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Filtering by Tag: pasta

fresh tomato pasta

Andrea

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In terms of food, I do believe this is my favorite time of year. Summer. Aside from the two outdoor weddings photographed on 100+ degree days, she's been treating me well. Our local market is exploding with color and flavor; eggplant, tomatoes, peaches, melon and squash make it into our basket every Saturday. Our dinners are simple, inspired by the abundant fresh produce and the desire to keep it all as whole as possible. While I do love to cook, the idea of spending an hour preparing dinner over a hot stove is less than desireable in the middle of July. Which is why this recipe is my new favorite.

Sarah is my office mate, Beyond the Flavor partner, fellow food lover, and very dear friend. Nearly every afternoon we turn away from our computers and ask what the other is having for dinner. On Monday, when I was clueless about our evening menu but mentioned that I had a bowl full of beautiful, ripe tomatoes, she told me about this dish. It is about as simple as it gets, relying fully on the flavor of summer's best bounty. Tomatoes are chopped to bite-size pieces and tossed with sliced basil, minced garlic, and a generous amount of olive oil. The mixture is then refrigerated for at least an hour before being folded into hot, cooked pasta. Add some sausage (which we'd grilled the previous evening), salt, pepper and Parmigiano, and dinner is served.

Happy weekend, friends!

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Summer Tomato Pasta

serves 4

To make this dish vegetarian, remove the sausage and add red pepper flakes to your marinade.

Ingredients

  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • 12 leaves fresh basil
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
  • 1 cup crumbled hot italian sausage, cooked
  • 1 pound brown rice pasta
  • salt + pepper
  • fresh Parmigiano Reggiano

 Method

  1. Chop tomatoes. Slice basil. Mince garlic. Toss all together in a shallow dish with olive oil and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  2. Cook pasta. I like to bring my salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. The pasta should be done in 8-10 minutes.
  3. Drain pasta and add back to pot. Toss with tomato mixture and add crumbled sausage. Salt + pepper to taste.
  4. Serve with shavings of Parmigiano and an arugula salad.

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pasta with portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, + chèvre

Andrea

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Goodness, I am not doing so well in the beauty department with the recipes I've shared in 2012. But again, this one is worth trying even with the overall brownness of the dish. It is relatively quick and involves inexpensive ingredients that we typically have every day. With little flecks of green parsley it is even more tasty and just a tad prettier but, as you can see, parsley wasn't in my fridge when I prepared this meal (for the 3rd time in a month, I'll add) and it was still really wonderful. Maybe not 'share with company' delicious, but perfect for a weeknight with family, or with friends who are family.

Virginia is in a weird, in-between phase of weather right now. One day we'll have sleet and snow dust and misty skies, the next sunshine and fluffy clouds and crocuses peaking from beneath fallen leaves. Mother Nature can't decide if she should buckle down and get serious about Winter or skip on ahead to Spring. I'll take either, but the back and forth is really throwing me off. I waver between wanting a thick + meaty stew for dinner or a light salad with citrus. Grocery shopping is nearly impossible since the chances of my craving what I actually buy are slim, given that the weather is bound to drastically change 2 days later. I am falling back on old staples; meals that have proven themselves worthy no matter the time of year. Like this one, which I'll either fill my bowl to the brim with (cold, Winter day) or pair equally with a fresh salad (warm, Spring day). Either way it's a winner, and sure to stay in our rotation year-round.

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Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, + Chevre

from Food + Wine

4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter, divided
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 3 large onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
  • 3/4 lb ziti (we use brown rice pasta in our house...just as silky as semolina, but whole grain)
  • 3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
  • 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Method

  1. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 2 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes (I let them go for closer to 30). Remove from the pan.
  2. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and the pepper.
  3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.
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orecchiette carbonara

Andrea

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We have a special category for certain types of meals in our house: BHubb meals. As in, 'that's a BHubb dinner', which tranlates to 'that's the kind of dish that makes Brian, aka BHubb, a happy man'. Typically a BHubb meal is rich and heavy, and most often has some sort of pork product involved. Examples of BHubb meals from the past include Slow-Cooked Carnitas, Pappardelle with Spicy Pork Ragu, and Bacon Garlic Marinara with Homemade Meatballs. You see, sometimes I get on a salad kick, or a soup kick, and there will be weeks where most of our meals are one or the other. Those are most definitely NOT BHubb meals, because once Brian leaves the table he is rummaging for more sustenance in the pantry within half an hour. I am trying to be better about the balance between AHubb and BHubb meals in our house, and I must admit that I get a lot of satisfaction out of Brian's vigorous nod of approval after his first bite of a dinner made specially with him in mind. 

