Pasta with Broccoli, Pecans, Lemon and Feta

Excuse the terribly lit photo, and see it's tasty potential. This is a pasta dish I discovered a long time ago and have been making ever since. And I don't re-make a ton of recipes. I just love the combination of lemon, toasted pecans and feta. Add in the broccoli, leeks, and pasta and it's one of my favourite meals.

I'm trying to infuse more positivity into my life, so throughout the day I add to a note file on my phone things that make me happy or that I'm grateful for. I've tried the thing of writing down 5 things at the end of the day, but so far I like doing it all throughout the day because it keeps me constantly searching for something positive instead of dwelling on negative things.

Some things on my list so far are seeing farm animals during the day, snow capped mountains, non squeaking windshield wipers, Abby's (my cat) floppy sleepy body, having a husband who's willing to eat anything I make, and getting home when it's still sunny out. What are some good things in your day so far?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce on Penne
Quick Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Pasta with French Lentils and Kale
Red and White Tortellini

Pasta with Broccoli, Pecans, Lemon and Feta
Adapted from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet

Note: I edited the olive oil. The original recipe has 1/4 cup, but I usually use less like 2 tbsp.

Serves 4 to 5

1 bunch broccoli, stems and crown, cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 lb whole wheat pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise and washed well
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the leek until translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the broccoli and red pepper flakes and heat through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon rind, juice and pecans. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sauce and feta to the hot pasta and cooking water, toss to coat well.

Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce on Penne

Though I don't love tomato sauce, this one is full of roasted vegetables (including 2 whole bulbs of garlic!) so I wanted to try it. I love all the vegetables (eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, artichokes) and olives and red wine. But I think the tomato sauce I used as the base (Hunts in a can) was not great, it was too sour? Next time I might try using crushed tomatoes instead. And I used regular canned artichokes, but next time will use marinated ones. Much more delicious!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Red and White Tortellini

Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce on Pasta
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa

Serves 6-8

1 eggplant, chopped (bite size pieces)
1 each red, yellow and orange peppers, chopped (bite size pieces)
1 small zucchini, chopped (bite size pieces)
2 bulbs garlic, separated and peeled
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp sea salt
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
Freshly ground black pepper
10 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
14 oz can or jar artichoke hearts, quartered
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup red wine
56 oz (1600 mL) tomato sauce
Enough pasta for 6 servings

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Place the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Stir at least once during cooking to prevent sticking. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add the herbs, black pepper, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives and roasted vegetables. Stir int he wine. Add the tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce on top of the hot pasta.

Quick Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Both E and I were in love with this creamy tomato pasta. My favourite pasta sauce used to be cream (specifically alfredo, even more specifically my mom's alfredo), then it became rose. I try not to have cream sauces too often as I know they're not very good for me, but now that I've found this delicious vegan rose sauce, I can indulge in my creamy pasta more often. I love basil but I'm sure it would be delicious with your favourite herb or whatever you might have in your garden (indoor garden at this time of year?)

Last weekend we went to Tofino for our 1 year anniversary! (If you're interested you can check out some of our wedding photos and our wedding video.)

I never posted pictures from our trip to Turkey and Greece, but I'm almost immediately posting pictures from our trip to Tofino. What does that say?? Hm. Probably that there were way too many Turkey and Greece photos. And also that I loooooooove taking local vacations and that Tofino is one of my favourite places.

This was my third time going there, and first time going during "storm watching season". Which basically means there's a lot of rain and big waves, at least that's what we experienced. It was a really relaxing cozy vacation. Tofino is a small town with a handful of restaurants, bakeries and shops (no big name stores). It's known for its surfing, but if you're not a surfer like me you can still enjoy walking along the beaches.

This is where we stayed.

The view from our room.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pasta with French Lentils and Kale
Red and White Tortellini
Pasta with Ruby Chard and Cranberries
Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

Quick Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Serves 2

7 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti (or other pasta shape)
1 medium ripe tomato, cored and roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 large handful fresh basil, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. To a blender, add the tomato, cashews, water, tomato paste and salt. Blend until very smooth.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Pour the sauce from the blender into the pan and bring to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it. Mix the pasta, sauce, black pepper and basil.

Pasta with French Lentils and Kale

I love all the stuff in this pasta dish, but especially the lentils and kale. I didn't expect much of this recipe, but I was looking for a recipe to use up kale so thought I'd try it. And it's actually quite good for such a simple and healthy recipe.

