Pasta Primavera

I don’t really understand what pasta primavera is.  But in my opinion, its some pasta with a crapload (such an elegant word) of veggies thrown in.  We made this on a whim at Jim’s parents house and it was so delicious it was almost entirely consumed by his family in one sitting.

1 lb brown rice penne, cooked

3 cups zucchini, halved and sliced

2 cups shredded carrots

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup red onion, chopped

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (optional)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cayenne pepper, minced

• In a frying pan over medium heat, cook 2 tbsp oil in cayenne pepper for 1 minute
• Add zucchini and oregano and saute for 7 minutes (if the zucchini begins to look soggy or translucent remove from heat)
• Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup oil, parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper
• Toss pasta, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, onion and Feta together, then stir in oil mixture

          

White Bean, Kale & Veggie Stew

This was supposed to be a soup, but halfway through simmering, the dish took on a mind of its own and decided to become a stew.  Adding more veggie broth would probably make it more soupy, but I kind of enjoyed the heartiness of it as a stew.  Very filling, and the beans, pasta and thick veggies will make for a perfect dish in the upcoming months.

7 cups low sodium organic vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/2 lb brown rice pasta shells, cooked

1 cup white beans, soaked overnight

3 cups fresh kale, chopped

1 1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

3/4 cup celery chopped

1/4 cup dried maitaike mushrooms, chopped (Jim’s request, but optional)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano (or a 1/4 cup fresh- we only had dried)

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cayenne pepper, minced

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook olive oil, cayenne pepper and onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add veggie broth water and beans and bring to a boil
• Reduce to a simmer and add remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the pasta
• Simmer on low/medium heat for at least 1 1/2 hours so the beans can fully cook (I let mine go for 2 hours and it gave it that thicket, stewy consistency)
• Remove from heat, add pasta and serve

Scallion Pancakes

Over lunch the other day, the girls from work admitted they had never has scallion pancakes.  Even though I DESPISE Chinese food, I do love these simple pancakes, and Meghan has been cooking them up ever since I got her an Asian cookbook for her bridal shower.  I HAD to make them, and whipped up a batch as soon as I got home from work that day!

(Note: They don’t taste half as good reheat, so eat them as soon as they’re cooked)

2 cups whole wheat flour (I will admit, I’m sure white flour works much better, but I still refuse to use it!)

1 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cup scallions, chopped

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

• Pour flour into a large bowl, and slowly pour in boiling water, continuously stirring the entire time
• Knead flour mix until water and flour are completely blended, and roll into a ball
• Cover bowl with a damp towel and let sit for 30 minutes
• After 30 minutes, roll out dough into a large circle, about the size of a pizza
• Evenly distribute 1 tbsp oil on top of dough, then layer the scallions and parsley on top.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper
• Roll dough into a snake, so it forms what looks like a jelly roll
• Cut snake into 4 even sections
• Mold each of the 4 sections into a pancake, rolling out each one until think and about 6 or 7 inches in diameter
• On medium/high heat, heat 1 tbsp of oil PER pancake and cook, 2 minutes on each side until golden brown