Sisterly Soup

There are certain things that you can only share with a sister.

For instance, only you and your sister know about that weird face your mom makes when you say something you shouldn't have in a room full of company.

And, in my case, only your sister knows what it's like to drive you and your first-ever date to your first-ever high school dance (9th grade band dance in 1997. My dress was seriously made of velvet.).

And when you get your wisdom teeth taken out, only your sister knows how ridiculously chipmunk-swollen your face looked. And she still made you a bowl full of pudding anyway.

Sometimes, when you're lucky, your older sister will even make dinner for you. Tonight was one of those nights.

My Hungry Spoon Sis cooked up a big pot of Minestrone Soup--fresh veggies, brown rice pasta (never tried it before; loved it!), and lots of beans. I must say, this lady knows her stuff when it comes to vegetarian cooking...and she's not even a vegetarian. Do you remember her Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna recipe? Need I say more?

This soup is super-light, super-healthy, and deliciously warm--just what you need on a cold winter night. I recommend serving it with a hearty chunk of homemade bread. And some good sisterly company on the side.

Winter Minestrone

(recipe from The Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman)

This soup is so rich in flavor, I couldn't believe when my sister said she made it only an hour before serving--it tasted as if she'd made it the night before (soups always seem better the next day). Don't forget to serve with hearty chunk o' bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 celery root, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of veggie broth
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 1 can (15 oz.) white beans
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 cup pasta
• salt n' pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Heat a dash of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery root, carrot, and garlic, and cook until just tender--about 4 - 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, kale, beans, rosemary, and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

2) Return soup to a boil, add pasta, and cook until pasta is cooked--about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin in January

When I think of pumpkin, I think of any of the following: Fall, October, muffins, bread, pie, and Thanksgiving.

When someone says "pumpkin," I would not typically think of pasta. Or the month of January. It just seems inappropriate.

Until now.

Tonight's dish defies everything you thought you knew about pumpkin. We're talking pumpkin meets whole wheat pasta, caramelized onions, toasted walnuts, Asiago cheese...and a savory crumb topping.

It's kind of like macaroni and cheese with a mega-hit of beta carotene and vitamin A, right? This baby is good, it's filling, and it was clearly designed to be eaten on a cold January day.

The recipe is actually a creative hybrid: I combined my friend Lisa's recipe for Pumpkin-Cheese Ravioli with Veganomicon's Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Manicotti. If you're a major cheese fanatic, feel free to pump up the cheese factor as you see fit. And the crumb topping? Simply blissful, friends. Simply blissful.

Pumpkin-Asiago Penne with Walnut Crumb Topping

(a hybrid recipe, adapted from the minds of Lisa S. and Veganomicon)

I simply couldn't go vegan with this one--I love Asiago too much, and I think the salty sharp-ness of the cheese added a scrumptious flavor. However, you can vegan-ize the recipe by using a homemade, dairy-less ricotta (a quick online search will point you in the right direction) and eliminating the cheese.

Pasta Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup veggie broth
• Freshly ground black pepper

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

• 2 - 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or real butter)
• 2 tsp. Savory seasoning or poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp. dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried Paprika
• Salt n' Pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2) While the pasta is cooking, cook the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions until nicely browned--about 10 - 15 minutes.

3) In a large bowl combine the ricotta, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt, Asiago, veggie broth, and pepper. Stir in the caramelized onions and pasta. Pour into 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

4) To prepare the crumb topping, melt the Earth Balance/butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook/toast for 3 - 5 minutes, until the mixture is thoroughly combined and well-coated. Sprinkle evenly over the penne pasta.

5) Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cold Weather Comfort Casserole

After last night's vegan-licious dinner chili, I was craving something on the cheesey side tonight.

Hint: Think a little sharp cheddar, a load of veggies, some hearty pasta, and big smile on my face.

You guessed it: An innovative combination of grown-up mac n' cheese, and a vegetarian version of turkey tetrazzini (these are words Adam used to describe the dish after his first bite).

Let's get one thing straight: Mac n' cheese gets a bad name from the impostor "cheeses" that have invaded the inner shelves of grocery stores. With options like Kraft's orange cheese-flavored powder, and Velveeta's squeezable pouches of cheesy goo, it's no wonder most healthy adults run in the opposite direction of these boxed products.

Tonight's "Grown-Up Mac n' Cheese/Vegetarian Tetrazzini" recipe, inspired by Clean Eating, offers the perfect solution. All the goodness of a traditional comfort food casserole, without Sponge Bob shaped noodles, powdered cheese product, or meat. Just use whole wheat pasta, high-quality cheese, and loads o' veggies, and you've got a classy grown-up meal on your hand.

I would recommend using penne or rotini pasta for this casserole. I resorted to spaghetti because it was the only lonely box of pasta in the cabinet.

So tonight, if you're shielding yourself from the outdoor temperature of 4 degrees like I am, bake up a batch of this warm and comforting casserole. Afterwards, I recommend a spirited present-wrapping session (Adam is currently sporting his Santa hat as he enthusiastically wraps the gifts).

