Pasta Primavera

Primavera is Italian for the spring season…
when the earth turns green again and gardens begin to grow.
In restaurants, it is a pasta dish with the fresh garden vegetables.
Eat it as a cold or hot dish and enjoy a simple, healthy, delicious meal.

Main Ingredients

Making Pasta    

1. Boil a pot of water. Add ½ tablespoon of salt.
2. When the water boils, add the pasta, and reduce to a simmer.
3. After a minute, stir the pasta.
4. Check the pasta’s cooking time on the box.
5. Do not overcook the pasta! It should be firm to the tooth (al dente).
6. Drain the pasta, add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir.

If the pasta has been cooked too long, drain immediately and run pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking any longer.

Cutting vegetables

1. Dice the carrots, zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper and onion.
2. Mince garlic well.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
4. Sauté the onions and peppers in light oil until the onions become clear (translucent) and the peppers have slightly softened.  Add halved tomatoes and zucchini and cook until heated through and zucchini is translucent.
5. Blanch the carrots and broccoli. (Dunk them in the boiling water for 1 minute)
6. Mince fresh herbs.
7. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh and dried herbs with pasta. Toss it like a salad.
8. Combine vegetables with pasta and top with cheese. 

*Choose WHOLE GRAIN pasta*
*EAT a RAINBOW of vegetables*

 

Chinese Stir Fry

When ordering Chinese food, be careful with the high sodium in soy sauce and MSG. Really, you can hook up a delicious Chinese meal at home. Keep in mind: Eating a variety of vegetable colors is the easiest way to get vitamins and minerals. Brown rice is a whole grain you should try cooking…ask for it when you order Chinese food, too.

You may even want to try tofu, which is a high-protein, low-fat alternative in many Asian dishes.

 

BASIC INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ C. brown rice
1 medium onion (or 4 scallions)
¼ - ½ lb. Chicken or shrimp (optional)
¼ - ½ C. cashews (optional)

YOUR CHOICE OF VEGETABLES:

Broccoli (1/2 C)
Cauliflower (1/2 C)
Carrot (1-2)
String Beans or Snow Peas (1/2 C)
Cabbage (purple or green, ¼ head)

STIRFRY SAUCE:

3 cloves garlic
2 t minced ginger
¼ C soy sauce or tamari
¼ C water
1 T rice vinegar (or other vinegar)
1 T sweetener (honey works best)
Salt & Pepper

Directions (Serves 6, takes 35 minutes)

Stir-fry Sauce

1. Mince garlic and ginger and place in a small bowl.
2. Stir into bowl: soy sauce, water, vinegar, sweetener, corn starch.

Vegetables

1. Wash & Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces.On a separate cutting board, cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
2. Heat skillet on high & add just enough oil to cover surface of the pan.
3. Sauté onions (or scallions) with a pinch of salt.
4. Add “toughest” vegetables (carrots, broccoli, etc.) and chicken.
5. Pour 2-3 T of stir-fry sauce at a time over veggies and sauté for about 3 min. Don’t let the sauce “puddle up” on the bottom of the skillet.
6. Add “delicate” vegetables (cabbage & snow peas, cashews), “stir-fry” for about 2 more minutes. All veggies should be cooked but a little crunchy.
7. Serve mixed with or over brown rice.

 

Mexican Dips

These 3 dips combine great taste with great nutrition. Different colors of vegetables have different vitamins and minerals. And beans are a super food! High protein, high fiber, low fat. Make your dips, break out the tortilla chips and have a party!

 

MAIN INGREDIENTS

16oz. can of Black beans
2-3 Onions
Avocado
3 Tomatoes
1 Lime or 2 Tbs Vinegar

Garlic
Fresh Cilantro
Chili pepper/jalapeño/ cherry pepper
Spices- Chili, cumin, hot sauce
Tortilla Chips

RECIPES

Rainbow Salsa

1. Chop 3 tomatoes over a cutting board. Place in the mixing bowl.
2. Mince a small onion and several cherry peppers and mix into the tomatoes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of red-wine vinegar or squeezed lime and salt to taste.
4. Add desired ingredients to taste: fresh cilantro, mango, jalapeno, corn, etc.

GUACAMOLE

1. Cut open an avocado, scoop the insides into a mixing bowl, and mash the avocado with a fork.
2. Mince a ¼ of an onion and a small garlic clove.
3. Mix the onion and garlic into the avocado.
4. Add the juice of ½ a lime, lemon or 2 Tbs.vinegar (and a sprinkling of salt).
5. Optional: add a handful of chopped tomato or salsa.

Superbowl Bean Dip

1. Chop ½ an onion and 2 cloves of garlic.
2. Heat a pan with a very thin layer of canola oil.
3. Sauté the onions in the pan on medium heat until they start to turn clear.
4. Add the garlic and after 1-2 minutes add the beans (rinse them first!).
5. Cook the beans for 5 minutes and add spices (chili powder, cumin, salt)
6. Blend the beans in a food processor (add shredded cheese if you want).