Beans and Green Pesto Pasta

When you asked me for more recipes for leafy greens,  I knew that I had to share this recipe. This is my go-to meal when I need dinner FAST. I probably eat it once a week. What’s even better is that it involves, not just one, but two super-foods: leafy greens and beans. You likely already know that leafy greens are chock-full of vitamin and minerals. Beans are a fantastic source of vegetarian protein and fibre. Note: this dish also makes a delicious cold pasta salad. Make extra and enjoy the leftovers for lunch or a picnic the following day.  

Ingredients

Noodles (Short noodles work well for pasta salad, e.g. penne)

Olive oil

1/2 onion

1 bunch leafy greens (e.g. kale, Swiss chard, spinach)

1 can cannellini beans (other beans or beans cooked from dry are fantastic substitutes)

Optional veggies: e.g. mushrooms, bell peppers

2 tablespoons pesto

Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling on top)

Directions

1.     Heat  water in a pot over high heat. When water comes to a boil, add the noodles. Cook until al-dente.

2.     In the meantime, finely chop the onion.

3.     In a large frypan on medium-low heat, add the oil and the onion. Cook slowly until the onions are soft – more than 5 minutes.

4.     In the meantime, wash and coarsely chop the greens. Discard any heavy, thick stalks. Chop any optional veggies. Drain and rinse the beans.  

5.     Add the optional veggies to the frypan and sauté until almost tender. Add the leafy greens, beans, and pesto. Cook, stirring often, just until the greens wilt. Do not over-cook the greens.  If the greens are a dull, olive-green they are overcooked and will taste bitter.

6.     Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pan with your pesto veggies. Thoroughly mix the noodles in with the sauce.

7.     Serve, topping with parmesan cheese. 

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

Red Cabbage with Apples and Cloves

This sweet tasting cabbage dish tastes more like dessert than a side-dish.
From: Sarah Brown’s World Vegetarian Cookbook
 
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1lb red cabbage
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 sweet apples, peeled and finely chopped
3-4 cloves, ground with a mortar & pestle
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
2 TBSP cider vinegar
salt

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over low-medium heat and fry the onion until just soft.
3. Increase the heat and add the cabbage and apples. Mix well. Then add the remaining ingredients.
4. Cover the pan and simmer mixture for 35 – 40 minutes, until the cabbage is really soft.
5. Serve hot & ENJOY!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Chef Luis Felipe Lavieri

Ingredients

1L Goat milk or Cereal Cream
Olive oil
250 g of Pancetta or Bacon
1/2 small onion chopped finely
1/4 tbsp Garlic paste
250 g parmesan cheese
1 egg
400 g of Spaghetti

Directions

If using Dried Spaghetti
-In a large pot, add about 3-4 Liters of water, bring to a boil, add salt
-Cook The spaghetti to be still quite raw, 2-3 minutes less than the minimum time said in the package. (Usually 5-6 minutes should be ok)
-Strain the spaghetti
If the spahetti is fresh
-Wait for the next step that mentions spaghetti
Cut the bacon/pancetta into 1/4" pieces
In a pot (can be the same you used previously) sweat the onions in olive oil until translucent
Add the bacon/pancetta and cook about 90% (no full bacon color, but fat has stared melting and rendering)
Add Garlic Paste and Goat milk/cereal cream.
Bring to a boil
Add Spaghetti (either half cooked dried or uncooked fresh)
Stir constantly for 2/3 minutes, making the sauce thicken with the starch from the spaghetti
Add parmesan cheese and continue stirring for about a minute
Take off heat
When it has stopped bubbling, add the 1 egg and stirr vigorously. The heat from the sauce will cause the egg to clump and cook before mixed in if left to rest, but needs to be hot enough for the egg to cook.

