Be Okay

Posted on May 16, 2012 by abpetruzzi

Spring Orzo

The garden is still alive!  The herbs are already perking up and the tomatoes aren’t dead so I’m going to call the first week of my new raised garden a success.   In addition to the tomatoes my garden this year features: two types of eggplant, crookneck squash, zucchini, bell peppers, cayenne peppers, and a hodgepodge of herbs.  I’m also in talks with a co-worker and might be getting a few of his raspberry bushes, which will be going in their own isolated bed so that they don’t take over the entire garden.  I’m hoping that this garden will do well enough to give me the motivation (kick-in-the-pants) to start doing a winter garden.  That way I can start growing my own spinach, chard, kale, and cauliflower…or at least that’s the plan.

This recipe features one of the my favorite three greens, along with some of the fresh asparagus that is starting to pop up at the local markets.  At first I was going to use kale to make the “pesto” but was afraid it might overpower the asparagus and went with baby spinach instead.  Since then I have made some kale pesto and think that it might have worked, but I’m glad I used the spinach.

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Orzo with Asparagus and Spinach Pesto

4-5

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Spinach, well washed
  • 4 tbsp EVOO, divided
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 lb asparagus spears
  • 8 oz tofu, firmly pressed and drained
  • 1/2 lb orzo
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small blender mix the spinach, 3tbsp EVOO, and 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese until well blended and smooth. Set aside
  2. Cook the orzo as directed, but after draining return to pan.
  3. Break the asparagus spears into 4in long pieces. Heat the remaining tbsp of EVOO in a medium saute pan over medium low heat and add the tofu. Cook for 7minutes, turning once, before adding the asparagus and cooking for an additional 7-10minutes. The tofu should be lightly golden while the asparagus should be soft and tender.
  4. Add the asparagus to the orzo then stir in the pesto allowing the heat of the pasta and asparagus to help spread the pesto. Serve topped with the additional cheese (if desired) and with a simple side salad.
http://www.dancingveggies.com/blog/2012/05/beokay.html

I’m also submitting this recipe to the May Simple and in Season Event which is being hosted by Urvashi over at Botanical Baker.  Simple and in Season was started by the amazing Ren over at Fabulicious Food one year ago, so a Happy Happy Birthday to Simple and in Season!

Posted in Quick Weeknight Recipes, Simple and In Season | Leave a comment

Only Sunshine

Posted on May 15, 2012 by abpetruzzi

Curry Beans and Yellow Rice

When Joe and I first started living together there were a few recipes he kept mentioning from various cookbooks he had received over the years from his sisters.  One of the often mentioned recipes was for Curry Kidney Beans with Tumeric Rice, but unfortunately Joe could not remember the recipe outside of the stated ingredients.  I started digging around and was eventually able to locate the cookbook in question and the recipe.  The first time out I made the recipe as written, and by I made it, I mean that Joe made it.  While it was a good meal and very filling, I wanted to see if I could give it an extra pop to make it a better fit for our spice loving family.   In the end I found the perfect mix of heat and sweet, while taking a page from the Sandra Lee book for an easy short cut.

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Curry Beans with Yellow Rice

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow rice (I use Goya - low sodium)
  • 2 cans Pink Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, divided
  • 1 1/2 tbsp curry power
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained retaining 1/2 tbsp of juice

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare the yellow rice per instruction on box, substituting 1/2 cup of water for the coconut milk.
  2. 2. While the rice is cooking heat the beans and remaining coconut milk in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cover and cook for 10minutes.
  3. 3. Stir the beans and then add the curry power, cayenne pepper, pineapple, and pineapple juice, stir, and then cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.
  4. 4. Once the beans are soft and tender toss with the cooked rice. Serve!
http://www.dancingveggies.com/blog/2012/05/only-sunshine.html

This recipe is really about as simple as it gets, and it can be easily adjusted based on the amount of spice desired.  The real trick with this recipe is making sure the beans are soft but not mushy, in order to give a nice contrast to the rice.

Posted in Quick Weeknight Recipes, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Moves Like

Posted on May 14, 2012 by abpetruzzi

Wild Rice with Spinach, Feta, and Tomatoes

I think it’s finally safe to start packing up the winter sweaters and jackets and start bringing out summer dresses and shorts.  Mother nature seems to have finally made up her mind regarding the weather and I could not be more pleased!  Joe and I got our garden planted yesterday and now I’m looking out the window keeping my fingers crossed that something will grow.   I have dreams of juicy tomatoes and yellow squash with some nice peppers to add even more flavor and color to my summer recipes.

I have done wild rice recipes before but I’m trying to incorporate more leafy greens into my diet.  With that I’m also trying to not saute them to death or coat them in butter in an attempt to make them into something they’re not.  With this recipe I added them straight to the rice, allowing the heat of the dish to wilt them until they were perfect and tender.   At the last moment I also added some chickpeas in order to make it a more well rounded dinner, instead of the side for the bbq tofu that never happened.

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Will Rice with Spinach, Feta, and Tomatoes

3

Ingredients

  • 2 cups wild rice
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups spinach, well washed and loosely torn
  • 1/3 cup feta, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup chickpeas, well rinsed and drained

Instructions

  1. Cook the wild rice per the instructions on the bag/box. In the last three minutes of cooking add the tomatoes, spinach, feta, and chickpeas. Stir well and then cover for the remainder of the cooking time. Serve!
http://www.dancingveggies.com/blog/2012/05/moves-like.html

I served the rice with oregano bread and it was just right although in the future I’ll probably add a nice side salad.

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