Tag: easy

Farmer’s Market Pastas

I’m really trying to be better at waking up early enough to get to the Farmer’s Market.  I love the scene with all the booths and crowds of people, all the adorable puppies and babies.  The Mosaic Market even has live music and food trucks.  But I am not very good at cooking by the seat of my pants, so after I pick out some yummy looking veg, it usually ends up getting tossed into a pasta.  Even more so when the market offers amazing artisan pasta from Pappardelle’s Pasta.  C’est la vie!

Well Dined | Farmer's Market Pasta with Asparagus, Tomato, Leek, Lemon, and White Wine

My first batch of veggies (asparagus, tomato, and leek) went into a white wine, lemon, and butter sauce with the garlic chive artisan pappardelle.  I cooked the leek down in butter and olive oil, then added some white wine, lemon juice, and pasta water along with chopped tomatoes.  When that had cooked to a good sauce consistency, I tossed in blanched asparagus and the cooked pasta (1 minute shy of al dente).  I finished it off with lemon zest, Parmesan, and black pepper and served it with salmon.

Well Dined | Farmer's Market Pasta with Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, and Basil

 

I still had tomatoes and a random eggplant that I picked up for no reason, so I decided to do a riff on this pasta.  I really should have used a whole wheat pasta, but I just love gemelli and I can’t find it in whole wheat anywhere.  It’s the perfect short shape because it has good structural integrity (meaning it cooks evenly and doesn’t get mushy edges).

Anyway, I roasted the eggplant while I caramelized an onion (I really wish I had a red onion, but I didn’t).  After adding garlic, a splash of sherry, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, I added some chopped tomato and a pat of butter (trying to get the essence of the Marcella Hazan sauce without cooking it for 45 minutes).  Then I added in the eggplant, cooked pasta (1 minute shy of al dente), and a splash of pasta water and let it come together.  Then I topped it with fresh basil and black pepper and served it with some hanger steak from the market (one of the few places where I can find it – there’s only 1 per cow and they sell fast). (more…)

Week of Meals

A friend of mine asked if I could put together a week of meals that are healthy, easy, and cost effective for a single working mother.  I thought that sounded like a great idea!  But I definitely underestimated how much work it would be.  It’s hard to make food for just two people without having a ton of leftovers – so to get a different meal in each night, I had to figure out how to use ingredients in multiple dishes.  And I wanted to make sure that they were healthy, had a bit of variety, and took 30 minutes or less to put together.  It’s a tall order, but I think I managed.  Each recipe is sized for two adults, and there is a shopping list included at the bottom of the post.

Well Dined | Broiled Salmon with Mustard Butter and Boiled Potatoes and Green Beans

First up – Broiled Salmon with Mustard Butter and Boiled Potatoes and Green Beans.  This meal is healthy, easy, and comes together in under 30 minutes.  I am so in love with this mustard butter (that I discovered making this recipe), I make it all the time now.  There are no grains in this dinner, and as far as starchy potatoes go, baby red-skinned are relatively low on the glycemic index.  Plus – by cooking more salmon and vegetables than you need, you will already have the ingredients you need for dinner the next night.  This meal comes first because fish needs to be cooked the same night that it is purchased for best quality.

The salmon is going to be one of the more expensive proteins for the week, but it is worth it because it is so good for you (not to mention delicious).  Gotta get those Omega-3’s!  However, I do not recommend buying farm-raised Atlantic salmon as it is full of chemicals and pollutants.  Instead, I recommend buying wild Alaskan or farmed Norwegian.  The Norwegian salmon is pretty great and I can get it here in NoVA for around $15/lb, and coho goes for $13/lb (versus $29/lb for king salmon, yikes!).  If you absolutely cannot swing Alaskan or Norwegian salmon, buy another type of fish instead (cod, halibut, or tilapia would be good).