I knew going in that this Orecchiette Carbonara would get such a nod. Brian already expected something delicious when he got home last night, as I'd asked him before he left for work to slice 6 long strips of bacon from the cured pork belly we had waiting in our fridge. His eyebrows went up as he said 'bacon, huh?!?', and happily got to work carefully releasing slice after slice from the slab. And once at the dinner table, true to form, with his mouth still full Brian looked to me, pointed at the bowl in front of him, and gave me that content bob of his head letting me know that this, for sure, was a Bhubb meal.

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This is a dish that I feel certain will make a frequent appearance at our table. We almost always have each of these ingredients on hand, aside from perhaps the leeks which, in a pinch, could be substituted with sweet onion.  Orecchiette can occasionally be difficult to find, but is worth the effort if you do. The tiny ear-shaped pasta is perfect for catching the peas and bits of bacon. If you have trouble, substitute shells or bowties.

Orecchiette Carbonara

serves 4

Ingredients

  • 6 slices high-quality, thick-cut bacon
  • 2 medium leeks, white + pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 10 oz orecchiette pasta or small shells
  • 2 large, high-quality egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley

Method

  1. Cook bacon until crisp. We like to cook our bacon in the oven at 400° for about 15 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet, but cooking it in a skillet on the stove top is fine, too. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain, and set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon fat, keeping it in the skillet or pouring it from the baking pan into a skillet.  Once the bacon is cool, break it into small pieces.
  2. Add the leeks and garlic to the skillet with the bacon fat, and saute' over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the peas and stir to heat evenly. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  4. Whisk the egg yolks, parmesan, and cream together in a medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. 
  5. Add the pasta to the leeks and stir to mix over medium heat, just until all is heated through and the leeks are just starting to sizzle again. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour egg mixture over pasta. Stir until the sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. You can return the skillet to very low heat if the egg mixture is still runny, but be careful not to overcook. If the pasta needs to be moistened, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water back to the pan.
  6. Stir in the bacon and parsley, blending well.
  7. Serve with additional cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
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pasta with bacon garlic marinara and homemade meatballs

Andrea

Tomato season is coming to an end, a time which, for me, is bittersweet. I am at the same time sad that I'll have to wait another ten months for full-flavored, raw tomatoes to grace my plate, and pleased that this sign brings Autumn (and the cooler weather that comes with her) just a little bit closer. To remedy these mixed feelings, I've been making and canning lots and lots of sauce. The ritual of washing dozens and dozens (and dozens x10) of tomatoes, passing them through the Sauce Master (best. tool. ever. thanks Joe!), and cooking the resulting puree down to half its original volume with onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs has been a weekly routine since mid-July. It brings me great pleasure to know that soon, when the air is brisk and the leaves have fallen, we'll be able to tap into a bit of Summer with one of the 30+ pints of marinara we've got stored away.

And, what better accompaniment to homemade tomato marinara than homemade meatballs? It had been awhile since the last time we made meatballs at home, but I'm thinking (and know that Brian agrees) that they should make a more regular appearance on our menu.  They are so easy, and for us the epitome of comfort food when paired with fresh pasta and rich sauce. It may seem odd to have made a dish so warm and hearty during the heat of mid-August, but to me seemed an appropriate invitation for Autumn to hurry herself along.

Even if you're not set up to can tomato sauce, I still recommend doubling or tripling the sauce recipe and freezing the leftovers. And, while you're at it, go ahead and double the meatball recipe, too. They freeze well, and will be so delicious with the extra sauce come October...

