Chow Mein!

 I have been obsessed with Chow Mein since trying my local vegan restaurant’s version.  I was craving it, but they are not open today, so I tried my hand at it.  This recipe is quick and delicious!

You need:

Fistful of noodles - I used spaghetti, but you can also use ramen

1/2 bag of shredded cabbage and carrot from Trader Joe’s, or make your own

1/4 cup diced onion

Cubed tofu, I used about 1/2 cup

Scallions

For the Sauce:

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter 

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses 

2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar 

1 garlic clove, finely minced

2 tsp sesame oil

First, boil the water for the pasta.  Begin to mix the sauce in a jar - whisk until fully immersed.  As soon as the water is ready, toss it in to cook and begin to heat up a pan. Throw a couple of dashes of water in the pan to cook onions first.  Once the onions are translucent, toss in the vegetable mix and tofu to the pan.  Mix until slightly wilted, cooking on medium heat.  

Once the noodles are cooked, drain and add them to the pan, turning up the heat to high.  Stir around for 30 seconds or so, and slowly add the sauce to the pan to reach desired consistency (I only used about half for 2 servings).  Let it begin to boil, so you can scrape the glazed bits off the pan as you fervently stir the mix.  Remove from heat and garnish with scallions.  Serve immediately.

If you make this, let me know!

 

Thai-inspired Pasta

I would call this Pad Thai, but I know better!

This simple dish takes no time at all and is light and healthful!

Ingrédients

Fistful of angel hair pasta
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup hot water Or You can use coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp garlic, minced or powder
1/2 lime
Rd pepper flakes, if you desire
Tbsp brown sugar
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped finely
Drained and pressed firm tofu, cut into small cubes
 Chopped peanuts, to taste
 Cilantro, chopped

Bring pasta to a boil.  Mix together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, squeeze lime juice into mix, pepper flakes, sugar.  Mix until peanut butter is completely dissolved. Meanwhile, chop veggies, and add broccoli to boiling pasta. When done, drain pasta, and add celery, tofu and sauce.  Stir to mix well, top with peanut and cilantro, and serve.

Serves 2.

Summery Pasta Salad

I’ve been making this throughout the quarantine - it’s light, crunchy and full of flavor!

2/3 C pasta (I prefer shells, but you can use any)
1/4 C peas
1/2 C marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 C diced yellow onion
1/4 C edemame, cooked and chilled
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/4 green pepper, diced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
Dash of garlic salt
1 tsp vegan mayo
Tsp of mixed Italian spices
1/4 C feta cheese
2 sprigs green onion, sliced

Cook pasta, add peas towards end of cooking time. Cook thoroughly, then drain and rinse with cold water.  Add all ingredients together and mix well.  Chill and serve.

Red Pepper Sauce (fresher than roasted)

Developed Summer 2019

About 30 years ago, I first learned about spaghetti squash, and though it was fun, thought it was a horrible substitution for pasta with a traditional marinara. Everyone raved about it as a “healthier” substitute, and I thought I was crazy. Then, about 10 years ago, I had zucchini squash thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler and topped with roasted red pepper sauce and thought, “Ah, that is good and would be good with all kinds of mild squash.” 

Last summer I was inundated with squashes from my community farm share and decided to do some research on good red pepper sauces, borrowed from many, and finally settled on this. It is very forgiving and quite delicious. I’ve used it as a sauce for squash and regular pastas, drizzled on homemade hummus, as a base for red pepper soup, and with curries.  My favorite pasta with red pepper sauce combination follows the recipe. 

This recipe is very forgiving and can be modified without loss of deliciousness.

