Pasta with Mushrooms

Pasta with Mushrooms

8 oz pasta of choice

Olive oil

One onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. frozen peas

1/2 c. small black olives, cut in half

Boil pasta as per package instructions.

While pasta is boiling, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook until heated thru.

Add to cooked and drained pasta. Serve. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pasta

Every year I plan to make at least one dish in October that uses pumpkin. Most years I completely forget. This year I actually remembered! Whee! But I wanted something simple and easy. My husband swears he does not like pumpkin and refuses to eat it. Guess what? He ate this and even took leftovers for lunch. Win!

Pumpkin Pasta

Pasta, prepared per package instructions (I used angel hair)
One onion, chopped
One package vegan sausage (I used Field Roast Italian Sausage), sliced
One can unsweetened pumpkin
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable broth

Saute the onion and sausage together until onion is soft and sausage slightly browned. Add the pumpkin and enough vegetable broth to make a sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer about 15 minutes, and serve over the cooked pasta. Enjoy! And Happy Halloween!

Asian Pasta Salad

Have you ever looked at your mom's cookbooks, and kind of laughed at the recipes that are labeled Mexican or Asian, read the ingredients and wondered how they ever came to that conclusion? I have. And living where I do, in a place that has some of the BEST Mexican food in the country, I am almost offended by some of those recipes that suggest they are ethnic but are anything but.

And then there is this recipe. Okay, it is called Asian. It isn't. But the flavors are still divine.

Asian Pasta Salad

8 oz or thereabouts package linguine, broken in half
4-5 green onions, sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced (I used colored carrots - purple, yellow, orange)
12 grape tomatoes, cut in half
One head of broccoli, sliced
1/2 c. vegetable or sesame oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 t. hot sauce
2 T. sesame seeds

Cook the linguine according to package directions, rinse with cold water, drain, and add to a large bowl. Add the vegetables. Combine the remaining ingredients in a closed container and shake well to blend. Pour over the salad, toss gently. Serve or refrigerate. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Garlic Walnut Pesto

It never surprises me how often my youngest will eat spaghetti. He will go to the grocery store and buy a package of spaghetti and sometimes eat it with nothing more than vegan butter and cracked pepper. Okay, I taught him that, but he definitely eats it more often than I do!

Spaghetti with sauce is such a dinner staple for many people. And it's understandable - it's quick, easy and it tastes delicious! I've certainly made my share of it that way. But I also like to play around with it and try different sauces and toppings.

Spaghetti with Garlic Walnut Pesto

In a food processor, add:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. fresh parsley
1/4 c. vegetable broth
6 cloves garlic
1 T. bread crumbs
1/2 t. salt

Give it a good whir until everything is chopped fine and blended smoothly. Mix it with an additional 1/4 c. vegetable broth and pour it over a bowl of steaming, drained, cooked spaghetti. Serve. Enjoy!

Spinach Stew

Today is the International Day of Non-Violence, so it seems appropriate that I should adapt a recipe from The Peaceful Cook. It was one of the first cookbooks I ever bought when I became vegan (even though the book is lacto-vegetarian and not vegan) and the first time I ever heard of Braggs Aminos.

Spinach Stew

One bunch of organic spinach
Olive oil
1/2 t. dry mustard
2 t. Dijon mustard
One can diced tomatoes
2 T. dill seeds
1 T. Braggs Aminos
2 c. pasta
Water

Dice the spinach and saute in olive oil until wilted. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. Check periodically to see if you need to add more water to make it soupy. Enjoy!

Pasta with Garlic and Walnuts

We went out of town last weekend and returned to a series of crises. The most pressing was my daughter's brand new car being broken into and everything of value inside stolen, including her purse. I have spent the past couple of days helping her get everything squared away, so consequently, we've been eating out or convenience foods

That ended last night. I did want something quick and simple, though, and pasta is always my fallback plan.

Pasta with Garlic and Walnuts

1/2 c. olive oil
8 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 c. walnut pieces
One package pasta of choice (I used corkscrew)

Boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain. Place pasta in a large bowl.
Saute the garlic and walnuts in the olive oil. When garlic is softened, use a slotted spoon to scoop garlic and walnuts onto the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Make sure you don't overcook the garlic, like I did. It gives it a bite like nobody's business! I thought this was a little bland and could use something else, but my son devoured it. Play with it and make it your own.

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything...

or so said William Shakespeare. I guess he was right. There is something about the season of spring that brings with it renewal, and in that sense, a spirit of youth.

Which is probably why I like whimsy sometimes when I cook. Take these two recipes, for example.

