Creamy Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

What's your definition of a perfect dinner? Mine usually involves a lean protein and lots of fresh vegetables, carefully prepared and beautifully presented. However, there's no denying my pasta cravings, which kick in more often than I'd like. After spotting a recipe for Herbed Ricotta Pasta with Corn and Zucchini in Everyday Food, my pasta craving couldn't be ignored any longer.

I switched things up a bit by using goat cheese in place of the ricotta. I'd choose goat's tangy flavor to boring ricotta any day. I also decided to make it easy (and flavorful) and grill both the corn and the zucchini. I loved every creamy, starchy bite of this bowl of pasta - I hope you do, too.

Here's my version of the recipe:

Creamy Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

Serves 4

2 large zucchini, ends trimmed and quartered lengthwise
3 ears of corn, shucked
drizzle Wegman's basting oil (or olive oil)
salt and pepper
10 - 14 ounces campanelle pasta
1 container Chavrie soft goat cheese
fresh basil, chopped
grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Toss zucchini and corn with oil, salt and pepper.

Grill vegetables over medium heat for a few minutes each side, or until lightly charred. When cool enough to handle, chop zucchini into large bite-size pieces and cut the corn off the cobs.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed and drain, reserving at least 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.

In a bowl, whisk together the pasta cooking water and the goat cheese. Add the cooked pasta and vegetables. Toss to combine. Add basil. Taste and add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Find the original recipe on page 78 of the June 2012 issue of Everyday Food

Fajitas!

Whenever I see fajitas on a menu, I order them. It's a safe choice for someone (me) who doesn't like to quiz the server about every ingredient in a dish. Actually, I don't mind quizzing the server, but my husband has to take a deep breath and go to his happy place when I start my order.

Server: "Do you know what you'd like?"

Me: "Can you describe the specials again?"

Server describes the specials.

Me: "Hmmm. What do you recommend?"

Server: "The (gross fried cheesy dish) is AWESOME!"

Me: "I'd like something healthier...."

Dear Husband shares a sympathetic look with server, who then recommends something I don't want.

Me: "Hmm. You know what, I'll have the chicken fajitas."

Fajitas are a safe dish because they are deconstructed -- all the parts are separate, so you can decide what to put on your dish. I 86 the dairy (sour cream and cheese) and focus on the protein and vegetables, and I'm a happy camper. And so are DH and the server.

Making fajitas at home is actually easier than going to a restaurant with me. Don't tell my husband!

Chicken and Steak Fajitas

Serves 4 - 8

1 pound flank steak
1 pound chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion -- cut in strips
1 green bell pepper -- cut in strips
1 red bell pepper -- cut in strips
pinch Penzey's southwest seasoning
8 fajita tortillas
Optional toppings: reduced-fat sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, guacamole or avocado, wedges of lime

Combine coriander, cumin, chili powder and a pinch of salt and pepper and rub onto both sides of meat and chicken. Drizzle with 2 T. olive oil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Place onion and peppers on baking sheet and toss with remaining 2 T. olive oil. Season with southwest seasoning. Roast in 425 oven for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are getting charred around the edges. Set aside.

Preheat grill to medium. Grill steak and chicken for 4 - 6 minutes on each side or until done to your liking. Let meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Divide onions and peppers in half. Toss half with the chicken and half with the steak.

Serve the chicken and steak fajitas along with any toppings you like.

STEAK FAJITAS

Sauteed Kale with Carrots and Walnuts

After scoring a case (that's 18 bunches) of kale yesterday for $12, I got busy making some of our favorite kale dishes. After washing and stemming a bit of it, I decided to roast some kale and make this tried-and-true side dish with another. Now what to do with the remaining 16 bunches...

Stir-Fried Kale with Carrots and Walnuts

Serves 3 - 4

Adapted from Greens, Glorious Greens

handful of chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 bunch kale, washed and stemmed, coarsely chopped
optional: chopped ginger and garlic to taste
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 handfuls of chopped or shredded carrots
2 - 4 Tablespoons water or broth
coarse sea salt

In a large skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat for a minute or so, until they begin to darken slightly and have a toasty aroma. Remove the nuts from the skillet and set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in the same skillet. Add the ginger and garlic (if using) and saute for 10 - 20 seconds, until fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and carrots and saute for 1 minute.

