Here's to Mushrooms!

One of my recipes is being featured by Mushroom Mondays.  I'm feeling very proud!

And hungry ~ don't these look good?  These babies are so photogenic!

Meatless Mondays: Summer Fun

And we're back to Monday...  How did that happen?  I hope all my readers have been enjoying the holiday weekend.  For me, it's just one more reminder that summer is nearly here.  (Yippee!)  I plan to savor this summer.  Partly to distract me from the heat that could be the bane of my existence.  And partly because this summer will likely be a very special summer.  

I'm between jobs right now, so I will be planning lots of activities and quality time with my big munchkin.  Baby munchkin is due to arrive in early August, so that will be huge.  In between I'm hoping to fit in a trip or two, lots of dinners on our back patio, many afternoons spent poolside, and maybe even a day or two at the beach.

To get it all started, I recently discovered what may become this year's favorite summer pasta.  It's another tortellini dish that can be served warm, room temperature, or cold as a pasta salad.  I took it to a cookout as a side dish yesterday, and I heard a few "yums" amid all the noshing.  Always a good sign!   

Notice that the ingredient list is decidedly low-fat, making this sauce yet another example of a sneakily-lowcal cream sauce.  Just remember to watch how long this dish sits out on the back patio, as it can spoil as quickly as any salad dressed with a cream-, buttermilk-, or mayo-based sauce.

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Tortellini with Yogurt Chive Sauce

Serves 4-6

• 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 8 oz. frozen peas
• 2/3 plain lowfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup Parmesan (either grated or shredded), divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for the pasta water and to taste
• 1/4 freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tomato, diced

Cook the tortellini in a pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package directions.  Add the peas to the boiling water during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.  (Note that fresh tortellini may only need 3-4 minutes to boil, in which case you can add the tortellini and peas together from the start.)  Reserve 1/2 of the pasta cooking water before draining.

In the meantime, mix the yogurt, 1/4 cup Parmesan, Garlic, chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Place the cooked pasta and peas in a large bowl.  Add the diced tomato and sauce.  Mix well.  Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve warm, room-temperature, or chilled as a pasta salad.

So Saucy

{Green Bean Casserole}

I have a new secret sauce. I think it's pretty great, but my hubby absolutely loves it. He's always had a taste for creamy sauces ~ alfredo, bechamel, creamy pesto. Basically, if there's cream in it he loves it. Of course this hasn't always worked out so well for him. I mean, a busy dad can only squeeze in so many runs to stay ahead of the cream sauces. You know what I mean!

This creamy sauce isn't actually creamy ~ its texture comes from someplace other than cream. It has very little fat and lots of flavor, not to mention a dose of protein and fiber. So far I've used it with veggies and as a pasta sauce. Success, success, success! I plan to continue adapting this recipe for as many uses as I can. Tonight I'll share my basic recipe, and I'll share a few of my variations soon.

Consider trying it out. I think you'll be surprised how flavorful and satisfying it is ~ especially when you don't feel like running off a real cream sauce!

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Garlic and Herb "Cream" Sauce

• 1 15 oz. can canellini or white kidney beans, undrained
• Up to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Up to 2 tsp. of dried herbs (try thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, or a combination)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  

Place all ingredients in a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. It's that simple!

Pizza Remix 3

It's been a while since I blogged a Remix recipe. These are my simplest, easiest, most basic combinations of ingredients. I love to re-create tacos, pizza, and sandwiches in new or different forms. Very often the meal that results is fantastic, despite its simplicity. Do you do this too? If so, I'd love to hear about some of your creations ~ feel free to leave a link in the comments.

Whole wheat pita (or substitute white)
Tomato sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Crumbled feta
Pre-sliced cremini mushrooms
Pine nuts
Red pepper flakes

Meatless Mondays: It's Time

You'll have to excuse my sparse posting recently. Instead of talking about food (and life!) I've been enjoying it. So now it's time to start catching up. In fact, I'm blogging with today's Meatless Mondays post just in the nick of time. In most parts of the U.S. it's not even Monday anymore. But who's counting anyway!

In recent weeks I have finally realized that summer is almost over. School has started for all the children here in Davis, and we've even seen a few cooler nights. Clearly it's time to prepare for Fall, but I'm not quite ready. I have yet to really enjoy the best of summer produce ~ the garden-fresh tomatoes, the locally grown sweet corn, the eggplants and bell peppers. I'm hoping to make time for all of these summer treats...and fast.

For today's Meatless Mondays post I'd like to share this luscious tomato salad. It's perfect for this time of year because it features tomatoes straight from the farmstand.


It requires zero cooking.


And, it is light enough for even the hottest of days.


I hope you enjoy it as much as we did ~ even my daughter dove headfirst into this, herbs and all!

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Marinated Tomato Salad

• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pints of the freshest mini tomatoes you can find (using a mixture of heirloom cherry tomatoes might make for the prettiest result)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/8 tsp. each of sea salt and freshly ground pepper (or more to taste)
  

Whisk together the vinegar and oil in the serving dish. Add the tomatoes to the dish, top with the herbs, salt, and pepper, and then toss well to coat the tomatoes. Adjust the seasonings if necessary, then chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving.

