Light and Lemon-y Pasta

Night before last I was (strangely) craving pasta.  Usually, pasta is not my thing.  I'm not sure why, but I just don't really crave it...maybe it's because I usually find it to be too heavy and unsatisfying.  More times than not, I end up making it for Bo, and throwing together something else completely for myself.

Not two night ago.

Surprisingly, I actually wanted pasta, AND I wanted the last of our summer tomatoes.  So, I threw together a light and lemon-y pasta dish that satisfied all of my cravings.  The result was colorful, nutritionally balanced, and - most importantly - delicious!

Light and Lemon-y Pasta
Serves 2

2 campari tomatoes, diced
2 handfuls of spinach, torn
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2C uncooked pasta
1/2 lemon (squeezed to remove juice)
1/2T EVOO
1/4C Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 avocado, diced

Directions:

• Add the diced tomatoes, torn spinach, and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the lemon juice and EVOO.
• Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then immediately add it to the tomato/spinach/lemon zest mixture.  Toss together.
• Add the Parmesan cheese, and then pour the lemon juice and EVOO dressing on top.
• Toss to incorporate and melt the cheese.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with avocado chunks, and serve quickly (before the avocado turn brown).

Oh hi Lola!  

(Thanks for poppin' in!)

You can always count on Lola to be close by whenever food is involved...surprisingly, she loves ALL food (i.e. not just meat and peanut butter).  Even if I am cooking a vegan/vegetarian dish, she is directly under-foot and intently interested (and hopeful that I might drop a mouthful - or two)!

I captured the perfect lighting in the picture below (probably my favorite out of the bunch).  You can really see all of the dish's colors in this one:

• red from the tomatoes;
• green from the spinach and avocado;
• brown from the pasta;
• yellow from the lemon zest; and
• flecks of white from the Parmesan cheese.  

Hmm...hmmm...good!

As a TOTAL tangent: 

Look at how much my hair is growing!

Remember when is was THIS short?!

(That was last Thanksgiving...less than a year ago!)

Now it is just above my shoulders, and I can almost pull it into a full ponytail.  

For now, I am just going to keep letting it grow.  I don't really have any specific length in mind...as long as it continues to look healthy and shiny then I will just keep letting it get longer.  Who knows, maybe one day it will get this long...

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite pasta shape? Macaroni? Penne? Spaghetti? Lasagna? Shell? Orzo?

Personally, I like shells and penne because they capture lots of yummy sauce inside! :)

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Lemon Honey Stone Fruit Salad

Sadly, the last of this year's blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries have come and gone.  That means another year of waiting until they are fresh and in season again.

BUMMER.

Thankfully, just as berries go out of style season, stone fruits come in!  So what - exactly - are stone fruits?!  Well:

• peaches, nectarines, apricots, mangoes, avocados (yes, it's a fruit - not a vegetable!)and plums are characterized as "stone fruits;"
• so-called because of the stone-like seed inside, these fruits ripen in late summer and early fall; and
• among other benefits, stone fruits:
• create collagen;
• care for your nerves and muscles;
• sharpen eyesight;
• strengthen bones; and
• aid in digestion (Source).

Pretty good report card eh?!

Since I love both peaches and nectarines, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that both fruits boast up to five times more antioxidants than previously thought (that's because some of them are "unlocked" during the digestive process); AND - perhaps even more exciting - stone fruits are known for curbing appetite and providing a sense of fullness.

Sounds like the perfect snack to me!

The lemon-honey dressing for the salad is out. of. this. world. delicious!  I could have drank a glass full of it...yes - it was that good.

Lemon Honey Stone Fruit Salad
Serves 2-3

1 medium peach, washed and diced into bite-size pieces
1 medium nectarine, washed and diced into bite-size pieces
1 medium-to-large plum, washed and diced into bite-size pieces
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
2T (scant) honey

Directions:

• Place the peach, nectarine, and plum in a medium mixing bowl.
• Zest the lemon on top of the fruit.
• Add the lemon juice and honey to the fruit.
• Toss to incorporate.
• Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to two hours).
• Serve chilled.

Can you see the little specs of lemon zest?!  

As a sidenote, I am LOVING the natural light in these photos.  Note to self:  make more recipes in the middle of the day so that I can take pictures of them in the sunlight!

Question of the Day:

What is/are your favorite fruit(s)?!  I LOVE apples, really good peaches, and almost any type of berry (unfortunately, the season for berries is far too short in my opinion).

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Simple is Sometimes Better

Dinner at the Behne houshold is not always a fancy casserole, decadent layered bake, or homemade pizza.  On the contrary, more frequently than not it is something incredibly simple that can be whipped together in less than thirty minutes.  To that point, we also try to eat produce that is in season.  Which is why, during the summer months, we eat a lot of squash, kale, corn, and tomatoes.

