Baked Samosa Patties

When we moved to Michigan I didn't know a single person here. I'm no stranger to moving to a new city, so I got right down to friend-making business. I joined several meet-up groups, my sorority alumni group, a great church, and gained friends as I began working. After a few months I became good friends with a woman I met and we decided to start a book club. After a few more months of collecting new friends and inviting them to join, we created a great group of 5 - soon to be 6 members.
After chatting over email we discovered that in our group there was a vegan, 2 vegetarians, a gluten-free woman and 2 omnivores. We knew we wanted to have our book club meetings at each others homes and make it a pot-luck, so we all had our work cut out for us with regard to food choices. Then one woman suggested we theme each book club so the food matches the book! It's been a culinary challenge that I am happy to take on!
For the last meeting we read my selection, The Martian, which I highly recommend. So obviously for the theme, it had to be potatoes! My first instinct was baked samosas with wonton wrappers... but they're not vegan or gluten free! Then I saw gluten-free prepared dough at the store, but that's not vegan! So finally I decided to buy GF flour and use Earth Balance and olive oil in my dough. Sadly, the dough was a bit brittle and I was unable to mold it, so we had samosa tostatas.
With a few pounds of potatoes left and a strong craving for more samosas it finally hit me - samosa patties! I wish I had the idea before book club, but I'm glad it occurred to me because these were delicious! The filling is all that really matters in a samosa, so the absence of a wrapper was no big deal. They're also much healthier without the dough and being fried. We topped these with a bit of leftover mango chutney and served them alongside some crispy chickpeas and roasted cauliflower.

Our next theme is "heavenly food" - and vegan/GF suggestions?

Baked Samosa Patties

adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 c. cauliflower florets

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 small yellow or red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced

1" of fresh ginger root, grated

3 tsp. curry powder (I love TJ's)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. groud turmeric

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 c. frozen peas

1 lime, juiced

Kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

1-2 tbsp. earth balance buttery spread (optional)

Preheat oven to 425*
Place potatoes in a pot of cold water, salt generously, cover and bring to a boil.
Uncover and cook for 5 minutes, add cauliflower and cook for another 5 minutes.
Drain in a colander and set aside.
While potatoes cook, add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a saute' pan over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic and serrano pepper, season with salt and cook for 5 minutes, until onions begin to brown.
Add drained potato/cauliflower mixture to a mixing bowl, mash with a potato masher until vegetables are all slightly broken down.
Add onion mixture, ginger, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, fennel seeds, peas and lime juice, gently fold ingredients into potato mixture.
Taste and adjust seasonings, adding pepper and if desired, earth balance.
Mixture should  be a bit pasty but still have small chunks of potato and cauliflower, mash with a spatula as needed.
Line a cookie sheet with foil, grease with remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil.
Form mixture into about 8 patties, shaping into discs with hands (if it's still too hot to handle, refrigerate for 10 minutes), place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip patties gently and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, serve with chutney or raita.

*Another option is to pan-fry the patties in a bit of oil rather than bake

Baked Samosas

I love Indian food but hate paying for take out. I've been trying more and more to make it at home but it never tastes quite as authentic. Sometimes I think my 'make your own take-out' meals aren't *as* good because I don't use butter/oil/sugar with reckless abandon the way restaurants do. My absolute favorite Indian appetizer is the Samosa. Generally they're fried dough pockets full of curried potatoes, peas and onion and they're served with a chutney of some sort. These are of course healthified by using wonton wrappers and baking rather than frying the samosas. However they still have the same delicious flavor and crunch of their less-healthy original version. 

I

 made a simple pear-raisin chutney and would have preferred something not so chunky. A sweet chutney condiment definitely lessens the heat and saltiness of these and adds a nice balance. I used large wonton wrappers but you could also make these bite-sized for appetizers and go with the small squares.  

Baked Samosas

adapted from Foodtv

2 large Idaho Russet potatoes

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, medium dice 

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. frozen peas

1" square nub of fresh grated ginger root

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. spicy curry powder

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, minced

1 package wonton wrappers

Mango, Date, Pear or Tamarind Chutney, if desired

Preheat oven to 400*

Wash and dry potatoes, pierce with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil.

Bake until cooked through, about 60 minutes.

Cool, peel and discard skins, then dice potatoes (they'll crumble some, it's ok), add to a large mixing bowl

Heat a skillet over medium, add oil, onions and garlic. 

Saute for 5 minutes, until softened, add cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, curry powder and peas.