Taco Remix 2

Do you have a favorite way to "package" up your food? Tacos are probably my favorite food package. Today's taco remix is inspired by Real Simple's 3-ingredient recipe challenge. Although I packaged up my 3-ingredient recipe inside a taco, you could easily eat this egg/green onion/cheese combo as is.

Beat 6 eggs
Lightly saute 4 green onions, sliced
Add 1/4 cup feta (or other flavorful cheese)
Season with salt and pepper
Eat as is or serve on tortillas with tomatilla salsa

Taco Remix

The bar exam is now exactly a week away ~ yikes! This is what fueled me last week since now I seem to be grabbing the camera less and less often.

Wheat tortilla
Toasted with cheese, tomato salsa, frozen bell peppers
Top with black beans
Fresh baby spinach
Pre-sliced mushrooms

Pizza Remix 2

Kitchen shortcuts can be a lifesaver, so don't be afraid to turn to the pre-chopped produce section, the canned/jarred food aisle, or even the freezer for the makings of some really great food.

Whole wheat pita
Refried beans
Tomato salsa
Shredded jack cheese
Frozen corn
Lots of black pepper

Grilled Cheese Remix 2

As you may know, I've been mixing it up around here with my Remix series. These are my quickest, easiest, and most basic recipes for the busiest of times. Enjoy!

Wheat bread
A thin layer of pesto on each slice
Salt and pepper
Shredded mozzarella
Fresh baby spinach

Pizza Remix

Whole wheat pita (great for portion control!)
Basil pesto
Fresh baby spinach
Coarsely chopped artichoke hearts
Shredded mozzarella
Shredded parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Cheese Remix

For today's remix, I'm starting out basic:

"The Traditional"
Sharp cheddar
Wheat bread
Brushed with olive oil
(because it's faster than spreading butter and it crisps up nicely!)

Mini Fiesta

Yay, Emily! My penpal had her quesadilla party this weekend. Back when we did our food exchange my challenge to her was to host a quesadilla party. I gave her my favorite salsa recipe to try, and she ended up using my spinach quesadilla recipe and pumpkin quesadilla recipe too. See her site with all the details, plus her strawberry salsa and chicken veggie quesadillas. Looks like a fun time!


I figured it was time for me to share my salsa recipe. It's the red salsa in the middle of the picture above. (Thanks for the picture, Emily!) It's super easy to make since you can throw everything into a food processor mostly unchopped. The one thing I would be sure to chop is the jalapeño so that you don't end up with large pieces in your salsa. I also think it tastes better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to blend.

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Homemade Salsa

• 1 1/2 medium jalapeños (or more to taste), chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed well (some stems are OK ~ they have flavor too!)
• 1/2 small onion (red onion looks the best!)
• 1 can Mexican recipe stewed tomatoes
• 1 can regular stewed or diced tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. salt
  

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the salsa reaches your desired chunkiness.

A Plate of Sunshine

A few weekends ago I made these sunshine-y pancakes. This is the kind of recipe I love ~ a few simple ingredients that turn into something wonderful. These are slightly sweet and a bit spicy.


While I don't often use mixes for things, I always like the idea of quick and easy breakfasts. You just can't beat needing only 3 ingredients!


These are very moist and freeze well. Do watch out, since they seem to stick more than most pancakes. I re-oiled the pan several times.

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Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

• 3 cups pancake mix (I used Krusteaz buttermilk)
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
• 2 1/3 cups water (adjust the water if the consistency seems off since the moisture from the pumpkin may vary)

Whisk the ingredients together and drop onto a skillet. Cook on both sides, and you're done!

Fine Dining

On our trip last week we dined up and down the Monterey Bay. (One of my favorite parts of the trip, of course!) One of my most vivid memories is from our last night there when we had dinner overlooking the water. We were just next to some rocks, so we experienced the full effect of the ocean as the waves crashed against them. We sipped on margaritas and a family of adorable sea otters played just a few feet from us. It was really a hoot to watch them in action!

By the time we got back home I was thoroughly hooked on the whole dining experience. While I had no way to re-create the ocean views, I at least tried to stick with my approach for veggie sophistication. I didn't have any mushrooms, but I did incorporate wine and cheese into the meal.

This recipe is an old asparagus favorite ~ perfect for springtime.


I spruced it up a bit by experimenting with fontina. On our trip I picked up some locally grown and produced Riesling marinated garlic, which I've never cooked with before. As you see from the pictures, I used it in this dish.


While I look forward to trying the marinated garlic in other things, I definitely prefer fresh garlic here. It's such a simple recipe that the kick from the fresh garlic is essential. Enjoy!


Spaghetti with Asparagus, Fontina, and Garlic
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
• 3/4 pound spaghetti (I prefer whole wheat)
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces Fontina, cubed
• 6 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.

Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the fontina and basil and toss to combine. The cheese will melt and coat the spaghetti as you stir. Turn off the heat. Adjust seasonings, if necessary, and serve.

