Tuna and Caper Tomato Pasta

I know this isn't a meal that 80% of the people in the world would like.  

I used to think that I invented putting tuna and olives in tomato sauce.  And then putting it over pasta.  This is a pantry meal I used to make all the time.  Then, I saw Giada do it (no tuna).  Then, I went to Switzerland and had it in a restaurant.  THEN, I made it like everyday we were in Switzerland because everything else there was too expensive.  And finally, I saw this recipe on Closet Cooking.  And I thought, "you know Kev, you put a lot more thought into your pasta dish than I ever have...I am just going to make yours!"  (Kevin doesn't know me...or that I call him Kev.)

Anyways, I love this pasta.  And I am sorry if you hate olives and canned tuna and capers and anchovies.  I am guessing if that is the case, you might not like this pasta.  

But if there was such a way for brine to flow out my pores, I am sure it would.  

Love you. 

I give you a 9/10 for convenience, love, ease of execution and flavor burst.  

Tuna and Caper Tomato Pasta

by Closet Cooking

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes (crushed)

2 tablespoons capers (drained)

1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and diced)

2 anchovies (minced, optional)

1 can tuna (drained)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound spaghetti

1 handful parsley (chopped)

Heat the oil in the pan at medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and chili pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan and then simmer until it has almost all evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and capers and simmer until the sauce just starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add the olives, anchovies and tuna and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta as directed.

Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the tomato sauce from the heat and mix in the parsley. Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Thai Tempeh Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

For breakfast and lunch, we have a routine.  I hate routines, but they do make life easier.  For breakfast, we do cereal and OJ.  And I have never been a cereal person.  But Scot's life and happiness depends on cereal.  When he is working out a lot, I can't even tell you how many bowls he eats (we both sit and eat breakfast each morning...at least 20 minutes).  So, basically, I became a cereal person.  We do switch it up, have bagels, oatmeal or something special, but 90% of the time it is the standard.  

Oh, and we secretly eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Sometimes.  Yeah, yeah, it has a lot of sugar.  But you brush your teeth right after breakfast, so it all goes away.  We eat other cereal that literally looks like gerbil food, therefore, it all evens out in the end.  

For lunch, we eat yogurt, fruit, and a main dish.  Every.  Single.  Day.  I swear!  Are we lame?  The main dish is usually some leftovers.  Back up is often PB&J (which I could really live without, but I can choke it down).  Sometimes I do cheese sandwiches (my favorite, not Scot's).  But every once in awhile, I like to spice things up.  Actually MAKE something for lunch.  And a wrap is always a great lunch item. 

This particular wrap is made up of some tempeh marinated in soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes with some fresh veggies and spicy peanut sauce.  Tempeh goes really well with Asian flavors.  And these wraps hold up nicely with time and taste great cold.  

Notes on the peanut sauce:  I would recommend using the oil instead of the coconut milk if you want a looser, wetter sauce.  I liked having a thicker sauce for the wraps because it keeps it from getting too drippy.  And also, you can use the rest of the sauce to make the noodle dish on David Lebovitz's website, which is where the peanut sauce recipe is from.  

Thai Tempeh Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

8 ounces of tempeh

2 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp of rice vinegar

1 tbsp of honey

1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

light cooking oil

4 large leaves of green leaf lettuce

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small cucumber, seeds removed, julienned

1 package of bean sprouts

1 handful of cilantro, big stems removed.

1 lime

salt and pepper

1 cup of peanut sauce (recipe below)

4 large wraps or burrito sized tortillas

Mix together marinade for the tempeh: soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, crushed red pepper flakes. Thinly slice tempeh, toss in marinade and let sit for about 20 minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium high heat. Drizzle light cooking oil over the pan. Cook each slice of tempeh (drained, marinade discarded) until golden brown and crispy.

To assemble wrap, lay out a tortilla. Smear some peanut sauce on the tortilla (if it is thin enough, you can simply drizzle it over the top in the end). Top with one piece of lettuce and place all the veggies and cilantro on top. Season with salt and pepper and a fresh squeeze of lime. Place tempeh pieces on last. Wrap and roll. Repeat for other three.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Peanut Sauce

by David Lebovitz

2 cups (300g) dark roasted unsalted peanuts

1/2 to 3/4 cup (125-180ml) hot black tea

1/2 cup (125ml) oil, preferably peanut or coconut milk

1 tablespoon (10g) peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 small chiles, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper (if available)

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lime or lemon juice

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste or chili oil

1/3 cup (15g) packed cilantro sprigs or chives

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Put the peanuts, 1/2 cup (125ml) of hot tea, and the oil or coconut milk in a blender. Turn the machine on and let it run for a few minutes until the peanuts are almost smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients and let the machine run until the sauce is pureed.

Check the consistency. If it’s too thick for your liking, add up to another 1/4 cup (55ml) of tea.

Storage Tips: The peanut sauce can be made up to one week in advance and refrigerated, or frozen for up to two months. The chicken breasts and the noodles can be cooked and refrigerated up to one day ahead.

(Makes 2 cups, Prep time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Sizzling Haloumi with Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes over Israeli Couscous

I have been wanting to try haloumi forever!  Finally!  I have tasted it!

First, this is a delicious dish.  Some of my favorite things including roasted asparagus and grape tomatoes with a lemon caper vinaigrette over the top.  I also made some Israeli couscous to go with it all.  

Now, the haloumi?  If you aren't familiar, it is a cheese made from a combo of goat's and sheep milk.  It is popular in Greece and in the Middle East, but originated in the country of Cyprus (little island guy south of Turkey in the Med Sea).  I have never been to any of these places, but would very happy to go!  Anyways, haloumi has a very high melting point, so it often grilled.  Grilling it gives it a nice crispy texture on the outside.  For some reason I was imagining it would be crispy on the outside and creamy, melty cheese on the inside.  But, remember, this stuff doesn't really melt.  So the texture on the inside is quite firm. It has tons of flavor...and a nice saltiness.  I enjoyed it, especially with the other flavors of this dish.  But since it is a little pricey, I might not be eating it on a regular basis.  

Sizzling Haloumi with Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes over Israeli Couscous

slightly adapted from Cara’s Cravings

1 box Israeli couscous (about 8 ounces)

1/4 cup of finely chopped onion

3 tbsp of finely chopped parsley, divided

1 lb asparagus

8 oz grape tomatoes, halved

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons capers

1 package Haloumi cheese, 8.8oz

olive oil

freshly ground pepper

salt

Boil water in a tea kettle (I needed two cups, check package for exact amount). In a small pot with tight fitting lid, sauté onion until slightly caramelized. Add Israeli couscous, stir and slightly toast (about 3 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper and boiling water. Simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes (or according to package instructions).

Preheat oven to 350F. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the tough, woody ends. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, and season with salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes. Pull pan out of oven, add halved grape tomatoes, and toss all to combine. Put back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes until tomatoes have broken down a bit and asparagus is golden brown.  Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, capers, pepper and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and drizzle pan with olive oil. Cook the Haloumi slices for several minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven if necessary.

Place a healthy scoop of the Israeli couscous on the plate. Arrange the asparagus and tomatoes on top, and top each with a slice of the seared Haloumi. Drizzle with the lemon-caper vinaigrette and serve immediately. 

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

I guess we eat a lot of soup.  I really appreciate dishes that can be made in under an hour for week night meals.  Although I cook a lot and it is really important to me, we struggle just as much as the next fam to find time during the week to cook AND eat dinner (especially consecutively).  It seems that no matter how hard we try, we always have things scheduled between 6 and 7 pm.  I always cringe when I have to commit to those times because that usually means I have to wait until after it all to cook and eat.  