Butterfly Pasta Salad

One package bow tie pasta (but I used bunny and egg shaped pasta)
1/3 c. chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
3 T. sliced black olives
One can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. pine nuts

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta, stir to mix it up nicely, cover and chill. Enjoy!

Mini Tarts

2 packages of little graham cracker crusts (or make your own)
One container vegan cream cheese
1/2 c. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1-1/2 c. vegan whipped dessert topping

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the lemonade and mix well. Fold in, gently, the whipped dessert topping. Spoon into little crusts and refrigerate until set. Top with little candy eggs.

Don't fall for the regular non-dairy whipped toppings. They aren't really non-dairy.

Fun foods for your spring holiday celebrations!

Did You Appreciate a Dragon Today?

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day. You can read more about it here. Being the fan of dragons (and all things fantasy) that I am, of course I would want to make something dragon-ish.

Dragon's Breath Pasta and Tempting the Dragon with Tofu

One package angel hair pasta
One clove garlic, chopped
One package sliced mushrooms
1 t. oregano
1 T. parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Saute the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add the oregano and parsley and mix well. Add the mushroom mixture to the drained pasta and mix well.

Tempting the Dragon with Tofu

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed and sliced
One package sliced mushrooms
One onion, chopped
Three garlic cloves, chopped
One can of corn, drained
1 T. parsley
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. curry
1/2 t. rosemary
Vegan Worcestershire sauce

Saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Remove from pan and add more olive oil. Fry the tofu slices until browned on each side. Add mushroom mixture, spices and corn to the tofu and let simmer to blend flavors. Sprinkle on the Worcestershire sauce. Serve with Dragon's Breath Pasta.

I'm pretty sure the pasta got its name from all the garlic, but loving garlic the way I do, this was no problem.

Be sure to watch out for dragons when you eat this. Believe it or not, there are some vegetarian dragons out there. I've seen one...

Enjoy!

Peanutty Pasta

I love nuts, especially in pasta. My recipe files are full of recipes that include nuts of all kinds; almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pretty much any and every nut I like and will find a way to incorporate it into a recipe.

My husband isn't big on nuts in recipes, but he does like peanuts. Voila!

Peanutty Pasta

Cooked pasta, shape and type your choice

1/4 c. peanuts

Parsley, fresh or dried

2 cloves garlic

1 c. vegetable stock

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 T. lemon juice

One zucchini

One can diced tomatoes

In a food processor, whir together the peanuts, parsley and garlic until nicely minced. Cut up the zucchini (I quartered mine) and add to a pot with the diced tomatoes. Heat to boil, then reduce to simmer. In a separate container, mix the stock with the salt and pepper and lemon juice. Whisk until blended.

Place the hot cooked pasta in a bowl. When the zucchini is cooked and soft, add the zucchini-tomato mixture to the pasta. Add the minced peanut mixture to the vegetable stock mixture, whisk well and add to the pasta. Mix everything up gently, serve, enjoy!

You can really play around with this dish. You can use different nuts, you can slice the zucchini instead of quartering it, you can use cherry tomatoes halved or cut up a whole tomato.

Oh, and you can try out different types of pasta or shapes, too. It's a really easy, simple dish.

Garlicky Red Pepper Pasta

Have you ever ordered a pizza and it came with these little packets of red pepper flakes? Did you wonder, what the heck is this? I did. Then my kids started sprinkling it on their pizza. Okay, they like hot stuff. They eat jalapenos, too. When they were little they called jalapeno slices *hot okra*. This provided hours of amusement when their brains registered what they just ate and they ran for the water. Didn't faze them - they still like hot and spicy foods even now. My daughter would shovel salsa and chips as a toddler. Even I couldn't eat the spicy foods like she could, and does.

Then while doing some research I discovered how absolutely wonderful and beneficial red pepper really is. I remember hearing Hillary Clinton laud the stuff when she was campaigning and catching a glimpse of her purse contents and spotted a container of red pepper flakes.

I consume red pepper regularly now. In fact, daily.

Garlicky Red Pepper Pasta

Saute a minced whole head of garlic in olive oil, with 1 t. of red pepper flakes and 1 t. salt. Cook your pasta of choice. Gently mixed the sauteed garlic with the cooked pasta, sprinkle on some more olive oil and a little bit of fresh or dried parsley. Enjoy!

Red pepper flakes add another dimension of flavor to a dish without making every mouthful hot and spicy. They seem to elevate the taste of other ingredients and make a simple recipe complex and interesting. Take this dish of pasta with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper - it is a classic combination of three basic ingredients, but the end result is more than a sum of its parts — and the red pepper is what makes it sing.

