Split Pea Soup

Recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is not a gloppy green concoction of fairy tale porridge.  This is a very tasty, healthful and hearty meatless soup, perfect for MeatlessMonday. It takes less than an hour to prepare and most of that time is non-active time on your part while the soup simmers away. Just one cup of boiled split peas contains only 231 calories and a whopping 16 grams of dietary fiber. Split peas are loaded with protein, vitamins and minerals too. Split peas are very economical and can be found in the bulk section at Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup good olive oil

½ teaspoon dried oregano or pizza seasoning

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3-4 medium carrots, chopped

3 small red boiling or Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, chopped

2 cups dried split green peas, rinsed and drained

8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

Directions

In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent.

Add the carrots, potatoes, split peas, and broth.

Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 30 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Continue cooking about 10 more minutes or until the peas are tender. Stir occasionally to keep the solids from burning on the bottom.

Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Lundberg Farms Olde World Pilaf

From Lundberg Family Farms http://www.lundberg.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s and Janabai’s Kitchens

Serves 4

My buddy, Janabai, and I were in charge of sampling out some of the bulk food items at Lost River Market & Deli for its annual meeting.  Janabai prepared this dish.  It was gone in a flash.  So, I bought some and made it for my hubby and me the very next day.  Lundberg Farms Olde World Pilaf is a blend of brown rice, black-eyed peas, lentils, and split peas.  It’s loaded with protein and fiber.  Adding a bit of sautéed onion and using vegetable broth makes it even more flavorful.  Serve it as a side or as a main dish for Meatless Monday along with a green salad.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup Lundberg Olde World Pilaf

2 cups vegetable broth* (You could also use a bouillon cube and water.)

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Kosher salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.  Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft, golden brown and translucent.  Put the onions in a large serving bowl and set aside.  In the same saucepan, add the broth, the pilaf and the butter, if using.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Turn down the heat to simmer.  Cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid.  Set a time for 45 to 50* minutes.  When the timer goes off, remove the saucepan from the heat (keeping the lid on) and allow the pilaf to steam for 10 minutes.  Mix in the onions.  Add kosher salt to taste, if using.  Fluff the pilaf with a fork. 

*If the rice is crunchy at the end of the cooking time, it may be necessary to add 1 to 2 Tablespoons more of liquid and cook a bit longer.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Making your own taco seasoning is definitely worth doing. 

Here are some reasons why. 

• It’s cheaper.
• There’s less packaging.
• It’s so easy the kids can make it.
• There’s much less sodium than prepackaged.
• There are no preservatives, no mystery ingredients and no msg.
• You can adjust the seasonings to your liking.
• You can double, triple or quadruple the recipe and always have it on hand.
• At Lost River Market & Deli, you can buy the spices you need in bulk.

You can use this when making beef, chicken, fish or even Tofu Tacos. 

1 Tablespoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon paprika

1½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mix together the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Vegan Veggie Burgers

Claire’s Corner Copia Cookbook by Claire Criscuolo

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 6 to 8 burgers

My good buddy, Janet, who is a vegetarian, loaned me the cookbook where I found this recipe.  It’s simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients.  My hubby liked these burgers served on whole wheat bread and embellished with mustard or ketchup, roasted red peppers, onions, fresh spinach and avocado.  (Mango chutney would also be yummy with these.) Pears are now in season, so I served them on the side for a very healthy Meatless Monday lunch.

½ cup bulgur

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped mushrooms

3 Tablespoons olive, plus 1 Tablespoon for brushing the burgers

2 cups rolled oats

1 ½ cup breadcrumbs

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried sage

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 Tablespoons water (or more)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Put the bulgur into a bowl.  Pour boiling water over the bulgur just to cover it and then set aside.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the vegetables to the soaking bulgur and mix well.  Add the rolled oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, thyme, sage, and salt, pepper and water.  Stir well.  Taste for seasoning.  Scoop a little burger mixture into your hand and squeeze.  If the mixture does not hold together, continue adding water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until it holds together.  Form 6 to 8 balls and flatten them into burger shape.  Oil your hands lightly to make this job less messy.  Arrange the burgers on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush a little oil on each burger, and then gently turn the burger and brush the other side.  Bake for 10 minutes, and then carefully turn each burger to bake the other side for 10 minutes

Whole Wheat Bread (Bread Machine Recipe-Regular Dough Cycle)

This recipe came from my good buddy, Helen. Tested in the Kitchen of Alice Wootton

My hubby really likes whole wheat bread. He eats a couple of slices of this bread every day along with a glass of red wine. Last week, I made rolls using this recipe and put Egg Salad (recipe on this blog) on them to take with us on a hike with friends at Yellow Birch. I used the local honey from the Lost River Market & Deli to make the bread. I also got the whole wheat flour from the bulk section of the store. I like using the dough cycle on the machine because then you can make the bread into more of a loaf shape (pictured here with Honey Crisp Apple Slices and Curried Cauliflower Soup-recipe on this blog) or you can make rolls. I haven't tried this recipe using the complete cycle where the bread machine bakes the bread, but I imagine it would work fine.

