Sunday, June 26, 2011

liguarian pasta with pesto and green beans


one pot, one bowl, no oven required. summer meals don't get much easier than this. this pasta has been a staple in our house for a few years now, since i first made it for mark on his birthday 5 years ago. he likes me to add a little extra garlic to the pesto for a good spicy kick, but i also like it without.

fill a large pot with water. when water is boiling, add 2 cups small red potatoes (whole). boil for 5 minutes. add 8 oz. bowtie pasta, continue cooking potatoes and pasta together, stirring occasionally. when the pasta has 2-3 minutes left, add the green beans. pour everything into colander when beans are finished.

while your big pot is boiling with all the good roughage, it's time to make your pesto.
i like to make my own pesto to get the rough consistency i prefer. a few handfuls of basil, a handful of pinenuts, a quarter cup of parmesean cheese, and a couple glugs of olive oil. throw it all in a food processor and pulse until you have your desired consistency. i like mine with less olive oil and more rough pebbles.

toss the cooked potatoes, beans, and pasta together with pesto. grate some fresh parmesan on top if you can never have too much cheese. oh, you can't either? well we are good friends, then.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

quinoa black bean salad



it's hard for me to find a meal that has my 3 favorite things:
1. tastes good
2. quick and easy
3. nutritious!

consider this recipe the trifecta of recipes. i had some red quinoa on hand, and a quick trip to the farmers market rewarded me with everything else.

i don't have a real recipe for this, i just throw in whatever quantities of the farmers market ingredients i have. i know, real helpful, right? just go with your gut with this one. it's hard to screw up.

ingredients:
quinoa (i like to use red - i think it's a little heartier and robust)
red bell pepper
sweet corn
black beans
cilantro
green onions (if i have them)

dressing:
olive oil
lime juice
salt
pepper

recipe:
1. cook the quinoa with a ratio of 1:1.5 quinoa to water. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. leave covered with heat off for 5 minutes to allow to fluff.


2. chop up all your veggies and put them in a bowl, along with black beans and cooked quinoa.
3. whisk together olive oil and lime juice - i used about 1/8 cup olive oil, juice from a lime - and salt and pepper to taste.
4. pour dressing over salad and toss.