I know I've mentioned before that sometimes when I look back at the food I've photographed for the blog, I can't remember what some of it is. Drives me crazy. It only took me 4 years to figure out a better system! I'm now keeping a notepad file where I write all of my meals to blog about and the date, as I make them. I have no idea what this dish above is. And since it was both not very memorable and doesn't look that appetizing, I guess that's no real loss. My best guess is that it's Thai red curry, from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan and Kale
Spaghetti and Beanballs with Onion & Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta

Pasta with French Lentils and Kale
Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

Serves 4

1 cup French green lentils (or other lentils)
3 cups water
8 oz chunky-shaped whole grain pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups chopped kale
2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
Ground black pepper

1. In a covered saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a simmer. Cook covered until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, cover, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large covered pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking liquid, and drain.

3. While the pasta cooks, in a skillet on medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened. Add the garlic and salt, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, paprika, and red pepper flakes and cook until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and cook until the kale is tender, adding more water if needed. Stir in the thyme and tomatoes and remove from the heat.

4. In a serving bowl, toss together the cooked lentils, the pasta, and the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale and Carrots

I am currently trying to make sure my brain is crammed full of all the information I need to know for my oral certification exam in a couple of weeks. This is no easy feat! I am making up random stories to try and help me remember stuff like how cows don't want to be the only one responsible for E. coli O157:H7 so they invited their ruminant friends (deers, sheeps, goats) to be reservoirs too, along with humans. Yea. Okay I'll stop talking about foodborne illnesses now and move onto food? Can you tell the studying is making my brain wonky. One thing I like to do while studying is have cat photo shoots.

So here is a delicious bowl of rice noodles in a lime peanut sauce with tons of kale, carrots and seitan. I love Asian noodle dishes and love peanut sauces, so you can understand why I really loved this dish. The original recipe called for 2 cups of kale - 2 cups of kale?? How about 5. I like lots of vegetables with my noodles. You know what else I like - nuts in my noodle (or rice) dishes. This one has peanuts but you could use cashews. Oh and can I just say that I love that the recipe instructs you to cut the noodles into shorter lengths. I often do this because everything can mix together more easily and you don't end up with noodles on your face, but this is the first recipe I've seen that actually suggests doing it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Last Minute Sesame Noodles
Vegetarian Pho
Pad Thai

Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale and Carrots
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes 4 servings

250 g wide, flat rice noodles
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp oil
5 cups kale, shredded
1 1/2 cups seitan, cut into strips
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup of peanuts

Begin by boiling water for your rice noodles. While waiting, make the peanut sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, sugar, chili flakes, and ginger powder until combined. Set aside.

Cook the noodles until just softened, then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles down to shorter lengths (run your scissors through the noodles until "chopped" or actually chop the noodles with a knife. Uniformly sized noodles make mixing everything together much easier). Set noodles aside.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the kale and stir until cooked through and browning in some parts. Add the seitan and carrots, and then turn down the heat a bit.

Add the noodles to the pan. Add the sauce. Stir until everything is well combined. Turn off the heat. Add the nuts and serve immediately.

Red and White Tortellini

This baked tortellini dish is a favourite in our family. You spread homemade tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, top it with tortellini in a mushroom parmesan sauce, then sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese and bake. What's not to love about that! This is a great dish if you're having people over, or need something to take to a potluck. Though we made it on a weeknight and enjoyed leftovers the rest of the week!

I know I said I'd post wedding photos ages ago but it's been hard for me to pick which ones to post! For now I'll share one of my favourites.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Chuck's Favourite Mac and Cheese
Portabello Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Peppers & Romano Cheese
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs

Red and White Tortellini
Adapted from The Best of The Best and More

Serves 4-6

Tomato Sauce
1 tsp oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
14 oz. (398 ml) can tomato sauce

12 oz. (340 g.) tortellini, fresh or frozen

Mushroom Parmesan Sauce
1 tbsp butter
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese

To make tomato sauce: Heat oil on medium and saute garlic and onion until tender. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

To make mushroom sauce: Melt butter and saute mushrooms and green onion until tender. Sprinkle with flour and gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to consistency of mushroom soup. Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Add mushroom parmesan sauce to cooked, drained tortellini.

To Serve: Preheat oven to 400F. Spread tomato sauce over bottom of a large shallow casserole. Spoon tortellini mushroom mixture on top leaving a red border of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and additional parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately.

