Mediterranean Pasta (with Feta, Tomatoes, and Parsley)

We often make this incredibly quick and easy Mediterranean Pasta recipe for dinner at the end of a busy day.  Delicious, nutritious, and easy, it is a perfect meal when you want something scrumptious and homemade in a hurry.  All you need is some really good feta cheese, Roma tomatoes, fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, garlic, olive oil, and your favorite pasta.  I used spaghetti this time, but I've made this dish with every shape and size of pasta imaginable.

First, I bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook my favorite pasta to desired tenderness.  I like it a little past al dente.  In the meantime I ready the toppings.  For 2 servings, I dice 1 ripe Roma tomato, crumble about 4 ounces of feta cheese that I have presoaked, chop up a handful fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, crush a large head of garlic, and measure out about 2 tablespoons of very good extra virgin olive oil.

As soon as the pasta is ready, I heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan, add the crushed garlic, and heat until the garlic is just toasted (about a minute on medium-high heat).

Then I portion out the pasta into serving bowls, drizzle in the olive oil and garlic, and toss.

Next I layer on the toppings, starting with the feta cheese, then the tomatoes, followed by the parsley.

Finally, I top the finished dish with plenty of fresh ground black pepper.  I find it is not necessary to add salt because the feta cheese contains plenty of salt.

Ingredients/Recipe (serves 2)

1 lb. of your favorite pasta (spaghetti, rotini, mostaccioli, etc...)
1 large ripe Roma tomato

4 ounces of feta cheese
1 large handful for Italian flat leaf parsley
1 large clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta to desired tenderness in plenty of salted boiling water.  In the meantime, soak and then crumble the feta cheese (you can substitute packaged crumbled feta cheese instead), dice the tomato, chop the parsley, and crush the garlic.  As soon as the pasta reaches the desired tenderness, drain and divide into serving bowls.  Next, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan, add the crushed garlic, and saute for just a minute until the garlic is toasted (being careful not to let it burn).  Drizzle the oil and garlic evenly over the pasta and toss lightly.  Then top the pasta with the feta cheese, followed by the tomatoes and the parsley, and finish with a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper.

The warm pasta combined with the cool feta and the fresh tomatoes and herbs is just outstanding!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Arugula-Pasta Salad

 

This is one of my favorite pasta salads -- it's heavy on the salad but still satisfies those pasta cravings!  First, I measure out about 2 cups of good pasta-salad pasta.  I used strozzapreti, but other good choices include orecchiette, fusilli or cavatelli.  I cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until it is just a little past al dente.
 

While the pasta is cooking, I peel and cut up one turnip into thin matchstick slices.

And I rinse and dry a bunch of wild arugula -- about 4 cups, and a few leaves of fresh basil, chopped.

Finally, I measure out about 1 cup of diced marinated artichoke hearts -- with or without pimentos -- either is fine.

When the pasta is ready, I drain it and rinse it in cold water to arrest the cooking.  Then I combine all the ingredients.

I dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette -- 1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/8-cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  I whisk that together, pour it over the salad, and toss.  Then I season with plenty of fresh ground black pepper and some additional salt, if needed.

This is the vegan version, and it's ready to serve, but if you are so-inclined, you may want to add some shaved Parmesan cheese for an extra bite.  I love this salad served alongside a crusty sourdough baguette.

Bulgur Pilaf -- Better than Brown Rice!

In case you haven't heard, bulgur is better than rice, even brown rice!!  I promise you.  Compared with brown rice (the "healthy" stuff), bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, more protein, more iron, and a lot more fiber.  Also, bulgur tastes great.  If you are not already a bulgur fan, here is a very simple recipe for Bulgur Pilaf that is sure to win you over.  

I start with one cup of medium grain bulgur (Bulgar No. 2, or even No. 3 if you want a toothier grain), as well as 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 white onion, 1 Anaheim pepper, and a big handful of Italian flat leaf parsley.  (Note if your bulgur brand does not have a number on it, it's probably number 2 or 3.  What you don't want to use in this recipe is fine bulgur (Bulgur No. 1), as the texture is too fine for this dish.)

First, I rinse and strain the bulgur really well.

Then I slice the onion into long thin strips, chop the tomatoes into medium sized chunks (and sprinkle a bit of salt on them), and slice the pepper into small ringlets (removing any seeds and membranes).  

Next, I sauté the onion and pepper in about a tablespoon of good olive oil for a few minutes until tender.

Then I add in the tomatoes and sauté for another minute or two.