Finally, add the chopped kale to the skillet and toss to coat with the oil. Cover and cook for 30 seconds. Uncover, toss again, and cover again. Let cook another minute or so. Uncover again. If the kale seems to be too dry, or is in danger of burning, add a bit of water or broth. By now, the kale should be tender and bright green. You can set it aside, covered, while you prepare the rest of dinner, or dig in now.

Before serving, sprinkle the walnuts on top and season the kale with coarse sea salt.

(Three of us ate the entire batch with dinner last night. Picky Teenage son abstained. Can you imagine?)

NYC

That's us - me and my husband Steve, in NYC!

I promised an update on our Clean Eating, and I had a bit of a challenge this past week, as I traveled to New York for the Edgar Awards (my husband's book was nominated for "Best First Novel"). I was prepared in that I packed some shelf-stable healthy snacks such as almonds, dry cereal, bananas, peanut butter and grape tomatoes. I also carried an insulated lunch bag down with me that had my lunch, fruit and cheese in it.

In a nutshell, it was very easy to maintain my clean eating while I traveled, because I could carry food and drinks with me and I was in Manhattan, which is a very forward-thinking place when it comes to healthy food choices.

Breakfast turned out to be easy. Our hotel offered oatmeal as well as hard-boiled eggs and fruit at breakfast - I was delighted. My delight turned to angst when I saw the breakfast bill - about $90 for both of us! The second morning, I ate from my larder - an Ezekial English muffin, some peanut butter and a Svelte protein drink. It worked for me, and was about $87 less expensive than the day before. Unfortunately, my husband got two Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast. And was proud of it. Sigh.

We only had one lunch in New York, and we chose Pret a Manger, a restaurant we were familiar with from traveling in Europe. Lentil soup, a salad with chicken and avocado, and a liter of water hit the spot.

We had two dinners; one was at a terrific restaurant called Novita. The salads were large and fresh, and the seafood was perfectly prepared. The second dinner was at the banquet; I opted for the vegetarian plate rather than the short rib Wellington, which was a perfect choice for me.

The most amazing thing about eating so well was how much energy I had during the trip, and how I felt about myself. I swear my skin and hair do look better than they did a couple of weeks ago, and I credit clean eating.

Now that I'm home, I'll work to get the family back on track. Tonight I made fillet of sole, pasta with marinara sauce, and steamed asparagus and cauliflower for dinner. Tomorrow my daughter and I will go for a run in preparation for the 5K we are running on May 5, and make a stop at Whole Foods for a few provisions. It's good to be back, and feeling great.

Eating Clean

Although I am supposedly the "expert" when it comes to cooking, occasionally I get inspiration from my clients. Two of my clients are into eating clean. One is a busy mother of three who eats clean when she can. She flagged a few recipes in Clean Eating magazine for me to make for her, and they were good. This was my introduction to the term "clean eating/eating clean."

My other clean-eating client is a serious body builder who's all muscle. He doesn't touch gluten, alcohol or fatty meats. My assistant and I have been making most of his meals for the past few months, and he recently told me we've changed his life. His headaches are gone, his body fat is down, and his strength is soaring. Wow!

After hearing that, I decided to do a little more research into the topic, and what I've read makes a lot of sense.

The basic advice*:

1. Drink lots of water (8 cups or more per day)

2. Eat whole foods (fresh fruit, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains).

3. Eat sensible/small portions of these foods every few hours.

4. Include healthy fats in your meals.

5. Avoid white flour, white sugar, artificial sweeteners, over-processed, preservative-laden foods and other "junk food."

6. Avoid or limit alcohol.

* adapted from The Eat Clean Diet, Recharged by Tosca Reno

According to the proponents of this way of eating (as well as a couple of personal trainers I know), 75% - 80% of your appearance is directly related to what you put into your body. The remaining 20% - 25% is genetics and exercise. Think about it. You can look and feel better just by drinking more water, cutting out processed foods and being a little more mindful of what you buy and eat. I'm in!

The bowlful of berries was part of my attempt to encourage my family to eat better. Rather than buy the berries and let them sit in the fruit drawer until someone discovered them, I washed and dried them and put them in a bowl. Guess what? They were gone within hours. We all had them for dessert last night, and today my son told me he snuck down during the night for a second helping. My husband scarfed the remainder with his Greek yogurt at breakfast.