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables

This kung pao sauce is extremely delicious and flavourful, which is no surprise as it comes from my most favourite Rebar cookbook. As you can see in the photo, I used spaghetti for the noodles. Such a silly idea it was. You really need to use fresh Shanghai noodles (or really any fresh Asian noodles would be good) - or even rice. Also, I found there wasn't enough sauce to coat the vegetables and the noodles, so either double the sauce, or start with less noodles than the recipe suggests. I'm a sauce fiend so I'll definitely be making extra next time. Some pan fried tofu would also be a nice addition.

This photo is kind of dark but look at how Abby is holding onto the stick with her little paws!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry
Thai Chick-Un Pizza
Pad Thai
Tofu and Broccolini in Peanut Sauce

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Adapted from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

Kung Pao Sauce
2 tbsp minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp wine
2 tsp sesame oil
1 pod star anise
2 tsp sriracha (hot sauce)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Noodles and Vegetables
1 lb (450 g) fresh Shanghai noodles
2 tbsp oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch broccoli (3 stalks), in florets
6 oz (180 g) snow peas, string and leave whole
5 carrots, 1/2" thick half moon slices
1 small can water chestnuts, drained
1 can baby corn, drained and sliced in half
1 bunch green onions, sliced into 1" lengths
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Begin by making the sauce, which can be done several days in advance. Combine all of the ingredients, except cornstarch, in a pot and gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce. Cook until mixture thickens slightly (10 minutes). Remove the star anise and set the sauce aside, or refrigerate, until ready to use.

2. Before beginning preparation of the vegetables, put a large pot of water on to boil the noodles.

3. Just before starting the stir-fry, begin cooking the noodles and have a colander ready in the sink for draining them. Heat the wok over high heat, swirl in the oil and add the onion. Fry, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the carrots and broccoli; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add the peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, green onions and the sauce. Stir well and cover until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp (about 5 minutes). Serve immediately over hot noodles and garnish with roasted nuts.

Pasta with Ruby Chard and Cranberries

This pasta with ruby chard, cranberries, toasted walnuts, lots of garlic, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese is one of my new favourite things to eat. I've never been one to toast walnuts when a recipe calls for it because I didn't used to think it would make a huge difference. What was I thinking??! The toasted walnuts add something amazing to this dish. It seems like such a simple pasta dish yet is really flavourful and addictive. I might use even less pasta next time (I already reduce it from the original amount) as I love having lots of "stuff" versus pasta.

We just joined an organic vegetable CSA and I have a feeling we'll be getting a lot of greens, so I know I'll be making this pasta many times this summer. We just picked up our first allotment last weekend and I was thrilled to see tons of chard - regular, ruby and yellow. We also got a bunch of kale (delicious in smoothies!), 2 beautiful heads of lettuce, 2 beets, and some seedlings (basils and hot peppers). I planted the hot peppers but didn't have enough soil for the basil, so hopefully they don't die before I can get some more soil to plant them. I'm completely in love with all of the vegetables we received and even enjoyed washing and chopping them. It gave me more time to admire their perfection - especially the precious lettuce. I may be a crazy vegetable person.

Giant bag of greens and beets.


Beets, chard stems, chard, kale and beet greens.


2 heads of lettuce.


The most beautiful little beet leaf there ever was.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Last Minute Sesame Noodles
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs

Pasta with Ruby Chard and Cranberries
Adapted from Eats Well With Others who adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

Serves 4-6

1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 lb whole grain pasta (my favourite is linguine)
2 to 3 bunches ruby or red swiss chard (1.5-2 lb)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it comes to a rapid boil, ladle a few tbsp of it into a bowl. Add the dried cranberries and set aside to soak. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.

2. While the water heats, rinse the chard and remove the bottom 1/2 inch of the stems. Discard. Cut the remaining stems crosswise into 1/2 inch slices and set aside. Chop the leaves. Set aside.

3. While the pasta cooks, warm the oil in a large soup pot on high heat. Add the chard stems and saute for a minute. Add the garlic and the chard leaves and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the chard is limp but the leaves are still bright green, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt. Add a sprinkling of black peper and red pepper flakes to taste.

