A couple of weeks ago, I was scouring the farmers market looking for inspiration. My spring canning class was coming up and I wanted to show the class something a little bit different in the pickle category – something that might inspire them to think of vegetable pickles “outside the jar”.  Something that would lend itself to use beyond a sandwich garnish.  My eyes landed on some beautiful, stripey, baby eggplant, and I knew immediately what I would do.

Two years ago, while participating in the Can Jam, I created a recipe for pickling spring onions and green garlic in balsamic vinegar and red wine that was so versatile, I used it as part of an antipasto plate, on cheese sandwiches, and even used the pickling liquid as a dressing for salads and caprese picks.  That recipe was even chosen to be included in Sarah B. Hood’s book, We Sure Can!

I thought that something similar would work for this beautiful baby eggplant, so I gave it a try.  And yes, it was worth it! The eggplant became tender and smooth – almost unctuous – contrasting in texture with the still firm onion, and the sweet/tart balsamic brine works beautifully as a dressing, alone or mixed with melted butter and/or olive oil.

One of my serving suggestions in class:  Melt 2 Tbs butter, add 2 Tbs olive oil, then add a one pint jar of this pickle, including the liquid.  Heat gently for just a couple of minutes and toss with hot pasta, long or short, of your choice. Instant supper! If you use short pasta, toss the hot pasta with olive oil and this pickle, and you can also serve it as a cold pasta salad – refreshing on a hot summer day. The possibilities go on and this recipe is easily doubled if your eggplant crop starts getting out of control, this summer.

Melanzana Balsamica
(Balsamic Eggplant)
(Makes about 3 pints)

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs  baby eggplant
• 1 large red spring onion
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 cup red wine (preferably Italian)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp canning salt (or 1 ½ tsp kosher salt)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• ¾ cup balsamic vinegar (5% acidity or higher)

Preparation:

Fill the canning pot with water and bring to a boil.  Place 3 pint canning jars and their lids into the pot and sterilize for 10 minutes.  While this is happening:

Wash and dry the eggplant, cut off the stem caps, and slice lengthwise into quarters.  If using a less-tender-skinned variety of eggplant, you may wish to peel it first.  Peel the onion, cut off the ends, cut in half lengthwise and cut into thick slices, also lengthwise.  Peel garlic cloves and smash with the broad part of the knife blade.

Put the vegetables into a medium non-reactive pot, add the wine, water, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-high, and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Canning:

Divide the hot vegetables equally between the 3 hot jars, pressing down firmly.  Add the hot liquid to each jar. Release trapped air bubbles with a chopstick or any thin, non-metallic tool (such as a plastic knife), allowing the liquid to fill the space.  Leave ½” headroom at the top of each jar, removing any excess liquid with a spoon.

Clean the jar rims well with a wet paper towel, place lids on the jars, screw on the rings finger-tight, and return to the canning pot. Bring back to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the water for an additional 5 minutes before removing them to a covered surface to cool. Listen for the ping!

Allow to meld for a minimum 1 ½ – 2 weeks before using.  Of course, it gets better with age.

I think I can get in one more Passover recipe to share with you, this week. As you know, Gnocchi is probably my favorite pasta – the one I judge all Italian restaurants, and even cookbooks, by. So, when Amy of Ess Eppis (Yiddish for Eat Something) piped up on Twitter that she’d found a kosher for Passover gnocchi recipe, I had to give it a try.

Amy found the original recipe here, where it was originally posted in 2009.  And since Amy posted it in 2010, I thought it was time to share it with you, with my own tweaks. As Mimi said in her post that she couldn’t recall where she’d found the recipe originally, I’m going to post my version of it here, in full.  If anyone recognizes it as theirs, please feel free to pipe up!

Actually, my only quibble with the original recipe is that it specifies “medium potatoes”. Potatoes come in a number of varieties and sizes, and I frankly don’t know what a “medium” potato is. No, I don’t think I’m being dense, because, while a “medium onion” is a more forgiving measurement in, say, a sauce or a soup or a stew, when the size of the potato (or avocado, etc.) could significantly affect the texture when combined with the other ingredients, I do feel it necessary sometimes to get more specific.