Next I add 2 cups of liquid.  I like to use one cup of tomato juice or vegetable juice and 1 cup of vegetable broth, but you can also use chicken broth, or even water.  Once the liquid comes to a boil, I carefully stir in the bulgur, and then tightly cover the pot and turn the heat to a very low simmer.  The bulgur should simmer over a low heat, undisturbed, until all the liquid is absorbed (about half an hour or so).

While the bulgur is cooking, I chop up the parsley and set it aside.

Once the bulgur absorbs all the liquid it should be tender but not mushy (just like rice, only better!).  At this point, I remove it from the stove, and I stir in the chopped parsley and about a teaspoon of red pepper.  The red pepper is totally optional, but I recommend it if you want a little kick.  

Finally, I season the bulgur with salt and pepper, and serve it warm.

A perfect grain for vegans, part-time vegans, and non-vegans alike, Bulgur Pilaf is wonderful served all on its own for lunch, and it makes a great dinner side dish, especially when complimented with a big dollop of really good plain yogurt!

Comforting "Chicken-less" Noodle Soup

Where I work in the entertainment business district of Los Angeles known as "Century City," it is very hard to come by a decent lunch for under $10.00.  And more often the cost is substantially higher than that.  So bringing my lunch to work not only allows me to control the kind of the food I am eating, but my wallet is happier as well.  Often I will prepare several servings of favorite vegan meals in the evening or on the weekend and store them in the refrigerator so they are ready to grab-and-go in the morning when I am super-pressed for time.  What with bathroom jockeying, last minute homework, missing uniform pieces (and other wardrobe malfunctions), preparing various meals (breakfasts, school lunches, and work lunches), and carpool duty all colliding at 7:00 am, I need all the shortcuts I can get!

Delicious and comforting, Chicken-less Noodle Soup, loaded with fresh chunky vegetables, is one of my favorite make-ahead, grab-and-go lunches.  And the substitution of fresh turnips for potatoes in this pretty basic soup recipe not only intensifies the flavor, but it raises the already high nutrition value while lowering the calorie count, making it an excellent VB6 lunch choice.

The ingredients for this simple recipe include 2 leeks, 2 carrots,1 turnip, a few mushrooms, 1 cup of whole wheat noodles (eggless), and about 4 cups of good vegetable broth.  (I really like Manischewitz, which is clear, delicious, Kosher, and MSG free.)  In addition, I season and garnish the soup with fresh lemon, a bit of Italian flat-leaf parsley, and some salt and pepper.

First, I bring about 2 cups of water to a boil and cook the noodles al dente, according to package directions.  I rinse them in cool water and set them aside.  Since the noodles will soften more when added to the soup, it is best not to cook them too much at the outset.

While the noodles are cooking, I wash, trim and slice the leek, including some of the tender greens.  Leek often has bits of mud hidden between the membranes, so it is important to wash it thoroughly, both before and after slicing it.  I also peel and slice the carrots into nice bite-sized chunks.  

Next I peel and slice the turnip into thin wedges (just as you might a potato), and I cut the mushrooms into bite-size chunks.  Because I love vegetables so much, I cut them into rather large chunks that I can bite into and really taste.  Tiny vegetables just get lost.

I start by sautéing the leek and carrots in just a bit of olive oil (about a tablespoon) over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the leek does not brown.  

Then I add in the turnip and mushroom slices and saute for a few more minutes.

Next I add the vegetable broth and the cooked noodles to the pot, and stir everything together.  I bring the soup to a boil, and then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.  It is done cooking when the carrot and turnip slices are "just" tender.

Next, I season the soup with salt, pepper, and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and I let it cool way down.

I prepare my grab-and-go containers by filling them with delicious soup, and garnishing each with some chopped parsley and a thin wedge of lemon.

Comforting, healthy, and yummy, the soup will keep in the refrigerator for several days, ready for the taking!

Enjoy!

Earthy Quinoa "Tabbouleh"

I love whole grain salads that incorporate a mixture of cooked and raw vegetables, fresh herbs, nuts, and tangy notes of citrus.  And with such delicious flavors and textures mingling in your mouth, who needs meat or cheese to have a satisfying meal.  My Turkish-inspired Earthy Quinoa Tabbouleh highlights the grain over the parsley.  Unlike the more traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh, which is quite heavy on the parsley, the Turkish version is grain heavy and loaded with vegetables.  My version incorporates some unusual crunchy and flavorful additions, such as kohlrabi, radish, and squash.  It's amazingly tasty!