The chemical compound capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue it comes in contact with. Because of the burning sensation caused by capsaicin when it comes in contact with human flesh, it is commonly used in food products to give them added spice or "heat" (piquancy). Typically the capsaicin is obtained from chili peppers. Hot sauce is an example of a product customarily containing large amounts of capsaicin and may contain chili peppers or pure capsaicin.

Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against herbivores. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, crystalline to waxy compound.

Extracts of capsaicin from red chili peppers are used as a fresh ingredient in foods, as medicinal herbs to treat pain and inflammation and in concentrated sprays as non-lethal weapons (really!)

New understanding of the way capsaicin functions inside the body to reduce inflammatory responses and improve nerve cell signalling is rapidly expanding the use of this herb to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including diabetes and has been shown to prevent the replication of prostate cancer cells. Small daily doses of capsaicin have even been shown to prevent chronic nasal congestion.

It may also be used as a cream for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backache, strains and sprains. I can attest to this. I use a capsaicin cream for shoulder pain I have that results from my Klippel Feil. It does heat up the skin, turning it pink almost like a sunburn, but it feels good and helps me a great deal.

Oddly enough, the pain treatment properties can also be applied internally to treat digestive disorders. According to the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, oral consumption of capsaicin reduces the pain associated with indigestion. The compound depletes substance P in the stomach, and temporarily relieves the burning sensation that characterizes dyspepsia. Capsaicin may also prevent stomach ulcers caused by drugs used to treat inflammation, such as aspirin.

If you are worried about the heat, don't. Chilis are ranked according to their pungency (heat) on a scale called the Scoville Scale.

Some examples of heat scores are:

• Red bell peppers 0-600
• Jalapeno peppers 2500 – 10 000
• Serrano peppers 10 000 – 25 000
• Habanero peppers 80 000 - 150 000

They are pretty mild by comparison.

Quick Pasta Special

We all have them - those days when we are just so busy and fast food beckons to us. So convenient. So quick. So yucky. I don't know about you, but I get tired of going to a fast food restaurant and having to special order. And even then not being sure about how it was prepared. Ugh!

These times call for something quick and easy to prepare, that still tastes good!

Quick Pasta Special

12-14 oz. pasta of your choice
4 c. broccoli florets
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. chopped red or green onions (or a mixture of both!)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 T. lemon or lime juice
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. curry powder
pinch of black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt
dash of Bragg's Aminos or soy sauce

Cook pasta, but before draining, add the broccoli. Let set together about 5 minutes, then drain together. Toss in the tomatoes, onions and walnuts. Mix remaining ingredients together, then add to the pasta. Serve. Enjoy!

What the heck is balsamic vinegar? I remember when I first started seeing it used in recipes and thought, wow, this is fancy stuff! I'd thought I was being upscale by using red wine or white wine vinegars! How does a lowly vinegar come to reap such praise?

The ancient art of making a sweet condiment from grape juice dates back centuries. Romans invented the art of making ’sapa,’ a mixture made from boiled down grape juice. As far back as 900 years ago, vintners in the Modena, Italy region were making balsamic vinegar which was taken as a tonic and bestowed as a mark of favor to those of importance. In earlier days, the families cared for the vinegar, perfected it over years and passed it on as a treasured heirloom. They presented small vials to their special friends and even bequeathed it to their daughters as a valuable part of her dowry.

Although it is considered a wine vinegar, it is not a wine vinegar at all. It is not made from wine, but from grape pressings that have never been permitted to ferment into wine.

Sweet white Trebbiano grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup and then aged under rigid restrictions. The syrup is placed into oaken kegs, along with a vinegar "mother," and begins the aging process. Over the years it graduates to smaller and smaller kegs made of chestnut, cherrywood, ash, mulberry, and juniper until it is ready for sale. All of these woods progressively add character to the vinegar. As it ages, moisture evaporates out, further thickening the vinegar and concentrating the flavor.

Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive. Luckily, a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way.

In Medieval times, balsamic vinegar was valued for its healing properties. The word balsamico *(from Latin balsamum , from Greek balsamon*) means "balsam-like" in the sense of "restorative" or "curative". During the later part of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, the nobility enjoyed the different varieties of vinegar as a refined drink. They believed the vinegar was a natural remedy for the plague. Balsamico was stored in the family attic and tended to as meticulously as an other facet of the family estate, as it slowly matured into a liquid gold. Balsamico came to be a symbol of peace and an extension of the hand of friendship from one family to another, and from one friend to another.