4. Drain the soaked cranberries. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top with the garlicky chard, plump hot cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Chuck's Favourite Mac and Cheese

From the picture, this looks like it could be some sort of sweet crumbley bar, but it's a slice of macaroni and cheese! I've heard about macaroni and cheese made with cottage cheese but have never tried it. I had some leftover in my fridge (I never buy cottage cheese), so knew it was my opportunity to try it out! I found this super simple recipe that combines cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream with pasta, then is baked with buttery panko on top. It was amazing! Not something I'd make all the time as it's not the healthiest, but we both really enjoyed it. It's good reheated but not as good as when you first make it, so I would half the recipe if you think you'll have a ton of leftovers.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Portabello Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Peppers & Romano Cheese
Audrey's Deluxe Mac & Cheese with Crispy Pine-Nut Herb Crust

Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese
Adapted from MRSO at AllRecipes

8 oz macaroni
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
12 oz small curd cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup panko
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.

In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Last Minute Sesame Noodles

I love cold noodle salads. While this isn't the perfect one, it was really easy to make, had a yummy but mild flavour, and we really enjoyed it. I love all the colourful ingredients - carrots, red cabbage, edamame, red bell pepper. I used whole wheat spaghetti, since that's what we had, but I really think that soba noodles would have improved this dish a ridiculous amount. If you have a good cold noodle salad recipe, please share!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Vegetarian Pho
Pad Thai
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons
Broccoli Pasta Pine Nut Salad

Last Minute Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen (found on Tasty Kitchen)

Servings 6

Next time I would use all sesame oil (and no canola oil) to make the sesame flavour more pronounced.

1 pound Spaghetti, Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Soba Noodles, Quinoa Pasta
1/2 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 bunch Green Onions, Sliced, Divided
1/2 cup Cilantro, Chopped
1 whole Red Pepper, Sliced Thin
1/4 head Red Cabbage, Sliced Thin
2 whole Carrots, Shredded With Vegetable Peeler
1 1/2 cup Shelled Edamame, Cooked
1/2 cup Raw Sesame Seeds

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse under cold water.

To make dressing, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add noodles and vegetables, toss to coat. Top with sesame seeds.

Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

I love trying out different versions of macaroni and cheese so I was excited to hear about this Mediterranean version my classmate had made. It has tomatoes, olives, oregano and feta so how can you go wrong. And of course it was delicious.

The other night I went to a chocolate tasting at a local chocolate shop. I had a coupon for the tasting plus a box of 16 chocolates. In addition to the box of chocolates, I couldn't help but come home with a few unique bars! One of them is made in the shop - blue corn tortilla chips & lime. The other two are made by an Austrian company called zotter. One flavour is peanuts & ketchup, and the other is port wine, celeriac and truffles. How could I not try those?! And there are a ton of other interesting flavours I want to try. Apparently they have a bar with olives in it that's really good.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Audrey's Deluxe Mac & Cheese (with Crispy Pine-Nut Herb Crust
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs
Asparagus and Feta Pasta

Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Everyday Food, April 2010

Serves 6

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I'd use more next time)
8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
8 ounces feta, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Set a large pot of salted water to boil and get out an 8 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, and oregano.

2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions; drain pasta and return to pot. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in 4 ounces feta. Stir in tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over pasta; stir to combine.

3. Pour pasta mixture into dish and top with 4 ounces feta. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese begins to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Pesto and Chickpea Pasta Salad

I know the time for pasta salads has come and gone for most of you, but I always like a good pasta salad. This one has grape tomatoes, chickpeas, bell pepper, olives, pine nuts and a pesto dressing. It's really simple, quick and easy to put together.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there! I've been looking forward to this long weekend full of family, friends and food. I just pulled a pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven, though sadly I wasn't paying enough attention and the edges are a bit too brown but it will still be yummy.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon
French Pasta Salad
Santa Fe Pasta Salad
Greek Barley Salad

Pesto and Chickpea Pasta Salad
Adapted from Bravo! Best of Bridge Cookbook

Dressing
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup basil pesto
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Salad
6 cups pasta (about 12 oz/375 g)
1 lb grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. In a large bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, red pepper, olives and chickpeas. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavours develop. Just before serving, taste the salad for seasoning. Stir in pine nuts.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

I recently picked up some vegetable orzo so when I got it home I started looking for orzo recipes. There are surprisingly not that many! I came across this orzo salad with chickpeas, dill and lemon and it had really good reviews so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm really glad I did because it is seriously so delicious. As much as I love fresh herbs I rarely use them because obviously they're much more expensive, but I bought fresh dill for this and WOW. Fresh dill - I forgot how amazing it was. Absolutely necessary to use fresh dill for this recipe. The recipe calls for feta, which is a yummy addition to the salad, but for me it's optional (and without feta it's vegan). This recipe is best on the first day but is good on subsequent days with an extra squeeze of lemon.

