I sadly did not get a chance to have my Grandmother’s version of this dish but like with everything she made, I’m sure it tasted amazing.

My first experience with this dish was several years ago, and came from a little food booth at a craft show.  I was visiting my mom and we attended a craft fair over in Washington, PA. There was a Polish food booth there and you know I beelined right over as quick as my legs would take me.

Haluski was on the menu and I gobbled some up!

Basically the dish is sauteed cabbage and onions in butter and then tossed with some egg noodles.  Very traditional means that the egg noodles are homemade, but now a days most people use store bought egg noodles.

I kick mine up a notch by adding in some peppers, lots of garlic, roasted potatoes, and kielbasa.  I also use whole wheat egg noodles.

Scott likes to refer to this dish as Polish In A Pot.  Clever fella.

Andrea’s Haluski, aka Polish In A Pot

• 1 Very Large Head of Cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 Peppers, red or green, thinly sliced
• 1 Link of Kielbasa, chopped
• 1, 12-15 oz Package of Whole Wheat Egg Noodles
• 1/2lb red skinned potatoes, chopped
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil, 2 TBSP, plus some for potatoes and kielbasa
• Butter, 1/2-1TBSP

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Wash and cube up the potatoes. Make the cubes small, about bite sized.  Toss with some olive oil (about 1/2 TBSP) and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Place in oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until browned and crisp on the outside. Remove from oven when done.

In a very large pasta pot, bring water to boil and cook the whole wheat egg noodles according to package directions.  You want them to still have some bite to them.  Drain and set aside.

In a very large skillet, add in the olive oil, about 2 tsp and heat over medium heat.  Add in the chopped kielbasa and cook until kielbasa is crisp and browned around the edges.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add in 2 TBSP of olive oil and butter into the skillet and continue to heat over medium heat.  Add in the cabbage and toss till it’s coated with the oil and butter.  Satuee for about two minutes.  Add in the onions and peppers, toss. Sprinkle with seasonings, light on salt and then as much garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes as you want. Continue to satuee and tossing until the cabbage is fully cooked through and soft.

If you feel that the bottom is getting a bit burnt or needs more moisture, add in no more than a 1/4 of either chicken or vegetable stock.  When veggies are cooked, add in the potatoes, and pasta.  Gently combine.

Serve immediately!

This makes a HUGE batch of haluski which is good because you want leftovers.  It tastes even better the next day!

You might be thinking that it seems like a lot of oil for the dish but keep in mind this noodle dish has no “sauce”.  The veggies are what help to coat the noodles and provide flavor.

I like my super peppery and super garlicky, so I use a bunch of those seasonings.  Your tastes may vary, taste as you go along to get the right flavor for you.

You can keep this dish vegetarian friendly by omitting the kielbasa, and using veggie stock if needed.

While my adjustments certainly aren’t traditional, it does help to bring the dish up to meal status and provide some extra veg love.

I think my Grandmother would have approved and for me, that’s all that matters.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 7

I immediately said I was in! Then I asked what the Johnny Marzetti dish was.  Not being a Columbus, or even an Ohio native, this was completely new to me.

John directed me to this link explaining the dish.  I knew exactly what it was once I read the description.  Where I grew up, it was called Goulash.  Some folks, mostly those from the New England area, refer to it as Chop Suey.

It’s elbow pasta with ground beef in a tomato sauce.  We had this all the time growing up and it was one of the few ways I would be willing to eat ground beef.  I made it for Scott when we started dating and he fell in love with it.

I recently got back from a long weekend in NYC and the food supplies are in an emergency state here at the HQ.  I committed to the dish and needed to pull something together.  The question was, how and with what?

I decided to keep it simple by upping the flavor factor just a bit by roasting veggies and using a smoked sausage.

