You can use any kind of pasta you want. I’d ... [read more]]]>

You can use any kind of pasta you want. I’d probably use fettuccine noodles  if I didn’t have any ho fan.

Anyway, Kemal and I will be making this pasta salad a lot this summer. We loved it so much and were disappointed when we finished the leftovers on the second day. I could have easily eaten it four or five days in a row.

Oh by the way, this sesame pasta salad goes great with Sapporo beer. This Japanese beer is so smooth and has such a wonderful flavor that it’s our favorite beer. We also love Heineken Dark, and Goose Island India Pale Ale.

What about you? What’s your favorite beer?

Easy Sesame Pasta Salad

Recipe Adapted from: eat me, delicious who adapted her recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. ho fan (vermicelli noodles)
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, diced
• 16 baby carrots, finely grated
• 5 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp. mushroom soy sauce
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step One:  Make the Pasta

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the hot water off the pasta.
• Run cold water over the pasta to cool it off; drain the water again.

Step Two:  Wash and Cut the Vegetables

• While the pasta is cooking, peel and dice the garlic.
• Then wash the green onions, zucchini, and red bell pepper.
• Dice the green onions, and then thinly slice the zucchini and pepper.
• Finely grate the carrots.

Step Three:  Make the Dressing

• Mix together the sesame oil, sesame seeds, red wine vinaigrette, soy sauce, red chili flakes, and the minced ginger.
• Set aside on the counter until needed.

Step Four:  Assemble the Pasta Salad

• Put the drained pasta in a large bowl.
• Add the vegetables.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies and stir until all the noodles and vegetables are coated.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of black pepper.
• Serve.

There are times in the summer we just don’t feel like cooking but we still want something to eat that’s big on flavor and nutrition. Pasta salads usually fit the bill. They’re easy to throw together, they’re light, and they’re also quite tasty.

And somehow, mango and mint not only complement each other in terms of ... [read more]]]> There are times in the summer we just don’t feel like cooking but we still want something to eat that’s big on flavor and nutrition. Pasta salads usually fit the bill. They’re easy to throw together, they’re light, and they’re also quite tasty.

And somehow, mango and mint not only complement each other in terms of taste, but the combination is also quite refreshing.

Another perk is you don’t really need to follow a recipe. You just make some pasta, run cold water over it so it can chill down, wash and dice everything else, and then toss it all together with your favorite dressing.

The dressing I made took me about 2 minutes to makes, and it sure did taste great! It’s an Italian dressing called Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing (from The Pioneer Woman). If you haven’t tried Aunt Trish’s dressing, I strongly urge you to do so. It’s wonderful!

Anyway, here’s the list of ingredients I put in my salad. There’s really no need to measure anything. Don’t you just love recipes where there’s no measuring required! I know I do.

Mango Mint Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• cooked pasta
• fresh mangoes, cut
• fresh mint, finely chopped
• onions, diced
• tomatoes, diced
• red bell pepper, diced
• fresh spinach, diced
• zucchini, diced
• garlic cloves, diced
• Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing (from The Pioneer Woman)

I love minestrone.

It tastes wonderful and it’s also easy to make. The other nice thing about minestrone is that it’s full all kinds of good veggies and beans. The recipe is also quite flexible. If you have spinach on-hand, you can add some in. You can use any kind of pasta you want, and if ... [read more]]]> I love minestrone.

It tastes wonderful and it’s also easy to make. The other nice thing about minestrone is that it’s full all kinds of good veggies and beans. The recipe is also quite flexible. If you have spinach on-hand, you can add some in. You can use any kind of pasta you want, and if you’re watching your carbs, you can decrease the amount of pasta or just not use any.

So what does minestrone have to do with Pilates and yoga? Well…nothing. But I wanted to know if y’all have ever done Yoga or Pilates, and if so, did you find that you worked a lot of muscles you didn’t ordinarily work? I ask this because I’ve found that to be the case with me.

I bought this Pilates DVD…decided to try it and see what it was all about. I kind of figured it wouldn’t be much of a workout because I work out four to five times a week already, and I feel pretty fit.

Let me tell you that I was shocked at just how challenging and difficult a Pilates work-out is (I do about a 1-hour workout.) Some of those exercises were really hard, and I felt the burn immediately. I was surprised again when my body started hurting me several hours after the work-out. My muscles really ached. The job I do is very physical, and I’m a very active person, so this really surprised me.  Just goes to show I’m not as fit as I thought.

