Whole grain pasta with spinach and tomatoes

This recipe comes from the Moosewood "Simple Suppers" cookbook (they suggest using escarole or curly endive, but I couldn't find either of those when I ran to the store, so I used fresh spinach instead). I made it for dinner last night, and we just had the leftovers for dinner tonight. It's so easy to make (we're talking less than 20 minutes start to finish) and it is really really good (and low fat too). The recipe serves four, so I only cooked 1/2 of the pasta the first night, made all of the sauce on the first night but only used half, and then cooked the rest of the pasta the second night and heated up the sauce, and it was just as good.

Whole grain pasta with spinach and tomatoes

• 12 oz of whole wheat pasta (I used Trader Joe's whole wheat penne, which is the only whole wheat pasta I've ever used that didn't taste like cardboard. If you can't find one you like, of course you could just use regular pasta instead)
• 12 oz of fresh baby spinach leaves (or you could use other greens, such as curly endive or escarole instead, if you prefer)
• 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 - 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, rinse the fresh spinach leaves and set aside to drain.

When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until it sizzles. Add the spinach, sprinkle with salt, and cook until wilted, stirring often. Stir in the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano, and rosemary. Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done, drain it ans serve topped with the sauce and some grated cheese. Note that the sauce won't get thick -- it's more of a light, chunky type sauce.

Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

This recipe makes 3 enchiladas, which was perfect for me -- I ate 2 for dinner and saved 1 for lunch the next day (not quite as good reheated in the microwave, but still pretty tasty).

• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 8 white mushrooms, halved
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
• 1/2 can black beans (or pinto, if you prefer), drained and rinsed
• 3 fat free tortillas
• 2 cups of bottled enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Cut the zucchini, squash, mushrooms and bell pepper into pieces of roughly the same size (approx 1 inch pieces) and put in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Toss the veggies until well coated. Transfer veggies to a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450 for about 15 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the oven and turn the oven down to about 350.

Lightly spray a small baking dish (a small, 2 inch deep dish works well) with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill the first tortilla with roasted veggie and about 2 tablespoons of beans. Roll the tortilla so it makes a long tube, and place it in the baking dish seam side down (so it stays shut). Repeat with the other tortillas. When all of the tortillas are filled and in the baking dish, pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with fresh sliced avocado (or guacamole, if you prefer), reduced fat sour cream, and salsa (by the way, Frontera brand salsa is awesome).

As you can see from the picture, some of the filling fell out when I transferred the enchiladas to a dish.

Taco salad

• Lettuce/mixed greens (I use the pre-washed bagged salad mix)


• cherry tomatoes


• fresh diced avocado


• black olives (about 8 small olives, roughly chopped)


• roasted red peppers (roughly chopped)


• frozen corn kernels (about 1/4 cup, thawed and heated)


• black beans (about 1/4 of a can, drained and heated)


• reduced fat shredded cheddar (or jack) cheese


• reduced fat sour cream


• salsa


• baked tortilla chips

Kitchen sink burritos

These are some suggested ingredients, but you can use whatever you have handy in the fridge, freezer, pantry and garden.

• 1 can black beans (or pinto)
• 4 tablespoons salsa
• 2 cups leftover cooked rice
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, or mexican blend)
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 4 large flour tortillas
• sour cream
• extra salsa or taco sauce

Drain and rinse the beans. Place beans in a small pot or bowl and mix with 4 tablespoons of salsa. Heat beans on stove or in microwave into hot. Meanwhile, heat the corn and rice in the microwave.

Fill each of the tortillas with hot rice, beans and salsa, and corn. Add cheese on top. The add avocado slices, sour cream, and extra salsa. Fold and roll into a burrito. Makes 4 large burritos.

Spicy Chili

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 jalapenos, diced (including seeds)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 package of "Gimme Lean" ground beef substitute
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• a few pinches of red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup of water or vegetable stock
• 2 - 28oz cans of diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 can of chili beans or pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed
• Optional: grated cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the entire package of gimme lean beef substitute to the onion and peppers, breaking the "beef" into small pieces with your spoon are you cook it. Add all of the dry seasonings to the pot, and mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the "beef" is cooked through and lightly browned on the outside. Add the tomato soup, water, and diced tomatoes to the pot and stir well. Bring contents of pot to a slow simmer, and add all beans. Cook over medium-low heat for about an hour or until chili thickens, stirring often. If it gets too thick, add a little water or veggie stock to get preferred consistency. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and/or tortilla chips, if desired.