Andrea’s Johnny Marzetti With A Twist

• 2 Links of Smoked Spinach and Feta Chicken Sausage, finely chopped
• 1 Green Pepper, chunked
• 1 Medium Onion, chunked
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2C Frozen Chopped Greens
• 2C Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta
• 1 28oz Can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 14oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil
• 1 15oz Can of Cannelline Beans, drained and rinsed. (Optional)
• 1/2C Dry Red Wine (I used Chianti)
• Big Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• 2tsp Dried Basil
• 2tsp Dried Oregano
• 1tsp Italian Seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash Brand)
• Olive Oil for Sauteeing
• Shredded Mozeralla
• Shredded Pecorino Romano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil.  Cook pasta according to directions on box.  Cook just shy of being “done”.  Drain and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place onion, green pepper, and garlic on it.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, toss to coat.  Place in oven and roast for about 10 minutes until the veggies get soft and start to brown along the edges.  Remove from oven.

In a blender add in the can of crushed tomatoes along with the roasted veggies.  Blend until veggies are completely broken down and pureed in with the sauce.

In a sautee pan, drizzle in a little olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add in the sausage and sautee until the sausage starts to crisp up a bit.  Add in the red pepper flakes and then the red wine.  Add in the wine slowly and carefully.   Stir and let the wine deglaze the bottom of the pan.  Cook for about 3 minutes.  Add in the blended tomato sauce and the can of diced tomatoes.  Add in the frozen chopped greens and the beans. Then stir and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

When the flavors have come together, turn off the heat and slowly add in the elbow pasta.  Gently combine and top with shredded cheese.  How much is up to you.

Place pan in oven (remember it’s still heating from roasting the veggies) just long enough for the cheese to melt and get gooey.  About 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven using pot holders, serve and enjoy!

As I mentioned, just getting home from a trip, the ingredients were slim pickings around here.  Thankfully I had a few staple items and things in the freezer that I could use for this dish.

I knew right away that I would be using the smoked sausage and I decided to play off of that flavor.  By roasting the veggies first for the sauce and using fire roasted tomatoes as the base, I think this really complimented the smoked sausage flavor.

This made a TON of food.  Plenty for leftovers or for a large party.  This dish freezes very well.

The beans got lost in the dish, so they are completely optional.  If I made this again, I think I would rather use more sausage in place of the beans.

Columbus Locals, I purchased the sausage at The Anderson’s over behind Sawmill.  They have great locally sourced sausages.

Chopped frozen greens give the dish some color while also bumping up the veggie intake.

Not a bad dish for trying to scramble for ingredients! The entire time I was making it, Scott kept commenting on how good it smelled.  He had two full servings so I think he was pleased.

This was my Johnny Marzetti dish with a twist!

Go and check out the other takes on this Ohio dish!

Rachel’s Homegrown Version

Debra’s Texan Version

John’s Classic Version

Have you had Johnny Marzetti or Goulash style dish before?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 4

When Scott got back home from being gone for a week, he said he was ready to eat some good food.  He said he missed my cooking and couldn’t wait to sit down to a lovely dinner.

Is he fab or what?

And because of my belief mentioned above, I knew he needed something comforting.  Scott has a lot of comfort foods and two of them happen to be pasta and fried eggs.  I was going back and forth about what to make him.

Breakfast?  Or a pasta dish?

Then it occured to me, why not combine them?

The measurements aren’t exact because this is a recipe that can easily be adjusted to serve one or 20.

Andrea’s Spaghetti and Eggs

• Thin Whole Wheat Spaghetti, enough for two people
• Eggs
• 1/2 A Medium Onion, chopped
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped (do not seed, keep the insides)
• About 1 Large Bunch of Finely Chopped Greens of Your Choice (I used Kale and Collards)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, grated (or finely chopped)
• 1/2 Dry White Wine
• Olive Oil for sauteeing

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta till just shy of being done.  Drain, reserving some pasta water, about 1/2C and set pasta aside.

In a sautee pan, heat oil over medium high heat and add in the onions.  Sautee for just about two minutes and then add in the greens.  Cook until the greens have cooked down, now add in the tomato and garlic. Sautee for about a minute.  Add in the white wine and simmer for about 2 minutes.  Add in just a touch of the pasta water, maybe 2 TBSP.  Simmer for another 2 minutes.  Add in the pasta, stir and reduce heat to low.