Pasta with Bacon Garlic Marinara and Homemade Meatballs

sauce by Bella Eats, meatball recipe from Bon Appetit, October 2010

serves 4

Marinara Ingredients

  • 2 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 6 large heirloom tomatoes (about 3 pounds), blanched, peeled, and cored (keep the seeds) 
  • salt + pepper

Meatball Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French or country-style bread
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounces ground beef (15% fat)
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 1 cup finely ground (not grated) Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large garlic cloves, pressed

To serve

  • 1 pound of fresh pasta (we love linguini)
  • parmesan cheese

Method

  1. First, get the sauce going (it will take about 2 hours). Saute the bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over high heat until starting to brown.  Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper and saute for an additional 2 minutes, stirring pretty constantly. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you put them into the pot, and scrape the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Immediately start the meatballs once sauce is simmering. Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl, stirring until breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Let stand for 10 minutes. 
  3. Place beef and pork in a large bowl and break into small clumps. Add the parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. 
  4. Whisk together the eggs and the garlic cloves in another small bowl. Pour over meat mixture. 
  5. Using your hands, squeeze the excess milk from the breadcrumbs, reserving the milk. Add the breadcrumbs to the meat mixture. Using your hands, quickly and gently mix all ingredients together until everything is evenly distributed, taking care to not overmix. Chill at least 15 minutes and up to one hour.
  6. Moisten your hands with the excess milk, then roll the meat into golfball-size balls. You should have about 16 meatballs.
  7. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the sauce to the desired consistency. Return to a wide, shallow saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Add the meatballs in a single layer, and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. You'll want to turn them about halfway through, but be careful not to break them apart before they are ready to move.
  8. Cook pasta and drain. Remove meatballs from sauce. Add pasta to sauce pan and toss to coat. Serve with meatballs and shredded parmesan cheese.

rat-a-tat

Andrea

rat-a-tat-toooooouuuuuille! Ok, so the name is sometimes more fun than the dish itself. Ratatouille evokes all kinds of call-outs and tabletop drumming from me, in an effort to convince Brian of its viability as a recipe to remain in our files. It starts one Saturday morning at the farmer’s market, as we pass a table full of deep-purple eggplant and I turn to Brian to ask “how about ratatouille this week?”. He’ll snarl a little, let out an “eh” and shrug his shoulders. This happens for a few consecutive Saturdays, until finally I’ll say, “come on...rat-a-tat-toooooouuuuuille!” and he’ll grin and agree that this can be the week for our once-a-year ratatouille night. Ratatouille For me, it wouldn’t be the end of summer without the classic eggplant, zucchini and tomato-laden dish. It feels like a last-hurrah for the final produce of the season and the perfect start to autumn, when I start craving meals of its kind. It is homey and hearty, a melding of flavors served warm over pasta and topped with shaved parmesan cheese. I like to dunk a couple of thick slices of crusty french bread into the juices, and usually pair the meal with one of my first glasses of red wine of the season. Its tradition, and one that I cling to mightily despite a little resistance. Ratatouille-2 For Brian, ratatouille is just a little “blah”. He doesn’t mind it so much, but would prefer that we skip straight from summer salads to creamy potato cheese soup and pans full of bubbly lasagna. Typically, after we’ve purchased our eggplant Saturday morning, it will sit on the countertop for a couple of days until finally, on the cusp of its transition from firm and fleshy to soft and dimpled, I’ll convince Brian that “tonight is rat-a-tat-touille night!” and it will be peeled, cubed, salted and tossed in a pan with a glug of olive oil, freshly diced zucchini and a generous pile of minced garlic. Ratatouille-3 After some silly names, a few tabletop drumming performances and maybe a little ratatouille dance, it is the smell that will finally bring Brian around - his nose leads him to the kitchen and he’ll sheepishly tell me “it smells really good in here, honey”. The eggplant is set aside, and in its place onion and bell pepper start sizzling away. Tomatoes are added, and as their juice is released the eggplant is tossed back into the pan. All is covered and simmered until the eggplant is silky and the zucchini and peppers are just tender. Pasta is boiled, parmesan is shaved and bread is sliced. Dinner is served alongside glasses of red wine, in the golden light of the fading sun and suddenly, it is Fall. Ratatouille-4 Basic Ratatouille adapted from the joy of cooking over pasta, this will serve 4 Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
  • 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 2 large bell peppers, red, yellow or orange, cut into 1-inch squares
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped and seeded fresh tomatoes (I used romas.  the recipe says to peel them, I did not.)
  • 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (oregano is good as well)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. After peeling and chopping your eggplant, place it in a colander and sprinkle with course sea salt.  Let sit for 30 minutes to release some of the liquid, rinse well and pat dry.
  2. Heat the oil over high heat and add the eggplant and zucchini.  Saute' for about 8 minutes, then add the garlic.  Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the veggies are golden and just tender. (This timing will depend on the freshness of your eggplant.  You don't want it to get too soft, so watch closely.)
  3. Remove the vegetables from the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high.  Drizzle in the 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies are just tender but not browned.  Season with salt and pepper to tasted.
  4. Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the eggplant mixture and cook until everything is tender 10-20 minutes.  (Again, this depends on your veggies.  You want the eggplant to be silky but not falling apart, and the other veggies to be tender but not mushy.)  Taste and adjust your seasonings.
*  We decided after this go-round that the ratatouille could be improved with the addition of some red pepper flakes.  I'd add about a 1/4 tsp, depending on your tastes, when you add the onion and bell pepper to the pan. *  Another possibility, if you're not a fan of spicy food, is to add capers.  I had a bruschetta recently with eggplant, onion, tomato and capers that was absolutely delicious, so think they'd be lovely in the ratatouille as well.  I'd start with a tablespoon, added with the tomatoes, and add more if you feel it is necessary. Ratatouille-5
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busy lady