Saucy Zucchini

• 2 medium sized zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
• 2 cups mariana sauce (either bottled or homemade -- see recipe for marinana sauce a few entries below under "pasta with marinara sauce and meat(less) balls")
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cover the bottom of a small cassarole dish with 1/2 cup of sauce. Place one layer of zucchini rounds on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with approx. 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce. Add another layer of zucchini. Sprinkle with approx. 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat. After layering on final portion of sauce, add the rest of the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Serve with bread.

Mushroom Risotto with Peas

Another Giada DeLaurentiis recipe. I made this for dinner last night, and it was awesome. Giada's recipe calls for chicken broth, so I changed it to veggie broth. You could use mushroom broth instead, if you like.

• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Meat(less)balls

Marinara Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Meat(less)balls:

• 1 package of GimmeLean! ground beef substitute
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon A1 steak sauce
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a bowl and mix well with hands until all ingredients are completely incorporated. If mixture is too wet, add a little bit more breadcrumbs.

Roll tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture between palms to form balls. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When all meatballs are formed and oil is hot, add the meatballs to the pan in small batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Using tongs, brown the meatballs on each side for about 1 minute -- don't let them sit longer than a minute per side or they will burn. Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the pan and add the next batch.

After all of the meatballs have been browned and removed from the pan, add the meatballs to the sauce and heat over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve sauce and meat(less)balls with your favorite pasta, cooked according the the instructions on the pasta package.

Chick'n and veggies in "hunan" sauce

Here's a re-do on the stir-fry below. This time I used the LightLife Chick'n Strips instead of the MStar Farms version, and it was sooo much better this time.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1 package of LightLife"chick'n" strips


• 2 heads of fresh broccoli, cleaned (I only used the florets and discarded the stems)


• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin strips


• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced


• 1/2 can of baby corn on the cob


• 2 cups of fresh mushrooms, sliced


• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1 tablespoon soy sauce


• 1 teaspoon of chili paste


• 1 teaspoon of bean paste


• 4 tablespoons of store-bought schezwan sauce (or other brown sauce)

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok. Cook the chicken strips for about 3 minutes. Add all of the veggies to the pan and the soy sauce and cook for about 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the chili paste, bean paste, and schezwan sauce into cominbed. Taste and add more chili or bean paste to taste.

Add all of the sauce mixture to the pan and toss the veggies and chick'n well with the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken a bit.

Serve with rice.

One note: the sauce tasted great, but was not as thick as I would have liked. Next time I will try adding some cornstarch to thicken it up before adding it to the veggies.

"Chik'n" and veggies stir-fry

I threw this together last night for dinner, and it was pretty yummy. The store-bought teriyaki sauce I used was a little too salty, so I might try a different sauce next time. You can adapt this to use any fresh or frozen veggies you have around the kitchen.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1/2 bag of Morningstar Farms frozen "chik'n" strips


• 1/2 bag of frozen "asian style" veggies (broccoli florets, water chestnuts, and carrots)


• 1/2 can of baby corn on the cob


• 1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced


• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce


• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less, depending upon taste)


• 1-2 tablespoons of store-bought teriyaki or other brown sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add the "chik'n" strips and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add all veggies, fresh and frozen, to the skillet. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the frozen veggies are hot and the fresh veggies are cooked (but still crunchy). Add the teriyaki or other brown sauce and cook for another minute.

Serve with white or brown rice.

Follow up: I wasn't crazy about the taste/texture of the MStar Farms Chik'n strips. They didn't taste bad by any means, but the texture left something to be desired. I read on another blog that the LightLife Chick'n Strips are much better, so I'll try those next time. So far, as a general rule, I've found that the LightLife products taste better and have a better texture than MStar or Boca, so it's not surprising that they might have a better chicken substitute too. See my entry below about the "veggie burgers from scratch" for example. Also, if you haven't tried LightLife's "Smart Chili" yet, then you must! Heavenly!

Veggie Burgers "From Scratch"

Sure, the frozen Boca burgers, etc., are great -- they're easy and tasty. But for an even better burger, try this:

• 1 package of "Gimme Lean!" brand ground beef substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce (such as Annie's Naturals Organic worcestershire Sauce)
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon A1 Sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (to brush on patties to prevent sticking)
• sandwich buns

1 package of Gimme Lean! ground beef substitute will make 2 large burgers. So, if you're only cooking for one person, cut the recipe in half.

Optional items for your fixings bar: sliced cheese, sautéed mushrooms (just clean, slice and sauté fresh mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium high heat), lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, pickles.