This dish is the quintecential traditional Roman dish. The history is quite interesting, hence some of the ingredients being a little bit less than common. The spaghetti carbonara comes from a coal mine just north of Roma. There was a cave in at the mine and the miners were stuck with only a goat, rationed water, an old piece of ham, and dried pasta. Rather than use up what little water they had, the milked the goat and cooked the pasta in the goat milk and the dried ham. They liked the dish so much, that after they were rescued, they continued to eat the dish perfecting it to what we have today. Traditionally garlic is not part of the recipe, but I have adapted it and found that the north american market is very receptive to the change. The difference between Pancetta and bacon is having a more smokey flavour, which again tends to be more of a north american taste. Goat milk is not always available, but has roughly similar fat content as cereal cream.

Guasacaca

Brought you from
My Own Kitchen

My husband's family is quite the mix. With Italian and German ancestry and born and raised in Venezuela, the meals that come out of our kitchen are both diverse and delicious. Today I have a recipe for Guasacaca - whose name is derived from the word Aguacate (Avocado).

Ingredients

1 medium onion
2 ripe avocados
1 large red pepper
2 cloves garlic
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Cilantro
3 tbsp Vinegar
1 Lime Juiced
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil

Optional:
Hot sauce or jalapeño

Directions

1. Peel and Pitt the avocados, then chop roughly.

2. De-seed the pepper and chop roughly.

3. Peel garlic cloves and onion and chop roughly.

4. Remove stems from Parsley and Cilantro leaves.

5. Put everything except the olive oil into a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Then slowly start adding the olive oil until completely smooth.

6. Make about an hour before you plan to serve it.

Optional:
7. If you want a chunkier style Guasacaca, then have an extra avocado set aside, peeled, pitted, and cubed. Gently mash in the extra avocado chunks about 5-10 minutes before serving.

This sauce is great for putting on any kind of cooked meat or starchy side dish. 

Roasted Yam, Quinoa, and Mixed Greens Salad

Featured on Calgary's CTV morning show with our very own Brigitte
Check it out!

Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny!

Ingredients:

2 medium Yams, peeled and cubed (can also use sweet potatoes)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Spice Sanctuary's Ground Red Chili Powder
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups mixed greens (Kale is also great for this salad)

Optional:
1/4 cup dried cranberries/raisins/sunflower seeds/whatever you feel like!

Salad Dressing:

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp. minced shallots
1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Rinse and peel yams, chopping them into 1/4 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, oregano and chili powder until completely coated.

3. Spread out cubes evenly onto a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, flipping them once.

4. While the yams are baking, cook the quinoa in a rice cooker (quinoa has the same exact water ratio as rice, so just check your cooker's water requirements and go!). Once quinoa is done, stir to fluff it up and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, combine greens and quinoa.

6. Mince your shallots, then in a smaller bowl mix together dressing ingredients and toss with the greens and quinoa

7. Gently fold in the sweet potato cubes, then sprinkle your dried fruit or seeds on top for presentation.

Homemade Pizza by Katherine

Adapted from Katherine's Yummy Mummy recipes.

Ingredients

Dough:

2 tsp dried granulated yeast

3 cups all purpose flour

-- Katherine prefers 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 unbleached flour for a healthier dough

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup water

Plus

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp warm water

Toppings:

(based on one pizza)

1 can pizza sauce

1- 2 cups grated mozzarella and/ or cheddar (or your favourite!) depending how cheesy you like your pizza

Directions

To make the dough by hand, activate the yeast by mixing in a cup with warm water; let sit for a few minutes.

While yeast is activating, combine other ingredients in a bowl

Add yeast & combine well

Roll dough into a large ball; remove from bowl, coat bowl with olive oil & return dough to bowl; cover and allow dough to rise for an hour or so.If making dough in a bread maker, the allotted time allows for the dough to rise

While dough is rising/ in machine, prepare your toppings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

When dough is ready, turn onto a floured surface and roll to approx 1/2" thick; place rolled crust onto baking sheet/ pizza pan

Partially cook pizza crust for 10 minutes, or until just turning golden brown (you may need to pop a few bubbles)

Remove crust from oven; scoop & spread pizza sauce over crust, followed by toppings & cheese

Cook for another 10 minutes, or until crust & cheese is cooked & melted the way you like it!

---

Here are some Pizza Topping suggestions to get you started!

