The Husband’s Pasta Dish

 

Husband-Tested  in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 2 generous servings

The hubster’s cooking repertoire consists of his steel cut oats breakfast, his lunchtime peanut butter sandwich, popcorn, Instant Pot cashew yogurt and blueberry snack and this pasta dish.  When I’m too tired to cook or I’ve had a unusually busy day, he’ll make this for our dinner. It’s quite tasty and full of healthful ingredients.  If I wasn’t around, he’d eat all of the above every single day.  I like more variety in my diet (Ha!) He’s very proud of his pasta dish and so he should be. This is how he makes it…

Ingredients: (per serving)

Whole wheat pasta

Kosher salt or sea salt for the pasta water

½ cup Rao’s Marinara Sauce or Arrabiata Sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce

1-2 Tablespoons Trader Joe’s Kale Pesto or your favorite pesto

1-2 canned sardines (This would add not only protein and Omega 3, but also calcium, however, it is totally optional and would not be vegan.)

½ cup Edamame (frozen is fine, no need to thaw)

1 cup Kale or spinach (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw) 

¼ of a Bell Pepper (any color but green)

1 cup Broccoli (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw)

1 cup of any other favorite vegetables you may have: mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, peas, asparagus, zucchini, sugar snap peas, yellow squash, are all good options, just mix and match, pick and choose one or two  

1 Tablespoon Vegan Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions:  

1. Fill a large pot with water.  Bring to a boil. 

2. Put a large sieve in the sink for draining the pasta.

3. While the water is heating up, prepare the vegetables you plan to include in your meal and have them ready near the pot of water.  (Chop the bell peppers, cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces, slice mushrooms, cut Brussels sprouts into quarters, chop the carrots, cut the green beans into bite-sized pieces, cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, slice the zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut sugar snap peas into bite-sized pieces)

4. When the water comes to a boil, add some salt.  Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.  

5. Set a timer for 3 minutes before the pasta should be done.

6. When the time beeps, add the vegetables to the pasta pot.

7. During the 3 minutes that the vegetables and pasta are cooking, add about ½ cup of sauce in a bowl for each serving. 

8. Add about 2 Tablespoons to the sauce.

9. If using sardines, add them to the sauce/pesto mixture and use a fork to mash the sardines really well.  

10. When the 3-minute timer beeps, carefully take the pot to the sink and pour the pasta and vegetables into the sieve to drain.  

11. Using tongs, grab some of the pasta and vegetables and put them in the bowl(s) with the sauce, pesto and sardines, if using.

12. Toss until the pasta and vegetables are coated with the sauce/pesto.  

13. Sprinkle over some grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sushi Grain Bowl

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 1 grain bowl (Can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.)

Boy, I wish I had known about this terrific lunch back when I was still working.  Wowza!  We loved all the flavors and textures of this simple dish.  Another great thing about this simple recipe is that all the components can be prepared in advance and then just arranged together right before serving.  

Dressing

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon lime juice (or lemon juice)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Grain Bowl Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice

½ cup cooked shelled edamame

½ cup or so of tuna or sardines in oil (leftover cooked salmon would also work)

1 small cucumber or Persian cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced

1 large hard-cooked egg, peeled and halved

Salt & Pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

½ sheet nori, cut into thin strips (use scissors)

Measure out the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid.  Shake the jar vigorously until all the ingredients are well blended. Set aside.

Arrange brown rice, edamame, tuna, cucumber, and hard-cooked egg in a bowl or on a plate.  Sprinkle the egg and the cucumber with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the sushi bowl with the dressing.  Top with the toasted sesame seeds and the nori.  Serve.

Sardine, Kale, and Bean Wraps

Husband-Tested Recipe from the Kitchen of Alice Wootton

My husband loves wraps. This is one of his favorites. Doesn't it look good?? Go ahead, be brave. Try the sardine. I bet you'll love it. Sardines are a good source of calcium and omega-3. (If you don't, just substitute with a bit of salmon or tuna.) This wrap is tasty, healthy and filling. Here's how to make it.

Begin with a lavash. We use either whole wheat, tomato (pictured) or spinach. Place it on a plate and zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make it easier to work with. Next, place a couple of leaves of kale (stems removed) on the lavash. Crumble a couple of tablespoons of goat cheese over the top. Add about 1/8 cup of rinsed and drained cannellini beans (or black beans or chick peas.) Add a few slices of fresh tomato (if they aren't in season, substitute with half a roasted red pepper.) On the top of the heap, add one sardine fillet (We use Brunswick Sardines in Mustard & Dill Sauce from can.) Roll the lavash with its fillings up like a burrito. Then pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to melt the cheese a bit. Slice it in half crossways and you have a delicious healthful lunch!