EQUIPMENT

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cup

Zester, such as a microplane

Food Processor (or blender)

Rubber spatula or spoon

INGREDIENTS

3-4 roasted red peppers (about 2 cups) 

2-3 non-roasted jarred red peppers (about 1.5 cups)

1 fresh red pepper, seeded and cored

2T shallot or mild white onion

2 cloves garlic

1T capers

1 lemon, zest and juice

2T fresh basil or ½ T dried basil

½ t sea salt; ¼ t black pepper

____

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

 RECIPE

1.    Shake off the brine from the roasted and regular red peppers, rough chop them and toss them in the blender or food processor. (Rough chopping the ingredients helps ensure they are evenly distributed in your sauce.) 

2.    Peel and rough chop the onion and garlic then add to the peppers. 

3.    If you are using dried herbs, pulverize them by rubbing them between your palms as you add them to the peppers. This helps release their essential oils. 

4.    Add the remaining ingredients aside from the olive oil to the food processor. Blend until smooth. You may need to open the blender and scrape ingredients off the side of the container with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Once the ingredients are fairly smooth, turn on the processor again and slowly blend in the olive oil.
The sauce is ready for use. It keeps well refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 5 days or longer. 

My favorite pasta for this sauce:

Rigatoni with red pepper sauce and garlic, parsley, zucchini, mushrooms, capers, green olives, feta cheese. Any or all of these ingredients are optional; any hearty pasta will work. 

(serves 4-6 people)

·      Prepare the rigatoni as the package indicates while you make the sauce.

·      Quarter 8 oz (the standard package) of button mushrooms, cut the zucchini into ½ inch rounds and then in half-moons, mince ¼ cup of parsley leaves, and thinly slice 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic. 

·      Bring a sauté pan to temperature over medium heat. Once, it is hot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then pop in 2-3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic. 

·      When the garlic begins to slightly brown, add the mushrooms and zucchini, a pinch of salt, and bring the temperature to low, stirring frequently until mushrooms and zucchini are cooked, about 5 minutes. 

·      Pour about 3 cups of the roasted red pepper sauce into the pot with the veggies and increase the heat to medium. Use more sauce if you feel like you need it. Add about a tablespoon of capers and ½ cup of olives sliced in half. If they have pimento, you can leave it – that is actually red pepper. The feta cheese can be crumbled and added now which will make the sauce creamy or as a garnish later.  Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then take it off the heat. 

Cincinnati-Style Chili for Vegetarians and Vegans

I just LOVE Cincinnati chili. Skyline is the most well known, but Chili Time, Gold Star and even some taco shops made wonderful versions of this chili reminiscent of the Greek dish called pastitsio which features cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cocoa. I've tried a few recipes to develop a and this is the version I regularly make.  All ingredients come together in less than 15 minutes with very little slicing and dicing.  

Of course it would be delicious with  ground beef or ground turkey.  So, if you don't have a recipe and want a to give it a try, this is a good start. 

Here's a bit on the ground veggie protein or grain options.  My preferred choice is Yves' ground soy product which can be found in the refrigerator section of your grocery.  Boca's frozen product is another fine choice.  Dried TVP works decently, but isn't quite as pretty.  Finally if you prefer not to use soy-based products, you can use bulgar wheat instead.  

Makes 4 servings with 1 lb of spaghetti

Here are the amounts for your ground product: 

• 12 oz package veggie crumbles (I like Gardein the best)
• 1.5 cup of dry TVP mixed thoroughly with 1.25 cups of boiling water
• 3/4 cup of bulgar wheat; pour over 3/4 cup of boiling water, stir and allow to sit for 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped (Vidalia or spanish is fine)

ground soy product or bulgar wheat (as above); or 12 oz ground beef or ground turkey

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1Tbsp chili powder

28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or tomato sauce

1tsp allspice ** (or a mixture in equal parts of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, which I prefer)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder (you can use Dutch processed if that's what you have)

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce (regular which has anchovy in it, Amy's vegan, or pick-a-peppa all are great options…you can even make your own and for a veggie version substitute Maggi sauce for fish sauce).

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/2-1 1/2 cups water

RECIPE

Heat a stock pot over medium high flame to temperature.  Once hot, add the oil, onion, ground soy product or bulgar wheat (hydrate that ahead of time), chili powder and garlic.  Stir to mix thoroughly and allow to cook until the "meat" is slightly browned which will take about 7-8 minutes.  You'll need to stir frequently to ensure  it doesn't burn. 