In a small frying pan, add in some olive oil, maybe 2 tsp, just a touch.  Heat over medium heat and fry up the eggs to your preferred done-ness.  Don’t forget to crack each egg in a small bowl first just to be on the safe side.

Plate up pasta, top with a fried egg or two, sprinkle with parm, drizzle on a little bit more of the pasta sauce and serve!

Would you have thought that such simple ingredients would make such a gorgeous dish?

What I love about this meal is that it really doesn’t take long to make at all.  Waiting for the water to boil for the pasta is what takes the most time, everything else is really quick.

I didn’t seed the tomato because I want that juice to help create a “sauce” for the pasta.  It’s a very light pasta dish without a heavy sauce.  I did this on purpose because I wanted the egg to shine. And if you’re like Scott, who enjoys runny eggs, that will help coat and “sauce” up the pasta.

I listed eggs with no amount because that’s up to you.  I ate mine with one egg while Scott had his with two eggs.  Do what you like and it’ll work out.

This dish, uses few ingredients and all of them are budget friendly.  You certainly don’t have to use wine but can use stock of your choice or a small can of diced tomatoes would work just as well.

Most grocery stores now carry chopped frozen greens, if you can’t find any fresh.  I love frozen chopped greens! While I do use fresh when I can, having the frozen on hand is a must for me now.

Scott loved this dish, which was good because I created it specifically with him in mind!  It was part of the “Welcome Home” week I planned out for him.

Now I have a dish in my recipe box that is quick to put together and very filling!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 6

There’s a great image for ya!

But let’s be serious, that is totally true. It was also yummy once you stopped looking at it too closely.  In fact it was one of the few ways I would actually eat beef growing up.  I wasn’t much of a fan and ground beef was yucksville as far as I was concerned.

But add in some crap pasta and cheap powder preservative laden cheese sauce and I was all over it!

Years ago, when I started cooking full time for Scott and I, most boxed items went out the window. Once I learned the technique for making a basic cheese sauce, making a homemade version of “helper” anything became easy peasy.

Now we have an upscale, much healthier version that I bust out from time to time.  Or when Scott asks.

Andrea’s Skillet Burger Mac

• 1lb Ground Sirloin (or ground meat of your choice)
• 3C Whole Wheat Elbows
• 1/2 Large Onion Chopped
• 1 Green Pepper, 1 Red Pepper, chopped
• 2C Shredded Carrot
• 4 Huge handfuls of spinach
• 4 TBSP White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2C Unsweetened SO Delicious Coconut Milk
• 1 1/2C Chicken Stock
• 2TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Big Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• 2tsp Chili Powder
• 1 1/2C Shredded Cheddar
• Olive Oil for cooking

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in the pasta.  Cook until just half way down, drain and set aside.  In a medium sized, high sided skillet, add in olive oil, about 1/2TBSP and heat over medium heat.  Add in the ground beef and cook until done.  As it’s cooking sprinkle with a touch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  When it is done cooking, remove by putting in a bowl lined with some papertowels.  If the skillet has a bunch of oil in it, drain in a glass heat proof container.  Put back on medium heat and add in some fresh olive oil, about a TBSP.  Add in the onions, peppers, and carrots.  Stir and add in the seasonings, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and chili powder.  Cook until the onions and peppers soften.  Add in the worcestershire sauce and stir.  Add the ground meat back into the skillet.  Sprinkle in the flour and combine until everything is coated.  Allow to cook for about 2 minutes then add in the chicken stock, slowly.  Stir and add in the coconut milk.  Bring this mixture to a simmer and add in the spinach.  Stir until the spinach is wilted, then add in the cheese.  Stir until the cheese is melted.  Add in the pasta and combine.  Remove from heat, dish into bowls and serve!

I ran out of elbows so I had to improvise with some shells! Still got the job done though.  This also makes a lot resulting in plenty of leftovers for the next day or you can freeze and reheat for later.

