Creamy Sockeye Salmon Orechiette

I realize that I have been missing in action for a while. It's not that I haven't been cooking. It's just that between looking after our active 11 month old, the never ending house projects, and of course, enjoying the summer, I haven't had time to sit down and share.  But don't worry. I'm here. And I've got a really good one for you.

This pasta is so quick and easy and uses ingredients that most of us have regularly in our pantries and fridges. As summer comes to an end (sigh....), the days get shorter, and we get back in the hustle and bustle of work, school, daycare etc, quick no-fuss meals are in high demand. And this is one of them. It is also sure to please as it doesn't skim on flavor, and it contains some kid favorites-- pasta, peas and a creamy sauce. Yum yum!

Green Tomato Sauce

It's official. Fall is here and my tomato harvest is officially over. Okay, it's been over for a few weeks now, but I've finally gotten around to harvesting the green tomatoes off of the plants before cleaning the beds up for the winter.

I have lost all hope that these green tomatoes will turn red. And unfortunately, with the rainier and cooler August and September that we had, there are lots and lots of green tomatoes. So, what to do with all these completely green (and only partially ripened) tomatoes? Well, I decided to make some tomato sauce.  Now you might think that to do this you need to combine ripe tomatoes with a small quantity of green tomatoes, but that's really not the case. In fact, I used 100% green and partially ripened tomatoes and the sauce tasted fantastic!

Kale Caesar Salad (and other great uses for Caesar Salad Dressing)

Who doesn't like caesar salad? Even if you aren't an anchovy fan, the rich and creamy taste of caesar dressing is just addictive!

I used the Rebar Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe, which is absolutely fantastic and flavorful, made even better with roasted garlic, capers, and dijon. Then I made it a little healthier by using non-fat yogurt in place of some of the oil.

Besides having a great dressing, having fresh salad ingredients is also important. I personally love to make caesar salads with chopped kale. I find that it makes the salad heartier and the salad stays crisp and crunchy. In the picture above, you can see I used a mix of kale and romaine. Or of course, you could use the classic romaine if you wish (or really any other salad green you like).

Spaghetti and (Turkey) Meatballs

 

Who doesn't love spaghetti and meatballs? It is comforting and delicious, and has some sort of romantic quality (yes, too much time watching Lady and the Tramp....). But seriously, it's a home and restaurant favorite for so many people, including myself.

I love making spaghetti and meatballs. You can pan brown them or bake them, and you can make them traditional or you can spice things up with a variety of flavour combinations. In this case, I made my meatballs with ground turkey and lots of yummy, flavourful ingredients including feta cheese and basil. If you prefer other types of meat, you could use beef or a combination of beef and pork. You can even turn this mixture into a meatloaf (just bake in a loaf pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 45 minutes, until the meatloaf is cooked through).

Turkey Meatballs

Makes about 36 meatballs

Meatball Ingredients

1 Small Onion, finely chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Large Egg

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

2 tbsp Ketchup

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 tbsp Dried Basil

1/4 cup Crumbled Feta

Salt and pepper 

500 grams Ground Turkey

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cups Marinara sauce or Pasta sauce of choice

1/2 cup Water

Cooked Spaghetti

Mix together all meatball ingredients except the turkey. Add the turkey and lightly mix by hand until all is incorporated. Shape into about 1" balls.

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs (you might need to do this in batches). Cook until nicely browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Drain off excess oil from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low.  With all of the browned meatballs in the pan, add the tomato sauce and water.  Simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with spaghetti or pasta of choice

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Pasta

Last night I made fresh pasta. Actually, I made Raviole-- my husband's favorite itty bitty ravioli filled with goat cheese, parsley and gruyere.  But of course, I had left over pasta dough. Okay, I lie. I actually got tired of making those itty bitty ravioli and decided that after making a whole container full that it was time to turn the pasta dough into something else.

So, I rolled the pasta into sheets and cut them about and inch wide to make papardelle. I laid them out to dry up a bit on my counter, then put them between sheets of parchment and into the fridge.

