Vegan Lemongrass and Chervil 'Chicken' Alfredo over Fettuccini and Crispy Broccoli Rabe

It's raining in Los Angeles, which means most of the people in town are acting like the Apocalypse has unleashed tyranny upon our fair city. People drive like a sheet of ice covers the roads, call in sick from work and generally panic about their hair and make-up like they may actually melt. I, personally, love the rain. I love waking up to the sound of it hitting the roof, I love puddle jumping, and I most certainly still know how to drive like a maniac even though the roads are slick. Not to mention that rain improves the typically smoke-like air quality of filthy LA. Calm down, people. It's just fucking rain.

Anyway, enough about the weather. I want to thank you all for responding to my hopefully blossoming "open a restaurant" scheme. I've never had so many comments on one post before in my entire bloglife. So this week, I'm putting another question out there. I want your suggestions for the most impossible to veganize dishes so that I can convert them for our consumption. I ask one favor, though: Do NOT ask me to veganize fois gras. I just simple won't go there, home slice. It can be anything else. Go ahead and smack me with the tough stuff. I can take it.

Now, on to this week's recipe. On the top of my list of fat kid indulgences is Alfredo sauce. I'm typically a red sauce fanatic, as most of you probably know from posts I've dedicated entirely to my love of tomatoes. But the lovely blend of ingredients that composes a great Alfredo really tickles my teets. Yes, I said teets. This recipe came about when Jane hyped my culinary skills to a vegan friend of hers, then invited her over for dinner.

"Ask her what she'd love to have." I said.

Jane asked.

"Fettucini Alfredo with 'Chicken'".

"Fine. But I'm making it fancy."

Duh.

Anyway, I'm rambling like an idiot today. Drive safe, Angelenos. And for fuck's sake: jump in a damn puddle.



1 large bunch of Broccoli Rabe (about 1 lb)
1/8 cup Olive Oil3 cloves Garlic, chopped1 lb Fettucini Noodles1 batch of Vegan Chicken Breast, slicedOlive Oil, enough for grilling "Chicken"5 TBSP Vegan Margarine1 1/2 cups Dr Cows Aged Cashew Cheese, grated (or any Soy Parmesan)1 1/2 cup MimicCreme1/4 cup Plain Soy Creamer1 stalk Lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, pounded and thinly sliced2 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice1/4 cup Fresh Chervil, mincedSalt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
Prepare a large bowl of ice cold water (an ice bath), then set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the Broccoli Rabe for 1 minute until tender. Drain quickly then transfer the Broccoli Rabe to the ice bath. Drain well, then set aside.

Heat the 1/8 cup of Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the Broccoli Rabe plus a touch of salt and pepper, then toss well to coat in the oil. Cook until the Broccoli Rabe is tender and crispy, about 4-5 minutes, then set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook fettucini noodles until just al Dente. Drain well, toss with a touch of Olive Oil, then set aside.

Preheat the Olive Oil on a grill pan or in a large skillet, then grill/saute the slices of vegan chicken until golden brown and crisping slightly. Set aside.

Melt the vegan margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Add the grated Dr Cow cheese, soy cream and MimicCreme, lemongrass and lemon juice, then bring to a boil while stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low, add in the Chervil, and simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Toss the noodles with the Alfredo sauce, the serve topped with grilled "Chicken" and Broccoli Rabe.