Well Dined | Salmon Nicoise Salad

For our second dinner, we use the extra ingredients from the previous night, plus a few more, to make Salmon Nicoise Salad.  The only thing you have to cook for this dinner is hard boiled eggs, and you can do those in advance if you like.  Boil more than you need, because we will use some in another dish.  Like the previous night, this meal is grain-free and loaded with healthy fats.  You can see how big one serving is in this photo – I ate the whole thing, Jasper only ate half of his.  So if this is too much food for you, plan to set aside half of it for lunch the next day.  It should travel well, just keep the dressing separate.

This is actually the most expensive meal of the week (if it is making 2 servings, and not 4), so the kind of greens you use will matter.  I used mache or lamb’s lettuce, which I think is really delicious.  But there are definitely cheaper lettuces/greens out there.  A note on olives – nicoise olives are traditional, but expensive, so feel free to sub kalamatas, which taste very similar.  You could even buy jarred kalamatas to save even more. (more…)

Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole

Well Dined | Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole

You know that cheesy broccoli and rice casserole that makes it’s way to every potluck ever?  That is so bad for you, but so yummy, that you eat heaps of it and you tell yourself that it’s got broccoli so it’s okay?  Well here’s your chance to pig out, because this version (made with quinoa instead of rice) is a lot better for you.

Well Dined | Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole

Of course, to convince my husband to eat it (and because I wanted more protein without having to make a separate dish), I threw some shredded rotisserie chicken in there.  You can see in the photo that I just threw big florets of steamed broccoli in there.  I ended up wishing that the broccoli was more evenly spread throughout, so I will recommend chopping it first.

Well Dined | Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole

This is hearty, and creamy, and just plain awesome.  Kids (and big kids) will gobble it up.

(more…)

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Alfredo

Well Dined | Pumpkin Goat Cheese Alfredo

Here’s a quick little semi-homemade cold weather meal, perfect for weeknights.  I took some store-bought fresh spinach fettuccine and thick sliced roasted turkey from the deli counter, and tossed them with a homemade pumpkin goat cheese alfredo.  It’s interesting enough to not be boring, but it’s easy enough to not cause a headache.

Well Dined | Pumpkin Goat Cheese Alfredo

The homemade part is the decadent sauce, which involves butter, garlic, cream, pumpkin, goat cheese, sage, and pumpkin pie spice.  I wanted to do something a little different, which is why I went with turkey, but chicken would work just as well.  And I like how the spinach pasta brought a little color to the table.

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Alfredo
adapted from Closet Kitchen
serves 2

8 oz pasta of choice (I used fresh spinach fettuccine from the refrigerated section), cooked
8 oz cooked turkey or chicken, diced or shredded
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp sage, sliced thinly (or dried)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the cream, pumpkin puree, goat cheese, Parmesan, sage, and pumpkin pie spice and simmer until the cheese has melted.

Add in the poultry and allow to warm through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Toss with pasta and serve immediately.

One Year Ago – Light Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf
Two Years Ago – Pinterest Recipes
Three Years Ago – 5 Couscous Dinners

Miso Tahini Soup

Well Dined | Miso Tahini Soup

After a bit of a hiatus, Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) and I are getting back to our weekly vegetarian lunches.  Last week we tried this amazing soup recipe packed with veggies.  It is warm and comforting, with lots of flavor and texture – plus it’s really easy to make.  It’s also both vegan and vegetarian friendly.  And gosh, isn’t it pretty?

Well Dined | Miso Tahini Soup

The soup starts out with sliced squash (we used acorn) and tiny cubes of turnip simmered in water until tender.  At first I thought that one small squash and one turnip wouldn’t be enough, but they turned out to be plenty!  So don’t go overboard and think that you need to get more/bigger.  The cooking water then becomes the base for the broth and miso, tahini, and lemon zest are added to round it out.

Well Dined | Miso Tahini Soup

You can garnish the soup however you like, but we stuck with the original recipe and used avocado, chives, toasted nori, and toasted sesame seeds.

