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Spring Spinach Pesto + a few Garden Snaps

Pesto has always been a special favorite of mine… as though its ingredients were terribly rare or difficult to prepare… it's that luxuriously delicious.  Fortunately, as pre-packaged versions don't at all measure up to homemade, it's quite simple to make.  Pesto can be customized to whatever is in season- or growing in your garden as the case is with me- nothing needs to be measured precisely… all you need is a trusty food processor and you're ready to go.

Last weekend Jim harvested a TON of fresh spinach from our garden, half of which I boxed into leftover stay-fresh spinach boxes I'd saved from the market (for our delicious morning green smoothie) the other half I made into an amazing Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto.  I absolutely LOVE spinach pesto -even better than basil or arugula versions.  I made a large enough batch that we couldn't use it all immediately so I froze the bulk in ice-cube trays then popped the cubes into a ziplock freezer baggie.  Great trick!  Now we have Spring Pesto on hand whenever we need it- which er, seems to be every day suddenly…

Slathered on sandwiches

Tossed with a beautiful gluten free pasta

Starring in a potato salad

Smeared on gluten free toast/crackers

Tossed with grilled vegetables… 

Jim… I think it's time to harvest the rest of that spinach!  We're already running low on our Spring Pesto supply:)

Below, I thought I'd share a few bonus snaps (please click them to enlarge for better, larger view) from the garden which is more and more breathtaking by the day!  We've been enjoying collard greens, spinach, radishes and herbs so far this Spring with lots more on the way… purple potatoes, fingerlings, peas, carrots, beets, squash, melon, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers & eggplant!  My husband has created the most magnificent world of beauty just outside our kitchen door.

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Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto frozen in ice-cube trays & popped into a freezer baggie!  

Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups fresh spinach packed (or substitute arugula, flat leaf parsley or basil)
  • 1 cup fresh chopped chives (to help food processor out a bit)
  • 3/4 of a cup walnuts and pinenuts (or substitute your favorite combo of nuts)
  • fresh vegan Parmesan
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic coarsley chopped (to assist food processor)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon- or an entire lemon- suit your taste- provides a beautiful freshness
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil– or more to create desired texture
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste- just a wee bit

Method:

  1. Pulse the greens and chives together in your food processor until the bulk of the spinach is reduced greatly. 
  2. Add the toasted nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until you achieve a desirable texture.
  3. Season with sea salt and a WEE bit of fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

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The Land of Spinach

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Deep within the Land of Spinach

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Empty Spinach rows following Jim's record holding Spinach harvest… no worries, there is more growing to the right of this photo.

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"Big Red", Jim's trusty wheelbarrow

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Beet Greens

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The Land of Beets

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The Land of Carrots

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Deep within the Land of Carrots

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Purple Potato Blossoms ~ yes, the potatoes will be purple too!

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Baby Peppers growing up near the gorgeous Land of Beets

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The Land of Swiss Chard

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Sun-drenched Pea

 

What are your favorite Springtime veggies?

Are you growing anything edible in your yard this year?

Fettucini with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley & Parmigiano Reggiano

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Fettuccini with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley & Parmigiano Reggiano 

Fettuccini with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley & Parmigiano Reggiano is one of my favorite go-to dinners when I'm short on time and in need of wholesome nutrition.  

Essentially a deconstructed pesto, this satisfying meal is packed with antioxidant rich whole wheat pasta, fresh Italian parsley, a punch of garlic and the delicious, bacony crunch of toasted walnuts all topped with authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.

Total perfection in every bite!

*As always, using the highest quality ingredients possible is key.  Those few extra dollars spent stocking your kitchen with the freshest, organic ingredients available will train your taste buds away from low quality convenience foods which are usually quite pricey in comparison.

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Fettuccini with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley & Parmigiano Reggiano


Fettuccini with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley & Parmigiano Reggiano

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz high quality Italian whole wheat fettuccini (whole wheat pasta can be delicious- my two favorites: Bionaturae & Delallo) Update* If you're gluten free, use Quinoa fettuccini– my new Fav!
  • 1/4 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil Update* I would now use just a tablespoon of olive oil- even more likely I'd sub coconut oil which has amazing health and beuty benefits including balancing the thyroid. 
  • 2/3 cup + a bit extra reserved for garnishing, organic walnuts, coarsley chopped & toasted (I toast mine on a piece of tin foil in my toaster oven til fragrant & browned) Update* Tho toasted nuts are delish, I've since learned it turns their fats into harmful fats:-( However, my new recommendation, sprouted, rehydrated walnuts are even MORE delish- and even healthier than the raw version!
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley + extra reserved for garnishing
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Update* my home-made recipe for vegan Parmigiano Reggiano coming soon! Meantime, substitute vegan parmigiano)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Prepare pasta al dente or according to package directions and drain into a colander. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in the pasta pot over low heat. Add the garlic and stir just til softened & fragrant- 2-3 minutes. 
  3. Return pasta to the pot.  Add the broth, walnuts, chopped parsley and sea salt and pepper. Toss everything together to combine then cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. 
  4. Add the grated Parmigano and toss once more. 
  5. Serve immediately in pasta bowls, garnishing the tops of each with the remaining reserved toasted walnuts and chopped parsley.

Update* If you practice proper Food Combining as I do now, substitute a plant based pasta such as kelp noodles, spiralized yellow squash or Shiratake Noodles so you're not combining a protein (nuts) and a carb (pasta) which is very difficult to digest.

Enjoy!

Recipe  Tested & Approved from Ellie Krieger

Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna

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Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna 

My goodness!  I'm not gonna lie… these pictures are making me famished!

I've been juggling a lot of hats lately so a dish like this smokey, savory Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna has been just the ticket.  

Easy to throw together.

Unbelievably delicious.

Healthy.

And, like most Italian food, it gets even yummier with time in the fridge which equals phenomenal, ready-to-go meals multiple days in a row!  Actually, that reminds me of one of Mom's wise observations; you know a recipe's a great one if the leftovers are delicous too:)  She's right.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna Recipe (Serves 9)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 eggplants, diced
  • 2 red peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons high quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 (9-ounce/15 sheet) box no-boil, whole wheat lasagna (there are delicious, whole wheat pasta options available now, pressed on copper plates in Italy)
  • 2 cups your favorite marinara sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450F.  Meantime, combine diced eggplant, peppers and onions with the olive oil & sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a large bowl.  Spread the vegetables out onto a large baking sheet covered with foil (for easy cleanup).  Roast the vegetables until they are tender and just beginning to brown at the edges, about 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, minced garlic and parsley. Add sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
  3. Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish.  Place 5 lasagna sheets over the sauce, overlapping to fit.  Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over the sheets. Then spread half of the roasted vegetable mixture over the sauce. 
  4. Repeat by layering another 5 lasagna sheets.  Spoon another 1/2 cup sauce over second layer then spread remaining roasted vegetables over the 2nd layer.
  5. Layer the last 5 sheets of lasagna and top with 1 cup of sauce. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the sheets. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta mixture, then sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top.
  6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna for about 35 minutes. Uncover, then bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 more minutes.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna

 

Question of the day…

What is your favorite "leftovers" recipe?

 

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Roasted Vegetable 3 Cheese Lasagna