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Summer Salads Part 2

June 22, 2011 by 2 Comments

Are you still with me for summer eating week? So far, there has been brownies and one salad. Here is recipe #3.

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This tortellini salad was the second salad I brought to the baby shower I hosted over the weekend. I made one similar a few weeks ago to try out flavors and proportions.

The key to serving a large amount of people was to make as much as I could ahead of time and then use the immediate time before serving to finish it and plate it. The ingredient list for this is short, the manpower was all in the chopping. The key again was the dressing.

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Cold Tortellini Salad

(serves 40)

Ingredients

  • 96 oz tri-color cheese tortellini (two jumbo packs from Costco)
  • 3 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 C red tomatoes, halved
  • 3 C black olives, halved
  • 3 T EVOO
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil, filled about 2/3.
  • Add tortellini and cook as package says, about 10 minutes until pasta is ready.
  • Drain in a collander.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine olives, tomatoes and bell peppers.
  • When tortellini is cooled, add to the vegetable bowl.
  • Refrigerate at this step until ready to serve.
  • In a small bowl, combine 3 T EVOO, 3 T water, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, the juice of one lemon, and one garlic clove and whisk together.
  • Pour on top and stir until mixed well.
  • You can leave this dish out a while because the refrigerator tended to make the tortellini stick together.
  • Serve at room temperature.

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This dish was a nice medley of cheesy and crunchy, and was filling because of the dense tortellini. A great picnic or party summer salad because it was easy to prepare and can be served or left sitting out for a long time. Also great for lunch or dinner.

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Summer Tortellini Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 40
 

Ingredients
  • 96 oz tri-color cheese tortellini (two jumbo packs from Costco)
  • 3 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 C red tomatoes, halved
  • 3 C black olives, halved
  • 3 T EVOO
  • ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions
  1. In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil, filled about ⅔.
  2. Add tortellini and cook as package says, about 10 minutes until pasta is ready.
  3. Drain in a collander.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine olives, tomatoes and bell peppers.
  5. When tortellini is cooled, add to the vegetable bowl.
  6. Refrigerate at this step until ready to serve.
  7. In a small bowl, combine 3 T EVOO, 3 T water, ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, the juice of one lemon, and one garlic clove and whisk together.
  8. Pour on top and stir until mixed well.
  9. You can leave this dish out a while because the refrigerator tended to make the tortellini stick together.
  10. Serve at room temperature.

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One dish dinners

June 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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Hey there Thursday, you came so soon, it’s been a nice week. Except for the 90+ degree heat, and the intense sweating and red face, June is lovely.

Today I have two one-dish dinners to share. The first is a tortellini dish with peppers and olives. I was trying it out for a baby shower in a few weeks. I will make it again then, but maybe with a different pasta because tortellini doesn’t go very far and penne or spaghetti might fill out the dish better. This was a great sized dish for 2-3 people for dinner or 4-5 for a side dish.

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Tortellini with Peppers and Olives

Ingredients (serves about 2 for a full dinner, or about 4 as a side dish)

  • 2.5 C tortellini, I used Buitoni
  • 1 can artichoke hearts
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 C black olives, pitted, I used Lindsay Olives
  • 1/3 C Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 C basil, chiffonade
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3/4 C grape tomatoes
  • 1 C spinach*
  • red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, EVOO

Instructions:

  • In a pot large enough for pasta, boil water and cook as according to box, about 10 minutes once water boils.
  • In a separate skillet, pour 2 T EVOO and 2 cloves garlic and let saute. Add bell peppers, olives, tomatoes and artichokes and let cook until peppers are soft and grapes are starting to pop.
  • In a third pan, steam spinach (could also use microwave, or do this before the vegetables and remove). Spinach is optional but adds a green leafy vegetable. *One cup is for one person, add more if it’s for more people.
  • Once spinach is steamed and pasta is cooked and drained, add both to vegetables and mix together. Top with parmesan cheese.
  • A sauce is not necessary, but you could use a pesto, marinara, or make your own with olive oil.

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My second dish was also a one-dish dinner, but I’ll warn and say Jeffrey didn’t enjoy it. It didn’t help that he doesn’t like broccoli or cherry tomatoes, and those were two of three vegetables I included. I thought it was very tasty, and made great leftovers for lunch. Ignore the sausage, it was not good.

I really like one-dish dinners, especially with quinoa because it’s considered a complete protein. I bulked it up by putting it over spinach. We added sausage for more sustenance, but this brand wasn’t good. I also think one-dish dinners are great for weeknights and are easy to use as leftovers.

