Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Garlic Yogurt Cream Sauce

Every once in a while, my random, thrown-together dinners turn out awesome. Tonight was one of those nights. I think it was the inspiration of the CSA produce we got today, which included some beautiful sweet peppers, broccoli, yellow squash, red onion, and green onions. I immediately wanted to get those onions caramelizing and roast up the rest, and once I got that started, I decided to toss it with some whole wheat pasta. I wanted a light, creamy sauce, and so I decided to try adding some yogurt and a bit of butter.

I think it turned out pretty amazing-- a mixture of textures and flavors, spicy and sweet and a little tangy all at once. Plus, it was filling and nutritious without being too heavy. I hope you like it, too.

1 head of broccoli
2 small sweet peppers
1 small yellow squash
1 red onion
3-4 green onions
2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained
1 tbsp butter, divided
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 tsp garlic, divided
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and slice peppers, broccoli, and squash into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of garlic and salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 tsp butter into the remaining olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Slice the red onion thinly and saute until caramelized, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Optional: add in green onions and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.
3. Toss pasta with remaining butter, spices, and yogurt. Add in onions and roasted vegetables, and toss again.

Serves two to three, dusted with parmesan cheese.

Did I get it all?

Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes with Flax

I've been mixing buckwheat flour into my homemade pizza crust, because it's healthy and nutty and "whole grain" (although it's actually a seed). So when Tessa found this recipe for oatmeal pancakes, I decided to mix in a little buckwheat flour and a little flax seed to add to the already nutritious hulled oats in the recipe.

I've served them twice already, once with nutella and once with maple syrup, and they are tasty and incredibly filling. The buckwheat flour makes the pancakes (or pizza crust) a darker brown than they would be otherwise, so if that bothers you, you can sub in whole wheat flour. They're also vegetarian.

2 1/2 cup almond milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp kosher salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups hulled oats (or oatmeal)
1 cup buckwheat flour

1. If you're using hulled oats, stick them in a blender or food processor and pulse to pulverize. (I did this with the whole bag of hulled oats and then stored, so that I only had to do it once.)

2. Next, you have a choice: either add the rest of the ingredients and give it a whirl, or you can mix everything by hand in a bowl. Either way, make sure all of the ingredients are well mixed.
2. Let the batter stand for 2-3 minutes to thicken, while you heat up your griddle or skillet.
3. Cook the pancakes a few minutes on each side, until the bubbles start to leave holes.

Serves four with your favorite toppings.

Not. A. Word.

Pesto Tuna Pasta

I've been trying to cook more fish lately, because of its many benefits, and as a non-red-meat source of protein. I always keep a couple of cans of tuna on hand (wild skipjack, a.k.a "chunk light," from Wild Planet, one of several companies that have gone BPA-free), so this recipe was just something I threw together one night for dinner when I hadn't been to the store in too long. It was so tasty and easy, it's become a staple.

I use whole wheat pasta, of course, and I've tried it with penne as well as spaghetti. It works well either way. I've been growing rainbow chard in our backyard, so I always have a handfull or two of that to throw in, and when we get green onions from our CSA, I save the solid white parts at the bottom and replant them. They regenerate the green parts, so you can use them indefinitely. Sometimes I use kale in addition to chard, and I've also just thrown in broccoli, summer squash, frozen peas or whatever I have on hand. It's tasty, filling, and healthy. To make it vegetarian, leave out the tuna or sub in some seitan, and leave off the cheese for a vegan option.

8 oz. whole wheat pasta
1 5 oz. can skipjack/chunk light tuna, drained (lower mercury than albacore/solid white)
2 cups rainbow chard, stems and leaves, rinsed and chopped*
3-6 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or turmeric
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pesto, store-bought or make your own
parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

*Finely chop the stems of the chard-- don't throw them out! They add color and sweetness.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chard stems, and saute for one minute. Flake the tuna into the pan, and add the green onions and the rainbow chard leaves. Season with the spices and saute, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted but are still bright in color.
3. Stir the chard mixture into the pasta. Add the pesto and toss. Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley.

Serves two.

Om nom nom.

Home Fries with Peppers and Onions

Breakfast is an important meal. My favorite part of breakfast? Potatoes. Hash browns, home fries, latkes made with last night's mashed potatoes, bubble and squeak, I love it all. There's this place in Philly, though, called Honey's, that makes awesome home fries with peppers and onions, and I had a bad craving for them. So when I got an onion and some beautiful organic red potatoes in our CSA basket, I knew what I was making. Home fries with peppers and onions.

I made mine with an orange bell pepper, because they're Tessa's favorite, and made sure to caramelize my onions. They take a little time, but boy is it worth it. Perfect with an omelette or an egg and avocado sandwich.

4-6 organic red potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Add the potatoes (whole, skin on!) to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, cool (you can stick them in the fridge for a minute) and cut them into half inch cubes.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 5 minutes) or until they begin to brown around the edges (10-15 minutes). Transfer to a plate or bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet, still on medium-high. Add the cubed potatoes and season with salt, paprika, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned; about 10 minutes. 

4. Stir the onions and bell pepper back in, add the parsley and garlic (optional), and cook for another minute. 

Serves 4-5 as a side dish.

Works best with cast iron skillet, if not otherwise occupied.

Moist and Crispy Baked Chicken

Tessa frequently asks me to make this chicken to accompany the fresh produce we get from our organic CSA. It's crispy from the panko breadcrumbs and amazingly moist on the inside thanks to the yogurt coating, and is baked, not fried, so it has very little fat/oil to boot.

I modified what I make from a dinner we had at Tessa's uncle's house, using whole wheat panko breadcrumbs, and substituting yogurt for most of the butter. It takes a while to bake, admittedly, but doesn't require any monitoring, really, so you can focus on the rest of the meal while the oven does all the work. (Also, it takes about the same amount of time to bake as it takes whole grain brown rice to cook... just saying...) I like it with broccoli, roasted carrots, summer squash, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, potatoes...

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 oz low-fat, plain yogurt
1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt, to taste
1 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place yogurt in a bowl or on a plate and stir until smooth.
3. In a separate shallow dish or bowl, combine the bread crumbs, seasoning, and parmesan cheese.

4. Lightly oil or butter a 9x13 baking dish.

5. Dip each chicken breast in the yogurt, then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating completely but not heavily. 

6. Place each coated chicken breast in the baking dish, topping with a drizzle of olive oil or a small piece of butter.

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees and the coating is golden brown.

8. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-8, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Warning: Breading your kitten may result in adorable pictures.

Aloo Gobi

After watching Bend It Like Beckham, I get a major craving for Aloo Gobi. Plus, I just love Indian food. So when I found this recipe, I knew what I was making for dinner. It's creamy and spicy and melts in your mouth.

I made a couple of modifications to the spices based on what I had available, but our CSA had happened to give us both an onion and a couple of tomatoes, so I (uncharacteristically) put those in instead of substituting leeks and tomato paste. I added peas for a little sweetness when I threw in the potatoes and cauliflower. Also, did you know coriander is cilantro? I do now...

The potatoes take much longer to cook than 20 minutes... I ended up cooking mine for almost an hour (as reflected below). If you'd rather not do this, you can parboil the potatoes first, but if you have the time, I recommend cooking low and slow, because you can't beat the flavor. If you like a crunch to your cauliflower, leave it out until the last 20 minutes of cooking.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 bunch fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
1 small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
1 lb organic Yukon Gold or red skin potatoes, cut into even pieces (leave skin on!)

1 cup peas (optional)
2 (8 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, or tomato paste)
fresh ginger, peeled and grated, to taste
fresh garlic, chopped, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garam masala

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil. Stir together and cook until the onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
2. Add the chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, one teaspoon of salt, and chopped chilis (or chili powder).

3. Stir the tomatoes into the onion mixture. Add the ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
4. Add the potatoes and cauliflower (and peas, if you're using them) to the sauce, plus a few tablespoons of water to ensure that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan. Thoroughly coat the potatoes and cauliflower with the sauce.
5. Cover and allow to simmer for fifty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked-- see notes above).
6. Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top.

7. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving over whole grain brown rice.

Serves six to eight over rice.

Don't forget to rinse off the veggies first!

Sweet Potato Burgers

This is another recipe that Tessa found. It's a nice, moist, vegan burger with a slightly sweet flavor and a delightful after-burn if you're heavy-handed with the seasonings. Granted, it'll fall apart as you eat it, but it's tasty. It's also quite healthy, packed with protein from the beans and nutrients from both the sweet potato and the beans. 

We ate them on Seeduction rolls from Whole Foods. (If you've never had Seeduction bread, you should go buy a loaf immediately.) I also left the skins on my sweet potatoes because they're organic and the most nutritious part of the vegetable. I tweaked the recipe and the seasonings, as well. Original recipe here.

