january pasta combinations

We make pasta a lot in this house. I mean, a LOT. It’s quick, it’s healthy, it’s filling, and it’s versatile, which is why I guess we never get sick of it. Each month I’ll post 3 new pasta combinations for you to enjoy. Play around with the kind of pasta that you buy. If you always get angel hair, try penne. If you’re used to spaghetti, try fusilli or gnocchi. And remember, macaroni isn’t married to cheese!

All of my pastas start with sauteed onion and olive oil (SO & OO) unless otherwise noted.

Pasta #1 Zucchini and Rosemary
SO & OO
Add 2 zucchini, cut into thick strips
Crush fresh rosemary and add it to the saute with salt and (liberal amounts of) pepper
Squeeze juice of one lemon
*recommended with angel hair*

Pasta #2 Sundried Tomato, Artichokes, & Capers
SO & OO
Slice sundried tomatoes in half and add to saute, browning
Splash in some red wine and a tbsp of butter and flour, stirring to thicken
Add jar of artichokes and 1/4 cup of capers, stirring until warm
*recommended with penne*

Pasta #3 Butternut Squash, Tomatoes, and Chives
SO & OO
Cube 1 cup of butternut squash and add to pan, sauteeing till brown and cooked, about 20 minutes
Add diced tomatoes, stirring salt and pepper into the mix
Chop 1/4 bunch of chives and throw into the mix, stirring and letting saute for another 5 minutes
*recommended with gnocchi*

change of season tomato soup

Our weather has been wacky. Yours probably has been too. Our basil and tomatoes plants in the frontyard produced all Fall and “Winter” until just a few weeks ago. Thus, we have had some tomatoes lying around the counter begging to be used for something. As I’m a frequent sufferer of allergies and sinus headaches, I am also lucky enough to be extra susceptible to change-of-weather stuffiness. One thing that always helps my sinuses is the change of season tomato soup. It’s simple, delicious, and followed with 2 full glasses of water, it’s sure to knock that sinus headache away for awhile!

Change of Season Tomato Soup

4-5 tomatoes
1/2 cup of water
3 1/2 cups of tomato juice (I like the spicy kind)
1 videlia onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of soy/oat/whatever milk
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper

Saute the onion, garlic, butter, and olive oil until translucent. Add 4-5 tomatoes, diced, letting them brown with the onions. Add water and juice and let come to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, then add milk, cayenne, and black pepper. Let simmer for another 5-7 minutes before serving with a large glass of water with lemon.

Enjoy!

velvet mushrooms

I love mushrooms. I mean, *love* them. When Andy and I were on our honeymoon in Sonoma Valley, we had a meal that I’ll never forget (though I’ve forgotten the name of the restaurant of course). It was very small, and very elegant, and I seem to remember it being inside of what used to be a train. Or maybe there was a train photograph or train was in the name of the restaurant…anyway this place was divine. It was April (very rainy) and mushrooms were truly in abundance. Mushrooms like I’d never seen before–small, large, gnarled, button-shaped, chewy, delicate–delicious. I got a wild mushroom quinoa ragout that was to die for. It literally melted on my tongue, I remember, like velvet. And I think this is when I really started to take white wines seriously too. My dear Uncle Chris never understood how people could just write off white wine–as if the whole genre was worthless. Like I said, I was just beginning to see what he meant at this meal when a gorgeous chardonnay was served with this ragout. Did I say velvet? Mmm.

Anyway, I’m not recreating this ragout, but I did come close to perfecting that velvet taste recently when I made a Risotto Smothered Mushroom Dinner. The key to great risotto is to use 4 parts liquid to 1 part rice and to add it one part at a time.

Part One:
4 portabellos mushrooms
drizzle with balsamic and olive oil
coat with salt and pepper
fold into aluminum foil and place in oven at 425 for 25-30 minutes

Part Two
1 1/5 cups of arborio rice
3 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup white wine
5-8 button mushrooms
1 videlia onion

Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent, then add the diced mushrooms sauteeing until browned. Add rice and wine and saute, stirring constantly. Add water and stir until it gets absorbed or starts sticking. Do the same with 1/2 of the broth. Repeat with the other 1/2 of the broth. You’ll want to hurry along with this but don’t. Really only add 1 1/2 cups of liquid at a time and wait for it to be absorbed into the rice. I like to add a can of peas at this point too just because I think creamy rice and peas go together like…creamy rice and peas!

Take the portabello mushrooms out of the oven and place on plates. Spoon the risotto onto the mushroom caps. At this point some people might like to add a little lemon zest and grated parmigiano cheese. If you have green beans or asparagus in season where you are, it is really nice to steam some up and place on top of the rice in crisscross fashion.

Now open some chardonnay (pinot grigio is too wimpy for this) and let this meal melt away like velvet on your tongue.

party food

With the BCS championship (go LSU) in the past and the Superbowl and Mardi Gras in the future, I thought I’d post my version of the 7-layer dip for gatherings. It goes particularly well with the easy, breezy sangria. Now this isn’t the healthiest of our meals, but it has protein, vegetables, and fruit so it’s too bad…

First the Sangria.

• A bottle of dry red wine, though any will do, frankly.
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 cup of orange juice
• can of pineapple with juice reserved (~1/2 cup)
• lemon
• 1 cup of grapes, halved

Between a day and 2 hours or so before I’m going to make these, I open the can of pineapple chunks and drain the juice into another cup to reserve. Then squeeze a lemon over the pineapple and the cup of halved grapes, cover, place in freezer to use as ice cubes.

Then when I’m ready for these colorful little drinks I pour the sugar into a pitcher. Pour the wine on top of it and stir it around until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pineapple, lime, and orange juice. Stir well. Add the frozen, lemon covered pineapple and grapes to 4 glasses and pour the sangria on top. Delicious!

Serves 4, makes 8 normal-sized drinks.

Now for the dip.

Preheat the oven to 350. In a rectangular (or be crazy and use an oval-shaped one!) glass or ceramic baking dish, place/smear the following (in order from bottom to top layer)

• 1 can of refried beans
• 1 can of black beans tossed in juice of 1/2 lime and 1 tsp of cumin
• 16 oz of sour cream and 8 oz of cream cheese mixed with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, dash of cracked salt/pepper
• 2 avocados, smashed and seasoned with salt/pepper/juice of one lemon
• 2 diced tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes mixed with 1/2 bag of Quorn meatless crumbles* and 1/2 cup of water. Heat on the stove for 7 minutes before adding as a layer.
• 1 can of corn (mexicorn is best) tossed with a little balsamic vinegar and 1/2 a lime
• 1 jar (16oz) of salsa
• 5 oz of chedder cheese, grated and spread on top.

*I’d highly recommend that if you haven’t tried Quorn meatless crumbles, you do so. Not only is it a soy-free fake meat alternative, it’s actually made from mycoprotein–a fungus with all 9 amino acids. More on why I try to limit soy products later.

Place this baby in the oven for 30 minutes and enjoy!

“tuna” salad sandwiches

No matter what the gathering, these little numbers are always enjoyed by meat-eaters and non meat-eaters alike. They’re great for picnics, parties, or afternoons working in the yard when you need a break with a snack to look at all the work you’ve done.

2 boxes of extra firm tofu
1/2 cup mayo (homemade, eggless, or your favorite)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh or freshly ground parsley
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 3 dashes of tabasco sauce

This is so fun to make! Wash your hands. Open the boxes of tofu and squeeze them like your kneading dough, or maybe playing with play-doh. Once it has the consistency of tuna salad, add all the other ingredients and stir it all up! Serve on hearty bread like oat/seed filled ones.

Yum.