Keep It In The Pantry: Pasta

Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Tasty Asian

Peanut Crunch Salad
6 ounces spaghetti (I used a gluten free brown rice pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup carrots, julienne
1/2 cup frozen and thawed edamame
1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (gluten free tamari)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 lime squeezed
1 tsp-1 1/2 tsp honey/agave
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
Slice up some crunchy cucumbers and add crushed peanuts, and sriracha for a little spice

Boil pasta until al-dente. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat oil and add cabbage and carrots.
Saute for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Toss in edamame and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
In a separate container, combine peanut butter, sesame oil, honey, green onions, and lime. Stir in peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Add in cooked noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, extra green onions and crushed peanuts if desired. You can add a little sriracha if you want a kick. Serve with grilled chicken or sliced skirt steak.
Serve immediately.

Purple Cabbage and Carrot
1 small purple cabbage, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, shredded

For the dressing:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari is gf)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup mixture parsley and cilantro, coarsely chopped

Shred cabbage and carrot and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let it sit for a few minutes and then drain the liquid.

Mix the dressing components and then dress the cabbage mixture. Keep cold.

Asian Chicken Skewers with Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish, minced
about 12-15 medium sized bamboo skewers (soak the skewers for about 20 minutes before grilling so that they don't burn)

Marinate your chicken for a couple of hours and skewer the strips of chicken. Grill on medium/high until browned and cooked through. Garnish with cilantro.

Mustard Dipping Sauce

2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Hot Chinese Mustard

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Honey

Asian Coconut Candies
5 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water

Mix the sugar and water together. Heat and bring to the boil.
Boil the water off to a thick sugar syrup.
Add the shredded coconut, lower the heat and stir until all the liquid has gone.
Let them cool a little, taking two teaspoons take out ball shaped lumps on the mixture and let them cool on a drying try.

Versatile Favorites

I love a good versatile ingredient . Pesto happens to be one of those amazing mixtures that goes so far to create some really amazing, easy and memorable dishes. Anyone can make pesto, but remember pesto isn't just for pasta or spooned on bread, the possibilities are endless.

Today's pesto is steamed carrot and pecan pesto. This is really great when you've got steamed carrots that are left over.

Here you go...start with

Carrot Pecan Pesto
1 good handful of basil leaves
1/2 cup steamed carrots
2 tbsp chopped pecans
1/4 parmesan cheese shreds
3 tbsp olive oil + a bit more to top the pesto to store it
1/4-1/2 tsp lemon juice (to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the pesto in your food processor. Add the pesto to a jar if you're not going to use it right away topped off with olive oil.

Pesto Baked White Fish
2 White fish filets
Cod, Haddock, or Halibut
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Ians or C4 are great gluten free choices
1 lemon
3-4 tbsp prepared pesto
salt and pepper

Combine panko and pesto. Season white fish with salt and pepper and place 2-3 thinly sliced lemons on top of a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pleace filets on top of lemons and top each filet with half of your pesto and breadcrumb mixture, carefully making sure the pesto is stiff on top and makes a good coating.
Bake at 400o and cook until the fish is nice and solid white and the pesto is browned on top. You can test it by flaking a bit on the side of the filet after removing it from the oven. You can also grill this fish up on top of a tinfoil sheet. Baking the fish usually takes about 20 minutes for an inch and half size filet.

Heat oven to 400F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

In a bowl, combine pesto with breadcrumbs.

Arrange fish on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Top fish with breadcrumbs and bake until firm and cooked through, and the breadcrumbs have browned.

Serve with lemon wedges

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12674_Baked_Fish_with_Olive_Pesto/#sthash.BrflbQ4P.dpuf

Heat oven to 400F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

In a bowl, combine pesto with breadcrumbs.

Arrange fish on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Top fish with breadcrumbs and bake until firm and cooked through, and the breadcrumbs have browned.

Serve with lemon wedges

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12674_Baked_Fish_with_Olive_Pesto/#sthash.BrflbQ4P.dpuf

This pasta was just a throw it in the pot and experiment pasta. I hope you do that in your kitchen at home. It usually turned out to be an amazing meal that's satisfying and easy. Sometimes I call it garbage pasta, because I'll grab all sorts of leftovers from the fridge to make sauces or add ins. Be creative!