I’m also not that wild about the method of boiling potatoes unpeeled, then peeling them hot. Which is heresy, I think, to the purist. I think it’s messy and uncomfortable, and just annoys me.  So, I peeled my potatoes and boiled them whole.  The recipe also didn’t indicate what kind of potatoes to use.  Gnocchi traditionally calls for a more mealy potato, such as a Russet, but I was out of those, and used reds.  The reds yielded a very silky end product, but if you like a more substantial gnocchi, definitely go with the Russets.

Passover Gnocchi  (makes approximately 120-130 pieces)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ lbs of potatoes (russets, reds, or golds)
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1 cup potato starch
• 2 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ – ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole in salted water until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Start poking them with a fork at around 20 minutes, to check.

Drain the potatoes and, keeping them in their cooking pot, shake them over a low flame till they are very dry, just a minute or two.  Mash well with a potato masher, while still hot.

Turn the potatoes out onto the counter or a large cutting board (or even a very large mixing bowl), add the dry ingredients, and make a well in the center.  Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the well.

Start mixing from the inside, out, drawing more of the potato, cake meal, and potato starch in and then mixing and kneading with your hands, until you have a smooth, silky dough. Don’t add any additional meal or starch – it will take a few minutes, but it will come together.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, cut the dough into 4 or more pieces, and on a flat surface well dusted with potato starch, roll each piece out into a snake about 3/4 of an inch thick.  If you have small counter space for the purpose, feel free to just tear off pieces of dough that you’re more comfortable with.  Using a fork, cut the rope into pieces about 1/2 inch long, and roll them along the tines of the fork to kind of round them off and imprint them with those lovely grooves.  I got a little better at it, than I did the last time.   The process moves pretty quickly, after you get past the first few.

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in batches, if necessary. When they rise to the top, allow them to cook for an additional one minute. I mean it: One minute, only. Do not overcook!  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider, and if not dressing right away, toss with a few drops of olive oil, to prevent sticking.

Please note that, in the end, I doubled this recipe from the original. Who knew? I was weighing potatoes and perfected it by feel. Half of this fed the two of us, but we didn’t have anything else for supper, except small green salads.  Be assured, that you can wrap any remaining dough in plastic wrap and drop it into a freezer bag and freeze the remainder for future use.

I like a pink sauce on my gnocchi, so I made a batch of my Quickie Pasta Sauce and added 1/4 cup of cream at the end.  I like the sauce kind of chunky, but you can hit it with a stick blender at the end, if you prefer yours smooth.  You can also garnish with some shaved Parmesan, which I didn’t do here.

Verdict? This was some of the best gnocchi ever. Really. Even the husband said that, not only is this the best gnocchi I’ve ever made, he thinks I should make it this way all the time, not just at Passover!  So, if you’re jonesing for some pasta right about now, make this. You’ll feel guilty – I promise!

Today’s post is for The Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. This is how it works: Every month, you get to scour the blog of another member of the club (assigned to you by Amanda), and pick out and cook or bake any recipe from that person’s blog. And of course, it’s a Secret. Until the big reveal, that is.

My assignment this month, was to choose a recipe from This Chick Cooks. Kate features lots of quick and easy recipes that are great for family meals and desserts, mostly using ingredients that you’re likely to already have in your pantry. The recipe choice was easy: “Mini Italian Dumplings, a/k/a Gnocchi,” adapted from Healthy Cooking magazine. Kate promises that you can have gnocchi on the table in 30 minutes. The secret? This recipe uses instant potato flakes instead of boiling and mashing fresh potatoes.

Now, my husband will tell you that I am a gnocchi freak from way back. In fact, I judge Italian restaurants on the basis of their gnocchi. So, how could I resist a quickie gnocchi? And get your minds out of the gutter, people.

This was definitely quick and easy. I omitted the dried basil called for in the recipe, but changed nothing else, and dressed the gnocchi in my own quickie pasta sauce. Hey, a quickie gnocchi calls for a quickie sauce, right?