Makes 1 loaf or 24 rolls

Put the following ingredients in the bread machine in this order:
14 ounces water
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
3 Tablespoons honey or molasses
2 Tablespoons vital gluten
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 ¾ teaspoons active dry yeast

Set machine on the regular dough cycle.
When the cycle is complete, put dough on a lightly floured board.
If making a loaf, shape the dough into a loaf shape. Place into a bread pan lightly sprayed with Pam. If making rolls, roll out dough so that it’s still thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut rounds of dough and place in round cake pans sprayed with Pam. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with Pam and then a towel. Allow to rise again for about an hour.
Bake in a preheated oven 375º F for about 40 minutes for a loaf and about 30 minutes for rolls. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Zucchini Spice Bread

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Foods

Husband-Tested in Alice Wootton's Kitchen

Makes one loaf

If you're wondering what to do with all that zucchini from this summer, here's a quick bread recipe that will make your house smell divine as it's baking! This bread would make a thoughtful gift for the holidays. You can find the spices in the bulk spice section of the If you plan to bake this bread in a smaller loaf pan, be sure to fill it no more than three-quarters full to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven. If it's too hot to bake now, just shred the zucchini and put it in freezer bags for the freezer. When you're ready to make the bread, just thaw the zucchini in the fridge the night before.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 large zucchini
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

Stuffed Squash with Bulgur and Feta or Blue Cheese

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

Be prepared! The squash invasion has definitely begun here in Orange County! Here is one of several husband-tested recipes which will use up all that squash in yummy ways! Stuffed Squash with Bulgur and Feta or Blue Cheese has flavors and textures that I especially like; lemony, salty, crunchy and chewy. It makes a great vegetarian lunch or side dish or even a dish to serve at a dinner party. This vegetarian dish can be prepared up to a day ahead; fill the squash halves with the cooked bulgur mixture, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake. Lost River Market & Deli has bright yellow summer squash grown locally. You'll find bulgur and almonds in the bulk section of the store and feta cheese in the dairy aisle. Although I haven't tried this with zucchini, I think it would work just as well. I'm thinking a mixture of zucchini and yellow squash would make a nice colorful presentation if preparing this for a party. (Information about feta cheese and bulgur is found at the bottom of this recipe.)

4 to 5 large summer squash (about 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
4 to 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, lemon wedges, for serving (I recently tried this again using blue cheese. Wow! I think I like it even better with blue cheese!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve each squash lengthwise; slice off a sliver of skin from each half so they sit flat. Scoop out flesh with a small spoon, leaving a 1/4-inch border; chop finely, and reserve. Place squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, skin sides down; set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved chopped squash, onion, almonds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add bulgur and 2 cups water; simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes (bulgur should still be slightly crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in feta.
Mound bulgur mixture in reserved squash halves. Bake until squash is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.


feta cheese [FEHT-uh] This classic Greek cheese is traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk, though today large commercial producers often make it with cow's milk. White, crumbly and rindless, feta is usually pressed into square cakes. It has a rich, tangy flavor, contains from 45 to 60 percent milk fat and can range in texture from soft to semidry. Feta makes a zesty addition to salads and many cooked dishes

bulgur wheat [BUHL-guhr] A nutritious staple in the Middle East, bulgur wheat consists of wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and crushed. It is often confused with but is not exactly the same as cracked wheat. Bulgur has a tender, chewy texture and comes in coarse, medium and fine grinds. It makes an excellent wheat pilaf, and is delicious in salads, such as tabbouli and in meat or vegetable dishes.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine January 2002 Issue
Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I have to say that this is probably my husband's favorite side dish. It's easy to make and I'll even coat the potatoes ahead and keep them chilled until it's time to put them in the oven, so this is great to prep in advance when you want to get a head start on dinner. The spicy isn't "hot," but sweet with a little kick, so don't let the word spicy keep you from making this fabulous dish. When I make the spice mixture, I make an extra batch and store it in a plastic container for the next time I want something quick and delicious to make. I've also made this dish and taken it to parties as a room temperature snack. All of the spices can be found in Lost River Market & Deli's bulk spice section.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425° F. Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Slice crosswise into ¼ inch thick disks.
Toss potatoes with oil and spice mixture until well coated. Place the potatoes onto a baking sheet. Roast for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over with tongs or a spatula. Continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until tender.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Down to Earth Granola

Yield = 9 cups

My walking buddy, Janet, shared this recipe with Debbie and me. Debbie made a big batch of this to take on our South Carolina trip. We ate this on our breakfast cereal every morning along with fresh strawberries. Zowee! This is a definite thumbs-up with the hubby! All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli, including local honey. When the local strawberries come in, be sure to have this delicious granola on hand.

4 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups almonds, sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries or cherries

Preheat oven to 300
In a bowl mix oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt & cinnamon.
In a sauce pan, warm the oil & honey. Stir in vanilla.
Pour liquid over oat mixture & stir.
Sprread granola in 15 x10 baking pan.
Bake 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack. Stir in cranberries.

Curried Millet, Shiitake, and Corn Salad

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine January 1996 and Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 4 to 6


Jim and I had never eaten millet before. After several customers at Lost River Market & Deli asked us what to do with it, I decided I'd better do some homework. Millet is a small round golden whole grain that has a high vitamin and mineral content. Although millet is unfamiliar to most people in this country, it is a staple throughout Africa, India, and Asia. I found tons of information about the benefits of eating millet on the internet and there are many recipes as well to be found. For the recipe below, I used corn that I had bought (and then froze) from Steve Hays last summer at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. If you don't have corn in your freezer, you can buy it, of course, at Lost River Market & Deli. Some time in the past few years, Jim developed an allergy to shiitake mushrooms. He eats just one and gets a rash all over his body! So, for this recipe, I substituted the baby bella mushrooms from the produce department.
Right now millet is only 99¢ a lb. and can be found in the bulk section at Lost River Market & Deli.

4 tablespoons vegetables oil

1 cup millet

2 cups water

1/2 onion, chopped fine

1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups fresh corn (cut from about 4 ears), or frozen, thawed

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (I used hot curry powder.)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar

1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, washed well, spun dry, and chopped fine



In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat and cook millet, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes, or until it makes popping sounds and begins to turn golden. Remove skillet from heat.
In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and stir in millet. Cook millet, covered, over low heat 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Transfer millet to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
In cleaned skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté onion, stirring, until softened. Add shiitake and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Still in curry powder, soy sauce, vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and add to millet.

Indian Baked Rice

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine and Tested in Alice's Kitchen.
Serves 8-10

This is a delicious side dish I served my parents and my Uncle Ben when they came over to celebrate my mother's birthday. My Uncle Ben had two big helpings of this rice and took some home with him for a snack later. I can safely say that Uncle Ben loved this rice! ;-)
I served this dish with Sirloin Kebabs with Southeast-Asian-Style Spice Paste (recipe on this blog.) Of course, this rice would taste great as a side to any main dish. Garam Masala is a fragrant spice mixture. (There's more information about it at the end of this recipe.) Instead of making my own, I saved time by purchasing what I needed in the bulk spice section at Lost River Market & Deli. (Stop by, open the jar and take a whiff. It smells heavenly!)

basmati rice (19 oz)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise (Use rubber gloves when handling hot peppers and don't touch your eyes!)
1 teaspoon garam masala (available in the bulk spice section at Lost River Mkt. & Deli)
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (I used the minced ginger in a jar found in the refrigerated case in the produce department.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, heated

Wash rice in 6 or 7 changes of cold water in a large bowl until water is almost clear. Drain in a large sieve 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then add onion to pot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño, garam masala, ginger, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add rice and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer briskly, uncovered, until top of rice appears dry, about 7 minutes.
Cover pot and bake rice in middle of oven until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

garam masala [gah-RAHM mah-SAH-lah]
Garam is the Indian word for "warm" or "hot," and this blend of dry-roasted, ground spices from the colder climes of northern India adds a sense of "warmth" to both palate and spirit. There are as many variations of garam masala (which may contain up to 12 spices) as there are Indian cooks. It can include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, mace, nutmeg, and other spices. It's also easily prepared at home, but should be made in small batches to retain its freshness. As with all spices, it should be stored in a cool, dry place for no more than 6 months. Garam masala is usually either added to a dish toward the end of cooking or sprinkled over the surface just before serving.

