Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Beets and Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe was inspired by the gorgeous beet greens that most people throw out or compost when preparing fresh beets.  It is a wonderful combination of sweet and savory that becomes a gorgeous dish of healthy fushia goodness...

INGREDIENTS for 4 servings

6-8 roasted beets 
beet greens from the 6-8 beets, washed and trimmed
4-6 portobello mushroom  caps, diced into bite-sized pieces
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of  sea salt
1t dried oregano
black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup dry white wine
(optional) gorgonzola cheese, sprinkled lightly on top
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1 lb of whole wheat penne

RECIPE

Bring enough water to a rolling boil for the pound of pasta.  Add a heavy pinch of salt to the boiling water to raise the boiling temperature.  Bring back to a boil for 30 seconds and then add the pasta, stirring immediately and regularly.  It is important to add salt to the water for well-cooked whole wheat pasta.  It helps to keep it from getting gummy. 

While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the vegetables.  Remove the beet greens from the beets, trim the greens away from the stalks and tear into bite sized pieces rinse thoroughly and drain well.  Chop the mushrooms and garlic. Your beets should be at least at room temperature, or warmer.

Once the pasta is in the water, add olive oil to a skillet heated to medium-low.  Add the mushrooms and garlic with a tiny pinch of salt.  Allow the mushrooms to soften, adding a little more oil to keep them from scorching if necessary.  Add the oregano and black pepper as the mushrooms are cooking. Once the mushrooms are fully softened, add the wine, beet greens and cover, allowing to simmer for a minute.

Drain the pasta and drop into a large bowl.  Immediately add the cooked vegetables and the roasted beets to the pasta and mix through.  If you like, a bit of gorgonzola or other blue-type cheese is wonderful on this dish.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Roasted Beets

Roasted beets are a wonderful treat in the fall and very good for you.  This recipe works well for any type of beet.  If you haven't tried yellow beets, they are a bit more tart than the red variety and equally delicious.

3-4 medium sized beets feeds two people nicely
dried or fresh rosemary or oregano (about 1t for a 2-person serving)
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the ends from the beets, reserving the greens for another dish.  Scrub the beets under running water with a vegetable scrubber and pat dry.  Quarter the beets (or cut in 6ths or 8ths) so they are in bite sized pieces.  Place on two layers of tin foil, with the shiny side up.  You want large enough pieces of foil so that you can wrap the beets in foil pouch.  Cover lightly with olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of salt, a healthy grind of black pepper and either rosemary or oregano.  I lightly crush the herbs in my fingers to release more of their essential oil.  Both rosemary and oregano are delicious with the beets, so use what you prefer or have on hand.

Using your hands, mix the oil, herbs and seasoning through the beets so that they are well coated with oil and evenly coated.  Close the foil around the beets to make a pouch.  Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the beets pierce easily with a fork.  Remove and allow to cool.  Skins will remove easily with a paring knife or, if you've cleaned them well, the skins are fine to eat.

Roasted beets are great plain, in leafy green salads as well as in savory hot dishes.

Basil Green Beans

This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving. It is a refreshing take on green beans, eliminating the fat in traditional green beans. Only 90 calories per serving!

You will need:

2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 pint of grape tomatoes, each halved
2 large red onions, each halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large jelly roll pan, toss green beans with pepper, 2 tbsp. oil, and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast beans 30 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once. Stir in tomatoes, roast 5 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add onions and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook 20 minutes or until onions are tender and browned, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in garlic, cook 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar, remove from heat.

Toss onions and basil with beans, transfer to serving bowl. Serve warm!

Healthy Lentils!

Our mother is constantly asking me to give her this recipe - it is a favorite! Yummy, soul-satisfying, and pure comfort food - this recipe is simple to make.

You Need:
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 tsp. vegetable bouillion and 1 cup water, or 1 cup vegetable broth
olive oil or butter
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 carrot, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
tomato, chopped
Italian seasoning, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan, optional

Cook rice in bouillion. In a separate pot, simmer lentils until soft. In a pan, liberally covered in butter or olive oil, cook onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, and keep stirring. Add carrots and celery to the mix, and cook over medium heat. Once lentils are finished cooking, add to the rice. Finish cooking the rice, and add vegetables from pan to rice mixture. Simmer to eliminate excess water, about ten minutes (keep stirring!). Once reduced, add tomatoes, seasoning, salt and pepper. Just before serving, add parmesan. Enjoy!