Pour into mixing bowl with potatoes and gently toss to combine. 

Lay wonton wrappers out on a dry surface, keep a small bowl of water closeby

Add 1/4 c. spoonfuls to the wonton, then use finger to paint water around the edges, fold over and close.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

When you're finished with all samosas, place in the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. 

Serve immediately. 

Grilled Bok Choy Salad

Without having joined a CSA, I don't think I would have ever made this recipe. Each week when I get my box of produce, I do recipe searches for some of the items I don't use on a normal basis. I've only cooked with bok choy two or three times, so I wanted to try something new. When I found this recipe, I knew it would be a huge hit! Whenever I can find a recipe or make a dish that uses multiple CSA items, it's even better, so seeing scallions on the ingredient list was a bonus.

It also seemed fateful that another ingredient this recipe called for was orange juice and segments, which we've got plenty of these days! Last weekend, my husband, Violet and I went down to his grandparents to pick some fruit from their trees. I may have a love-hate relationship with Florida, but this was definitely a "love" day! Violet loved helping harvest the fruit, and I was able to bring it to friends and family.

The red cabbage was also already on hand because when we were in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, my dad harvested the last of his fall garden, which included several heads of broccoli and red and green cabbage. I came home with bags full of cabbage! 

Finally, this salad is topped with wasabi peas, one of my absolute favorite snacks. I never have to worry about my husband eating them, or the baby and dogs begging for some!

This salad was so flavorful and fresh, slightly warm (in both temperature and heat!) and perfect for winter. I served pan fried tofu on the side topped with a little of the extra vinaigrette to complete the meal.

Grilled Bok Choy Salad

adapted from Bobby Flay

1 head of bok choy
1 small red cabbage
2 large scallions
1 orange
1 package ramen noodles
1/4 c. cilantro leaves
1/2 c. wasabi peas
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
1 orange, juiced (1/4 c.)
1/4 c. aged balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sriracha
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Quarter the bok choy and cabbage heads, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place cut side down on the grill, cook for 2 minutes, then rotate and cook each additional side for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the grill pan and set aside.
Slice scallions in half and place cut side down on the grill, cook for 1 minute, remove and set aside.
Prepare dressing by mixing all ingredients and whisking well, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Slice cabbage and bok choy into 1/4" strips, add to a large serving bowl.
Chop scallions, add to cabbage and toss well.
Segment the orange and arrange on top, sprinkle with cilantro and wasabi peas, for garnish.
Pour half of the dressing onto the salad, and serve with the remainder on the side.

Spaghetti and Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Ricotta

Just when I think I can't eat any more eggplant and zucchini, squash invade the market and save me. Then I finally get to go back into my google reader, and scroll through the millions of recipes I have starred to try that showcase squash! I have to say, spaghetti squash is probably my least favorite, but if I find a recipe where it looks amazing, I'm willing to use it rather than my beloved butternut. 

I found this recipe on Eats Well With Others, so I knew it was going to be good. Joanne never steers me wrong, and has the same appreciation for squash that I do. I made this recipe as written, but added a handful of frozen sweet peas. Something about non-traditional pasta dishes with peas, I just love'em! For the pasta component, I only had vegetable fettuccini on hand, which made this bowl sure look weird! However, don't let the weirdness steer you away (or look at Joanne's photos, which look luscious and creamy). This is a great squashy, but not will-burn-you-out-on-it's-squashness dish. 

Spaghetti and Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Ricotta

changed a bit from Eats Well With Others

1 spaghetti squash

8 oz. pasta

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 c. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil

2 tbsp. parmesan, plus extra for serving

1 c. ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 375*

Slice squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

Place cut side down, fill halfway with water, roast for 45 minutes, or until fork tender. 

Cool for 10 minutes.

Boil a pot of water for spaghetti, cook until al dente. 

Heat a skillet over medium, add EVOO and garlic, saute' until tender.

Add zest, butter, juice, season with salt and pepper. 

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, add peas and basil, stir, remove from heat. 

Scrape squash into a large bowl, add pasta and toss.

Pour sauce over spaghetti mixture, toss parmesan cheese in, place in serving dishes.

Top with a generous scoop of ricotta, extra parmesan, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Minced Cauliflower with Peas

Cauliflower is one of my absolute favorite vegetables, and one of my husband's least favorite. Now that we're going into his busy season, I'll be eating many dinners alone. If you've been very observant in the past, I'm sure you can follow the pattern of his work schedule by what we/I eat! Cauliflower's peak season is December through March, but I've never seen it at the Farmer's Market. However, organic has been cheaper than normal at Whole Foods, so that's what I went with. 

Peas are a freezer staple for me not only because they're one of my favorite vegetables, but because they are quick cooking, and add a bright, fresh punch to any recipe. My brand of choice is Cascadian Farms Organic Frozen Peas, they always have coupons floating around, and they're only pennies more than conventional frozen peas. I served this dish with naan and spiced chickpeas for a complete meal, and made a sort of burrito, but it would be great over rice with big chunks of tofu. 

Do you have any favorite cauliflower dishes? 

VBS Tips and Trades:

-Garam Masala is a mixture of Indian spices. Try making your own with spices on hand rather than buy a bottle. Here is a simple recipe!

-To grate your cauliflower with ease, use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment. You'll finish in a fraction of the time! 

Minced Cauliflower with Peas/Gobi Ka Kheema

adapted from Food For Thought (retired blog)

1 head of cauliflower, cleaned and cut into small florets

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves 

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 c. tomato puree

1/2 c. peas 

1 tsp. garam masala (or less, to taste)

Salt and pepper

Greek Yogurt

Cilantro

Fit food processor with grater attachment.

Run all cauliflower through.

Heat a skillet over medium-high. 

Add oil and cauliflower, season with salt and pepper.

Replace grater attachment with a blade, add onion and garlic, pulse to chop, then run to mince.

Add the onions and garlic to cauliflower.

Toss and brown vegetables, turn heat to low.

Add bay leaves, cumin, tomato, garam masala and more salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasonings, add peas, remove from the heat.

Spoon into a bowl and serve with greek yogurt and cilantro.

Symon Sundays - Crispy Gnocci with Morels and Spring Peas & Spicy Stuffed Peppers

This week's Symon Sundays recipes were chosen by Gia. It's hard to believe this is the final recipe in round 2! We're really moving through the book, and the dishes just keep getting better! This round we especially hit the pasta and appetizer sections hard.

The first recipe Gia chose was the Crispy Gnocci with Morels and Spring Peas. I knew we were going to make this for close to 3 months, so I had my morel radar on every time I was out. I found them at Whole Foods for $17.99/1 oz. package dried, and decided to hold out for fresh or bulk. Right before we left for Memorial Day vacation, I found them fresh for $49.99/lb, and I was thrilled. Of course $50/lb is expensive, but I needed an ounce, so that was only going to be about $3-4. I knew I'd go back as soon as we got back from vacation to buy the morels. Can you see where this story is headed? Of course, just my luck, they were gone 5 days later! I couldn't bring myself to purchase $17 worth of morels, so I decided to use dried porcini mushrooms that I had on hand. 

For the gnocci, I have never made them with ricotta rather than potatoes, and fried rather than boiled. I have to say I really enjoyed these gnocci. Though they were fried, they seemed to be lighter than traditional potato gnocci. They also were much easier to make than the potato version. I did cut back on the butter and used a little porcini stock.

Gia's other selection were these sausage stuffed peppers. I used Anaheim peppers, which were spicy but also sweet when roasted. I used a homemade sauce I had on hand, and spicy Italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods. These were simple to make, and delicious! I would definitely make these in mini peppers and serve them as an appetizer in the future! 

Tasha's Gnocci (check out Tasha's blog for the complete recipe!)

Joanne's Gnocci

Joanne's Peppers

Natashya's Gnocci and Peppers

Best of Spring Potato Salad

I rarely go to the grocery store and pick up items that aren't designated for a meal. Not only does it keep the budget in check, but it keeps me from buying unnecessary junk. However, when there's a great sale, and I have coupons, I'll buy almost anything. A brand of frozen vegetables were buy-one get-one free last week, and I had coupons for 10 items, so I really stocked the freezer!

Rather than only buy the things I knew I'd use (frozen spinach, peas, green beans), I decided to grab a bag of little onions, an ingredient I haven't had in years. I've only ever seen them paired with peas, so I searched foodtv.com for peas and onions, and found this recipe from Tyler Florence. I loved the idea of paring the dish with potatoes, but I wanted it to be a cold, main dish type salad, not a warm, dinner side dish.

As I was looking for small potatoes, I found the Purple Perivuan variety, which I've been trying to find for years! So I began to construct this salad, and thought it needed another vegetable, and why not incorporate another splash of color, so I threw in a red bell pepper. I also love mint paired with peas, and mint paired with lemon, so I picked from fresh mint from my garden, and I was all set.

