Creamy Pasta Salad

 

Having leftover smart veggie elbow macaroni, a Catelli brand pasta made with carrot and cauliflower flours with twice the fibre as regular pasta, had me wanting to make pasta salad... you know the creamy comfort kind and although mine isn't excessively rich or creamy because I made it with less mayo and more organic Greek yoghurt, it still has that cool creaminess that comes with many sides over late summer. I added chopped celery, diced mixed peppers from our pepper pot and slices of green onion. Oil and vinegar may be used to replace the mayo and yoghurt, just adjust the measurements to 1/4 cup vinegar and about 1/2 cup olive oil and omit the 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar.   

Macaroni Salad Dressing

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1/4 cup mayo

3/4 cup plain Organic Greek yoghurt

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or any vinegar you prefer

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 - 2 teaspoons vegetable and herb medley seasoning mix or whatever fresh or dried mixed herbs you like

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Add ins:

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup mixed peppers, diced

2 celery stalks, cut in half and chopped

3 - 4 cups cooked leftover Catelli Smart Veggie elbow macaroni

In a medium bowl combine all the salad dressing ingredients and whisk together until well combine and smooth.

Prep and chop the vegetables if you haven't done so already.

In a large bowl add the leftover cold macaroni and pour the dressing over and toss together until well coated. Add the chopped vegetables and toss again.

Spicy Red Lentil Dal

 

This aromatic recipe is absolute comfort food that makes for a fabulous quick weekday meal... or any time you fancy. It's delicious, satisfying and fulfilling. The green chilli is optional; it heightens and adds a spicer kick although the cilantro is a palette cleansing must. 

Spicy Red Lentil Dal

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serves 4

1/2 cup red split lentils

5 - 6 tablespoons light olive oil

1 small bunch scallions (green onions), chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 1/4 cups water or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 fresh green chilli pepper, seeded and finely chopped, optional

chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Rinse the lentils throughly and set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Add the scallions to the pan and fry over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.

Reduce the heat and add the ginger, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, turmeric and diced tomatoes. Briefly stir-fry the scallions with the spices and tomatoes. Add the lentils and stir to blend.

Add the water or broth, which ever you are using, to the lentil mixture, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 - 25 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, add the salt and stir gently to mix well.

Transfer the lentil dal to a serving dish. Stir in the green chilli and serve immediately, garnish with fresh cilantro.

More lovely weather our way after a bit of rain. Stay safe, everyone! - JD 

Korean Keema

I have been wanting to make this Nigella Lawson recipe, from her Kitchen cookbook,  for awhile. It's simple and fast enough for a weekday meal. I did make some substitutions due to what I had on hand; lean ground beef for the ground turkey, jasmine rice for the basmati/sushi rice and freshly grated carrot on the side. Still, this was a successful tasty weekday meal.  Although I have shared the recipe below by all means, visit Nigella Lawson's website for this delicious recipe and more.  

 Nigella Lawson's Korean Keema

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Serves 2 

3/4 cup basmati rice or sushi rice

8 ounces ground turkey

6 thin or 3 fat scallions, chopped

1 cup frozen petits pois (petits peas)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ground nut oil

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine 

1 - 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons Gochjang 

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

METHOD

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions, or in a rice cooker according to manufacturer's instructions. And put a kettle on to boil for the peas later.
2. Whisk together the sauce ingredients, and stir in the ground turkey. Leave to steep for about 5 minutes, or while you are getting on with your next tasks, such as chopping the scallions and blanching the peas.
3. Heat a wok or heavy-based frying pan on the hob. While this is heating up, pour boiling water from the kettle over the frozen peas in a sieve or colander, letting the hot water drain away, thereby defrosting the peas. When the wok is hot, add the oil, then the defrosted peas and chopped scallions. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the turkey and its sauce, and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked.
5. Add the 2 tablespoons rice wine with 4 tablespoons water to swill out the residue of the sauce from the meat-steeping bowl (so that nothing is wasted) and scrape and pour this into the pan, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until it's all piping hot.
6. Serve over rice, and with a good scattering of chopped cilantro.

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe! - JD 

Leftovers #46 ~ Rice Noodle Salad

A great way to get inspired and infuse and use those leftover ingredients. Just tossed leftover rice noodles, some lettuce, carrots, cucumber, green onion and cashews with a homemade sesame soy dressing and you will have a very satisfying and filling one bowl lunch or dinner. 