Andrea

Alrighty, another quick post tonight guys.  I'm sorry!  I sit on the board for a local non-profit organization and have TONS of reading to do tonight before a board meeting tomorrow night.  I know how I'm spending my lunch break tomorrow!  My food today was all prepared in a rush.  Remember me mentioning that my poor hubb had to work late last night?  Well, I got a phone call from him at 5:30am asking me to pick him up from the office.  5:30am!!!  And then he had to be right back there at 7:30am!!!  Which means I had to be ready at 7:20, and I of course went back to sleep after picking him up so had very little time to get things together this morning. Breakfast:  1 slice banana date bread, 1/2 cup Fage 0% with 1 banana and 1 tsp honey (I saved the other piece of bread for dessert) [no cals today guys...I'm too tired to log it all!  :( ] 090224-b1 Have I mentioned how much I love this bread?  Because I do.  I. Love. This. Bread. 090224-b2 Lunch:  my hubb made me a wrap!  He's so sweet, even in his deliriously tired state.  I also ate a large orange, which I forgot to get a picture of in my rush. 090224-l1
  • dijon mustard
  • smoked turkey
  • spinach
  • red bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • pepper jack cheese
  • whole wheat tortilla
090224-l2 Snack:  1 slice banana date bread. [143 cal...I remember from yesterday.  :)  ] Exercise:  4-mile run with Kelly.  Same route as last Thursday, nice and hilly.  It felt pretty good, but my legs were a bit stiff and heavy with soreness from yoga last night.  That's what I get for taking the weekend off from running and a week off from yoga.  :( Dinner:  Mediterranean Pasta.  This was really good, and I'll definitely post a recipe sometime but I'm going to work on it first.  We didn't get home until 8:00 and I was just throwing stuff in the pan that sounded good together...  Sometimes the best recipes are made that way! 090224-d1
  • brown rice spaghetti
  • artichoke hearts
  • sun dried tomatoes
  • spinach
  • chickpeas
  • parmesan broth (onion, garlic, chicken broth, parm. cheese)
  • 1 tbsp part-skim mozzerella
090224-d2 Dessert:  I made these cookies to send to two generous blogger bake sale buyers...so I of course sampled the dough.  Probably a whole cookie's worth...I have absolutely no self control when it comes to cookie dough.  None. Ok, gotta run read!  G'night!
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swiss chard, i think i love you

Andrea

I am a BIG fan of leafy greens.  Collards, kale, mustard greens...you name it, I probably like it.  Except for swiss chard.  I've never been convinced of swiss chard.  Now to be fair, I haven't given it many chances.  I made a chard gratin many years ago with the stems and it turned out mushy and bland.  I sauteed the leaves and they were a little bitter.  And then I gave up because I already had a long-term relationship with collard greens and didn't really feel the need to rock the boat.   090126-d4 Last week I decided that maybe it was time to give chard another chance, in the name of trying new things and expanding my veggie-loving horizons.  I bought 2 bunches and planned to try preparing them using this recipe.  And then I got busy, and the chard went bad.  So on Saturday I bought another two bunches and made sure to plan a meal with them at the beginning of the week so that there wouldn't be a repeat of last week's waste.   090126-d3 We had a couple of ingredients in the fridge leftover from this weekend, bacon and heavy cream, two items I don't get to cook with very often in my quest to eat healthfully.  So, in the name of not wanting to waste more ingredients in my fridge, this recipe was born. Swiss Chard + Bacon Linguine with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce makes 4 servings Ingredients:
  • 1 pound swiss chard, preferably rainbow or red-stem
  • 1/4 pound bacon
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 8oz butternut squash puree'
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Wash chard and separate leaves from stems.  Course chop both, separately.
  2. Boil linguine for 10-12 minutes, until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
  3. Fry bacon in large, nonstick skillet.  Set aside on paper towels.
  4. Saute' onion in nonstick skillet for 2 minutes, until translucent.  Add chard stems and saute' for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add 1/2 cup of water to pan along with chard leaves.  Cover with a cookie sheet and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until stems are tender. Remove from heat and keep warm.
  5. Whisk squash and cream together over medium high heat.  Bring just to a boil then lower heat to simmer, whisking constantly.  As sauce thickens add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.
  6. Pile noodles on plate.  Drizzle with a bit of sauce.  Add chard mixture and crumble bacon on top.  Drizzle additional sauce across the chard.
090126-d5 This was really delicious.  Swiss chard and I are now good friends, and I think we have quite the future ahead of us... What vegetable have you tried in the past but written off because of an unpleasant first experience? 090126-d6 Ahh routine.  I LOVED spending so much time with friends this weekend and having an excuse to eat several meals out and drink lots of wine, but my body is thanking me for getting back on track.  I was starting to feel a little blah what with all the unhealthy eats, vino and lack of exercise due to a sore foot, so today was definitely a welcome change.  Granted, my dinner included a small amount of bacon and cream, but at least it was whole and homemade.  :) I started the morning off inspired by the custard oats I've seen pop up on both Sarah's and Heather's blogs.  These two ladies are really fabulous, and their blogs are daily reads of mine. Check them out if you haven't yet! Breakfast:  custard oats topped with cinnamon, flax seeds, dried figs and a PB spoon. 090126-b1 To make the custard oats I combined 1/2 cup soymilk, 1/2 cup water, 2 egg whites and 1 tsp vanilla in a small pot on the stovetop.  I set the heat way too high and walked away from the stove, resulting in a very smelly mess of boiled over milk and eggs.  Thank goodness for glass cooktops!  Yuck.  I didn't want to give up, so I quickly jumped back on Heather's blog to read that I was supposed to keep the heat on medium and whisk the ingredients constantly until they thicken a bit.  MUCH better.  At this point I added 1/2 cup of rolled oats and kept the heat on medium, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes.  After the oats had thickened quite a bit more, but were still a little runny, I removed the pot from the heat and covered it to allow for additional thickening while cooling. I topped my bowl with:
  • a sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp flax seeds
  • 1 dried fig
  • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
The verdict?  Well, the oats were certainly very creamy, but I think I prefer the texture of my standard oats much better.  The banana doesn't cream-ify the oats quite as much, and lends such a wonderful sweetness to the whole bowl.  With the egg whites I kept thinking I could taste them, and worried about whether or not they were actually cooked.  Eggs freak me out a little. Don't judge.  :)  I'm glad that I tried them though, thanks ladies! Lunch:  the other 1/2 of my Amy's Curried Lentil Soup and a big salad.  Look familiar?  It was SO welcome. 090126-l1 090126-l3 This beauty contained:
  • spinach
  • red bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • hearts of palm
  • garbonzo beans
  • a tangelo
  • poppyseed dressing
YUM!  I finally remembered to take a picture of the dressing bottle for you too.  Its SO tasty, but definitely not low-cal.  Does anybody know of a good low-cal creamy poppyseed dressing?  I'd love to know about it!  I'm addicted to poppyseed dressing on top of fruit on top of salad. The bottle says that its good drizzled on fresh peaches...hmmmm.   090126-l2 Snack:  a peanut butter cookie larabar.  After witnessing several of my fellow bloggers ignore the salmonella scare and refuse to waste their favorite bars, I decided to do the same.  Its my favorite flavor, and I can't find them ANYWHERE (or at least can't remember where I found this one) so I decided to risk it. Probably stupid, huh?  It was tasty though!  :) 090126-s1 Ok, this post has been really long.  I'll quickly tell you that I didn't get a run in tonight because I had to work late, but my foot is feeling much better! There is still slight pain, so its probably best that I gave it another day before pounding the pavement.  I do have plans for some yoga tomorrow morning though, and I can't wait! Oh, and I almost forgot!  Look what was waiting for me when I got home tonight...Quaker True Delights bars from Foodbuzz!!! 090126-d2 I've been dying to try these new bars from Quaker since seeing them on Jenna's and Kath's blogs last fall, so of course I said YES when Foodbuzz asked if I wanted to try them!  Thanks Foodbuzz!!! The hubb and I split the dark raspberry almond flavor for dessert and it was SO good.  I think I'm in love with a new granola bar...move over Kashi!  :) Ok, now its bed time.  G'night!
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broccoli rabe, squash + tofu pasta

