Spaghetti with Spinach, Zucchini and Tomatoes

By far this is one of the best pasta dishes I have made. Spinach and crushed garlic are the key here and the universal zucchini complements all ingredients by adding texture, absorbing flavour and subtly enhancing taste.    

Spaghetti with Spinach, Zucchini and Tomatoes

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1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

half a red onion, chopped

1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained

1 zucchini, sliced into rounds then cut in half 

3 - 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

salt and pepper, to taste

2 fresh tomatoes, diced

1 small can low salt diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon oregano

a splash of balsamic vinegar

In a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat, add the chopped red onions, stir. Allow the onions to sauté a little, add a pinch of salt and stir occasionally. Once the onions are slightly softened add the crushed garlic, give a stir and after a few minutes add the spinach and zucchini, give a stir and add another pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir and allow to sauté together for a few minutes. 

Add the fresh diced tomatoes and the contents of canned diced tomatoes, including juices, oregano and the balsamic vinegar. Cover and allow to simmer over medium heat for 10 to 20 minutes. 

Cook pasta, of choice, according to package directions. Drain. Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour sauce over top of the pasta. Toss to coat. Serve. 

 

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend. We did. - JD 

Lemon Bean Dip

This creamy lemon dip almost has the essence of summer in a bowl. Light and fresh, perfect for sharing on a summer day. A refreshing appetizer that soothes and satisfies the peckish.   

Lemon Bean Dip

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serves 6 to 8 

1 x 540ml can white (navy) beans, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

zest from 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a food processor... or a blender, whiz the beans, garlic, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Once smooth, pulse in the olive oil and parsley. 

Scrape into a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top. Serve with your favourite crackers.

Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Hope everyone had a fabulous 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 #10 - Rice Salad

While putting away leftovers in the refrigerator a slight clanking sound kept repeating. Foraging my hands towards the back of the shelf I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. Pulling the glass dish towards more of a recognizable light I popped the lid and realized the contents were leftover rice. I could not have been more delighted and immediately decided that it was going to be the inspiration for my rice salad.

Since I already had rice that was cooked and a few days old, all that was needed were a few vegetables, black beans, cheese and a dressing. A trip to the grocery store found everything that I was looking for. Green leafy, potato and pasta salads may take a back seat after you have tried this rice salad.           

You can make this salad using freshly made rice however I like to used cooked day old rice. It seems to absorb the flavours better. My leftover rice was a mixture of jasmine and brown rice. The veggies, fresh and crisp and the thinly sliced spinach leaves added little shards of greeny goodness.    

Rice Salad

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2-3 cups cooked, few day old rice 

1 red pepper, diced

half a red onion, diced

1/3 of a cucumber, sliced and then quartered or halved

1 small can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained 

1 tomato, diced

A handful or two of thinly sliced spinach leaves

feta cheese, crumbled 

Dressing

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In a glass jar add the following ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced/crushed

2 teaspoons oregano 

a bit of freshly ground black pepper

Put the lid on tightly and shake madly. Blending all the ingredients. This will help you vent any frustration you may have. 

I placed the leftover rice into a large bowl. I used a fork to separate any clumps... in fact you can probably use your clean hands to break up all the clumpy bits. Rinse and drain the black beans and set aside. In the meantime... chop, dice, and slice the veggies.   

I pre-chopped the veggies however you don't have too. Place the red pepper, red onion, and cucumber in the bowl with the rice. Once the black beans have drained for a bit add the beans to the bowl as well. Giving everything a gentle stir. 

Pour half of the dressing over top of the rice and veggie mixture. Stir to make sure everything gets coated with the dressing. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours so that the everything can absorb the flavours from the dressing.  

An hour before serving pour the rest of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the sliced spinach leaves and the diced tomatoes. Stir. Place the crumbled feta cheese on top. The salad is ready to be served.   

Notes: You can also add some freshly grated lemon rind to the dressing or salad. You can use other veggies or different kinds of cheese. Try adding wild rice. 

I added the tomatoes last because, I find, as tomatoes sit they tend to get mushy so either add them at the last moment or use them as a garnish.

  

Nigella's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Waiting for the cooker to be delivered had me all excited, 14 days is a bit of a stretch to be with out an oven when one likes to bake and cook. It was delivered and upon close inspection there was a flaw... a dent here and a not so well connected part there. It really is sod's law, isn't it? We called the company from whom we purchase the oven from explained the issues and a new, newer one will arrive next week. In the meantime we are to go ahead and use the new cooker until then. When I reviewed Nigella Lawson's cookbook, Nigellissima, last week I said that I want to make the Chocolate Olive Oil cake to christen the new oven. Despite the issues regarding the new cooker I did just that.  

Instead of using almond flour as stated in the recipe, I used unbleached all purpose flour as suggested in the recipe. The texture was light and Nigella was right by using all purpose flour the cake takes on more of an everyday cake with the slight hint of olive oil. By using almond meal/flour it would be more dense and be more suitable for someone who can't have any wheat or dairy. You can find the recipe on Nigella's website by clicking *here* and search for Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. 

As you can see it's not a high and fluffy cake. It's more compact with a nice rich chocolate flavour. The dusting of icing sugar gives it that finished touch. 