  
Deluxe Pizza

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

5-6 mushrooms, sliced

1 can sliced olives

100gr ham & pepperoni, sliced thin

Hawaiian/ Ham & Pineapple Pizza

100 gr ham, sliced thin

1 can pineapples, diced

BONUS: 100 gr bacon= my fave!!!

  
Vegetarian Pizza

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

5-6 mushrooms, sliced

1 medium- large tomato, sliced thin

1 can sliced olives

Margherita Pizza

1 medium- large tomato, sliced thin

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped 

(approx 1 cup, unpacked)

Sage and Onion Tear & Share Bread

Adapted from bbc.co.uk
Ingredients

5 oz whole milk, plus extra for glazing
14 oz flour
7g / 1/2 sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 oz butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
15-20 sage leave, chopped, plus extra for garnish
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat 5 ounces of water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until lukewarm.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast, sugar, and salt.

Make a well in the centre and stir in the water and milk with a large wooden spoon. Gather into a ball and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled clingfilm. Leave to ride in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until double in size.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onion and garlic over a very low heat for 10 minutes, or until softened.

Scatter the chopped sage over the onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.

When the dough has doubled in size, tip it back onto a floured surface and flatten with your hands. Spoon the onion mixtures on top and knead for a couple minutes until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it becomes sticky.

Divide the dough into eight balls and shape by pulling the dough from the outside and pushing into the centre. Turn over with the ends underneath. Place the rolls in a circle on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, making sure the dough balls are touching. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to proof in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F

Brush the top of each roll lightly with milk and place a small sage leaf on top. Brush with more milk and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before serving.

Healthy Tuna Burgers

Adapted from @sashafitness

Ingredients 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Portion out evenly into burger shapes.

Place burgers in an ovenproof pan and bake until burgers are golden.

Cheese Stuffed Yam Croquettes

Adapted from Recipe Archive

Ingredients: 

250g Yams chopped coarsely (Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes can be substituted)
25g Butter
½ Egg beaten
1 Spring Onion chopped
25g Mozzarella or Edam Cheese cut into 5 cubes
35g Fine Dry Breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying
Salt and Pepper
Pinch Thyme
Optional Garnish:
6 Pimento Stuffed Olives

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil yams until soft, drain well and put through the ricer add the egg and the butter mix to a smooth puree and mix in the spring onion and thyme.
2. Shape the mix into required size.
3. Push a cube of cheese into the centre of each ball and re-shape the yam mix around them.
4. Roll the balls in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs until coated.
5. Deep fry until golden brown drain on kitchen paper.
6. Place on a warm plate and garnish.

Tomato Stewed Eggplant with White Beans & Kale

INGREDIENTS

3 cups kale, chopped
4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
1 eggplant, cubed
2 cups tomatoes, canned
2 Tbsp oregano, fresh or dried
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Steam the kale lightly until it is bright green and softened (about 5 minutes) and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until soft.  Add in garlic and optional chili flakes.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, bring the heat up slightly and add eggplant. Stir well for 3 to 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, kale, and oregano. Cook for 12 to 15 until eggplant is soft, but not mushy.  Add in beans and vinegar and stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6.

Autumn Wild Rice and Cauliflower Soup

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup flour

4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups wild rice, cooked

2 cups cauliflower florets, cooked

1 cup cream

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced celery and mushrooms. Sauté until tender. Dust the celery and mushrooms with flour and stir to coat well. Gradually stir in the vegetable or chicken broth to avoid clumping. Stir constantly until thickened. Add in cooked wild rice, cooked cauliflower and cream. Blend well. Cook gently on low heat until soup is fully heated. Do Not Boil.

Serves 6 to 8.