Andrea

I finally got to cook dinner last night!  Its been such a busy week and it just hasn't worked out for me to make anything substantial in the kitchen.  Sadly, my lack of cooking this week meant the sacrifice of two bunches of swiss chard...I had to toss their poor, limp, lifeless bodies into the trash last night. That will teach me...I hate to waste! Luckily when I opened the produce drawer I discovered that the broccoli rabe we picked up last weekend at Whole Foods had survived my brief hiatus.  I've had broccoli rabe several times in restaurants, but I've never actually made it myself.  After doing a little research, I discovered that even though it is part of the broccoli family, and has a few similarities in appearance to broccoli, you actually treat it like leafy greens when cooking it.   090122-d1 I was originally thinking that I would just cook up the broccoli rabe on its own and have it on the side of some glazed pan-fried tofu and a grain of some sort.  That sounded a little boring until I remembered this article I had seen in the NY Times last week.  I used it as a starting point for my pasta dish, but made plenty of changes and additions to be able to call it my own. 090122-d3 The recipe has several steps, but its really not as complicated as it may look on paper.  The squash goes in the oven first, and while it roasts you pan-glaze the tofu.  Once the tofu is ready, the broccoli rabe is parboiled, and the squash is removed from the oven.  The onion and squash are added back to the pan that the tofu was just glazed in, with a little bit more olive oil.  Its joined by the drained broccoli rabe and garlic, and then by the already glazed tofu.  Meanwhile, your pasta is boiling and once drained, it gets tossed in the pan as well.  Easy peasy.  :)  I do think it took about 45 minutes of prep time. 090122-d5 090122-d6 Broccoli Rabe, Squash + Tofu Pasta [makes 4 servings] Ingredients:
  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1lb), peeled, seeded and cubed
  • pan-glazed tofu, recipe follows
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 large bunch broccoli rabe (about 1lb)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 lb brown rice pasta, preferably fusilli
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.  Place cubed butternut squash in small baking dish.  Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt + pepper to taste.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until squash is just starting to get tender.
  2. Meanwhile, pan-glaze the tofu (recipe below).
  3. While tofu is cooking, rinse broccoli rabe (BR) very well.  Cut off tough ends of stems, about the last 2”, and discard.  Chop remaining BR into 1/2” pieces.
  4. Check on your roasting squash, and remove from oven if starting to get tender.
  5. Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Add the BR and boil for about 4 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop BR out of hot water and into a bowl of very cold water.  Reserve boiling water for the pasta.
  6. While the BR is resting in the cold water, reheat saute’ pan used for tofu and add 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the onion and squash, saute’ for 5 minutes until tender.  Add garlic.  
  7. Drain and squeeze water from BR.  Add to saute’ pan along with the glazed tofu.  Toss all together for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat but keep warm.
  8. Bring water back to a boil to prepare pasta.  Boil pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes.  Drain and toss with sauteed ingredients.
