GuacaPasta

So this week we seemed to have inadvertently been having "Mexi-Italian".   The first part of the week was a great Mexican Lasagna recipe I found on Fat Free Vegan  and then having leftover avocados I decided to make what my husband kindly referred to a guacapasta.  How do you make guacapasta?  Well I found several recipes online for creamy avocado pasta...but once I got to making the sauce it I realized I was making guacamole.  So therefore guacamole + pasta = guacapasta!
My family enjoyed it - we love guacamole and we love pasta.  The two actually go together suprisingly well. Its quick and refreshing making it a great summer meal that allows you to spend more time playing outdoors than locked in the kitchen.

GuacaPasta - 3 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup dry whole wheat penne

1 large ripe Haas avocado, pitted and peel removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 clove garlic, minced

~1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons salsa

1 cup diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Cook according to box directions until Al Dente, about 9-11 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and salsa into a food processor (I used my magic bullet). Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and place pasta into a large bowl. Add the sauce and tomatoes to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Serve immediately.

Note: This pasta dish is best eaten the day it is made.

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Sausage Broccoli Tomato Rotini

My husband gave me the Flavor Bible this past year for Christmas. And, sadly it hasn't been something I've consulted too often.  Instead I tend to just peruse recipe blogs for culinary inspirations.  But, when I was contemplating my veggie bin on Sunday afternoon I found myself debating what to pair with broccoli. My initial thought was to grill some chicken with it, it would be healthy, maybe add some bbq sauce, but somehow that still just didn't sound right.  It sounded almost depressing, like I was on a diet or something: chicken with steamed broccoli.  So I opened up the Flavor Bible and looked up broccoli to see what flavors paired best with it.  Eureka!  Low and behold - chicken wasn't listed - no wonder it hadn't sounded good. Instead sausage was listed. Chicken or Sausage?  Yes, italian sausage with lots of flavor would be great.  Some tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic.  This was sounding even better.

On Tuesday night I needed a quick meal, and this combo worked great.  Chop, dice mince,...pause to welcome husband home, ...15 minutes...,"Honey, its time for dinner." The pasta is so fully of yummy veggies I decided to forgo a salad. I topped the pasta with some fresh Parmesan cheese and paired it with a slice of fresh baked whole wheat artisan bread. Oh so delicious.  I'm so glad I chose to reference the Bible and opted for the italian sausage.  I'm just wondering if next time I might just have to make it with chicken italian sausage?

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 small heads broccoli, cut into pieces

4 roma tomatoes, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 basil leaves, chopped

.5 lb ground italian sausage

salt to taste

8 oz rotini cooked accordingto package.

Steam the broccoli (microwave/stovetop). Meanwhile brown the sausage in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the tomatoes and garlic to the sausage.  Cook an additional 3 minutes, pressing on the tomatoes to help them release their juices. Add basil and salt, cook an additional minute.  

Add the broccoli to skillet to mix flavors. Add broccoli, sausage, tomato mix to pasta and toss. 

Bon Appetit.

Eggplant Ragu

Decided to experiment with some eggplant tonight and found an interesting recipe for a beef and eggplant ragu on eatingwell.com.  It made my husband happy since it included beef and provided a great excuse to use my herbs growing outside my door.  They seem to be the only plants thriving at this point in time in my yard.

All in all this turned out well.  I did forget to add oil when I added the eggplant, but quickly figured out I needed to add some when things got a bit sticky.  This small mishap didn't seem to affect the flavor.   This dish really features the red wine - so be sure to open up your favorite red to enjoy while cooking and in the recipe. We chose the Kenwood Reserve Sonoma County 2007  Cabernet Sauvignon.  An ode to Sonoma where we just spent the past weekend.

I loved the dish, the eggplant plays a vital role as well by absorbing all the flavors to enhance the dish.  And, overall it didn't take long to make, less than 30 minutes in total, so it makes for a nice week night dinner.

8 ounces whole grain rotini

.5 pound 92%-lean ground beef

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

3 cups diced eggplant 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

14 oz can tomato sauce

.5 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano from the garden

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil from the garden

.5 teaspoon salt

.5 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

garlic powder + Italian seasoning to taste

Cook Pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook beef, garlic, and fennel seeds in a large skillet over medium heat, until the beef is browned, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant and oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant browns, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, water, wine, oregano, basil, salt and pepper - I decided to add a dash of garlic powder and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.  Stir occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce. - Inspired by Rigatoni with Beef & Eggplant Ragu at eatingwell.com