For this soup, I threw it all the together right when I got home and let it cook pretty much all the way.  Then, I turned off the stove but left the pot on the stove, we left for an hour or so, came back, turned back on the heat, and dinner was ready in about five minutes.  I like that kind of flexibility.  

Plus, this is a simple, but interesting, set of flavors.  Most notably, there is a whole spoonful of cinnamon.  I thought it was very fragrant and pleasant, but couldn't actually taste the cinnamon.  Scot said he could taste it and really liked it.  Leftovers were even better!

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

by Dave Lieberman via Food Network

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

1 large onion, medium diced

6 to 8 cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika

1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1 quart vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (5-ounce) package pre-washed baby spinach

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.

Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.

Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 5 min., Cook time: 50 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Spaghetti Squash with Kale-Tomato Sauce and Crispy Tempeh

I actually really dig tempeh.  If you have never had it/heard of it...it is a soy product.  But much, much different from tofu.  Tempeh is made from the whole soybean through some fermentation process, where tofu is soy milk curds pressed into a block.  As a result, tempeh has a much firmer texture (which I prefer).  I think it tastes kind of nutty.  Bonus:  it is stocked full of protein and fiber and other good stuff.

You may ask:  "Shanon, you aren't a health nut...why even bother with crazy things like tempeh?"

First, I am a health nut.  Second, I generally hate chicken breasts, lean pork, or pretty much any other healthy, low fat meat.  For me to like meat, it generally needs to be a pretty fatty cut.  So, I eat it less and get my protein elsewhere more.  And for me, tempeh is a great option because:  (1) it is cheap, (2) it is easy, (3) it is good.  

Now, tempeh from a package looks (and smells) a little gnarly.  But don't be scared.  Think of all the chickens you are saving.  Soy beans don't have hearts.  I am kidding.  I didn't really say that.

Anyways, this dish is a little something I threw together.  I wanted to make something kind of different with spaghetti squash.  And I love kale so much I drink it.  And marinated tempeh is delicious.  This is a great, healthy meal.  

Spaghetti Squash with Kale-Tomato Sauce and Crispy Tempeh

1 medium spaghetti squash

8 ounce block of tempeh

1 tsp Dijon mustard

drizzle of honey

juice of two lemons, divided

2 tbsp of white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1/2 tsp ground oregano

4 tbsp of olive oil, divided

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup water

6 green olives, finely chopped

1 tbsp of butter

1-3 tbsps of parmesan cheese, plus more to serve

more olive oil for sautéing

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil baking sheet, cut spaghetti squash in half, and lay each half flat side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until fork tender.

Make marinade for tempeh by combining Dijon, honey, juice of one lemon, white wine vinegar, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk quickly and slowly drizzle in 3 tbsp of olive oil. Cut tempeh block into bite sized pieces and add to marinade. Let marinate for about 30 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large deep skillet, add shallots and cook for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until broke down slightly and hot, about 3-4 minutes. Add kale, water

and juice of half a lemon. Let cook 10-15 minutes until kale has wilted and flavors have combined. Add chopped green olives. Taste and adjust seasonings. Keep warm on stove.

Once the spaghetti squash is cooked and cooled, use a spoon to scoop out stringy pulp. Heat another large skillet over medium high heat and add just a drizzle of olive oil. Add marinated tempeh (drained) and cook until crispy on both sides. Remove from pan, set aside, and wipe pan clean of excess marinade.

In the same pan over medium high heat, add butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Once butter is melted, add spaghetti squash to pan and toss around to coat. Cook for several minutes to dry out the spaghetti squash a bit. Season with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

To serve, place a big scoop of spaghetti squash on plate. Top with the kaletomato sauce. Top that with crispy tempeh. Sprinkle with more parmesan and serve with remaining lemon slices.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 1.5 hrs., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  6/10

Scot (taste):  6/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Green Smoothie

I remember in middle school learning hallway etiquette.  Always stay to the right!

