Pasta with Spicy Tomato Pesto and Winter Greens

On my continued effort to not soak my food in fat and have it laden with calories - I assumed pesto was off limits. I've really been vigilant lately, because I don't want to gain my annual holiday weight (followed by the new years resolution to work it off).

I came across this recipe from Health Magazine and I was skeptical as to whether or not it would actually taste good. But I miss pesto and pasta, and the sun dried tomatoes are what ultimately sold me.

There are a few steps to making this dish, but I promise it's not complicated. To make things more simple, prep and measure ingredients ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS

PESTO

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  GREENS
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups trimmed Swiss chard, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  PASTA
• 8 cups hot cooked (about 4 cups uncooked) whole-wheat pasta shells
• 4 teaspoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

To prepare pesto, combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.

Drop tomatoes, almonds, cheese, basil, and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Keeping processor on, add salt and red pepper. Slowly pour 1 1/2 tablespoons oil through food chute; process until well-blended, scraping sides. Add reserved soaking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture appears smooth. Set aside.

To prepare greens, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add Swiss chard; stir-fry 1 minute or until leaves turn bright green. Add water, salt, and pepper; cover and cook 2 minutes.

Combine pesto and hot cooked pasta in a large bowl; toss well. Add greens mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 5

Nutritional Information

Calories:

355

Fat:

12.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 7.1g,poly 1.6g)

Cholesterol:

5mg

Protein:

14.3g

Carbohydrate:

51.9g

Fiber:

6.6g

Iron:

2.9mg

Sodium:

608mg

Calcium:

147mg

Chickpea Noodle Soup

I'm still feeling a bit under the weather. My mother said to me the other day "it's too bad you can't have chicken noodle soup" as she swears it has healing abilities - and she's never really approved of my choice to be a vegetarian.

Well, I decided what my soul needed was some chickpea noodle soup. Studies have shown that miso is full of antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamin E. It also has protein, vitamin B12 and minerals to help boost the strength of your immune system. Source here. Not to mention this soup has chickpeas, vegetables, olive oil and whole grains.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, chicken noodle soup.

Recipe adapted from the PPK.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup peeled, chopped carrots (or chopped baby carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in your fingers
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 vegetable boullion
2 tablespoons mirin (optional)
1/3 cup brown miso
7 cups water
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 ounces whole grain long pasta, broken into thirds


DIRECTIONS

Preheat a large pot over medium high heat. Saute the onions and carrots in the oil for about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and herbs and saute another five minutes. Deglaze the pot with the mirin (or just a splash of water). Add in the 7 cups of water, the boullion and the chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, break the noodles into thirds and throw them in. Lower the heat to medium so the soup is at a low boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the green peas, and miso. Stir so the miso becomes incorporated. Taste and adjust for salt, or add in more miso for a stronger saltier flavor.

Makes 6 servings

Moist Apple Cake

My husband is swamped with work, my toddler and I are feeling a little under the weather. I was sitting home, kind of bored - but not quite up to going anywhere - and decided it had been a while since I'd last baked anything. I didn't really know what to bake though. I hadn't planned anything and honestly, I'm overdue for a trip to the grocery store. I remembered I have apples, so I googled for apple desserts. Most called for something I didn't have on hand and I was about to give up.

I came across this recipe at finecooking and realized I had everything to make this. Well, almost everything - I was 3/4 tsp short on cinnamon, so I blended in a bit of ground ginger and cloves to make up for it.

I was expecting this recipe to be okay. I honestly wasn't planning to have more than a taste, and was making it for my husband and kids and to cure my boredom of being cooped up for days. I decided to sneak a bite after I'd taken a few pics - I ended up eating the entire piece. This cake is wonderful, and it is indeed moist as the recipe title suggests. The crumble that goes on top really makes the cake though. I love the crunch and sweetness it adds to the cake.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3 oz. (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup smooth homemade or store-bought applesauce

1 cup sour cream

Walnut Topping Recipe Below

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and butter the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to blend.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined (but not fluffy), scraping the bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and scraping the bowl as needed.

Add about one-third of the flour mixture, mixing on medium low until combined. Add the applesauce, mixing on medium low until incorporated and scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in another third of the flour mixture, then the sour cream, and then the remaining flour mixture, mixing after each addition until just incorporated. Don't overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake until the edges of the cake are slightly set and the rest is very jiggly, about 15 minutes. Scatter the walnut topping evenly over the cake and bake until the crumbs are golden brown, the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few moist crumbs sticking to it, 30 to 35 minutes; check the cake early and if the crumbs are golden but the cake isn't fully baked, cover loosely with foil. Let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm.

WALNUT TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

4 oz. (1 cup) whole walnuts, coarsely chopped

Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave (or in a skillet and pour into a medium bowl). Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and the cinnamon and stir until blended. Add the flour, confectioners' sugar, and the walnuts, mixing with your fingers until it's well combined; the mixture should be crumbly but also clump together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Red Lentil Soup

This is a healthy recipe (and low calorie) that actually tastes delicious. I'll be completely honest, in the past couple of months I've been in the kitchen quite a bit. I've been trying to whip up healthy, lowfat meals. However, I've not posted many of the recipes because I haven't been pleased. I don't believe that healthy recipes have to taste bad, but often they just do. So whenever I do find a recipe that is both healthy and delicious, I am super excited!

I found this recipe on my lunch break at work, surfing the New York Times website. It was healthy as is, but I adapted it just slightly to reduce the calories and fat just a bit.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dried red lentils (or any other lentils if you can't find red), washed and picked over
2 quarts of vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
Juice of one lime

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and lowfat greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cumin, coriander, and curry powder. Stir together for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add salt to taste.

Stir in the lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to simmer 15 to 30 minutes, until the lentils have fallen apart and thickened the soup. Using the back of your spoon, mash the lentils against the side of the pot to thicken the soup further. Add the pepper, taste and adjust for more salt or pepper if desired. Stir in the lime juice.

If you wish you can puree the soup after this step, or just serve as is (how I served it). Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.