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Cruciferous Pasta

January 30, 2017

Cruciferous Pasta 1

Cruciferous Pasta
(AKA FFD – you can ask my family what that means)

I get a lot of questions about my diet. The top questions are:

  • What I eat
  • Why I eat that way
  • If I can eat whatever I want
  • And of course the protein question

Cruciferous Pasta 2

I received my Bon Appetit magazine in the mail last week, and the launch of their new series helped me define how I eat. If I were to describe my diet in one word it would be “healthyish.” I really do love fruits and vegetables, they’re some of my favorite foods! But if someone put a few doughnuts in front of me, I could polish them off.

Cruciferous Pasta 3My cravings often change with the weather. In the summers I could have salads, smoothies, and Sauvignon blanc and be so happy. In the winter, it’s a little more challenging to get in those veggies. I want to eat oatmeal for breakfast, toast with almond butter and jam for lunch, pasta for dinner, and clementines all day long. I don’t do that, but some days I want to!

Cruciferous Pasta 4

That’s why this recipe is a perfect balance for those cold winter months. It’s not the healthiest recipe (there’s A LOT of oil in it), but I’m an advocate for adding the good in and not stressing over the not so good things. I can still eat pasta for dinner while getting in a bunch of veggies. While we’re on the topic of good foods and bad foods – I hate to label foods in that way. Oil is definitely not “bad for you”, but too much of a good thing is, well, too much! Remember when the kale obsession began? People were eating it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even putting it in their GD margaritas! Some people ended up messing up their thyroid.

As Oscar Wilde said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

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Cruciferous Pasta
Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
¾ a cup of extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 medium yellow onion, sauté slice
2 cups of brussel sprouts, sliced in half
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium crown of broccoli, cut into small florets
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 whole cloves of garlic
1 ½ teaspoons of salt, separated
½ teaspoon of ground pepper
1 pound of pasta – I prefer fusilli
Optional – red pepper flakes and shaved parmesan for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° and prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss the onion, brussel sprouts and cauliflower in ¼ cup of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. Spread the vegetables out evenly on the baking sheet and top with garlic gloves and thyme. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway.
  2. In the large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli florets in ¼ cup of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. Add the broccoli to the baking sheet with the brussel sprouts and cauliflower, bake for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are crispy. When the vegetables are done, remove the thyme and garlic cloves (or keep the garlic in there if that’s you deal, I know it’s mine).
    Note: In the remaining 5 minutes top the vegetable tray with about ¼ cup of parmesan, if you’re using it.
  3. While vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to the directions. When the pasta is finished add it to a large bowl and stir in the remaining oil and salt. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl of pasta and toss well.
  4. Garnish with red pepper flakes or shaved parmesan. Add salt, pepper, and oil depending on your tastes.

Question: What are your go to healthyish recipes?

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Dinner Gluten Free Recipes Soup Vegan Vegetarian

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

December 5, 2016

  butternut-squash-soup-final Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
(AKA Sunny Day Soup)

Des Moines has been gray. People didn’t tell me about this. I heard about the cold, but I didn’t know about the gray. I’ve lived in Ireland and this gray doesn’t compare. Then again, I was clouded with Guinness and cheese, so who really knows.

butternut-squash-half

When gray days got me down in the past, I used to watch a clip from a popular 80s show where the kids put on a show for their parents’ anniversary, lip syncing Ray Charles’ “Night Time is the Right Time.” If you’re able to figure out the show, you’ll know why I can’t watch it anymore.

butternut-squash-prep

In fairness, New York got pretty gray at times. I learned some ways to help boost my mood. They’re nothing groundbreaking, but they help me and I hope they help you too:

  • Spend time outside every single day – take your sunglasses off and take in the sunshine, even if it’s behind a cloud – absorb that Vitamin D!
  • Get exercise – I make a point to exercise at least 4 days a week. It’s a non-negotiable for me. It’s so much more to me than keeping fit. I am miserable to be around without getting some sort of physical activity.
  • Meet a friend for coffee – It’s hard for me to be blue around my friends, coffee, and croissants.
  • Get a therapy lamp – Okay, I haven’t tried it myself, but some people love it and I’m thinking about getting one.
  • Talk about it – with a friend, partner, sibling, therapist, or parent. It’s not complaining, it’s just asking for a little support.
  • Cook for someone – cooking for people brings me so much joy.

Now I also have this soup to help with the grayness. When I studied at NGI they had a full day of soup making that was life changing. (Yes, I went that far and I’m not taking it back.) It was called “Creamy Soup Practicum,” and we didn’t use a drop of cream. We used several different methods, such as potato, oats, and butter. I thought the butter version was the best, but you really don’t need it. It certainly adds an element of richness, but it’s still delicious without the butter.

Butternut Squash Cooking

 

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
(Method adapted from NGI)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ of 1 medium butternut squash, large dice (about 4 cups)
1-2 teaspoons of curry powder (I like Frontier)
½ teaspoon of turmeric
¼-½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of cold butter (optional)
Salt

Directions:

  1. Heat a medium size pot (4 quarts) on a medium flame. Add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally so they onions don’t stick or brown.
  2. Add the squash, spices, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot with a lid, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
  3. Add stock, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Scoop the soup into a high-speed blender with a ladle (you may need to do this in 2 parts). Blend on high for at least a minute, adding the optional butter while it’s running.
  5. Garnish with spiced chickpeas.

 

Curry Spiced Chickpeas
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas, dried on a paper towel
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon of salt, separated
1 teaspoon of curry powder
½ teaspoon of turmeric

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. On the baking sheet, toss the chickpeas in the olive oil, spices, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
  3. Bake for 5 minutes, give the pan a shake and bake for another 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, allow to cool.

butternut-squash-soup

Question: What are some ways you combat winter grayness?

 

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