SESAME VEGGIE PASTA

Sometimes I like to tweak pasta recipes by cutting down on the amount of pasta and adding extra veggies.  This is one we really enjoy that I changed.  It tastes a bit like Pad Thai.  If you don't like raw mushrooms and/or onions in this recipe, saute them in a teaspoon of oil before adding them to the mixture.

6 ounces uncooked whole grain thin spaghetti

2 cups broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach or 3/4 cup frozen, thawed chopped spinach

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup cashews

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

4 teaspoons agave or honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook broccoli with pasta in boiling water.  Drain and keep warm.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame seeds, agave or honey, lime juice, garlic, and cayenne.  Place pasta  and broccoli in a large bowl with tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onion, and cashews.  Pour sauce over mixture and toss gently to coat.  Makes 4-6 servings.

      

 

EASY MAIN DISH TABOULEH

When I found some fresh mint on clearance at the supermarket recently, I immediately thought of making tabouleh. We love it served on a bed of leaf lettuce and alongside  a cucumber, tomato, and yogurt salad.  Adding a can of chick peas makes it a nice main dish, but served as a side, the beans can be omitted.

1 cup bulgur

3 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups minced fresh parsley (about one bunch)

1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves

2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped

1 15.5 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped onion or green onions

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (opt.)

In a large bowl, combine wheat (bulgur) and boiling water.   Let stand at room temperature about two hours.  Drain well, return to bowl, and stir in remaining ingredients.  Chill 2 hours or more.  Serve on lettuce leaves.  Makes about 6 main dish or 10-12 side dish servings.

 

MARINATED CHICKEN AND VEGGIE PIZZA

Although we eat vegetarian most days, we like to have chicken or fish a couple of times a week.  This is our favorite pizza recipe.  It's delicious even without cheese!  The original recipe has always been one of our family favorites and called for fewer veggies and cooked roast beef instead of chicken.  When we changed our eating habits, I decided to tweak the recipe a bit and it turned out great!

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt (opt.)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 large onion, sliced

3-4 cups julienned  red, yellow, and/or green peppers

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 recipe pizza dough (preferably whole grain--see below)

In a large zipper bag, combine the first five ingredients for marinade.  Add chicken and veggies.  Seal bag and toss to coat.  Chill for 2 hours or more.  Spread dough on a large oiled pizza pan.  (Mine is a 15 1/2 inch pan.)  Drain marinade and arrange chicken and veggie mixture over crust.  Bake at 375 degrees about 40 minutes.  Makes one large pizza.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST (Bread Machine)

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon agave or honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons gluten

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order given and process on dough setting.  Makes enough for one large pizza.