In a large bowl, combine the "raw" GimmeLean! beef substitute with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Add worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, A1 sauce, and liquid smoke. Mix with your hands until the liquid seasoning is well distributed and absorbed. Divide the mixture in half and make 2 patties.

Brush both sides of each patty with the vegetable oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill. Grill each patty for about 3 minutes per side.

Serve on toasted buns. See list of optional fixings for ideas on dressing up your burger. I recommend setting up a "fixings bar" so that everyone can build their own burger.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' new cookbook. The best part is that you can sort of substitute whatever you like in this dish -- for example, I skipped the mushrooms (because they were expensive) and used asparagus instead. Also, I didn't use fontina cheese (again, expensive), so I just used shredded mozzarella and provolone and parmesan instead, and it turned out great. It's so easy to make -- the most time consuming part is cleaning and chopping up the veggies.

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
• 1 pound penne pasta 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined. Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Italian Vegetable Soup

The basis for this recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' latest cookbook "Everyday Pasta." I took her recipe and removed some things that I didn't like, and added some extra veggies, etc.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, including all liquid
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 pound frozen tortellini (I use Rosetto, which comes in a 1 pound bag, so I use half of a bag)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme, or any fresh herb you have handy)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute about 5 minutes. Add about half of the minced garlic, and all of the zucchini, carrots, artichokes, salt and pepper, and saute until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the veggie broth and the can of tomatoes (with their juices) and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Bring the soup back up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, add the frozen peas and frozen tortellini, and cook for about 3-4 minutes (according to the instructions on the tortellini packaging).
Meanwhile, combine the remaining garlic, the parmesan, softened butter, and rosemary in a small bowl and stir with a fork until well blended.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of the parmesan mixture and serve. Goes great with some crusty italian or french bread. Makes about 6 large servings.

Aunt Paula's Pasta Salad

This is my Aunt's recipe for pasta salad. It's great for picnics, or just to have handy in the fridge for lunch. It's easy enough to add different or additional veggies if you like. Also, you can make it vegan by simply eliminating the cheese and using a vegan salad dressing.

• 1 pound of tri-colored fusilli pasta (springs)
• 1 head of broccoli (clean and use florets only)
• 1 box of fresh mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
• 1 can of black olives (drained)
• 1/2 small jar of yellow pepper rings (hot or mild, depending upon your preference)
• 1 container of feta cheese (drained and cut into cubes)
• 1 cruet of good seasons italian dressing (or any oil and vinegar based italian dressing that you like)
• grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, and drain.

Boil the broccoli florets for about 3-4 minutes, then "shock" in a bowl of ice water, and drain.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and toss with the dressing until well coated. Chill for at least and hour and serve. Can be served warm, but I think it tastes much better cold. Even better it you let it chill for a few hours before serving.

Animal products to look out for

My friend gave me this list of not-so-obvious ingredients to look out for. This list comes from a Vegetarian Times article. It's not exhaustive, but it's a good guide.

Gelatin
* frosted mini wheats
* starburst
*skittles
*planters dry roasted peanuts
*lucky charms

Lard
* pillsbury pie crusts
* ortega refried beans
*bush's BBQ baked beans

Carmine (cochnieal extract or carminic acid - beetles)
* dole's peaches in strawberry all natural fruit gel
*yoplait thick and creamy lowfat strawberry yogurt
*tropicana orange strawberry banana juice
*wegman's fruit cocktail
*kikkoman sweet & sour sauce
*some applesauce, fruit drinks, puddings

Isinglass (protein from fish air bladders)
*guinness stout
*bass ale
*foster's lager
*boddingtons ale
*some sam adams

Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol (additive made from fish oils or oil from sheep wool)
*some milk and margarine
*florida naturals fortified orange juice
*america's choice milk
*horizon organic milk
*promise light margarine

Rennet
*denmark's finest dill havarti
*tine jarlsberg semi-soft part-skim cheese
*president fresh goat cheese
*francesco rinaldi's tomato, garlic and onion pasta sauce
*classico four cheese pizza sauce
*these are ok: horizon organic cheddar, boar's head colby, land o'lakes mozzarella, organic valley monterey jack and check out cheese.joyousliving.com/Default.aspx

Pepsin (a clotting agent from pigs' stomachs)
*used in some cheeses and vitamins

Stearic Acid (a fatty substance from pigs' stomachs, or from cows, sheep, or dogs and cats euthenized in animal shelters)
*used in some chocolate and vitamins

Cetyl Palmitate (waxy oil derived from sperm whales' heads or from dolphins)
* used in some margarines

Urea (comes from urine and other "bodily fluids")
*used for "browning" some baked goods, such as pretzels