Now, add the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water, being certain to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove anything that might have stuck to the bottom.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly.  Once the chili comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes and adding a bit of water if needed 1/2 cup at a time. 

Serve over piping hot spaghetti and allow everyone to top their chili with finely grated mild cheddar cheese, diced onion and/or kidney beans.  Traditional accompaniments of oyster crackers and tabasco sauce are great fun, too!  

________……..________

Here's a quick note about the allspice…  I don't use allspice, since I really don't bake and it would get

old before its time.  Instead, I mimic the taste with an equal amount of whole clove, freshly ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. 

Measure out a teaspoon of cloves. Grind it up with a mortar and pestle or smash it between two sturdy spoons. Once the clove is ground, the volume will be somewhat less than 1/2 teaspoon, but that's okay. You'll have enough.

Pull out your microplane and a nutmeg seed. Grind out an amount of nutmeg equal to that of the ground cloves.  Please don't use old pre-ground nutmeg. That's no better than using tired old allspice.  

Now, eyeball measure out a similar amount of ground cinnamon or use the microplane and grate out the correct amount.  I go through cinnamon quickly, so keep both ground and stick on hand. 

Clockwise from 12:00 - nutmeg, clove, cinnamon

Mix the ground clove, cinnamon and nutmeg together and measure out a teaspoon for your chili.  

The leftover spice mix doesn't need to go to waste -- toss it on cereal, oatmeal, fruit and yogurt, or use to spice tea or coffee.  

A Vegan's Stroganoff…Hearty Noodles with Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is hearty, warm and forgiving, so measurements are approximate.  Chop and use what you have – no need to pieces and parts to go to waste.  I’ve adapted it from a recipe I read on the Facebook page for Cleveland Vegans and Vegetarians.  I’m not inclined to put sour cream, yogurt or creamed tofu into this dish.  I would suggest instead having them as separate condiments and letting your dinnermates customize each to their taste. 

EQUIPMENT

(Nothing special is needed here)

I would suggest using two stockpots if you have them available.

[sharpen your] chef’s knife

cutting board

zester

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
1 1/2 cups onion, diced finely (a medium sized onion is perfect)

2 bay leaves

pinch ( ~1/8 tsp) sea salt

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (about a tablespoon)

¾ cup chopped celery (2 large stalks celery, leaves included if available)

¾ cup chopped carrot (1 large or two medium is perfect)

1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh (stems removed)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional -- purchased in a Thai or other Asian grocer)

1 Tbsp juice and all of the zest from 1 lemon (optional, but gives nice brightness to the dish)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Amy’s vegan or Pick-A-Pepper sauce are great substitutes, but you can make your own)

1 rounded Tbsp cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water

1 lb fresh mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and cubed (I do half and half white button and portobello) – about 4-5 cups when chopped

4 cups water 

1/3 red wine (optional)

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 12-oz package of egg noodles (or any type of ridged noodle; rice noodles would work, too, if you are so inclined… you could even use a julienned cabbage that you blanch or simmer with garlic and white wine)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Add the cornstarch to 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside. 

Bring a stock pot, dutch oven or large sauce pan to heat over medium-low flame.  Once warm add the olive oil and allow it to warm until it begins to shimmer.  Add the bay leaf and onions.  Stir and allow them to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the celery and carrot.  Once you add them, continue sautéing the mixture until onions are soft and translucent – about 8 or 9 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and allow to sauté for another minute.

While the garlic is sautéing, add the soy sauce, black bean paste, Worcestershire, lemon zest, juice and tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the cooking vegetables. Finally, once everything is blended, add 3 cups of the water (or homemade broth) and stir again. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir the cornstarch-water mixture and add to the broth.