Sleeping Abby.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Broccoli Slaw
French Pasta Salad
Tabbouleh
French Barley Salad

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon
Adapted from Cooking Light, August 2002

Yield 4 servings

1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 cups cooked chickpeas (about 1 can)
5-6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I like it really lemony, this might be too much for some people)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta, onions, cheese, dill, and chickpeas in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.

Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon

I had bought a big tub of ricotta from Costco and had 1 cup left so went searching for ricotta recipes and came across this simple dish. (Stay tuned for what I had originally needed 3 cups of ricotta for!) It's yummy and super easy to prepare, so makes a great weeknight meal. I used asparagus and frozen peas (I looooove frozen peas, I can eat a big bowl of them plain) but feel free to use whatever vegetable you have on hand. I liked the tarragon but if that's not your favourite herb, try a different one.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
French Pasta Salad
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms in Mustard Wine Sauce

Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 4

12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
1 bunch asparagus (about 3 cups), ends broken off, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dried tarragon (not the crushed kind)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ricotta cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than al dente. Add asparagus and peas, and cook 1 minute (or until asparagus is bright green). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables, and return to pot.

Toss pasta and vegetables with butter, tarragon, pepper, salt and ricotta, adding a little reserved pasta water as needed to create a thin sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper as desired.

French Pasta Salad

Hope you guys are all enjoying your last days of summer! I've really enjoyed all the fresh fruit and great produce but I'm looking forward to my favourite season, fall.

I love pasta salads so I thought I'd try out this French pasta salad to bring to my mom's for dinner. It's a pasta salad with asparagus (I'll miss you!), roasted red peppers, toasted hazelnuts, feta, capers, parsley, and an herb Dijon dressing. While it wasn't the perfect salad, I liked it and think it could be really great with some modifications. Less pasta, more asparagus (and/or green beans). More roasted red peppers, parsley, hazelnuts and capers. More Dijon mustard in the dressing. I really like my grain salads and pastas heavy on the vegetables so I usually reduce the amount of grain and up the vegetables, but didn't do that this time.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Tarragon Pecan Asparagus
Mediterranean Pepper Salad
Portobello Salad with Mustard Dressing
Tabbouleh

French Pasta Salad
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

Note: I made this again recently (May 2010) and changed some things - it was much better. I used 3/4 lb pasta, 2 cups of chickpeas (new addition), 2 shallots instead of 1, 2 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp Dijon (was too strong on the first day but good on following days), 1 jar of roasted red peppers, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 3/4 cup walnuts (instead of 1/3 cup hazelnuts), and 2 tbsp capers.

1 pound whole wheat penne or ziti or rotini or fusilli
3 cups asparagus, woody ends broken off and sliced into 1 1/2" pieces

Vinaigrette Dressing
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried basil
1 large shallot, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1 tbsp drained capers
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 lb)

Toast the nuts for about 10 minutes in a 325F oven, then rub them briskly with a towel to remove the skins.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse well with cool water, and set aside to drain again.

Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus in boiling water to cover for about 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain them and run them under cold water, and set aside. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine the pasta, asparagus, and roasted red peppers in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle on the parsley, hazelnuts, and capers and crumbled feta cheese. Toss to combine.

Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Note: If you're making this ahead of time I would wait to put the dressing on because it soaks into the pasta and doesn't seem as strong.

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan

I've made baked seitan before, which was really delicious. But have never tried "regular" seitan. I've never seen it for sale in grocery stores here (except for maybe this really spongey slightly scary looking thing at an Asian grocery store). So I finally made it myself! And it was most exciting. And easy to make. I think I still prefer the baked seitan but this simple boiled seitan is more versatile because it's not really flavoured. While I enjoyed it, I don't think it's something I'd make all the time because I'm just as happy with tofu. I used the seitan in a dish from Vegan with a Vengeance - cold udon noodles with peanut sauce and seitan. Can't go wrong with noodles, peanut sauce and vegetables!

Random Abby photo! I love how her back legs are just splayed open.

