different.


Jollof Pasta Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup pasta
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaf
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small red bell pepper
1/2 small white onion
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon
1 teaspoon black pepper (or white if you have it)

Bring pasta to boil. Drain pasta, reserving the pasta water.
In a skillet, combine olive oil, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, thyme, curry powder, coriander, garlic, bouillon, and black or white pepper together.
Add pasta and pasta water, cooking for an additional few minutes or so.

Rotini and Spinach With Kohlrabi Cream Sauce

Kohlrabi makes for a nifty sauce.

Every once in a while, something new comes to my kitchen attention.

My housemate had kohlrabi in her CSA box and kindly let me feel free to use it. I prepared the radish family vegetable in two ways. The first is a delicious, dreamy cream sauce that went well with thick rotini pasta and yummy spinach.

Rotini and Spinach With Kohlrabi Cream Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 cup rotini
1 cup frozen spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup water
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bring rotini and spinach to a boil together. Set aside.
In a separate pot, boil hot water and add kohlrabi. Cook until softened.
Using a blender or food processor, combine kohlrabi, a bit of the kohlrabi water, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic, turmeric, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.

Stir kohlrabi cream sauce into pasta and spinach.

Serve nice and hot.

Enjoy.

Gnocchi

Little gnocchi served with cheese sauce and a side of tempeh.

Last night, I made gnocchi for the first time.
If you didn't know, gnocchi is an Italian origin dumpling traditionally composed of potatoes and flour. They can be flavored with herbs, vegan cheeses, and other ingredients before being dropped into hot water for a quick cooking.
I found this easy peasy gnocchi recipe on Lauren Caris Cooks. The scrumptious cheese sauce, smothered thickly of my preparation was just a little Parmela Creamery nut cheese mixed with almond milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, and crushed red pepper-- which suited perfectly fine.

Gnocchi Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2- 2 cup potatoes ( used Yukon Gold Potatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cup water

Bring potatoes to a boil. Mash completely.
Add salt and flour. Knead with olive oil.
Cut off a piece of dough at a time and ball it into small rounded shapes.

Using a fork to make indentations is optional (some people opt to have smooth gnocchi). After making them (should be about twenty five to thirty), bring a pot of water to boil and add a few gnocchi at a time. They're ready once floating.  

Yummy gnocchi.

Dig in.

Happy Single Awareness Day: Mushroom Stroganoff With Charred Brussels Sprouts

I made a pleasant Galentine's Day dinner last night sans the originally planned dreamy chocolate cake. Yes. Yes, I had planned to make a fabulous moist chocolate cake with sliced cinnamon bananas and mountains of heaping So Delicious Coco Whipped Cream to go alongside my Buffy and Cold Case marathons. In fact, my mouth still waters at the sumptuous concoction still swirling around in my Willy Wonka-n imagination, especially on this day where chocolate should rule the day. Alas the energy dwindled from a long day of library books and drawing on my litho stone for my CE printmaking class.

Rough layout sketch of Augusta Savage's life with No. 4 litho crayon on the heavy 14" x 17" stone.

Not quite finished. I'm filling in the whole measured rectangle and adding darks and razor bladed highlights. Augusta Savage will be part of a printmaking series on Black Herstory Month women.

After I returned home from hours spent in the print shop, I stood in the kitchen, reflecting on cooking memories.
Traditional stroganoff at my childhood home was a rarity. It was one of those Hamburger Helper box type situations where Mom just added the meat and extra sour cream. We didn't eat it often. I must say, however, it was a favorite pasta dish of mine next to the Fettuccine Alfredo and mac and cheese. There was something deliciously appealing about the combination of al deinte ribbon noodles coated in a light creamy sauce.

I liked the addition of Brussels Sprouts to give the fork a bit of flair to sink into. The preparation of mushroom sauce and reusing that same gas burner gets things started nice and hot, quickening pace for the sizzling flicker on the little green cabbages of joy.

Also, I didn't have vegan sour cream for my rotini styled in a stroganoff fashion. I don't think it is absolutely necessary, but for one who wants to mimic tradition as much as possible perhaps it would be beneficial to have that on hand. In the meantime, the dish turned out splendidly well with a lovely savory sauce and charred crispy edged Brussels Sprouts.
As for dessert, there is always tomorrow for chocolate cake.

Mushroom Stroganoff With Charred Brussels Sprouts Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup rotini (or noodles)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cup portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup almond milk (or any other nondairy alternative)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

olive oil
2 cup frozen petite Brussels Sprouts
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare rotini according to package directions.
In a skillet combine olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms. Let cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add nutritional yeast. turmeric, onion powder, almond milk, salt, and pepper to seared mushrooms. Stir and simmer for an additional 7-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend with rotini pasta.