While your broth is simmering, clean and chop the mushrooms.  Remove the stem of the button mushrooms (not only do these negatively impact the texture of the mushroom sauce, the stems can be frozen for use in a future broth.  Moreover, my dogs love them, so I enjoy giving them as treats while I cook). Quarter the button mushrooms by cutting in an “x” pattern through the top and cut the portobellos to a similar size.  Add the mushrooms to the simmering sauce and, finally, the red wine. Lace with freshly ground black pepper – up to a tablespoon.  

Make sure that there is enough liquid in the pot that the mushrooms are fully submerged but not much more than that.  If needed, you can add a bit more water as the sauce is simmering ¼ cup at a time.

Turn up the heat to medium high and bring the dish to a simmer until mushrooms are tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Turn the heat off when the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is reduced sufficiently to nicely coat the noodles.  If you are waiting for the noodles to finish cooking, don’t forget to put your lid on your pot to keep the sauce warm.

While you are simmering your sauce, bring a stockpot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions.  When tender, strain the noodles and then pour the hot noodles into your mushroom sauce mixing thoroughly.

Top with chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt or even a fresh gremolata (parsley, garlic and lemon zest minced together).

Serve hot and enjoy!

NOTES AND VARIATIONS

Here’s a note about store-bought broth: if you don’t have to use it, don’t.  It’s loaded with salt and you cannot really control the quality of ingredients or taste. This recipe is perfect made with water.  The onion, celery, and carrot together form a “mirepiox” that when combined with a bay leaf is the basis for a vegetarian broth.  If you need to make a quick broth for another dish, roughly chop a large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery and toss in a pot with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a couple of bay leaves over medium heat. The goal is the volume of carrot and celery together should be equivalent to the volume of onion. Once the onion begins to cook and brown, add 12 cups of water, raise the heat to med-high and allow it to simmer for 45 minutes or more.  Cooking the onion at high enough heat to allow it to brown slightly (without burning) will improve the taste of the broth.  Strain the broth through a colander and use as needed. For creole dishes, use “the [holy] trinity” (onion, green pepper and celery) rather than a mirepoix.

This mushroom sauce would make a great base for lasagna with ricotta and béchamel (veggie or dairy).  It would also be great served with roasted beets and a zesty vinaigrette-tossed spinach salad.  For a one-pot dish, consider tossing a cup of frozen chopped spinach or fresh well-cleaned spinach cut in a nice chiffonade at the end of cooking.  Mix the spinach through the sauce through cover, allowing the spinach to simmer for the last couple of minutes of cooking.  If you would like a spicier dish, add crushed red pepper flakes at the very beginning with the onion and bay leaf.  Start with a teaspoon and learn to adjust for your taste.

A Delicious Vegetarian Whole Wheat Couscous

The trick to making good couscous is in flavors with which you hydrate the miniature grains. Many use broth, but vegetarian broths don't provide the umami (delicious savoriness) that is satisfying.  This recipe infuses the couscous with the flavors of late summer and serves as a wonderful base for a hearty light supper.

1 1/2 cups tomato juice (I use organic juice straight from my friends' farm)
1/2 cup water
1 heaping T sofrito (a cilantro pesto-type condiment)
2-3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1-2 cups of veggies to taste


Pour the couscous grains in a large bowl.  Bring the tomato juice, water, sofrito and garlic to a simmer. Pour over your grains and let steep for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  Sofrito can be found pre-made in the Mexican part of your grocery.  You may also have friends who make a fabulous sofrito and are willing to share.  (I do make a wonderful sofrito, but the recipe was given to me as "top secret.")

As for veggies, I use what I have on hand.  It always includes sun dried tomato, red pepper, often green olives, lemon zest, mushrooms, onion, artichoke hearts, garbanzos, chopped parsely, frozen corn and/or edamame.  You certainly should heat the veggies if you like.  I'll often blanch them when I boil the corn and edamame, just to soften the taste. When in the mood, I top it off with a bit of grilled shrimp.

You will be amazed at how wonderful this is.

