Carb fest

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW

Here are a few of my favorite pasta recipes- hope you enjoy them, and the ensuing jog you will need to take afterward.

Spinach Pesto
(Original recipe source: GillianB.)

3 cloves garlic
3 T. walnuts, pine nuts, whatever you have on hand
1 teaspoon (or more) dried basil (fresh is great if you have it, too)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well (again, fresh equivalent is fine, too)
2 lbs. fettuccine, cooked

Mix garlic, walnuts, basil, cheese, and salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add spinach. While motor is running, add olive oil. Serve over hot pasta and mix well Serves 8-10 as a side dish or 4-6 as a main dish.


White Beans w/Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan
(Original recipe source: Christine E.)

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked white beans (navy, great northern, cannellini)
1 large tomato, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. lemon juice
basil leaves (optional garnish)
Fusilli or penne pasta, cooked

In a skillet, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic until lightly brown. Stir in beans, tomato, basil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until heated through and tomato has released its juices. Stir in cheese and lemon juice. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with basil if desired. Serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side dish.)

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I'm currently putting together the Pioneer Woman's Lasagna, which is my favorite recipe for lasagna with meat. Using a little spicy sausage really adds a kick. We've mostly quit eating pork products unless we can find them nitrate-free. We are able to get sausage from a local source and it's just a little more expensive than standard sausage. I used to get fresh ground, nitrate-free ground sausage from Fresh Market for about $3/lb. When we eat sausage it's typically not massive quantities (a little thrown on a pizza, in a quiche, etc.) so a pound goes a long way. I should note that this lasagna recipe always makes one 9x13 pan and one 8x8 pan. If I try to put the entire recipe in one pan it's WAY too much. But it works out because I have one to eat/serve and one to stash in the freezer for a meal to give away. One other alteration: I don't use sliced mozzarella (it typically has extra ingredients) or canned Parmesan cheese. It has paper (cellulose) in it. Just ask my kids. They will ask, "Is this the cheese that has paper in it?"

I have a good veggie lasagna recipe my Mom used when I was growing up, but my husband enjoys beef so we stick with PW.

And finally, a dessert: Homemade Mounds Candy Bars

I will let you know how they turn out next week. They will be our Sunday dessert but I think I'll make them today just in case I have to resort to Plan B.