Mind your peas and penne

It's no secret that I love pasta. Not only is it simple, but it's also filling, delicious and, thanks to the invention of whole wheat pasta, at least partially in keeping with the whole pre-diabetes diet.

In an attempt to get my veggies, I always try to load the pasta with lots of different-colored vegetables. Today was no exception.

I found a recipe on Martha's site that looked completely perfect - loaded with vegetables, fast, efficient and delicious. So, today I made Martha's Gemilli with Squash, Peas and Basil. I know it's not necessarily squash season as we are now firmly in spring, but I don't really care because squash is filling and tasty.

I couldn't find whole wheat gemilli, so I substituted whole wheat pasta. I cooked this per usual and after it was almost done, I three two yellow squashes and half a bag of frozen peas into the pot. After two minutes, I drained the water, keeping a 1/2 cup behind for the sauce.

Once I let the water drain, I poured the pasta mix back into the pot. I added in butter, 1/4 cup pasta water, lemon juice and parmesan cheese (which I might have gone a little bit overboard on, but I love cheese). After a quick stir, I was done!

The pasta was perfect in every way... at least an 8/10. I wouldn't change a thing. Except there wasn't enough cheese, so I added in some mozzarella too; and then it really was perfect.

Recipe (courtesy of Martha "pasta for every meal"  Stewart):

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
• 3 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
  
  Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente. Add squash and peas; cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture, and return to pot.
   
2. To mixture in pot, add butter, lemon juice, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. If needed, add enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Stir in basil, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan; serve immediately.
   

http://www.marthastewart.com/263079/gemelli-with-yellow-squash-peas-and-basi?czone=food/dinner-tonight-center/dinner-tonight-main-courses

Eggplant parm, with a catch...

... it's healthy!

Eggplant parmesan has always been one of my splurge foods. The combination of cheese, tomato sauce and breading is absolutely perfect. What's not to love?

Sadly, the breading part of the whole eggplant parmesan situation is really not that good for you... at all. And I have been *trying* to eat better, even if I'm not always successful. Thankfully, Martha had a solution to my eggplant parmesan cravings: a Lighter Eggplant Parmesan. Of course, tons of cheese isn't going to be SUPER healthy, but I think I get some bonus points for at least trying. Right?

Martha's recipe was simple. I baked slices of eggplant (I got a mini-eggplant at my local market: adorable, and the perfect size for just me!) in the oven at 450 with olive oil, for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I mixed together the sauce: non-fat Greek yogurt (substituted for skim milk because I didn't have any milk in the fridge), whole wheat flour (substituted for white flour), marinara sauce and garlic. I cooked this on the stove for a few minutes so it would thicken.

Finally, I stacked eggplant and sauce, starting with marinara, and then alternating eggplant and the pink sauce. I topped with plenty of mozzarella and parmesan. After 10 or so minutes in the oven, I was done!

While it certainly wasn't the breaded, fatty eggplant I was used to, this recipe made an excellent substitute that was still delicious!

Recipe (from http://www.marthastewart.com/263749/lighter-eggplant-parmesan):


Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (2 pounds), sliced 1/2 inch thick crosswise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup homemade or best-quality store-bought marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange eggplant on two rimmed baking sheets. Brush eggplant on both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes, turning slices and rotating sheets halfway through.
   
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: Off heat, in a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, flour, and garlic. Gradually whisk in remaining 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until pink sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
3. Spread cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Alternate layers of baked eggplant with pink sauce. Dollop with remaining cup marinara sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake on upper rack until browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.
   

Sucka?! Moussaka!

I embarked on a journey this evening. A journey that culminated in moussaka.

Moussaka, from the Greek and Arabic meaning "chilled" (aaah, college flashback!), is a fabulously delicious dish combing multiple of my favorite things: cheese, tomatoes and eggplant. Can we collectively say... "Yum!" As it turns out, moussaka is not so easy to make. I started at circa 8pm and it is currently 11pm. and I am FINALLY eating.

I decided on Martha's healthy moussaka recipe as I am still attempting to (roughly) keep to my strict pre-diabetic diet. Instead of loads of cheese, the recipe uses just 1/4 cup of Parmesan and a cup of non-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, figuring it would go along well with the recipe), mixed with one full egg and one egg white.

The time consuming aspects were twofold. First, I had to combine onion, nutmeg, cinnamon, canned whole tomatoes and tomato paste (of course, I omitted the meat). This mixture needed to thicken on the stove for an hour. Meanwhile, I prepared the eggplant. I sliced the eggplant in thin slices and smoothed salt on both sides of each slice. Per Martha's instructions, I put each slice in a strainer for an hour, as the juice of the eggplant drained.

After an hour, I rinsed each eggplant slice under cold water. I broiled the eggplant slices for two minutes on each side, marinating with canola oil spray. I removed the sauce from the stove. Next, I layered the ingredients in a pan. Naturally, I don't have a casserole dish, so I used a rimmed pan and blocked off the moussaka with aluminum foil... a bit ghetto but effective. I did one layer of eggplant, then half the tomato sauce, then the rest of the eggplant, then the cheese mixture. I baked this casserole in the oven for around 30 minutes.

FINALLY, I was done. And I have to say it was more than worth it, even though it is super late and I should be in bed by now. There is nothing better than a healthy moussaka that actually tastes good. Fabulous. I'll be bringing the leftovers for lunch for tomorrow, for sure!

Edit: THere were actually a few moments while I was eating this that I said, aloud, "Goodness, this is good." To myself. Alone in my room. It's really that good.

Recipe (from Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com): 
 
Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for eggplant
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
• Olive-oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Drain yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve until thickened, 2 hours or overnight.
2. Place turkey in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add onion, garlic, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to saucepan; cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Return turkey to saucepan with tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low; simmer until sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat; stir in chopped parsley; set aside.
3. Preheat broiler. While sauce cooks, cut eggplants into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle with salt on both sides. Place in a colander over a bowl; let stand 1 hour to drain. Discard liquid; rinse each slice under cold running water to remove all salt and juice. Place slices on several layers of paper towels; press out water. Lay dry slices on a clean baking sheet; coat with olive-oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn; coat with olive-oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes more. Repeat until all eggplant slices have been broiled; set cooked eggplant aside.
4. Place drained yogurt in a small bowl. Add Parmesan and eggs. Whisk together briskly with a fork; set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Assemble moussaka: Place a layer of eggplant on the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Cover with half the turkey sauce. Place another eggplant layer, then the remaining turkey sauce.Add a final eggplant layer; cover with reserved yogurt mixture. Bake until mixture is bubbling and top starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof surface; let sit until moussaka cools slightly and firms, about 10 minutes. Cut into squares; serve.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Moussaka

Beet it!

I am absolutely in love with beets. If there are beets on the menu, odds are I'll order them. There is something about their color, texture, and taste that's just perfect! Look how red they are! And how sweet but still subtle!

That said, beets are ridiculously annoying to cook... or at least I thought. They look so intimidating raw. Covered with a tough, dirty outer shell and attached to some long sprouts, I usually steer clear of them in the produce aisle, opting for pre-cooked options.

Today, I decided to take a chance and face my fear: I was going to cook some beets and I was going to like it!

I have to say the experiment was a roaring success. I decided on Martha's recipe for Warm Beet Salad with Parmesan Dressing. I bought five medium-sized beets, shoots and all, at my favorite local produce store. After a bit of scrubbing and chopping the shoots off, the beets were ready to go. With Martha's suggestion, I baked them in the oven in a foil-wrapped packet with plenty of thyme. They softened perfectly in less then an hour.

I served the delicious, warm beets (after peeling off the skin, which came off really easily), with a shallot, red wine vinegar, and olive oil mixture on a bed of watercress. The recipe was topped off with a parmesan and heavy cream sauce that I cooked on the stove with a bit of thyme.

This was absolutely, positively delicious. And I felt super fancy! I made beets! With watercress! And shallots! Such a great, healthy meal. I am extremely proud of myself, I must say.