Summer Pasta Salad w/ Fresh Corn, Edamame and Heirloom Tomatoes

Here is a wonderful pasta salad fresh from a summer garden.  This recipe feeds four.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound whole wheat pasta
1 cup edamame, shelled (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sweet corn, (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (if using canned, rinse well)
2 medium or one large heirloom tomato, chopped
1/2 cup red wine or sherry vinaigrette
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional:
a handful of fresh chiffonade basil
a sprinkling of shaved asiago cheese

RECIPE
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Once boiling add a healthy pinch of sea salt to and allow to come to a rolling boil.  The salt is essential as it raises the temperature of the water and allows the whole wheat pasta to cook well.  Add about 1/2 package of your preferred cut pasta.  Follow directions on packaging for cooking.  As the pasta just becomes al dente, add the corn and edamame.  When the water returns to a boil, strain.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, chop your tomato and rinse and drain your garbanzo beans if you are using the canned variety.  I prefer to make my own dressings as I need them and vinaigrette is easy and delicious as they come.  My basic vinaigrette recipe is here.

Put the tomatoes and garbanzos in a large mixing bowl.  Add the cooked vegetables and enough of the dressing just to cover everything.  Gently mix together and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.  This dish is best served at room temperature as the tomato and dressing have time to nicely infuse the pasta with their fabulous flavor.

It may be served immediately while the dish is hot, allowed to cool to room temperature or refrigerated according to your preference.  It is also terrific the next day.  Enjoy!

It Ain't Your Father's Cincinnati Chili

Easy to make, you can create a delicious vegetarian version of Cincinnati chile while you boil water and cook your pasta.  This recipe will feed 4 very hungry people and may even yield left-overs.  It is delicious served with a dark green salad and basil vinaigrette dressing.

2T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion, diced
2 dried whole chili
6 gloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato paste
28 oz water
1T ground cumin
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves
2 14-oz can black beans, well rinsed

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
pinch of sea salt

Optional Toppings:
sharp cheddar cheese
diced onion
sour cream
lime-coriander yogurt sauce

Bring a sauce pan or covered large sautee pan to medium heat.  Add the oil, onions and whole dried chili, and stir occasionally to keep the onions from browning.  When the onions are transparent, add the garlic, tomatoes and water.  Add the dried spices and then the chili paste, turn to a simmer.  Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pot.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.  Once at a rolling boil add a healthy pinch of sea salt and return to a full boil.  Add your pasta and cook just to al dente.

Allow the bean and sauce mixture to simmer gently until it reaches your desired thickness.

Put the drained pasta in the pot with the sauce, turn off the heat and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes so that the pasta absorbs the lovely flavor of the sauce.

Plate the pasta and enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Garlic and Lemon Shrimp with Braised Brussels Sprouts and Angel Hair Pasta

This is one of my favorite light dishes -- anytime I can cook with garlic, parsley and lemon, I am a happy camper.  This dish is easy to make as a vegetarian dish or substitute other vegetables for the sprouts.  It's very simple to make as it is mostly chopping.

Ingredients:

20 -25 fresh Brussels Sprouts, cleaned and sliced lengthwise in half
1/2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch of Italian parsley, approx. 1 cup cleaned and coursely chopped (curly parsley is fine)
10 cloves fresh garlic, minced (maybe 3T)
4T fresh lemon zest (1.5-2 lemons)
1/3 cup white wine or lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
heavy pinch (~ 1/8 c) sea salt for pasta water

angel hair pasta (I particularly like angel hair made from whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke flour)

RECIPE
Thaw, peel and gently press water out of the shrimp and place them in a bowl.  Add about 1.5 T minced garlic and 1 T lemon zest,  a healthy grind of black pepper and cover lightly with extra virgin olive oil.  Mix thoroughly to evenly cover the shrimp and refrigerate to marinate.