This morning when I woke up, I felt inspired to take advantage of this fresh pasta. So I decided to make a breakfast pasta of sorts with all of my breakfast favorites: eggs, bacon, tomatoes, fresh basil. And what a treat it was. Even if you don't stay up all night making fresh pasta, you can use pre-packaged fresh pasta or even dried pasta. Trust me, it is amazing that breakfast/brunch pasta has not made it onto the menus of my fave restaurants yet!

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

When I was a kid, I loved Mac & Cheese. That beautiful orange, creamy sauce over soft white pasta... mmm....

And of course, there was the jazzed up version of this classic with cut up hot dog and perhaps a little bit of ketchup. Yes, those were the days before I really understood what was in that package. Before I dared to ask why the sauce was made out of an orange powder instead of real cheese.

I haven't had a package of mac & cheese in years. Perhaps over a decade. However, the idea of mac & cheese conjures up feelings of childhood, home and comfort.

So, I decided to make some. I found a great recipe online for Rachel Ray's pumpkin mac & cheese. I tweeked it a little, and here it is. Oooey, gooey, delicious (and healthy)!

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Adapted from Rachel Ray's Pumpkin Cheddar Mac and Cheese Recipe

Serves 4

500 grams Whole Wheat Pasta

2 cups Frozen Peas

4 tbsp Butter

3 tbsp Flour

3 cups Skim Milk

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

2 cups Pumpkin Puree

1 cup Sharp Aged Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper

Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. When pasta is almost done, add the frozen peas. Drain the pasta and the peas and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir, cooking until the flour soaks up all the butter and starts to lightly brown (1-2 minutes). Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the pumpkin puree and the cheeses. Season the sauce to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Add the pasta and peas to the sauce and stir until coated. Serve immediately.

Farmer's Market Lasagne

There is nothing like heading to the market, picking up whatever's around, and turning it into a fantastic meal.

Today at the market.... local BC zucchinis and eggplants. Both were looking fantastic. So, I decided to turn them into a healthy lasagne that we could enjoy tonight and whenever we needed a quick lunch or dinner.

Farmer's Market Lasagne

Makes 1 Lasagne

12 Whole Wheat Lasagne Noodles

1 Large BC Eggplant, sliced (#bceggplant)

2 BC Zucchini, sliced (#bczucchini)

1 jar (650 ml) Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Corn Kernels from 2 cobs (or 1 can corn kernels, drained)

300 grams Ricotta Cheese

1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt and Black Pepper

Cook the lasagne noodles as per the package instructions.

In a large casserole dish, start layering the eggplant and zucchini. Add 1 layer of lasagne noodles and top with 1/3 of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with half of the corn.

Add another layer of eggplant and zucchini. Top with noodles then spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Add another layer of eggplant, zucchini, noodles, tomato sauce and the rest of the corn.

Add the final layer of eggplant, zuchini and noodles. Spread the noodles with the remaining ricotta and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour until bubbly.

**Make ahead tip: You could make this ahead, cool it, cut it into portions, and freeze the portions for later!

My Pasta Puttanesca

Lots of recipes are just variations of other recipes. Everyone adds their own special touch, adapts recipes to their specific tastes, or uses what they have on hand or in season.

In this case, I made Pasta Puttanesca. Basically, it's a tomato sauce with anchovies, garlic, onions, olives, capers, chili flakes and Italian Parsley. I made it my own by adding a whole bunch of kale to bulk it up and using whole wheat pasta.

You could top this with cheese, or eat it just drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil. However you deal with this flavorful sauce, it is sure to please!

