Spring Herb Pasta

This was a pretty easy and healthy pasta dish I made based off of a recipe I saw in the March 2009 Martha Stewart Living magazine. We changed it up a bit by adding garlic and tomatoes. Definitely "spring-y" with all of the fresh green herbs! I am definitely becoming a firm believer in the idea of just using simple and fresh ingredients, as opposed to elaborate and complicated recipes. It's easier, healthier and tastes great.


Ingredients

2 cups Gemelli pasta (my new favorite pasta shape)
1 ripe tomato (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup (approx.) roughly chopped mixed herbs (dill, parsley and basil)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Lemon zest
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (grated)

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions. While cooking heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a separate pan. Add garlic and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add herbs, tomatoes and garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Serve with generous grating of fresh Parmesan cheese.

Chickpea, Tomato and Feta Salad

I was looking for a way to spice up my boring salad lunches, so I decided to make this easy salad after seeing something similar on Martha Stewart's website. This was super easy and I was actually excited for lunch today! I filled Tupperware with some leafy greens and baby carrots. Then I added about 3/4 cup of the Chickpea salad and enjoyed it with a whole wheat pita. Yum!

Ha ha, so much so that I finished it off before I remembered to take a photo! Use your imagination....

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
2 oz. crumbled feta (approximately)
1 lemon (juice + zest)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions
Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, red onion and feta in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Voila! Lunch is served!

Orecchiette with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

It's SPRING! I was actually watching Giada's show and saw this and had to make it! She made it look so easy and sound so good! It's a great salad, side dish or dinner. We had it with some tomato, basil and burrata cheese (my favorite!) and italian bread. The perfect Spring meal!


Ingredients
1 cup orecchiette pasta (we used small shells because our pathetic Giant didn't have orecchiette)
2 cups Mediterranean-style mixed salad greens
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled (we definitely used more than 1 tablespoon!)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper

Directions

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.

In medium bowl, mix the salad greens with the sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and Parmesan. Top with warm pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and wilt the greens. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, or to taste. Garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired, and serve. So easy!

Healthy Baked Ziti

I made this a few weeks ago when it was freezing cold and Tony wanted to make something warm and preferably something we could freeze and use for leftovers- it was a lazy Sunday and we had the time. So I decided to try to make a "healthy" baked ziti. He was game. The main change was that I decided to make my own tomato sauce instead of using sauce from a jar that is full of sugar and sodium and calories. I have become a huge fan of canned tomatoes lately- I buy them every week at the grocery store and always find ways to use them. So I just created a sauce by sauteing garlic, onion and dried herbs in some olive oil, adding canned tomatoes (plain in their juices) and letting it all simmer down for about 20 minutes. I also used all low-fat cheeses. So as far as baked ziti goes- this turned out to be both yummy and healthy!


Ingredients
1 box pasta (ziti or rigatoni)
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 cup part skim mozzarella
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dried or fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (plain in juices)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in pan and saute garlic and onion for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add herbs and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving about a cup of pasta water (to add to sauce in case its too thick). Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup parm, and half mozzarella in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

In the bottom of a casserole dish, spread half of the tomato sauce. Top with pasta, then cheese mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parm and mozzarella. Bake in the oven until cheese is slightly brown and sauce is bubbling- about 25 minutes.

Indian Stew

adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

This was really easy to make and it definitely spiced up our normal dinner! Tony has been on a curry kick lately and I saw this recipe as a good way to incorporate the spice into a weeknight dinner that we could both eat (i.e. sans meat!). And even better, we already had all of the ingredients in our kitchen. Love that! We will definitely make this again!

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups tomato sauce
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish (optional)
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Directions
Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and keep warm. While rice is cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add curry powder and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve stew with rice and yogurt, garnished with lime wedges and a pinch of curry. Simple!