Heat a large, heavy sautee pan to medium-high.  Once hot, add a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the brussels sprouts to the hot oil cut-side down, leaving about an inch between pieces to avoid over crowding. Allow them to cook without moving them until the edges look slightly browned and crisp.  Remove the braised sprouts from the heat and set aside on a large heat-proof dish.  You will probably need to do this in a couple of batches.  Don't worry about the browned bits on the pan -- you will deglaze after cooking the shrimp.  Once you have braised all of the sprouts and removed them from the pan, turn the heat off.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of lemon zest and quarter cup of chopped parsley over the top and mix gently.  You will finish cooking them as you finish the shrimp.

Now, you will make the gremolata, which is a traditional Italian topping.  It is minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest.  Finely chop the remainder of the parsley and place in a mixing bowl.  Add the remainder of your garlic and lemon zest.  Mix together until well-combined.  Some people will add a little extra virgin olive oil to this topping; I generally don't.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a rolling boil.  Once boiling hard add a nice handful of sea salt to the water (note, do not add the salt in when the water is cold or you will just get salty pasta).  Use sea salt if you have it and don't be afraid -- the salt raises the boiling temperature of the water to ensure cooking the pasta without making it become gummy.  It doesn't make it salty.

Once the water comes back to a rolling boil after adding the salt, you are ready to cook your pasta according to package directions.  I generally let it boil until I am cooking the shrimp and then add the pasta to cook in the boiling water.  If you don't like to multi task, cook and then strain the water from the pasta and sprinkle with olive oil to keep it from sticking together while you wait for the rest to finish.

Now that your pasta water is boiling, return to your sautee pan.  Add about 1T olive oil and turn the heat to medium high.  Once hot, add the shrimp and all of the marinade, spacing the shrimp evenly in the pan and leaving them alone until they begin to brown on one side. While you are waiting, add the pasta to the boiling water. Flip them over using tongs.  Add your wine or lemon juice -- use enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  Using a wooden spoon or your tongs, quickly scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan into the simmering liquid.  Add a bit of water if necessary to keep a little liquid in the pan.  Once scraped, add the sprouts back to the pan, turn the heat to medium low and cover, steaming everything for about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and coat lightly with olive oil.  Serve over angel hair pasta and top with gremolata.  You may also add a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like.

Enjoy!

Spicy Summer Linguine

When cooking for one or two people, I often make too much food to be eaten in one meal.  One of my favorite things to do is create new dishes from leftovers that allow me to enjoy the flavors in a new way.  So, here's one of this week's combinations that turned out terrific.

whole wheat linguine
mole sauce (here is the recipe for Mole Elena, a very light mole sauce)
salsa fresca (here is the recipe for Mexican Rice with Salsa Fresca)

Top one serving of linguine with 1/2 cup each of mole sauce and salsa fresca.  Top with a little sharp white cheddar (or better queso blanco) and freshly chopped cilantro.

This is a surprisingly delicious pasta.

Couscous with Feta and Mint

1 1/3 cups couscous
1/4 cup olive oil
1 jalepeno, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
8 oz. frozen edamame
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if big
1 packed cup fresh mint
bunch scallions, chopped
1 lemon for juice
8 oz crumbled feta

Combine couscous, oil, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, garlic and salt to taste in a large bowl. Whisk together until couscous is evenly coated. Scatter frozen edamame on top and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Cover the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let stand 5 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Uncover bowl, fluff mixture, and cool completely.

While couscous is sitting, quarter the tomatoes and put into large bowl. Add mint and scallions. Add cooled couscous mixture to tomato mixture and squeeze the juice of about half the lemon. Salt liberally. Add feta, and toss to combine.

Easy, Chick Pea and Artichoke Pasta

This I make often at the end of a work day.  It takes about 1/2 hour to cook and I've always got left overs for lunch later in the week.

INGREDIENTS
1T extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 14-oz can diced roasted tomatoes
1 t dried oregano
1 t fennel seed, crushed
zest of 1 lemon
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans
1 small can chopped clams (optional)
1 t crushed red pepper

Pasta of your choice.  I love whole wheat linguine with this one.