My Pasta Puttanesca

Serves 4 people

375 grams Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 Large Red Onion, chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

2 tbsp Anchovy Paste

1/3 cup Sliced Green Spanish Olives

3 tbsp Capers

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

1- 28 ounce can Diced Tomatoes

3 cups Chopped Kale

1 1/2 cups Italian Parsley, chopped

Cook the spaghetti as per the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper and anchovy paste and sautee until the onions and peppers just start to soften. Stir in the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, oregano, and black pepper. Then stir in the tomatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the kale and parsley until just wilted. Toss in the pasta. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Spicy Sausage Linguine with Bell Peppers, Onions & Tomatoes

My apologies for my absence everyone, but as some of you already know, I have just moved back to Canada after many years abroad. It has been really nice to get closer to family and friends, but moving has its downsides also. In my case, living in hotels has to be my least favorite part. Many people I meet are envious of the hotel life, however, I have to say, it is not as grand as it sounds. Living in a hotel room means no kitchen, which means no cooking.  When hunger pangs strike, you either need to reach for the half eaten box of shreddies on the table or the few remaining digestive cookies or pretzels from the day before. Or you need to call room service. And then wait....

And it's not only the waiting. It's also the fact that no matter how interesting and delicious a room service menu is, it just lacks variety. It is not really designed for people who stay in a hotel for a long period of time. After a couple meals, I started to repeat dishes done before. Yes, I could always ask for some kind of "self-modified" menu item, but to be honest, no ones wants to be the guest that inspires the order taker to curse and swear when he or she gets off the phone.

So, today, I was super happy that having found a suitable apartment and temporarily equipping the kitchen with the necessary supplies (we are waiting for our actual shipment with all of our furnishings and kitchen supplies to arrive from the middle east), I was able to cook our first meal in our new apartment. Yes, I didn't have all the herbs and spices I would usually have. And yes, I improvised. But it tasted great. And the best part is that it was homemade.

Spicy Sausage Linguine with Bell Peppers, Onions & Tomatoes

Serves 4

4 Mild Italian Sausages, cut into 1cm slices

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 Large Yellow Pepper, cut into slices

2 Small Red Chilis, seeded and chopped

2 cans Diced Tomatoes (14 ounces each)

Salt and Pepper

500 grams Whole Wheat Linguine

Cook the linguine in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes less than instructed on the packagee (the pasta will be a little hard to the bite). Drain and set aside.

In a large pan over medium to high heat, cook to sausage pieces until browned. Drain about 3/4 of the sausage drippings from the pan. Then add the minced garlic, onions, yellow pepper, and chilies. Cook until the onions and peppers start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the drained pasta into the sauce pan and toss. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let the pasta cook the rest of the way in the sauce. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover and taste. The pasta should be al dente and the sauce should have thickened.  Garnish if desired with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese.

Homemade Chili Oil

I love a little bit of spice. And so often I find myself sprinkling chili flakes onto my pizzas or dipping bread in olive oil flecked with chili.

But besides dried chili flakes, I have a new favorite pantry staple… Homemade Chili Oil. It is so easy to make, and you get a much more intense and dispersed chili flavor. Drizzle it over your pasta before serving or spice up your garlic toast. I think you will find this oil indispensible in your kitchen!

Homemade Chili Oil

Makes 1/2 cup

2 tbsp chili flakes

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

Sterilized jar (boil in water for about 10 minutes to sterilize).

Heat oil to about 225 degrees. Add chili flakes. Let cool to room temperature and pour into sterilized jar, straining if desired.

Store in fridge for up to a month. When the oil starts to become cloudy, discard.

Simple Seafood Spaghetti

I really love seafood. All of it. Fish, shellfish, crustaceans, you name it. Anything that smells of the sea and reminds me of home.

However, living in Damascus, I never really get all the fish I crave. The fish in the market place scares me, sitting in the sun over crushed ice for who knows how long. The freaky thing is if you go into the fish store and ask what came in today, the fish guy doesn’t point at anything on this ice block. Nope, he pulls out big Styrofoam ice boxes from the depths of his store and shows you what he’s got. I can only imagine the perils of the people who buy the stuff on display. And I wonder how long it will take for today’s fish to get there.