Spaghetti Squash with Pomodoro Sauce

adapted from Epicurious.com, SELF, November 2002

Nope, this is not pasta! I love spaghetti squash and this was a really easy, healthy week night dinner. You can add pretty much any vegetable to the mix, but we just happened to have all of the ingredients in our kitchen (that never happens!). The sauce is really great by itself and would definitely work with regular 'ol pasta too.


Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 lb)
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 can (28 oz) diced plum tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay squash on sheet, flesh side down. Bake for about 45 minutes or until you can easily pierce shell with fork. In the meantime, saute the garlic and onion in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Lower heat if sauce begins to boil. Remove squash from oven. Scrape with a fork to pull strands from shell. Transfer to plates and spoon sauce over squash. Top with fresh grated parm.

Kale Chips

I know, I know, these sound crazy. But trust me they are AWESOME. I bought a huge bunch of kale for the Minestrone soup last week. I had a lot left over and wasn't sure what to do with it. I saw these on Kath Eats Real Food, a blog I currently love to read, and was intrigued... I figured they were simple enough that if it didn't work out, no big deal. Well Tony and I were both pleasantly surprised. Although you can't tell from the pictures, the kale goes from a bouncy leafy green to a crisp chip in a matter of 15 minutes! They are crunchy and salty and a delicious side dish. Who would have thought?!?....

Ingredients
1 bunch Kale
2 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with tin foil. Tear kale leaves off stems and tear into bite size pieces. Spread kale onto cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with grated parm. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are brown and kale is crispy. Enjoy!

Lemon Spaghetti

(adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian)

This was a really easy weeknight dinner that looked and tasted great! Very light- perfect for a summer evening. I followed Giada's recipe but added a few ingredients I had in the fridge- steamed broccoli, artichokes and arugula. That's it!

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used arugula instead)

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Spring Salad

Inspired by the turn of the season (at least that's what the calendar tells me- so why is it still dark and freezing outside?) I decided to make a healthy salad for dinner. I saw a recipe for a salad with radishes in Shape magazine, so I knew I wanted to include them. I picked up the other ingredients while strolling through our local organic market. Served with a cup of soup and warm bread (pumpernickel loaf for us!), this salad is a great, light spring dinner.

Ingredients

Green leaf lettuce
Radishes (thinly sliced)
Red D’Anjou Pears (sliced)
Sunflower seeds
Goat cheese

Toss ingredients in a bowl and serve topped with Lemon Dijon Dressing.

Roasted Beet Salad

I LOVE beets. I don’t know why, but I do. I only recently discovered how easy it is to make them yourself. Yes, they actually sell bunches of beets in the grocery store. They look like something out of Farmer McGreggor’s garden but they are delicious!

I adapted the following recipe from Giada De Laurentiis’ Family Dinners cookbook:

Ingredients

1 bunch (4-6) beets (peeled and each cut into 6 wedges)

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 large shallot (chopped)

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. In a medium bowl whisk together the vinegar, shallots and honey. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss beets in enough dressing to coat. Place beets in center of foil on baking sheet. Top with another piece of foil and crimp edges of foil to seal tightly. Roast beets until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Uncover beets and continue roasting until slightly caramelized, about 25 minutes longer. Set aside and cool.

Toss together lettuce, walnuts, cranberries or whatever other topping of your choice. Arrange beets around salad and top off with remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese on top and serve! Or chicken!

Quinoa Muffins

adapted from Everyday Foods (Martha Stewart)

I've been intrigued by quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") for some time. It is a grain similar to rice or couscous, but with lot of protein and vitamins. It's one of the new healthy "power foods." I saw Martha Stewart make these muffins on her show and decided this was the best recipe to try quinoa for the first time. You can buy it at most grocery stores (I bought mine at Giant). It comes in a box like rice or couscous. I doubled the raisins and added cinnamon. I would probably add more cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg next time. And maybe some dried cranberries too....

Ingredients

Makes 12

1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used 2 tablespoons plus water)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (I used 1 cup)
3/4 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon (I added)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days (they really don’t last much longer).