RECIPE
Heat oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic.  Almost immediately, add tomato; then spices; then other ingredients. Cook pasta to near el dente.  Drain pasta and add it and 1 ladle full of pasta water (as necessary) to sauce/vegetables to simmer to desired thickness. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Top with gremolata (a blend of finely minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest) and/or a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

pasta with artichoke-walnut pesto

This pasta was served with a variation of a wedge salad: very crisp iceberg lettuce cut into large chunks, 1 cup of flat leaf parsely, coarsely chopped tomato, a sprinkling of gorgonzola all tossed with your favorite viniagrette dressing.

(note: cheese can be left out of each step, making a great vegan dish)

--..--..--..--..--..--..--..
A fun holiday meal for two:

THE PESTO (this will give you left-overs)
1 jar or can of artichoke hearts, packed in water and drained well (it's 1 1/2 cups if you are so lucky to find frozen)
1/4 - 1/3 cup parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, skinned
salt, pepper (to taste)
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated asiago cheese

If you haven't made fresh pesto before, it is generally rather thick.  It is best tossed through hot pasta or spread with a knife. Place the artichoke hearts, parsley, walnuts, garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper in a food processor or blender until well mixed.  Add lemon juice and vinegar and blend further.  Stream in olive oil until preferred consistency and add asiago, blending well.  The sauce should have a thickness of a heavy salad dressing.  If it is too thick, add a little more of both lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil and blend. Set aside at room temperature.

THE PROTEIN
1/2 cup cannelli beans (1 cup if you don't include shrimp)
1/2 cup edamame (1 cup if you don't include shrimp)
16 50-count shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
3-4 sliced garlic cloves
pinch salt; pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Mix ingredients together. Set aside to marinate.  Refrigerate if you include shrimp.

THE PASTA
A nice flavored fresh pasta is great with this.   We made homemade pasta with lemon zest and parsley, but any kind would do.  This recipe calls for about 2 cups of fresh pasta.

THE DISH
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add a hefty pinch of salt to bring the water to an even higher temperature.  Allow to return to a boil.  Add pasta.  If you are using fresh pasta, you know it's done when it floats.  If you are using dried pasta, cook according to package instructions.  Once done, remove from heat, drain, and mix with enough pesto to lightly cover the pasta.

Bring a sautee pan to heat with a tiny bit of olive oil in it (medium high; allow the oil just to begin to smoke).  Add the shrimp (if you are using it).  Once shrimp is seared on one side (about 2 minutes), turn it and add the rest of the beans and garlic, cooking another two minutes.

Plate the pesto covered pasta and place the beans and shrimp on top.  This recipe is terrific topped with a gremolata of finely chopped garlic, parsley and parmesan.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Delectable Artichoke Pasta

2 cups whole wheat pasta
1 cup spinach, frozen
1 cup peas, frozen
garlic powder, to taste
3 tsp. artichoke antipasto, from Trader Joes
1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese, to taste
1 cup garbanzo beans

Cook the pasta as directed. Add spinach and peas. Cook until tender. Drain. Sprinkle garlic powder to taste. Add artichoke antipasto, mix evenly` Return to heat and warm. Add cheese, to taste, and add garbanzo beans and heat. Serve warm.

This would also be delicious with olive tapenade, if this suits your tastes.

Thanks to my cousins for this delicious meal!

Mediterranean Vegetable & Bean Bowl

Ingredients
Start With
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 Italian style sausages (I use Fields vegetarian, but you can use traditional or turkey sausage)
1 14 oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 T lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)

Add Vegetables
1/2 cup kale or spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
8-10 unmarinated artichoke hearts, sliced in half (frozen or in water)
1 14 oz can garbanzo or cannelloni beans, rinsed well; dried and soaked are fine here
1/4 orzo, cooked

Herbs and Spices
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, basil (2 tablespoons fresh), crushed red pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Assembly
Heat oil in large saute pan until it is hot. Slice sausages into 1/2" thick rounds and sear on each side in the hot oil. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and sliced garlic. Slicing the garlic gives it a more mild flavor than mincing, but increases it's heat. Add lemon zest.