I start off by rinsing 1/2 cup of quinoa in cool water and letting it drain well.  Then I slice up 1 beautiful yellow sunburst squash into 12 uniform wedges, like so.

I bring 1 cup of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil, stir in the quinoa and squash slices, and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  After that, I check to make sure the all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat, and let the quinoa come to room temperature.  In the meantime, I assemble the rest of my ingredients, which include 1 medium kohlrabi, 1 thin, dark green Anaheim pepper, 1 large or two medium radishes, 1 pickling cucumber (or you can substitute 1 Persian cucumber if you prefer), 1-2 fresh shallots (they resemble purple scallions and can be difficult to find, so feel free to substitute regular scallions instead), and 1/2 cup of shelled raw walnuts.

First I toast the walnuts in a heated, dry frying pan for about 5 minutes.  Then I peel the kohlrabi, and using a sharp knife, I cut it into match-like "julienne" sticks, like this.  There are tools that will do this as well, but I love to slice and dice -- I find it very relaxing!  

Next I cut the cucumber in half, lengthwise, and slice it (skin on) into thin semi-circles. I similarly cut the radish lengthwise into quarters, and slice it into thin quarter-circles, and I slice the pepper into very thin ringlets, removing any seeds.  I also slice and dice the fresh shallot, including most of the green part, and I coarsely chop the toasted walnuts.

I sprinkle a bit of salt on the vegetables to enhance their flavor, and then, in a large bowl, I combine the cooked quinoa and squash with all the chopped vegetables and the toasted walnuts.  I toss everything together gently, and then I add about 3 tablespoons of really good extra virgin olive, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and about a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest.  Then I mix in a handful of well-chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, and season the dish with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper (optional).

A healthy serving of Earthy Quinoa Tabbouleh for lunch totally hits the spot, but it also makes a great dinner side dish, and you can easily double or triple the recipe for a larger group.  Enjoy!

Eating VB6-Style in San Anselmo

Since embarking on the VB6 plan more than three months ago, I've been steadfast about adhering to it.  And when you have friends like Lisa and Jack hosting you for a weekend getaway, it's especially easy!  A few weeks ago my sister Cheryl and I, along with my nephew Lorenzo and our friend Baris, took a drive up the state to visit our friends Jack and Lisa in beautiful San Anselmo, located in Marin County, just north of San Francisco.  Lisa and Jack have a gorgeous home surrounded by an amazing garden that was absolutely bursting with dazzling flowers as well as a wide variety of succulent fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

When we arrived in the late afternoon, after a long drive up the oh-so-boring Interstate 5, we were greeted by our welcoming friends and an amazing (mostly) vegan spread of crudities and hummus, black and green olives, cold fresh cherries, bread, crackers and cheese, and Marcona almonds with rosemary, along with a lovely chilled Rose.  We eagerly devoured the delicious and healthy snacks, and then I started inspecting their garden looking for things to harvest.  Lisa and Jack know I'm a vegetable freak, and particularly a cucumber freak, so they intentionally left some lemon cucumbers clinging to the vine just so that I could pluck them off.  I also discovered fresh onions, beautiful squash varieties, enormous cantaloupes, gorgeous peppers, delicate tomatillos, golden sunburst tomatoes, lemons galore, and petite strawberries.

 

And as beautiful as the fresh fruit and vegetable offerings were in the garden, the herbs were just to die for, and included basil, mint, rosemary, cilantro, and red and green shiso.

 

One thing that all of us appreciate and enjoy so much is preparing delicious meals altogether, and with a garden setting like Lisa and Jack's, who wants to go out?

Some of our collective creations over the weekend included these beautiful heirloom beets with homemade vinaigrette and topped with garden fresh herbs; quinoa seasoned with red pepper and lots of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley; mixed green salad loaded with fresh shiso, basil, cucumbers, peppers, and almonds, and more homemade vinaigrette; cold yogurt "soup" (or cacik in Turkish) made with chilled plain yogurt, diced cucumber, fresh garlic, good olive oil, and a lot of fresh mint; corkscrew pasta with Lisa's delicious homemade pesto sauce; chicken kebabs marinated in garlic infused yogurt; and of course, Lorenzo's favorite potato salad with fresh peppers, onions and herbs (recipe to come soon!).

And of course, the perfect end to a perfect meal is most definitely Lisa's fresh, delicious, and intoxicating homemade limoncello!   Deliziosa!  Cin cin!

Photo by Lisa Gunheim Adams
(Hopefully soon-to-be guest Blogger demonstrating the art of making limoncello.)