I really enjoyed the cold salad I came up with, but I still have 2/3 of a bag of onions to use, and I think I will eventually try out Tyler's dish, as written, for a dinner side one evening.

Best of Spring Potato Salad

1 lb. Purple Peruvian potatoes

1 cup spring peas

1 cup pearl onions

1 red bell pepper, minced

10 fresh mint leaves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp. raw sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tbsp. EVOO

Fresh black pepper and salt

Add potatoes to a small pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until fork tender.

Add shallow, sugar, lemon zest and juice, EVOO, salt and pepper to a large bowl, whisk to combine.

Add peas and onions to a colander, rinse with cold water for a minute to partially defrost.

Drain and add to the dressing bowl, add red bell pepper, toss to combine.

Drain potatoes, cool for a few minutes, dice and add to the mixing bowl, toss gently.

Serve or keep chilled in the refrigerator.

Garnish with extra mint and/or lemon wedges, if desired.

Tortellini Primavera with Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Sauce

One thing I'm working on this year is keeping our grocery budget in check. Sometimes when you're a blogger and you find a recipe or dream up a recipe, you stop at nothing to make it. And you justify your expenses because it's for the blog. It doesn't matter that the cheese is $17.99/lb, or the prosciutto is $11.99/lb... and when you've made the switch to buying all organic meats and dairy, it gets even worse. So I've been trying to focus more on shopping sales and utilizing my freezer as well as make meals where some of the ingredients can be used for another.

So far, it's going ok. I try to get in 'empty the pantry' mode, but then I go shopping and it turns into 'stock the pantry cheaply' mode. I can't tell you how many bags of frozen cascadian farms vegetables and fruit I got last week. They were on sale.... and I had coupons... So I decided to make a meal that used a few of my fully stocked pantry items - tortellini, ricotta, and vegetables. Paired with some vegetables on sale and at the farmer's market, I came out very cheap on this dinner!

Tortellini Primavera with Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Sauce

1 package frozen tortellini

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups button mushrooms, quartered

1 orange bell pepper, sliced

1/2 lb. asparagus spears, cut into 1" segments

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup ricotta

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes

Vegetable or chicken stock, for thinning

1 sprig of fresh thyme or basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper.

Saute' for 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.

While veggies cook, bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.

Add tortellini, cook according to package directions, during the last minute, drop in the asparagus and peas.

Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse together ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and juice.

Add vegetables and pasta to the skillet.

Add ricotta sauce, herbs, salt and pepper.

Stir to combine, thin with stock if necessary.

Heat everything through, plate, garnish with crushed red pepper and parmesan, if desired.

Vegan Pasta Primavera

I didn't intentionally make last night's dinner vegan, but while typing up the recipe, I realized it was Though I'm not vegan, I certainly recognize and appreciate the health benefits and environmental benefits of veganism, and do enjoy vegan dishes from time to time. Dishes like this really showcase the healthy benefits of veganism, a rainbow of colorful vegetables, yet still incredible flavorful and filling.
Now if you're not vegan or vegetarian, there are a few additions you can make if you find it necessary. Vegetarians can simply add some parmesan cheese in the pesto, or mozzarella on top.
If you prefer meat, add some sliced organic chicken or turkey sausage which takes no effort at all!

Vegan Pasta Primavera

1/2 lb. rotini

1 tbsp. EVOO

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed

1/2 c. frozen peas

Crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. diced tomatoes with Italian herbs

5 sun dried tomatoes, sliced

Pesto:

1/4 c. Vegetable Stock

2 tbsp. EVOO

20 basil leaves

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 c. pine nuts

5 sun dried tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt. Cook until al dente.

In the last minute of cooking, add the asparagus.

Drain and set aside while vegetables cook.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add EVOO and mushrooms. Sweat mushrooms until they stop giving off water, add onions and peppers.

Season with salt and pepper, cook until peppers are tender, about 6-8 minutes.

While vegetables cook, add all pesto ingredients to a blender or food processor, pluse until smooth.

Add peas, diced tomatoes, pesto, pasta and asparagus to the skillet with peppers. Toss.

Cover and heat through about 3-5 minutes.

If pasta is dry, add more vegetable stock.

Serve with sun dried tomatoes chopped basil for garnish.