Bring water to a boil for the orzo. Add 1/4 cup orzo to the boiling water and allow to cook in a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and spices, then the remaining vegetable ingredients. Of course, feel free to choose; whatever you have on hand. (My basic go-to for this are beans and artichoke hearts).

Drain and transfer the orzo to the sauce to finish cooking. Simmer everything together for 5 or 10 minutes. You may top lightly with your favorite hard cheese.

Optional Change: For a nice pasta dish, omit the orzo and serve over whole wheat linguine.

[olive bar] Tapenade

Here's a neat recipe to bring you to the olive bar at your favorite grocer. It is high in salt and omega-3 fatty acids, so be mindful of how much you eat.

Choose a pint of olives from the olive bar of your choice. I like to get mostly the darker olives to a 3:1 ration with green olives. You might also like to get a half-pint or so of roasted red pepper, marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, etc...whatever you like.

Olive oil, 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, maybe a small minced shallot...

Mince the olives (garlic, shallot and the other marinated veggies) and place in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Heat gently over a low flame until the mixture is heated through. If needed, add water to bring to reasonable thickness.

This is absolutely wonderful as a dressing for whole wheat linguine lightly tossed with lemon and olive oil. For a vegetarian option consider adding cannoli beans and artichoke heart. For a meat choice, I love adding seared fresh tuna that is thinly sliced.

My favorite Cleveland crepe shop would make a spinach, tomato and brie crepe topped with a similar tapenade accompanied by a mixed baby green salad. Be sure to chiffonade the spinach for this (and in my opinion) and cooked spinach dish.

Summer Basil Delight

2 tbsp olive oil

1 vidalia onion, chopped

1 diced zucchini

1 ear of fresh corn, boiled

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1/2 cup freshly torn basil

(optional) cooked pasta, corkscrew or rotini

2 plum tomatoes, diced

parmesan to taste

salt to taste

fresh pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic and heat one more minute. Toss in zucchini and keep stirring. Slice kernels off corn cob and toss into cooking pan. When all vegetables are cooked but still crisp, remove from heat and add basil, salt and pepper. Toss with pasta (if using) and liberally season with parmesan. Add tomatoes immediately before serving.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Artichoke, Fennel & Tomato Sauce

SAUCE PREPARATION
Fresh Ingredients
½ medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
½ medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 good sized garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about ½ to full lemon)
juice from ½ lemon (fresh DO NOT use that nasty squeezy bitter stuff)
***yes, this is a good time to invest in a Microplane zester (about $15 but great for zesting, parm cheese, ginger, etc) & a reamer

Herbs & Spices
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Canned Ingredients
1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I like the organic fire roasted kind)
6-8 UNMARINATED artichoke hearts, quartered (frozen, thawed, are even better)
optional: ½ 14 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
optional: ½ 14 oz can of black olives, drained and sliced
1-2 T tomato paste to thicken, needbe

Protein (Optional)
I like an Italian veggie sausage (veggie, turkey, meat…) for this…use your judgment as to how much you need. Cook the sausage fully in the following to make it extra flavorful.
1-2 ladles full of your sauce blended with 1 T tomato past
½ t crushed fennel seed (yes, a mortar and pestle or leave it out)
½ t crushed red pepper

PASTA PREPARATION
I strongly prefer whole wheat fettuccine or penne with this sauce. Cook it hard: bring lots of water to a rolling boil, add a healthy pinch of salt to raise the boiling temp (it helps the pasta cook without getting gummy). Once the water is salted and boiling hard, add your pasta and immediately stir. Watch the time, you want it el dente.

If your pots are not really heavy, you might find you can’t hold the kind of heat you need to cook whole wheat pasta so it tastes good and has good texture. No worries – use traditional semolina.