All in One Sauce

This sauce is super easy to make with simple ingredients; that can be multi purpose depending on your cooking needs. With a sweet, salty, spicy, tangy Asian inspired flavour that will complement beef, chicken, vegetables, and tofu easily. 

All in On Sauce 

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1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 rice wine vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons sesame oil

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon mustard powder

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together until combined. Use as a marinade for meat and tofu or allow to mellow for a few hours then use as a dipping or a pour over sauce... like a gravy or salad dressing. 

                         
The sauce is absolutely lovely over steamed asparagus, mashed potatoes and cooked beef.

Hope your weekend was a good one. Ours was quite a good one!  - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Huevos Rancheros

This is one of our favourite weekend brunch meals. Packed with loads of goodness and healthy layers it is hard to resist. Instead of using tortillas, I used toasted English muffins and placed a heavy dollop of guacamole over each muffin slice, over that a wafer of old cheddar cheese, a plump fresh tomato slice placed over that, a rounded spoonful of spicy salsa; all topped with a poached egg and chopped green onions. This breakfast... or brunch will keep you going for the rest of the day. It may also be served with a few slices of bacon or fruit on the side however I quite enjoy it as is! 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD  

Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

This is one of the most simplest dishes and my favourite. Super delicious and healthy. Love those oven roasted veggies.    

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

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1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into florets

bunch of Kale, chopped

8 brown mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 scallions (green onions), chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

mixed herbs or seasoning mix (I used a blend of dried crushed chili peppers, sea salt, and dehydrated lime) 

about 4 tablespoons of cold water in a glass  

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, add cold water and soak for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime wash and chop the kale, set aside. Wash and slice the mushrooms, set aside and chop the scallions and set aside. 

Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Place in a large, 9 x 13 inch oven proof baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil. Generously sprinkle with mixed herbs. Toss to coat. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes; turning every 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Sprinkling each time with about 2 tablespoons of cold water.

When the first 10 minutes are up, being careful remove the hot dish from the oven and add the chopped kale and sliced mushrooms. Lightly toss to incorporate. Do not worry if the dish is heaping, it will bake down. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven to  roast for another 10 minutes. 

Again, once those 10 minutes are up carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and add the scallions, toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven and roast for the remaining 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately as a main dish or as a side dish.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD 

Leftovers #18 ~ Bean Dip

What to do with leftover black beans in the refrigerator... make bean dip. It is rare that I have leftover beans because they are usually used in salads, stir-fry and most casseroles.  

To make this easy bean dip you will need just a few ingredients and a blender. 

Place what ever leftover beans you have in a blender. Then add a little bit of low sodium  vegetable or chicken stock, just enough to moisten, about 2 tablespoons, adjust accordingly to the amount of beans. Add a favourite seasoning, like Cajun or Roasted Red Pepper. Blend everything until smooth. If need be you may have to add a bit more chicken stock. You want the bean mixture to be firm and smooth with a bit of fluidity but not watery.

Once smooth... pour it into an oven proof baking dish and bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven until hot and bubbly, roughly 20 to 30 minutes. A good indicator that the dip is done is when the top has lost it's gloss and is matte and starts to pull away from the sides. Chances are the dip is ready and hot! I like to dress it up a bit. I add grated cheese on top and pop it back into the oven until the cheese melts. I carefully remove it from the oven adding sliced green onions. Olives and fresh chopped tomatoes are great to!     

You don't have to wait until you have leftover beans to make this dip. It can be made at any time with most canned beans.    

Leftovers #13 ~ Pasta Salad

Seems like I always cook either too much pasta or too much rice. Regardless, I always make use of either. This time I had leftover pasta. And decided to make a pasta salad. 

Poking around the refrigerator to see what veggies I had on hand... I sliced cucumbers, diced yellow peppers, chopped green onions, used some remaining sliced olives, from the pizzas we made, and crumbled some feta cheese onto the leftover pasta in a large bowl. Gently gave it a toss and since I had some homemade salad dressing on hand, I drizzled that over everything, tossed again and transferred the pasta salad to a serving dish. I also chopped some lovely hothouse tomatoes that were placed on just before serving or according to individual taste. Very simple and easy! 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JW