I’m just curious if any of y’all have had a similar experience with Pilates. If so, how long did it take before you could do the work-out without your muscles aching for hours afterward? I’ve done my Pilates work-out three times now, and the third time has been my best experience. I didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the other two times. So I’m gonna keep at it for a while, and we’ll see how it goes.

As for yoga…I tried it once and never again. I don’t know how y’all do it. It hurt me me a whole lot worse than Pilates. I don’t know why it would hurt so much since I work out and am active. Maybe I’m doing it wrong? What has been your experience with yoga?

Anyway, I’m gonna do my regular workout tonight and then I’m skippin’ my Pilates workout tomorrow morning. I need a little break.

In the meantime,  here’s how I make my minestrone.

Minestrone

Inspired by: the minestrone I’ve purchased at Whole Foods and Olive Garden.  I don’t know either of their recipes, but I just tried to use similar ingredients that they use.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup dry pasta (I used fusilli)
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 40 baby carrots
• 1 medium zucchini
• 5 green onions
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 12 garlic cloves
• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/2 qts. water
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• basil to taste
• oregano to taste
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• Optional: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Step One: Peel and slice garlic and yellow onions. Wash and finely chop carrots and green onions. Wash and slice zucchini.

Step Two: Fry garlic, onions,zucchini, carrots in 4 tbsp of olive oil.

Step Three: Cook lentils and pasta together in a large pot with about  2 1/2  quarts of water. Stir in the oil, salt, bouillon cube. Stir occasionally.

Step Four: When the pasta is cooked but still firm (al dente), reduce the heat to simmer, and then add the garbanzo beans, and tomato paste to the pasta. Do not drain the water.

Step Five: Stir in the fried vegetables, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like.

I love all kinds of salads, especially when the weather warms up. I find them refreshing, love the pretty colors, and most importantly, love how delicious they are.

I also like how easy they are to make and that I don’t have to measure anything or follow a recipe. I like not knowing exactly what’s gonna ... [read more]]]> I love all kinds of salads, especially when the weather warms up. I find them refreshing, love the pretty colors, and most importantly, love how delicious they are.

I also like how easy they are to make and that I don’t have to measure anything or follow a recipe. I like not knowing exactly what’s gonna be in my salad and surprising myself when it’s all said and done.

I can just get in the kitchen, start chopping and dicing, as well as throw in a little of this and a little of that to see what I end up with. It’s fun! Are you the same way when it comes to making salads?

Anyway, here a couple of the salads I made recently. Both are quite tasty, and you can enjoy them either as a meal or they can be made to accompany a main dish.

Pasta Salad with Mango Cucumber Dressing

Instructions:

• pasta (I used tri-color fusilli)
• water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• cherry tomatoes
• 1 green onion
• feta cheese
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Greek seasoning
• mango cucumber dressing (I just used some of the cold mango cucumber soup that I had leftover. Click here for the recipe.)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: Add some diced cucumber and mango to the salad. I wanted to, but I didn’t have any cucumbers or mangoes in the fridge.)

Instructions:

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta.
• Run cold water on the pasta to chill it down, and then let the water drain off it.
• Wash the green onion and cherry tomatoes, then dice them up.
• Grate the Parmesan cheese.
• Toss together the chilled pasta, diced tomatoes and onions, Parmesan cheese, and some crumbled feta cheese.
• Stir in some mango cucumber dressing so it coats all the noodles.
• Sprinkle with Greek seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss, cover, and chill until ready to serve.
• Optional: Add a little more freshly grated Parmesan cheese when you’re ready to serve it.

Broccoli Salad

Inspired by: a post I saw somewhere on the web. It was a broccoli salad with cabbage, and I can’t remember what else was in it. I’ve looked and looked but can’t find it so I can link to it.

Ingredients:

• broccoli
• baby carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Wash the broccoli, and then cut it up into very tiny pieces.
• Wash and dice the tomatoes.
• Chop the carrots into small pieces.
• Mix all the vegetables together, and then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice (however much you like).
• Stir, and then add salt and pepper to taste.

If you’re like me, you oftentimes decide what to have for dinner based on whatever leftovers you have in your fridge.That’s what I did last night.

I happened to have a little sour cream, yogurt, and feta cheese that needed to be used up, as well as some roasted garlic, one zucchini, one orange bell pepper, ... [read more]]]> If you’re like me, you oftentimes decide what to have for dinner based on whatever leftovers you have in your fridge.That’s what I did last night.