Spring Pea Soup

This past weekend is JJ's last weekend away with the baseball team, so it was my last opportunity to cook for just myself. It's been rough with him gone all season, but it's been nice to cook lots of vegetarian meals and some of my favorites. I decided to make pea soup, but I wanted to use fresh peas, not split peas. I wanted it to be light and brothy, not heavy and starchy. It came out just like I wanted. If you want it thicker, reduce it further or use less stock and double the veggies!

I served this with a version of my favorite beet and spinach salad!

I garnished this soup with a dollop of sour cream and some whole peas, but they sunk!

Spring Pea Soup

(makes 1 dinner portion or 2 starters)

1/2 c. diced potato

1/2 c. sliced leeks, well rinsed

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

salt and pepper

2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas

1 tsp. minced mint

1 tsp. minced basil

pinch of cayenne

garnishes:

sour cream

peas

chiffonade basil and mint

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, potato, leeks, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook for 10 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

Add stock, bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes.

Add peas, turn heat to low.

Add contents to a blender or use an immersion blender, blend well.

Pour back in the pot, add minced bail and mint, stir and ladle into a bowl.

Serve with garnishes.

A Year Ago: Ham and Cheese on a Pretzel Roll with Red Pepper Relish - YOU HAVE TO TRY THESE!!!

Sweet Pea Ravioli

About a week ago, I saw this recipe on Kelly's Blog. I absolutely love peas, so I checked out the recipe she linked. All of the components of the dish are so healthy and contain so many superfoods and sidekicks!

I chose this recipe to showcase soy, today's SuperFood. I have never used tofu in place of something like ricotta in ravioli, or as part of a sauce. I generally don't branch out from asian cuisine with tofu!

One element to this dish that I loved was the chili oil. I made the regular sized batch, which I plan on using often! It really balanced out the creamy tofu and sweet peas, and cut through the sauce on the bottom, which is really earthy from the spinach and asparagus.

I used wonton wrappers, like Kelly, because I didn't feel like making pasta - this dish is pretty labor intensive - but next time I think i'd make the pasta because some of the wontons didn't hold up well.

Sweet Pea Ravioli

Great Chefs Cook Vegan, Linda Long

Ravioli Dough:
1 pound all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 cup water
6 tablespoons olive oil

Ravioli Filling:
3 shallots, minced
3 cups English peas, blanched
4 ounces soft tofu
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pea Cream:
1 bunch asparagus
3 ounces soft tofu
4 bunches baby spinach, cleaned
2 cups English peas, blanched

Chili Oil:
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11⁄2 teaspoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1⁄2 tablespoon coarse or kosher salt
11⁄2 cups olive oil

To make the Ravioli Dough: Mix the dough ingredients together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the Ravioli Filling: Sweat shallots in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until soft and translucent. Add peas and tofu and slowly heat. Purée in a food processor with oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the Ravioli: Roll out Ravioli Dough on a flour-coated surface until paper-thin. Cut into 1-inch strips. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling onto strips of dough at 1 inch intervals. Moisten edges with oil and lay strips of dough on top of filling. Press lightly around each filling mound to seal and then cut into squares.

To make the Pea Cream: Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths, place in a saucepan, and cover with water. Slowly bring to a simmer. Add tofu and spinach leaves along with the peas. Purée, strain, and set aside.

To make the Chili Oil: Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Simmer over very low heat for about 10 minutes, or until flavors are extracted from ingredients. Be careful not to let spices brown. The chili flavor will be enjoyed in a subtle taste suspended in the oil.

Garnish
2 shallots, minced
1 cup English peas
1⁄2 pound pea tendrils and popcorn shoots (available in the summer)

SuperFoods : Soy (Tofu), Spinach, Capsaicin (Chili Peppers)

Sidekicks: Peas, Asparagus, Shallots

Roasted Tomato Winter Pasta Salad

I absolutly love pasta salad. I make meals out of it during the summer. I especially love making it with my mom. She always uses tortellini, and I think I eat half the tortellini out of the salad. She always cooks the pasta, then douses it with Italian dressing while it's warm so it really soaks it up, then refrigerates it. Winter has been dragging on... and on.... and on.... so I decided to make myself some pasta salad for dinner, but I made it warm with some wintry elements.

I didn't use tortellini because it is pretty high in calories, and I'd eat the whole package, so I went with Barilla plus rotini, and I roasted some cherry tomatoes with garlic. I added some peas because they're my favorite, feta for something different, and chick peas for protein. This meal was pretty light, really healthy, and very easy!