The dish isn’t heavy or overly sauced like the old school inspiration nor is it a very heavy dish.  You would think with pasta, beef, and cheese it would feel and sit a little hard in the stomach but I promise it’s a light pasta dish.

You can use whatever ground meat you like, we have access to some great local beef so that’s what I stuck with to keep it more traditional.

Feel free to use milk or another nondairy liquid of your choice in place of the coconut milk.  Totally up to you! You can play around with the veggies too, maybe you want some corn or even some asparagus tossed in. Your call!

Perfect one pot dinner that takes a short time to make and pleases just about everyone!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 8

Beer and Bacon Mac ‘N Cheese will definitely be a crowd pleaser!

Spicy Chex Mix is easy to make and even quicker to replenish when the snack attack hits.

Pasta and Lentil salad to get some veggies in on Game Day!

Quick coleslaw, great as a side or as a topping to some pulled pork or a burger!

This Chipotle Glaze would go lovely on some wings!

Chipotle not your style? Try these Garlic Teriykai Wings instead.

Cheddar Beer Bread for carbs so you can party all day long, cheese for staying power!

Just for the Steeler fans, you better get some chipped ham right quick and get a crockpot of Ham BBQ going to make sandwiches.  Have some Iron City on ice too while you’re at it!

GO STEELERS!

Comments: 5

And it wouldn’t leave.

Because really, how delicious does that sound?  Exactly.

I had to make it and once I told Scott about my idea then I couldn’t not make it because that would be teasing.

I’m no tease kids.

I made this and knocked it out of the park.

Andrea’s Beer and Bacon Mac ‘N Cheese

• 12oz of Dark Beer
• 1/2C Chicken Broth
• 4TBSP (Heaping) of Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1C Shredded Cheddar (good cheddar please!), plus extra for garnish
• 1C Shredded Pepperjack Cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 3/4 of a Green pepper, chopped
• 3/4 of a Red Pepper, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 of a Large Onion, chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced or grated
• 5-6 Slices of crispy bacon, chopped
• 4C, Uncooked, Whole Wheat Small-Medium, Pasta Shells (not the stuffing kind)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Light Olive Oil for cooking, about 3 TBSP

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a large casserole dish with nonstick spray or olive oil.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the shells, take them about half way.  Drain and set aside. In a medium sized saute pan, add in about 2TBSP of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in the peppers and onions, sauteeing for about 5 minutes. Add in the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.  Cook for about a minute then add in the garlic and bacon, and cook for about another minute or two.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir until everything is coated.  If the mixture looks really dry, add in some more olive oil until it looks a touch smoother.  Not too much oil, just enough to give everything a  little more moisture. Allow this flour mixture to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the beer and stir, making sure to avoid clumping. It will foam up but that will dissipate in a minute.  Then add in the chicken stock and stir. Allow to come to a simmer so it thickens up a bit.  Slowly add in the cheeses and stir, turning down the heat at this point to a low-medium.  Once the cheeses are melted, you should have a lovely sauce.  Add in the pasta at this point and combine.  Pour mixture into a casserole dish and place in the oven.  Allow to heat until the mixture starts to bubble.  Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and place back in the oven just till the cheese is melted.

Serve up in bowls and enjoy!

Ooooo this dish was so very good! The beer is what makes this dish so make sure you use a nice dark lager style beer.  Meaning, no Miller, Bud or whatever allowed here. You want the beer to shine so it has to be a great beer in order to give you a great Mac ‘N Cheese.

You can only make straight up Mac ‘n Cheese so healthy, you know? There’s no cream or milk used and the cheese isn’t a ton when you think about how much this actually makes, which is a lot of mac ‘n cheese.  Enough that we got four meals out of it. Plus whole wheat pasta instead of basic white pasta.

It’s a very intense and rich dish.

Beer of choice for this dish is my current love, Great Lakes Brewing Eliot Ness lager. Dark and spicy bringing a deep flavor to the mac ‘n cheese.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 11

I know it’s a staple and source of comfort food for many though and that includes Scott.  They apparently had it in their dinner rotation and somehow a box with a giant hand on it was part of the equation.

I never made it for him because I couldn’t get past the idea of warm tuna.

Then a few months ago I decided to give it a try.  Hey I’m eating lots of new stuff I never liked before, might as well hit up tuna noodle and see what it has to say for itself.

A meal made of some pantry goods is a great way to use up products while keeping costs low.

Andrea’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

• 1 6.5oz Package of Tuna
• 1 12oz Package of Whole Wheat Egg Noodles
• 1/2 Large Onion, chopped
• 2 Medium Carrots, chopped
• 1 1/2C Peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2C Chopped Green Beans, bite size pieces (fresh or frozen)
• 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3TBSP All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2C Chicken Stock
• 1/2C So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk
• 1/2C Shredded Cheddar, plus more for topping
• 1tsp Soy Sauce
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• 2TBSP Dijon Mustard
• Big Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive Oil for sauteeing (About 2TBSP)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add in the noodles and cook about halfway through.  Drain and set aside.  In a large high sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in onions and carrot, plus seasonings.  Stir and allow to sautee for about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the green beans, peas and grated garlic, combine and cook for about a minute.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir until all the other ingredients are coated.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Slowly add in the chicken stock while stirring the ingredients.  Add in the soy sauce and dijon once the chicken stock is added and combined.  Stir, then slowly add in the coconut milk and stir.  Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes.  The mixture should thicken by this point, add in the tuna and stir mixture.  Then add in the 1/2C cheddar and stir until the cheddar is melted.  Add in the noodles to the mixture, combining the ingredients well.  In a large, greased (with nonstick spray or olive oil) casserole dish, add in the tuna noodle mixture.  Place dish in oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until bubbling.  Sprinkle with more cheddar on top and add on the chopped tomatoes.  Place back in oven till the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are warmed through.

Remove and serve!

First of all you know I cannot make a casserole style dish without some veggies to go with it.  I think peas may be common in tuna noodle but I’m not positive.  I was flying without a net on this one!

I was really pleased with the way this turned out!  It was exactly what I expected tuna noodle casserole to be like! I was able to handle the warm tuna with no problem. The dish has protein, veggies, and whole grain pasta which makes it a great healthy alternative to traditional tuna noodle casserole.  Apparently that has like potato chips or something on top?  Oh my!

Next time I might do it minus the tomatoes.  Not that they were bad but I think I might like the dish without them a little more.

This dish makes great leftovers which are so much better the next day!  Easy to reheat in the microwave and great to eat while snug on the couch watching a movie.

Naturally, like all my recipes, this is wide open to interpretation. If you want to use milk instead of coconut milk, please do! More cheese? Do it! No veggies or more veggies, knock your socks off! Remember recipes are guidelines, not set in stone.

Did you eat tuna noodle casserole growing up?  Did you like it or hate it?  Have you made it since?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 12

I am such a sucker for spicy sweet combo.  I like my BBQ sauce that way, I like salmon done that way, and I certainly enjoy Asian dishes that way.  Pad Thai totally fits that to a T.  I tried recreating it on my own many many many times.

Many. Times.

It was alright but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.  I saw several recipes using coconut milk and peanut butter.  Yes this created a nice sauce but it wasn’t even close to a Pad Thai sauce.  It was way too heavy and creamy, closer to something like a satay sauce.

This wasn’t what I was looking for.

Then Charise commented here not that long ago and pointed me in the direction of this recipe.  It is a breakdown of Pad Thai and how to create it.  It discusses the ideas behind the different ingredients used to create the sauce and explains exactly how to make the sauce.

Seriously one of the better recipes and tutorials I have seen.  I have it bookmarked and am never letting it go!

I was in need of some Pad Thai recently and was bound to create some that would be amazing.  I turned to the recipe linked and read it from beginning to end.  I didn’t have any of the ingredients on hand that Chez Pim used.  I wasn’t going out to the Asian grocery store any time soon and I really needed that Pad Thai quick before somebody got hurt.  I decided to take what I learned from the article and put it to use with ingredients I had on hand.