I think this recipe is infinitely adaptable. Use tofu or tempeh or some other meat alternative instead of seitan. Use spaghetti, fettucine, or rice noodles instead of udon noodles. I used some kamut udon noodles which were good and I loved that they were made with kamut but they're expensive so I won't get them often. And use whatever your favourite vegetables are or whatever you have in the fridge.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons
Honey-Mustard Marinated Tofu
Sunflower Rice Bowl
Lemon Miso Tofu & Eggplant

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

Next time I think I'd put less maple syrup in the peanut sauce. Isa thinks the temperature of the ingredients is really important (warm seitan, cold noodles & vegetables, room temperature sauce) but personally I'd just eat the whole thing either hot or cold. Either way it'll be good. I chopped the vegetables and put together the plate as suggested but next time I'll chop all the vegetables up rather than into strips, and just mix everything together in a pot (so this is how I've written the recipe). I much prefer a plate of food that's easy to eat! And mixed together so I can get a bite of everything rather than one long piece of red pepper or something.

For the peanut sauce:
2 tsp peanut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
2/3 cup smooth all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp Asian chile sauce or hot sauce

For the seitan:
1 pound seitan (2 cups) sliced into thin (1/4 inch) strips (Recipe below)
2 tsp peanut oil
1 clove garlic
2 tsp soy sauce

To serve:
10 ounces udon noodles
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 long english cucumber, diced
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup green onions, chopped

Make the peanut sauce:
In a small saucepan, saute the garlic and ginger in peanut oil over low-medium heat. Add the water, soy sauce, and coriander and bring to a boil. Add the peanut butter and turn the heat to low. Whisk well until the peanut butter and oil are combined. Mix in the maple syrup, vinegar and chile sauce. Remove from heat. If you want to eat the noodles cold then let the sauce cool, otherwise you can warm the sauce back up later.

For the noodles:
Meanwhile, prepare your udon noodles according to the package directions. Drain them and if you want to eat this dish cold, rinse them with cold water. Let them rest in the colander and prepare the seitan.

Saute the seitan slices in the peanut oil for 5 minutes on each side or until the seitan is browned and yummy. Then saute with the garlic for a minute, sprinkle with the soy sauce, and saute again for 30 seconds or so.

To serve:
Mix the vegetables, noodles, sauce, sesame seeds and seitan together.

Simple Seitan
Adapted from Veganomicon

Makes 1 pound

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated on a microplane grater

Broth
8 cups cold water plus 3 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 4 cups broth plus 4 cups water

Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has been absorbed and the wet ingredients are partially clumped up with the dry ingredients. Use your hands to knead the mixture for about 3 minutes, until the dough is elastic. Divide with a knife into 3 equal pieces and then knead those pieces in your hand just to stretch them out a bit.

Prepare the broth
Fill a stockpot with the water and broth (or bouillon cubes), and add the wheat gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil but watch carefully; you don't want it to boil for very long or the outside of the seitan will be spongy. Try to catch it as soon as it boils and then lower the heat as low as it will go so that it's at a low simmer.

Partially cover the pot so that the steam can escape and let simmer for an hour, turning the seitan occasionally. Turn off the heat and take the lid off; let sit for 15 minutes.

Remove from the broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to handle. It is now ready to be sliced up and used. If you have extra seitan, store in the cooking liquid in a tightly covered container.

Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs

I've always preferred white/cream sauces to red sauces. I like rose sauces (a mix of red and white) but just never found a red sauce that I liked. But then I tried out this recipe and I actually quite like it. It's simple and easy to make, uses basic ingredients and tastes yummy! You don't have to make the crispy garlic crumbs but they are certainly delicious!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta
Pasta with Creamy Spinach Walnut Sauce
Artichoke Rotini Pasta

Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata with Crispy Garlic Crumbs
Adapted from Rebar

1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3/4 tsp salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp red chile flakes, or more to taste
1 cup red wine
28 oz can whole or diced tomatoes (Ashley note: I use diced.)
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
10 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (Ashley note: I think I used about 1 tbsp freeze dried basil?)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
375 g whole wheat spaghetti
Crispy Garlic Crumbs (recipe below)

Heat the saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until a piece of onion sizzles on contact. Saute onion with 1/2 tsp salt for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, bay leaves, chile flakes and saute another 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine and let it reduce until thick and syrupy. Add the fresh and canned tomatoes, basil, pepper and remaining salt. Simmer gently, partially covered, for up to one hour. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil to cook the pasta.

To serve, cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Toss with half of the arrabbiata sauce and transfer toa serving dish. Serve remaining sauce on the side along with grated Parmesan, chopped fresh basil and crispy garlic breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top.