I happened to have a little sour cream, yogurt, and feta cheese that needed to be used up, as well as some roasted garlic, one zucchini, one orange bell pepper, and some baby spinach leaves. So I made a baked pasta casserole and used everything up. Perfect!

The casserole turned out great, and it was very easy to make. Here’s a picture of the front:

And here’s a picture of the back side.

It does make quite a bit though…about 8 large pieces…and that’s good for us because we’ll have leftovers waiting for us when we get home from work. Cool!

One thing to keep in mind if you make this is that I thought the casserole was a little bland. So did Kemal. I didn’t add a lot of salt and Greek seasoning because the feta cheese and Parmesan cheese are both salty. Turns out I could have added a bit more. So keep that in mind if you make it.

But we just added more Greek seasoning and pepper to our slices after warming them up, so it turned out fine.

Baked Orzo Casserole with Spinach, Cheese, and Veggies

Recipe Adapted from: Jil @ Big City, Lil’ Kitchen who got this recipe from her mom. Her mom  got the recipe from a friend who adapted it from the recipe she saw in The Boston Globe. The recipe in the Boston Globe was adapted from a 1967 edition of The Joy of Cooking.

Here’s the pasta Kemal made for us last ... [read more]]]> What about you? Do you like having leftovers?

Here’s the pasta Kemal made for us last night. It was wonderful!!!

Asparagus and Italian Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 Italian sausage links  (we used chicken sausage)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 4 large tomatoes, diced
• 8 oz. dried pasta (I used tri-color fusilli)
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1/4 cup + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 quarts water
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing the top of the pasta

Instructions:

Step One:  Prep Work

• Wash and dice the tomatoes.
• Peel and dice the onions.
• Wash and slice the zucchini.
• Wash the asparagus and then cut off the the bottoms of the stalks (I usually cut 1 1/2 inches off the bottom) because this part is tough and not very tasty.
• Grate the Parmesan cheese and then refrigerate it until you need it.
• Cut the sausage patties/links into bite-sized pieces.

Step Two:  Cook the Sausage and Vegetables

• Fry the sausage  in 1/4 cup of hot olive oil (between medium and medium high heat).
• When the sausage is about halfway done, add the onions and fry for a few minutes.
• Then add the zucchini and asparagus, cooking until the sausage is done and the vegetables are soft but still a little firm.
• Stir in the chili powder and black pepper, and then add the diced tomatoes, cooking just for a few minutes so the tomatoes can get warm.
• Then cover the sausages and vegetables with a lid so they’ll stay warm, and set them aside.

Step Three:  Cook the Pasta

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta.

Step Four:  Assemble the Pasta

• Place the pasta in a large bowl or on a large serving dish.
• Pour Italian sausage and vegetable mix on top of the pasta.
• If you want, you can decorate the outside of the pasta with some of the asparagus tips.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

We had vegetarian spring rolls and steamed vegetarian dumplings as our appetizers. For our entrees, we each had Pho Tai which is Vietnamese noodle soup. We had ours with beef, and it was served ... [read more]]]> Lemongrass Restaurant in Middletown, Kentucky.

We had vegetarian spring rolls and steamed vegetarian dumplings as our appetizers. For our entrees, we each had Pho Tai which is Vietnamese noodle soup. We had ours with beef, and it was served with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, and lime. Click here to learn more about pho tai and to see a few photos.

The food was all incredibly satisfying and delicious, but neither one of us was able to finish all our soup. Had we known it was going to be such a big bowl, we wouldn’t have ordered two appetizers. It was fun picking up the noodles and beef out of the soup with my chopsticks! Once Kemal showed me the trick to eating with them, I did really well. It’s pretty easy. Anyway, I can’t wait to explore more on the menu and enjoy another one of Vietnamese beers.

For my birthday dinner, I wanted something light and simple since I ate a bigger lunch.   Kemal and I made a little pasta salad that was inspired by a recipe I saw in my Greek cookbook.

While it’s based on a Greek recipe though, we changed it so it’s not really a Greek dish any longer. And while it’s made with pasta, it’s not an Italian dish. It seems like a cross between Mediterranean and Indian.