I learned from Chez Pim that great Pad Thai must follow the Four “S”s Rule.  Pad Thai needs:

• Salty
• Sweet
• Spicy
• Sour

Those four elements make up the classic taste of a Pad Thai sauce.  Okay, I can work with that.  I finally came up with a recipe that creates a sauce close to what I’ve experienced in restaurants.  While it isn’t perfect, it is so very close that I’m calling this a win.  It will be used as my base from now on for Pad Thai.

Andrea’s Veggie Pad Thai

Sauce:

• 1 1/3C Chicken Broth
• 1TBSP Soy Sauce (Salty)
• 2TBSP Honey (Sweet)
• 2TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce (Spicy)
• 1TBSP Lime Juice (Sour)

In a small sauce pan, whisk together ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes so that the sauce reduces down a bit.  You want a thicker sauce to help glaze the noodles and veggies, but still liquidy enough that it will cover the entire dish.

Pasta Part:

• 1/2 Package of Rice Noodles (sometimes called rice sticks, sometimes called Pad Thai Noodles)
• 1 Small Head of Broccoli, chopped
• 3 Medium Sized Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Medium Green Pepper, chopped
• 4-5 Green onions, chopped
• Sesame Seeds for garnish, about a TBSP
• Olive Oil for sauteeing, about 1TBSP

In a medium sized high sided skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the veggies except the green onion.  Coat with the oil and sautee until they just start to get soft.  About 7-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, dump in the pasta and allow to cook over a gentle simmer.  Takes about 5 minutes.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the veggie mixture.  Then pour the sauce on top and combine until everything is covered in the sauce.  Add in the chopped green onion and sesame seeds, and combine one last time.

Serve in large wide bowls and enjoy!

I was extremely pleased with this dish!  It was pretty spicy for me but I still loved it.  I finally created the right type of sauce!  It was not heavy, easy to put together, and utilized the Four “S”s Rule.

Of course if you want to make this vegetarian, you don’t have to use chicken broth as a base.  You can try water or veggie broth, or maybe even some No Chicken Broth.

I love green onions so I made sure this dish brought plenty of that to the table.  This is open to plenty of interpretation as well, maybe you like mushrooms or would love some scrambled egg added to your Pad Thai.  Whatever you want to put in there, put in there! Great way to use up leftover chicken or pork as well.

I’m currently out of rice noodles and that is the only thing keeping me from making this dish again!  Next time you’re in the mood for Pad Thai, try creating some yourself.  You might be surprised by the outcome!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 9

I am a huge fan of pasta salad despite the fact that I’m not a huge pasta eater.  However, I’m extremely picky when it comes to pasta salad as well.  So much can be done with pasta salad that using a store bought mix or bottled dressing is unnecessary.  Pasta salad is not only easy to make using ingredients you have on hand but it’s quick and the longer it sits the better it gets.

That is my kind of meal!

I love when pasta salad is loaded up on veggies!  I view pasta salad as a way to get in as many veggies as I can, not as a source for eating as much pasta as I can.  My personal opinion is that pasta is a vehicle for veggies and what better way to enjoy veggies than in their simplest form in a pasta salad!

Andrea’s Pasta and Lentil Salad

For the Pasta Salad:

• 1C Uncooked green lentils
• 3C Uncooked Whole Wheat Medium Sized Shells
• 1 1/2C Shredded Carrot
• 1 1/2C Peas (I used frozen that I let thaw)
• 6 Green Onions, chopped, both the white and green parts
• 1 Large Tomato chopped (do not remove seeds)
• 1C Shredded Red Cabbage
• 1 Small to Medium Sized Head of Broccoli, chopped in small bite size pieces
  

Dressing:

• 2 1/2 – 3 Heaping TBSP of Dijon mustard
• 1/4C White Wine Vinegar
• 1/4C Olive Oil
• 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2tsp Soy Sauce
• 1tsp Sesame Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

Cook the lentils according to package directions and allow to cool.  Cook the pasta in boiling water till just shy of being “done”.  Drain and allow to cool.  You want the pasta to still have some good bite to it, otherwise it will get mushy in the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, lentils, and veggies.  In a small mixing bowl combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together (can also be blended in a blender).  Pour the dressing over the pasta, lentils, and veggies, and stir till everything is coated.  Allow to sit in the fridge for about an hour.  Gently stir before serving.

This is not a heavily dressed pasta salad.  The dressing is meant to give the pasta and veggies a touch of added flavor.  If you want more dressing on the salad, I suggest making the initial batch, and once the salad had a chance to sit in the fridge for a bit, you can drizzle on some more right before serving.

The reason I keep the dressing simple and light is because I want the fresh veggies to be the star and not to be overpowered by a heavy vinegar dressing.  The same goes for the pasta, I like my pasta lightly dressed or with just a touch of sauce.  Otherwise the sauce takes over and you can’t focus on the pasta!

This recipe makes a good bit of pasta salad.  Scott and I were able to have this for dinner two nights in a row.  It is definitely better the next day!  The dressing will soften the veggies and the pasta the longer it sits, this is why it is important to not cook the pasta too far.  Otherwise you will be met with a bowl of mush the next day.

I topped our pasta salad with chunks of good quality extra sharp cheddar which took the dish up to the next level and provided fun little bites of creamy cheese.

You can of course, use whatever your favorite veggies are or what you happen to have on hand.  I’ve made this with kale and some red and green peppers.  You can use red onion instead of green onion.  Whatever your little heart desires. It’s pasta salad, the possibilities are endless!

The recipe itself is vegan, adding the cheese clearly makes it not vegan.  I’m sure you realized that though!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 3

Me: Post about what?

Scott: Dinner.

Me: What? Like what we’re eating right now?

Scott: Yes.

Me: But it’s nothing, just some veggies and pasta.

Scott: Right.

Me: ‘Splain yourself.

Scott: Well, what did you do?

Me: I made an easy and quick dinner because it’s crazy late and we need to eat.

Scott: Exactly.  Maybe people would be interested in this.  Maybe folks want to know how to just put something together quickly when they don’t have a lot of time. Or when it’s late and they are hungry but still want something healthy.  This is a good example of that.

Me: Well I’ll try.  I did just toss this together, no exact measurements or anything.

Scott: That’s the point!

This was the conversation that Scott and I had last Wednesday when it was late, we were hungry, and I needed to put some food in our bellahs.  I attended that canning class and my original plan was that we would eat dinner before class.  That didn’t work out and I didn’t have a Plan B.  So when we got home and it was after 9pm, I needed to put something together quickly to feed us.

Andrea’s Late Night Pasta Toss

• 2 Big handfuls of Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• 1/4-1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
• 1 Green pepper, chopped
• 2 Large Tomatoes chopped
• 1 Crookneck Squash Chopped
• 1 Large Clove of garlic grated
• 1/2C White Wine
• 1TBSP Olive oil for sauteeing
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Italian Seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash)

In a huge pasta pot, fill with water and bring to a boil.  Dump in spaghetti and cook until your desired done-ness.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add in onion, pepper, and squash, stir to coat with oil.  Then season and stir again.  Allow to sautee until softened.  Add in the chopped tomato and garlic, heat through.  Toss in the white wine and let simmer for a few minutes.  Add in the cooked pasta, toss, and serve with some crusty whole grain bread.  Glass of white wine to accompany it is optional.

This dish was really perfect for a late evening.  And when I say late, when we sat down to eat it was 10pm. Eeep!  It took me roughly 20-30 minutes to put this dish on the table.  What took the longest was actually waiting for the water to boil for the pasta!  Everything was something I had on hand and the squash was leftover from a previous dinner!

How much seasoning you want to use is totally up to you.  The veggies bring a lot of flavor so I keep the seasoning to a minimum.  The juice from the tomatoes along with the wine create a lovely light sauce.  Of course you can sub in stock of your choice or red wine if you don’t want to use white.  Add in some shrimp for a fun seafood pasta dish!

By the time I hit the hay that night it was 11:30 and way past my bedtime.  However our bellahs were full with a healthy meal that was created in no time.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 6