Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

April 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been craving tangy dressing a lot lately. I’ve also noticed that I’ve been gravitating towards lighter, springy-er dishes. That could be pregnancy related or could be that I’m just really ready to move on from heavy winter dishes (even if I do live in San Diego). Either way, when a friend on a cooking message board I frequent mentioned a pasta salad including asparagus, I was immediately intrigued. Suddenly vegetable pasta salad combinations were just swirling around in my head and I knew exactly what we were having for dinner.

The plan was for me to make grilled chicken and serve it with a large side of this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad. The look on Jesse’s face when I told him the plan was kind of comical. He was sure that there should be some other side, or something! Much to his surprise (and my delight!) he loved dinner and he even felt full. It just goes to show that dinner doesn’t have to be heavy to be good. The leftovers also made an awesome lunch!

 

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 – 1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped into 2-inch bites
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
1 small zucchini, chopped
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp Italian dressing (You may decide you need more salad dressing, so keep the bottle handy)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
10 oz. dry pasta (I like bowties for pasta salad and this time I used Barilla Plus)
2-3 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
Additional salt and pepper as needed, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss chopped vegetables in 1 Tbsp Italian dressing (let marinate while the oven is preheating). Spread chopped vegetables out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables start to soften and turn golden brown. Allow vegetables to cool to room temperature.

While the vegetables are cooling. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dry pasta and cook to al dente according to the box. Drain, immediately rinse with cold water, and drain some more (you don’t want soggy pasta salad).

Once the pasta has cooled and drained, toss with the vegetables, cubed mozzarella cheese, and Italian dressing. If 1/4 cup of dressing doesn’t seem like enough to lightly coat all of the pasta, add a little more at time. This pasta is best if you let it sit for at least an hour before serving (it can also be made a day ahead of time).

Sunny Side Up

Here are a few more lighter side dish ideas!

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw
Southwest Pasta Salad
Spicy Cold Noodles

Filed Under: Healthier, Pasta, Side Item, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,

Foil Packet Soy-Lime Salmon with Green Beans

January 11, 2013 by 1 Comment


So, technically, I made this salmon in a parchment packet and not a foil packet (because who runs out of foil? me!), but who’s counting? What really matters is that this dinner was fast, easy, delicious, and nutritious.

When Jesse asked what was for dinner and I told him salmon he got that sad puppy dog look. It’s not that he doesn’t like seafood/fish, he just isn’t ever really excited about it. He definitely changed his look after the first bite. The foil (or parchment) locks in the moisture and the flavor leaving you with a perfectly cooked salmon filet and flavorful green beans.

 

Foil Packet Soy-Lime Salmon with Green Beans

Ingredients
4 6-oz salmon filets
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp honey
Red pepper flakes
3 green onions, cut and divided (white and light green parts separated from dark green)
1 lime, quartered
Green beans, trimmed (About 12-15 per packet)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare foil by cutting into sheets 12-14 inches long.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and honey. Place a salmon filet in the center of sheet of foil. Generously brush with sauce. Squeeze lime over the filet. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and the white and light green parts of the green onions. Top with green beans, garlic, ginger, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Seal the foil by bring the sides together and pinching along the seam. Then fold in the ends.

Bake for 18 minutes. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before opening foil and transferring to a plate. Serve with the rest of the green onion tops and any sauce left in the foil packets.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

 

Filed Under: Easy Weeknight Dinner, Main Course, Seafood, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

November 14, 2012 by 1 Comment

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just over a week away! We were originally expecting to still be in China for the holiday, so it’s been a pleasant surprise getting to plan a full on American feast. There are some foods that were just hard to find in Suzhou, like turkeys. One grocery store did have 1 frozen turkey. But they literally had that same turkey the entire time we lived there, so I had my doubts about the quality. Here I have my choice of ingredients, a nice big kitchen to prepare it in, and a group of friends to share it with.

My menu is shaping up to look pretty similar to last years, with just a few adjustments and additions. One thing that was requested this year was green bean casserole. Of course I could just go with the traditional casserole made with cans, but that wouldn’t be quite as fun! So I searched for a from scratch recipe that would be the best balance between the traditional taste and better for you non-processed ingredients. I think I found a real winner! One that gives the canned casserole a run for its money!

One last thing – For the trial run I bought a bag of crispy fried onions for the topping but on the actual day of I plan to make them myself.

 

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds green beans*, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup french fried onions
2 tablespoons butter, melted optional
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs optional

*For the trial run I thought the green bean to sauce ratio was little high so I’ve adjusted the amount of green beans to reflect what I will do on Thanksgiving.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fill a large skillet or wok with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook just until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Wipe any excess water from the large skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes, until softened and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and thyme sprigs, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.Add the tablespoon of olive oil and then sprinkle in the flour and stir, cook for a minute or 2. Pour in the white wine, stirring and scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. After one minute, reduce heat to medium-low and add the broth and cream. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the liquid starts to reduce and thicken. Stir in the gruyere cheese until melted. Taste the sauce and season with any additional salt and pepper if needed.

Stir the green beans in to the sauce then pour into a casserole dish. In a separate bowl toss stir together the melted butter, panko bread crumbs and fried onions*, sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and turning golden brown.

*You can also skip the melted butter and panko and just top with fried onions.

Adapted from Closet Cooking

 

Filed Under: Holiday Treats, Side Item, Thanksgiving, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,

Baked Zucchini Fries

September 11, 2012 by 4 Comments

Jesse and I are potato people, so it’s no surprise that potatoes are my default side dish for a lot of meals. But the thing is, there is so much more out there than potatoes! Rice, quinoa, beans, vegetables… The possibilities are endless.  Sometimes you just have to remind yourself of the other options.

These baked zucchini fries are an awesome alternative to a potato side dish. The outside is crisp, the inside is tender, and they are the perfect vehicle for any sauce you like (and you know I like sauces!).  They are NOT french fries, but that’s OK. They are different and delicious.

 

Baked Zucchini Fries

Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb zucchini, cut into 4-5-inch sticks

*For just two people, you might want to cut the ingredients in half.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place whole wheat flour* and eggs separate bowls. In a third bowl, stir together the Panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

Lightly coat the zucchini sticks with whole wheat flour, then dip in the egg, then in the Panko mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining sticks.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the Panko is golden brown. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

*Alternatively you can place the flour in a ziploc bag, add the zucchini, and shake to coat.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

 

 

Filed Under: Side Item, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,