Anyway, all this is history now since I have “my fish guy.” By my fish guy, I mean my connection to the fresh fish markets of Syria’s coast. The guy goes up to the fish market almost everyday to buy what is fresh and delivers it to my door. It is in fact, so fresh, that he is often seen with a small, freshly caught fish in his hand, munching as he drives to make his deliveries…

Simple Seafood Spaghetti

Serves 2

400 grams Calamari & Octopus, cut into chunks

150 grams Spaghetti

1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 tbsp Butter

Olive Oil

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente as per the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil on low-med heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook slowly until garlic is soft. It is important to keep the heat low so that you do not burn the garlic.

Turn the heat up to medium, and add the octopus. Cook for about 1 min, then add the calamari. Toss for another minute until the calamari becomes just opaque. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta, lemon juice, and butter. Toss together and that’s it!

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Green Pea Pesto with Orechiette

Ahh…. Fresh green peas AGAIN! Yes, there is an abundance of fresh green peas around here, and I am really loving the taste of them. I used to be a frozen pea kinda girl. So convenient, sweet, and perfectly frozen at their absolute best, frozen peas really are the mid week solution to vegetable needs.

But now fresh peas have taken their place. That fresh but slightly bitter crunch just cannot be replicated with frozen peas. On top of that, it just so happens that right here in Damascus, you can buy fresh peas in the market already shucked! Yes, that’s right… you don’t have to spend the time to do it yourself, making these a great fresh veggie for the middle of the week!

You just need to make sure you aren’t uber sensitive about the fact that they come from a market called Shalaan, which is actually the “lazy women’s market.” This is the market where you can buy parsley already all chopped up to make tabouleh, zucchinis and aubergines already hollowed out and ready to be stuffed, garlic already peeled, and peas already shucked. So, if you can get over your complex of shopping in the “lazy women’s way,” just thank the gods for finding fresh “convenience” foods, then enjoy!

Green Pea Pesto with Orechiette

Serves 4

2 cloves Garlic

1 large pinch Sea Salt

2 cups Fresh Green Peas

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 1/4 cup)

Salt and Pepper

500 grams uncooked Orechiette

Lemon zest for garnish

Cook the orechiette in boiling salted water until el dente, drain and place in a large bowl. Toss in a little olive oil and set aside.

In a mortar (or a blender), pound together the garlic, sea salt, and the peas (reserve a few for garnish). Once this mixture resembles a chunky puree, add the lemon juice and cheese. Then mix in enough olive oil to form a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the pea mixture with the pasta. Drizzle with some olive oil and garnish with some fresh peas and lemon zest.

** Note: I have considered trying this recipe with some fresh mint, since peas and mint really are a perfect pair. To do this, pound about 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves with the garlic and sea salt. Then add the peas and continue the recipe.**

Crunchy Baked Ravioli

A few posts ago, I made Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling. I boiled some to eat that day, and I froze the rest to eat later.

Today, I wanted something crunchy and admittedly unhealthy. Usually, when I get this "munchy" feeling, it means I want something fried, although I try to stay away from frying because it's not that healthy.  To overcome this feeling, I generally reach into the freezer for my Baked Spring Rolls, which provide all the crunch without the fat. Unfortunetely for me, I had already polished those off during a previous freezer siege.  I did, however, have the ravioli, so I decided to try my luck with them.

So, I put them on a baking sheet, drizzled them with a little olive oil, and baked them at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. They browned up beautifully and were crunchy and delicious! Just the cure for the munchies!

Now, you could jazz this up for entertaining by serving it along side some warm marinara sauce. Yum!

Crunchy Baked Ravioli

Frozen Ravioli (click link for recipe)

Olive Oil for Drizzling

Marinara Sauce for dipping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Farenheit).

Place the ravioli on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling

Italian food has become part of every language. In particular, spaghetti, lasagna, penne and ravioli… these are all words which need no explanation. They are a staple on restaurant menus, and not just Italian restaurants. In the all-day, we-serve-everything restaurants, there is usually at least one pasta. But somehow, it ends there. We seem to forget that there are so many other Italian dishes, like Ossobuco, Veal Milanese, pork belly, fish stews… I mean, the list goes on and on.