Crispy Garlic Crumbs
1 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs (about 2 pieces of bread)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake in a 325F oven until golden and crispy (about 10 minutes).

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce

This is another successful recipe I've made from New Vegetarian Cuisine. Admittedly the recipe calls for low fat or reduced fat ricotta cheese but I really can't stand low fat cheese. The taste is so muted and bland and I always end up adding more so I may as well just eat the real thing and enjoy it! I modified this recipe to add in extra vegetables (zucchini and asparagus) and less pasta. Which reminds me that I should go buy some more asparagus while it's around - and corn! Mmmm. Oh and I should mention that this is not your typical heavy cream sauce - it's a lighter version made with skim milk and ricotta cheese.

When I saw Abby like this it took a second to realize where her head was.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Black Bean Chilaquile
Spinach Balls

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce
Adapted from New Vegetarian Cuisine

Serves 3-4.

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup skim milk, divided
2 tsp oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 zucchini, sliced into half moons
15 asparagus spears, cut into 1-2" pieces
1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
Salt to taste

1. In a food processor, blend the ricotta, lemon peel, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the oil. Stir in the onions; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the ricotta mixture, spinach, zucchini, asparagus, Parmesan and the remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, Place in a serving bowl. Add the spinach sauce; toss to mix.

Asparagus and Feta Pasta

I think this is the first recipe I'm posting from New Vegetarian Cuisine. I bought this book some time ago but never got around to trying out any recipes. I've started cooking out of it more though and while not all the recipes are keepers, some of them are. And the thing I like about the cookbook is that most of the recipes are healthy, relatively easy to make, and use easy to find ingredients.

This is one of my new favourite dishes, so please don't be put off by the less than stellar photo of it! The "sauce" has so much flavour (and I say "sauce" because it's not really saucey but it does coat the pasta). It's made of a delicious combination of sun dried tomatoes, feta, parsley, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, capers, oregano and pepper. You can easily sub in broccoli or any other vegetable for the asparagus (though asparagus is a favourite of mine so I won't be subbing anything in until asparagus goes out of season!), and you can use whatever pasta you want, though I'd recommend something that can catch this type of sauce well like spaghetti, fettucine or the suggested cavatelli. I'm submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted this week by I'm a Food Blog.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pasta with Creamy Spinach Walnut Sauce
Santa Fe Pasta Salad
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons

My Abby. <3

Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Adapted from New Vegetarian Cuisine

The original recipe calls for more pasta and less asparagus but I like my dishes more heavy on the veggies so I adjusted it as such.

Serves 3-4

10 sun dried tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces feta cheese
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper
9 oz whole wheat spaghetti
20 thin asparagus spears, cut into 2" pieces

1. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and water. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.

2. Transfer the tomatoes to a food processor. Add the parsley and process until coarsely chopped.

3. Crumble the feta into a large serving bowl; drizzle with the vinegar and oil. Sprinkle with the capers, oregano and pepper. Stir in the tomato mixture.

4. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus in the last minute to parboil it. Drain.

5. Transfer the pasta and asparagus to the serving bowl. Toss with the tomato mixture and the rserved tomato soaking liquid; mix well.

Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta

I know this dish may not look that exciting - the colours a bit bland, and maybe the idea of pears with curry kind of strange. But trust me, this dish is delicious. The recipe comes from a cookbook that I think you can easily trust any recipe that comes out of it not to fail, and most likely it will be yummy like this one. I don't think I've ever seen anyone other than me post recipes from these cookbooks though - The Best of Bridge cookbooks. I guess because they're Canadian but these are the kind of cookbooks everybody needs.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms in Mustard Wine Sauce
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons

Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta
Adapted from The Best of the Best and More

My only modifications were to use 1/2 tbsp oil instead of 2 tbsp, and to use extra garlic. I also used ketchup instead of tomato paste to make it easier. If you don't have a ripe pear you can just cook the pear longer to soften it. Oh I also omit the 3 tbsp cilantro. The recipe can easily be vegan by omitting the cream and using some other kind of sweetener than honey.

1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp medium curry paste
1 tsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
2 tbsp honey
2 cups vegetable broth
1 unpeeled ripe pear, sliced in thin wedges
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp cream or milk
Enough pasta for 2

In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry paste and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add broth, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes; now is a good time to start cooking the pasta.)

Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Pour over pasta and toss gently.