Archive for the Category ◊ Veggies ◊

11 Sep 2010 Zucchini Pasta
Author:  |  Category: Main Dish, Meatless, Pasta, Seasonal, Teaching Boys to Cook Series, Veggies  | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  | 11 Comments

I have debated back and forth about posting this recipe…  Pros: it uses up zucchini, which is very important this time of year.  The pasta recipe is good.  Simple, straightforward. Good.  Cons: It’s not GREAT; it’s good, but it’s lacking Emeril’s “Bam”!  I made this for the first time at my friend’s beach house this summer.  We all liked it, but we all thought it needed something else.  Garlic?  Shallots?  Lemon Peel?  Egg yolk?  Not sure…

When we returned from the beach my friend kept asking for the recipe and I kept thinking about making it again.  So it had to have something, right?  I sent my friend the recipe (I had no intention of posting it), and I made it again.  The results were the same.  The pasta was good, not great, but…

…for the last two nights I have had leftover homemade pizza, leftover beef rice bowl, and leftover ribs in the refrigerator, along with the leftover Zucchini Pasta.  Two nights in a row I’ve chosen leftover Zucchini Pasta over all my other choices.  So this dish has to have something, right?  Maybe it’s just comfort food.  End of the summer comfort food.  Yes, that must be it.

This recipe is from a Pasta Cookbook I received as a birthday present and took to the beach to read. (I read cookbooks like novels. Who’s with me on that?) The cookbook is called “Homestyle Pasta” by Bay Books (I don’t think that’s a person and I couldn’t find a link!!)  I’ve changed the recipe a bit, but only to reduce the amount of pasta.  The original recipe called for 1 lb. of pasta.  That’s too much pasta, and not enough zucchini and cheese.

Did I mention how easy this is to make?  While the pasta boils, stir up the zucchini…

Did I mention that my two year old grandson can’t stuff this into his mouth fast enough?

Zucchini Pasta

1/2 lb. fettuccine (the original recipe called for 1 lb of pasta)
1/4 cup salted butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb. zucchini (about 3 medium), grated
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water per package directions. Drain pasta and keep warm.  Melt butter in a large frying pan, saute the garlic for one or two minutes.  Stir in grated zucchini and saute until zucchini is soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in drained noodles and grated cheese. Toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Good. Fast. Easy. End of the summer comfort food.  And you now have three less zucchini.  HEY! You could attach this recipe to the zucchini you drop off on your neighbor’s porch after dark tonight!

Enjoy these last days of summer.  Enjoy your harvest 🙂

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!

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08 Jul 2010 Chilled Green Beans for Snacking
Author:  |  Category: Appetizers, Veggies  | Tags: , , , ,  | 2 Comments

Move over Doritos. Get out of here bagel bites. Got you beat baby carrots! I find these to be quite an addictive finger food. They are a perfect summer appetizer, seasonal, chilled, and good for you. What’s wrong with a pile of green beans before dinner? Nothing! What’s right about a pile of green beans before dinner? Refreshing. Tasty. A little bit of a crunch. Lots of color. A bit of red onion. A hint of mint. YUMMMMM.

This recipe makes a LOT of green beans. Unless you are serving an army of healthy eaters, I might be tempted to say make half a recipe. But on-the-other-hand, Costco sells green beans washed and trimmed in a 2 lb. bag. Just snip the corner and zap for 8 minutes. Now that’s convenient. And leftovers do keep well for a week or so. My kids hardly complain if they find a few chopped up in their salad or added to a pasta dish…

This recipe is from Epicurious.com. I’ve been making it for about four years now. I make it as an appetizer for almost every large gathering.

Chilled Green Beans for Snacking

2 lbs. green beans, left whole, but ends trimmed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

If you buy the 2 lbs of green beans from Costco, cook according to the package directions. For other green beans cook in a large kettle of boiling, salted water for 2-4 minutes or until they are crisp tender. Transfer hot green beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry. Wrap the drained green beans in paper towel and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Mix the green beans, chopped mint, and red onion with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Enjoy!

And thanks for stopping by my kitchen today,

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06 Jun 2010 Pasta with Asparagus
Author:  |  Category: Main Dish, Meatless, Pasta, Veggies  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

My daughter Abby has been a successful member of Weight Watchers, on-and-off, for about 2 years now. When I found a Weight Watcher’s foodie blog recently, I sent the link to her. She immediately sent back that she wanted to make this. I was underwhelmed with her choice. The ingredient list didn’t add up to much for me. I was wrong. This is a knock out pasta dish; easy, quick and quite delicious. What more could you want? Ohhh…, Weight Watcher’s points! 4 points per serving. Oooops. This only served the two of us…, make that 8 points per serving…, but still yummy, still incredibly easy and fast to pull together. To serve four I would throw in some cubes of cooked chicken or beef, or even a few shrimp.

Abby moves into her own apartment in August. I am pulling together a cookbook for her. This one is going in it. I hope it becomes of one of her staples. Thanks Skinny Taste!

Pasta with Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, cut into 2″ pieces (tough ends discarded)
6 oz uncooked pasta (less than half a box)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large pot boil 4 cups water with 1 T. salt. When boiling, add asparagus and cook 4 minutes, until tender crisp. Remove asparagus with slotted spoon to a dish and set aside. Remove 1/4 cup cooking water and set aside. Add more water to pan, return to a boil, and cook pasta in same water. Look on the box for the cooking time.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine egg yolk, cheese, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup asparagus liquid. Set aside. In a large frying pan heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until golden, add asparagus and sauté about 1-2 minutes, tossing with oil and garlic. Add in cooked pasta and egg mixture. Toss and stir well, cooing on medium-low for about 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens and sticks to pasta. Serve.

Optional-Stir in 1 cup cooked cubed chicken, beef, or shrimp when adding the cooked asparagus to the frying pan.

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup • Points: 4 ww pts
Calories: 227.6 • Fat: 7.0 g • Protein: 5.4 g • Carb: 38.3 g • Fiber: 6.9 g

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26 Apr 2010 Roasted Cauliflower
Author:  |  Category: Veggies  | Tags: , , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment

In the US, a “good” dinner is a main dish, maybe a veggie, a starch and a green salad.  In England, the norm for a “good” dinner is a main dish, mash and three veggies. I’m English. Three veggies, please!  I love my veggies.  Love them, love them, love them.  I never met a veggie I didn’t like.  Roasting veggies is surprisingly easy and brings out the sweetness in the veggies. Ever roast a cauliflower?  No?  You’re missing out! Here’s the recipe (from Epicurious.com).

Roasted Cauliflower

8 cups cauliflower florets (you’ll need one huge head of cauliflower or two smaller heads)
3 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the small florets into a large (gallon) sized Ziploc bag or large bowl.  Mix the olive oil and salt together then pour over the cauliflower.  Shake the bag, or stir the bowl, to cover the cauliflower evenly with the oil and salt.  Spread cauliflower onto a large baking sheet (the metal kind with 1/2 inch or 1 inch sides).  Place sheet into hot oven. Shake pan after 15 minutes to rotate florets.  Continue to roast for another 10 or 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and sports nice golden brown spots.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!  Will you be roasting some cauliflower soon? What other veggies do you like to roast?

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