Well Dined | Miso Tahini Soup

The soup can be served over a grain, and we choose to try out buckwheat.  We are both avoiding white rice for health reasons and thought this grain-like seed would be fun to try.  Unfortunately it cooks to a porridge like consistency instead of individual grains.  So I would recommend barley or brown rice instead. (more…)

2013 Wrap Up

Salmon Pizzette

Well Dined | Salmon Pizzette

Here’s an idea for you for a quick meal or party food – smoked salmon, creme fraiche, capers, and chives on naan bread.  Fast, easy, delicious, fun, but still elegant.

Well Dined | Salmon Pizzette

I actually made this two ways as sort of an experiment – one by heating the naan (on a pizza stone), then adding the toppings.

Well Dined | Salmon Pizzette

The second one I made by putting the ingredients (except for the chives) on first, then toasting it on the pizza stone.  I was surprised to find that I liked this version better!  I had never heated smoked salmon before, so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.  But the flavor became rich and buttery and all the ingredients melded together.

I like the idea of naan as a topping conveyor.  Small enough to be individually sized and already cooked, all you need to do is add toppings and heat.  I bet it would be super fun to set up a make-your-own-pizza night this way, and kids would love it!

Kale and Corn Galette with Shrimp and Feta

Well Dined | Kale and Corn Galette with Feta and Shrimp

This is one of those transitional dishes that takes you from one season into another – the last of the summer corn, combined with dark leafy greens in a warm tart.  The original recipe didn’t have any protein, but it did use feta and dill, so I thought shrimp would be perfect.

Well Dined | Kale and Corn Galette with Feta and Shrimp

If you don’t eat shrimp, then no problem – leave them off.  The veggies and cheese are hearty enough on their own. (more…)

Not Pasta – Veggie Julienne

Well Dined | Sauteed Vegetable Julienne

I am trying to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, my carb intake.  But, man, I just really love pasta.  If anybody else is struggling with this, and I’m sure there are many, this is a really great recipe.  I know what you’re thinking – it’s not the same – and you’re right, it’s  not.  But I don’t think you will miss the pasta when you discover how much flavor and texture these have!

Well Dined | Sauteed Vegetable Julienne

Mmmm – veggies.  I got my mandoline out, thinking it would make this a breeze, but it turns out that my particular one really sucks at using the whole length of the vegetable.  So I switched to this bad boy and it worked brilliantly.

Well Dined | Sauteed Vegetable Julienne

The colors!  Now I really like using spaghetti squash if I have a great sauce, but this recipe has more color and flavor, making it great on its own.

Well Dined | Sauteed Vegetable Julienne

Bonus – I followed the recipe and used red onion and garlic, but I think that you could use shallot in place of both and make it even simpler!  Super bonus – it cooks in less than 5 minutes!

Sauteed Vegetable Julienne
adapted from Skinny Taste
serves 2-4

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz zucchini, cut into julienne strips (with a mandolin or peeler)
8 oz yellow squash, cut into julienne strips (with a mandolin or peeler)
4 oz (1 medium) carrot, cut into julienne strips (with a mandolin or peeler)
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil and onions and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

Increase heat to medium-high and add the remaining vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes.  Adjust salt as needed and serve hot.

Melon Pops

Well Dined | Melon Pops

Here’s another quick, end of Summer post for you – melon pops!  Half cantaloupe, half honeydew, all yummy.

Well Dined | Melon Pops

They are made with just melon pureed with a little agave (optional).  The layering looks really cute, and is easy to do, but you could do whole pops of one or the other melon.  Quick, easy, healthy treats – yay!

Melon Pops
Makes 10 pops

1/4 cantaloupe, cubed
1/4 honeydew, cubed
agave, to taste (optional)

Place the honeydew cubes in a blender and puree.  Add agave, if using, keeping in mind that the pops will be less sweet when frozen.

Pour the honeydew mixture into an ice pop mold, being careful not to fill more than halfway.  Freeze until slushy, about an hour.  (Don’t be like me and let it freeze solid, preventing the layers from sticking together – doh!)

Repeat the process with the cantaloupe, being careful when adding it to the mold not to mix the layers.  Insert wooden sticks and freeze until solid.