Are you a clean eater? Tell me about it, and I'll keep you posted on how we're doing.

Hash Brown Vegetable Quiche

I've prepared many a quiche for my family (and a couple of my clients as well), but I don't ever eat it because it's usually loaded with cream and cheese, two ingredients that don't agree with me. I stumbled upon a recipe without cream in a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, and knew I could adapt it for my lactose-free lifestyle. I've also been curious about using shredded potatoes as a quiche crust - not a new idea, but one I'd never tried. So I took both ideas and created one very tasty quiche!

Notes about serving and making: I would happily eat this any time of the day (as a matter of fact, I have); it reheats wonderfully in the oven or the microwave. Any combination of lightly sauteed or steamed vegetables would work in this. Next time I'm going to try broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes. If you are not dairy-free, ignore my notes about dairy- and lactose-free cheeses and use whatever kind you like.

Hash Brown Vegetable Quiche
Makes 1 quiche

1 bag of Alexia frozen shredded hashed brown potatoes, thawed
4 T. Earth Balance or butter, melted
2 t. oil - coconut or olive recommended
1 small onion, peeled, halved and sliced very thin
1 small bulb fennel, top and bottom trimmed, sliced very thin
salt and pepper to taste
1 small jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and chopped
a pinch of dried basil (fresh would be even better!)
6 large eggs
1 cup Lactaid cottage cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar, dairy-free if need be
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a deep pie dish.

2. In a large bowl, combine the hash browns with the melted butter. Press into the prepared pie dish to form a crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the edges are brown and crispy and the center is beginning to get light brown. Remove from oven and reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

3. While the crust is baking, heat the oil in a medium saute pan. Saute the onion and fennel until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the roasted red peppers and basil. Set aside to cool a bit.

4. Also while the crust is baking, combine the eggs, all cheeses, and salt and pepper in a blender. Mix until smooth.

5. When the crust is done cooking, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. (I know I said that twice. It's important.)

6. Pour the sauteed vegetable mixture into the crust and spread it around so it covers the bottom of the crust. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the vegetables. Bake (at 350!) for 35 - 45 minutes, or until eggs are completely set in the middle (no jiggling) and top is nice and light brown.

7. Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Slow Cooked Peanutty Chicken

After getting home from a monster cook date (six different entrees, six servings of each, plus side dishes), I was short on both cooking mojo and time before I had to pick up the kids at school. What I did have was a package of chicken breasts, a hankering for peanut butter, and my trusty slow cooker.

If you've ever read this blog before, you'll know that my slow cooker is actually a fast cooker. Aside from the fact that it cooks everything in half the time it should, I love the slow cooker because it's pretty hands off, which is great when you have to drive 30 minutes each way to get your kids, or are sick of standing at the stove all day and it's not even dinner time yet. Guilty on both counts.

Because of my experience with this "slow" cooker, I knew for a fact that my boneless breasts would be cooked within 2 1/2 hours. Even 5 minutes longer turns them into dry, dusty throat-cloggers. Your crock pot/slow cooker may be different; all I can suggest is that you use it (a lot) until you figure out exactly what timing works for you.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled, and will fill the crockpot better if it is. If you don't have/can't find ginger and garlic in the tubes, substitute about 1 T. of fresh ginger and garlic for each "squeeze" I call for.

Slow Cooked Peanutty Chicken
Serves 3 - 4

nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 T. low-sodium tamari (soy) sauce
1 squeeze of fresh ginger from the tube
1 squeeze of garlic from the tube
1 squeeze of Sriracha or other hot sauce (or crushed red pepper flakes)
about 1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Spray the crockpot with nonstick spray. Turn to LOW.

Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, hot sauce and broth in the crockpot and whisk to combine. Place the chicken breasts in the pot and use a spatula to coat them with the sauce. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours (or longer), or until chicken is cooked through. You will definitely have to stir this once or twice while cooking to make sure the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the crock pot, if yours is as hot as mine. :)

Serve with wedge of lime, a grain (I went with quinoa) and vegetable (I went with baby spinach, julienned and stirred into the quinoa) for a very delicious dinner.