Golden Grains Pot Sized Pasta Use your noodle

The folks over at Golden Grain Pasta sent me a sample of their new pot-sized pasta and asked me to play around with it to see what I could come up with.  The logic behind pot-sized pasta is that we spend time breaking long noodles before cooking so that they cook and they arent poking out from the pot when youre cooking them.  Pot sized pasta eliminates the need for the breaking, and the subsequent tiny bits of pasta that go flying around your stove and the floor.  I have to say, cooking with the pot-sized pasta, after so many decades of breaking my pasta was really odd, because I just dumped it in and gave it a stir, much the same way I cook other shapes of pasta.  It cooked up the same, looked the same, and was merely shorter in length, and therefore more convenient to cook.  I found it worked excellently in my Pseudo Chicken Chow Mein dish.

Pseudo Chicken Chow Mein
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti or linguine noodles
? cup chicken stock
¼ cup soy sauce (I use the kikkoman low sodium)
3 tablespoons Chinese oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is my favorite)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sambal (Chinese chile sauce)
1 to 1¼ lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
¼ cup vegetable oil (you’ll probably not use all of it)
1 ½  tablespoons freshly minced ginger
1 ½  tablespoons freshly chopped garlic
8 bunches of bok choy, washed, and then pulled apart into individual leaves
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Method
Cook pasta according to package directions, about a minute less than it asks for.  (9 minute pasta, cook for only 8 minutes.)  Drain, and set aside.

In a small bowl, or measuring cup, mix together chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sambal.  Set aside until needed.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat.  Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, until golden and fully cooked, about 7 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant.  Add cooked noodles and bok choy and begin tossing so that noodles get coated with oil and bokchoy begins to cook, another 2 minutes.  Stir in sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is absorbed and noodles are evenly coated, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle scallions on top and give it one final toss.

Serve right away (although the cold leftovers are also pretty good.)

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Thanks Golden Grain for this fantastic new pasta length!

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Pasta with Sausage Broccolini and Garlic A Year Supply of Pasta Giveaway!

The folks over at Golden Grain Pasta generously offered to send me 8 boxes of their new Hidden Veggie Pasta, and also offered to sponsor a giveaway of years supply of pasta (2 boxes of pasta a month -24 boxes total) for one lucky reader!  I couldnt turn down such an opportunity to try pasta, which is one of Familys absolute favorite meals, so I asked them to send me my sample!

Although the pasta does have some vegetables in it (carrots and squash), it isnt enough for me in terms of providing my family an adequate mix of protein, vegetables, and starch.  Time is always short in my house so I wanted to make a one pot pasta.  I decided to make one that used the vegetables that are dark green, broccolini, with some yummy Italian sausage and garlic.  The end result was a meal that everyone enjoyed and gobbled down.  The recipe has a dairy free option, which uses more chicken stock, and a dairy option which uses some heavy cream.  Both versions are very delicious.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 box of Golden Grain Hidden Vegetable Pasta (or your choice of another pasta)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, minced or through a press
¼ chicken stock
1 lb broccolini, chopped into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup heavy cream or chicken stock (depends if you want it to be dairy free)
3 tablespoons of basil, finely chopped
¼  cup Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Method
Boil water for pasta. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and sausages. After sausages are browned, add garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chicken stock and broccolini. Cover and cook until broccolini is slightly tender and bright green about 5 minutes.

Toss in pasta, and toss together well.  Finish with cream or additional chicken stock.  Add basil and serve.  Pass Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

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Avocado and Tomato Pasta Salad This is summer

Right about now, when the heat begins creeping in, and the long sleeves and long pants and jackets make way for short sleeves, shorts, and flip-flops, advertising everywhere turns our thoughts to summer.

And suddenly everyone begins thinking about what the summer "it" thing is going to be.

Already the LA Times wrote about this summers song, Beautiful by Mariah Carey.  (By the way, I had no idea that Mariah Carey was still around.) I listened to it a few times, and found the tune a bit catchy and fun (although the lyrics EXTREMELY worrisome with motorcycles and no helmets and boys doing things) but maybe it is the summer song.  I can see people enjoying it on the beach, in the car, or at a bbq.