Have you ever been walking down a walking path or in a hallway and did the awkward dance with the person approaching you?  

I am sure this has happened to you...you are walking a path and and two people are coming towards you?  Do you believe with all your heart that regardless of the size of your party, you are granted half of the path?  

What about this...ever been walking on a path only big enough for ONE person and someone else was walking from the opposite way on that path?  Who moves?  NBD.

I had a friend in college who was a strong believer that whoever was smaller was responsible for moving aside for the bigger person.  Yeah, he was big.  

Well none of that really matters.  What matters is that I have joined the green smoothie lovers of the world.  You can call it an energy shake.  Or a smoothie.  Or dinner.  

This smoothie is healthy in the sense that it isn't unhealthy.  It is packed with spinach and kale.  Ok, it isn't packed, but each serving has about a cup of raw greens.  Which won't change your life, but it will give you a little boost.  The important thing is  that this smoothie is good.  I loved it.  We tried it also with orange juice instead of almond milk, which I also really enjoyed.  But the almond milk is nice and thick and gives it a great texture and creaminess (cow's milk would be a fairly lame substitute because it has no flavor or texture).  

How do they milk almonds?  Actually, almonds are kind of milky if you think about it.  

Almond milk is good for you, though.  Has some good fat in it, with few calories (unless it is sweetened) and some bonus fiber and protein.  I have been into using milk substitutes a lot lately because I so often prefer whole milk in drinks.  The skim just doesn't do it for me.  So, the milk substitutes like soy and almond have all the creaminess without the fat.  

Really, just try this!  Tastes nothing like kale and spinach.  It is so pretty.  And in the very least, it will make you feel like you are doing something right.  

I was inspired by Joy and Bon Appetit.  

Green Smoothie

1 heaping cup of fresh spinach

1 heaping cup of coarsely chopped raw kale

2 cups almond milk (vanilla flavor)

1 banana, cut into several pieces and frozen

1 pear, cut into several pieces and frozen

2 kiwis, skins removed, cut into several pieces and frozen

Place spinach, kale and almond milk in blender and blend until greens are broken up into tiny pieces. Add frozen fruit and blend until smooth.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  1/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Raspberry Walnut French Toast

Ever seen a quick bread made into french toast?  It is a great way to fancy up french toast.  

I don't make french toast all that often, but we had it growing up every once and a while.  Scot and I made some for breakfast for (I think) the first time half a year or so ago.  It was fun for Scot because it is something he grew up eating a lot.  While I was helping him make it, he was shocked at how easy it was.  He kept going on and on about it.  "Why don't we make this everyday?"

Now, this french toast involved baking a raspberry and walnut quick bread first (we also tried a blueberry bread, no nuts).  We made the bread the night before so that it would be completely cooled in time to make the french toast.   

This french toast is pretty sweet, no need for syrup.  However, I do like the taste of the maple with it so I like a little syrup on it.  It would be great with some slightly sweetened freshly whipped cream.  I am on a cream-free diet right now.  Like this week.  So, I skipped it.  

I have to say that Scot and I saw this idea a while back and he was especially excited about it.  He really liked this breakfast.  I probably preferred the no nut version but Scot liked this version best.  

Raspberry Walnut French Toast

bread recipe adapted from Allrecipes

For bread:

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

For french toast:

Butter, for pan and to serve

2 eggs

a splash of milk

a pinch of cinnamon

powdered sugar

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in nuts, and raspberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on cooling rack.

Preheat griddle pan and butter pan. Slice bread into thick, one inch slices. Prepare egg mixture by whisking together egg, milk and cinnamon. Dip each slice of bread quickly in the egg mixture to coat and place on griddle. Cook on all sides until golden brown. Serve with a tiny bit of powdered sugar and maple syrup (the toast is sweet enough to eat on its own!)

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 1.5 hrs, Cook time: Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  6/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5