Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf

I made this last night and it's delicious and healthy!

Ingredients

Serves 8. Ready in 30-50 min.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cashew halves
• *mushrooms (chopped) (optional)
  

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium, and stir in spaghetti, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.
2. Stir onion and garlic into the saucepan, and cook about 2 minutes, until tender. *Here, I added the chopped mushrooms and sauteed them with the onion, garlic. Stir in jasmine rice, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
3. Place asparagus in a separate medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender but firm.
4. Mix asparagus and cashew halves into the rice mixture, and serve warm.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 249 | Total Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 15mg

Butternut Squash and Fried Sage Pasta

Haven't tried to make this yet, but it looks yummy and healthy!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz whole-wheat penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 sage leaves
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

  PREPARATION

  1. Cook penne as directed on package. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry sage, turning once, until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Add squash, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash softens, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot and add squash mixture; stir over low heat, adding some reserved cooking water if necessary, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute. Serve, garnished with cheese and sage.

  The skinny

  337 calories per serving, 6.5 g fat (1.4 g saturated), 63 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 11 g protein

Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew

Ingredients
2 quarts vegetable broth
2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces
3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
3/4 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried summer savory
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix the broth, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion flakes, garlic, savory, bay leaves, basil, pepper, and salt.
2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Makes 8 servings. Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177 | Total Fat: 1.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Chai

2 cloves green cardamom

2 cloves
1/4 cinnamon stick

1/2 in. fresh ginger root

1.5 mug-fuls of water

1 mug-ful of 2% or whole milk (for best results)

3 spoonfuls of sugar

2 bags of black tea (or 1-2 tbsp. loose leaf tea)

Grind first 4 ingredients with mortar and pestal (or grind first 3 and grate ginger) into the water on high heat. Add tea and wait until boils. Add milk and sugar, and wait until color sets and milk has attempted to boil over at least once. Strain and serve hot! (Makes two mug-fuls of chai)

Veggie Stuffed Pancakes and Tuscan White Bean Salad

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups pancake mix
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cups skim milk

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine pancake mix and water. Whisk batter until smooth. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and make 12 pancakes about 5 1/2-inches in diameter. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and mascarpone cheese. Stir the mixture until well mixed.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Using about half the vegetable mixture fill the pancakes. Lay pancake down on a work surface, top with 2 spoonfuls of vegetable mixture, sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese. Roll up the pancake around the vegetable mixture and place in the baking dish. Continue with the remaining pancakes, placing in the baking dish in 2 rows, and using up all the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Place the remaining vegetable mixture in a blender with 1/2 cup skim milk. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the center of the vegetable-stuffed pancakes in two rows. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are hot, about 25 minutes.

Tuscan White Bean Salad
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 red onion, cut into slivers
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.
In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis

Lentil Soup

2 cups dry green lentils (soak overnight)
at least 4 cups water
2-4 tbsp butter or olive oil, depending on vegetable amount
one medium-sized onion (diced)
3-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
Handful of parsley or cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional chopped vegetables (I'd choose at least 3): 2 carrots, 2 celery and 2 cups spinach (or substitute 4-5 leaves and stems of swiss chard), 1 large potato.

Boil the soaked lentils with the water over medium-high heat. While it's boiling, place butter or oil in a separate large saucepan and add garlic over medium-low heat. Wait until you smell the garlic and then add onions. When onions are translucent, add stems of swiss chard or celery, carrots, and potato. Saute until potato is tender, and fold in spinach or swiss chard leaves. Once they are folded in, add salt, pepper and parsley or cilantro. Now add the vegetable mixture to the lentils and add water, salt and pepper as needed. When serving, add the chosen herb to the top of the soup.

Butternut squash with coconut

3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3/4 tsp. crushed cumin
1/4 tsp. red hot pepper powder
3 cups steamed and mashed butternut squash
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 red chili (isn't it pretty on the top?)
10 curry leaves
1/2 cup UNsweetened coconut
salt to taste

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in pan, add onion and cook until softened. Add turmeric, cumin, red pepper powder (let cook for 1 min) and then fold in squash.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in separate pan, add mustard seeds, chili, and curry leaves. When seeds start popping, take off heat and stir in coconut. Fold in squash, and add salt.