For Brussels Sprouts, bring them to a boil and drain.
Let skillet heat up with olive oil for a few seconds before adding the sprouts.
Add cumin, sea salt, and black pepper, turning them around every few minutes, watching for various sides to blacken.

Rotini With Walnut & Lentil Sauce

I always find a new spice obsession. This time, it is black sesame seeds.
At Mom's Organic Market, a decent sized plastic bin costs under four dollars and that's plenty of small speckled seasoning to work with. I would have ventured to retrieve the grocery list fennel seeds, an ingredient I haven't used in ages, but the black sesame seeds were in everyone's IG smoothie bowls and savory dishes, looking like black pepper's prickly older cousin. So yes, I have added this to my tofu scrambles and chocolate avocado puddings, loving its gorgeous contrast and minimal flavor profile.
I have been experimenting with walnuts (after pecans and almonds, they're the least expensive to buy raw at Trader Joe's), trying to venture further into my walnut cheese ardor, inventing strategies into incorporating more raw sauces into my life. I added black lentils to my usual recipe to add a fibrous component as well as amp the "meaty" texture (because we vegans love and value the simplicity of walnut meat). This sauce was incredible in the rotini, very thick and cheesy thanks to nutritional yeast and a bit of creamy tahini.
I hope to turn this scrumptious creation into cheese wedges someday. I'm still reading about making homemade bricks/slices. If anyone has any ideas that would be most appreciated. Until then, enjoy walnut & lentil sauce in any pasta (or spiraled veggie that you choose).


Rotini With Walnut & Lentil "Cheese" Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup Trader Joe's rotini
2 cup walnuts, soaked
1 cup black lentils, drained
1/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoon liquid aminos
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Set aside prepared pasta.
Blend together walnuts, black lentils, tahini, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, Italian Seasoning, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper in food processor or blender, mixing all ingredients evenly. This should come out a bit grainy yet "meaty."
Mix walnut & lentil sauce with pasta. Serve hot and sprinkle generously with black sesame seeds.

Farfelle (Bowtie Pasta) & Broccoli With Raw Pecan "Cheese" Sauce

Pecans are a nice ingredient for "cheese" when one doesn't have cashews or walnuts.

I love pecans. Their natural sweet nuttiness has a versatile complexity that brings incredibly crunchy excitement to enticing desserts and delivers unique flavor profile to savory dishes. One of my favorite things is instead of using flour as component to crumble, subbing nuts, especially pecans. A special seasoned topping is out of this world.
Unfortunately, I missed National Macaroni and Cheese Day, which was yesterday, but I'm still sharing this wonderful, easy peasy recipe of creating perfect pecan "cheese" sauce. If pecans are not available, any other nut/drupe would do.
Now people usually soak nuts 6-8 hours or overnight. I didn't. I was pleasantly surprised that in two hours, my pecans pureed beautifully with the other ingredients. I awed and gasped at the results, smiling a little goofier than normal whilst photographing an awesome dinner.
I have plenty leftover and have big plans for sweet potatoes, polenta, zucchini noodles, and other fine carbs needing a good drown in pecan "cheese" sauce.

Raw Pecan "Cheese" Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup farfelle, cooked
1 cup frozen broccoli, prepared
2 cups raw pecans, (soaked 2-4 hours in water)
1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare pasta and broccoli.
Drain some of the pecan water after desired soaking time.
In a blender or food processor, combine pecans, coconut milk, tahini, nutritional yeast, garlic, turmeric, and black pepper. Pulse together until smooth consistency.
Top pecan "cheese" sauce over farfelle and broccoli.

Creamy pecan "cheese" sauce came out whipped perfectly and smooth like velvet, no chunkiness. If however, desiring extra pecan bliss, roast a bunch and crush a handful over top.

Oh how it glistens, mirroring salivated, hungry tongue....

Stirred.

Add extra black pepper for prettiness and eat.

Veggie Penne With Mashed Fava Beans & "Cheese"

A cheesy meal guaranteed to make a belly feel immensely good.

For a while, I have been peeved at my local Whole Foods Market. They're not carrying a lot of things they should, especially at the new giant store on Hamilton. However, one piece of good news happened unexpectedly. I hadn't even began writing a letter about the missing Daiya flavor, Jalapeno Havarti. Lo and behold, last week, I found my first vegan cheese love again.

Hopefully, it's here to stay-- forever and ever.

