Tag Archives: spring

Peas and Shells Alfredo

9 May

IMG_0991

Springtime comfort food at it’s finest. Whole wheat pasta shells with spring peas, soakin’ it up in a rich, creamy sauce.

I found the finest asparagus at the farmer’s market to pair with this saucy pasta. Thin asparagus is the name of the game; if you can get your hands on some, it’s a whole new experience than the regular fatties we are so used to seeing.

IMG_0719

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is packed with outstanding, fool-proof recipes that are actually quite simple and definitely doable in a small NYC kitchen. So far I’ve made her Cranberry Crumb Bars, Spatchcocked Flat-Roasted Chicken, Turkey Meatballs, and Deep-Dish Apple Pie…

This pasta is a one-pot recipe with just a few ingredients that come together quickly for a weeknight meal.

Did I mention this is HOMEMADE ALFREDO PASTA?! And heck is it better than than the Alfredo I remember as a kid (psst…for the vegans, check out this recipe for vegan fettuccine Alfredo made with a cashew cream).

While I omitted adding chopped herbs to the shells, I certainly wish I had some on hand. The one ingredient that I think is not to be skipped under any circumstances is the lemon zest. The citrus zing balances out the creamy, cheesy sauce and keeps everything nice and bright.

Peas and Shells Alfredo

recipe from Shutterbean, originally from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

1/2 lb of dried small pasta shells (I used whole wheat)

1 cup organic sweet peas (I used frozen ones…no fresh ones at the market yet…)

1 cup heavy cream

2-3 tablespoons butter (depending on how rich you want the sauce to be)

zest from 1 medium size lemon

1 cup grated Parmesan

fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Add peas to cook during the last minute of pasta cooking time. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, set aside. Drain the pasta and the peas.

Dry out the pasta pot, and pour in the heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the butter, and stir it until it has melted. Generously season the sauce with freshly ground black pepper, add a pinch of salt as well as the lemon zest. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan, and stir it until the sauce is smooth; then toss in the drained pasta & peas. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the reserved pasta water by the spoonful if needed to loosen up the sauce.

Divide the pasta among bowls. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, a touch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Healthy Carrot Breakfast Bread

2 Apr

IMG_0679

Last summer, in the blazing heat, I made an enormously decadent cream-cheese frosted layered carrot cake. It was absolutely fantastic, but sometimes I crave the challenge of making something secretively healthy (and not cloyingly sweet) that still packs that satisfying punch. In other words, I want to eat cake for breakfast and not feel bad about it.

I love a good quick-bread, especially for breakfast, slathered with nut or seed butter and washed down with a hot mug of coffee. This Carrot Breakfast Bread scratches that itch for me. It’s packed with carrots, pulsed oats, and a touch of yogurt, oil, and fruit (I used up the last of the charoset that I made for Passover). It’s sweetened with agave and chopped dates, and simply feels right to eat first thing in the morning.

I was feeling lazy (and efficient, mind you), so I used my blender to speed up the preparation time. First, I pulsed my oats in the clean, dry blender. After that I grated my carrots in there, and then I mixed my wet ingredients together in the blender. Just a few pulses and some mixing together by hand and that’s it.

Of course, if you are not a fan of unfrosted carrot cake, you could always enjoy this healthy carrot bread frosted with Love and Lemon’s cream cheese frosting. It’s all about balance.

IMG_0676

Healthy Carrot Breakfast Bread

adapted from LoveandLemons

2 cups flour, I used 1c. oat flour (pulverized oats in the blender until they turned to flour) and 1c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

spices: 1 T. cinnamon, 1/4 t. cloves, 1 t. ground ginger, 1/2 t. nutmeg, pinch of salt

1 lb. carrots, peeled

2 eggs

1/2 cup of agave

1/4 cup canola oil or coconut oil

1/4 cup plain yogurt, I used plain, low-fat Stonyfield yogurt

1/4 cup applesauce or mashed/pureed fruit such as banana

1/4-1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped dates

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly dust a loaf pan with flour.