Anyway, I am no Italian connoisseur, but I do love Italian food. And like most everyone, I love pasta. But instead of throwing on a pot of boiling water and dumping in a package of my favorite dried pasta, I decided to make some fresh.

Yes, I have tried it before, and to be honest, it never really turned out exactly as I would have liked. Usually, the dough is too sticky, and the strips of pasta just stick together in a clump when I drop them into the boiling water (or sometimes, even before they make it to the water). And then I end up eating them anyway because I can’t bear to waste food, and it ends up as a gummy, soggy, chewy mess, which I just admit is my sorry attempt at homemade pasta. The only real success I have had so far are the Ravioles du Royans that I made for my husband. Perhaps they were just too small to stick together…

But today, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to try again. And this time, with a new focus… to make fresh semolina pasta. Semolina is a courser grain flour that is ground from hard wheat. I heard that it was more difficult to work with, but that it would produce a drier dough. So, I decided to try it. I didn’t want to use 100% semolina because I was worried it would really be difficult, so I searched for a recipe that used equal amounts of semolina and white flour. I found a recipe, tried it, and, it worked. Very well, in fact. So well that it surprised me. My only tip here is that you need to work fast. Since I did everything by hand (manual pasta roller, and manual filling and cutting of ravioli), I could feel the dough getting a little dry as I was working. So work fast, and only roll a small piece of pasta dough, stuffing and cutting it before rolling the next piece.

For the filling, I decided to make a hearty white bean, bacon, and leek mixture. I wanted the ravioli to be wintery and filling, but without using too much meat. Also, I didn’t feel like doing the traditional spinach and ricotta. Sometimes, we crave a little change.

So, give it a shot. It does take some time, but it is well worth the effort!

Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling

Makes about 70 ravioli (cut 2.5 inch round)

For the Filling:

8 ounces of bacon, cut into pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups Leeks

3/4 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Black Pepper

4 cups Cooked White Beans, pureed

Salt and Pepper

1/3 cup Flat Leaf Parsley

For the Fresh Pasta:

(Recipe from: http://www.recipezaar.com/Fresh-Semolina-and-Egg-Pasta-35605)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semolina flour

1 pinch salt

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Making the Filling: In a large pan, cook bacon over medium high heat until just chewy. Drain most of the fat (keep about 2 tbsp in the pan). Add the garlic, leeks, salt and pepper, and cook until the leeks are wilted. Add the beans which have been cooked and pureed. Stir to incorporate. Stir in the cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

**For the white beans, you can used canned, drained and rinsed beans, however, I prefer to cook my own.

Making the Pasta: Sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.

Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

**If you don’t have time to make fresh pasta, you can use won ton wrappers instead. They make a great alternative! However, I really suggest you try fresh pasta at least once!

Assembling the Ravioli: Roll out dough with a pasta machine to #2 thickness (not the thinnest, but the 2nd thinnest). Cut in half so that you have 2 equal sized rectangles. Place 1 of the halves on a lightly floured counter. Using your cookie cutter (I used a 2.5 inch round cutter), mark the dough (lightly press the cutter on the dough just so you can see the light outline of each circle. This is so that you know where to place your filling). Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre of each marked circle. Brush a little water around the mounds of filling and gently place the second half of the pasta dough on top. Press your fingers around the filling to seal the two pieces of pasta together, working from the filling outwards, trying to push out all the air. Then, using the round cutter, cut the ravioli. (Of course, you can use any shaped cutter you like, or even just use a knife and cut the ravioli into squares). Repeat with remaining pasta dough and filling.

Cooking the Ravioli: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt (a couple of teaspoons). Reduce the heat to a light simmer. Add the ravioli, ensuring that you don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook pasta until they float. They should be tender, but not mushy, about 1-2 minutes (2-3 minutes if frozen). Drain immediately and serve with a drizzle of olive oil. These would also taste good with a simple tomato sauce.

Freezing the Ravioli: Place between layers of parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months (if they last that long!!).

Spaghetti with Bleu Cheese, Tomato, and Onion

Bleu Cheese. Some people love it, some people hate it. I love it. Its pungent flavor and creamy texture are just so irresistible. Today, it’s going in pasta. How about a simple spaghetti with bleu cheese? Sounds good to me!



Spaghetti with Bleu Cheese, Tomato, and Onion
Serves 2

150 grams Spaghetti
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, thinly sliced
1 Tomato, diced small
3/4 cup Whole Milk
1/4 cup Bleu Cheese, crumbled
Handful of Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Cook the spaghetti per the package’s instructions, until just al-dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

In a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and onion. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the diced tomato. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. After a couple of minutes when the tomatoes have softened, add the milk and crumble in the bleu cheese. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until the milk reduces a little, the cheese melts into the sauce, and the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the pasta into the sauce. Add a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid, just to keep the pasta moist. Add the parsley and toss together. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Chunky Greek Style Pasta Salad

Are you looking for a crowd-pleasing, stress free, anytime dish? Then this is the one for you. Not only is it delicious, but it works well as a side dish, main dish, potluck pleaser, or easy family friendly meal. And the best part? You can make it in advance and the flavors just get better with time! So make it the night before and maximize your time out of the kitchen the next day!



Chunky Greek Style Pasta Salad

Serves 4-6 as main course

500 grams Pasta (any short pasta: penne, shells, fusilli), cooked and drained
3 small Cucumbers (or 1 whole long English), cut into chunks
2 Tomatoes, cut in large dice
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut in large dice
1/2 Onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Black Olives
1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 handful Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
250 grams Sausages (optional)
2 Chicken Breasts (optional)
2 Cloves of Garlic, cut in half and crushed (optional)

Boil a large pot of water with 1/2 tsp salt. Cook pasta as per package instructions. Drain and rinse under some cool water, just to cool pasta down to room temp. Drain well.

In a large bowl, mix together all the vegetables and olives. Add the drained pasta.
In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, balsamic, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking to combine. Stir in the parsley.

Add the sauce to the pasta mixture. Mix well. Crumble in the feta cheese.
If you are not adding chicken or sausage, serve immediately or place in the fridge until the next day.

For Pasta Salad with Sausage, Chicken, or both (I like to use both)...

For the Sausages: Poach the sausages for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through (about 5 minutes for small sausages and 8-10 minutes for large ones). Cut into slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sautee pan over medium-high heat.
Add the sausages and the garlic and sautee until the sausages have browned. Remove the garlic.

For the Chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the chicken for about 4 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then shred each chunk of chicken with your hands. This will create small torn pieces of chicken which will absorb the salad dressing.

Add the chicken and/or sausage to the pasta mixture. Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

Healthy Whole Wheat Veggie Lasagna

So, after amost 2 weeks of eating, eating, eating, it was time for a little break today. Okay, not really a break, just a little bit of healthy love into our bodies (a.k.a not barbeque, burgers, sausages of any kind, or ice cream).



Whoops! How did those pictures get in there??? Well, at least they are whole wheat buns! And I can definetely see some vegetables in there....

Anyway, getting back to tonight, since we had some miscellaneous veggies in my brother's fridge and a pantry stocked with whole wheat pasta, I decided to make a veggie lasagna. Perfect timing too since it was the day before my brothers running/biking race and he was supposed to be loading on pasta.



This lasagna does have some cheese and cream, but you could skip the cream if you want, and you can use part skim mozzarella and 1% cottage cheese if you are really health conscious. For me, I just wanted something that would taste great while being good to my body, and it is a small amount of cream between 6 people.

As for the whole wheat pasta, if you really don't like it, you could use regular pasta, but I think whole wheat adds great texture and is much tastier than regular pasta. But each person has their own preference, so use what you like. After all, the point of food besides nourishment is enjoyment.



And for sides, I served this lasagna with a simple side of green salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

This lasagna is filling but with no need for guilt. And the perfect lead in to dessert.... a soft serve dip cone from a very popular bar laitier down the street!