  9. Serve immediately, with parmesan sprinkled on top.
for the tofu:
  • 12oz extra firm tofu, cut into roughly 1” x 1.5” x .5” pieces
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • pinch of salt
pan-glazing method:
  1. Cut the tofu into roughly 1” x 1-1/2” x 1/2” pieces.  Lay cut pieces across a few stacked paper towels.  Lay a few more layers of paper towels on top of tofu and press water out gently with the palms of your hands.  Repeat twice more.
  2. Heat olive oil in nonstick pan on medium.  Add tofu pieces and let saute’ for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown on one side.  DO NOT disturb the tofu before turning it over.  Simply lay it in the pan and leave it alone until you check it for color after 6 minutes.  When golden, flip tofu to other side.  Let saute’ an additional 5 minutes on second side, without disturbing it.
  3. While tofu cooks, mix together all ingredients for the glaze.  
  4. Check second side of tofu for color.  When golden, pour glaze into pan, stirring tofu to fully coat it.  Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until glaze thickens and most of the liquid is gone.
  5. Remove tofu and pan from heat.  Place tofu on a plate and set aside.  Reserve the pan and any remnants of glaze for use in a few minutes.
090122-d7 I really enjoyed this dish.  The flavors all went so well together.  And most of all, I enjoyed being in the kitchen again!  :) A quick recap of my other eats yesterday... Breakfast:  toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter and a sliced banana. 090122-b1 Lunch:  1 cup of Amy's Curried Lentil Soup and another lovely salad.   090122-l1 The soup was really good, but way more calories than I normally look for in a soup.  There are 230 cal/1 cup serving, and I typically look for that many calories total in the can. 090122-l2 This salad contained:
  • spinach
  • cucumber
  • red bell pepper
  • hearts of palm
  • garbonzo beans
  • dried cranberries
  • poppyseed dressing
    I meant to take a picture of the poppyseed dressing bottle, but I forgot.  :(  I'll try to do that for you this weekend.  I think it is Brianna's brand, the same brand whose honey mustard dressing has a picture of an avocado on the front...   Snacks:  a perfect tangelo at work and a handful of granola when I got home. Whew!  Ok, I'm glad to be caught up now.  I've got a really busy weekend ahead of me so posting will probably be a little sporatic.  In fact, I know I won't be posting tonight because I already promised my hubb that he would have my full attention getting our house ready for guests this weekend.  Apparently blogging takes up a lot of my evening time...!  :) And, THANK YOU ALL for your great comments about my foot injury!  I am definitely thinking that it is plantar fasciitis, and am so angry with myself for getting off of my training last week and then pushing too hard last weekend to finish my long run.  :(  I've gotten great advice from you guys, from the 'net, and from a marathon-running friend of mine that has either seen or had every running injury in the book, so I'm hoping to recover soon.  Its still really painful today, even after resting yesterday. I'm going to see how it feels tomorrow but if its still really sore I made hold off on doing my long run. I'm also going to go talk to my coach at the running shop and see if he has any advice for me and make sure that my shoes are still doing for me what they are supposed to be doing.  And I've got a list of stretches to do, Advil to take and an icing routine in the evenings.  Wish me luck!!!
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