I used a blender for this recipe; you could also use a food processor. Grind your oats in the blender until they look like flour. Transfer to a bowl and whisk together the 1 cup of oat flour with the 1 cup of all-purpose or whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

Take your peeled carrots and chop them into rough bite-sized pieces. You will need to do this next step in batches: throw a small amount of the carrots into the blender and pulse until a fine chop (not totally a puree but not giant carrot chunks…somewhere in the middle). Dump the finely chopped carrots into a large bowl. ***Note: you could also grate the carrots by hand, but I was lazy.

Next in the blender go the eggs, agave, oil, yogurt, and applesauce. Pulse for about 20 seconds until everything blends together. Pour this mixture into the carrots and stir it all together with a rubber spatula.

Add the dry mix to the wet and fold with a rubber spatula until it all comes together. Fold in the chopped dates. Dump everything into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and maybe a dash of sugar on top. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, rotating half-way through baking.

Serve for breakfast with some sunflower or almond butter and a hot mug of coffee or tea.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Lunch Crunch: Israeli Couscous Salad With Miso Dressing

19 May

I am no stranger to Israeli couscous salads. They are the perfect throw-together meal. Salad as an entree. Grain + veg. + protein. Check.

And after this year, I am no stranger to the wonders of white miso. I have been cooking up a miso storm this year. From satisfying miso soup with soba noodles to a cozy carrot soup with miso and sesame. From roasted veggie + tofu miso red curry smash to wild rice salads with all the fixings. And Chef Chloe has an excellent recipe in her cookbook for miso-glazed eggplant. All of these recipes are absolutely fantastic.

Israeli Couscous + Miso may not sound like they go together, but the buttery smooth rounds of couscous combine perfectly with the creamy flavor of the miso. And all those crunchy veggies, seeds, and nuts provide the texture to keep my mouth entertained.

This salad is totally vegan. It could be made gluten free if you switch out the couscous with brown or wild rice. You could still stay vegetarian and add a poached or hard-boiled egg (or cubed tofu) as an extra boost of protein to complement the salad.

Psst…did you know that radishes produce a compound shown to help support the body’s natural detoxification system? The skin is a major detox organ in the body, so the more radishes and detoxifying foods we eat, the clearer and healthier our skin will look! Get into it.

Couscous Salad

1 (~6oz) box of Israeli couscous (or any grain that you like)

2-3 large handfuls of spinach

1 bundle of radishes, cubed

1 red bell pepper, chopped fine

2-3 large carrots, chopped and cubed

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup miso dressing (see recipe below)

Make the couscous according to the directions on the box (toast the couscous in a pot, pour boiling water over it, simmer until done).

In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the chopped vegetables, pumpkin seeds, and almonds. Add the cooked couscous (I like to add the couscous when it is still warm). Toss the salad and add the dressing, a little at a time, to your liking.

Miso Dressing:

From My New Roots

makes 1/2 cup of dressing

1/4 cup light white miso

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

Whisk all ingredients together. Leftovers can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Rhubarb Recipe Roundup

16 Apr

Because spring is here.

Because the weather in New York City is so. freaking. beautiful.

Because I just signed myself away to 13 weeks of online medical biochemistry.

Because I am going to attempt to make spanakopita tonight, delving into the abyss that is filo dough.

Because summer dresses are cute, and I’m always on the hunt for more.

Because I have been washing my hands with used coffee grounds to rid my skin of dryness. A caffeinated exfoliant!

Because I swoon over fresh peas, favas, and spring garlic…because rhubarb gets me going.

Rhubarb is around the corner, or might even be available in some areas already. Get into it and make a crumbly coffeecake, a strawberry rhubarb pie, or, what I am craving most today, some creamy cold rhubarb ice cream.

Big Crumb Coffee Cake With Rhubarb-enjoy with a tall glass of coffee for breakfast, snack time, or dessert

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie-strawberries and rhubarb were meant to come together in a pie

Rhubarb Ice Cream– creamy dreamy ice cream with chunks of rhubarb dispersed throughout; just the way I like it

Tags: , , , , ,

Newer Entries →