Grown-Up Mac n' Cheese/Vegetarian Tetrazzini

(adapted from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe)

Nothing warms you up on a cold day like a warm, hearty casserole. The chopped almond topping adds a great healthy crunch, and a nice change from the traditional bread crumb topping.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup skim milk
• sprinkling of flour
• 2 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. whole wheat pasta
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 - 1/2 cups broccoli forets
• 1 - 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 2 qt. casserole dish with cooking spray.

2) In a saucepan, whisk together the milk and a little flour over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes. Stir in cheeses and salt, stirring until melted. Stir in yogurt, cover, and set aside.

3) Cook pasta according to package directions. Three minutes before pasta is done, add the carrots, onion, broccoli, and cauliflower. When pasta is done, drain veggies and pasta and return to pot. Stir in cheese mixture and parsley and pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with almonds and bake for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Hummus Surprise

Isn't hummus the best?

Smooth texture, heavy on the garlic, rich tahini flavor...when it comes to spreadable foods, it's hard to beat hummus (well, let's be honest: hummus is a close second to nut butter, right?).

Although we're all used to consuming hummus with the usual suspects--raw veggies, wrap sandwiches, falafel, and pita bread--tonight I enjoyed it with a most un-usual suspect: pasta.

Thank you, Clean Eating Magazine. They never fail to inspire the most innovative and fresh ideas when it comes to food. We paired sun-dried tomato pasta with roasted garlic hummus, roasted broccoli, and red bell pepper.

The result was absolutely delectable, and amazingly easy to assemble, rendering it the perfect menu to follow a long day of work. Bonus: This pasta dish definitely has a summer-time vibe to it, which is just what I need in the midst of this chilly weather and pumpkin insanity (don't get me wrong--I'm as much of pumpkin-head as the next girl right now. But isn't a taste of July in order every now and then?)

Save the falafel for another night. Tonight, go wild with your hummus and try it with pasta.

Do you have any unique or unusual pasta toppings?

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Hummus and Roasted Broccoli

(adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

Feel free to load up more veggies with this one--add whatever sounds good to you! Sorry there aren't any amounts on this one--we just added as we went along :)

Ingredients:

• Sun-dried tomato pasta
• Broccoli florets from one crown of broccoli
• a little olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pre-made roasted garlic hummus (we went the lazy route and used pre-made batch from Aldi. Delicious!)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, shredded

Directions:

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

2) Place broccoli in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast broccoli in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through.

3) To serve, add hummus and veggies to individual servings of pasta.

So Fiber-licious

I'm kind of a fiber fanatic. I'm one of those strange individuals who actually seeks out ways to incorporate more fiber into a meal. Throw some toasted pumpkin seeds on top of that! Add a few tablespoons of flaxseed! Let's puree some prunes to add to those brownies!

What can I say? My cooking is fiber-lickin' good.

Consequently, with the exception of desserts (which are my first love in the food world), nothing brings a smile to my face more than walking through the door after a long day at work, and finding my husband preparing a fresh, fiber-licious dinner. Lucky for me, tonight was one of those nights.

Tonight's delightful pasta dish invites a variety of flavors you might find odd at first glance. I certainly did. Glancing at the recipe, I was skeptical of the unusual combinations: whole wheat pasta with lentils, artichokes, tomatoes, cumin, feta, and much more. Even the name sounds a bit confused: "Pasta, Lentils, and Artichoke Hearts." Thanks, but no thanks.

However, the Moosewood Collective's Low-Fat Favorites has never steered us wrong, and it certainly didn't with this recipe. I was blown away! This dish is so powerfully flavorful and wonderfully textured--it was truly a creative and ridiculously delicious pasta meal. It serves well as a one-dish dinner, as it's very filling and you'll have little room for much else.

So, tonight I salute my fiber-cooking husband and his unique pasta creation. My words of wisdom for today: Embrace fiber! She's fun, she's flavorful, and she just might be your new best friend.

Pasta, Lentils, and Artichoke Hearts

(a recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry red lentils (3 cups cooked)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2- 1/4 cups water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups diced onion
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 3 cups of canned tomatoes, drained (approximately 28 oz.)
• 12 oz. jar of artichoke hearts, chopped (make sure you don't use the "marinated" artichoke hearts; just use the plain-in-water variety!)
• 1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
• Salt and ground pepper, taste
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Optional: crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1) Combine lentils, water, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; lower heat and simmer until water is mostly absorbed. Discard bay leaf.

2) Cook pasta according to package directions.

3) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender (approximately 5 minutes). Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, artichokes hearts, lemon juice, and salt, and pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, and simmer until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (we simmered ours for about 10 minutes. Cooking it longer would result in a thicker sauce).

4) Combine pasta with lentil-tomato mixture. Pour into individual serving bowls, and top with feta cheese and (if you like "hot stuff") crushed red pepper flakes.