All I know is I like using it in my dishes. Not sure how my daughter would feel if I were to give her a bottle on her wedding day. She'd probably look at me funny. Once I told her it was made from grapes, though, she would totally understand!

Easy Minestrone

The temps are dropping all over the country and folks are hunkering down. I don't get snow where I live (no, really, there is like a bubble over my neighborhood - when my friend 10 minutes away can build a snowman and we didn't get a single flake, I can say that), but we do get freezing temps. When those days come, we light up the fireplace, make up some hot chocolate or cider (or in my case, tea!) and enjoy a good soup or stew. This one does that nicely!

Minestrone

1 T. olive oil
One onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried marjoram
1 t. salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 t. allspice
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
2 bay leaves
1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh rosemary
4 c. vegetable stock
2 c. water
Half a bag of frozen corn
Half a bag of frozen green beans
1 bag of pasta, shape your choice (I used vegetable spirals)
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano

In a large pot over medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and allspice. Stir until onion begins to soften. Add tomatoes, beans, bay leaves, rosemary, stock and water. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil. Add corn, green beans and pasta, cook about 10 minutes until pasta is almost cooked. Add additional thyme and oregano and more water is necessary. Enjoy!

Be sure to watch the water, as mine initially turned into more of a stew than a soup. If you have kids, use a fun shaped pasta instead of traditional pasta. We served ours with buttered toast, but garlic bread would probably have been a perfect accompaniment (note to self: next time make garlic toast).

I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats me Spinach!

I couldn't resist the quote, because tonight's supper was called Popeye Pasta. And, yes, it had spinach in it.

Popeye Pasta

Olive oil
One onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 cans (I used 15 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. basil
1# pasta (I used whole wheat spirals)
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach

Cook pasta according to directions. Saute in oil the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil and spinach. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Drain pasta, top with sauce, serve!

The original recipe called for 1/2 t. marjoram, but I realized too late I didn't have any. It also called for 1/3 c. of red or white wine. Well, I discovered a wine bottle with, I am not kidding, one teaspoon of wine left. Who leaves a teaspoon of wine in the bottle, and then puts that bottle in the refrigerator?! Argh! However, even without the suggested ingredients, the dish came out delish.

You can use fresh spinach instead of frozen, if you want. Just add it after simmering and when it wilts, pour over pasta.

Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia, from the word aspanakh (roughly "green hand"). Arab traders carried spinach into India, and then the plant was introduced into ancient China, where it was known as "Persian vegetable". The earliest available record of the spinach plant was recorded in Chinese, stating that it was introduced into China via Nepal (probably in 647 AD). In AD 827, the Saracens introduced spinach to Sicily. Spinach invariably made its way into England, where it is mentioned in the first known English cookbook, The Forme of Cury (1390). In 1533, Catherine de'Medici became queen of France; she so fancied spinach that she insisted it be served at every meal. To this day, dishes made with spinach are known as "Florentine," reflecting Catherine's birth in Florence. During the 18th and 19th centuries, spinach water was used as touchpaper for fireworks since paper soaked in it would smolder well.

Extraordinarily high in vitamin C and rich in riboflavin, one cup of cooked spinach also contains a very high level of vitamin A, folate, magnesium, potassium, as well as vitamins E, B6, K and thiamin. Folate, a mineral found in high amounts in spinach, has been shown to reduce high blood pressure and inflammation of blood vessels. The chemical version of folate, folic acid, has long been associated with lower rates of birth defects when taken orally during pregnancy. This leafy green is also an excellent source of manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin B2 and potassium. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids.

A lot of people aren't fond of cooked spinach, describing it as a blob of green stuff. I like to eat it raw, as well as cooked, especially in a salad. Eating raw spinach is a popular choice but not the best choice for everyone. Spinach is high in oxalic acid when ingested raw. Oxalic acids can produce damage to blood vessels. Some people may produce symptoms such as gout, arthritis, and rheumatism after eating large quantities of raw spinach. These acids can cause kidney stones and gallstones in people with lower renal functions.

However, oxalic acid can be lowered in spinach by boiling. Frequently change the water the spinach cooks in by boiling, draining the cooking water, boiling again, and then rinsing before consumption. This will greatly lower the oxalic acids present. The nutritional value of spinach does reduce with cooking, yet it still remains one of the most excellent sources for bountiful natural nutrients available. One pound of leaves can be reduced to about one cup of the cooked product. Since the iron in spinach is in soluble form, the water left from cooking will contain that element, as well as other water-soluble nutrients that should be used instead of thrown away.

Studies have shown that consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach may slow the age-related decline in brain function. So, eat your greens and keep working those crossword puzzles to keep your brain young and agile!