Quickie Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 14 oz. cans chopped tomatoes (I used organic, but I don’t judge)
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a 2 – 3 quart saucepan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sweat until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and allow to simmer briskly until the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. This generally takes about the same amount of time it takes to boil a pot of water and cook your pasta.

This is just the basics. You can saute some chopped bell pepper and/or mushrooms along with the onions and garlic, if you like. You can also add your favorite fresh or dried herbs along with the tomatoes. Whatever you have handy and feel like. Make it your own!

It was really fun, searching through another blogger’s recipe posts for inspiration and a different point of view. Wanna play? Join the Secret Recipe Club here.

Now follow along and see who got who – I can’t wait to see who got me and what they chose to make from my eclectic collection. Will it be a dessert? A main course? A 30-minute family meal? Let’s find out together!

Well, I’m back from Mousetown, having Food Blog Forumed (yes, I know it’s not a word – sheesh!) with some of the finest people I know – fellow food bloggers, mostly from right here in Florida! I learned a lot and more importantly, got to see some wonderful people, face-to-face, who I’ve mostly only tweeted with before. (Shout out to The Merry Gourmet, The Domestic Mama, Creative Kitchen, Aggie’s Kitchen, Fork, Spoon, Knife (who flew in from NY!), The Educated Palate, and the most talented and organized The Little Kitchen! xox to you all!)

So before I dive headlong into Passover, I wanted to share something with you. I was contacted by the nice people at Buitoni USA, recently, who asked me to try some of their refrigerated pasta and sauce offerings. They sent me two VIP coupons to take to the store and buy whatever I pleased, plus a $25.00 Wine.com gift card to top off the feast! But wait – there’s more: Buitoni will also send one of my lucky U.S. readers exactly the same thing! That’s right – the winner of this giveaway will win two VIP coupons plus a $25.00 Wine.com gift card, so you can have your own little romantic Italian feast, on them! More about that in just a minute.

First, take a look at my delicious Angel Hair Pasta with Pink Alfredo Sauce and Broccoli:

I used Buitoni’s fresh Angel Hair Pasta and their Light Alfredo Sauce, both of which are in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I can’t even rightly call this a recipe, because all I did was boil the pasta for a couple of minutes to perfectly al dente, steam some broccoli in the microwave, and combine the Buitoni Light Alfredo Sauce with a 14 oz. can of organic diced tomatoes in a saucepan for 5 minutes. The whole meal was ready in under 15 minutes!

And yes, I tasted the Light Alfredo Sauce before adding the tomatoes. I have to say it’s pretty darned good and didn’t taste “light”. It was rich and creamy and I could distinctly taste the Romano and Parmesan cheeses. The addition of the tomatoes lightened up the texture and gave it a very pretty pink color that I love. I didn’t even add any seasonings or doctor it in anyway. Surprisingly, it didn’t need it.

I chose an Italian white wine from Wine.com – a classic Soave – to accompany our meal. Believe it or not, it arrived the very next day after I ordered it, with no special shipping charges! The Soave was clean and crisp and complimented the sauce beautifully.

This was the quick and light meal we were looking for, and honestly? I don’t think I could have made this sauce as low in fat and calories and as fast as Buitoni made it for me. Bummer, right?

So. Would you like to win your own Italian feast from Buitoni? I’ll make it as fast and easy as this dinner:

“Like” Buitoni on Facebook and enter the Masterpiece Challenge: Top Chef Edition Sweepstakes. You can win two VIP passes to “Top Chef: The Tour” when it comes to your city! Then come back here and leave a comment. That’s it! This is a quickie – the sweepstakes ends this Friday, April 15th at 11:59 PM (EDT), and so does this giveaway!

Just one comment per person, please, and make sure your comment links to a good e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win. I’ll also announce the winner on Twitter and the Flamingo Musings Facebook page on Saturday morning. The two VIP store coupons and $25 Wine.com gift card will be sent to the winner directly by Buitoni.

*Disclosure: I was sent 2 VIP store coupons for Buitoni products and a $25 Wine.com gift card for the purposes of trying their products and writing this review. Two additional VIP store coupons for Buitoni products and a $25 Wine.com gift card will be sent directly to the winner of this giveaway by Buitoni USA. I was not compensated in any other manner, nor was I directed to write this review in any specific manner. The opinions expressed, as always, are my own.

I’m starting to warm up to kale. It took awhile, and some peer pressure. And guilt.

One of my favorite ways to disguise ->ahem!<- incorporate kale in meals, is to add it to pasta. We do love pasta around here, and I’ve got to admit that – aside from calling out for pizza – it’s my favorite “fallback” position when it comes to supper. Perfect for “Meatless Monday” (today is Monday, right?), 30-Minute Meals, or whatever category you’d like to put it in, we just call it “Delicious.” We’re totally going Italian, here!

Pasta Fagioli e Cavolo
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti
1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbs. butter
4 – 5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 19 oz. can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar & parmesan cheese to finish

Preparation:

Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions and set aside.

While you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil, rinse the kale under cold water, blot fairly dry, and, using just your hands, strip the leafy parts off of the ribs. Discard the ribs. Roll up the leafy bits and slice into thin strips.

Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add salt and pepper, and continue to poach the garlic until it just starts to turn golden, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add the kale strips and toss until it’s completely coated with the hot garlic oil and wilts. Add the beans, followed by the cooked pasta, and toss it all together until the kale and beans are well-distributed.

Serve in individual bowls and finish by drizzling some balsamic vinegar over each serving and grating some parmesan cheese on top. If you want to make it look really fancy, shave the cheese on top with a vegetable peeler. You can also serve it family-style, and let everyone do their own drizzling and grating (or shaving). Add some nice crusty Italian-style bread, and ->poof!<- supper’s ready!

Notes:

Okay, I made up the name. It means pasta with beans and kale. But if I called it that, would you look at it twice? And now you’ve got a fancy Italian name when the family looks at it, looks at you, and says, “What’s that?“

If you don’t want to use butter, just add another 1/4 cup of olive oil. I know it sounds like a lot of oil, but it really isn’t when you consider that it has to coat all of that pasta and greenery. You can also substitute 4 Tbs. of Smart Balance Light spread (my favorite non-dairy butter substitute), but it will take a bit longer to melt.

Make it even healthier by using wholegrain pasta. Many of the newer ones are very very good.

If you’re in a really fancy mood, or serving this to company, adding a small drizzle of truffle oil at the end will really send this over the moon. You know, if you happen to have some around.

This dish is fast, it’s easy, and it’s completely open to change-ups. No kale? Try some Swiss chard. No cannellini beans? How about some navy beans or great northerns? Kidney beans would add a real pop of color, and make it the same colors as the Italian flag!

*Name change at suggestion of two actual Italian-speakers. LOL! And just when I was getting the hang of typing Ravizzone.

This post is part of Share Our Holiday Table, a seven-day, online progressive dinner series that we hope will encourage you to support and donate to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign during this critical holiday period. I’m honored to be one of more than 50 bloggers who are participating. If you’ve been following along, the dinner has been unfolding for the last week across 7 courses and in 4 tracks (Gourmet, Family-Friendly, Gluten Free and Vegetarian).

Today’s featured course is the Side Dish and I’m offering you one of my favorite Vegetarian dishes, Kasha Varnishkes. My mom used to make this as a side to pot roast and turkey, and I’ve been cooking it through my adult life, frequently as a main course.

You see, kasha is actually roasted buckwheat kernels and is one of the healthiest grain products out there. A complete protein on its own, high in fiber, yada yada yada, kasha can be used as a main dish, side dish, stuffing, and even as a delicious hot breakfast cereal. It’s also gluten-free, so if that’s an issue for you or someone you love, you can also prepare the following recipe without the pasta as a Kasha Pilaf.

This recipe will feed a crowd on your holiday table or buffet, and makes an attractive change – or addition to – the usual potato fare. If you have less than a crowd, you can easily make half the quantity.

Kasha Pilaf Varnishkes
(serves 8-10 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main course)

Ingredients:

1 14 – 16 oz package Farfalle (Bowtie) pasta

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup carrots, split & sliced thin
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
1-1/2 cups medium or coarse Kasha
1 large egg or egg white (optional – see Preparation)
2 Tbs canola oil or butter
3 cups vegetable broth (divided)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

If not using the egg, skip to the next step. If using the egg or egg white: Beat the egg or egg white until well-blended. Add the kasha and combine with a fork until the grains are coated well.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the kasha and stir while toasting, till the grains are mostly separate and you smell a pleasant, toasty aroma.

Add the vegetables and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, stir well, and saute until the vegetables soften slightly, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the remaining broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the kasha is soft. Uncover, and cook an additional 3 – 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the kasha to dry out a bit.

Check the seasoning, and add the farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, tossing together until thoroughly combined. Serve hot.

Notes:

You can find kasha in your regular grocery store in either the pasta/rice aisle or the ethnic foods, kosher products section. I’ve only ever seen Wolff’s brand, but feel free to use any other you may spot. It comes in Fine, Medium, or Coarse granulations. Only use the medium or coarse granulation for this recipe. The fine granulation is mostly for cereal and will turn out mushy.

A variety of liquids can be used to prepare this, including beef or chicken stock (although using these would render this no longer vegetarian), or even water.

The word “varnishkes” refers to the bow-tie pasta. No, I don’t know what it means.

As noted earlier, if you omit the pasta, this Kasha Pilaf is an excellent gluten-free choice, too.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this special holiday post on behalf of Share Our Strength, and that you’ll visit the other participating blogs to see what they’re serving up for Share Our Holiday Table.

In fact, I hope you’ve enjoyed it enough to click on one of these links and make a donation to Share Our Strength and sign the No Kid Hungry Pledge. Approximately 17 million children right here in the United States go hungry because of lack of access to programs that can change that, and lack of access to healthy foods. A hungry child can’t learn.

Even though my husband and I have no kids, we recognize that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. And can yank our Social Security in a heartbeat.

Will you join us in the No Kid Hungry Campaign?

Today’s side dishes in each track are brought to you by:

Gourmet

• The Urban Baker
• Heather Christo
• We Like to Cook, and Eat
• Plum Pie

Family Friendly

• What’s Cooking
• Dine and Dish
• The Evolving Cook

Vegetarian

• My Kitchen Addiction
• Taste as You Go
• Flamingo Musings (that’s me!)

Gluten Free

• The Whole Gang
• Jenn Cuisine– A mostly gluten free cooking blog.
• Creative Cooking Gluten Free

It’s quite embarrassing that I haven’t posted anything in nearly two whole weeks, so let me break the ice a bit with this quickie one-pan meal. It uses fresh vegetables and another fun pasta shape – orzo.

Orzo is a small pasta, shaped rather like large rice grains, and particularly well-suited to my favorite one-pan meal concoctions. Basically, you can just toss it into the pan with everything else, and it will cook itself! One less pot to wash!

This dish is also very versatile – don’t limit yourself to the vegetables I used here. You can use whatever’s on hand or even (ack! don’t tell anyone!) frozen mixed vegetables of your choice! And it takes about 30 minutes or less from fridge to table. No excuses, now!

Orzo Pasta & Veggie Skillet

(makes about 4 servings as a main dish)

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

3-4 cloves garlic (or more if you like), chopped coarsely

approx. 3 cups broccoli florets

2 large yellow summer squash, chopped coarsely

1 large (or 2 medium) tomatoes, chopped coarsely

1 32 oz. container of vegetable stock or broth (preferably organic)

1 box orzo pasta

salt & pepper to taste

Shredded parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high, then add the onions and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the broccoli and squash, stir and cook briefly, or till the broccoli starts to turn a bright green. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.

