What do you do when you have a head of cauliflower staring at you when you open your refrigerator? Sure you can go for the typical mashed cauliflower or cauliflower soup. But how about a sweet and sticky bit of goodness with a little kick! …
Date night with my husband this past weekend had me thinking about what I would post for this week’s blog. We visited a new restaurant where I spotted a dish on the menu that was filled with sweet potato gnocchi. There’s something about those soft, …
This may be your new addiction! Crunchy, toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs tossed with pasta, mushrooms and peas is a great, quick meal. And there are no added fats or dairy (unless you top with a bit of cheese), but you really don’t need to.
The inspiration came from some stuffed mushrooms that I served to guests over the holidays. I combined a couple of recipes that I’ve used in the past from two of my favorite chefs (Ina and Giada) and made the mushrooms with chopped walnuts. They were so decadent without any other meat or sausage that I thought that combination would be super yummy over pasta.
The key to this dish is toasting the breadcrumbs and the walnuts. Just a few quick stirs with some added seasonings and you have a flavorful crunch fest!
Truth be told I have never have made my own breadcrumbs until recently. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I had quite a bid of leftover bread cubes from making stuffing and thought I should throw it in the food processor. I froze the crumbs in 1 cup portions to use in new recipes. I’m glad I did.
Recipe – Serves 2
1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup of choped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
4 to 6 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 teaspoon of steak seasoning (optional)
4 ounces of pasta
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
In a small nonstick skillet, toast bread crumbs and walnuts over medium heat, stirring until golden brown. Add the onion powder, the garlic powder, salt and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. If using Italian breadcrumbs, skip this step. Set aside.
Fill a medium sized pot of water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook per package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat a medium nonstick skillet over low to medium heat and add mushrooms with a few tablespoons of water and steak seasoning. Cover and let cook a few minutes until golden. Add frozen peas and stir until peas are heated through.
Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the water. Add pasta to pan with peas and mushroom and stir to combine. Add remaining parsley and all but two tablespoons of the walnut mixture. If pasta seems dry, add the reserved pasta water and stir to combine.
Top with remaining walnut mixture and optional parmesan cheese.
Chili has been on the menu a lot during this cold snap! There are a million chili recipes and I’m sure you all have your own favorites. For me it’s all about a thick, rich chili without a lot of fanfare. I have made chili …
Mushrooms are high on my list (especially when my husband is out of town since he dislikes). So last night being hubby-free, I put together a quick and easy flatbread that includes some of my favorite flavors. Gruyere cheese with its nutty texture adds depth …
Peanut butter is one of my all time faves. My husband and I both eat a lot of it so I’m thankful I was never allergic (I would be devastated)! In the last few years I’ve gravitated to the natural stir variety that packs a lot of punch without the added sugar. I was so excited when I discovered PB2, the peanut butter powder. Naturally my first thought was to use the powder rather than regular peanut butter in my protein shakes to cut the fat. It also flavors my overnight oats so I can save the real-deal peanut butter drizzle for the finish. But that’s just scratching the surface.
But this ingenious little powder can do so much. I decided to make a peanut sauce that would be “guilt free” and flavorful. Peanut sauce can be pretty fat-laden. I frequent a Thai restaurant in Charleston, SC that has a killer chicken satay but I know with every dip of my skewer that the sauce is most likely high in fat and calories.
This quick recipe will satisfy your peanut butter craving. I chose soba noodles since they are a little thinner then udon and have healthy fiber from buckwheat flour. Great hot or cold leftover noodles make a great salad over greens and crunchy cabbage.
Recipe serves 2
4 tablespoons of PB2 powder
1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon of chopped peanuts
1 teaspoon + 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
4 oz of soba noodles
1 tablespoon of diced green onion
Toppings: Crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, toasted sesame seeds, lime wedge
Add first 9 ingredients plus 1 tsp of cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add soba noodles and cook per package directions. Drain noodles and return to pain. Add sauce mixture to noodles along with green onion and remainder of cilantro. Stir to combine. Top with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts.
Leftover lentil stew makes a great spread for wraps and base for tacos. You have your own hummus! Brown corn tortillas in a skillet or over an open flame Spread warmed lentils on the bottom of the tortillas Add your favorite fillings: chopped lettuce, spinach, …
This is a dish I’ve been making for a long time. In an effort to lose weight (through many efforts that is), I moved toward using more vegetables with pasta since pasta is so calorie heavy when it’s eaten on its own. Bring veggies into …
As the weather has turned bitter cold for an extended period of time, there’s nothing like a warm, filling (and healthy) stew that soothes the soul.
Lentils are a legume that is fairly new to my pantry. I’ve always loved beans but never ventured past the typical canned bean, primarily because they are so darn convenient! Since I’m on a journey to add more plant based meals to my life, I’ve really come to love the lentil for a number of reasons. First, it’s a healthy option when looking to expand your bean arsenal. And I love that its small texture gives a mouth-feel of ground beef when added to dishes. And, lentils do not need to be soaked like most beans and can be cooked in under an hour. That’s an added health benefit since canned beans, although very convenient, contain added sodium that’s not needed.
Speaking of sodium, I have no added salt in this dish. The cumin and coriander are great flavor boosters along with the adobo sauce. If you feel you need salt you can always salt at the end of the cooking time.
Feel free to substitute! I’ve used butternut squash (you can use sweet potatoes, acorn squash). I’ve also added tahini which is sesame seed paste that gives it a thicker and creamier texture. Another way to do this is to add some blended chick peas or cannelini beans. Spinach is stirred at the end. Kale or other greens of choice can be added.
And then there’s the toppings (who doesn’t love the toppings)! I opted for avocado to balance out the subtle heat from the chipotles along with toasted sesame seeds.
Check out the Take Two Lentil Stew Tacos making two meals from this recipe!
1 cup of butternut squash, peeled and diced into half-inch pieces
1 cup of lentils, rinsed
4 cups of vegetable broth or water (more if needed)
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of chipotle adobo sauce (add more if you like it hot!)
2 tablespoon of tahini (optional)
1 cup of chopped spinach
Toppings: Toasted sesame seeds, avacodo, tahini
Add one tablespoon of oil or vegetable broth to a large pot and heat to medium. Add the butternut squash along with the cumin, coriander and onion powder. Stir until coated for one to two minutes. Add the lentils, vegetable broth and adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until the squash and lentils are soft. Stir in the tahini and remove from the heat. Add chopped spinach. Finish with toppings.