Healthy Whole Wheat Veggie LasagnaServes 4-6 people

15 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
5 cups Diced Veggies (Mix of your favorites such as Celery, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Eggplant)
1 Large White Onion, Diced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Mixed Dried Herbs (Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Italian, Herbs de Provence
1 tsp Chili Powder
700 ml Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Tomato Paste
1 cup Thick Cooking Cream (15% fat)
1 litre Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste
3 cups Grated Cheese (I used cheddar and Parmesan)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the lasagna noodles in the water according to the timing on the box. Drain.

In a large sauce pan, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and the veggies, and sautee until it starts to soften. Add the mixed herbs and chili powder, then the tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a simmer. Add the cooking cream stir until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grease a large casserole dish with cooking spray or olive oil. Lay 3 lasagna noodles. Add a layer of sauce and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Layer a second layer of noodles. Add a layer of cottage cheese, then more noodles. Then sauce and grated cheese, noodles, cottage cheese, noodles, then finally the rest of the sauce and the rest of the grated cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until cheese is melted and lasagna is bubbly.

Simple and Light Anytime Spaghetti with Shrimp and Courgettes in a Lemon Butter Sauce

Everyone likes pasta. Especially as a go-to food when we are busy and need an easy meal-- something that is fast and simple that we can whip up any time of day.

This tasty recipe with shrimp and courgettes is one of those recipes. It is so easy that it can be prepared even on your busiest days. It is also a great recipe for entertaining, because the minimal prep can be done in advance, and with only 10 minutes of cooking, you are not slaving in the kitchen isolated from your guests.

Use these tips to make this recipe as easy and stress free as possible: To save time, buy your shrimp already peeled and cleaned. Then, cut the courgettes and shallots (2 minutes of work). This is all the prep you need! Now, in the time that the pasta cooks (8-10 minutes), you can easily prepare the “sauce.” Then all you have to do is toss the pasta and the sauce together and serve. This means the pasta and sauce both stay fresh, and you only have to do just minutes of cooking!

So, try this recipe. I am sure that you will find it light, fresh, and easy as pie (well, actually, it’s easier than pie…).



Simple and Light Anytime Spaghetti
with Shrimp and Courgettes in a Lemon Butter Sauce
Serves 2 hungry people (4 people as starter)

14 pc size 20/3o Fresh Shrimps (about 500 grams), cleaned and peeled (to use frozen, let thaw in fridge before cooking)
3 cups Courgettes (Zuchinni), sliced longwise into strips about 1/2 cm thick, 10 cm long
1 Shallot or Small Red Onion, diced finely
4 tbsp (60 grams) Butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
200 grams pasta
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking… In a pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add shallots and courgettes and cook for just 2- 3 minutes until courgettes are starting to soften but still crisp to the bite. Add shrimp and toss. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked (they will turn pink). Be careful not to overcook.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/8 cup pasta water. Put back into pasta pot with reserved water and add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Toss. Add the shrimp mixture into the pasta. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Simple Spaghetti with Tomato & Basil

There are times when we just crave simplicity. Good company and simple, no-fuss food. That's it. No drama. No mess. No questions asked.

So, here it is. Simple. Easy. And in one pot. To satisfy anyone and everyone on the days when you just want to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. Fresh. Flavorful. Filling. Enjoy!

Simple Spaghetti with Tomato & Basil
Serves 2 hungry people

160 grams Spaghetti
¼ cup tomato paste
1/2 cup water, or enough to thin the sauce
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Handful of fresh basil chopped
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a large pot of salted water, cook spaghetti per manufacturer's instructions until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and toss in a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In the same pot that you just cooked the spaghetti, heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the red onions and sautee for just 1 minute, until starting to soften. Add tomato paste and water and cook for about 1 minute until the sauce is warm. The sauce should just coat the back of a spoon. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the cooked spaghetti into the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Add the freshly chopped basil and remove from heat. Divide onto 2 plates and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy immediately.