Pour in the vegetable stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Now add the orzo, stir to combine, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Allow to cook for about 12-15 minutes.

Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese, if desired.

There’s more to pasta than spaghetti and elbow macaroni, you know, and farfalle – or bow tie pasta – is one of those fun and versatile shapes that everyone loves.

Here’s a way to make a quick, yet satisfying, meal with ingredients straight out of the pantry. This is one of our favorites because it’s another one of those one-pan meals you can throw together in the blink of an eye. It’s also perfect for “Meatless Monday” or any day of the week!

Farfalle Chickpea Toss

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 15-1/2 oz. cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) – drained
1 14-1/2 oz. can organic chopped tomatoes
4 cups organic vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp. dried cilantro (or 2 Tbs. fresh, chopped coarsely)
1 box of Farfalle (Bow Tie) pasta – 14 oz or 16 oz

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent – about 5 minutes.

Stir in the drained chickpeas and allow to cook for one minute. Then add the can of chopped tomatoes, together with its liquid, the vegetable stock, and the salt and pepper. If using dried herbs, add them now. If using fresh, hold off.

Bring the pan to a boil and add the pasta, stir well, cover tightly, reduce heat to medium,and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan cover and stir well. If using fresh herbs, add them now. Check the pasta to see if it’s done to your taste. There should also be very little liquid left in the pan. If the pasta’s not quite done, or if there is excess liquid in the pan, cook uncovered for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Serve this with a fresh, green salad on the side and dinner’s done!

Note:

Just a quick note (to go with a quick post on a quick meal!) – Play with your herbs! If you have access to fresh, by all means, use them! But even a pinch of dried herbs will add a layer of flavor to just about anything you cook. And change ‘em up from time to time. If you don’t like cilantro – and that seems to be a big deal, these days for some reason – use Italian parsley or basil.

And if you’re concerned about the cost of organic ingredients, check out your local warehouse club (like Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club, etc.). My local Costco sells 8 cans of a national brand organic chopped tomatoes for about $6. The organic vegetable stock? My local grocery chain’s store brand. And it tastes better than the national brands!

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And in other news:

The winner of the $50 CSN Stores giveaway, is Julie D., comment number 5! Congratulations, Julie!

Thanks for playing, everyone!

If you skipped yesterday’s posts hoping I’d move on to a happier subject today, you’re in luck!

I’m on a healthy cooking kick lately, most of which seems to be occurring over the weekend. If something works out, Mondays are the logical time to share that with you. Mostly so I’m forced to write it down and remember what I did. I can’t promise a new recipe every Monday – or even any kind of post, for that matter – but, hey! This makes 3 in a row… I think it’s a trend. At least it’s not a muffin!

Roasted Garlic & Spinach Pasta
– Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs Smart Balance or butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped in large, coarse pieces
1 medium onion, cut in large dice
1 box whole grain short pasta (e.g., rotini)
1 package baby spinach
1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese to garnish

In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil and Smart Balance (or butter) together over medium-low heat.

Add the garlic, onion, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir together and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions to al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the uncooked baby spinach to the hot, cooked pasta, pour the hot oil with the onion and garlic over the top, and toss together.

Turn the heat back on to medium, add the diced tomatoes, stir to combine, and cover the pot. Heat for an additional 4 minutes. Serve it up with a little grated parmesan on top, and enjoy!

I’m really liking these new whole grain pastas that are on the market now. They’re not as tough as the old whole wheat versions, they’re high in protein and fiber, and have much better-balanced carbs. I used the Barilla Whole Grain Rotini here, but Ronzoni also makes some good ones, and you can use anything that looks good to you – even a long pasta, if you like.

I’m also fond of those bags of baby spinach you find in the salad section of the store. It’s completely clean, tender, and so quick that, as in this recipe, you hardly need any direct heat to cook it.