For this hearty scrumptious meal of pasta and beans, one could use any kind of bean-- in particular black beans or kidney beans would be an ideal replacement for fava. I liked fava for its unique flavor and texture--plus the can was already opened and needed to be used immediately.
Still, I quite enjoyed amazing combinations of pasta made from vegetables and spiced fava bean mash with the creamy richness of Daiya's premier artisan cheese. In fact, this meal-- which can serve up to 6-- left me feeling a little on the fancy side of life.

Veggie Penne With Mashed Fava Beans & "Cheese" Ingredients and Preparation

1 package veggie penne (or any other pasta is fine)
1 15oz can Westbrae Natural Organic Fava Beans, drained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Frontier Coop Italian Seasonings (or any other brand)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a few shavings of Daiya Jalapeno Havarti

Cook pasta according to directions.
In a food processor or blender, combine fava beans with nutritional yeast, cumin, turmeric, coriander, salt, and black pepper, pulsing gently. Do not let it turn into completely mushy puree. You need it to have a squashed appearance.
Once pasta is drained, lower heat on stove, and add in fava bean mixture and cheese, letting latter melt into the dish. Stir continuously for five minutes or so, making sure nothing sticks to the pot.

Serve to loved ones.

.

Extra pinch of Italian Seasonings (and some red crushed pepper flakes) filled the golden bowl with delicious blessings.

Close up of the beany pasta goodness. This is a real satisfying stomach filler.

Vegan Chili Mac

Spicy beefy mac.

Spring is happening. The weather is warm and pleasant. Happy birds are flying around. I have been enjoying much needed walking exercise. Hopefully, everyone has been keeping active as skies become more filled with golden sun rays. 
Chili mac, however, is a dish best served for the cold, chilly wintry evenings. It is a simple dish- making a pot of macaroni, stirring in fiber packed beans (here I used black, my favorite) and soy ground, and omitting ooey gooey cheese factor. Certainly, if one wants to add Daiya or Follow Your Heart, by all means do so. Here, nutritional yeast gets the job done and is aided by delicious flavored tomato sauce ( a tasty vegetable garden by 365 Brand).  Also, I didn't add oil because there was already oil in the sauce- gotta be a good vegan sometimes.
Pretty, savory, and fragrant, chili mac is the perfect, easy-to-make meal. So so good.....

Vegan Chili Mac Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup broccoli, steamed
1/2 cup beans (black, red, kidney, or any desired)
1/2 cup soy ground
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of paprika

Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
Drain macaroni and place pan back onto the burner.

With heat set on medium high temperature, stir remaining ingredients together.

Warm for 5-7 minutes.

Dinner is bowled.

Serve with a side of iced lemon water.

Vegan Baked Cheesy Spinach Pasta With Black Beans, Salsa, And Avocado Sour Cream Sauce

Close up of a simple to make baked Mexican style pasta.

Today is the final Dayton hurrah before another wheel tooting Greyhound bus adventure back to Philadelphia tomorrow evening. Thankfully, I have seen a lot of beloved familiar faces. Dear friends that I probably won't see for many many months (insert sad face). Decided to visit my sweet, humorous, very charming family on the last day, bringing along a savory, flavorful dish that had been cooking inside my imagination for weeks. I told Mom to make the garlic bread because I had a special baked pasta on the horizon. Rich and flavorful combinations dance together with delectable avocado sour cream sauce, Daiya's amazing cheddar style shreds (or use Veggie Galaxy Food Brand's Mexican Style Shreds), black beans, and Garden Fresh Gourmet's amazingly fantastic Wild Mild Chunky Salsa, this coveted dish is inspired by on the border deliciousness. There is a spicy fiesta kick to every bite, but it's not overly inflammatory on the sensitive taste buds.
It was certainly a hit for dinner!
Mom loved the creativity, Robert, my older brother was over the moon, and Patrick, my little brother said it best, "this is banging!"
So I must be doing something right. Well, in the kitchen. 
FYI: It doesn't have to be pasta either. Rice or quinoa would be great substitutes.

Sweet after dinner family photo!

Vegan Baked Pasta With Black Beans, Salsa, And Avocado Sour Cream Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

1 package whole wheat pasta
1 cup spinach
16 oz Garden Fresh Gourmet Wild Mild Salsa (or any other mild salsa will do)
16 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Daiya cheddar style shreds
1/4 cup green onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 avocados, ripened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon almond milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

To make the avocado sour cream sauce- whip all ingredients inside of a blender and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Add steamed spinach.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking dish. 
Stir cooked pasta and spinach together with salsa, black beans, Daiya, green onion, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.

Rainbow medley of flavor.

Stir in the avocado sour cream sauce and bake for 25-30 minutes.

The foil is about to blow up from the delicious madness!

Served with a side of yummy garlic bread toast.