Until the new newer cooker arrives I will be using this one. I know they say three times the charm however in this case I feel twice the charm will do! -JW     

Quick Lemon Herb Salmon

I really didn't have time to fuss over dinner so making this salmon was easy. As I grabbed one ingredient after another the ideas started flowing. What I did know is that I did not want to add dill. This is a pretty basic no fuss way of doing salmon. Adding some freshly grated ginger would have been a nice touch. You can added whatever herbs you like. It was nice to break away from the usual dill that gets added to salmon dishes. As for the lemon... well I am such a citrus girl and quite like a bit of pucker!  

First, I covered a baking tray with parchment paper. Then I placed the pieces of salmon on the lined tray. Over each piece of salmon, I squeezed fresh lemon juice. Drizzled a bit of olive oil. Added a bit of freshly ground black pepper. I scattered a generous amount of mixed herbs. Placed a nice lemon sliced on top, adding a bit more herbs and then drizzled a good amount of balsamic vinegar over each slice. The salmon sat, to infuse, as the oven warmed up. With the oven hot at about 350ºF/175ºC, I placed the tray inside the oven and baked the salmon pieces for about... 15 minutes. If you do have time to plan ahead you can easily make this as a marinade and let the salmon sit overnight. -JW 

Leftovers #4 Garlic Herbed Spaghettini with Sausage and Red Pepper

Leftover sausages not a problem! First take about a 1/2 cup of olive oil and warm in a pan  over medium heat. Then add 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic. Let the garlic brown nicely. Making sure not the burn the garlic. Remove from heat. Boil water in a pot. Add whatever pasta you fancy. I chose spaghettini. Cook until al dente. Drain. Pour the olive oil with garlic over the drained pasta. Toss to coat. Add the chopped sausages and red peppers or whatever meat, soy or veggies you have. Add the herbs. Then toss again. Making sure everything comes together and all is coated. You can grate some parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately! An excellent way to use leftovers. A very filling meal or side dish. An all around feel good meal! - JW         

Chicken Tomato Pesto Pasta

Now if saying that isn't a mouthful then I don't know what is. I made this the other night. It was quick and easy... providing you have some left over roasted chicken in your refrigerator. Sometimes you need something quick!  

First I cooked the pasta, according to the package and then drained the spaghettini. A tip on draining pasta... don't complete drain all the liquid off, leave the pasta with a little bit on makes it easier for sauces to coat the pasta. Since I was cooking for five people I transfered the drained pasta into a large bowl. Once in the large bowl I added some already prepared low salt tomato pesto, enough to coat all the pasta. Added a few lugs of olive oil. Some pepper, paprika and chives. Making sure that the pasta gets coated well. Then I added the diced roasted chicken. I saved the parmesan cheese to be added at the dinner table just in case someone didn't want any.

Simple if you have a few things on hand. A great way to use left overs. I know I used a prepared pesto sauce however we are all pressed for time and having that tiny jar was great. When using anything prepared I do try to get the healthiest of the bunch. Low salt, low fat, low sugar. I do read my labels. Something that I have taught my kidlets to do at a young age. There are many ways you can change this dish up. Adding different types of meat or soy, veggies, spices, oils and pastas. -JW     
   

Fennel and Red Pepper

The other day when I did my shop I was compelled to buy a fennel... well two in fact. I have had fennel before, on rare occasion. So I was excited to take them home and bake them along with the red peppers I already had. At first I thought this was a more of a  fall/winter dish but now I think roasting vegetables at any point during the year is fine. Depends on what veggies are available in your area.  

I quartered the fennel and red peppers. Tossed them in a large bowl with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Making sure they were coated well. Then laid them on a foil lined baking tray for about 30-40 minutes in a preheated 400º oven. You want the fennel to be golden... slightly caramelised, not over cooked. I do like my roasted veggies to have some crunch. The red peppers you want slightly blackened, so to speak. Soft and fleshy but not mushy. When the veggies are done. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle with just a pinch of sea salt. 

This is easy make and will accompany salmon, chicken or pork very well. An egg dish would also work and that is what I served it with the other night. -JW  

   

Garlic Spaghetti

For the past two nights we have had garlic pasta as a side dish. As usual I cooked too much pasta, however this time it was a good thing.. This dish is simple and brimming with loads of flavour. To make this dish you will need olive oil, garlic, parsley and pasta.

In a fry pan heat 1/2 cup of olive oil with 3 cloves of crushed or chopped garlic. I finely chopped mine. Stir constantly until golden brown. Making sure not to burn the garlic because it will upset the taste. When the garlic is golden brown remove the pan from the heat and set a side. Now you can go ahead a cook your pasta, about 450g. I used spaghettini or angel hair pasta. I didn't really measure out my pasta... I just estimated, as I always do and also seeing how there was a half cup of olive oil I knew I wanted the pasta coated well in the garlic oil but not swimming in the oil. Once the pasta is cooked. Drain and transfer to an appropriate sized serving dish. Pour the garlic olive oil over top. Toss to coat. Then add some chopped parsley... about 3 tablespoons. However I added more. It's parsley it's not going to harm you. You may also add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. I served this dish with shaved parmesan over top. Classic.   

Despite everyone having seconds. There was plenty left over. The next night we heated the left over spaghettini in a pan. Cooked and seasoned chicken breasts and voila seasoned chicken with garlic pasta! You can do endless things with this simple recipe and have a variety of meals all stemming from this dish. You can have it as a base for a pasta salad with chopped veggies. You could also add chopped Italian sausages, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary... oh and thyme. My son didn't want me to forget about that herb. Enjoy your weekend! - JW