What about the oil? Olive oil, as well as being tasty, is one of those healthy, monounsaturated fats. From Wikipedia: “Unlike the high amount of animal fats typical to the American diet, olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. It is also known to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Olive oil contains the monounsaturated fat, oleic acid which has antioxidants such as vitamin E and carotenoids, and oleuropein, a chemical that prevents the oxidation of LDL particles. It is these properties that are thought to contribute to the health benefits of olive oil. Research indicates olive oil prevents peptic ulcers and is effective in treatment of peptic ulcer disease, and may be a factor in preventing cancer.” So, while it is a fat, it’s one of the good guys!

This is really quick to throw together on a weeknight, and – served with a salad, maybe some garlic bread – a completely nutritious meal – especially if you want to go meatless one or two nights a week.

I’ve been kind of hanging out on Twitter, lately. Kind of a lot. And through something called “Re-Tweets”, that I don’t fully understand, I discovered a site called In Jennie’s Kitchen and her 47-Minute Spinach Lasagna. Her inspiration was a Twitter challenge. It sounds – and looks – delicious, and I was intrigued.

After all, spinach lasagna is one of my specialties, but I’ve never made it in batches smaller than platoon-sized, and it usually takes hours. Can you really make a tasty lasagna in 47 minutes? I was intrigued. And inspired.

Jennie uses her own pasta, made from scratch, homemade marinara, ricotta that I suspect she makes herself, and fresh mozzarella. I don’t have a pasta roller/machine, I’ve never made fresh pasta or ricotta (although I did see a recipe for it, recently), no fresh mozzarella, and I’m out of spinach. But did that deter me? Oh, heaven forfend!

I took a look in my pantry and fridge, and realized that I desperately need to go grocery shopping. And then there’s the other consideration – MJ’s diet (which has been going pretty well – he’s down 30 pounds! So my mother asks me why he’s losing weight and I’m not. I told her that I’ve been more preoccupied with him than myself and she understood! I still can’t get over that…), and I’ve tried to be creative in coming up with dinners that would be satisfying, not make him feel like he’s missing out on his favorite foods, and be nutritious in a way that would allow him to lose weight and reduce his blood sugar.

And oh, by the way, could I get such a meal on the table before 9:00 p.m., seeing as I don’t get home from work till about 6:30 and can rarely get my ass in gear before 7:00 – sometimes 8:00? And could I get great flavor with just ordinary pantry ingredients?

Kudos to Jennie, I still couldn’t do better than an hour. Yes, I timed myself. But man! an hour! for lasagna! And MJ loved it. “I hope you remember what you did, ’cause I’d like to see this again.” His highest praise. So, I wrote it down:

Damn! It Takes Me a Whole Hour Vegetable Lasagna

6 lasagna noodles
1 16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables (I used my store’s brand of “Roma” frozen veg: carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, baby lima beans)
1 Tbsp. Grapeseed or olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
1 15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (divided)
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1/4 tsp. Dried oregano
1/2 tsp. Dried basil
1 Tbsp. Dried chopped onion
1 1/2 cups marinara or your favorite pasta sauce (homemade or jarred)
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for 7 minutes and turn off heat. Do not drain. I add a splash of grapeseed or olive oil – your choice.

Meanwhile, put the frozen vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl, and sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and grapeseed (or olive) oil over the top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (leaving a vent), and microwave for 10 minutes, stir then drain.

In another bowl, mix together the ricotta, 2 tablespoons of the parmesan, the egg substitute, oregano, basil, and onion. Add the vegetables and combine.

In an oven-proof rectangular baking dish (mine measures 11″ x 7-1/2″), spread 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce. Lay down 2 of the lasagna noodles, side-by-side, trimming the ends, if necessary. Spread half of the cheese-vegetable mixture over the noodles, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella and about 2 tablespoons of the parmesan over it, lay down another 2 noodles and repeat layering with cheese mixture, parmesan, and mozzarella. Lay down the last 2 noodles and spread the remaining pasta sauce evenly over the top, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce. Make sure the noodles are completely covered.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Exotic? No. Tasty, simple, and quick? Oh, yeah.

Sorry, no pics, but I just couldn’t get set up for a beauty shot. Come on, you know what lasagna looks like…