I have also found that good quality produce doesn't need much doctoring to make it taste good.  The earth, sun, and rain have already done 99% of the work for us.  So, why ruin a good thing with too much salt, butter, or oil?

In my opinion, the simpler frequently the better (and yummier).

Case in point:

Potarrot Mash (potato and carrot...get it?!)

Sauteed Kale and Zucchini

Tahini, Molasses, and Lemon Cream

Note: I like to call these kinds of recipes "unrecipes," because I don't think that they exactly warrant a detailed ingredient and/or direction list.  

Usually, around 2:00PM, I take stock of what is available, ripe, and ready to eat in the refrigerator and pantry.  From there, I decided what to do with it.  For this dinner, I found:

• a lone Russet potato;
• three skinny carrots leftover from a 2lb. bag;
• 1/4 bunch of kale; and
• two measly zucchini (none of which would really work as an entree, or even a side, on its own).

However, with a little creativity and a willingness to let their natural flavors shine through, I was able to whip up something that was both delicious and filling.

Specifically, I ended up;

• boiling the potato and carrots and them processing them together with 1T Smart Balance and a little salt and pepper;
• sauteing the zucchini and kale together with a little lemonjuice and EVOO, and seasoning them with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; and
• whisking together a cream of 2T tahini, 2T lemonjuice, 2T water, 1/2tsp molasses, pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/2 packet of stevia.  

The cream added some healthy fats from the tahini, as well as a little more staying power from the protein.  Bo added a few links of sausage, and all in all the meal was fast, filling, and fabulous!

Question of the Day:

So, I'm excited to know, what are some of the simplest meals that YOU whip together?  Please share in the "Comment" section below...who knows, I might want to recreate them in MY kitchen! :)

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

The Secret to Restaurant-Quality Homemade Hummus that NO ONE Tells You

Picture this:

Bo and I are sitting in a Mediterranean restaurant - starving - when the waitress walks over and delivers our appetizer: hummus with pita bread.  We both grab a triangle of pita, dip deeply into the traditional bean dip, and then utter a sigh of intense satisfaction at the perfect creaminess and rich flavor.  Now this is hummus!

And then, inevitably, I get pissed off.

Because I seriously love hummus, and it sincerely irritates me that, for some completely unknown reason, I cannot seem to recreate this seemingly simple dip at home.  I mean, honestly, how hard should it be to blend a few ingredients together in my food processor?!  I use the same ingredients that every recipe tells me to.  I use the same proportions that every restaurant chef has instructed me to; and yet it is never. the. same.!

(Insert exasperation here!)

Well today, I offer hope to all of the exasperated-homemade-hummus-makers of the world; and that hope comes in the humble form of a single phrase: 

COOK THE BEANS!

I have no idea why no recipe mentions this small little fact (actually, I think that it is a conspiracy, contrived by the Mediterranean restaurants of the world, against all at-home cooks that wish to recreate this traditional dish in the comfort of their own kitchen), but it will seriously turn your hummus-making-world upside down!  By simply cooking the beans the texture is smoother and the flavor is more robust (and, yet, simultaneously more delicate).  

Seriously, this one. little. change. will instantly turn your so-so hummus into restaurant quality!

Traditional Hummus
Serves 8-10

1 can garbanzo beans: drained, rinsed, and cooked (see below for more detail)
scant 1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
6T lemonjuice
1/3C tahini
2-4T leftover cooking liquid (or water)
EVOO, for garnish

Directions:

• Place the drained and rinsed garbanzo beans into a medium saucepan.
• Barely cover with water, bring to a low boil, and then reduce to simmer for 45-55 minutes.
• Note: You should be fine, but make sure that all of the water doesn't evaporate out of the pan, leaving the beans to burn.  There should always be a shallow level of water in the pan.
• Once the beans have cooked and softened, immediately place them into the food processor with the salt, paprika, lemonjuice, and tahini.
• Process the mixture on low.
• As the mixture is processing, add in 2-4T of the leftover cooking liquid (or water).
• Increase the processing speed to medium - or high - for one minute.
• Transfer the hummus to a medium Tupperware container.
• Serve chilled and garnished with EVOO alongside crudites, crackers, etc.

As a bit of a side-note, I prefer to garnish the hummus with EVOO right before I serve my hummus.  I have found that, if I add the EVOO beforehand, it hardens in the refrigerator and doesn't taste as good (not to mention the texture, which is similar to solidified bacon grease...not exactly appetizing).  You certainly don't have to do this, but I thought I would pass along the suggestion just in case!

As a side-note: the next time you make my "Cheesy" Hummus, Salsa Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Hummus, or Avocado Hummus make sure to COOK THE BEANS!

Tomorrow we're off to a pool party!  Hopefully I will remember my camera and have a fun weekend post to share with you next time.

Question of the Day:


Do you have any "secret tricks" in the kitchen?!  If so, I would love for you to share one (or two) in the "Comments" below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo