Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

Growing up, pasta consisted of spaghetti and macaroni. The former came with a very sweet tomato based meat sauce and the latter was a "salad" drenched in mayonnaise. Those two still have a special place in my heart even after all these years, but like the rest of us, taste buds must also grow up.

When it comes to eating healthy, or at least trying to, we have this idea in our heads that the healthier version just doesn't measure up to the original's taste. The healthy version is basically stripped off of what made the original taste great in the first place. Unfortunately, this seems to be the truth in most cases. One of these days, we can give examples of such facts until we're all blue in the face, but today, lets talk about one example that goes against that train of thought. Whole grain pasta.

Hold the eye rolls, please. Get past the fact that whole grain noodles just aren't able to twirl around your fork like regular pasta does and you'll be on your way to a whole new world of tasty goodness.

Give me an hour and a half with 8 ingredients and if you aren't satisfied I will send you the full amount of what you spent on that box of whole grain Penne pasta. Kidding of course, but trust me. Don't be afraid of the hour and a half. You won't be slaving away in front of the stove.

Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

1 12 ounce box of Whole Grain Penne pasta
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 large yellow onion small diced
1/2 head of garlic minced
4 Roma tomatoes rough chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp thin sliced fresh basil (optional)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cups of water


Brown the meat then drain excess oil.

Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and dried oregano and continue to saute for another two minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break apart.

Add half the amount of water and turn the fire down to a simmer.

Add sugar if desired to cut in to the tomatoes a bit. again, this is optional

Let the liquid reduce all the way down while occasionally giving it a stir.

At this time, boil a pot of salted water for the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. Pasta water should taste as salty as the ocean. Once the pasta is done cooking, do not forget to save a half cup of the pasta water.

Add the remainder of the water in to the sauce and reduce it all the way down.

The reason for reducing that much liquid in to the sauce is because you're giving the sauce a chance to really meld all the ingredients in to it's body. It sounds sexy and all, but it's a chef thing and it makes a huge difference in flavor building.

Always taste while you are cooking. Season according to your taste. how salty or spicy you want something is completely up to you.

Once the sauce has reduced and is perfectly seasoned, add it to the pasta in a separate pot, stir until fully incorporated and serve with fresh basil on top and some shaved Parmesan cheese if you like.  Enjoy!

Farfalle with Andouille Sausage and Mushrooms

Almost 3 months have passed and another trek across the country has brought us back to the very hot Southern California. We are finally settling in to our busy schedule here and so we are just now starting to get in to a routine. Home cooked meals are finally becoming the norm again and we are making an effort to make them healthier than their takeout counterpart.... which should be very easy taking in to consideration what we have been eating lately.

Home cooked meals have been a drag since taking on a busier schedule. It always comes down to just being too tired at the end of the day to cooking up a meal. Grabbing takeout was a much easier chore than slaving away behind a stove and so the cycle started and the pounds and the inches began to pile up as well. 

It was time to make better choices. Nothing too drastic. A little less meat and a little more vegetables. Whole grain foods and less processed. We even got a juicer to replace a meal or two. 

Before going on this journey, first things first... lunch.

30 minutes is all it took and it was much cheaper than takeout and most importantly, much much healthier. Give it a try and let us know.

Farfalle with Andouille Sausage and Mushrooms

Farfalle with Andouille Sausage and Mushrooms

1 pound organic whole wheat Farfalle (cooked al dente according to package instructions) (make sure not to drain away ALL of the pasta water)

8 ounces Andouille Sausage large diced (feel free to omit the sausage if you want the dish vegetarian and just double the mushrooms)

6-8 ounces button mushrooms quartered (any mushroom would get the job done so go ahead and experiment)

5 ounces cleaned and washed spinach 

2 Roma tomatoes large diced

1/2 a medium sized yellow onion large diced

6 cloves of garlic minced

3 tbsp chopped basil

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup of pasta water

Parmesan cheese 

2 tbsp oil

Procedure

Boil water and cook the pasta. The time it takes to cook the pasta which is about 11 minutes, the sauce would be ready just in time as you are draining the pasta. Make sure you have all your ingredients prepared so as to not miss a beat. :)

In a separate pot, sweat the garlic for 30 seconds then add the onions. 

After another 30 seconds or so, add the sausage and the mushrooms. 

Once the mushrooms has softened a bit, add the tomatoes and saute until slightly broken down.

Add the pasta water then toss in the pasta and then season with salt and pepper. 

Toss in the chopped basil, turn off the fire and give it a final quick stir and serve hot with shaved Parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Organic Mini Shells in Creamy Bacon Chipotle Sauce

When we started our little garden here, we decided it would be organic. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Compost that we make ourselves will be the only fertilizer that the plants get. It's a matter of paying attention to what we put in our bodies. I don't think it's about throwing everything out of the fridge, freezer and pantry and replacing everything with organic products. Better choices in what we eat is our goal for now.

Through some online research, we ran in to Eden Organic Pasta Company. The first thing that stood out about the company is that they are located in Detroit, MI. The big corporations have been long gone, but since buying the this factory in 1982 from the Schmidt Noodle Company, they remained standing and thriving, providing jobs where it is most needed. The company's motto is "people who care" and it seems fitting.

We contacted EOPC and they sent us some samples and this is what we came up with. I have to be honest that I initially had planned on making a lighter healthy salad with the pasta but this time, bacon came calling, hence a slightly richer dish. I made sure to load up on the vegetables so it wasn't all bad. I used to not be a huge fan of whole grain anything but the past few years, we as a family, have acquired the taste for it. More important than the taste though is that whole grain means more heart healthy fiber.

Organic Mini Shells in Creamy Bacon Chipotle Sause

Organic Mini Shells in Creamy Bacon Chipotle Sauce

1 cup cooked EOPC Small Vegetables Shells
2 ounces bacon
1/2 cup cooked frozen peas
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1 clove garlic sliced
1/2 small onion diced
1 tsp chipotle sauce (adjust according to desired spiciness)
2 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream
1 tbsp rough chopped fresh basil
few tbsp of reserved pasta cooking liquid

Procedure

-cook pasta according to directions on box. (make sure to always salt the water when cooking pasta)
-saute the bacon but not to crispy
-then add the garlic and onions and saute until fragrant
-then add the peas and corn and saute for another minute
-turn the fire down to medium high then add the crema and chipotle
-use the pasta water to thin out the sauce a bit. a few tablespoons of the liquid should do
-toss the basil and give it a quick stir
-shave a bit of Pecorino Romano for a nice saltiness and serve immediately

Enjoy!

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

The sole purpose of making sausage today was so that it makes it's way to some pasta. Lately we've been eating more whole grain pasta because it just tastes better. The nuttier, fuller flavor of whole grain pasta makes things in the "sauce department" a lot easier. Here's a delicious, quick and healthy fix for lunch or dinner when you're pinched for time. Let Umami rich ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese do the heavy lifting for you. Quit opening the jars of ready made tomato sauces and stay away from the rich cream based sauces in foil packets. Make. real. food. (mental note: that's a nice slogan) It's easier than you think and it will save you tons of money in the long run and most importantly, it's healthier.

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

12 oz box of whole grain Penne pasta

8 oz sausage of your choice sliced thin on a bias (although i recommend you making this awesome sausage)

2 cups your choice of mushrooms rough chopped

1 cup thin sliced yellow onions

6 cloves of garlic minced

2 large Roma tomatoes rough chopped 

salt and dried chili flakes

the process

-Boil salted water. If you're not sure how salty, imagine sea water. Yup. about that salty. 

-while waiting for the water to boil, slice and chop the ingredients. make sure you get everything because like a stir fry, this will go very quickly

-once the water boils, add the pasta and heat a separate pot 

-start with the garlic and onions and once they get a bit of color in them add the mushrooms. 

-you're going to start having brown bits stuck to the pan and that's a good thing. 

-once the mushrooms have softened and has browned a bit, add the tomatoes

-a minute later, add your sausage making sure you're constantly stirring 

-at this time, turn down the fire to low and the pasta should be cooked al dente. 8-9 minutes

-reserve 3/4 of a cup of the pasta water before draining

-once drained, turn the fire up again and add the pasta and the pasta water

-stir and taste and adjust the salt to your liking. add chili flakes to your liking as well

-serve hot with shaved Parmesan cheese. 

ENJOY!

Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti Aglio e olio with Roasted Tomatoes

Andiamo a mangiare! Let's eat. Simple doesn't have to mean dull. Proper preparation and fresh ingredients can mean a very nice meal. Here's to Italy's mac and cheese!

Whole Grain This Spaghetti Aglio e olio with Roasted Tomatoes

Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti Aglio e olio with Roasted Tomato

Pasta

1 box whole grain thin spaghetti
6 large garlic cloves sliced thin
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive

Roasted tomatoes

4 Roma tomatoes diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

toss ingredients together and roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 450 until tomatoes have caramelized.

Garlic-Butter spread for bread

1 stick unsalted butter softened
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 tsp paprika

Procedure

Cook pasta according to instructions. (no sense in guessing games and throwing pasta at the fridge to see if it's done. it says right on the box. HA!)
as soon as the pasta goes in to the water, place the sliced garlic in the cold oil and fire it up until it starts to sizzle. at this point, turn down the fire to low so it doesn't burn. we are looking for a pale golden brown hue to the garlic. once the garlic is light brown add a quarter cup of the pasta water to the garlic and oil to stop the cooking then turn the fire off. drain the pasta and place on a platter then drizzle the garlic and oil over them. add the Parmesan cheese and chili flakes and toss to coat.

Serve with garlic bread. Enjoy!

Mushroom Ravioli in Tomato Sauce

So it isn't your traditional ravioli. This is more about making do with what you have and fixing something nice. We look in the fridge then the freezer then the pantry and we experiment and add to our repertoire. I made this ravioli a few weeks back and had them in the freezer. The easy part is using won ton wrappers. What you choose to fill them with is the fun part. Lot's of times, a busy moms and dads get in these situations where you gotta rush home and make dinner, but you don't really have time to go to the market and you're tired of eating fast food so you need something quick and easy. Having good old homemade food in the freezer can be a life saver so stock up when you do have time and are feeling a little creative.. and motivated.

Ravioli Filling
1 cup sliced Crimini mushrooms
1 cup shredded Oyster mushrooms
1 small pack of reconstituted dried Porcini mushrooms
(feel free to use any combination of mushrooms you find at your grocery)
1 cups raw baby spinach
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 medium onion small diced
1 tbsp of any chopped fresh herbs you have. parsley, oregano, thyme or sage etc
salt and pepper to taste

Heat up 5 tbsp of olive oil and sweat the garlic and onions. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from the fire then add the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix and then place in a strainer and let cool it the refrigerator.

The Tomato sauce for this is very easy. A shortcut if you may by fortifying a can of seasoned diced tomatoes. How easy is that? Remember, this is having something great in a pinch. Pat yourself in the back because you're a kitchen MacGyver!

Tomato Sauce
1 15 oz can Italian style diced tomato sauce  (whatever kind you have hiding in the back of your pantry)
1 whole medium onion small diced
5 large gloved of garlic minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)

Making the ravioli
1 pack of won ton skins
1 beaten egg for egg wash

like an assembly line, line up 6 won ton skins and place 1 tbsp of filling in the middle, brush the edges all the way around with the egg wash and place another won ton skin on top and pinch off the air pockets to seal the ravioli. make sure to flour the ravioli liberally on the storage tray to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Procedure

Boil 6 quarts of salted water in a pot. While that is going, heat up 4 tbsp of olive oil and sweat the onion and garlic for a minute then add the oregano. Once fragrant, add the diced tomatoes and the chili flakes then turn down the heat and simmer the sauce on low. When the water boils, add the ravioli and boil until the skin is translucent. Since the filling is already cooked, 3-4 minutes should do. Fish out the ravioli and arrange in a plate.

To finish the sauce, turn up the fire on the sauce and add 1/2 cup of the pasta water in to the tomato sauce and once it comes to a boil, whisk in the cold butter to thicken the sauce a bit then ladle over the ravioli. Enjoy!