For more dishes like these using quinoa, click the “quinoa” tag at the bottom of this post or on the tag cloud sidebar.

Quinoa with Vegetables and a Crunch

Ingredients:

(serves about 4)

  • 1 C dry quinoa (I mixed black quinoa and regular)
  • 2 C water
  • 1/2 C frozen or fresh broccoli (I keep a bag of frozen in the freezer)
  • 1/2 C edamame, frozen
  • 1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 dates, pitted and chopped
  • EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic powder, teriyaki
  • 1/4 C cashews

Instructions:

  • In a soup pot, bring 2 C water to a boil.
  • Add 1 C quinoa and stir every few minutes until quinoa dissolves water.
  • In a separate pot, add about 1 T EVOO and add broccoli, edamame and cherry tomatoes. Add a dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a splash or teriyaki.
  • Stir together until tomatoes start to get soft.
  • Add dates and cashews, stirring well together.
  • Add quinoa to vegetables and mix well  over low heat to combine.
  • Serve over spinach, raw or steamed.

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What are your favorite one-dish dinners?

P.S. I had a guest post on one of my favorite blogs–The Weekly Bite. Estela and her family are moving from the DC area to San Diego, and she’s having a baby in a few months. I wrote about some of my favorite healthy snacks to have on hand.

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Jeffrey’s Pasta Night

May 25, 2011 by 4 Comments

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A few weeks ago when I was in North Carolina, my husband sent me a text message and said he was cooking dinner for himself. I assumed that meant Easy Mac and a can of soup. I’m not exaggerating. But then I got a picture of a beautiful pasta dish with a homemade sauce. I was a little jealous that he cooked a lovely meal at home for himself on a Saturday night. We rarely stay home on a Saturday night and cook…ever!

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When I got home, there was still some leftover pasta, and it was delicious. We recreated it together a week later. The funny part that Jeffrey didn’t realize is that this dish is actually vegan (until you add cheese on top)! As much of an “I need some kind of meat in my meals” eater as he is, this dish got its bulk from an olive/sun-dried tomato sauce that looked like meat spaghetti sauce. Maybe I’m rubbing off on him without him admitting it…

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When we made it again, I was the sous chef and Jeffrey was the cook. While I was gone, Jeffrey saw this recipe on the Food Network (again, he was watching by himself!), and he decided to make it that night. He used the food processor by himself (I didn’t know he knew where it was, much less how to use it), and he went to the grocery store too! Not just any grocery, but Whole Foods. This has never happened when I’m around. He’s on a roll.

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Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives and Lemon

By Giada de Laurentis

Ingredients (for 3-4 people):

  • 1 pound linguine pasta
  • 1 cup (6-ounces) chopped or julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  • 1 cup (4-ounces) medium green olives, pitted
  • 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl.
  • In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pulse until blended but still chunky.
  • Add the tomatomixture and Parmesan cheese to the pasta and toss well until the pasta is coated. Add 1 C pasta water to thin out sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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The above picture is the sauce right out of the food processor. The below picture is grated cheese over the pasta before the sauce goes on.

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He says the secret is adding pasta water before the sauce to thin it out and make it more saucy.

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I made a side salad. Jeffrey didn’t even eat it. It had mixed greens, chopped carrots, an orange bell pepper, sunflower seeds and craisins. Topped with a Stonewall Kitchen jar dressing.

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Final product, garnished with basil leaves from our garden.

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This pasta had strong flavor from the olives and tomatoes, and was slippery with oils and melted cheese. The fresh basil added an extra oomph of earthy-ness, and fresh lemon juice is much different than out of a bottle. Just knowing it was made with love makes it better.

Ok Jeffrey, what are you cooking next? Today is actually his birthday, maybe I should buy him a Whole Foods gift card!

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Easy Broccoli Crunch

May 1, 2011 by 7 Comments

Welcome to May! This month is going to be a good one–I have two trips to the East Coast by myself, it’s Jeffrey’s birthday at the end of the month, and it’s almost summertime. My first trip is this weekend, I’ll tell you more about it later on.

First, thank you for commenting last week on my blog-versary! Your comments were so thoughtful, and it’s nice to know y’all are enjoying visiting each day. I guess you want to know who won the shipment of cookies. The winner is Jenna who has been reading my blog for a long time! Jenna, email me your address and I’ll get the cookies to you.

Second, I hosted another baby shower this weekend. The theme was Pickles and Ice Cream. How cute are these centerpieces and this dessert display? We did four like the one below with the pickles, and the dessert table was candy toppings for ice cream sundaes.

 


And third, I thought I would ease into the week by showing something healthy and green. Last week for dinner, I wanted something light and easy, so I made a homemade broccoli crunch. I wanted to use flavors like a mayonnaise based salad and also wanted it to remind me of broccoli with cheese.

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Easy Broccoli Crunch

Ingredients:

  • 1 head broccoli, chopped into small pieces
  • 1/4 C edamame, shelled (I keep a frozen bag)
  • 1 ounce cheddar cheese, in little cubes
  • 2 T raisins
  • 2 T peanuts
  • 2 T plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 T white wine vinegar
  • 2 T honey
  • salt and pepper

Instructions:

  • Add broccoli to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Let boil until broccoli turns to a bright green. Drain and set aside.
  • Combine Greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and whisk together as a dressing.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine broccoli, raisins, peanuts and cheese and add dressing on top and stir to combine.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve it cold.

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This was crunchy, cheesy, and tangy. If you really wanted it melty cheesy, you could melt the cheese and drizzle it on. I liked the addition of peanuts and raisins for more crunch and sweetness, and the broccoli kept some crunch even after cooking.

An easy weeknight side dish or addition to a salad.

What are you looking forward to in May?

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It’s easy to be green

April 13, 2011 by 4 Comments

Before the green food, here’s a green race picture from Sunday. Pardon the gigantic “proof” sign. I’m borrowing the picture.

Looking hardcore. Both pictures are near the end of the race. Does anyone buy race pictures?

Back to food…

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I noticed a pattern in a series of lunches and dinners: the color green.

Green isn’t an unusual color for a healthy and balanced plate, but my meals have been really green. Even more than usual.

In these pictures, a combination of dinners, lunches, and plenty left for leftovers too, I used the color green in a delicious and healthful way.

The star of the picture above was actually lean turkey meat. We had a taco night at home, cooking ground turkey in a packet of taco seasoning and serving with lettuce, sauteed green beans, corn tortillas and yellow tomatoes. This was a quick and easy weeknight dinner for sure.

The picture below is a typical lunch. I had leftover green beans, sauteed the night before in olive oil and an Asian teriyaki type sauce. Also a quarter avocado, homemade hummus, lettuce, tomato and carrots. Three types of green.

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The dinner before was cheese tortellini, both the plain and spinach flavor. I cooked that in one pot, and cooked green beans, an onion, garlic and more yellow tomatoes in another skillet. Mixed all together, on top of spinach, and topped with marinara sauce. Again, three types of green.

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Lastly, it’s a savory breakfast for dinner. I made an omelette with spinach inside and an avocado on top with salsa. Then a bagel and cream cheese too.

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The lesson here is that if you have good foods in the house, you will eat them. I repeated green beans three times, same with spinach and avocado. Greens are so versatile, can be eaten in for any meal. I write frequently about desserts, but I do eat a lot of greens too. Eat your greens!

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

Mine is arugula for preferred salad lettuce and roasted broccoli, steamed smells so bad!

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Vegetarian · Tagged With: ,

How to create your own recipe

March 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

Sometimes people ask me where I come up with recipes. The answer is that I read a lot and try a lot of combinations. I started by following recipes to the T, and then when I became more comfortable in the kitchen, I can sub ingredients, or alter cooking techniques. I still follow recipes, make notes of ideas I have, and read a lot of cookbooks.

This dinner is one instance of how I created a one-pot dish just by looking in my refrigerator and pantry.

Mixed Vegetable Black Quinoa

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Ingredients:

  • 2 C uncooked spinach
  • 1/2 C dry black quinoa
  • 1 pear, chopped
  • 2 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 C snap peas
  • 2 T apple juice
  • salt, pepper

Instructions:

The thought process of this dish started with quinoa. I have some leftover dry black quinoa from a dish I had a few weeks ago called Black Quinoa Pudding. It cooks the same way as any quinoa but looks so pretty. I also like cooking with quinoa because it is full of protein but acts like a grain. Kind of like a 2 for 1 special.

Then I went to my refrigerator to see what vegetables I could add. This week I had mushrooms, snap peas, and spinach. I like adding spinach because you can get so much bang for your buck when it wilts down. And the snap peas and mushrooms add nice color and texture. Then I added a bell pepper for color and crunch.

I also like putting an apple or pear in with quinoa, and dates go with those. I always have both of those on hand. And to bring out the fruity sweet flavor, I added a tiny bit of apple juice. I keep little juice boxes in the pantry instead of a large container of apple juice. I still don’t finish the whole juice box, but it takes up less space than a container in my refrigerator.

So here’s how it comes together:

  • In a sauce pot, combine 1 C water with 1/2 C quinoa. The proportion is always 2:1, so you can do however much quinoa you want. This whole dish was about 2.5-3 dinner servings, so it lasted a few meals. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until all liquid has dissolved.
  • In a separate pan, steam spinach in a shallow layer of water until wilted. Drain the water from the pan, leaving a little bit left. Add other vegetables and cook together until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add pear and dates and apple juice and cook together.
  • When quinoa is done, add it to the vegetable pot and toss together.
  • It is ready when everything is hot and combined.

 

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You could use any vegetable you have at home, raisins instead of dates, an apple cider instead of juice, rice instead of quinoa, etc. This is just one technique that can be adapted in many ways.

Sorry for the lack of pictures! I wasn’t planning to make a post of this, but it turned out really delicious and flavorful, and then I realized it would be good to share.

What are your favorite meals to throw together? Are you scared to create your own recipes?

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Homemade Falafel Burgers

March 15, 2011 by 7 Comments

Falafel is not something I ever considered making from scratch, but then I read a recipe and realized it’s quite simple! It’s basically baked hummus, and I have a minor obsession with homemade hummus lately. I love cooking with chickpeas because they are a great source of protein, are in can so they are easy to store and always have on hand, and with minimal added spices and flavors, you have something great like hummus or falafel. And they’re great plain too. That is why I love chickpeas.

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Homemade Falafel Burgers

(recipe adapted by Oh She Glows and by Savvy Eats)

First off, the original recipe said it made 12 large burgers. There are only two of us, and I wasn’t so sure what this would taste like or how they would turn out, so we halved the recipe and it made 7 burgers. If you want the original 12, just double everything.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1.5 cloves garlic
  • Juice from 1 lemon (1T)
  • 1/8 C EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1/4 C tahini
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika (and more for sprinkling on top)
  • 1/3 plus a little more, whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 C sunflower seeds

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 375* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a mat (I use Silpats, they are great). In a food processor, process garlic, carrot, onion. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, cumin, and salt. Process until fully combined. (now it’s basically hummus)
  • Add the flour and process again. Scrape down sides to fully incorporate. Stir in sunflower seeds and pepper and paprika (do not process).
  • Spoon about 1/4 C – 1/3 C batter onto baking sheet with wet hands. Flatten until patty is about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Sprinkle top of each patty with paprika.
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  • Bake for 20 minutes, then flip for another 5-10 minutes. They are done when golden brown and slightly firm. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Store in refrigerator only when completely cooled.
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We served ours with a side salad of mixed greens, red pepper, feta cheese, cucumber. Mixed with a dressing of olive oil, greek seasoning, salt and pepper. It was all delicious together!

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Have you made falafel before? Or eaten it?

Also, yesterday I had a picture of my pita chips on Food Gawker AND TasteSpotting! Holla.

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Zucchini Pecan Bread

March 3, 2011 by 15 Comments

Eating healthy never looked so good.

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This loaf bread is so soft inside with a hard exterior and a crunch from the pecans on top. The green specs are zucchini, and I would even dare to say that this bread is nutritious. Filled with a vegetable, flax meal, and no sugar, butter, eggs, or oil, this bread is like guilt-free eating.

I don’t like labeling things as good or bad or ugly, but this zucchini bread is actually vegan. Now, vegan doesn’t automatically mean it’s good for you. You could be vegan and eat potato chips all day. However, it does mean that there’s no butter, eggs, or oil, so at least there’s no added fats or cholesterol. Your fats come from the nuts. There’s also added fiber from the flax and whole wheat flour. Don’t turn the page just because of labels. You would have no idea unless I told you.

You could count this as breakfast, lunch, or dessert. It’s so versatile. Like a bread for all occasions.

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Zucchini Pecan Bread

(adapted from Gabriela of Une Vie Saine)

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 T ground flax meal mixed with 6 T room temperature water (flax egg)
  • 1/2 C maple syrup
  • 1 C grated zucchini, skin on
  • 1/2 C chopped pecans
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Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • Prepare flax egg (mix ground flax meal and water with a fork and allow to gel while you prep the other ingredients. If you want to use a regular egg, sub 1 egg.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk applesauce, vanilla, flax egg, and maple syrup until combined.
  • Add wet to dry and stir.
  • Add in zucchini and pecans and mix well.
  • Pour into a loaf pan greased lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool before removing from loaf and slicing.
Freezes well.
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What else can I say about this bread…It would be great with peanut butter on top for breakfast or a snack. Or dessert. This bread is really for all parts of the day.

You could slice it smaller and serve as little bites lined up on a tray.

Leave it in loaf form and wrap as a housewarming or thank you or new baby gift.

I slice it and freeze for easy grabbing. Stack with parchment paper between layers.

The ingredient list is pretty simple. The only thing I had to buy was a zucchini.

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Now really, what are you waiting for?

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Wacky Thursday

February 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s a wacky Thursday because I decided to add a second post. I made this smoothie for lunch and did a little photo shoot of it too.

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Green Smoothie

  • 2 C spinach raw
  • 1 C almond milk
  • 1 banana
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 1/4 C raw oats
  • sprinkle of coconut on top

Blend all together and enjoy. This is very refreshing and filling. I had leftover parsnips and carrots on the side with hummus.

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I had never added oats to the mix but I heard it adds a nice consistency. I didn’t notice a difference in flavor, but it adds some fiber and carb staying power I guess. I think I am take it or leave it on that one.

Mmmm bubbles.

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Also today, I ran over 3 miles outside. That’s really good! Very happy with that. Mild pain at the end, but I’m getting longer until it hits so that’s good. The weather is warm here like most places, and it was really nice to get outside and enjoy it early in the morning.

Filed Under: Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged With: ,

Clean Food

February 14, 2011 by 5 Comments

Recently, I have read a lot about a book called Clean Food by Terry Walters. The secondary headline describes it best:

A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You


It is a recipe book, and there’s a sequel called Clean Start. It happens to be a vegetarian cookbook, but not because she is opposed to eating meat. She spends the beginning of the book explaining ways to eat cleaner and talks a lot about beans, nuts, and different kinds of vegetables. It also talks about being more in tune with how foods make you feel and taking time to think about what you’re eating and where it’s from. It’s not a diet book, just a clean eating cookbook.

I liked that the book is divided by seasons instead of meals because it focuses on eating locally and seasonally, and many recipes can be combined to make a meal + side, or served lighter for lunch or heavier for dinner.

I did not like that there were no pictures of recipes, and I wish that the calorie counts were on each recipe. However, I did earmark a few dozen recipes to try, which led us to our first experiment with hummus and a vegetable pasta dish.

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Traditional Hummus

This hummus dish is the first recipe in the book. I love hummus and buy it every week, so this week I made my own. Hummus is based on ground chickpeas, which is a great source of protein. It is also so versatile, used as a dip for carrots or chips, or as an alternative to salad dressing. You can also change the flavor by adding red peppers or more spice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 C cooked chickpeas (1 can)
  • 3 T EVOO
  • 2 T tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • Water (I used about 3 T)

Instructions:

  • In a food processor, pulse garlic and chickpeas. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to combine. Add water as needed to thin it out. It will congeal in the refrigerator so you can make it looser knowing it will thicken.
  • I added paprika for garnish.
  • This was a winning recipe, approved by Jeffrey too! If you live in Texas, this recipe reminded me most of Central Market’s hummus, which is my favorite of all the brands I try. My favorite store bought brand is Athenos Greek style original if you’re wondering.
  • It honestly took longer to get out the machine and then clean it than it did to make the dish and put the ingredients away. That’s the one downfall of the food processor!

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Artichokes, Fennel and Olives over Penne

(serves 4)

The second recipe we made was Artichokes, Fennel and Olives over Penne. I was surprised Jeffrey agreed to this one without chicken on top or a pasta sauce, but he was a good sport and was pleasantly surprised at how filling and flavorful it was. His finger was the only casualty opening the can of artichokes.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb penne (this was way too much for 2 people, but we wanted to follow the recipe and not cut it down. We also used whole wheat.)
  • 3 T EVOO
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can artichokes, quartered
  • 1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch arugula (this ended up wilting down significantly so I added more, probably 3 very big handfuls)
  • 1 C chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions:

  • Cook penne as instructed on package. Rinse, drain and return to pot. Add 1 T EVOO.
  • In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic with 2 T EVOO (about 3 minutes until soft). Add artichokes, olives, fennel, arugula. Saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Add parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
  • I poured the penne over the vegetables and cooked together for a minute with the fire off.
  • We topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I served mine over more arugula. He had his with added red pepper flakes.
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Since we are two for two out of the book, look for more recipes out of here coming soon.
P.S. Check out yesterday’s post for recipes with Red in them for Valentine’s Day. And check out these posts for other red recipes as part of an ingredient challenge.
Do you own these books? What’s your best tip to eat clean?
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