Pistachio & Dried Cherry Ice Cream

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream and Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes 1 quart

Well, this is what I made during the torrent of rain we got this week. Once the flood waters receded a bit, we took this to our friends' house for dessert. Everybody gave this treat a thumbs up. You'll find dried cherries and pistachios at Lost River Market & Deli. I love making ice cream and so I use my ice cream maker often, summer or winter! It's a great to make ahead a special homemade dessert for a party. When the summer fruit arrives, I'll put some wonderful fruit sorbet and ice cream recipes on the blog!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (divided)

1 cup (divided) coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios (If the pistachios are salted, be sure to rinse them with water and drain.)

1 cup (divided) coarsely chopped dried cherries (I plumped the cherries by soaking them in very hot water and then draining them.)

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure:

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the milk, 1 cup of the cream, 1/2 cup of the pistachios and 1/2 cup of the cherries. Cook over medium heat until bubbles from around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.

Strain the milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon. Discard the pistachios and cherries. Return the milk to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whish about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4-6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice cubes and water. Stir occasionally until cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. In a small bowl, toss the remaining pistachios and cherries together.

Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When nearly frozen and the consistency of thick whipped cream, add the remaining pistachios and cherries. Churn or stir just until mixed. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.

Bulk Cooking Directions Website

This isn't a recipe. Consider this a news flash. :-)

While surfing the web, I found another food co-op grocery store located in Texas. It has a webpage devoted to basic bulk recipes. Many people shopping at Lost River Market & Deli have asked how to prepare the many items we carry in our bulk section. I thought I'd provide a link to this website for your reference.

http://wheatsville.coop/cooking_charts/bulkdirectionsindex.html

Creamy Pasta with Asparagus

Recipe from Everyday Foods, but adapted and tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

My hubby and I spent this lovely spring day working out in the garden near our asparagus patch. We came in pretty hungry, so I whipped up an Alice's A+ Salad, Blackened Tilapia (recipes on this blog) and this pasta side dish. Since I didn't have frozen peas or arugula, I had to be flexible and adapt the recipe a bit. In place of the peas, I used asparagus. I blanched the asparagus and then added it to the dish along with the spinach which I used instead of arugula. After making the dish, I thought that sugar snap peas would also make a tasty substitution. I only had 1/2 cup of heavy cream left in the fridge, so I made up the difference with half & half. (Before using arugula, be sure to wash it well in several changes of cold water to remove all the grit, then pat dry with paper towels. ) Jim really, really liked the crunch of the pine nuts. You can find them in the bulk section at Lost River Market & Deli.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces farfalle pasta or other short pasta shapes such as fusilli, orecchiette, or penne
1 package (10 ounces) frozen green peas or 1 bunch asparagus (cut into 2 inch pieces) or sugar snap peas
3/4 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup heavy cream & 1/4 cup half & half
1/3 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 bunch (5 ounces) arugula, tough stems removed, chopped or large handful of fresh baby spinach

Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; add peas 1 minute before end of cooking. Drain; return pasta and peas to pot. (If using asparagus or sugar snap peas, blanch in boiling water until bright green and crisp tender. Drain and then add to the pasta along with the cream mixture.)
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine cream and chicken broth; simmer until thickened slightly, 7 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until melted.
Add sauce to pasta and peas or asparagus or sugar snap peas; toss to combine. Season with salt. Add arugula or spinach. Season with pepper. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Veggie Burgers with Tahini Mayonnaise

Recipe from Everyday Food and Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4.

I made these for Jim while he was out on this lovely day trimming our apple trees and blueberry bushes. He came in hungry. He had one of these burgers without the bread. He thought it was very filling. He liked the heat of the cayenne pepper. These burgers are full of fiber and protein. If you're trying to cut out fat, just serve these with some yummy salsa instead of the tahini mayo. You can find bulgur in the bulk section of Lost River Market & Deli. Tahini is sesame paste and is usually used to make hummus. It can be found in a jar near the peanut butter. Once opened, store this in the fridge.

Veggie Burgers
1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 whole-wheat English muffins, toasted (You can find these in the frozen food case.)
Lettuce
Tahini Mayonnaise*
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame-seed paste)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a medium bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover bowl, and let sit until bulgur is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 30 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid.
Place beans in a medium bowl; mash with a potato masher or a fork until a coarse paste forms. Add breadcrumbs, scallions, egg, carrot, cayenne, tahini, and bulgur. Season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Form mixture into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Cook patties until browned and firm, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on English muffins with tahini mayonnaise and lettuce.