It doesn't get greener than this

Say the word 'vegan' in this house, and you are more than likely going to met with a look of horror, not to mention a reluctance to venture anywhere close to the dinner table. Basically, we like cheese. Whether it's your English mature cheddar, your French Triple Cream Brie, your Dutch Gouda, Italian Pecorino Romano or Mexican cotija, we'll take seconds of that, thank you very much. Youngest son will eat the shredded variety out of the bag in handfuls which, yes, I know is kind of disgusting. We have even been in the US long enough to consider American cheese a real food, even if we eschew it in favor of its far superior European cousins. Vegan is a scary thought, and therefore, most of the vegetarian dishes that I indulge in tend to have cheese as an ingredient, even if it is but a sprinkling of parmesan at serving time.

However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and knowing that we love coconut milk-based curry sauces in general, I thought this recipe was worth a try, and WOWSERS! This one is a keeper, lack of cheese notwithstanding. No, we are not going to stop raiding the Cotswold and Camembert selections at Trader Joe's, nor quit the occasional expensive nip into Whole Foods for some CowGirl Creamery deliciousness. But now and again, we will go cheese-free, and still end up smiling through our dinner.

Ginger Coconut Green Spaghetti
adapted from Produceonparade.com
Serves 5

16oz wholewheat spaghetti or linguine
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
1 15oz can coconut milk (lite works fine, if you want to cut the fat)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bunch green swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
lemon wedges to serve

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti/linguine and cook according to directions, then drain and return to the pan.
2. In a large saute/frying pan, cook the garlic and ginger in some olive oil for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not yet sticking to the pan.
3. Add coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the chard and spinach and mix to coat.
4. Put a lid on and simmer for about 5 minutes until the greens are all wilted.
5. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, add the basil leaves and whizz until smooth. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
6. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir to coat the pasta.
7. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top.