Penne al Forno

Penne al Forno

I found this recipe on Dr. Barnard's website and thought it sounded great for a one dish dinner. 

I have a large skillet that I was able to combine all the ingredients in and then place in the oven to bake the dish.   You could always transfer the combined ingredients to a large baking dish before the last step of popping it in the oven. 

Pasta "al Forno" refers to a pasta dish that is cooked on the stove and then baked in the oven.

This dish is highly customizable again. 

The original recipe includes a number of options, so I'll share those with you. 

I sauteed sliced carrots, celery, and zucchini in a spray of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

I added some Italian seasonings and garlic powder.

 

I cooked the penne according to the packaged directions, draining it when it was just barely al dente.

It will continue to cook later in the oven.

Then I poured the hot, drained pasta into the skillet with the vegetables, added the marinara sauce, and the rinsed & drained beans, and combined it well.

I placed the covered dish in the oven and baked it at 350* for 12 minutes.

And done!

I pulled this dish out of the oven, told the family what was in it, and ran out the door for a church meeting, without trying it.

First thing David told me when I got home was that it was a really good dish. 
They liked the beans (which were an optional ingredient in the original recipe), and my concerns that there wasn't enough marinara sauce were unwarranted. 

Everyone liked it. 

Along with the cannellini beans, other optional ingredients included:  2 cups of diced Roma tomatoes, 2 diced roasted bell peppers, 1/4 c sliced olives, and chopped onion.

I will go with 12 oz of pasta next time instead of 16 oz, but overall - a win for my family!

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Buon Appetito!

Turnip and Leek Soup

Gillian McKeith's

Turnip and Leek Soup

I had leftover leeks from the Adzuki Bean Stew that I made last week, so I was on the lookout for another recipe that called for leeks.  I found this one in the You Are What You Eat cookbook.

I honestly wasn't sure how this was going to taste after I saw the ingredients.

It was really, really good though.

We all liked it - it has a really great flavor!

You boil 3 cups of vegetable stock with a peeled and diced turnip.

Then you let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Per usual, I used this variety of bouillon for my broth.  I find it at Kroger.

Then you add in your celery and leeks and all it all to simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then you blend the soup to the consistency you like.

You can transfer it to a blender or food processor and then return it to the pot if you like.

I use my handy Smart Stick right in the pot - much easier.

 

Then reheat and serve!

You can top the soup with fresh herbs or sunflower seeds or nuts or some other garnish.

Or just serve it plain like I did!

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Enjoy!

Gourmet Brown Rice

Gillian McKeith's

Gourmet Brown Rice

We always have brown rice in the refrigerator.  It's so versatile, and it can be eaten with any meal.

When I saw this recipe in Gillian McKeith's You Are What You Eat cookbook, it sounded like a great play on regular brown rice, and used ingredients I had in the pantry/fridge!

I soak my rice overnight before washing it well and cooking with it.

After I soaked 1 c of short grain brown rice, I placed it in a saucepan with sliced carrots and celery and 2 c water.  The recipe calls for a vegetable stock cube or miso paste.  I used miso paste and it was really good.

At this point you just bring the water to a boil, then cover and simmer the dish for 25 minutes or so, letting it stand with the heat off for 10 minutes and then serving.

It's great heated up the next day as well. 

Great flavors and goes well with any main dish or with a large salad.



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Bon Appetit!



Curried Cream of Celery Soup

Curried Cream of Celery Soup

I have a folder in the kitchen where I stick all the magazine recipes I've ripped out over the years.

I've cleaned it out and have mostly healthy family recipes now.

I was not all that inspired when it came to dinner a week ago, so I asked the boys to go through the folder and choose 3 recipes each that they would like to help me make.

Surprisingly, this is one that Thomas chose, and we made it recently.

I found it in the April/May 2012 Vegetarian Times.

You start by heating olive oil in a large pot and adding the celery, leek, and salt.

Cook it for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

While that's cooking I chopped up the two apples, then added them to the vegetables along with curry powder and let it combine.

Then I added the remaining ingredients and allowed the dish to simmer for awhile.

Then I used my handheld blender to puree until smooth.

I added the lime juice, and seasoned with salt & pepper.

We topped the soup with roasted almonds and celery leaves

We liked the soup, but found it rather spicy, so I'm cutting the curry powder by half the next time I make it.  The modified version is below.

I think the soup was even better warmed up the second day!

Enjoy!