Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera

October 12, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Perfectly cooked pasta surrounded by fresh spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and green peas. Sautéed in a flavorful white wine sauce, and topped with a heaping helping of parmesan cheese. Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera packs a ton of veggies and rich flavors into a little bowl of fall perfection.

It’s Sunday, and we know what that means. Time to catch up about our week, and share another fun recipe. Thankfully it was a relatively calm week around here. The boys and I had lots of fun at the library for story time, ran some errands, and even had a few very fun playdates! Charlie had his four-month checkup on Thursday, and I am happy to report that he is healthy and doing well! He weighed in at 13 pounds 4 ounces, and is now 25 1/2 inches tall. He was a trooper for his appointment, and I even survived taking all three boys to the appointment by myself 🙂 We had a lot of (much needed) low-key family fun this weekend, as well! Here are a few pictures:

It seems like fall is officially here, and the temperatures are dropping. What could be a better way to welcome the cooler weather than by cooking up a huge bowl of this light, flavorful pasta dish. Overflowing with fresh veggies and tender whole wheat pasta, this is one recipe that you will definitely want to add to your fall (or anytime) favorites!

This recipe was inspired from a restaurant we loved in Atlanta, called Figo. I remember having this dish quite often when I was newly pregnant with William, and we were going through a move. When I was pregnant with James a few years ago, I was seriously craving this meal, and was more than inspired to recreate it at home. I pulled up the menu on their website to gather all of the information I could on this one, and then put my thinking cap on. With a few tests and tweaks, I am so excited to say that I think this recipe is even BETTER than the dish from Figo. It’s just that good! I love how the curly pasta soaks up the flavor of the white wine sauce and the fresh veggies. The extra-virgin oil and parmesan cheese add the perfect depth and richness. This can be a great “meatless” meal, or add strips of grilled chicken for some added protein.

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera is an easy to make, one bowl meal that is sure to satisfy your entire family.

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

16 ounces whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed and diced
3 cups broccoli florets, bite size
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly torn
1 cup green peas
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon good quality extra-virgin olive oil,
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Instructions

In a large pot, bring water for pasta to a boil. When water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pasta to the water and stir. Cook until al dente, drain pasta, then move to a large bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon (good quality oil), loosely cover pasta with foil and set aside.
Now, in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, broccoli and wine, and cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender, stirring often. Add spinach and peas and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Move sauce to a serving bowl, and toss with 1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
To serve, spoon 1 1/2 cups of pasta and 1 cup of sauce in a bowl and gently stir together, top with cheese and serve.

Notes

For multiple servings, combine all of the pasta with the sauce in a large serving bowl. Toss together and then divide into individual bowls, passing the parmesan as you go.

http://elizabethshome.com/whole-wheat-pasta-primavera/

Check out my earlier version of this Pasta Primavera recipe on my old blog.

Low-Fat Cream of Broccoli Soup

February 24, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

A warm, comforting bowl of this Low-Fat Cream of Broccoli Soup will leave your tummy full, and your body happy. Loaded with fresh broccoli, onions, garlic, broth and spices, pureed together and topped with cheddar cheese. Serve this soup as an appetizer, for lunch, or for dinner with a green salad.

What could be better on a cold winter night than a hearty bowl of creamy (healthy) soup? Well, maybe a huge chocolate cake that was all mine! Kidding! (Make that sort of kidding, I mean I AM pregnant ;)) So, besides a gigantic chocolate treat, there aren’t too many other things that could make for such a perfect meal on a freezing cold night.

I first made this soup a few years ago when we were living in Atlanta. I figured I would try to put my own (much healthier and even better tasting) spin on everyone’s favorite Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Panera Bread. I mean who doesn’t love a huge bowl of thick, creamy broccoli soup?

Over the years, I have experimented and tested quite a few variations of a healthy cream of broccoli soup. One time I added spinach, cheddar and parmesan right to the soup and then pureed it. The verdict, tasty, but not it. I wondered if it was worth sautéing the broccoli stalks and trees separately? No, too much work and an unnecessary step. A few times I pureed half of the soup, and left the other half chunky. I thought that having some texture might be a great addition. The verdict, we preferred it creamy. It seems that with this soup, it just worked better to puree it all. So, now you can see a few of the changes that this recipe has gone through in order to become a winner.

This Low-Fat Cream of Broccoli Soup is fairly simple and easy to make! It is filled with vitamins and nutrients AND tastes amazing! This soup also reheats incredibly well, and makes for great leftovers. There is just something so satisfying about creating a great meal one night, and enjoying it again the next. Loved by adults and kids, this creamy soup has quickly become a new favorite around here.

Low-Fat Cream of Broccoli Soup

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions (or 3 medium), diced
1 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
3 pounds broccoli floretts
1 1/2 cups half and half*
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese, shredded (for topping)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add onions and salt, and cook until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then whisk in the wine and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until absorbed.
Whisking continuously, gradually pour in the broth. Add bay leaves, and turn heat to high. Bring broth to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-low, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until broth has thickened slightly.
Add broccoli, and stir. Then cover pot with lid, and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. Cook until broccoli is soft, but still green. (Don't overcook the broccoli.)
Remove soup from heat, uncover, and let cool slightly for about 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Working with about one-third of the soup at a time, carefully spoon one-third of the mixture into a blender, and puree until smooth. Pour blended soup into a large, clean bowl. Repeat this step two more times, until all of the soup has been pureed. (When blending, make sure the lid is tight and secure, and place a kitchen towel draped around the top of the blender, incase the mixture should splatter.)
Wash and dry stock pot, and return pureed soup back to pot.
Stir in the half and half, and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until soup is hot. Do NOT boil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Top with cheddar cheese.

Notes

*For an even healthier soup, whole milk may be substituted for the half and half. The soup will not be quite as rich, but the flavors and consistency will remain the same.

http://elizabethshome.com/low-fat-cream-of-broccoli-soup/

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

March 7, 2013 by Elizabeth 2 Comments

One of my husband’s favorite meals is beef with broccoli. On one of our very first dates, probably date number 4, Andrew took me to one of his favorite Chinese restaurants, Szechuan Empire. He was so excited to share it with me and could hardly contain his excitement as he told me about his love for his all-time favorite Chinese dish. Before Andrew, this was not my usual Chinese dish, or even one that I had ever tried. However, I remember I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it was.

I think it was a couple years back that I first got the idea to try and recreate Andrew’s favorite beef with broccoli at home. The first, probably six, attempts were yummy and did get eaten, but just weren’t quite there. It wasn’t until we filled our plates, and took our first bite of THIS recipe that we knew it was a winner!

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 heads broccoli, crowns only

Marinade:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce:

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
5 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the cornstarch, baking soda, sugar, soy sauce, water and oil, and whisk together. Slice the steak, against the grain, into thin strips (about 1/4" thick). Add the steak to the marinade mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Cover and refrigerate in bowl for 1-4 hours.
Wash and cut up broccoli into (a bit bigger than bite size) florets, and set aside in large bowl.
In a small bowl, add the flour and brown sugar and stir together. Then add the soy sauce and sherry. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in garlic, and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the broccoli, cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until "almost done". Return broccoli to clean large bowl.
Using the now empty pan, over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. When shimmering, add the beef and half of the sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through. Add the broccoli and the remaining sauce and stir together. Cook for 1-2 minutes more until the sauce is nice and thick.
Serve immediately over white or brown rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce, otherwise the sauce will be too salty. If time allows, try to take the meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.

http://elizabethshome.com/szechuan-beef-with-broccoli/