Pasta Primavera

I'm on vacation right now.  No classrooms or textbooks, no homework, and for eleven whole days, no desk job...  It's startling how much calmer and more relaxed I become when scholastic pressure is removed from the equation.  I'm practically a different person.  My boyfriend loves it (and tells me so quite often).

There are less than a week's worth of boxes left to X off on my calendar before the one that announces, "School Starts".   Monday is the day that I load up my backpack once again and begin yet another three month stint of lectures and labs and paper writing.  My emotions are a mixture of dismay and excitement.  It's back to the grind now, but the good news is that after this quarter I'll have all of the credits I need to graduate! Yay, excitement!  Oh, but I'll only be receiving my AA degree. That bachelor's is still a considerable distance away.  Sigh.... dismay...

White Beans with Italian Sausage and Chard

There's something about cannellini beans that make my mouth water.  It's the texture maybe, or the mild, yet satisfying flavor.  I love their versatility and the way that any dish containing them takes on a hearty, rustic tone.  They're substantial, yet their creamy color presents a sort of elegance to a meal.

This is an incredibly simple and flavorful dish using chard that is so abundant at the market right now, spicy Italian sausage, and plenty of fresh herbs in a light vegetable broth.  Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a good olive oil for dipping. 

Buon appetito! (a little Italian for ya :)

White Beans with Italian Sausage and Chard

serves 3-4

1 T. olive oil
1 medium leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1/2 lb. (approx.) spicy Italian sausage (I recommend hitting up your local farmers for the best quality meat)
2 C. cannellini beans, cooked
1 bunch chard, roughly chopped
2 T. chopped, fresh basil
2 T. chopped, fresh oregano
1 1/4 C. vegetable broth
cayenne pepper
salt to taste*

If you're using uncooked sausage, poach them in simmering water until about 3/4 cooked, about 8 minutes.  Remove them from the water and slice 3/4 - 1 inch thick.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium and add the leeks.  Saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage slices, 1 C. broth and a dash of cayenne.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Add the fresh herbs and the chard, cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is wilted.  Season with salt and more cayenne if desired.  Serve hot.

*If the broth you use contains salt, you may not need any extra.  Be careful with the shaker so you don't end up with an over-salted dish.

Pasta for Two

One of the best things about spring is the gradual reappearance of foods at the farmer's market that haven't been around since last season. It's like meeting up with old friends who haven't been in your regular circle for a while. Eyes lit up, grin etched on face... I'd run over and give those long-time-no-see-veggies a hug if I didn't care at all that people would consider me crazy. I'm not the only person who is so moved by the first asparagus crop or the return of the cultivated mushroom guy, am I? Even if I am, I wouldn't trade that elation. It's a pleasure to appreciate the bounty of this time of year.

This past weekend I did, in fact, run into my old chums Asparagus and Oyster Mushrooms. (I couldn't tell if they were happy to see me?) My boyfriend and I decided that they simply must come home with us for dinner. Actually, some of the mushrooms didn't make it past breakfast. They were a fantastic addition to our veggie scramble, along with fresh spinach leaves and yellow onion procured that same morning.

My mind tends to churn over menu ideas fairly vigorously on Saturday mornings. I don't have the mental burden of work or school at the forefront, and the market, which has risen to dogmatic ritual for Dan and I, is the perfect place to become lost in daydreams of delicious potential. Saturdays are the days when I pull out dusty cookbooks and leaf through stacks of recipe clippings. I love this time.

I decided that our asparagus and mushrooms would be perfect for a pasta dinner. Pasta for the two of us. This is what happened in the kitchen that weekend...

Pasta with Chunky Tomato Sauce, Asparagus & Oyster Mushrooms

serves 2-3

8 oz. spiral pasta
2 T. olive oil, separated
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1/2 lb. asparagus spears, cut into 1- 1 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb. mushrooms, slice (I used oyster)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne or crushed red chili pepper
2 hand fulls raw spinach, torn into pieces

Put water for the pasta on to boil, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, puree 2/3 of the diced tomatoes with their juices in a blender or food processor, and set aside.

Add 1 T. of olive oil to a large skillet (preferably with sides) and heat over medium. Add the onion, and saute for several minutes until it begins to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and asparagus.

Season the veggies with salt, add the cayenne and thyme and stir to combine. Cover the pan, leaving a slight opening for some steam to escape, and steam veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add the tomato puree and the remaining diced tomato chunks to the skillet and stir it up. Add the garlic, bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season sauce with more salt and/or cayenne if desired, and test the asparagus for tenderness (it should still have a slight crunch). Turn off the heat or continue simmering if necessary.

Add pasta back into the saucepan used for cooking, along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and heat for several minutes to warm the pasta.

Arrange torn spinach leaves onto serving plates, divide pasta onto spinach, and top with the tomato/veggie sauce. Serve steaming hot plates of tasty food to yourself and your sweetie (or whoever you want to share with!).

Chili Cornbread Casserole

There are few things better during the cold months than sitting down to a steaming bowl of soup, stew or chowder. One of my favorite hearty soups to make is the American classic, chili. Rich and tomatoey with lots of dark kidney beans and hot pepper, this soup rocks my world. An almost necessary companion is, of course, cornbread. The two go together like Harold and Maude... or Burt and Ernie, even. My love for this combo is so great, that I decided to meld them together into one dish. One dish to rule them all (sorry, I'm full of lame references today).

Have a taste for yourself.

Chili-Cornbread Casserole
(vegan-friendly)
serves 6-8

For the chili:
1 T. cooking oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 T. chili powder
1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne (or more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)
2 C. diced tomatoes (either from a can or fresh)
1 small can tomato paste
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans (or whatever kind you like)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced (again, whatever kind suit you)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium and add the onion. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until it begins to turn translucent. Add the chili powder, cayenne and about 1/2 tsp. of salt to the onions, and cook for another minute, stirring to coat the onions.

Pour the tomatoes into the pot and stir well. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Simmer the soup for several minutes, and then add the beans, mushrooms and garlic. Continue to simmer over medium-low heat 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and more cayenne if you prefer more spice.

Turn the heat to low and proceed to the cornbread recipe.

For the cornbread:
1 C. flour
1 C. cornmeal
1/4 C. agave nectar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 C. soy or rice milk
1/4 C. olive oil
2 T. flax seed meal
6 T. water

Bring the water to a boil in a very small saucepan, and add the flax meal. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is really gooey. Take off of the heat.

Meanwhile, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined. To this, add the agave, oil, milk and flax mixture, and stir until just combined. Don't over-mix.

To assemble the casserole:
Pour your piping-hot chili into a 9x13" baking dish, and stir it up a bit to get a decent tomato-to-bean/veggie ratio. Then, spoon the cornbread batter over the chili, being sure to cover the entire surface. You don't need to spread the batter. It'll stretch out and fill in the cracks between spoonfuls once it's in the oven.

Now place the baking dish on the center rack of your oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cornbread comes out clean. Serve by scooping out of the pan with a large spoon or spatula.


This is a great dish to make if you're in the market for leftovers. Hope you enjoy!