It’s full of flavor yet it’s simple and delicious. It’s also very quick and easy to make and can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Eggplant Cauliflower Pasta Salad

Recipe Adapted from: “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking” by Rena Salaman & Jan Cutler, page 216, (Grilled Aubergine and Couscous Salad), Anness Publishing Ltd., 2005, 2008

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried pastina
• 4 baby eggplants, peeled and finely diced
• 8 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 head of a medium cauliflower with the florets diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried mint
• 1 tsp. sumac
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. dry pomegranate powder (also called anardana powder)

Note: You could substitute fresh pomegranate seeds instead of pomegranate powder if you like. We purchased the powder at a local Indian grocery store. You can also easily make it yourself if you like, although it does time a bit of time for the seeds to dry. If you’re interesting in making the powder yourself, click here at ehow.com to learn how.

Instructions:

• In a medium pot over high heat, bring 1 quart of water to boil.
• After the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the pastina, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook until the pasta becomes soft yet still a little firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta (I used a sieve) and then run cold water over the pastina so it can chill down. Set aside.
• Peel and dice the garlic and into finely dice the garlic.
• Peel and dice the eggplant.
• Wash the cauliflower, and then dice up about half of the florets.
• Wash and chop the parsley.
• Pour 1/2 cup olive oil into a large frying pan and let it heat up (over medium heat) for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the diced vegetables, and then stir in the herbs and seasonings.
• Cook over medium heat until the vegetables become soft and tender, stirring frequently
• Stir in the can of tomatoes.
• Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Then stir in the pastina.
• Remove it from the heat and serve warm or cold.

I love pasta so much.

I could eat it every day!

It’s not my fault…

I’m half Italian and it’s just my way.

It’s in my blood to love pasta…

and to wear garlic as a perfume.

It’s in my genes to cook with love,

and there’s not a cheese I won’t consume.

I can’t ... [read more]]]>

I love pasta so much.

I could eat it every day!

It’s not my fault…

I’m half Italian and it’s just my way.

It’s in my blood to love pasta…

and to wear garlic as a perfume.

It’s in my genes to cook with love,

and there’s not a cheese I won’t consume.

I can’t help it that

I love pasta so much

and that I eat it nearly every day!

I’m part Italian…what else can I say?

Sausage Green Bean Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• 5 sausage patties/links (we used chicken apple sausages)
• 8 oz. green beans
• 8 oz. dried pasta (we used tri-color fusilli)
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 16 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese + extra for sprinkling on the pasta when it’s done
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pkg. pesto seasoning mix
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 tsp. salt

Step One:  Prep Work

• Peel the garlic.
• Wash the tomatoes, and then cut them in half.
• If you’re using fresh green beans, wash them and snip off the ends. If you’re using frozen or canned green beans you can skip this step.
• Grate the Parmesan cheese and then refrigerate it until you need it.
• Cut the sausage patties/links into bite-sized pieces.

Step Two:  Cooking the Sausage and Vegetables

• Fry the sausage patties and garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• When the sausage is done, add the green beans, chili flakes, and chili powder, cooking the beans  until they’re tender but still firm.
• Add the tomatoes to the mixture, frying just until they become warm.
• Drain the oil off the sausages and vegetables, and save the oil for a little later.
• Then cover the sausages and vegetables with a lid so they’ll stay warm, and set them aside.

Step Three:  Making the Pesto Sauce

• Mix together in a medium-sized sauce pan the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, feta, cheese and milk.
• Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce gets warm.
• Then reduce the heat to low and stir in the pesto seasoning mix which will make the sauce thicken up. Here’s what the consistency should look like:

• Turn the heat off and cover the sauce with a lid to keep in warm.

Step Four:  Cooking the Pasta

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and some of the olive oil that you set aside, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta.

Step Four:  Putting it all Together

• Place the pasta in a large bowl.
• Stir in the sausages and vegetables.
• Mix in the pesto sauce.
• Serve with a little Parmesan cheese on top.

The sweet peppers and tomatoes combined with the roasted garlic, rosemary, and aromatic sweet basil is a pasta lover’s heaven, and the butter sauce enhances the flavors instead of ... [read more]]]>

The sweet peppers and tomatoes combined with the roasted garlic, rosemary, and aromatic sweet basil is a pasta lover’s heaven, and the butter sauce enhances the flavors instead of covering them up. The freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top is the icing on the cake!

Foccacia or rosemary bread is will go perfectly with this scrumptious meal.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Adapted from: Recipe Adapted from: “Simply Pasta and Italian” by Parragon Publishing, Queen Street House, 4 Queen Street, Bath, BAI, IHE, UK. Published in 2001. The recipe (“roasted tomato farfalle”) was found on page 293.