Roasted Tomato Winter Pasta Salad

1/2 box Barilla Plus Rotini

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tbsp. EVOO

salt and pepper

1/2 c. peas

2/3 c. chick peas

1/4 c. fat free feta

2 tbsp. Light Italian Dressing

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet.

Toss in garlic, EVOO, salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes burst.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.

Drop in pasta, cook 10 minutes.

Add peas to the last minute of cooking pasta.

Drain, put back in the pot, toss with dressing.

A Year Ago: More Argentinean Food: Alfajores and Empanadas a la Cirolla (Chili and Beef Empanadas) and Locro de Zappalo (Pumpkin Soup with Muenster and Cumin)

Eggplant Timbale

Have you ever had the feeling that a recipe was written just for you? When I saw Giada make this Eggplant Timbale, I was literally drooling at the TV! I absolutely love eggplant, but I have trouble incorporating it into dishes that aren't eggplant parm. I have seen similar dishes made with bread rather than eggplant, but I didn't want to have bread and pasta in one meal.
I made a few small changes to this recipe - I used Morningstar farm crumbles rather than beef and pork, and I made my own homemade sauce rather than jarred.
This dish is a bit time consuming for a weeknight, but it's worth it!

Eggplant Timbale

by Giada De Laurentiis

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set.

To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

A Year Ago: Muffalettas and Mock PF Changs Tofu Lettuce Wraps and Wonton Soup

Gnocci with Fake Sauce, Peas with Pancetta

I love gnocci, so I immediately knew I'd make this dish, even though it had 'fake sauce'. I read that people of Tuscany believe any sauce that isn't a Bolognese is a fake sauce. I think this sauce pairs very well with the gnocci. It's very light, and the tomato compliments the potato. The acidity brings the earthy potato to life, rather than covering it in a thick bechamel sauce as gnocci often is.

As I've said a million times, I love peas and pancetta, so any recipe combining the two, basic as it is, wins me over every time!

This meal was surprisingly light but filling! The gnocci are a bit of work, but very much so worth it.

Gnocci with Fake Sauce

& Peas with Pancetta

Gnocci:

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

salt

Fake Sauce:

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Steam potatoes over high heat for 30 minutes in their skins. Prepare sauce.

Peel and put through a potato ricer or mash very finely.

When still warm, add 1 c. flour, egg yolk, and salt. Mix and form into a dough ball. If still sticky, add more flour.

Roll into long logs. Cut into 1" pieces.

Bring water to a boil, salt. Drop gnocci in 20 at a time. Drain and immediately drop into sauce.

Serve immediately.

To make sauce: In a stock pot over medium heat, sautee garlic and onions in EVOO. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low while waiting for the gnocci.

Peas with Pancetta:

1 lb. spring peas

1 onion, sliced

1/4 lb. pancetta, minced

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. chicken stock

Sautee pancetta and onions until golden over medium-high heat. Drain. Add stock, sugar and peas, season with salt and pepper. Cook off stock, about 5 minutes.

Slimmed Down Pesto, Pasta and Peas

Since my husband is working late tonight and is getting a $5 footlong… I get to make my favorite go-to/standby, pasta with pesto and peas! I probably eat this meal once a week, either for lunch or dinner, a side or a main course… it doesn’t matter, I love it! Since I eat it so often, I’ve found a few ways to slim it down.

While pesto doesn’t seem to fat and calorie laden, it is! EVOO is very good for you, but it is high in calories and fat, especially when paired with parmesan and pine nuts! I also don’t like oil tastes, so I’ve made my own sort-of pesto that is low in fat and calories, but still very flavorful!

To round out this meal, try adding some stuffed chicken, found here, or chicken meatballs, found here.

Slimmed Down Basil Pesto with Peas and Penne for One

¼ lb. mini penne
1 c. frozen peas
½ c. slimmed down pesto, recipe follows
Slimmed down pesto:
1 c. packed basil leaves
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
¼ c. chicken or vegetable stock

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily. Add pasta. Cook until it is 1 minute from ready, drop in peas. Cook for 1 minute, drain, and add back to the pot.

While pasta boils, add all pesto ingredients to a food processer, blender, or my favorite, the magic bullet. Pulse until combined and desired consistency is reached. (You may need more or less stock).

Pour down over the pasta to heat through, serve with a bit more parmesan grated on top. If you pasta is too dry, add more stock with the pesto already mixed in, if it’s too wet, let it cook a bit on the stove to dry out, mix well while it’s heating through.