Kiwi and Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS

3 cups spinach
3 cups spring salad mix
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, slivered
Sea salt and pepper
1 large kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thin & separated into rings

DIRECTIONS

Remove any thick stems from the spinach. Wash the spinach and salad mix, and dry them in a salad spinner or pat them dry with paper towels. Tear the spinach into bite-sized pieces and place in a salad bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, honey, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, remove the garlic from the dressing. Toss the greens with the dressing, divide among four individual salad bowls, and garnish with the kiwi and onion.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs yellow, white, or Walla Walla onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tsp sugar
Sea salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts vegetable broth
French baguette, cut in one-inch slices on the diagonal
1/2 lb emmental or swiss cheese, shredded or sliced

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions to the hot pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become soft but not yet browned.

Add the sugar, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Stir frequently and lower the heat if necessary to avoid burning the onions. They should be golden brown and soft. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (The onions should be fairly sweet at this point.)

Add the garlic and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. You can keep the soup warm on the stove until ready to broil and serve, or allow it to cool and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

When ready to serve, heat the broiler and ladle the soup into individual oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a layer of bread, trimming slices if necessary to cover the entire surface. Cover the bread with the cheese. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Cream of Celery Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp butter
1 cup or more chopped celery with leaves
1/3 cup sliced onion
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups milk or cream
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter. Add the celery and onion. Saute for 2 minutes.

Pour in the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and bring to a boil.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup milk. Stir gradually into the hot soup. Bring to the boiling point. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

If you want a smooth soup, whizz it in a blender or use a hand blender.

Serve garnished with a bit of chopped parsley.

Makes 4 cups.

Avocado Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped sweet white onion
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 ripe (but still firm) avocados, diced

DIRECTIONS

Mix onion with sundried tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Gently fold in avocado. Chill 1 hour to marry flavours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

Fennel and Orange Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dry basil
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salad:
1 head lettuce, washed, dried, and ripped into pieces
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the sugar, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside. Toss the lettce, sliced fennel, orange, onion, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to serve.

Kale with Red Onions and Feta

INGREDIENTS

1 lb kale, washed & stems discarded
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt & black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put in the kale and cook 2 minutes (it should be bright green); drain immediately and rinse well under cold water. Coarsely chop the kale.

Heat the oil, add the garlic, onions, and about 1 Tbsp of water. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the onions are clear and the garlic is golden.

Add the kale, salt, pepper, half of the feta cheese, and the broth. Stir and heat through.

Crumble the remaining feta cheese over the veggies just before serving.

Chard and Beet Sautee

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs red beets (about 3 large)
4 lbs chard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
3/4 cup sliced green onions (about 3)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced crosswise with seeds
3 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp pine nuts

DIRECTIONS

Fold chard leaves in half lengthwise and cut stalks away from leaves. Cut leaves coarsely into 1-inch pieces. Slice stalks thinly crosswise. Reserve stalks and leaves separately. Cook chopped leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain and reserve.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add sliced stalks; sautee until starting to soften, about 8 minutes.

Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sautee 3 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and 1 cup raisins. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add chard leaves to pot; stir to heat through. Remove from heat; add lime juice and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large platter. Sprinkle with beets, goat cheese, pine nuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons raisins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 medium red onion
2 ripe grapefruits
2 ripe avocados
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Dice the onion. Remove the peel of the grapefruit, section it, and then take the skins off each section. If you are going to arrange this recipe beautifully on a plate, try not to break the sections. Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Slice the avocado into thin, long slices. Now you can either throw all the diced, sectioned, and sliced ingredients into a bowl and douse it with a high quality olive oil or arrange them beautifully on a plate and douse each individual plate with olive oil.

When you store it all together, the avocado won't get brown because of the acidic grapefruit juices.

BBQ Potatoes and Onions

INGREDIENTS

3 or 4 large potatoes
2 Tbsp butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 onion
1/4 tsp black pepper
Any other spices to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cut potatoes into small bite size pieces. Slice onions (not too small). Add potatoes, onions, pepper (and other spices if desired), and butter or oil into a mixing bowl. Make sure all the onions are scattered throughout the potatoes. Place on aluminum foil-cover using a double layer of foil so that the potatoes don't get all brown. The longer the length of foil the better and shorter time it will take to make. If BBQ grill has cover, do put the cover on, if not the potatoes might take a little more time. Should be ready in 30 mins.