Green Pizza

There has been a lot of green in my life recently ~ I've been eating lots of spinach, our grass is greener than ever, and now I've raided our closets looking for green outfits for tomorrow. But my favorite green endeavor in the last few days was most definitely these green pizzas.


This picture just barely shows how I made two larger individual pizzas and one smaller one for my toddler. Things are often very Goldilocks-esque at our house!

But back to the point...these pizzas were great, and I'm proud to say that they are quite healthy. I think the secret to a healthier pizza is threefold: load it up with veggies, try a whole wheat crust (the fiber will fill you up faster), and use less, but more flavorful, cheese. If you need something heartier, then simply increase the cheese and consider adding some pine nuts. You can't go wrong either way.

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Green Pizzas
Makes 2 small, lunch-sized portions

• 1 tsp. oil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. Dried oregano
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 oz. sliced mushrooms, cremini are best (approximately 1/3 of a pre-sliced package)
• 4 oz. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
  
• 2 whole wheat pita rounds
  
• 1/4-1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
  
• 3 Tbsp. crumbled feta

Preheat the broiler.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic, then saute 1 minute. Add the mushroom and saute for about 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the spinach, cover, and continue to cook until the spinach has wilted down.

Meanwhile, prepare your pizzas by spreading a spoonful (or two) of tomato sauce on each pita round. Then sprinkle with mozzarella, dividing it between the 2 pizzas. Once the veggies are done, spread them on top of the pizza. Top with the feta.

Place the pizzas on a baking sheet and broil for approximately 5 minutes, or until the feta is just starting to brown.

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Wishing you a green-filled St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!

Drop, Stir, Done!

If you need a quick lunch or side dish, you might try this little bean salad. Serve by itself, over salad grains, or eat it in a wrap. It tastes even better the next day!

Quick Mediterranean Bean Salad

• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• Pepper
  
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1 can red or white kidney beans
• A handful of grape tomatoes, halved

Put the first four ingredients in a bowl or storage container and blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well coated. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Fun with Pumpkin

A few nights ago I was wandering the grocery store, realizing that I hadn't really planned what to cook for dinner. I happened to be in the canned food aisle, and I spotted pumpkin. I love pumpkin. And I particularly love pumpkin in savory dishes, although I don't cook with it very often. I decided to experiment with a new quesadilla, and it's definitely worth sharing. Even my toddler liked it!

The version I made here is a hearty quesadilla, perfect for a meal. I froze a bunch of them and have been packing them for lunch. You could easily make this a thinner, appetizer-style quesadilla by spreading out the filling over more tortillas. I would keep the cheese to at least 1/4 cup per tortilla.



Bean & Pumpkin Quesadillas
Serves 4-6

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 a large onion, diced
• 3/4 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 can black refried beans (I like the consistency of Amy's beans)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (preferably a Mexican blend)
• 8 medium tortillas
  

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne, then saute another 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin to the pan and stir. Warm slightly.

Spread some beans (no more than 1/4 cup) over half of each tortilla, then spread a similar amount of the pumpkin mixture over the other half of the tortilla. Top the beans with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Fold in half, then transfer the quesadillas to a skillet or griddle pan. Cook in batches over medium heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Seasonal Blending

All of a sudden it seems like the perfect time for a smoothie. I probably feel that way because smoothies remind me of summer. (Warm nights on the patio, everybody's carefree attitude, vacation ~ what's not to miss?) And today is certainly a day to daydream of summer. Currently there's a storm sitting over Northern California. The wind is outrageous, roaring outside and whistling as it rushes through the rafters of my house. At times it looks like the two redwoods looming over my backward may come plummeting down. Eek!

But back to the smoothies. . . One final reason to make a smoothie is that they're an easy way to detox from November and December eating. And they taste great!


The basics of smoothie-making are straightforward enough. The most important rule is to use enough liquid so that your blender can handle the frozen fruit. (I broke many blenders before I knew this, so take heed!) Use at least a cup of liquid, and add more if it seems too thick or if your blender is having trouble processing. Start with a few quick pulses to break up the frozen fruit, stirring with a spoon once or twice in between pulses. Finish by letting the blender run for ten seconds or so.


My basic recipe includes:

• a cup or more of orange juice (this adds sweetness)
• about 1/3 cup of yogurt, plain or vanilla (more if you want a creamier smoothie)
  
• 1 banana, preferably cold
• several handfuls of frozen strawberries (approximately 2 cups)

I sometimes substitute other frozen fruit for some of the strawberries, such as frozen blueberries or peaches. But since the strawberries add a lot of sweetness, I usually don't eliminate them altogether. Happy Blending!

Lunch

I just made myself a pretty little lunch that I thought I'd share. I started with two small handmade corn and whole grain tortillas (from La Tortilla Factory out of Sonoma, but sold in the regular grocery store). I added a shmeer of roasted red pepper hummus, a sprinkle of shredded parmigiano reggiano, and freshly ground black pepper. Then I topped them with some crunchy red pepper spears and romaine lettuce.

The tortillas are pretty dense, so these could easily be wrapped in plastic wrap for later. Yum!