There are also summer fashion themes.  Bold graphics, boho chic, shiny metallic looks and peekaboo cutouts.  Yeah, whom am I kidding?  Summer fashion to me means shorts and a tshirt, and maybe a new swim suit.    But you know that summer will bring out new and fun outfits for the rest of the world and youll see me in my khaki shorts and black tshirt uniform.

There are the summer "it" vacation spots - Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, Thailand.  These are the places to which people travel in order to enjoy some rest and relaxation.

I know not enough about music, fashion, vacations - but I DO have this summers PERFECT "IT" pasta salad.  Its this one.  Bright, citrusy, cilantro, avocado tomato - and with pasta.  It is so perfect to bring to any picnic you have and it goes with literally everything.  Ive had it with chicken, beef, and fish, and each combination is too yummy to pass up.  You could also shred some rotisserie chicken into it and call it a meal salad, but Ill let you decide to do that on your own.  Its simple to put together and it will taste great at your next gathering.  The best thing about this "it" summer pasta salad is that its easy to put together and easy to eat.

Avocado and Tomato Pasta Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 pound rotini or another curly pasta

¼  cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½  cup olive oil

2 cups red and/or yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped green onions
2 avocados, peeled, and diced

Method
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse well and set aside to drain and cool.

Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, in small bowl or measuring cup. Gradually whisk in oil. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Mix tomatoes, cilantro, green onions with pasta.   Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add avocado.  Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

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Spinach Feta Roasted Peppers Pasta Salad Back to school routines

Our summer is over.  Daughters school started and once again, Im in the throes of early wakeups, lunch packing, snack packing, school supply shopping, massive form filling, and general breathlessness as I try to keep up with the pace that always accompanies back to school.

But in the midst of it all, I remember my time as a classroom teacher; "Back-to-school" was a time filled with excitement, anxiety, stress, joy, trepidation, and more stress.  Its not an easy time to be a teacher; parents come up to you with a million questions, some students may burst out crying in your class (kindergarten issue), others still may announce in a stage whisper, "This is boring" while all the time you keep that smile plastered on your face.  I make no comparison - as hard as my life is as a parent with back to school, I know the life of a teacher is that much harder.  Im dealing with three children, theyre dealing with over 20.

I always go out of my way, at the beginning of the school year, to do small, quiet things to show teachers that I appreciate what they are going through.  I actually really DO appreciate it, and I dont like to make a lot of noise about it, but I like to do something small for them.  One thing Ive made it a tradition to do is to feed them.  I know that the last thing that a teacher wants to do during their first or second weeks of school is cook - its too harried, too stressful, and the push and shove of many children in and out of your space is hard.  I quietly try and give something nourishing to the teachers after school so that they can enjoy a bit of peace and have some peace of mind, if only for the 15 minutes they eat.

Usually I do the tomato orzo salad, mostly because it holds up well, can be eaten the day after, and I have yet to find a person who doesnt love it.  But I wanted to try something new this time as well, since I had it in my head, a pasta salad that used spinach, bell peppers and feta.  I recruited friend SH, who is usually my partner in crime for food related experiments, and together we set out to make a bunch of pasta salads for different teachers at our school.

The end result was lovely, a pasta salad that was bright, colorful, nutty, sweet, salty, all at the same time.  The teachers got two pasta salads, a few cookies, all packed with a few nice touches for them to enjoy.  Friend SH and I were a bit tired by the time we got to school, but no matter, the smiles on the teachers as well as the squeal of glee from one made it all worth it.  I even got a lovely handwritten note thanking me.  How that teacher managed to do that after her two days, is beyond me.

Spinach, Feta, Roasted Bell Peppers Pasta Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil

1 pound penne, or your choice of pasta salad shape (Bear in mind that baby spinach takes up some space, so you want a shape that isn’t too small that will get overwhelmed)

6 oz bag, baby spinach
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
12 oz jar (drained about 7 to 8 ounces) roasted red pepper (Trader Joes has a very lovely one)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (or pine nuts if you prefer)

Method
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Bring water to boil in pot. Salt water and cook pasta according to package directions. Wash and drain pasta.