Carrot Pesto Pasta
4 flat pasta sheets ( I used a gluten free Capellos flat lasagna noodle)
2/3 cup prepared carrot pesto
1/4 cup half and half
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shreds

Bring a deep skillet to a boil with about 4 cups water. You'll want to salt and water liberally. Cook your pasta sheets until they are aldente. Remove them to a cutting board and sliced them into squares. Return the pan back to the stove and put a drizzle of olive oil in the pan and heat it, adding the chickpeas, pasta, pesto and half and half. Stir carefully and warm through. You an add a little of your pasta water to thin the sauce if you want. You want it to be light. Top your pasta with cheese at the end. If you want it even lighter or have a bite, add a squeeze of lemon.

I swapped out the traditional pesto for the carrot pesto. Choose which one you like best.

Pesto Grilled Shrimp

Recipe courtesy of closetcooking.com

Marinate the shrimp in the pesto for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
Skewer the shrimp on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water.
Turn your grill on high and preheat. Place a sheet of foil on the grill and add some oil/spray and lower the grill to medium.
Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side. I like to put a little crisp on them. We had ours with a seasoned rice and fresh watermelon salad.

Portobello 3 Ways

Who doesn't love a Portobello mushroom? They are such a versatile food with a meaty full flavored mouth feel. They truly taste like beef when prepared the right way.

Stuffed Italian Portobellos
4 portobellos scrubbed with stems removed
1 1/4 cups marinara sauce ( I use Barilla when I don't have homemade)
4 cups baby kale (or spinach)
1/2 small red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp soy sauce or gluten free tamari/coconut aminos
1 tbsp olive oil + extra for sautéing
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Arrange mushrooms, gills side up on a baking sheet. Mix together soy sauce, olive oil and vinegar thoroughly and drizzle evenly over mushrooms.
To a hot pan, add a dash of olive oil and garlic, sauté one minute, add kale/spinach and a dash of salt and stir until greens are wilted. Set aside.
Add to the caps place 1/4 of the kale/garlic mixture on each mushroom. Layer on onions, marinara sauce, goat cheese, Parmesan, salt, pepper and oregano evenly.
Put on a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbly and brown.
Serve with a big green salad.
For additional stuffing that goes great with the marinara sauce and kale/spinach combinations: try any of the following in any combination: red or yellow peppers, olives, zucchini, yellow squash, leeks, fennel, carrots, parsnips, sun dried tomatoes, capers or cauliflower.

Portobello Burger with Romesco Sauce
1 large portobello mushroom
2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 garlic clove smashed (I ususally use jarred garlic for this)
Sprinkle each of celery salt, onion salt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season portobello mushroom and drizzle with olive oil. Grill directly on the grate or on top of tinfoil for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Spoonful of Romesco
Lettuce
Pickled Onion
1 ounce crumbled blue cheese, gorgonzola, or Roquefort

Romesco Sauce
1/2 cup roasted red pepper
Char your peppers on the outside, place them in a paper sack to steam, remove skins
1/4 cup whole peeled blanched almonds
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Add everything to a food processor and puree until it's smooth or the consistency you like. Add salt and more pepper flakes to your taste.

½ pound roasted red peppers
¼ cup blanched whole almonds
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
¼ – ½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1. In a small food processor, pulse the peppers, nuts, and garlic until finely chopped. Add the vinegar and puree.
2. Stream in the olive oil and puree until smooth. Season with the salt and red pepper. Give it one more pulse.
- See more at: http://feedmephoebe.com/2012/10/the-simplest-romesco-sauce/#sthash.ZjiyRUNQ.dpuf

Easy Pickled Onions
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Add sliced onions to a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over onions so that they are covered. Count to 10 then drain. Add onions to glass jars or a bowl.
Toast cinnamon, cloves and the red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
Whisk in vinegar, lime juice, a 1/4 cup of the sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar and salt have dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for sweetness then add more sugar as needed. Pour brine over onions.

Onion Recipe comes from Inspiredtaste.com

This next recipe comes from allrecipes.com. It's really tasty.

Portobello Orzo with Walnuts

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

3 tbsp olive oil/coconut oil

1 small yellow onion chopped

1 clove garlic

1lb portobello or baby crimini mushrooms, sliced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta (If gluten free, use a quinoa or brown rice pasta)

Parmesan cheese

Parsley chopped

salt and pepper to taste

In a dry pan, toast your walnuts until they smell nutty. Remove and set aside. Warm 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute mushrooms seasoned with salt and pepper. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside with the accumulated juices. Add onion to pan with remaining oil and saute, add garlic and let it cook until it smells aromatic. Add orzo pasta, coat with oil and onion. Add stock, seasoning with salt and pepper and put a lid on to continue simmering for about 15 minutes. When the broth looks mostly cooked, add in walnuts, mushrooms and sprinkle in fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.