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato (or two small)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

fresh black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup wheat flour
plentiful whole wheat Panko crumbs
extra virgin olive oil for pan
Add-ons: avocado, whole wheat buns or rolls, lettuce/greens, olive oil, pepper

1. Bake the sweet potato (400 for about 45 minutes). Peel and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the drained beans to the mixing bowl. Mash the beans and potato together.
3. Mix in the seasoning and flour. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist, but you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs to thicken the mixture if needed. (I ended up adding 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.)
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over high heat.
5. Form a patty from the mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Then drop the patty into the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. (Baking also works-- 350 for about 40 minutes or until browned and crispy on the outside.)
6. Transfer the cooked patties to a paper towel to cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve on a toasted bun or roll with fresh avocado slices.

Serves seven to eight.

Tastes like chicken... burgers...

Chicken Marsala

Tessa thinks I'm crazy, and you may agree, but I love a good chicken marsala even though I don't like mushrooms. I'll order it at a restaurant, give Tessa all the mushrooms, and then eat the rest. Lately I've been craving it a lot, and trolling for new things to cook, so I figured, why not?

I borrowed my recipe from Emeril, and tweaked it to my liking, swapping out white flour in favor of whole wheat, and using more olive oil (and less butter). I also switched up the seasonings a little, and used less mushrooms than what you see below, since only one of us was eating them. The result satisfied my craving beautifully, especially when paired with some roasted potatoes and carrots.

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

cayenne pepper, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, divided
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup chicken stock
Chopped chives or parsley, for garnish

1. In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour, spices, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. 

4. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. 

5. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan. Continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and serve hot.

Serves four.

Noooooooooooooooo!

Vegetable Pancakes

I love potato pancakes. Maybe it's my German blood, or maybe it's because they're so darn tasty and crispy and lovely. But last Hanukkah, my family decided to make two versions: traditional potato latkes, and one with carrots and parsnips mixed in, for a healthier take. Everyone except my dad found the mixed veggie potatoes tastier, and so I resolved to make them this way from now on.

Enter the following recipe, originally published here. I whipped it out a few days ago, since recently we've had more sweet potatoes than we know what to do with. I shredded a sweet potato and a zucchini in my food processor, which made about four cups, so I decided not to add any regular potatoes at all. They came out really tasty, and even a little nutty since I was short an egg and used a flax seed mixture instead. This dish is vegetarian, but could be made vegan by swapping out all of the eggs this way.

2 cups shredded veggies
2 eggs
1 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/6 tsp onion powder
dash of nutmeg and/or cayenne pepper (optional)
fresh black pepper, to taste
Olive oil for cooking
Applesauce (garnish)

1. Combine the shredded veggies with the eggs, flour, and spices. Mix thoroughly.
2. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. It is important that the heat is the right temperature because you want the pancakes to cook all the way through the middle by the time they are brown on the outside.
3. Once the oil has heated up, add dollops of the veggie mixture into the pan. Cook for several minutes, until the bottom starts to brown. Then flip and repeat.
4. Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate lined with paper towels.
5. Garnish with applesauce and serve warm.

Serves 2–3 as a side (double the recipe to make enough for two as an entree).

Hey! Where's our panca-- ooh, dreidel!

Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice is a dish that I grew up with, and have been craving recently, so I asked my mom for the recipe. I modified it a little to minimize the potential BPA and MSG and sodium overload that accompanies canned condensed soups and soup packets, and the recipes I used follow the main recipe. They also really don't add more than a few minutes of work-- it takes less than 15 minutes to get everything prepped and in the oven. I also swapped out white rice in favor of brown. 

It came out soooooo tasty, although the rice was a little crunchy at first check, so I extended the bake time to 1 hour. It is important to seal the pan as best you can, since a moisture seal will help keep the chicken tender and cook the rice. Hope you enjoy!

1 cup whole grain brown rice

1 envelope dry onion soup (recipe follows)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (recipe follows)
1 cup almond milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Fresh black pepper

1. Grease a 9x13 pan with olive oil. Spread the rice in the pan and sprinkle the dry soup mix on top. Season the chicken breasts with pepper and place on the rice. Combine the mushroom soup and milk, mixing well, then pour over the chicken and rice. Cover tightly, preferably with both foil and a glass lid.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour (1.5 if using bone-in chicken), and don't lift the foil until everything is fully cooked. 

Serves four.

Dry Onion Soup Mix Substitute
8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon celery seed (I used dill)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. Store in airtight container for up to six months.

Cream of ______ Soup Recipe
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup almond milk
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, and keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. 

2. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste.

*This cream soup base can be varied by using vegetable broth, sauteéd chopped celery, celery seed, or sautéed chopped mushrooms. Add herbs and or seasonings, as desired.

I'm all up in your pantry, stealing your casserole dish.