Year of the Noodle:  Week 30

I felt cranky yesterday.  I did not want to work, did not want to go on my morning bike ride, did not want to do anything.  The only thing that seemed appealing was making comfort food. A big plate of penne with homemade sauce, a big salad and garlic bread…ahh, comfort food at its finest.

I’ve been waiting all year for tomato season so that I could make homemade sauce.  It didn’t seem right to start making tomato based pasta sauces until the fresh tomatoes were ready.  I know that canned tomatoes do wonderful things, but I wanted to really start from scratch.  This sauce turned out pretty good, although basic, and it was eaten pretty fast so I’m going to assume that means it was a winner.  Beware that you need to parboil and peel the tomatoes before you puree them, so give yourself some extra time to make this one.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups fresh tomato puree
• 1 large fresh basil stem with leaves removed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
• Pinch baking soda or sugar, if needed Continue reading »

I’m proud of us – we grew a zucchini.

Nevermind that zucchini is often touted as the easiest crop to grow.  Nevermind that so far only one squash has actually grown.  We thought the plant was on its way out just a few weeks ago, and now it’s thriving and producing.  And we still have two more unidentified squash plants growing strong in our garden (they could be anything from watermelon to yellow squash to acorn squash or more zucchini – we have no idea.)  Who knows, we may have a bumper crop of zucchini after all.

If that’s the case, we’ll be eating a lot more of this zucchini bread.  It is very light, not too sweet, and easy to make.  I think I cooked mine a little too long and dried it out a bit, but it’s still tasty.  If you’ve also grown a zucchini, I suggest putting it to use in your loaf pan :)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 plus 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2  cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F . In a large bowl, mix together the agave nectar, eggs, and vanilla. Next mix in the zucchini and melted butter. Add baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Add the flour, a cup at a time.
2. Divide the batter equally between 2 non-stick sprayed loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Source:  Adapted from CleanWholeDelicious

Year of the Noodle: Week 29

We have a plethora of basil in our garden.  Several small plants have turned into several large plants.  Now I can harvest 2 cups of basil leaves without concern that I’m killing our plants.  This is good for pesto.

When I visited Italy in college, this was my favorite dish.  Probably because it is vegetarian-friendly without mushrooms, tomatoes or loads of cheese (you get sick of all three after a while, even in Italy.)  This dish has a hearty, filling feeling that makes it seem like you are eating something other than just another pasta dish.  Martha Stewart’s version is as good as any – simple and easy, and very flavorful.

Ingredients

Quinoa is your friend.  It’s full of protein, fiber, and iron.  And it makes a nice break from pasta dishes (am I the only one that needs that?)  It’s your friend.

Particularly when you have some peppers hanging around that need to be used.  Roast them up quickly, toss them into some quinoa with a bit of olive oil and vinegar and you’ve got a great side dish.  Makes for good cold leftovers, too.  Enjoy!

Quinoa with Roasted Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 bell peppers (orange, red, yellow or green will work)
• 1 onion
• 2 1/2  cups vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil Continue reading »

Year of the Noodle: Week 28

I’m glad I asked.

We had company coming over for dinner last Friday, and based on the contents of our kitchen I had decided to make pasta with a caramelized onion sauce.  Having lived with two different roommates who didn’t like onions, I thought last minute maybe I should check to be sure our guests didn’t have a distaste for onions.  I’m glad I asked.  Turns out one of them hates onions, and would have likely ended up eating my pasta while politely suffering.  Good thing we have loads of basil growing in our garden and I had a back up plan.

Fresh basil is quite delicious, but something is lacking in this sauce.  John thinks chicken would help – I can’t put my finger on what I wanted.  Red pepper?  Spinach?  More seasoning?  Not sure, but it lacks something.  Give it a try and let me know what you add to it!

Pasta with Garlic Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients