Baked Farro Pasta

From 101cookbooks.com, by Heidi Swanson.

I'll be honest, this recipe requires quite a bit of preparation but I liked the result.  My husband was so-so about it, but in the end he ate the left overs quite easily.  I love cabbage recipes and used brussels sprouts in this one.


You can use pretty much any green cabbage here - savoy, napa, or even shredded brussels sprouts if you have some to use up. On the pasta front I call for farro tagliatelle, but you can substitute a wide range of pasta shapes and types. For example, fettuccine, penne, broken lasagne, etc. And you can experiment beyond farro - whole wheat pastas, buckwheat, spelt, they'll all work nicely here. Lastly, I don't hammer this point to death down below, but do your best to salt/season each of the casserole components as you go. Each should taste great on its own.

1 pound small waxy potatoes, for example Yukon gold, fingerling, Yellow Finn
fine grain sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
2 medium leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, well washed
3 garlic gloves, minced
1/2 medium head of cabbage (about 1 lb / 16 oz / 450g), cored and shredded
1/2 cup / 120 ml vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 fresh sage leaves
12 ounces / 340 g dried farro tagliatelle, broken into 3-inch segments
4 ounces soft-rind, creamy cheese, cut into tiny cubes (for example, I used this Ardrahan farmhouse cheese, but Stracchino, fontina, or tallegio could all work too)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta.
In the meantime, in a separate pan, cover the potatoes with water and a few big pinches of salt. Simmer until just tender, somewhere between 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain well, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds, toss gently with a bit of salt. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic. Stir in the cabbage, and then the broth. Season with salt and cook, covered, for a few minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard, then 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the slivered sage leaves. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and set aside. It should taste good on its own, with an assertive mustard flavor at this point.
Cook the pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (23cm x 33cm) baking dish, or equivalent. Arrange 1/2 of the noodles evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer half the cabbage mixture, half of the potatoes, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and half of the cubed cheese on top of the noodles. Arrange the remaining noodles over the cheese and cover with the remaining cabbage, potatoes, and cubed cheese. Finish with the remaining Parmesan and slivered sage.
At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to a couple days, or bake in a 400F degree oven for 45 - 60 minutes - until the top is nicely golden, and it is hot throughout. Serve hot.
Serves 6 - 8.

Prep time: 60 min - Cook time: 60 min

Orzo Super Salad

From 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson.

I liked this recipe, but the asparagus on the second day didn't seem quite as good as the day before.  Next time I might try pickled asparagus rather than steamed, or maybe plan to not have leftovers.

1 cup dried (whole wheat) orzo pasta
8 - 10 medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
1/2 a medium head of broccoli (or broccolini), cut into small trees
small handful of cilantro(or mint if you prefer), chopped
1 small clove of garlic, mashed with a big pinch of salt and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
a small handful of sprouts
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium avocado, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup feta, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and boil the orzo per package instructions. Avoid over-boiling, you want your orzo to be cooked through, but maintain structure. About 30 seconds before the orzo is finished cooking stir the asparagus and broccoli into the orzo pot. Cook for the final 30 seconds, drain and run under a bit of cold water. Just long enough to stop the cooking.
In the meantime, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and more salt (if needed) into the dressing. Set aside.
When you are ready to serve the salad toss the orzo, asparagus, broccoli, and cilantro with about half the dressing. Add more dressing if needed, and toss well. Now add the sprouts, almonds, cucumber, avocado, and feta. Very gently toss a couple of times to distribute those ingredients throughout the salad and serve.
Serves 4.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

Pasta with Arugula

 From The Lazy Vegetarian

I got some arugula in my weekly vegetable delivery and wasn't sure what to do with it.  I found this easy recipe and added a yellow squash and red pepper since I needed to use them as well.  Quite good!

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I often used jarred, pre-minced garlic)
8 oz. small, fat pasta* (1/2 of most packages)
1 bag or package arugula**
1/2 cup (or to taste) sliced pitted black olives
2 medium (or one extra-large) tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or soy equivalent, like Veggie Grated Parmesan from Galaxy Foods)

Cook the pasta per package directions in a large pot. When it is almost done, heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes. After draining pasta, return it to the pot, and add the rest of the ingredients, except cheese. Drizzle the oil on top and mix together. Mix cheese in or sprinkle on top of each serving. Serves 2-3.

Broccoli-Peanut Noodles

From vegweb.com, by katt.

There's nothing like watching your picky toddlers actually eat what you made for dinner that can make you feel like you're an ok mom after all. Tonight I scored big with these peanutty noodles, and even got a few "trees" down my boys as well. 

    1 large broccoli head
    about 1/2 pound noodles of your choosing
    1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
    1/2 cup water
    1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    2 tablespoons sweetener
    cayenne, to taste
    1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
    2-3 medium carrots, grated

Directions:

1. Steam broccoli and cook noodles according to package directions.

2. Whisk peanut butter and water together over medium heat. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sweetener, and cayenne and heat through.

3. Drain the noodles and broccoli, toss with sauce and nuts, and add raw carrot over all.

Cashew Pasta Bake

From Z FaMiLy ReCiPe bLoG

OK, I just made this recipe again tonight and realized it isn't strictly vegan with the butter and cheese.  These can be easily substituted for vegan ingredients, or you can settle with being 85% good like I did. 

2 1/2 cups dried penne or other pasta
dash of olive oil, plus 2 TB
2 TB butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 heaping TB tomato paste
3/4 cup roasted cashews
1/2 of a small zucchini or yellow squash sliced
salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Boil pasta and dash of oil for 10 minutes. Drain. Return to pan and stir in butter. Keep Warm.
While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large frying pan and saute' onion, garlic and oregano for 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and zucchini or squash and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cashews and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to greased shallow oven proof dish. Spoon the buttered pasta on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Cheese will turn crisp and golden.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Basic Pesto

Here's a recipe for a walnut-based pesto, adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins.

2 cups fresh basil leaves

4 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup walnuts

1 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup grated Romano cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Process basil, garlic, walnuts in a food processor. With the machine running, add olive oil. Add cheeses, a liberal dose of salt and a thin grinding of pepper. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use. Or, divide into small, plastic containers and freeze.