Mix together spinach, feta, red onion, basil, roasted red peppers, pasta. . Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add almonds; toss. Serve at room temperature.

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packed up, almost ready to go

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Pasta with Pesto Chicken and Green Beans

For SH - for making pesto for Son and inspiring me to try the same.

As Children got older, many things changed.  Their clothing changed as they no longer needed clothes that looked good with a diaper stuffed underneath it.  Their needs changed as it became less about getting a bottle or breast in their mouth and more about cooking a meal that would satisfy them.  As a side note, I wonder if I knew how much work it would be to feed them if I would have ever pushed them towards solids?  Their communication with me changed as well, as they went from cries, smiles, whimpers and coos to complete sentences that express multiple emotions.  These changes I expected.

However, I never thought much another change - and that is the change in my living space.  When the Children were young, they generally kept much to themselves in a small contained area - whether it was the playpen, their crib or their stroller.  As Children began to grow older, their STUFF began to land in spaces of the house I wouldnt expect like my bathroom, underneath the sofa, and in my bed.  And now that Son has his own idea about his favorite toy, suddenly Ive discovered that Im walking on pins and needles.

Actually what Im walking on are Lego pieces of varying sizes.  I land on them regularly and because of the nature of the carpeting of our house, its hard to see where they are all the time. If Im rushing around the house in a hurry to do something, forget it - Ill step on a bunch of them.  The other day, in an attempt to retrieve something for a darkened playroom I managed to step on a series of Legos that led to a series of screams, yells and G-rated expletives.  (poop!)

Now, Ive tried asking Son to clean up his Lego pieces.  And he does.  He gets in there and picks up the pieces that are in a variety of places, but I am convinced that on some level he thinks that if he SPRINKLES the pieces throughout the house, hell manage to grow some.  But he loves his projects, loves his ideas, and has decided that the entire house has to be a place for him to find something to build.  Im all for keeping the house clean and neat and safe from potential foot injuries, but the other half of me realizes that sometimes creativity is messy, thinking requires space to spread out, and that in the joy of the moment of creation, cleaning up is the last thing on Sons mind. 

This doesnt mean that it doesnt drive me crazy.  My friend this ecard for me based on a Facebook post I had made a while ago.   It pretty much sums up how I feel about it all.

But Im embracing the change that comes from having Children.  Although my space seems a bit insane and dangerous, its a place that is filled with the laughter of Children and the chaos of happiness.  Its not a bad thing to have in my adult space and its part of the adjustment I make. 

Change also happens most often in the kitchen because of Sons allergies.  Although I love pesto, I never thought at all of making it at home because of the whole forbidden nut and dairy thing.  However, a couple months back, friend SH brought over a delicious pesto pizza for Son, something like a flatbread with roasted potatoes and onions and a green pesto sauce that she had made for him that was safe for him to consume.  It was completely delicious and Id been pondering how to make it work for something that I make at home and came up with this idea.  Pesto with chicken, pasta, and green beans.  The end result is really easy, a great pack-to-school lunch, and everyone in my home devoured it without stopping.  Son, as it turns out, ADORES pesto in this form and has asked for it as a dipping sauce for a variety of unusual food items.  (Waffles are the strangest.) 

This can be served warm or cold and tastes great both ways.

Pasta with Pesto, Chicken, and Green Beans
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 lb of pasta
1 lb of cooked chicken, cut up into bite sized pieces - either a rotisserie chicken or you can just cook up some chicken breasts.  Leftover roasted chicken here is also perfect.
12 oz of green beans

2 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Cheese (your choice) for serving

Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Blanch green beans for about 1 minute.  Remove from water and immediately rinse in cold water.  Bring water in pot back up to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, cut green beans into 1 inch pieces.  Set aside.

To make basil pesto, into a food processor or blender, add basil leaves, olive oil, cloves, salt and pepper and puree/process until mixture is even in consistency.  Taste - it should be a little bit salty.  Add additional salt and pepper if desired.  Set aside until pasta is fully cooked.

Once pasta is cooked, drain.  Immediately add green bean pieces, chicken and pesto.  Toss well together.  Season, if necessary with additional salt and pepper.

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